Terranigma is a game that I wish I could experience again for the first time every single time I play it. It is easily one of the best games of its era on the merits of a complete package. Terranigma is by no means the most complex game on either story or gameplay fronts, but manages to execute them in a way that has not been replicated by anything before or after. The gameplay is simple but easy to learn and keeps the pace going strong. In a way it feels comparable to how fast bump combat can feel when adjusted to, especially with the inclusion of dashing attacks that keep you moving while attacking. The story is not the most convoluted of the genre but stands apart due to its theming, and, more importantly, making the limited usage of scenes count when pieced together into a greater narrative, ambiguous or not. This game is one of the few JRPGs that truly does feel like an odyssey of legend, from the mere premise of restoring the world and its inhabitants, good and bad, to how the story is paced alongside the ever-changing world and how you interact with it in your journey. It is a game that starts out calm and mildly familiar before completely pulling the rug out from underneath, and has the most effective weaponization of a homecoming I've ever seen in a video game. This one is a must-play for anyone interested in Super Famicom / Super Nintendo RPGs.

This game has:
-A boss fight that takes thirty minutes
-A boss fight that has a desperation move that can hard wipe your entire party within three turns on top of requiring the final blow being dealt by a party member FORCED into your battle lineup post-cutscene (this is a nightmare with the stock system)
-A boss fight that always leaves you at some sort of disadvantage due to its context specific gimmick
-A boss fight with the most incomprehensible telegraphing for a punish mechanic

None of these are the final boss, which is beatable in five minutes.

What the hell.