15 SNES RPG That Are Practically Perfect 

Like this video and what I do here? Consider supporting me on Patreon! www.patreon.com/davidvinc [0:49] - 15) - The Magical Land of Wozz [1:25] - 14) - Terranigma [1:56] - 13) - Breath of Fire 2 [2:27] - 12) - Final Fantasy 4 [2:54] - 11) - The Secret of Mana [3:24] - 10) - Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals [​3:54] - 9) - Tengai Makyou Zero: Far East of Eden Zero [4:27] - 8) - Seiken Densetsu 3 [5:03] - 7) - Final Fantasy 5 [5:42] - 6) - Super Mario RPG [6:16] - 5) - Bahamut Lagoon [6:50] - 4) - Dragon Quest 5 [7:22] - 3) - Final Fantasy 3 [8:02] - 2) - Earthbound [8:38] - 1) - Chrono Trigger

Chrono Trigger is probably the best paced RPG ever. There is absolutely NO filler. The game gets in and gets out and as a working adult, I really appreciate that. The game really respects your time unlike...other games out there lol

You’ve become such a great resource for me ever since DQ 11 reignited my love of this genre. Keep it up.

"If square can get it right in the 90s, why are they screwing it up now". Should be their official motto.

Good list! I also recommend Treasure Hunter G as a hidden JRPG Gem. Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean are also favorites of mine. The SNES was just a JRPG beast.

Great list, but in my opinion Lufia 2 should have been muuuuuuuch higher.

It's really sad how much of this list is forgotten, neglected and/or abandoned franchises. :(

Lufia II. The only game to make me cry.

5:04 Ah , Final Fantasy V That Game Brings Back so many Memories

The SNES was such an amazing system. There are a couple of games on this list that I never even heard of. Thanks so much for bringing them to light! I can't wait for your PS1 definitive best JRPG list.

Those resurrection scenes in Terranigma with the solemn contemplative music absolutely blew my mind when i emulated it on my dad's pc in some foggy 90s or very early 2000s year.... and now they look like bad news weather CGI. Also the ending made me cry and stuck with me for a long time (thanks for rating it highly on your endings list). Wish so badly we could have gotten that game in the states. Always brightens my day to see your content show up in my feed, thanks David!

Chrono Trigger is a Masterpiece

David is one awesome man for having SO much knowledge on everything JRPGs. I’m always amazed by how much he knows!

Just another reminder of the how absolutely amazing the Super NES is. Though there is one thing; I would say Square isn't screwing up Mana right now, I think they're doing pretty good, but in the early-mid 2000s... yeah, that's when they were screwing it up xD Also, Bahamut Lagoon was ported to the DS in Japan, so it got snubbed for localization TWICE. At least we finally got an official localization of Front Mission on the DS though. Other than that... man, I need to get on it and finally play some of these that I missed, ESPECIALLY Lufia and Terranigma

„Europe got Terranigma while North America got Secret of Evermore“. Well, Europe got it too, but no Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, FF2,3, Robotrek, EVO, Super Mario RPG, Breath of Fire 1 :(

Great video, loved the list! It's always fun to go down memory lane with you. I do hope to see Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen receive an honorable mention. This game can take some getting used to (it's a "Guide Dang It" game if ever there was one), it's worth it for the huge class variety, the unique gameplay, and the compelling concept.

Your criticism of FF6 was my one issue with it too. When I played I would only allow certain characters to learn magic, and only certain spells. It made everyone more unique.

Great list as always David! Considering all of the SNES JRPGs you have played I would love if you expanded on this list in the future and did a 16-30 list or even more. Your thoughts and recommendations on games have regularly influenced me to go back and try a lot of games (going through the Final Fantasy Legend games now bases on your video and loving them). Keep up the good work!

Secret of Mana always has a spot in my heart for being one of the few games that you could play multiplayer and wasn't sports lol. I actually got to spend time with my older brother and play together 🥰

You picked the best song (in maybe video game history) to play during your clip of FF6. Searching for friends is just an amazing song that not only do I still love all these years later, I appreciate it even more now. Not sure where some of my friends from that time period went but sometimes I feel like I’m searching for them now and that is something that all of us can relate too. I love your videos, please keep at it!

Another excellent video , glad I found you now I have a backlog to check out.

