If you're new, I've been doing these ranking videos for a while. Check out the entire playlist to binge-watch ruclips.net/video/_2UcYIvTZTA/видео.html We'll be ranking SNES games from Enix, LJN and THQ in the coming weeks. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss out! And I still have more NES companies to do, too,like Data East, Taito, Bandai and more. Just thought we'd introduce SNES games for a bit.
As someone who did beat it, Secret of Mana is an S tier all day long. I love how long it went on for, such a bang for your buck and taking into account the way gaming has gone I don’t think you can really complain about length. My favourite game of all time.
And John. Completely agree with your take on Secret of Mana. It's Iike you read my mind. Amazing game....long, and can get boring.... but still a fantastic game.
Yeah, Ive played like every NES game, even a bunch he never covered .( KOEI games, rainbow silk road) Im ready to check out some.hidden gems I dont know about for SNES and Genesis.
Mystic Quest has nothing to do with Saga. That's Final Fantasy Legend. MQ was designed specifically for people unfamiliar with the genre in USA. It was released in Japan as Final Fantasy USA.
Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 6 are still some of the best games I've ever played. There are fewer games that I can think of that even approach or surpass these two titles. I also feel strongly about FF4 since that was my first FF.
OMG FF 4 was my first too. I had a neighbor playing the game he was up to the part when (spoiler alert) Anna dies and Tellah calls Edward a spoony bard. I was maybe 14 and that type of story telling blew my mind in 1994. As soon as he finished it he gave it to me as a gift.
I couldn't agree more!! Chrono Trigger is my personal favorite but Final Fantasy VI is also in "S" tier territory for sure. Both games have incredible stories, music, characters, and visuals/atmosphere. Final Fantasy IV is a solid game as well.
Final Fantasy IV has a special place in my gaming heart, it was the 2nd Final Fantasy game I played, and the music is still the best in my eyes, so much that I once recorded the Golbez theme on a cassette recorder, and looped it and played it on Halloween. Me and my friends would do funny things like turn an Imp into a pig with Piggy spell, then use Death, lol
Yup, Breath of Fire is a Capcom game, and I don't know why they didn't release it themselves, but at least they released the rest of the games in the west and I have most of them, excluding the handheld versions.
Mystic Quest is the game that got me into turn based JRPG games, really good game. That said Secret of Evermore is one of my favourite ever games, I always loved how the dog changed depending upon what world you were in
I was happy to see some love for Evermore when some fans trash it. Same with Mystic Quest which never seemed terrible like fans make it out to be. You can call it a watered down FF but it still has more depth than FF13.
Breath of Fire is underrated. I’m so glad you gave it an A. It can be a bit broken and I wish you could utilize all of the characters better. But it’s one of my favorite RPGs on the SNES
Andy Garber they were developed by Capcom but Squaresoft published the first game in North America. My guess is that Capcom didn’t want to take the risk themselves, considering that RPGs weren’t very popular in NA then particularly in the early part of the system’s lifespan. After the first one was successful, Capcom published the second one themselves in NA.
Square in the 90’s. So many quality games. I enjoy all of their games, but I can’t keep track of how many times I’ve played every incarnation of FFII/IV. I finished FFVI, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana as a child, and I just cannot get into any of them again no matter how hard I try. But I know it’s nostalgia that drives my love for FFIV. Glad to hear your thoughts on these games, Mr. Riggs!
Chrono Trigger was my favorite game of all time. I played it so much I think I logged in 200 + hours at least as a kid! Also own it on PlayStation and digital on my vita!
Not only is Kefka one of the greatest villains, but he's also one of the greatest boss battles of all time. Combine that with the music by Nobuo, and you've got one of the greatest moments in all of gaming!!
Thanks for finally doing one of these for the SNES. The SNES was my system growing up and I loved my JRPG's especially. I have beaten every game in this video at least once. My favorite game from the video is definitly Final Fantasy III. Even today at least once a year I make a full playthrough of this game as it is one of my favorite video games of all time. My least favorite game in the video is Secret of Evermore. I beat this game 1 time and never played it again. It was always difficult to get the dog to dig when you wanted him to and the attack command was sometimes really picky as to exactly where you had to be standing for an attack to land. I am looking forward to more of these videos for the SNES Mr. Riggs.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars would be at the top of my list. It remains as my default favorite game of all-time. Maybe it wasn't included since it was a partnership between Nintendo and Squaresoft?
@@JohnRiggs can you believe I got to the end boss and he ended up being probably the hardest boss ever?? Maybe I didn't level up enough but I can't believe I never got a chance to beat Mario RPG. This was when it came out...I'm 38 years old now and now that it looks like we can relax with Biden winning the election...I may treat myself to Super Mario RPG all over again for the remainder of 2020...good way to end what began as the worst year of my lifetime.
@@floridapunkarchivist If you spend some time grinding before the final areas so all your characters are maxed out (I believe they max out at level 30) you will definitely beat the game. It's one of the best for sure. Have fun. ;)
The two that blew my mind away after playing all rpgs mentioned here are Tales of Phantasia and Trials of Mana one was developed by Namco and never left Japan. The other never came to the US as well😭 both could only be emulated 😊😌
I totally agree with your list. As for Breath of Fire, it was originally made by Capcom, but it was localized here by Squaresoft because the company was obviously synonymous for RPGs. As for Mystic Quest, the Boss Battle music is the best part of the game.
