10 SNES JRPGs That Could Really Use a Modern Port

I really like Nintendo Switch Online because it lets me replay classic Japanese role-playing games like EarthBound and Breath of Fire. It makes me hopeful that even more of these older games will become available on the service in the future.

Nintendo has primarily released its own older games on the Switch, but fans can still hope for more. The recent remakes of Live A Live and ActRaiser prove that other classic titles could also be updated or brought to the system, whether through full remakes, remasters, or simple ports.

Here are 10 Japanese role-playing games from the Super Nintendo that I’d love to see updated and re-released. It would be great to either revisit these classics with improvements, or to discover them for the first time with a more convenient experience. While emulation is an option, there’s nothing like playing them officially and comfortably on a modern handheld device.

10. Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest

The Streamlined Final Fantasy

I know many people don’t think Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest is a great game, but if you’re interested in learning about the story and what the game is like, it’s hard to do now that the Wii’s Virtual Console is no longer available. While it’s true the game is simpler than other Final Fantasy games on the SNES, don’t assume it’s easy – the later parts of the game can be quite challenging.

The game begins with Benjamin on a quest to retrieve stolen crystals and ultimately save the world. While there’s a story, it mainly serves to advance the gameplay. Instead of a large, open world to explore, the game uses a system of icons to let you interact with different locations, similar to how it works in Final Fantasy Tactics.

A standout feature of Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest is its lack of random battles. When you encounter an enemy, you enter turn-based combat, typically controlling Benjamin alongside one teammate. During battles, you can attack, use magic or items, defend, or try to escape. Your teammate is usually controlled by the game, but you can take direct control if you prefer.

9. Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem

Marth’s Story Continues

Originally released for the SNES, Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem was never officially released outside of Japan. Even when it was ported to the Wii, Wii U, and Super NES Classic Edition, only the Japanese versions were available. With Nintendo recently making the very first Fire Emblem game, Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, briefly available in English on the Switch, it’s possible we could see other games in the series officially localized in the future.

Fire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem is both a remake of the original Fire Emblem and a continuation of its story. The game retells the events of the first title before moving forward with Marth as the main character. Gameplay focuses on tactical battles on grid-based maps. While it doesn’t include the weapon triangle system, players have a lot of strategic freedom because characters have classes and can equip up to four different weapons.

It’s frustrating that the original game remains exclusive to the Super Nintendo, but the real kicker is that its remake, Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem, was also only released in Japan! It makes you wonder what Intelligent Systems is up to. We deserve a worldwide release of Mystery of the Emblem!

8. Soul Blazer

Birth of a Trilogy

Quintet was a well-known Japanese game developer during the 16-bit and 32-bit console generations. Currently, only one of their games, Actraiser Renaissance – a remake of the classic SNES title ActRaiser – is available on modern systems. However, there’s potential for at least three other fantastic role-playing games, often called the Soul Blazer Trilogy, to be ported over as well.

The first game is Soul Blazer, an action RPG where you play as a servant of the Master, whose mission is to bring life back to the Freil Empire by restoring the souls of its people. You’ll explore dungeons to free these souls, which then revives towns and villages, and the grateful citizens will reward you for your help.

Soul Blazer is an action game in the style of classic SNES titles, but it also includes role-playing game features like character levels and equipment. What makes it really enjoyable is the ability to bring life back to the world and see the game grow as you do.

7. Ogre Battle: The March Of The Black Queen

The First Ogre

Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen was the original game in the Ogre series, which later included Tactics Ogre. While updated versions came out around 2010, they were only available in Japan. Outside of Japan, players could only experience the game on older consoles like the SNES or PlayStation 1, which are now difficult to find and use.

What really made Ogre Battle different from other strategy RPGs was its focus on fast-paced, real-time action. Instead of directly controlling every unit, you directed squads to either take over villages for rewards or fight enemy forces. Each squad was made up of various units – everything from people to fantastical creatures – and they battled automatically based on the strategy you chose for them.

In Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen, you lead the Liberation Army in a fight to overthrow Empress Endora and free the land of Zetegenia. The game has 13 different endings, and which one you get depends on who’s still alive in your army, your reputation, and a few other choices you make throughout the game.

6. Secret of Evermore

More Secrets

I’ve tried playing Secret of Evermore a few times, but I could never get into it. It just felt strange, going from fighting dinosaurs with a simple bone to using a bazooka against robots. Plus, when I was younger, I always mixed it up with Secret of Mana – I guess I wasn’t very bright back then!

While I share some of the blame, Secret of Evermore is also made by Square and plays a lot like Secret of Mana. It’s an action RPG where you control a single character, and you’re always with a loyal dog who can change forms. After each attack, a meter fills up, affecting the power of your next move – a mechanic very similar to what you find in Secret of Mana.

