Just by virtue of technology constantly evolving and giving developers more possibilities, games have been getting longer and longer. This is not to say that games of the past were all short; with imagination and a lot of inventiveness, some companies were able to squeeze a lot of content into tiny cartridges. It was an anomaly in the NES era, but it was becoming increasingly common when the SNES came around.

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We have organized this list of extra-long Super NES games to show you that some games of the 90s had nothing to envy with today’s heavy hitters in terms of content. If the description shows a variable length, the lower limit is the bare minimum required to beat the story. The upper limit is what’s needed to clear everything. If you are a retro gamer and are looking for something worth your while, look no further.

10 Earthbound (30 to 35 hours)

This peculiar role-playing game did not get the attention it deserved at the time of its release, but its legend has only been growing in the last decade or so. A lot of it is due to the fact that neither its predecessor nor its sequel was released in North America. So if you want to enjoy some of that Nintendo magic at its weirdest, Earthbound is where it’s at. And with over 30 hours of content, it’s more than worth hunting down the original cartridge.

9 Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals (30 to 40 hours)

As the prequel to the original Lufia, this game improves on the established system by foregoing random encounters and focusing the gameplay on puzzles. The result is a solid RPG which will keep you scratching your head for a long time.

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If you don’t feel like playing a turn-based role playing game but are intrigued by the game’s story of humans at war with gods, then you can play the Nintendo DS remake, which switches the battle system for something more action-oriented while keeping everything else the same.

8 Final Fantasy 2 (30 to 40 hours)

Though it was actually the fourth Final Fantasy released in the series, it was only the second one to be localized to North America, hence the confusing name of the SNES version. No matter what’s the number of the label, this game is still an absolute classic and remains one of the original long-form RPG on the platform, sure to keep you busy for a while. As far as critical acclaims go, it might also be one of the best games ever released on the system, period.

7 Chrono Trigger (30 to 45 hours)

The amount of content that was crammed in Chrono Trigger is simply astounding. Just playing through the game once is an ordeal in itself, throwing you and your characters into numerous time periods for a story that’s as epic as any game made before or since. The fun doesn’t stop here though: with more than a dozen wildly different endings, you’ll want to keep playing way past the 30 or so hours that a single run would require. And to make things even more accessible, the game is now available on many modern platforms.

6 Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen (30 to 60 hours)

The Ogre Battle series is one of the most underrated of all time, and it is a true shame that it has been dormant for so long. It is renowned for its deep combat system, but also for its complicated story, which is as engrossing as anything else the medium has ever offered.

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March of the Black Queen has all of that; as the first game in the series, it established the foundations upon which all of his successors would build. With that many gameplay options, you’ll be wondering how that much content could be crammed in so little memory.

5 The 7th Saga (30 to 60 hours)

The 7th Saga is one of the toughest games on this list. It plays like your standard role-playing game, but a localization error made it so that the enemies in the North American version are much more difficult than in the original Japanese version. Despite this little mistake, 7th Saga manages to stay fun because of its many characters as well as its plot, which is heavily influenced by the player’s choices. All of these variables explain why the time of completion changes so much from one player to another.

4 Lufia & The Fortress Of Doom (35 to 40 hours)

The first Lufia game might be longer than its sequel, but it’s not necessarily better. It achieves its completion time by padding its length with random encounters, something which was standard at the time but which feels more and more tedious as video games evolve. If you can get past that, the game has a memorable story and a likable cast of characters. Just be aware that it might be a bit much for those not used to JRPG conventions.

3 Harvest Moon (40+ hours)

harvest moon one world

Before Stardew Valley, there was Harvest Moon. The SNES original has everything you might expect: feeding livestock, tending to your crops, visiting town, and maybe hanging out at the bar after working hours. The story moves at a leisurely pace, but the simplicity and peacefulness that comes with tending to your farm will keep you coming back for more. Those forty hours will breeze by and you won’t even notice it. It might be more primitive than current farming simulation, but sometimes simple is best.

2 Breath of Fire 2 (40+ hours)

Breath of Fire 2

This might be the easiest game of this list to play if you are so inclined. No need to hunt down an original cartridge or settle for a remake: all you need to do is subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online and download their SNES classic library. Breath of Fire 2 is definitely the longest game of all those available; like most of the games on this list, it is a traditional JRPG, but it’s set apart from the rest because of its inventive character design. The cast of this game is as diverse as it is intriguing.

1 Final Fantasy 3 (40 to 60 hours)

Known as Final Fantasy 6 outside of North America, this is not only one of the longest games available for Super NES; it is also one of the best games ever released on the system. In fact, it might even be one of the best games of all time, all genres included. It has appeared on several such lists, from outlets such as Nintendo Power, IGN, and Famitsu. Final Fantasy 7 might get all the press these days, but Final Fantasy 3/6 is the true classic.

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