This week I return to listing off games I hope to complete at some point in this project. This week I move up a generation and tackle the Super Nintendo. While compiling this list I noticed one major thing. There are a ton of amazing RPGs that I have either never played or just never got around to finishing. That is not the best thing, because RPGs take quite a bit of time to play and enjoy, and with our two week timetables, it can be difficult at times. Over the years I have come to love the SNES library, and if you put a gun to my head, I would name it my favorite system of all time. With that said, here is my list of the top ten games I have yet to complete on the Super Nintendo.
There are only two rules to this list:
- It has to have an ending
- Only one game per franchise
10. Super Castlevania IV
The original Castlevania found a spot on my NES games on my backlog. The truth is, any Castlevania game before Symphony of the Night is on my backlog. I have defeated a couple of the DS versions of Castlevania, but never any of the originals. Super Castlevania IV is one of those games I missed out on in my youth, and since adding it to my collection hasn’t seen much play time. Not saying I didn’t enjoy it while I played, it just has been pushed to the side for other games, something I would like to change at some point.
9. Breath of Fire
This entry is a weird one, as I have actually finished Breath of Fire 2, but never completed the original. Actually the sequel is one of the first RPGs I completed. I remember borrowing it from a friend and playing it over a summer. I really enjoyed the art style and the characters, but could never find the first one. Now that I have the game, I would love to go back and complete it to see if the whole experience is anything like the sequel. I have started it a few times, but never have gotten more than a few hours in before losing track of my progress cause I got distracted.
8. Super Mario World 2: Yoshi’s Island
Yoshi’s Island never appealed to me when I was younger. It was just too far off of the normal Mario game for me to really give it a chance. Yoshi’s Island is actually the only game that make this list that I have never played a second of. I have seen a few videos of the game being played, and as I have aged, my appreciation for the art style has grown. The one thing I worry about is getting annoyed by the sound Baby Mario makes when he is in his little bubble. Something tells me that I would get sick of it pretty quick and never actually finish the game.
7. Zombies Ate My Neighbors
Zombies Ate My Neighbors is a hidden gem on the Super Nintendo. You could team up with a friend and go through level after level of complete crazy undead goodness. You use weapons like a squirt gun and soda cans to fight through hordes of enemies to save 10 neighbors each level. The trick to the game is that as you lose neighbors, they are gone for good. If two neighbors die in level 3, then you can only save up to 8 of them on the next level. It becomes a problem as you get farther and farther into the game, and you have less and less neighbors to save. Since you have to save at least one neighbor each level, the stress grows with each one killed. You also can’t forget the titanic toddler!!
6. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
I said that there would only be one game per franchise, and yes this is the second Mario game to make the list, but I feel that Super Mario RPG is different enough to be considered a different series. I do have my concerns about this game now, since this was the other SNES RPG that Wes has told me I just have to play. The other being Earthbound, and fans of the podcast know how I felt about that game.
5. ActRaiser
The perfect mix of side scrolling action and world building. You take the roll of a god, protecting villagers from evil by flying around and shooting them. You then clear out areas for them to expand and become a larger colony, before diving into an enemy lair and taking out the enemy of that area for good. That is where the game really gets good for me. It is pretty much a generic sidescroller, but it comes with some awesome music. Again, if you are a fan of the podcast, you know about my love of sidescrollers.
4. Donkey Kong Country
I just recently got the Rare Replay for the Xbox One and this is a very sad, but very understandable, omission. I have dabbled in the Donkey Kong Country games over the years, but have never spent enough time with one to actually complete one. Like most of the titles on this list, the inability to complete the game doesn’t come from difficulty or lack of enjoyment, just lack of time. I feel like a Donkey Kong Country marathon is in my future next year.
3. Mega Man X
Not much to say about this one. I rented it once when I was young, but not enough to really enjoy the game. It is now very expensive to buy, and I just haven’t bit the bullet and paid the price to buy it. This is a very sad omission from my gaming library.
2. Final Fantasy 6
I know a lot of people say that this is their all-time favorite Final Fantasy game, and from what I have played of it, I can see why. I actually gave this game a good run a few years ago, getting to the point of the game where your party splits up (trying not to spoil anything for anyone who hasn’t played it at all). For the life of me, I can’t remember what came up that made me stop playing the game, but I have never finished it. Final Fantasy is an amazing RPG, and it deserves all of the praise it has received.
1. Chrono Trigger
Easily the biggest frustration to still have on this list. Years ago, when they made the pretty crappy (from what I have been told) Playstation port of this game, I finally got to play it…and I loved it. I played the hell out of this game, so much so, that I got to the final boss. The problem was, my characters were not leveled enough, and my skills at RPGs were not seasoned enough, to stand a chance. I died over and over, and eventually gave up, planning to come back to it some day. That day has yet to arrive, and I hate myself for it.
