SNES What are the best and essential Super Famicom games released exclusively in Japan?

[Crashbandi]

If you want to play SMT a tip
DON'T
PLAY
SMT I
SMT 2 is fine, If... is a mixed bag, Kyuuyaku is a great compilation remake of the very beggining of the franchise, but the first one aged like the finest milk, play the PSX or GBA ports instead, they have a lot of changes that make them the Definitive edition

Huh, that's a weird take to me. I loved the first one, but never got out of the arena area of 2. But I'm going to give it another shot here after I get through a couple other games. What was it you didn't like in the first one?

On topic my recommendations are Adventures of Horai High and Metal Max Returns

Post automatically merged: Jan 31, 2025

"Adventures of Hourai High an rpg with quirky humor and a robust class system .

I love this game so much, I will never stop recommending this game as an essential SNES title.

 

[Egg (McMuffin) Man]

Umihara Kawase is a great game. It's challenging, but also very relaxing to play. Doremi Fantasy, Magical Pop'n, Heiankyo Alien, Xandra no Daiboken, and the Mystery Dungeon games are all very good. And I haven't personally played it, but I have heard nothing but good things about Kamaitachi no Yoru and it looked like fun when I watched someone else play it.

This one is a homebrew game from a Japanese dev, but Nekotako is pretty fun.

 

[ZEGA ZONIC]

You gotta try Front Mission Gun Hazard.
It's made by the same people that made Assault Suits Valken (Or Cybernator in the US)

 

[Gromoff]

I'd like to throw my hat into the ring with an extremely obscure game called Bushi Seiryuuden: Futari no Yuusha. It's made by a small doujin company known as Game Freak, and I'd legitimately argue that it's the greatest game they've ever made to this day. The gameplay is like if Zelda II was turn-based, which might sound weird, but it works a LOT better than it sounds.

In 2021 it got an amazing fan translation that rivals that of MOTHER 3's in terms of sheer charm and writing quality IMO. It's on the repo: link here.

 

[tigg]

SMT
SMT 2
SMT If...

 

[J0_]

Shiren The Wanderer and Torneko's Great Advcenture are roguelike touchstones. They shaped the entire roguelike genre in Japan for decades to come. A whole slew of console roguelikes released both in Japan and elsewhere can trace their lineage back to these 2

 

[Darklink]

Gunple Gunman's Proof is one of my favorites. A silly little Zelda-esque game about a kid cowboy taken over by an alien to save his town.

 

[naizou's iconnaizou]

Battle Dodgeball was a classic childhood game. The Shin Megami Tensei series is also one of the best RPGs.

 

[dr grim]

If you don't know this channel yet, Snesdrunk reviews a lot of japan exclusives games and.. you can easily take a look. ( there is like 5 - 6 videos of him on the subject )

 

[MetHy]

Metal Max 2. It's amazing how much I love this game, on my first play I just thought "heh this is good" but then the game just kept popping back in my mind until I replayed it several times and couldn't get enough of it. The game has that undescribable feel that is in between post apocalyptic despair and comfyness. It's like "what if we had a Japanese video game set after the events of Mad Max - Beyond Thunderdome". Sadly the DS remake (which unlike the original has been translated) doesn't give justice to that atmosphere and instead focuses on wackyness and on new unrelated subplots.

When it comes to RPGs I also have a soft spot for Shin Momotarou Densetsu. It's darker and more serious than the rest of the series but more importantly, half way through the game it really opens up as you get to have your own castle to use as a base. From that point onwards you get to recruit new characters to make your party up, more than 20 in total, and some include boss and joke characters from previous titles in the series which is really cool. Then the castle can be used as a vehicle both over and under water. It's probably the most obscure title in the series, even in Japan, even though it's the most unique.

 

[SkaaTerminator]

If you want to play SMT a tip
DON'T
PLAY
SMT I
SMT 2 is fine, If... is a mixed bag, Kyuuyaku is a great compilation remake of the very beggining of the franchise, but the first one aged like the finest milk, play the PSX or GBA ports instead, they have a lot of changes that make them the Definitive edition

SMT 2 is fine? i dont agree with that it's the best game in the SFC trilogy. The best story in the Megaten Franchise, the only issue i have with it is having to put points into MAG and INT to progress through the game and the bosses are evade heavy in the end game but other than that It's a great game.

 

[Bakuma1997]

SMT 2 is fine? i dont agree with that it's the best game in the SFC trilogy. The best story in the Megaten Franchise, the only issue i have with it is having to put points into MAG and INT to progress through the game and the bosses are evade heavy in the end game but other than that It's a great game.

