In 1996, I was nine years old and was already an avid gamer. My console of choice during this era was the Super Nintendo, and that was it for at least another year. Even though it was late into the console’s life cycle, I was still very much entertained on the system between old games that I got at launch like Super Mario World and new game releases.

I did not play the following games at launch, but I did eventually play them all over the course of my life. I went back to revisit them all now that they are celebrating anniversaries in May. The focus was on North America, but some of these are Japan-only, so they may as well be highlighted now. They will be ranked based on how well I think they hold up.

Kirby's Block Ball

An Offbeat Spinoff

Kirby's Block Ball is one of many Game Boy spinoffs from the Kirby franchise, which was growing very popular around this time in 1996. It was originally released in Japan in December 1995, before the North American version dropped in May 1996, so not quite a full year later. This was actually my first time playing it, but as it is a Breakout clone, it was easy to understand. A more modern example would be the roguelike Ball X Pit.

In Kirby's Block Ball, Kirby shrinks down to a ball, and then players have to bat him around tables to try and break bricks and defeat enemies. If players miss Kirby too many times, then it is Game Over for the session. Beyond each table being different, there are also bonus rooms to get things like more Extra Lives. While not as fun as the main games, I could have seen myself jamming away on Kirby's Block Ball as a kid on road trips when I didn’t feel like investing in something heavy. It would actually be perfect as a phone, but Nintendo probably isn’t going to make that happen.

Fire Emblem: Genealogy Of The Holy War

Still A Lost Entry

Like many Fire Emblem games, Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War has never been released outside of Japan. Thankfully, there are fan translations out there. College was a time when I dived into a lot of fan-translated SNES games, as it is my favorite console of all time, although it is neck and neck with the PS2. It’s how I discovered Fire Emblem in general, let alone the three entries on the SNES. I’m so used to difficulty settings in modern Fire Emblem games now that the challenge level in just the first battle of this game threw me for a loop.

Anyone who has played a tactical RPG or any entry in the series will feel at home. Take units, move them to enemies, choose an attack, and repeat. Strategy is very important in the game, as one wrong move can eliminate a character for good or even cause a Game Over. Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War is a struggle that much is certain, but there is a cool reason why the name was chosen, which gets revealed a little way into the game and makes it one of the more compelling entries.

Treasure Hunter G

Indiana Jones As An RPG

• Developer: Sting
• Publisher: Square
• Released: 5/24/96 (Japan)
• Platform: SNES

Treasure Hunter G is another game that was never released in North America, and it’s published by one of my favorite companies: Square. The developer, Sting, is not a company I am familiar with on a grand level, but this game is great regardless. It opens with two brothers and their grandfather going on a treasure hunt to find their father, which then leads them on a daring globe-trotting quest involving a magical girl and a monkey. The graphical style is unique, almost like the faux 3D of another Square game, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.

Monsters appear in dungeons and during combat, movement is like a hybrid between a tactical RPG and a roguelike, akin to Shiren the Wanderer. Players can move within a set of spaces and choose a direction to start swinging in, in real time. Without a lot of menus, battles flow by much quicker, which is a plus. There’s a lot to love about Treasure Hunter G, but truly, it is one of the better hidden gems for those who fancy RPGs on the SNES. Maybe one day it can get a remake like Live a Live.

Metal Slug

An Amazing 30 Minutes Of Your Life

Metal Slug was released in Japanese arcades in April 1996 followed by its debut sometime in May in North America. As a kid, this was not my go-to arcade machine, as beat ‘em ups like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time or The Simpsons usually took my quarters, but I did dabble. Since then, I have probably finished the first Metal Slug a dozen times on the low end because it is short and because it’s a good date night or party night type of experience that is easy to understand. Unlike the rest of the Metal Slug series, players could not choose their character and went through several linear missions either alone or with a partner.

Metal Slug is a run-and-gun shooter with weird weapons and even stranger enemies, all beautifully animated with pixelated sprites that put 90s animated Disney classics to shame. Shoot enemies, rescue POWs, and then fight big, elaborate bosses at the end. At most, it will take players about thirty minutes to finish, so I didn’t even use my two allotted hours. There are numerous ways to play it now, but for me, I used the Metal Slug Anthology, which is playable on the PS5.

Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars

The Great Nintendo/Square Collaboration

In all honesty, Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is one of my favorite games of all time. I own the North American version on SNES, the Japanese version, and the Switch remake, so it gets played somewhat frequently every few years or so. Originally released in March 1996 in Japan, May marks its North American debut. This was Mario’s first RPG, and it remains the only one developed by Square Enix, or just Square at the time.

It’s one of those RPGs that can easily be finished in a weekend without any time passing by at all, as each area/dungeon is designed not to be a drain on the soul. Combat is equally fast-paced with an active turn-based element, one of the first of its kind. Attacks could be modified in real time, and players could defend from enemies. There is some light platforming while exploring as well, to give it more of a Mario feel. Great set pieces, amazing music, funny characters, and cool combat. Asking me if Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars holds up is like asking an athlete if they like water. To survive, I need this game in my life; it’s as simple as that.