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Treasure Hunter G
A forgotten tactical RPG that deserves a second look
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PRESS START
An Introduction To Today’s Game
Squaresoft. RPG. SNES.
Has there ever been a better combination in gaming? That alone was an instant buy for most of us living through that amazing time.
Final Fantasy. Chrono Trigger. Secret of Mana. Super Mario RPG.
But what if there was a game you've probably never played or even heard about from that time period? A forgotten game that never left Japan. Squaresoft's final SNES RPG before moving on to the PlayStation. Their symbolic ending to a legendary era.
Got your attention? Good. Because I'm excited to share this game with you.
Treasure Hunter G. Released at the end of the SNES life cycle, lost in the excitement of the PlayStation and Saturn launch, a few months before the Nintendo 64 would take over our lives.
Thanks to a fan-made English translation and emulation, you can now play this lost gem. Let me show you what Squaresoft left behind.
What's your favorite SNES RPG?Pick one below to record your vote. Leave a comment and it may be featured in the next issue! |
BEHIND THE PIXELS
Let’s Dive Into The Game
Treasure Hunter G is a tactical role playing game where you wander towns and dungeons in a traditional overhead view, then drop into compact grid based battlefields whenever enemies appear. Each turn your party shares a pool of action points, so every step, attack, spell, and item toss eats into the same budget. That turns even small encounters into little puzzles where position and timing matter more than raw level grinding. Red handles close range sword work, Blue leans more into skill use, Rain specialises in support magic and ranged items, and Ponga brings oddball tricks and solid damage from the back line.
Not the most original villain name, but we’ll take it for another SNES RPG.
Outside of battle you move through a world map with visible points of interest rather than a full roaming continent. I have no problem saying this is probably the best looking world map on the system. It’s beautiful.
Exploration leans heavily into the treasure hunting theme. You can smash almost everything you see, pots, barrels, bushes, even trees. Breaking objects reveals items, money, or sometimes nothing at all. It's satisfying in a mindless, therapeutic way, and it fits the treasure hunter fantasy perfectly. Money comes primarily from selling loot you find, not from battles, which feels appropriate thematically.
Dungeons are built like small stages that mix enemies with light puzzles, switches, and hidden paths. There is very little random fighting, which keeps things focused, but it also means you cannot always grind your way out of trouble.
So beautiful. Look at it!
The difficulty curve starts gentle and ramps up in later chapters, where careless movement or poor target priority can get you punished quickly. Some players like that the game stays fair if you think a few turns ahead, while others feel the balance is uneven and a bit stingy with experience.
The story moves along at a brisk pace with quirky scenes, simple emotional beats, and a clear sense of forward momentum. But this is probably the weakest link about the game and why it doesn’t reach the god tier status of Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger. The story is short, simple and not as engaging as other Square RPG’s. It tries to be both zany and serious at the same time and never really excels at either.
The battles play out on a grid system were positioning is key.
Visually the game leans on rendered sprites and detailed backgrounds, closer to Super Mario RPG than a traditional flat tile set. Characters are small but expressive, and there are plenty of little animation touches during attacks and spell use that stand out. While the story may be lacking, the graphics definitely do not.
The soundtrack comes from Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata, so you get bold brass themes, moody dungeon tracks, and airy field music that would not feel out of place in a later tactics title. The overall effect is a game that looks and sounds bigger than its simple story and short runtime would suggest.
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WHERE TO PLAY
Emulation will be your best bet for tracking this down.
Original Copies of the Game (All prices in USD)
Loose: $8
Complete: $42
New/Sealed: $110
GAME INFORMATION
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Cover Art
JP Cover
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RETRO NEWS
Here’s a quick roundup of the latest retro gaming news we’ve dug up.
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New handheld blends retro gaming charm with smartphone-style design and modern tech.
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Upgraded vertical design packs stronger hardware for high-performance retro handheld gaming.
Read more at Time Extension
GAME OVER
Why You Should Play This
Treasure Hunter G deserves recognition as more than just a footnote in Square's history. It’s a good, interesting mid-tier Square RPG with standout presentation and an inventive battle system.
The 20-hour runtime feels just right for the story they are telling. You're in and out before mechanics get stale, and the straightforward story doesn't overstay its welcome. The humor lands more often than not, character interactions at inns provide entertaining glimpses into the party dynamic, and the treasure hunting loop remains satisfying from beginning to end.
If you enjoy tactical RPGs or have a soft spot for SNES-era Square games, Treasure Hunter G is absolutely worth your time to track down. The fan translation makes it accessible, emulation runs smoothly, and the game itself holds up remarkably well.
Sometimes the games that got away are the ones worth chasing. Treasure Hunter G is one of those games, a hidden treasure that finally got unearthed.
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