The Super Nintendo produced a treasure trove of fantastic RPGs, a couple of which continue to be fondly remembered as some of the genre's greatest masterpieces. The jump to 16-bit hardware allowed studios to craft immersive worlds capable of telling detailed storylines featuring expansive and personable characters. In some ways, many RPGs released during this era of gaming have aged better than the genre's early 3D offerings found on the PlayStation 1, Nintendo 64, and Sega Saturn.
Picking the best SNES RPGs is far from a simple task, as the console offers versatility alongside consistency. The console is so stacked with quality that someone could spend years playing nothing but SNES RPGs and still find something new to try. What are the top-tier role-playing games on the Super Nintendo?
Ranking The 15 Best SNES Games On Nintendo Switch Online
Players wondering which Super Nintendo games are worth checking out on Nintendo Switch Online, we've ranked the best SNES games available.
Updated January 11, 2025 by Mark Sammut: The SNES era might have ended roughly three decades ago, but its greatest projects have stood the test of time surprisingly well. An argument could be made that some of the best SNES RPGs are easier to revisit than the genre's strongest PS1 or PS2 offerings, largely thanks to the timeless nature of 16-bit graphics. The following games might not all be easy to revisit in 2025, but most of them are.
21 Secret Of Evermore
A Good And Difficult Action JRPG That Takes Quite A Few Ideas From The Mana Series
Secret of Evermore
- Released
- October 1, 1995
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix, Nintendo
- How Long To Beat
- 17 Hours
- Great Successor To Secret Of Mana
- Fun Magic System
- Balance Issues
A spiritual successor to Secret of Mana, Secret of Evermore was made by SquareSoft’s North American team and centers around a boy and his dog who end up in a world with four unique regions. While the plot is nothing to write home about, the gameplay is very solid, mostly because it sticks close to the formula defined by Secret of Mana. Secret of Evermore also introduces Alchemy, a magic system that involves blending ingredients rather than using MP.
A difficult game that loves to periodically throw out an overwhelming boss fight, Secret of Evermore might not reach the same heights as the Mana games, but it comes very close.
20 Bahamut Lagoon
An Overlooked Gem That Blends Storytelling And Tactical Combat
Bahamut Lagoon
- Released
- February 9, 1996
- Developer(s)
- Square Enix
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- How Long To Beat
- 31 Hours
- Interesting Combat System
- Ambitious Storytelling
As the release of Nintendo's 16-bit console approached, publishers grew less interested in localizing games, particularly a niche genre like JRPGs. Consequently, a lot of SNES titles that were released in 1996 are still stuck in Japan today.
Developed and published by Square, Bahamut Lagoon wears its Final Fantasy influence on its sleeve, especially when it comes to its story. Narratively, the game is surprisingly complex and engaging, with strong characters who develop well throughout the campaign. The combat system combines turn-based and tactical elements, with the latter largely taking the form of trainable dragons that have to be carefully evolved.
19 Soul Blazer
While The Story And Visuals Are Not Amazin, The Fast-Paced Combat Has Aged Well
Soul Blazer
- Released
- November 27, 1992
- Developer
- Quintet
- Publisher
- Enix
- How Long To Beat
- 10 Hours
- Awesome & Accessible Real-Time Combat
- Fast-Paced
- Not That Deep Outside Of The Combat
Soul Blazer is the quintessential action RPG. Assuming the role of a divine warrior, players must work their way through various dungeons to defeat a boss and free a soul that is being held captive.
The combat is quick, simple, and entertaining; while the story is nothing particularly special, it is satisfying to see the towns improve as more and more souls are released. There is a constant sense of progression. A tough game, Soul Blazer is still fun today, even if this type of RPG has been replicated ad nauseam over the last two decades.
18 Illusion Of Gaia
If Somebody Is Craving A More Straightforward SNES RPG, This Is A Great Option
Illusion of Gaia
- Released
- November 27, 1993
- Developer
- Quintet
- Publisher
- Enix, Nintendo
- How Long To Beat
- 13 Hours
- A Decent Attempt At An Entry-Level RPG
- Confident Game
- A Bit Too Streamlined, Which Might Put-Off Veteran JRPG Fans
Out of the “Gaia” trilogy, Illusion of Gaia tends to be overshadowed by Soul Blazer and Terranigma, games that were more innovative and ambitious respectively. While Illusion of Gaia is relatively linear, Quintet’s release is still a very competent action RPG that makes its simplicity work in its favor.
The game follows Will, a boy tasked by Gaia to visit various ruins to collect ancient dolls. In return, the deity grants Will the power to occasionally transform into Freedan or Shadow, who each come with their own strengths and weaknesses. Leveling up is also stripped down to simply defeating all the enemies in a dungeon’s room, which grants a jewel that can be used to improve one of three stats. These systems reflect Illusions of Gaia’s streamlined nature, as it is an action RPG that stresses combat above everything else.
17 Live A Live
Innovative Structure For The Campaign, Which Allows For A Lot Of Variety In Terms Of Characters And Mechanics
Live A Live
- Released
- September 2, 1994
- Developer(s)
- Square
- Publisher(s)
- Square
- How Long To Beat
- 20 Hours
- Multiple Storyline Paths
- Ambitious
- Storylines Go Through Different Time Periods
- Very Good & Diverse Combat
- Took Way Too Long To Make It To The West
Square's Japan-only Live A Live has an intriguing central concept; play through multiple scenarios featuring different heroes before assembling them for one last adventure. This freedom allows for a wide variety of settings and tones, although the scenarios vary considerably in terms of quality. Consequently, Live A Live is an uneven experience that can also be frustrating.
A solid grid-based battle system keeps things interesting in the combat department, adding an element of strategy to fights. In 2022, Square Enix released a remake of Live A Live on the Nintendo Switch, finally making this RPG easier to come by outside of Japan.
