Final Fantasy Mystic Quest System: SNES US release: 1992 I know, I know - everyone hates Mystic Quest. I tend to disagree, though - it's simplified, it's dumbed-down, and it has the same god-awful "find the crystals" nonsense - but it has a certain charm. It was a cheap attempt to lure younger gamers into the RPG fold - and it probably wasn't even the idea of the designers. It reeks of a forced decision handed down from the higher-ups to start carving out a chunk of the 5-8 year old market. So cut them a little slack, relax, njoy the great music, and take a spin with a refreshingly easy RPG. Download Final Fantasy Mystic Quest

Lufia System: SNES US release: 1993 The Lufia series is another one that hasn't received as much attention as it deserves. It's quite a treat - given the movement and the types of puzzles it employs, you'd expect it to be the same old actiony-Zelda type of combat. What a treat you receive! It uses turn-based combat when you enter battle scenes. The animations are pretty weak (most of the monster attacks are a simple horizontal flip on the beasts), but the gameplay is interesting. Lots of tough puzzles. If you manage to beat this one without at least one hint, consider yourself hard-core. Download Lufia

Wizardry 5 System: SNES US release: 1993 Yet another dungeon crawler, Wizardry 5: Heart of the Maelstrom popos onto the SNES. The wizardry series is renowned by many for its depth of chracter customization and long challenging dungeons. Personally, it uses one of the styles I enjoy least; that of a huge, overwhelming maze under one sparse town. I'd much rather spend my time romaing between sprawling towns by boat, airship, train, etc., than walking around in identical hallways for hours. Still, there's an almost sickening amount of depth here (and an interface to make your eyes water), so if you want a game that lets you get into it for the long haul, this is the one. Download Wizardry 5

Paladin's Quest System: SNES US release: 1993 Enix strikes again! One of the great bastions of turn-based RPG goodness, Enix presents this off-beat RPG. It has a very vibrant color palette, and, while its story seems geared more toward a younger audience, it's still interesting. The combat system is a little different; you use the directional pad to choose your options instead of buttons. You can also opt to use your left or right handed weapon; while this does offer a bit more versatility, it also serves to make the battles last longer. It seems just a bit different and off-kilter from most other works in this era, and it deserves your attention. Try it out! Download Paladin's Quest

7th Saga System: SNES US release: 1993 Another Enix production that didn't garner a lot of attention. This was a long, involved RPG that unfortunately doesn't have the greatest of stories - even in 1993 "gathering the sacred runes/crystals/jewels/artifacts" was tired. Here, it's 7 runes, and you're running around yacking to the locals and attacking monsters. The graphics are mediocre, but the battle screens remind me a bit of the first phantasy star for some reason. One of the game's better features is the ability to see the monsters on radar on the overland map. It's often difficult to dodge them, but it's still a handy feature. Nuisances include having to hit two buttons to talk to the townsfolk - with the extra unused buttons on the SNES one of them should have been a default "interact" option. This RPG is tough and will take you a long time to beat. If you decide to tackle this monster, expect to spend a large percentage of your time leveling up. Download 7th Saga

Phantasy Star IV System: Sega Genesis US release: 1993 Phantasy Star IV came at the very end of 1993, and also at the very end of a period of games - the not-so-gentle transition from the complete death of 8-bit to the rise and fall of 16-bit gaming. The NES's last gasp was pretty much in 1992, and the SNES and Genesis ruled the roost. This was an interesting time, a time for games that explored the boundaries of the hardware and introduced new genres. It's also somewhat of a sad time, as it harks the ushering in of that evil beast known as "fighting game explosion" - in other words, games like dragon warrior and Phantasy Star were largely pushed aside for games that feature no story, no character development, and merely featured ridiculous avatar beating each other senseless (or bloodless) in a timed match. *shudder* Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, etc. Some love them - in fact MOST love them, but they're not for me. I.. really.. went off on a tangent there. Phantasy Star IV. How can I describe it? It's the ultimate coming home. Returning to your home town after four years in school, only to find that the small aquarium store is still there, the gorge where you jumped your dirt bike is still there, and the creek where you first kissed Mary is still flowing, flowing strong. Phantasy Star IV casts off the diseased mantle of III and returns to the glory days of II - with a bang. The music, the characters, the battles... everything is right. It is a thing of beauty. Download Phantasy Star IV

Breath of Fire System: SNES US release: 1994 The breath of fire series has always been one of the staples of RPG goodness - well, until Dragon Quarter. The first one in the series really shows how far the series has come - it establishes a lot of the core dynamics that develop throughout the series. Playing it again after many years, it seems somewhat painfully slow - and the abbreviations are a particular irritant. Couldn't they have devoted a few more letters to item names, instead of stuff like WtSwd and such? Grrr.... Honestly, I'd probably start with Breath of Fire II if you're new to the series - it's less tedious, more creative, and more fun. If you decide you like it, come back and give the first one a try. Download Breath of Fire

Robotrek System: SNES US release: 1994 Arriving fairly late in the SNES's life cycle, robotrek is a charming RPG that features robot construction and an interesting look. It doesn't wrap itself around the usual fantasy-middle-ages-esque kind of time-line; it's futuristic, and your robots use missiles and rockets when attacking enemies. In battle, you direct your robots, and can choose several different attacks. Though I enjoyed it, Robotrek never managed to hold my interest long enough to complete it. I think I've started it, forgotten about it for months, then started it again and least three times. Someday... Download Robotrek

Breath of Fire II System: SNES US release: 1995 The long-running series Breath of Fire really hits its stride with this title. Though it still features the same irritating abbreviation system for weapon and item names, the quest is improved dramatically. The battle system is great and fun to watch, and the amount of customization is incredible. Some of the requirements to perform some of the fusions are incredible; it's doubtful you'll discover even half of them without using a strategy guide. Great characters and some memorable scenes make this one a winner. Try it now! Download Breath of Fire II