If there’s one genre that best defines the Super Nintendo’s library, it was the RPG. JRPGs, WRPGs, the SNES was home to some of the most expansive titles of the 16-bit era. With Square, Enix, Quintet, and even Namco delivering hit after hit, it’s hard to find a home console with a stronger line-up of RPGs. The only one that competes in the PS1.
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Which inadvertently speaks to theNintendo 64’s relationship with RPGs. As far as the Role Playing Game genre goes, the PlayStation was the Super Nintendo’s true successor– not the Nintendo 64. In truth, the Nintendo 64 barely has 5 RPGs to its name and very few are actually worth revisiting today. The ones that are may not stack up with the PS1 at its best, but they do get the job done.
It should also be pointed out how the Nintendo 64 marketed “RPGs” in the first place. Nowadays, no one is going to try to argue that games likeOcarina of TimeorMajora’s Mask, but in the late 90s, callingZeldaan action RPG is what N64 owners had to do to cope with the sudden loss of the Super Nintendo’s defining genre.
5Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage
Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage is not a good game by any means, but releasing so late in the Nintendo 64’s lifecycle (in 2001) did the turn-based RPG absolutely no favors.Aidyn Chroniclesvery much looks like an early gen title at first glance, easily one of the ugliest games on the Nintendo 64. The title opted for an extremely stylized approach to its polygons, which was always a bad idea.
AllAidyn Chronicles’ art styledoes is highlight how ugly the game is. Not helping matters is a painfully bland story and gameplay is a downright bore. There are some cool concepts at play, such as permadeath for party members, but the difficulty curve is too simplistic to make combat engaging.Aidyn Chronicleslacks the quality one would expect from a late in life RPG– perhaps serving as the perfect encapsulation of the Nintendo 64’s run of RPGs.
4Quest 64
Quest 64was positioned to be the Nintendo 64’s defining RPG. Released relatively early in the console life cycle,Quest 64tackled a very traditional and save plot for the genre, while offering a unique blend on the turn-based combat formula. Unfortunately,Quest 64fails on every other department, resulting in one of the most barebones RPGs of the generation.
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Beyond the simplistic plot, there’s little to no level design, terrible enemy variety, no puzzles, no form of currency, and leveling is painfully slow. Worse is the factQuest 64saves to an ancillary controller pack, giving the illusion it makes the most out of the Nintendo 64’s hardware when in reality it’s one of the simplest games on the console.
When taking into consideration thatQuest 64was the Nintendo 64’s answer to the PS1 excellent library of RPGs, the game just comes off laughable.Quest 64is an utter joke compared to the likes ofFinal Fantasy VII,Breath of Fire III, andLunar– all of which are games that tower overQuest 64.
3Gauntlet Legends
The problem with revisitingGauntlet Legendsnowadays is that it was rereleased for the GameCube, PS2, and Xbox with considerably more content. As a result, it’s really in anyone’s best interests to pursue one of those versions. That said,Nintendo 64release certainly has its charm, and whileGauntlet Legendsisn’t spectacular, it does scratch a unique RPG itch.
The gameplay is fairly simplistic, but combat is tight and grinding has an almost addictive quality to it.Gauntlet Legendsis rooted in arcade-era design philosophy, allowing it to overcome its limitations through unique design. More importantly, this makes the game perfect for pick up & play sessions.
What really sellsGauntlet Legends, though, is the multiplayer. Find a friend and just spend a night grinding through levels. It’s genuinely more fun than it sounds.Gauntlet Legendsdoesn’t have much in the way of depth, but that’s not always a bad thing.
2Hybrid Heaven
As was the case with every RPG thus far,Hybrid Heavenis held back by some lackluster level design. Other than that and some clunky overworld controls, however,Hybrid Heavenis easily leaps & bounds above the other RPGs listed. For starters,Hybrid Heavenactually cares for presentation– an important aspect of the genre– ensuring the game both looks good and the story is presented well.
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More importantly,Hybrid Heavenhas one of the coolest combat systems in an RPG. Part turn-based, part action-based,Hybrid Heavencombines strategy with fighting game design philosophies rooted in olderWWFtitles. Boss fights tend to be consistently challenging as well, making good use of the combat.
Better yet,Hybrid Heavenfeatures one of the best leveling systems in an RPG. Not only is there traditional leveling, but moves improve the more they’re used, and your individual limbs actually have stats whichalsolevel up.Hybrid Heaven’s progression & combat are so dynamic, it’s easy to overlook its flaws.
1Paper Mario
By far the single highest quality RPG on the Nintendo 64,Paper Mariois a sequel of sorts toSuper Mario RPG, albeit one Square didn’t work on. All the same,Paper Mariois not lacking in quality and arguably outdoesSuper Mario RPGboth in terms of level design & combat. To say nothing ofPaper Mario’s charming story and downright excellent presentation.
Utilizing a reflex heavy turn-based battle system,Paper Mariokeeps even random encounters engaging. Through Badges, Mario becomes an incredibly customizable character and his party members help spice up battles. The dungeon design is memorable, capitalizing on the 2D series’ strong design philosophies while ensuringPaper Mariohas an identity of its own, and boss fights are always a highlight.
Paper Mariois the only RPG to truly take advantage of the Nintendo 64, and the only one that feels like a proper successor to the Super Nintendo’s legacy. When it comes down to it, Nintendo wasn’t able to compete with Sony as far as RPGs went, butPaper Marioat least rivals the best of what the PS1 has to offer.