Man this is so hard, so many excellent games to choose. I'd definitely put Live A Live on this list somewhere on the top 5 though, game's a total gemstone

I feel like sailor moon anothe4 story gets the "best lisenced rpg" award....its a darn good game...

I don't know if this counts but I recently got a translated version of Tales of Phantasia. I've been so excited to find time to play it :) Great video. More for me to play (add to my ever growing backlog)

There's an FF6 mod called Brave New World that handles the "everyone can be anything" problem of FF6. The characters are pretty well balanced and some of the glitches are fixed. It's worth giving a try- it's much more challenging and gives you a new perspective on the game.

The lack of Tales of Phantasia is disturbing.

David! Thanks for validating my love for Chrono Trigger. I'm not just a nostalgic fanboy after all! Also, after recently playing/replaying all the FF games...I have to agree with you about VI. I almost want to put V higher... 😅

I didn't own an SNES until 2008, long after the system had passed on. In many ways, this was an advantage because A ) the games were cheaper, B ) all of the system's classics were already out, and C ) fan translations existed for games we never got back in the day. SNES is still my favorite Nintendo system.

I'm not totally against paper mario but I don't know why they do not make another mario RPG!! That game is my comfort food to RPGs. The wife and I try to play that once every year. I usually like playing it during the winter time.

I'll be using this video as a checklist for all the games I need to play on the snes. I didn't really start playing RPGs until the PS1 so there are several of these that I haven't tried yet. Thanks!

On my top 15 list I would have included Arcana, I love Dungeon crawler rpgs and it's the only one the SNES Dungeon crawler outside of something far complicated like Wizardy or D&D.. It's SNES answer to the Genesis classic Shining in the Darkness which just so happens to be my favorite Genesis rpg.

Whoa! you and I have the EXACT same top 3! Good choices my man!

Having some nostalgic jrpgs moments with the start of 2024 and this was a great video to remind me of games I need to play again .

Fantastic list. I might swap some of them around and add a few in my own list, but this is pretty close to what I'd have on mine. My favorite SNES JRPG is Tales of Phantasia.

While I don't think it beats any of these games out, I do think Live-A-Live deserves an honorable mention just for having one of the best plot twists I've ever seen in a JRPG

Everything I immediately thought MUST be on the list is. This is a fantastic list, although if it mas my list I probably would have had to find a spot for Magical Knight Rayearth. It's a decent enough game on it's own but if you've read the manga and/or watched the show you'll know that it's also a very faithful recreation with all of the puzzle fight solutions coming directly from "This is what happened in the show/book" and I think it's worth noting just for that.

I haven't checked out Tengai Makyou Zero, but you helped me discover Tengai Makyou 4, which also looks awesome. Can't wait to check that one out!

Epic list! I have so many fond memories of some of these as a child. I have played FFVI so many times and Chrono Trigger. DQV was a recent experience, but some of the most emotional moments in an RPG!

Rudra no Hihou/Treasure of the Rudras would be another contester. There's just something special about being able to play three parties that have their own goals at the same time; and of course: the game has probably the most intricate magic system.

You are a treasure! Joined your patreon. I love your perspective and depth of knowledge!

I love Treasure of the Rudras. Has an epic line story and beatiful graphics.

I'm so glad you DID NOT include "Link to the Past". Too many people call that an RPG and it's not.

Magic of Wozz was a new game that I had not heard of before, but this is a fantastic list of amazing RPG’s that are still amazing to play even today

Excellent compilation, brother. You're awesome

Great gameplay footage, most Top 10s simply choose the first 5 minutes of footage, but you went in deep and got the good stuff.. new sub

Great video with great games. I have some of them. The Mana Collection. Plus some of them are on the ps1. I need to get around to playing them.

I was only unaware of two of these games; The Magical Land of Wozz and Tengai Makyou. I will have to check these out since you have great taste in games. Thank you for the list!

🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 as always awesome list!

Yay! New David list. My morning is made. Thank you!

Great list as usual! Gotta try Bahumaut Lagoon now. But I will say that even though it’s technically an nes game, I would have at least put the snes version of Dragon Quest 3 as an honorable mention. It takes an already great game and turns up nearly every aspect to make it something that can stand out even amongst snes giants like the Final Fantasies. That particular version is still highly rated to this day.

Love your content man, thanks for bringing some sanity to my life.

"Where the monster capturing all got started." That's not Shin Megami Tensei though.

my man, good list. ill have to check out your playthrough of Tengai Makyou Zero. ive never even heard of it

Great video! I'll have to check out these Japan-only games.