@@kekeke8988 Actually, Capcom USA didnt have a translator for Japanese to English. Capcom (In Japan) translated their games themselves. With all the text and programming involved in RPGs, they wanted a proper translation, and seeked out a company with extensive experience in translating RPGs.
IIRC Squaresoft made it, but it was published by Nintendo. That's why you see Breath of Fire on here: made by Capcom, published by Square at last in the west.
Picked it up at Walmart for $79.99, I definitely got my moneys worth. I marathonned it for about two months until I saw every ending. The solo fight between Chrono and Lavos was pretty tricky, but damn it felt good to beat him.
It really is a great story. And the name Cecil or female Cecilia, translates to "blind" which fits our protagonist as he is blinded by his duty to the Empire. And so the journey begins...
I'm a simple man. I see a John Riggs Ranking list and I click it immediately. This has been one of my favorite RUclips series and every time one pops up I feel so happy!!!!
Can't spell Square without S and A. And as much as I also love Secret of Mana, I have to agree with your criticism of it. My Switch playthrough is sitting dormant at about 15 hours right now, and I think that by the time I've finished taking a break from it and playing some other games, I'll be raring to go once again.
Riggs, people hate FF Mystic quest because its story and gameplay are very simplified, and we got that game instead of FFV, as it was considered too "advanced" for Americans. Those of us who read the magazines and went to the import game / anime stores knew what we were missing out and we were livid.
FF VI and Chrono Trigger are still in my top 10 games of all time. Evermore was one I was hyped before playing it but I burned out on it at some point and never finished it. The alchemy system was difficult to manage and drove me nuts: I’ve always intended to go back and give it another go but I never had time to do so.
@JohnRiggs, technically, Breath of Fire I and II were developed by Capcom and they were published by Squaresoft. Also, Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars was developed by Nintendo and it was published by Squaresoft, so, technically, Capcom made two of the RPGs that you mentioned in your video and Nintendo made one of them that was in your video.
Actually Mystic Quest is not a saga game it's it's own game and it was intentionally made as a beginners romp into RPG. An introduction into the genre for younger gamers.
It sucks how this was the only final fantasy is the pal regions. Is one of the reasons why Europe was big on FF7 not only was it a good game but to go from playing MQ to FF7 is definitely a leap.
Hey man, thanks for making this about Square Soft, maybe the best game developers ever. This classics were all amazing and glad people ain't forgot them. I hated Square Soft for a long time until someone I knew pestered me for years to try one. You are one of my fav RUclipsrs and it's really nice to hear your relaxing voice and excitement for games long ago. I hope to find ones here sometime for Jason, Jurassic Park, Echo, Bubble Bobble, ext. Brings back good memories. ✌️👍❤️
Final Fantasy III was the first game I played this year after I left the hospital for chemotherapy. It was the first time I'd ever played it, although it had been on my to-do list ever since I saw the game's intro on the SNES Mini around 2017. What a stunning game. Playing it was downright therapeutic after all the stress from being diagnosed with cancer and the chemotherapy. I love all the characters in this game. Kefka is an incredible villain, indeed. But I'd like to know who your favorite heroic character is from FFIII. Mine would be Celes, although I also love Locke. And that music. Square were so good on the SNES. Definitely one of the top three or so third party developers/publishers for the SNES. I agree on Secret of Mana. What makes Secret of Mana an A rather than an S for me is the amount of grinding required. It's insane, you have to grind for levels, for every magic type (magic is nearly useless if you haven't been grinding), and for each of the 8 or so weapon skills. I don't mind grinding in general, but Secret of Mana takes it way too far. I love the game, but that makes me not love it quite as much as I could have. Still a great game, especially with 3 players, and probably the most nostalgic game on the entire list for me. Oh and finish Chrono Trigger. I just played through it a second time to get some of the different endings and....you won't regret it ;)
I love secret of mana a lot and have beaten it numerous times but there is a moment in the game where I always forget where I'm supposed to be going next and wander around until I remember it. The game I feel also has a lot of 'filler' moments where it just drags on like they used every single idea they came up with whether it made sense or not.
@@PJ-sv4iw the worst part is the random coughing fits that come out of nowhere and make you feel like you’re dying, for a few minutes, and then you’re ok again
Secret of evermore and chrono trigger were my 2 most anticipated games ever. I remember seeing all the ads in nintendo power and telling my parents how much I wanted them. I wasn't let down when I got them
I recently bought Trials of Mana for the Switch on a Black Friday sale. Of course, that game is a reimagining of the sequel to Secret of Mana (a game I never played back in the day). Then I quickly remembered Secret of Mana is on the SNES Classic so I dusted that little mini console off and now playing it for the first time! What a fantastic action RPG!
I enjoyed the fact that the video gameplay demo of FFMQ in the sub-screen next to your head perfectly demonstrated your synopsis with how it's kind of Zelda-ish, with a female sprite chopping a tree to clear a path just as you were literally saying.....
Couldnt agree more dude. Square have always been a company that oozes quality. If you had a squaresoft game, you were getting innovation and quality tenfold. A's and S's across the board for ps1 too! Honestly, they deserve more credit than most for having soooo many classics. Seriously, I can name at least 20 all time square classics off the top of my head EXCLUDING the Final Fantasy series! Thats how good they are
I know I already commented but John, you look so happy and passionate in this video which is great to see! You normally look passionate but I think that those NES Ocean and Wisdom Tree videos got you down a bit. Gotta love getting back to some truly great games, right? ;)
@@JohnRiggs I look forward to seeing that man! Just have fun with it and break out a bunch of D's and F's if necessary. I played a ton of LJN NES games but not so much on the SNES. It'll be interesting to see if they made any improvements going to 16 bits.
