The best RPGs available only on the SNES, ranked

summary

• Hero Chronicle: Project Olympus is an obscure crossover RPG that got stuck on the SNES due to licensing issues.

• Robotrek is a customizable, turn-based RPG on the SNES reminiscent of Pokemon with robots.

• Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals is a standout SNES RPG with unique battle mechanics and dungeon puzzles.

Super Nintendo has one of the largest video game libraries of all time. It has games for every genre, from brawlers to shooters to RPGs. Many of these (especially RPGs) have made it beyond the SNES via digital ports in online stores like the eShop, and some have even been remastered.

Chrono TriggerFor example, it was ported and expanded many times to systems like the PS1 and Nintendo DS. Sadly, not every great game gets a second chance — just like these SNES classics and hidden gems. The games detailed on this list never officially left the SNES console, but that doesn't mean they can't be tracked down online. These games will be ranked based on quality.

7

Hero Chronicle: Project Olympus

Licensing nightmare in fan games

• Developer: Winky Soft

• Publisher: Banpresto

• Released: November 20, 1992

• Platform: SNES

When it comes to crossover RPGs that never made it to the West, Super Robot Wars Takes the cake because there are dozens of titles still missing in action. A game that could have been more obscure and stuck on the SNES Hero Chronicle: Project Olympus. It crosses over into a turn-based RPG Ultraman, Gundamand Kamen Rider qualities.

Although it was never released in North America, there is a fan patch for it in English. Unfortunately, Japanese players haven't been able to find it again, probably due to licensing issues, which always seem to be a problem with re-releases of license-based games.

6

Robotrak

Pokemon with robots

Robotrak Quintet is one of the few games made for Enix on the SNES that wasn't an action RPG. Instead, the game is turn-based and can be compared Pokemon. It stars a young mechanic who has a customizable robot that he takes on adventures.

Players can build on the robot as they progress, giving the robot new body parts and weapons – and even new friends. Robotrek never made a big splash on the RPG scene, but it did release in North America, as did many of the quintet's games, most of which are still in the SNES's good graces.

5

EVO: Find Eden

Fight, eat, evolve

EVO: Find Eden One of the most unique games on the SNES. It is a 2D linear RPG where players will go through life and evolve. They will start out as fish, eating plants, and gradually, as they level up, they can start attacking other fish to evolve into large predators.

Players can also choose evolution points when they hit certain criteria, so it's a bit more dynamic than the evolutions found in Pokemon series. Almanik made the game for Enix, and they also made the PC game in Japan The 4.6 Billion Year Story: The Theory of Evolution. It shares some elements, but both games are completely their own thing.

4

Arabian Nights: Desert Spirit King

This is not your Clive's ifrit

• Developer: Pandora Box

• Publisher: Takara

• Released: June 14, 1996 (Japan)

• Platform: SNES

Arabian Nights: Desert Spirit King is similar to the Middle Eastern version Inuyasha. A young girl finds a magic ring, and inside is an evil genie, Ifrit, who grants a wish. She wants to bring peace to the land, so this genie reluctantly agrees to help even though he has been sealed for evil deeds.

The push and pull between the two is fantastic, and the story is unlike anything else on the SNES. Gameplay is turn-based, but players can use cards to change the terrain, which can affect enemies or heroes by making certain attributes stronger or weaker. It was only released in Japan on the SNES, and it has not been officially re-released, but there is a fan translation for it in English.

3

The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang

A vampire hunter who loves tomatoes

The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang Stars a young vampire who chooses to eat tomatoes instead of drinking blood. His goal is to stop other vampires from terrorizing the land – one dungeon and boss fight at a time. Players can attack enemies with their capes and hats, and there are spell cards to collect. Attacking and defeating enemies will gradually level up Spike, and there's even two-player co-op.

This game was actually a sequel to the TurboGrafx-16 game Makai Prince Dorabochan, which was not released in the West – nor was the golf game, Super Naxat Openwhich had cameos from the series.

2

The Secret of Evermore

Not a mind game, but still worthwhile

Secrets of Evermore not tied to the mind series, but it plays and looks like it Secrets of the mind. It's like a newly formed North American branch of Square's spiritual sequel secret of the mind, which used similar action gameplay with a rechargeable meter and ring-based menu system.

It wasn't even initially released in Japan, and it still hasn't been seen officially there. It's a wild ride in which a young boy and his dog embark on an alternate world that feels like a journey through history, running through a dinosaur-heavy jungle from the Roman Empire, but it's all just a world.

1

Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals

A long lost RPG franchise

the entirety of Lufia The franchise stuck to the consoles they were released on. The only game that made it out Lufia: The Legend Returns, Which was a Game Boy Color RPG that was re-released on the 3DS's eShop – which has since been shut down, so that game didn't have a happy ending either.

Among the many entries there, Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals The SNES stands out as the pinnacle for many fans. The turn-based battle system had an early mechanic similar to Limit Breaks final fantasyThere was light monster-catching, and it had puzzle-like dungeons The Legend of Zelda series. It hasn't been re-released yet unless one wants to count DS games, Lufia: Curse of the SinistralsIt was more like a reimagining than a remake on that level Final Fantasy 7 Remake.