The Underrated Super Nintendo RPG You Likely Never Played
The Super Nintendo library was rich with hidden gems and rare games, but Secret of Evermore is one that you may have never played.
SquareSoft originally developed Secret of Evermore to be a distinctly "American" take on JRPG conventions. The result was a game that divided fans and is widely seen today as an underrated classic. Sadly, the polarizing response to the original release has led to Secret of Evermore being mostly forgotten by modern gamers. The Japanese release of the game was canceled, and it has never seen so much as a Nintendo Switch eShop release.
Despite the lukewarm sales during its initial release, retrospective reviews for Secret of Evermore have defended the game. Hardcore Gaming 101 drew extra attention to the game's many secret paths and surprises that continued well after the game's story came to an end. Boxed Pixels criticized the game's high difficulty level, but praised its graphics and willingness to be "inventive" within the RPG genre. HonestGamers favorably compared Secret of Evermore to Earthbound, another cult classic RPG that didn't get quite the love it deserved back in the day.
What's so great about Secret of Evermore?
Secret of Evermore followed the story of a boy and his dog as they fought to escape a strange post-apocalyptic fantasy world they'd been transported to. Using the game's unique Alchemy system, players could gather ingredients and craft them into different spells. No ingredients meant no spells. Alchemy could be used to fight enemies, restore health, and more.
Secret of Evermore has also received positive attention for its unique soundtrack. Composed by Jeremy Soule as his first video game project, the soundtrack has been described by The Greatest Game Music as "an individualistic, innovative approach to scoring an RPG," as well as an underrated work.
For its offbeat gameplay and aesthetics that feel ahead of its time, Secret of Evermore has maintained a kind of cult popularity among gamers since its release. In early 2020, a petition was started on Change.org that attempted to convince Nintendo to re-release Secret of Evermore for the Nintendo Switch. If you are a fan of offbeat and underplayed RPGs, it might be worth your time to track down a used copy of this hidden SNES gem.