Great video. Came expecting heavy hitters and was not disappointed. Only two of those I’ve beaten are FFII and CT, both gameboy ports. It’s sad the older you get the harder it is to find the the time for good RPG stories like these
You’re 100% correct about Secret of Mana. There is something about it that just gets so tedious, unlike the Final Fantasy games. I would drop it to a B. (I would also drop Mystic Quest down to B, because it felt like the game was holding my hand the whole time.) but great list!
the fact you briefly mentioned earthbound put a smile of my face. i'd honestly love to hear your thoughts about that franchise over all. or even just that specific game of the series.
Love your show, especially the rankings. Minor correction though, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest has nothing to do with the SaGA series, it is it's own game. Mystic Quest was originally made as an entry level RPG for the US, later released in Japan as "Final Fantasy USA: Mystic Quest" similar to how the US Mario 2 was re-released in Japan it was "Mario USA"
Please never stop these! Being Scottish Nintendo was a rarity for me growing up, SEGA ruled the Console Roost over here. Also if you get a minute (I'm a busy father like yourself so understand the demands of our time) Could you recommend a small selection of games for a Nintendo Newbie to cover on my Generation Pixel Channel. PS can't wait for you to reach the big 100,00. Can't think of a guy that deserves it more.
I'm not 'over the top' or cuss all the time or anything like that. I keep it humble and good guys finish last. Happy to be where I am all the same. I'll get there eventually.
Fun fact about secret of evermore.. it was the only game developed by squaresofts short lived North American branch. It needs the remake treatment trials of mana got.
I'm working on playing through all the Final Fantasy games in order. I finished 5 not too long ago and am working on 6 now. I had played FF 4 and 6 back in the 90's on SNES, and I've always thought they are great. But FF 5 is amazing, and now I think it's my favorite SNES Final Fantasy game. I played FF5, as well as 2 and 3, on translated repro carts.
Mystic Quest is part of the Final Fantasy series as it’s called Final Fantasy USA in Japan. It’s not part of the Saga series the director was director was the same director for Saga 3 aka Final Fantasy Legend 3 but that’s the only connection. I loved this game back in the 90s it really ramped up my love for the genre, and since it’s a quick play through I revisit it pretty often, and the music is boss.
Everyone loves FF VI (it’s an all-time favorite), but I think Secret of Mana is underrated. The soundtrack is among the best. It was worth grinding to get levels and items. The quirks of the item wheel and charging attacks are features in my opinion.
Nice to see some love for Final Fantasy Mystic Quest- it always seems to get bashed because it was easier and wasn't technically a "real" FF game, but I always enjoyed playing it a lot.
So many great titles here! Breath of Fire the first is SUPER underrated; mechanically, it's a little basic bro (the spells do fixed damage; they don't even have elementals), but back in the day, what made this stand out was "YOU CAN PLAY AS A DRAGON!" I, too, love Final Fantasy 4; out of all of the entire series, it's my #1 favorite, and my second-favorite JRPG of all time after Live-A-Live, though we didn't get that one over here... yet. The weapons were cool, the stilted prose of the translation was charming, the protagonist is excellent, and even the sound effects were just perfect. I do also love 5, though; I'd LOVE another game with a class system like that. Have you played the hack of the GBA version that allows custom classes? Definitely worth a look, if you haven't. Final Fantasy 6 is a masterpiece, too, though; there's just such incredible depth and complexity to most of the characters. I'm a weirdo and I've lived a very strange life - I own up to it - and until I met Terra, I'd never seen a character in anything whose life was such an eerie parallel to my own; I might not be half magical beast, but we have a lot of the major beats in common. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is also super underrated, and to anyone saying it's too easy, I'd like to bring up that hallway of those damn petrifying frogs inside the giant tree. That aside, it gave EXCELLENT feedback, so you knew what worked well and what didn't without having to memorize numbers. On top of it all, you have some light puzzles, a very organized inventory, and a KILLER soundtrack by Ryuji Sasai, who also composed for Rudra no Hihou, another Japan-only Squaresoft gem that I can't recommend enough. Secret of Mana is my favorite multiplayer experience ever; I had more fun playing that with my lady than I did playing the 6-player X-Men Arcade cabinet with a full host. I definitely get where you're coming from, because it's a lot longer than you'd usually remember, and it does get pretty grindy; I just didn't mind that, because smacking bad guys has such a satisfying impact that it was fun for me to grind; even the bows make a great thump and sends them right on their backs. Secret of Evermore is yet ANOTHER very underrated game. It's buggy to the point where you can softlock yourself out of being able to finish the game, but the scenario is very well written. It is the Chrono Cross to Secret of Mana's Chrono Trigger - it's even a story about a lost boy just trying to find his way home - and when you stop and think about what's going on, it has quite an impact. I'd definitely recommend finishing this one, too; yes, every game on this list is great, but Secret of Evermore's final boss has a mood like none other, and Jeremy Soule's soundtrack has a lot to do with that. As for Chrono Trigger, I'm that person who likes Cross better - HEEEEAAATHEEEEEN! - but I really need to play it again to figure out how I feel about it. The story and its characters are really irresponsible, ripping back and forth through time without every weighing the consequences, and while it is a feel-good thrill ride from beginning to end, I have kind of a chip on my shoulder about how that helped lead to the rise in all of these chaotic-good "The rules are no fair; LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP!" protagonists that came to flood the genre. For the longest time, even though I played it to death and back when it came out, I just thought it was overrated. And then, I remembered how many creative ways the bosses and even regular enemies were designed; you really have to think about your party, their moves, and what they're going to do to enemies in order to succeed.