Story is fine i guess, ate them spoilers so i can tell you the game isn't for a change biased towards Neutral, but regarding gameplay:

They added the capacity of checking the map with a single button instead of repeated menu checking, with the bonus of adding markers
The shop is less guessy by virtue of the shopkeeper telling what items do (SNES 1 lack that, then again i only played the remakes)


So far it feels it more refined, granted, not only the INT and MAG requirements are annoying (But at least it gave us a Megaten moment of all time)

Also they over compensante the endgame bosses on the first one being paper thin by making them dodge as much as sans (You either need to spam spells or get real lucky)
Also the menus are still aged SNES puzzles
Other than both of those, the game is a good upgrade of one, sadly unless you know some japanese, your only way to play it in English is the SNES one

 

[legsrjust4show]

Ganbare Goemon 2 is the actual best Goemon game and it was one of the funniest experiences ever playing it in Japanese and only having played the original SNES game.

Nothing prepared me for that absolutely INSANE level where you suddenly pilot the giant mecha and crash through a bunch of villages while chasing another giant robot.

It's now translated in English and I highly recommend it if you want a really good co-op platformer.

 

[SkaaTerminator]

Story is fine i guess, ate them spoilers so i can tell you the game isn't for a change biased towards Neutral, but regarding gameplay:

They added the capacity of checking the map with a single button instead of repeated menu checking, with the bonus of adding markers
The shop is less guessy by virtue of the shopkeeper telling what items do (SNES 1 lack that, then again i only played the remakes)


So far it feels it more refined, granted, not only the INT and MAG requirements are annoying (But at least it gave us a Megaten moment of all time)
View attachment 61605
Also they over compensante the endgame bosses on the first one being paper thin by making them dodge as much as sans (You either need to spam spells or get real lucky)
Also the menus are still aged SNES puzzles
Other than both of those, the game is a good upgrade of one, sadly unless you know some japanese, your only way to play it in English is the SNES one

Yeah, but i did play the PSX version of IF and i think it's much better than the sfc version especially when you get to the Akira route, the new music enhances the experience.

 

[Bakuma1997]

Yeah, but i did play the PSX version of IF and i think it's much better than the sfc version especially when you get to the Akira route, the new music enhances the experience.

IF...?

Oh, i though you mean 2, it's a hit and miss, i love it since i already came from Kyuuyaku, but some mechanics will still make you rage, like the randomization of your Guardian (The proto Personas) and the fact it changes if you die (Really likely) so if you got a good guardian and die, XD

 

[SkaaTerminator]

IF...?

Oh, i though you mean 2, it's a hit and miss, i love it since i already came from Kyuuyaku, but some mechanics will still make you rage, like the randomization of your Guardian (The proto Personas) and the fact it changes if you die (Really likely) so if you got a good guardian and die, XD

No 2 is the best of the SFC trilogy, I was just talking about that I played the PSX version of IF

 

[Graves Ruinwalker]

1. Metal Max Returns

Im obsessed with this game for a few weeks and im becoming an actual Metal Max fan now . Everything just fits perfectly as a regular RPG but its still a JRPG in its heart .
Post-apocalypse setting , alot of Tanks , Doggos with weapons strapped on their back , no overarching story , alot of secrets and mysterious places , open-worldish , alot of tank customisations , funny and weird bosses , mature humour here and there and everything is underlined with a great soundtrack too .
Why didnt i play it earlier and why did japan hide this holy grail of post-apo madness from me and the rest of humanity ?

2. Gundam Endless Duel
What smooth and underrated fighter. Even the Soundtrack is peak Natsume quality .

3. Clocktower
Horror on the Snes . Hard to imagine but this game delivers . Back then i played it through many times but nowadays i watch longplays of it when im bored . Great game .

4. Laplace Demon
Lovecraft RPG that was hiding in japan too . And a cool one at that . Combat is tough but extremly unpredictable because every enemy is still dangerous and avoiding and escaping encounters is more a good option than getting seriously injured , because completing quests is more important to level up which makes this JRPG really special.

 

[TheJoulesThief]

Bahamut Lagoon for me. I'm not even a huge tactical RPG fan but the blend of turn based RPG and tactical + monster feeding/breeding was a really unique and nice blend. Also the best graphics on the SNES in my opinion!

 

[FTLOTG]

Nangoku Shounen Papuwa-kun
Pop'n Magic
Umihara Kawase
Cotton 100%
Sailor Moon R
King of Demons
Gunman's Proof
The Firemen

 

[Blackbird]

F1 Grand Prix Part I, II and III
Godzilla - Kaijuu Daikessen
J.League '96 Dream Stadium
Zennihon GT Senshuken
Tokimeki Memorial - Densetsu no Ki no Shita de
Super Fire Pro Wrestling X Premium

 

[hi4all]

Super Tetris 3!

 

[Bakuma1997]

Yokai Buster Ruka

A resking of a Jetsons game, yet it simplify it greatly by adding arrows in the levels and not pulling the "Beat the game in hard or beat it" Bs of the SNES game, no translation but the game is so straightforward you won't need it so you will only miss the story