We had Secret of Evermore in Europe... AND Terranigma! But we didn't have Earthbound, very sadly... Greetings from Germany

Great list, love your choices! It’s a shame so many of these don’t have easy ways to play them, specifically on the switch.

Chrono Trigger, FF IV (II), and Secret of Mana are my favorites from back in the day. Thank you for introducing me to these others though. I highly recommend you try Wild Arms for the Playstation if you never have. It is similar to the SNES rpgs in some ways but also different in fun ways too. And it tugs at your heartstrings right from the opening anime. Ogre Battle for the SNES is also excellent. You would adore it.

I trust this dude's JRPG knowledge above anyone.

My personal favorite is Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War. Unfortunately, it was never brought to the west, but there's an amazing translation patch called Project Naga.

secret of mana was like the first game I have an actual recollection playing sitting there with my uncle playing on his snes every weekend and even some school nights getting through the game lil by lil. Mad fun times 😢

I just wanted to say that I LOVE your aesthetic! My husband showed me your channel, I miss your fireplace, but love that you turned it into a tree. He didn't notice, but I did. You have a wonderful eye. Have a great night and I hope your safe and happy!

Great list. I haven't played 7 of these games. I have heard of many of those I haven't played, though. Lufia 2 is one I really need to play

Ok these lists are great and all but let's see more footage of your home! I see you flexin on that kitchen backsplash in a recent video haha. My wife and I are in the process of having a home built and my god are there a lot of decisions to make!

Loved this video, thank you.

The top 2 games were my favourite. Finding the ultimate weapons in both games were fun for me. Final fantasy 4 Was another awesome game because of the story was great from start to finish.

Breath of Fire is one of my favorite series of all time! That is probably because I love dragons though! I’m surprised you didn’t add Final Fantasy Mystic Quest!

I spent more time in Ogre Battle than every other SNES RPG I played combined. And that includes getting every item from and repeatedly winning the Ancient Cave dungeon in Lufia II

PAL regions also got Secret of Evermore. We did miss out on a bunch of other RPGs though, mostly Square stuff.

Nice list!

Omg I played Lufia 2 sooooo much when I had to stay home from elementary with mononucleosis. I even discovered a weird debug glitch on accident and tried to send a letter to Gamepro to publish it in their tricks section ❤

In DQ5 when you’re turned to stone and watch that couple raise their child only to see him get grabbed by a monster, I’ll admit I cried liked a baby. It really got to me. And seeing the after effect of how it ruins that family

Just out of curiosity. Where would you put dragon quest 6 and tales of phantasia. Great video by the way

Glad to see good old Bahamut Lagoon getting the love it deserves. :P Also...I dunno how you feel about the Remake of Trials of Mana / SD3, but honestly, after I installed a difficulty boost mod, I feel like it was nearly perfect on my Hawkeye run.

Such epic games! Super Mario RPG and Chrono Trigger are two of my all time favorite games still to this day! Wish they would revisit them!

It's so weird to have grown up on these games and yet there's full grown adults who were born after these games were released. Starting to feel old. Good list. If Secret of Evermore was longer, I'd be complaining that it's not on your list.

The Problem with the Chrono trigger sequels , was that Akira Toriyama had the main Characters Copyrighted and was still in Contract with Enix while Chrono cross was in development in the late 90s early 2000s .

davidvinc is definitively the best snes rpg evaluator!!!! love your vids!

Excellent video. Try the msu-1 patched games if you get a chance. Changes the whole experience! Also, surprised Star Ocean didn't make it!

"last great mana game as far as I'm concerned" Them fighting words man. Legend of Mana is pure soul the game and Sword of Mana is an example of a good video game remake. EB is my GOAT game to this day, I wish more games did what EB's ending does as well. I do like CT a lot though but EB, Lufia 2, FF5, Terranigma, BoF2, and Mario RPG I just like more for whatever reason. FF5 is my favorite of the classic FFs. People keep thinking the plot is nothing special but a world being divided into 2 in order to seal off a time compressed world destroying black hole of a void is quite unique story wise and the party mesh is the best in the classic FF games. Bartz and friends mesh so well together and a certain event with the old man still stands as one of my favorite bad ass moments in classic FF (really what is up with FF having bad ass old people? FF4 has Tellah, FF5 has Galuf, FF6 has Cyan)

What are all of the games shown in the intro, before the list begins?

