"Among the finest action role-playing titles ever crafted, possibly even the finest, and a game that absolutely no RPG fan should miss."

This quote, from our 2009 review of the 1995 action-RPG, Terranigma, should give you some idea of just how highly we regard the third slice of what's known as the "Gaia Trilogy" — that's Illusion of Gaia, Soul Blazer and then this bad boy — all developed by Quintet.

Whilst some experiences, especially when it's been three decades since the game first released, tend to crumble and fade with time, Terranigma (and its predecessors) looks and plays as fantastically as ever. They're all-timers this lot, and Terranigma might just be the best of the three. Facts.

Quintet's third slice of Earth-resurrecting action sees players assume control of Ark, a young lad who, as things tend to go in action-RPGs of the anime/manga style, soon becomes embroiled in some very serious, world-altering business. As the very first human to leave his village to explore the "underworld" Ark is off on an absolute cracker of an adventure, one in which he must seek out and resurrect the continents of a long-lost surface world, in a narrative that serves up some real emotional gut punches.

Of all three games in the trilogy, Terranigma is the most emotional, unafraid to deal with death, loss, and our own mortality. The existentialism and philosophising gets you properly hooked into what's happening; the game also gives you loads of variety in its locations as you progress and, most importantly of all, the combat still holds up.

Ark is a surprisingly capable little scrapper who can easily go toe to toe with Link circa A Link to the Past (a game that's very similar in its combat overall). Our red-headed hero is perhaps a little more nimble than Link, and there's lots to explore in special attacks and different gear as you go. It's got all the good bits where they need to be.

It's also an adventure that continues to benefit greatly from the SNES's graphical style and fancy Mode-7 effects. This stuff just hit a real sweet spot in never looking old. Its style refuses to be diminished by the years passing, and it therefore sits with the likes of A Link To The Past, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, and the rest of the games in this trilogy, lest we forget, in belonging to a very special reserve of properly timeless Super Nintendo titles.

If you've never played it, you might want to sort that out, is what we're trying to say basically (easier said than done in the US, we know).

There's also the small matter of a soundtrack that gives Chrono Trigger (this writer's number one choice of SNES score) a very close run for its money. It really does sound that great, and it's a fitting backdrop for writing, characterisation and a sense of scale and adventure that's as good as anything you'll play on the 16-bit console.

It's mad, then, that Terranigma never released in the US, arriving in Japan this very day in 1995, and a year later to Europe and Australia. Therefore, loads have never played it. Even folks who've been around since back in the day. It's just one of those games that ended up being unavailable a lot of players whom we reckon, should they find the time to fit in a playthrough in the here and now, might just earn themselves a brand new SNES favourite.

As the conclusion of our 10/10 review back in 2009 puts it:

"There are honestly very few role-playing game experiences quite as enjoyable or engrossing as the one found in Terranigma. It does for action RPGs what games like Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger did for the more traditional RPG market. And while it might not have the brand recognition of the aforementioned titles, it's one of those RPGs that once you play it, you'll never forget the experience. It's also the kind of game that will remind you why you love RPGs in the first place and one you'll find yourself coming back to time and time again."

Well now. Excuse us as we head up into the loft to hook up the old Super Nintendo...

Have you played Terranigma? Tempted to give it a go for its birthday? Let us know!

Have you played Terranigma? (1,053 votes)

  1. Yes, and it's one of the greatest RPGs ever36%
  2. Yep, and I ad a great time!8%
  3. Played it, never beaten it10%
  4. I own it, but I haven't played it3%
  5. Never! HD-2D remake when?43%