You included Breath of Fire, but left out Super Mario RPG? Squaresoft only _localized_ Breath of Fire in North America for Capcom, but had nothing to do with its development. On the other hand, Square did develop Super Mario RPG with assistance & supervision by Nintendo. In fact, Square Enix owns all the original characters and story from that game.
If you're new, I've been doing these ranking videos for a while. Check out the entire playlist to binge-watch ruclips.net/video/_2UcYIvTZTA/видео.html
We'll be ranking SNES games from Enix, LJN and THQ in the coming weeks. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss out! And I still have more NES companies to do, too,like Data East, Taito, Bandai and more. Just thought we'd introduce SNES games for a bit.
Hope to see more of these SNES rankings in the future, because I have no NES.
Back in the day when Square Soft was just Square Soft, if only Square Soft and Enix never merged from the beginning...
Loving these ranking videos John has resparked my interest in the nes! Can't wait for the data east video! Some of my favs in there for sure.
Instablaster...
As soon as I saw the clock pendulum, my immediate thought "S!" LOL. Glad to see I was not alone! 😂😂😂
As someone who did beat it, Secret of Mana is an S tier all day long. I love how long it went on for, such a bang for your buck and taking into account the way gaming has gone I don’t think you can really complain about length. My favourite game of all time.
I came here expecting A and S tier ratings and I wasn't disappointed. I love Sqare soft in the 90s.
can't go wrong with square soft.
Those guys make only AAA games.
I laughed at the automatic (and fully 110% deserved) S for Chrono Trigger
@Al Bert the NES/ Famicom has this game called 3D world runner which is also a square soft. I believe it came out before the OG final fantasy
One of the best developers by far before EA bought them.
I imagine that this and the published by Nintendo list probably have the highest rated games.
I spent many an hour with a friend in college going through Secret of Mana. Thinking back on it brings back some great memories.
i was in middle school with my best friend and maaaaannnnn when i tell u those where some of THE BEST Saturday mornings?!?!?!
Secret of Evermore was made in the west actually, and USED the Secret of Mana engine!
can't say i've ever played it but after seeing a decent amount of gameplay footage i will have to get this one at some point.
@@derek-64 its a good one
And it sucks
Whoa!!! Moved to SNES. Nice. That means more videos like this in the future. 😃👍
Yeah, I can't wait. SNES is my all time favorite console.
And John. Completely agree with your take on Secret of Mana. It's Iike you read my mind. Amazing game....long, and can get boring.... but still a fantastic game.
Yeah, Ive played like every NES game, even a bunch he never covered .( KOEI games, rainbow silk road)
Im ready to check out some.hidden gems I dont know about for SNES and Genesis.
Very happy for this!
Mystic Quest has nothing to do with Saga. That's Final Fantasy Legend.
MQ was designed specifically for people unfamiliar with the genre in USA.
It was released in Japan as Final Fantasy USA.
@R Shmigelsky Mystic Quest is made as an entry level RPG,the Saga games are quite the opposite. I agree that these games don't have much in common
It certainly plays just like the Saga (FFL) games of that era. Just... Nowhere near as deep or challenging.
It is Final Fantasy for dummies, basically
Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 6 are still some of the best games I've ever played. There are fewer games that I can think of that even approach or surpass these two titles.
I also feel strongly about FF4 since that was my first FF.
Agree 100%. They are masterpieces!! I played them later in life tho. Genesis kid. So I was playing shining force 2 and phantasy star 4.
@@gamerstranded2705 But Shining Force was sooo good too. Hidden characters etc..
OMG FF 4 was my first too. I had a neighbor playing the game he was up to the part when (spoiler alert) Anna dies and Tellah calls Edward a spoony bard. I was maybe 14 and that type of story telling blew my mind in 1994. As soon as he finished it he gave it to me as a gift.
I couldn't agree more!! Chrono Trigger is my personal favorite but Final Fantasy VI is also in "S" tier territory for sure. Both games have incredible stories, music, characters, and visuals/atmosphere. Final Fantasy IV is a solid game as well.
@@gamerstranded2705 Which are absolutely two outstanding games in their own right. Was truly a Golden Age of Gaming.
Final Fantasy IV has a special place in my gaming heart, it was the 2nd Final Fantasy game I played, and the music is still the best in my eyes, so much that I once recorded the Golbez theme on a cassette recorder, and looped it and played it on Halloween. Me and my friends would do funny things like turn an Imp into a pig with Piggy spell, then use Death, lol
FFIV is my favourite game of all time. The music is untouchable. So epic
Yes!!!! My favorite company, I miss when they were square soft 😭
Me: Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 3 get an S or we riot!
John Riggs: It's an S come on!
You should do a Part 2 with all the Japanese RPGs they didn't bring over. Most of them have English translations now.