Star Ocean always left out :(... Saddens me, cause Ratix is still one of my fav characters of all time, I don't think I've ever felt connected to a character as I have to Ratix (Maybe Dart from LoD). The story blew my mind, and the combat felt fresh and compelling, no to mention the skills system!!!. Ill always be the biggest Star Ocean fan ever lol Tri-Ace are my heroes.

I'm happy whenever Lufia 2 gets the recognition it deserves. A wonderful, underrated gem and one of my favorite games of all time.

I first played Chrono Trigger when I bought a copy of Final Fantasy Chronicles on PS1 from a blockbuster that was closing almost 20 years ago and it has been my all time favorite game every since. I really enjoyed Earthbound as well, but never got a chance to finish it

Secret of Mana at #11 is a massive injustice

Rudra no Hihou/Treasure of the Rudras is a game I often see on peoples' "Hidden Gems" and "greatest RPGs you've probably never played" lists. Haven't played it yet myself but it's definitely one I want to check out. Since it originally started out as Final Fantasy VII (unless I'm mistaken) and is another fan-translated Square game makes it all the more worth trying out. Have you played it and if so, what did you think?

Great list! I just wish I could figure out a solid way to get all these fan translated ROMs onto my SNES Classic. I would LOVE to play the original DQV on SNES.

Which version of Dragon Quest V would you recommend?

Wow you've actually played every SNES jrpg ever released? That's incredible. I'll count myself lucky if I ever finish all of the ones released on the Wii and Wii U virtual consoles.

Thank you for calming my weekend beautifully 🌈

Great list. I don't think anyone can really argue with it. I finally jailbroke my SNES classic to add the fan translations to is and it works so well. Final Fantasy III (VI) is the reason I bought a SNES and Chrono Trigger was the first game I bought Day 1. =)

Am I the only person in the world whose favorite video game is Breath of Fire 2? I mean, I understand its flaws for why some people won't like it, but for me it's the best.

Can anyone recall a game like similar to pokemon/monster catching? Im not sure if it was SNES but I remember a game where you catch monsters and they also evolve(one evolution I remember was Btrain(literally looks like a train with eyes). And it also had a story similar to chrono trigger with time travel. I keep searching for lists here in youtube and I cant find it.

This is a great list, overall. I think you nailed the top three RPGs for the SNES (even if I would have had FFVI at #2 and Earthbound at #3, personally). The rest of the list is filled with a bunch of classics. While I would, of course, have things in a very different order (I'd move Terranigma and Seiken Densetsu 3 a lot higher up, personally, and punt Secret of Mana down even further), this video does a great job of listing the best SNES RPGs that people should check out.

David has time to earn a living wage, maintain physical fitness, AND play all the SNES RPGs? My hero!

Aw wish you ga ve me talk on each game Thanks for the content!

Hey David you ever play any of the PCE games. There are some amazing gems on their including Exile and the never released XAK series that consists of 4 games with gorgious art, amazing sound tracks and an excellent story. One of which was actually released on the SFC but pails in comparison to the PCE versions.

Tactics Ogre would be my number one - surprised it didn’t make the list, since you included plenty of other Japan-only (at the time) games. Fire Emblem: Mystery Of The Emblem would be up there too (unfortunately, I never played Genealogy).

I love your top lists and this one is no exception. I'd only switch 2 spots IMO Lufia 2 should be in the spots Mario rpg is taking but that my be because that's my RPG comfort food like FF% is for you though i LOVE FF5 almost as much.

Thank you for this video 👍

Lufia II is my favourite on the system, beating even Chrono Trigger and FFV (comfort food RPG is the most apt description I've heard for it, and the yearly Four Job Fiesta event brings me back to the game every time). The puzzles were great, the Ancient Cave is a game within the game, and the OST, mainly the Sinistral Battle theme... that's an imperious, overwhelming boss theme if I've ever seen one. There are a few games on the list I haven't played yet and I should correct that mistake ASAP. As for an omission, I'm somehow flabbergasted Star Ocean didn't make the list. Such a strong entry for the series, and a real technical display on what could be done on SNES. The game looks beautiful, sounds beautiful and plays great, the story was quite fine and the affection system was quite different from other titles. I really thought it'd be in the list somewhere, even if not in the very top spots.