In 1995, a video game was released by Square Enix for the SNES that would push the boundaries of what an RPG could be. It told the story of a hero fated to save the world from a great, evil force, and revolved around the passage and twisting of time. No, I’m not talking about Chrono Trigger. I’m talking about a game that never made it to the United States, and so never reached the worldwide reknown it deserved.

I’m talking about Terranigma. If you’re one of the lucky souls who played Terranigma, either in Japanese or the translated PAL version, you probably remember it fondly. And now, there’s a chance that the game will finally get the comeback it’s owed, if one dedicated artist continues to push for its return.

Terranigma Never Got The Chance To Make It Big

Bad Timing Prevented Its Release In The US

Knowledgeable fans may have noticed that I stretched the truth a little in the introduction. Neither Chrono Trigger nor Terranigma were published by Square Enix, because Square Enix didn’t officially exist until 2003. Before that, the studio was two separate entities: Square and Enix. Chrono Trigger was published by Square; Terranigma was published by Enix.

That latter fact would be the game’s eventual undoing. By 1995, Enix had already closed its American branch. And so, although three different European localizations were released, the game never made it to the US. America plays a large role in the market, influencing the games industry and making or breaking games and franchises. In Terranigma’s case, the axe was dropped before the game even had a chance to take off.

Terranigma Was A Classic In The Making

Fun Gameplay And A Huge, Compelling Story

Terranigma was the third title in what’s loosely considered a “trilogy” of games developed by the now-defunct Quintet. The other titles, Soul Blazer (1992) and Illusion of Gaia (1993), were also good RPGs, but Terranigma really stood out among the rest. The game follows a boy named Ark, who finds himself pulled from the little town where he’s always lived and thrown into a strange and mysterious world: Earth.

The Earth where Ark finds himself is barren and devoid of life. The first half of the game is all about Ark returning different kinds of life to the world, from plants and animals, to the wind and, finally, human beings.

Humans bring civilization and technological advancements, which jump-starts the second part of the game. Here, players can directly influence the development of different cities around the world that represent various real-world locations. But not all is as it seems, and dark forces are at work in the shadows, threatening the peace of this new, established world that Ark has helped to create.

This huge overarching story is pulled together by tight action RPG gameplay that’s challenging but rewarding. Even by today’s standards, Terranigma has a lot of innovative ideas. In 1995, it was simply ahead of its time.

The Original Terranigma Artist Is Pushing For Its Return

Will Terranigma Ever Be Released In The US?

The closure of Enix America and merger with Square undoubtedly mean that the right to Terranigma are… complicated. Finally bringing it to US audiences more than 30 years after release wouldn’t be easy. But that hasn’t stopped one man from trying.

Fujiwara Kamui is the original artist for Terranigma, and he’s been actively trying to bring the game back in recent years. In 2021, Kamui became a vocal backer of a petition to bring Terranigma back, hosted by the Fire Sanctuary blog. The petition managed to gather 7,500 signatures before fizzling out. Shortly after, Kamui held Return of Ark, an art exhibition dedicated to the game with all-new art.

Over the next few years, Kamui took part in several fan projects, including the 2023 Radio Ark, created by the game’s original composers and posted to YouTube by masanori_pf. He also created a vast amount of new original art for the Terranigma Special Movie, which can be watched on YouTube at KAMUI VISION.

Kamui’s vocal support of this wonderful old game mat have some sway at Square Enix. As the company capitalizes on retro classics and nostalgia, Kamui is still working with the studio to release a Dragon Quest tie-in manga. Last year, the two franchises collided in one intriguing X post.

The post shows the Dragon Quest 3 map and the Terranigma “Creation of the World” map displayed on top of each other. Kamui followed this up by stating (translated from Japanese): “We’re now starting preparations to invite you all on a journey to these two worlds. Please be patient.” Then, in September of this year, Kamui held a special art exhibition named Dragon Quest: Emblem of Roto & Terranigma, which featured art from both DQ3 and Terranigma.

New Art Might Be The First Step Forward For A Long-Lost Game

Fans—and Kamui—Aren’t Giving Up Hope

All the new art and the crossover exhibit with Dragon Quest may be a sign that Square Enix is testing the waters. Or, it might just be Kamui’s enthusiastic desire to bring back this beloved action game. Either way, since 2021, the small but dedicated fandom has been taking small steps forward thanks to the artist’s efforts.

Video game companies are pulling out a lot of old games and franchises for an audience that’s grown along with the gaming industry. Huge, beloved titles are, of course, at the top of the list for remakes. But they’re also risky. Games like Final Fantasy 7 have so much emotional and cultural weight to them, that Square Enix had to walk a tight line in the remake to keep thing fresh but true to the original.

Sometimes, all it takes for a game to become a huge hit is the right circumstances, and quite a bit of luck. Games like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy, and Dragon Quest were products of their time. It might be just a matter of time before Terranigma makes its triumphant return, rising from the ashes much like the Earth that Ark restored. I’ll be waiting.

Systems

Released

March 11, 1995

ESRB

T for Teen: Fantasy Violence, Mild Blood

Developer(s)

Square Enix

Publisher(s)

Square Enix

Engine

Cocos Creator Engine

Multiplayer

Local Co-Op