Indeed, Seiken Densatsu 3 aka Secret of Mana 2 would absolutely have to gon on this list.
Final Fantasy V, Treasure Hunter G, Bahamut Lagoon... Tons of missing games, this list is messed af
Breath of Fire was Developed by Capcom , the first game was published by square in the united states.
Yup, Breath of Fire is a Capcom game, and I don't know why they didn't release it themselves, but at least they released the rest of the games in the west and I have most of them, excluding the handheld versions.
Mystic Quest is the game that got me into turn based JRPG games, really good game. That said Secret of Evermore is one of my favourite ever games, I always loved how the dog changed depending upon what world you were in
I was happy to see some love for Evermore when some fans trash it. Same with Mystic Quest which never seemed terrible like fans make it out to be. You can call it a watered down FF but it still has more depth than FF13.
same here with mystic quest
I played or rented everything SquarePants or Enix. Tough to pick a favorite
Ohhh, how about a Nintendo made SNES list. You're going to need a longer spreadsheet to squeeze in all of the S-games.
you may be right.
@Mr. Peanut pretty much a perfect 10
@Mr. Peanut S = Ace
Breath of Fire is underrated. I’m so glad you gave it an A. It can be a bit broken and I wish you could utilize all of the characters better. But it’s one of my favorite RPGs on the SNES
It was perfect for the time.
Breath of Fire 2 holds up as one of my favorite rpgs! I thought this series was developed by capcom however
Andy Garber they were developed by Capcom but Squaresoft published the first game in North America. My guess is that Capcom didn’t want to take the risk themselves, considering that RPGs weren’t very popular in NA then particularly in the early part of the system’s lifespan. After the first one was successful, Capcom published the second one themselves in NA.
@@garb7477 Breath of Fire 2 was a masterpiece! I remember getting to the Cathedral and shitting my pants
@@nicpayne8258 Really was a great game. I had my game erase itself after fighting Roy....still went back and played through
Square in the 90’s. So many quality games.
I enjoy all of their games, but I can’t keep track of how many times I’ve played every incarnation of FFII/IV.
I finished FFVI, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana as a child, and I just cannot get into any of them again no matter how hard I try.
But I know it’s nostalgia that drives my love for FFIV.
Glad to hear your thoughts on these games, Mr. Riggs!
FFIV is the best!!!!
Love this video type, keep up the good work Mr Riggs.
Chrono Trigger was my favorite game of all time. I played it so much I think I logged in 200 + hours at least as a kid! Also own it on PlayStation and digital on my vita!
That's a lot of hours!
Man, was it the only game you had?
@@kekeke8988 nope just trying to get all the endings and level 99
Not only is Kefka one of the greatest villains, but he's also one of the greatest boss battles of all time. Combine that with the music by Nobuo, and you've got one of the greatest moments in all of gaming!!
He's the only villain that succeeded in destroying the world. Which, to me, makes him the best. Not for any moral reason, just b/c he was having fun.
Thanks for finally doing one of these for the SNES. The SNES was my system growing up and I loved my JRPG's especially. I have beaten every game in this video at least once. My favorite game from the video is definitly Final Fantasy III. Even today at least once a year I make a full playthrough of this game as it is one of my favorite video games of all time. My least favorite game in the video is Secret of Evermore. I beat this game 1 time and never played it again. It was always difficult to get the dog to dig when you wanted him to and the attack command was sometimes really picky as to exactly where you had to be standing for an attack to land. I am looking forward to more of these videos for the SNES Mr. Riggs.
8:25 Secret of Evermore had the absolute SICKEST commercial I had ever seen in my life up to that point.
You can't talk about FF3/FFVI and not mention the Opera scene.
Damn...Squaresoft was seriously on point back in the 16bit era
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars would be at the top of my list. It remains as my default favorite game of all-time. Maybe it wasn't included since it was a partnership between Nintendo and Squaresoft?
Totally. I'll include that on the Nintendo video. I did think about that but I'm sticking with publishers instead of developers.
@@JohnRiggs can you believe I got to the end boss and he ended up being probably the hardest boss ever?? Maybe I didn't level up enough but I can't believe I never got a chance to beat Mario RPG. This was when it came out...I'm 38 years old now and now that it looks like we can relax with Biden winning the election...I may treat myself to Super Mario RPG all over again for the remainder of 2020...good way to end what began as the worst year of my lifetime.
@@floridapunkarchivist If you spend some time grinding before the final areas so all your characters are maxed out (I believe they max out at level 30) you will definitely beat the game. It's one of the best for sure. Have fun. ;)
@@floridapunkarchivist , whoever won the election made us lose and they are all morons that serve the same Luciferian globalist elite in the end.
The two that blew my mind away after playing all rpgs mentioned here are Tales of Phantasia and Trials of Mana one was developed by Namco and never left Japan. The other never came to the US as well😭
both could only be emulated 😊😌
Thank you for giving FFIII (6 in Japan), a solid S - I can stay subbed to you!
I totally agree with your list. As for Breath of Fire, it was originally made by Capcom, but it was localized here by Squaresoft because the company was obviously synonymous for RPGs. As for Mystic Quest, the Boss Battle music is the best part of the game.
The final battle is close second in my opinion.
It was licensed to Square for localization because Capcom believed there was no market for JRPGs in America.
