Side quests are often associated with 3D RPGs in a post-PS1 world. It’s easy to see why, since the 3D era helped evolve the storytelling of games. When discussing the best side quests in gaming, players often refer to expansive worlds such as those inSkyrimorThe Witcher 3,which have giant open-world and hundreds of quests to take on. However, side quests did not originate in the 3D era.
Some of thebest RPGs of the SNES erahave side quests that stack up next to entries inThe Elder ScrollsorFalloutfranchises. Let’s take a look at some cool side quests in games on the SNES, which contribute to their status as great SNES RPGs overall.
A good portion ofChrono Triggersets up Magusas the big bad of the game. After defeating him, he disappears into the void once he manages to summon Lavos. Lavos then becomes the boss whom Crono and the others have to stop.
Near the end of the game, players can start to hear rumors about Magus from townsfolk across timelines. If players then travel to the North Cape in 12,000 B.C., they can find Magus once again. He will challenge the party to a fight, and if players do cross swords with him, he will die. If players instead walk away, he will follow Crono and join the party. It’s worth sparing Magus because it gives a former villain a redemption arc, not to mention the fact that he is incredibly strong.
Dragon Quest 5: Hand of the Heavenly Brideis the first game in theDragon Questseriesto focus on one party member who fills up his party roster with monsters. After battle, players have a chance to befriend monsters from Slimes to Drackies. It was likePokemonbefore that franchise blew up. There are about forty in the SNES version, and the roster was expanded in later releases.
The first time North America got to play it, for example, was on the DS. This version did offer some monster upgrades, but before this, there was a fan patch for the original version. This included a meta-side quest in the game to collect all the monsters. It’s not a direct side quest with a big reward at the end, but getting through the game with this horde of monsters did feel like an accomplishment.
Final Fantasy 4has a lot of great side quests in it, like most entries in theFinal Fantasyseries. One of the most memorable and challengingrevolves around Bahamut. The king of dragons appeared in the first game, but became a Summon inFinal Fantasy 3,which was also the first game to feature that type of class.
InFinal Fantasy 4, Bahamut resides on the moon in the aptly titled Cave of Bahamut. Players have to defeat it, which is not easy as Bahamut hits hard. Afterward, it will become a Summon for Rydia, and will boost the party’s power considerably. It might be the hardest boss fight against Bahamut from anyFinal Fantasygame, but it all ultimately depends on how much players grind EXP.
Shadow is a ninja who is an on-again-off-again party member inFinal Fantasy 6. Players can eventually recruit him, but there are many steps. First, players have to ensure and wait for him on the floating continent before the world ends. Then, in the World of Ruin, players should go to the Cave on the Veldt, which will end with a boss fight against the Behemoth King.
Once Shadow is saved, he will depart for the Dragon’s Neck Coliseum, wherein players will have to get lucky in their battle to defeat and recruit him. It’s worth the hassle, as Shadow is the coolest character in the game, from his move set to his whistle theme to his trusty dog Interceptor.
The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Pastis not a classic RPG with EXP, but this action-adventure epic has plenty of RPG elements, like a health system and magic, as well as one of the most epic quests in theZeldaseries. After obtainingthe Master Swordand traveling to the Dark World, players can find the Dwarven Smith’s brother from Kakariko Village. In the Dark World, he is a frog and lost in a maze of confusion.
When led back to the Light World via the Magic Mirror, the two brothers will temper the Master Sword for Link. This changes it to an orange hue. The sword can then be upgraded a second time via the Cursed Fairy in the pyramid-like temple, which changes its color to yellow. This is the final sword in the game, and both of these upgrades are optional.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Starsfeatures tons of Easter Eggs, with sources ranging from other Mario games to Square Enix titles. The biggest Easter Egg of all is Culex, who is framed as an interdimensional being that appears to be from aFinal Fantasygame. While Culex is an original creation, it does use Crystals as weapons and has the boss music fromFinal Fantasy 4.
To fight him, players must first obtain the Shiny Stone in Moleville by buying fireworks and then trading with a little girl. The Shiny Stone can then open the locked door in Monstro Town, which leads to the Culex fight. In addition to the boss being memorable, the reward after is great. The Quartz Charm can halve damage, increase attacks by 50%, and prevent mortal blows.
