Terranigma is an action RPG released on SNES towards the end of that system's era. Unfortunately, this game never made it to America (I've only played this on ROM). The game was made by Quintet, the same group that made Illusion of Gaia so you know what to expect if you've ever played that game, or even other action RPGs.

In terms of game play, it's fairly easy to pick up. The controls are not difficult, and I think the game adequately instructs you how to go about learning to play (plus, just experiment in the first level). The difficulty can be fairly tough at times, particularly on certain boss battles, but I wouldn't describe it as frustratingly hard; it's certainly not insurmountable (some may argue there's one exception).

The soundtrack to Terranigma is simply amazing. When you first step out of the village, the overworld (or underworld) theme gave me goose bumps. The music continues to get better in most of the subsequent levels. And some of the most memorable themes are of the other characters, which always seem to elicit the emotion they're intended to evoke.

What I love most about this game, by far, is the story. The game starts out with the usual JRPG story of a hero having to leave his village and explore for one reason or another (by the way, this protagonist has dialogue). As you progress through the game, you'll come across some pretty mature themes, such as life & death, and the concept of God as your character is beset with a great task to fulfill. There are even some references to historical figures, which I thought was pretty fun.

I would like to add that Terranigma has an interesting split, with one half the game being more about dungeon exploration game play, and the other half containing more story-related material. Keep in mind, both elements are ubiquitous throughout, just in different ratios. Both parts combine to tell an amazing story, with great game play, fueled by a wonderful soundtrack. Overall, I strongly recommend this game to everybody, and would make this game essential for any RPG/action RPG fan.