@@kekeke8988 Actually, Capcom USA didnt have a translator for Japanese to English. Capcom (In Japan) translated their games themselves. With all the text and programming involved in RPGs, they wanted a proper translation, and seeked out a company with extensive experience in translating RPGs.
John where was Super Mario RPG?
IIRC Squaresoft made it, but it was published by Nintendo. That's why you see Breath of Fire on here: made by Capcom, published by Square at last in the west.
exactly that - I'm going by publisher so it'll be on the Nintendo video.
I accidentally slowed down the playback to half speed and created drunk Riggs.
FF2 is also my favorite. That fade in at the beginning with the Red Wings theme...still gives me chills.
Secret of Mana so nostalgic. If you have a multitap you can have three players.
Final Fantasy 2/4 is still my favorite FF of all time. When Palom and Porom did...their thing...I almost cried.
When Chronotrriger came out I remember paying 100 dollars for it never regretted it
Picked it up at Walmart for $79.99, I definitely got my moneys worth. I marathonned it for about two months until I saw every ending. The solo fight between Chrono and Lavos was pretty tricky, but damn it felt good to beat him.
100 for a new game?. Damn. Now that´s a fan.
Yeah man $89.99 plus tax was very expensive back in the 90s. I remember only FF6 and Chrono Trigger being way more expensive then the rest.
@@joselombana8381 and Phantasy Star 2 on Sega
@@freddyvidz I didn't own a Genesis back then but I can imagine.
The best chronotrigger ending is when you meet the staff. That was super cool
It really is a great story. And the name Cecil or female Cecilia, translates to "blind" which fits our protagonist as he is blinded by his duty to the Empire. And so the journey begins...
I'm a simple man. I see a John Riggs Ranking list and I click it immediately.
This has been one of my favorite RUclips series and every time one pops up I feel so happy!!!!
Can't spell Square without S and A. And as much as I also love Secret of Mana, I have to agree with your criticism of it. My Switch playthrough is sitting dormant at about 15 hours right now, and I think that by the time I've finished taking a break from it and playing some other games, I'll be raring to go once again.
Qure
Riggs, people hate FF Mystic quest because its story and gameplay are very simplified, and we got that game instead of FFV, as it was considered too "advanced" for Americans. Those of us who read the magazines and went to the import game / anime stores knew what we were missing out and we were livid.
I didn't grow up with any Square Soft games. I'm 30 and just now exploring some of these RPGs. The music is incredible, especially in Chrono Trigger.
FF VI and Chrono Trigger are still in my top 10 games of all time.
Evermore was one I was hyped before playing it but I burned out on it at some point and never finished it. The alchemy system was difficult to manage and drove me nuts: I’ve always intended to go back and give it another go but I never had time to do so.
Big John Stud Riggs Coming Through Great List Thank You For All Happy Holidays
Can’t wait for the Enix video. They thought you lessons, they made you think about life.
@JohnRiggs, technically, Breath of Fire I and II were developed by Capcom and they were published by Squaresoft. Also, Super Mario RPG: The Legend of the Seven Stars was developed by Nintendo and it was published by Squaresoft, so, technically, Capcom made two of the RPGs that you mentioned in your video and Nintendo made one of them that was in your video.
I thought Mario RPG was developed by both Square and Nintendo. And published by Nintendo.
I'm glad you gave Chrono Trigger an S, anything else would be blasphemy
You reminded me to purchase Children of Mana for my daughter.
Tick...tick...”well, this is an ‘S’...” 😂
You're a brave man, Mr. Riggs
Actually Mystic Quest is not a saga game it's it's own game and it was intentionally made as a beginners romp into RPG. An introduction into the genre for younger gamers.
It sucks how this was the only final fantasy is the pal regions. Is one of the reasons why Europe was big on FF7 not only was it a good game but to go from playing MQ to FF7 is definitely a leap.
@@joselombana8381
Why Europe would ever by another Square game if the only crap they got was MQ is beyond me.
Hey man, thanks for making this about Square Soft, maybe the best game developers ever. This classics were all amazing and glad people ain't forgot them. I hated Square Soft for a long time until someone I knew pestered me for years to try one. You are one of my fav RUclipsrs and it's really nice to hear your relaxing voice and excitement for games long ago. I hope to find ones here sometime for Jason, Jurassic Park, Echo, Bubble Bobble, ext. Brings back good memories. ✌️👍❤️
Also for Dr Mario. I remember being knee high to a grasshopper when I'd watch my mom play for hours to finally beat the hardest mode. ❤️
Final Fantasy III was the first game I played this year after I left the hospital for chemotherapy. It was the first time I'd ever played it, although it had been on my to-do list ever since I saw the game's intro on the SNES Mini around 2017. What a stunning game. Playing it was downright therapeutic after all the stress from being diagnosed with cancer and the chemotherapy.
I love all the characters in this game. Kefka is an incredible villain, indeed. But I'd like to know who your favorite heroic character is from FFIII. Mine would be Celes, although I also love Locke. And that music. Square were so good on the SNES. Definitely one of the top three or so third party developers/publishers for the SNES.
I agree on Secret of Mana. What makes Secret of Mana an A rather than an S for me is the amount of grinding required. It's insane, you have to grind for levels, for every magic type (magic is nearly useless if you haven't been grinding), and for each of the 8 or so weapon skills. I don't mind grinding in general, but Secret of Mana takes it way too far. I love the game, but that makes me not love it quite as much as I could have. Still a great game, especially with 3 players, and probably the most nostalgic game on the entire list for me.