Although it seems like Secret of Evermore features time travel, that’s not quite right. The main character gets pulled into the world of Evermore, which is made up of different areas resembling various time periods in history. While there are sections based on the past and the Middle Ages, it’s all fantasy – particularly the futuristic world of Omnitopia.

5. Illusion of Gaia

A Source of Inspiration

Illusion of Gaia is the second game in Quintet’s Soul Blazer trilogy, building on the gameplay of the first. Players control Will in a top-down action RPG, and can switch between two different forms – Shadow and Freedan – each with unique skills for fighting and exploring.

The story starts with Will meeting Princess Kara, who seeks his assistance to avoid an unwanted marriage arranged by her father, the king. He agrees to help, and they quickly find themselves caught up in a classic JRPG adventure. Adding to the mix, Will also meets Gaia, a mysterious figure who needs his help to save the world – so it’s not just about romance driving his actions.

Here’s a little trivia: the classic JRPG Illusion of Gaia heavily inspired the creation of Sea of Stars. This demonstrates how much of an impact Illusion of Gaia still has on game developers, and it really highlights the need for a modern re-release.

4. Bahamut Lagoon

King of the Dragons

I love to recommend Bahamut Lagoon whenever I can – it’s a fantastic and often overlooked game on the SNES. Unfortunately, it was never released outside of Japan, so you’d need a fan translation to play it. A remake in the style of Live A Live would be amazing, Square! But honestly, even a simple port would be great.

Bahamut Lagoon is a strategy game where you command a team of characters, much like in Ogre Battle, but with direct control over their actions during fights. What sets it apart is that each team has a dragon companion controlled by the game, and you can raise and evolve these dragons to become more powerful and devastate your opponents.

The game features Bahamut, a legendary dragon that the hero, Byuu – captain of the Dragon Squad – aims to awaken. He needs to do this to stop the evil Granbelos Empire. Interestingly, the game was first developed as Final Fantasy Tactics before being renamed Bahamut Lagoon.

3. Terranigma

Earth’s Enigma

I might sound like a broken record, but the Soul Blazer trilogy – especially Terranigma – really needs to be remastered and released on modern platforms. I just finished replaying it, and it would be a fantastic addition to any game subscription service. You play as Ark, and his innocent curiosity accidentally turns his whole village to stone, so he has to overcome a series of challenges in towering structures to save everyone.

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That’s only the start of the story, though. After overcoming the initial towers and bosses, Ark’s quest expands to saving the whole world – a name that truly suits his destiny. Interestingly, the world map in Terranigma is designed to resemble our own planet.

Like many games of its type, this is an action RPG, but it features a surprisingly deep combat system with lots of combos, including moves like jumping and dashing. It also has magic, though instead of using mana, you rely on items – which can be a little annoying to refill. Similar to classic games it takes inspiration from, the most rewarding part of the game is seeing the world recover and change as you progress and save it.

2. Robotrek

AKA Slapstick

I’ve already talked about the Soul Blazer games, but I’m not finished with Quintet’s work yet. There’s still Robotrek (known as Slapstick in Japan – I’m really curious about why they changed the name!). It really highlights how much this developer accomplished on the SNES, and I think their games deserve another look. Hopefully, Square can recapture that magic again.

Robotrek was a really fun game, particularly if you liked building and customizing robots. You could create and manage a team of up to three robots, but only one would fight at a time. Battles used a turn-based system that felt a lot like the Active Time Battle system, and each robot could be equipped with different parts to change how they attacked and what abilities they had – everything from sword attacks to explosions!

In Robotrek, you’re in the world of Quintenix – a deliberately tricky name, thanks to the game’s translators! You play as the son of the famous inventor Dr. Akihabara, and your mission is to stop a group of troublemakers called the Hackers. Inspired by his father, the main character builds his own robot and begins a quest to find out where Dr. Akihabara has gone.

1. Lufia

One of the Best SNES JRPGs

I left out the subtitle because it wasn’t clear whether it referred to the original Lufia game or its sequel. Plus, with Square Enix now owning Taito – the original publisher – and their recent trend of fully remaking classic JRPGs, it’s quite possible we’ll see updated versions of these games in the future.

The two Lufia games on the Super Nintendo are truly special JRPGs, often remembered as hidden classics. Both use traditional turn-based battles, and the second one even lets you tame monsters – surprisingly, before Pokémon! What really set them apart was their emphasis on puzzles while exploring, which was unusual for a role-playing game and more typical of adventure games.

The two Lufia games share a connected storyline. The first game, Lufia & the Fortress of Doom, begins with a scene of Maxim battling the Sinistrals, then shifts to focus on one of his ancestors. The second game, Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals, is a prequel that lets you play as Maxim before he becomes the legendary hero we see in the first game.

2026-03-06 18:42