Brandish (1991). Play online

Summary

Brandish, the SNES’s hidden gem of action‑RPGs, drops you into a massive overhead labyrinth that feels more like a rogue‑like puzzle than a classic platformer. The camera spins around you as you stride, retreat, or sidestep, so you’re never really standing still. I love that you can actually jump forward, turning combat into a small, three‑dimensional dance with the hordes of monsters.

Every floor—whether you’re navigating the rust‑scented Ruins or the cold, echoing Fortress—bristles with traps, hidden switches and loot ranging from rusty swords to pricey magic tomes. Because the original mouse‑based controls were re‑mapped to the D‑pad, you still get that fluid strafing and box‑click attack feel, just with a controller. The game’s magic system is surprisingly deep; casting fire, ice or lightning feels rewarding when you finally crack that tough puzzle.

What makes this version special to western players is that it’s the only officially English‑localised Brandish ever shipped, though it had to tidy up some of the more risqué costume art to pass Nintendo’s policies. Even with those cosmetic cuts, the sense of uncovering secret passages and escaping a 40‑floor maze is as thrilling now as it was back then.

Storyline

Brandish tells the tale of the forgotten kingdom of Vittoria, built around a sky‑piercing tower and guarded by a mighty dragon. King Bistalle coveted the tower’s secret and, after deciphering an ancient tome, sent an army to seize the Essence of Power at its summit. The dragon sacrificed itself to destroy the Essence, which turned the king into a monster and sank the entire kingdom beneath the earth. A thousand years later the ruins lie hidden, their memory lost to the surface world.

The player assumes the role of Ares, a swordsman chased by the sorceress Dela Delon, who seeks revenge for killing her master. Their battle collapses the ground, sending both into the cursed Ruins of Vittoria. Ares must navigate the maze‑like dungeons while Dela constantly pursues him, and the two occasionally cross paths. Depending on whether Ares aids Dela in key moments, the game’s ending shifts slightly.