Oh and finish Chrono Trigger. I just played through it a second time to get some of the different endings and....you won't regret it ;)
Final Fantasy II/IV will also be my favourite of the series, mostly because I stopped playing them and remember loving it so much!
Final Fantasy VI: AKA the greatest game I ever played to this day. (My opinion, yours may vary)
I love secret of mana a lot and have beaten it numerous times but there is a moment in the game where I always forget where I'm supposed to be going next and wander around until I remember it. The game I feel also has a lot of 'filler' moments where it just drags on like they used every single idea they came up with whether it made sense or not.
Do a shot every time Riggs says “Final Fantasy” and I promise to send flowers to your funeral.
Sitting with covid watching a ton of RUclips videos
These videos getting me through my day
@@PJ-sv4iw the worst part is the random coughing fits that come out of nowhere and make you feel like you’re dying, for a few minutes, and then you’re ok again
at least its not corona. get it?
guess you cant laugh right now. hope you get well soon and have no long lasting effects.
@@shawnpatrick1877 that’s what I’ve heard too
Which sucks lol
Get well, man.
Mystic quest was actually developed specifically for the US market. It was to "introduce" US players to RPGs. In Japan it's named Final Fantasy USA.
Secret of evermore and chrono trigger were my 2 most anticipated games ever. I remember seeing all the ads in nintendo power and telling my parents how much I wanted them. I wasn't let down when I got them
These square and enix tier lists of yours are great entertainment. How about some more rpg vids?
Love these videos glad you are continuing with SNES
I recently bought Trials of Mana for the Switch on a Black Friday sale. Of course, that game is a reimagining of the sequel to Secret of Mana (a game I never played back in the day). Then I quickly remembered Secret of Mana is on the SNES Classic so I dusted that little mini console off and now playing it for the first time! What a fantastic action RPG!
I enjoyed the fact that the video gameplay demo of FFMQ in the sub-screen next to your head perfectly demonstrated your synopsis with how it's kind of Zelda-ish, with a female sprite chopping a tree to clear a path just as you were literally saying.....
I’m glad you’re doing these with Super Nintendo games now!
Ohhhh boy. Just starting... expecting an "S" wave. :D
Oooo baby! Been waiting for Riggs to get to Snes ranking!
Couldnt agree more dude. Square have always been a company that oozes quality. If you had a squaresoft game, you were getting innovation and quality tenfold. A's and S's across the board for ps1 too! Honestly, they deserve more credit than most for having soooo many classics. Seriously, I can name at least 20 all time square classics off the top of my head EXCLUDING the Final Fantasy series! Thats how good they are
How TF does John not have 100k subs yet? I feel like this is a problem/injustice that could be solved in like a day.
I look forward to these videos!
I know I already commented but John, you look so happy and passionate in this video which is great to see! You normally look passionate but I think that those NES Ocean and Wisdom Tree videos got you down a bit. Gotta love getting back to some truly great games, right? ;)
oh great, and next week is LJN SNES games. We'll see.
@@JohnRiggs I look forward to seeing that man! Just have fun with it and break out a bunch of D's and F's if necessary. I played a ton of LJN NES games but not so much on the SNES. It'll be interesting to see if they made any improvements going to 16 bits.
Great video. Came expecting heavy hitters and was not disappointed. Only two of those I’ve beaten are FFII and CT, both gameboy ports. It’s sad the older you get the harder it is to find the the time for good RPG stories like these
You’re 100% correct about Secret of Mana. There is something about it that just gets so tedious, unlike the Final Fantasy games. I would drop it to a B. (I would also drop Mystic Quest down to B, because it felt like the game was holding my hand the whole time.) but great list!
the fact you briefly mentioned earthbound put a smile of my face. i'd honestly love to hear your thoughts about that franchise over all. or even just that specific game of the series.
Love your show, especially the rankings.
Minor correction though, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest has nothing to do with the SaGA series, it is it's own game.
Mystic Quest was originally made as an entry level RPG for the US, later released in Japan as "Final Fantasy USA: Mystic Quest" similar to how the US Mario 2 was re-released in Japan it was "Mario USA"
Please never stop these! Being Scottish Nintendo was a rarity for me growing up, SEGA ruled the Console Roost over here. Also if you get a minute (I'm a busy father like yourself so understand the demands of our time) Could you recommend a small selection of games for a Nintendo Newbie to cover on my Generation Pixel Channel. PS can't wait for you to reach the big 100,00. Can't think of a guy that deserves it more.
Tbh I would've thought Riggs has wayyyyy more the a 100k followers! My God I've been following him for years.
I'm not 'over the top' or cuss all the time or anything like that. I keep it humble and good guys finish last. Happy to be where I am all the same. I'll get there eventually.
Fun fact: Secret of Mana is actually 3 players if you got the multitap.
Love these ranking vids, ace 👍
Fun fact about secret of evermore.. it was the only game developed by squaresofts short lived North American branch.
It needs the remake treatment trials of mana got.
Love the Chrono Trigger font and Podunk, USA in Secret of Evermore.
I'm working on playing through all the Final Fantasy games in order. I finished 5 not too long ago and am working on 6 now. I had played FF 4 and 6 back in the 90's on SNES, and I've always thought they are great. But FF 5 is amazing, and now I think it's my favorite SNES Final Fantasy game. I played FF5, as well as 2 and 3, on translated repro carts.