16 Star Ocean
While Not Quite On The Same Level As Its Sequel, The Original Star Ocean Is Still Among The Best Sci-Fi JRPGs Of The '90s
Star Ocean
- Released
- July 19, 1996
- Developer(s)
- Tri-Ace, Tose
- Publisher(s)
- Square Enix
- How Long To Beat
- 22 Hours
- Gorgeous Visuals, Among The Best On The SNES
- Impressive Combat That Would Be Expanded In The Sequels
Enix's action JRPG franchise had to wait until the launch of its first sequel, Star Ocean: The Second Story for the PlayStation, to leave Japan. Released towards the end of the SNES' life, the original Star Ocean shares similarities with Tales of Phantasia, although the former has more than enough distinct features to stand on its own.
Star Ocean: Every Game In The Series From Worst To Best, Ranked
While Star Ocean may not share the same success as Final Fantasy, Tri-Ace’s flagship franchise has enjoyed a long history of high quality JRPGs.
Beyond its refreshing sci-fi theme, Star Ocean boasts a combat system that bridges the gap between action and turn-based battles. With a large roster of recruitable characters, great visuals, and a stellar soundtrack, Star Ocean is a fantastic game that launched a frequently awesome franchise.
15 Breath Of Fire 2
Hard To Revisit Nowadays, But BOF2 Was Fantastic For Its Time
Breath of Fire II
- Released
- December 10, 1995
- Developer(s)
- Capcom
- Publisher
- Capcom, Laguna, Ubisoft
- How Long To Beat
- 34 Hours
- Town-Building
- Turn-Based Combat Holds Up Well
- Lengthy Campaign That Does Not Get Boring
- Story Is Just Fine
Even though Capcom's Breath of Fire series never quite reached the same commercial heights as Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest, the license's Super Nintendo entries are among the best RPGs on the console. 1993's Breath of Fire is worth a playthrough, but its sequel adds several quality-of-life improvements that have allowed it to age more gracefully.
The story is only serviceable, but Breath of Fire 2 shines in its characters, town-building mechanics, the sheer quantity of content included, and turn-based battle system. Even all these years later, the game is still pretty fun, although the campaign has a few difficulty spikes that can be frustrating to overcome. As good as this SNES classic is, newcomers to the franchise should start with Breath of Fire 3, which is just overall a much better game. Honestly, even Breath of Fire 4 and 5 would be better picks for beginners than the first two titles. Furthermore, the GBA version of Breath of Fire 2 is better than the SNES original.
14 Tales Of Phantasia
Except For The Companion AI, Tales Of Phantasia Is All-Around Masterful
Tales of Phantasia
- Released
- December 15, 1995
- Publisher(s)
- Namco Bandai, Nintendo
- Developer
- Wolf Team
- How Long To Beat
- 34 Hours
- Presentation Is On Point
- For the Era, The Real-Time Combat Was Among The Best In The JRPG Genre
- Difficult To Revisit Due To The AI Partners
Although later versions of the game did eventually make it to the West, Tales of Phantasia’s SNES iteration was a Japanese exclusive. Developed by Wolf Team, Tales of Phantasia launched a series that is still going strong today, with Tales of Arise dropping in 2021 to a positive reaction.
Tales of Phantasia gets a lot of things right: The story is epic, the soundtrack is fantastic, and the visuals are quite gorgeous. It also does not hold back on additional content like side quests. Unfortunately, this entry can be somewhat difficult to revisit in this day and age due to its brain-dead partner AI, which is a problem when the combat system requires three party members to pull their own weight in battle.
13 Shadowrun
Gameplay Is Fine, But Shadowrun Shines In Every Other Department. Also, The SNES Did Not Have Many Cyberpunk RPGs
Shadowrun
- Released
- May, 1993
- Developer
- Beam Software
- Publisher
- Data East, Laser Beam Entertainment
- How Long To Beat
- 15 Hours
- Impressive World-Building
- Cyberpunk Setting
- Generally Great Writing
- Weak Combat
Nintendo’s console amassed an impressive collection of JRPGs, but Western RPGs were somewhat rarer. Based on the tabletop game with the same name, Shadowrun plays out more like a ‘90s PC title than something typically found on the SNES.
Controlling like a point-and-click adventure and featuring a slow progression system, Shadowrun’s combat and gameplay are nothing more than serviceable and would kill most games with mediocre plots. Fortunately, Shadowrun’s world-building, cyberpunk aesthetic, and storytelling are top-notch, as the RPG crafts a universe bustling with personality and intrigue.
12 Romancing Saga 3
One Of The Best Combat Systems In A Franchise Known For Experimentation
Romancing SaGa 3
- Released
- November 11, 1995
- Developer(s)
- Square, ArtePiazza
- Publisher(s)
- Square, Square Enix
- How Long To Beat
- 25 Hours
- Experimental & Deep Combat
- Gorgeous Visuals
- Can Be Overwhelming & Too Dense
Initially associated with Final Fantasy, SaGa garnered its own identity during the SNES era, producing the Romancing SaGa trilogy in the process. All three titles are fairly experimental and, consequently, they are not the easiest games to appreciate or get into; however, they also have enough positives to warrant a recommendation. The original Romancing SaGa has not aged particularly well, and the PS2 remake (Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song) is the version to play in this day and age.
The SNES sequels improve upon the first title's formula, presenting a more enjoyable and complete overall experience. That said, players should 100% pick up the 2019 remasters and not track down the SNES originals. Of the three titles, Romancing SaGa 3 is comfortably the best, offering deep and engaging combat, fantastic music, and plenty of variety courtesy of its characters. That said, complete SaGa newcomers might want to consider starting with the Frontier games as they are more accessible.