The SNES was a treasure trove for RPG games.  As far as console gaming goes, it is either the best or one of the top three systems for RPG games.  The SNES had games that started new RPG franchises and expanded on older ones.  This system also help Squaresoft (now Square Enix) become one of the premier game developers/publishers in the world.  With my brothers help we came up with a list of our top SNES RPG games.

One note for this list is there are a lot of RPG games for the SNES and this list represents the Top Ten that my brother and I have played.  There are quite a few, some even well known games, that we never got a chance to play growing up or even now.  As I get around to playing some of the other ones on the system I will update this list if needed.

10.  Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (1992)

This game was an attempt by Square Soft to make a simpler RPG game for the US audience.  While it shares some features from other Final Fantasy Games, other features were overly simplified.  This was a real departure from the previous games I played in the series up to this point.  The game looked good and it had good music to it.  I thought the game was alright for what it was but I still preferred the other Final Fantasy Games in the series. 

9.  The 7th Saga (1993)

I really liked The 7th Saga even with all its flaws.  The game had an interesting list of characters to choose from and an interesting story.  The game looked good and it took advantage of the Mode 7 feature the SNES had.  There were some balancing issues in the game which made certain parts frustrating.  If it wasn't for the balancing issues I would have put this game higher on this list.

8.  Earthbound (1995)

My brother played Earthbound to completion and thought it was a good game.  The game used a modern setting which was unique since most RPGs we had played up to this point used a fantasy setting.  The playable characters in the game are kids and most of the items you get are everyday items you would find in a store or around the house.  The game is harder to come by physically but has been released digitally on multiple Nintendo systems.  While not the best RPG ever, it had enough unique parts to it to get in on this list.

7.  Lufia II:  Rise of the Sinistrals (1996)

I never played the first game in the series and I jumped right into the second one.  This game has good colorful graphics for pretty much everything.  The audio was also well done with this game.  While I got pretty far into this one, I never actually beat it.  While I do own the remake for the Nintendo DS, this version of the game is on my list to come back to and beat.

6.  Chrono Trigger (1995)

I have never really played Chrono Trigger but my brother has.  While he never finished the game, he got very close to the end of it.  He said the story was well done and was interesting.  The graphics and audio in the game were also really good for the SNES.  I don't know why I never got into the series.  I guess I was too wrapped up in other games at the time and this one slipped through the cracks.  However, I hope to actually play this game one day soon.

5.  Super Mario RPG:  Legend Of The Seven Stars (1996)

This is a great RPG for the SNES.  The game had an interesting story and while it does use characters from the Super Mario franchise, it's original characters were well done as well.  This game has a lot of little fun moments that I really enjoyed.  The game looks good and the audio was also well done.  This is another example of Square Soft sticking to what it does best, making RPG games.  While I haven't played it in decades, I plan to go back to this game and beat it again at some point.

4.  The Legend Of Zelda:  A Link To The Past (1992)

This game is a must for anyone who owns the SNES system.  This game is similar to the first NES but is a supped up version of it.  The game has bigger maps, more puzzles, more items and a wide variety of bosses.  This game looks great graphically and the audio in the game is memorable.   This is one of the best games in the series and my personal favorite of all of them.

3.  Final Fantasy II (1991)

I never played Final Fantasy II (IV in the series) until right after the SNES was no longer a current system.  The game has a good cast of playable characters with their own backstories and personalities.  The game play is similar to the first game but much more modernized for the SNES.  The graphics are a step forward compared to the first game while the audio is memorable like it is for most Final Fantasy games.  While my brother has beaten this game, I'm looking forward to trying it out again on one of the many ports I have of the game.

2.  Secret Of Mana (1993)

My brother and I played this game a lot when we were growing up.  The big thing with this game is that you can have three players play at once and that was a big deal for a console RPG at the time for us.  The story was good and the game play was really fun. The graphics still hold up even today and the audio, while not as memorable as other RPGs, is still good.  My brother and I beat this game back when we were in high school and again this year so this is one game we did come back to.

1.  Final Fantasy 3 (1993)

Final Fantasy 3 (VI in the series) is the best RPG for the SNES in my opinion.  This game has a great story and a big cast of playable characters with some very interesting stories.  This game looks great and the audio is very memorable.  The gameplay has some changes from Final Fantasy II (IV), but still very similar to it.  This is one RPG my brother and I have both beaten and I look forward to playing it again on the new PC version that is coming out shortly.