I love your videos and the fact you give props to Urbana's best beer!!!!!
These worlds are full of fantasy, whimsy, and majestic magic. I cherish them all. Especially FiFanIV!
Mystic Quest is part of the Final Fantasy series as it’s called Final Fantasy USA in Japan. It’s not part of the Saga series the director was director was the same director for Saga 3 aka Final Fantasy Legend 3 but that’s the only connection. I loved this game back in the 90s it really ramped up my love for the genre, and since it’s a quick play through I revisit it pretty often, and the music is boss.
Everyone loves FF VI (it’s an all-time favorite), but I think Secret of Mana is underrated. The soundtrack is among the best. It was worth grinding to get levels and items. The quirks of the item wheel and charging attacks are features in my opinion.
Love these videos and your commentary
I think the fight music in Mystic Quest (PAL version, if that makes a difference) is fantastic. It always gets my heart pumping.
Loving all the ranking videos! Keep 'em up! Many games and systems to work with.
Nice to see some love for Final Fantasy Mystic Quest- it always seems to get bashed because it was easier and wasn't technically a "real" FF game, but I always enjoyed playing it a lot.
Been waiting for SNES videos, thank you and nicely done Riggs!!
So many great titles here! Breath of Fire the first is SUPER underrated; mechanically, it's a little basic bro (the spells do fixed damage; they don't even have elementals), but back in the day, what made this stand out was "YOU CAN PLAY AS A DRAGON!"
I, too, love Final Fantasy 4; out of all of the entire series, it's my #1 favorite, and my second-favorite JRPG of all time after Live-A-Live, though we didn't get that one over here... yet. The weapons were cool, the stilted prose of the translation was charming, the protagonist is excellent, and even the sound effects were just perfect. I do also love 5, though; I'd LOVE another game with a class system like that. Have you played the hack of the GBA version that allows custom classes? Definitely worth a look, if you haven't.
Final Fantasy 6 is a masterpiece, too, though; there's just such incredible depth and complexity to most of the characters. I'm a weirdo and I've lived a very strange life - I own up to it - and until I met Terra, I'd never seen a character in anything whose life was such an eerie parallel to my own; I might not be half magical beast, but we have a lot of the major beats in common.
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is also super underrated, and to anyone saying it's too easy, I'd like to bring up that hallway of those damn petrifying frogs inside the giant tree. That aside, it gave EXCELLENT feedback, so you knew what worked well and what didn't without having to memorize numbers. On top of it all, you have some light puzzles, a very organized inventory, and a KILLER soundtrack by Ryuji Sasai, who also composed for Rudra no Hihou, another Japan-only Squaresoft gem that I can't recommend enough.
Secret of Mana is my favorite multiplayer experience ever; I had more fun playing that with my lady than I did playing the 6-player X-Men Arcade cabinet with a full host. I definitely get where you're coming from, because it's a lot longer than you'd usually remember, and it does get pretty grindy; I just didn't mind that, because smacking bad guys has such a satisfying impact that it was fun for me to grind; even the bows make a great thump and sends them right on their backs.
Secret of Evermore is yet ANOTHER very underrated game. It's buggy to the point where you can softlock yourself out of being able to finish the game, but the scenario is very well written. It is the Chrono Cross to Secret of Mana's Chrono Trigger - it's even a story about a lost boy just trying to find his way home - and when you stop and think about what's going on, it has quite an impact. I'd definitely recommend finishing this one, too; yes, every game on this list is great, but Secret of Evermore's final boss has a mood like none other, and Jeremy Soule's soundtrack has a lot to do with that.
As for Chrono Trigger, I'm that person who likes Cross better - HEEEEAAATHEEEEEN! - but I really need to play it again to figure out how I feel about it. The story and its characters are really irresponsible, ripping back and forth through time without every weighing the consequences, and while it is a feel-good thrill ride from beginning to end, I have kind of a chip on my shoulder about how that helped lead to the rise in all of these chaotic-good "The rules are no fair; LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP!" protagonists that came to flood the genre. For the longest time, even though I played it to death and back when it came out, I just thought it was overrated. And then, I remembered how many creative ways the bosses and even regular enemies were designed; you really have to think about your party, their moves, and what they're going to do to enemies in order to succeed.
Wow this is probably the best ranking of all time. Game companion
Really enjoyed the video, Riggs.
aww i was hoping you would rank the Japan-only ones, too. Live A Live, FFV, Romancing SaGa 1-3, Trials of Mana, they're all really good!
Great video. Thanks John. Love this content
One of the best SNES games i've ever played was shadowrun. Man, i loved that game, it's a S+ easily to me.
Awesome another Riggs post!
You included Breath of Fire, but left out Super Mario RPG? Squaresoft only _localized_ Breath of Fire in North America for Capcom, but had nothing to do with its development. On the other hand, Square did develop Super Mario RPG with assistance & supervision by Nintendo. In fact, Square Enix owns all the original characters and story from that game.
FF5 does not get enough love. Nice to hear a shout out for one of the best hidden gem games of the era!!
Breath of the fire was like a yearly play for me from 5th grade through sophomore year and a few times since
You are getting some serious momentum, keep it coming. Great work Riggs.
delita (final fantasy tactics) is the coolest vilian of all time, but kefka is pretty good.