About the Game

Japan box front

Japan box back

Treasure Hunter G is an RPG released in May 1996 for the Super Nintendo. It was developed by Sting Entertainment and published by Square exclusively for the Super Famicom, and in Japan. Much like Super Mario RPG and Donkey Kong Country, Treasure Hunter G was also made up of pre-rendered 3D graphics. This was also the last Squaresoft title for the Super Nintendo.

The score was created by the seven composers that make up the Sting Symphony: Hitoshi Sakimoto, Mitsuhito Tanaka aka John Pee, Masaharu Iwata, Toshiaki Sakoda, Yoko Takada, Tomoko Matsui, and Akiko Goto.

This game never left Japan. However, in September 2002, the unofficial English translation was completed by Metalhawk. It was a much welcomed addition to the ever-growing list of fan translated Super Nintendo RPGs in the early 2000s.

The “Dark King” threatens the world's peace. He was sealed away until an unsuspecting treasure hunter releases him by attempting to get the “treasure”. Now Red, Blue, Rain, and Ponga have to stop him.

The story revolves around Red and his companions. The quartet works for the guild of treasure hunters, and they embark on a journey to uncover the secrets of the ancient world and obtain valuable treasures. All the while, tackling the threats sent to them by the Dark King.

Moving in a battle

Treasure Hunter G's battle system is unique. Similar to Chrono Trigger, you see enemies running around. If you're quick enough, enemy encounters can be avoided. But, more than likely, you'll have to touch them and enter a battle.

As the screen flashes, entering a battle takes you to a special battlefield, separate from the area you were just walking through. Battles play out in a manner similar to the tactful style of Final Fantasy Tactics. A cursor will jump around the battlefield, taking turns with each of the characters in your battle party to perform an action. Each character has a number of steps they can take, called their ACT points. ACT is consumed depending on the tile type they walk across, as displayed in the GIF on the right.

Attacking

Just like in Final Fantasy Tactics, attacks and spells have different attack ranges and effects. For example, fire spells and Red's Dash attacks target enemies in a straight line. Axe attacks push enemies back a space. Spear attacks damage the enemy in front of you and the enemy (or ally) in back of you.

Walking, attacking, using magic, and using items all consume ACT points. You may have to use all of your ACT just to walk toward an enemy. But, if your character begins their turn as they're standing next to an enemy, they can attack it multiple times; and magic users can cast magic more than once.

This “ACT system” forces you to think and strategize about the best use of your character's actions. It's quite a unique battle system!

Treasure Hunter G is an amazing game! Seriously. The battle system is so much fun. The soundtrack is excellent. The pre-rendered 3D graphics are awesome! Squaresoft pushed the SNES to its limit with Treasure Hunter G. For example, there's this one amazing scene with a pre-rendered 3D whale swimming across a 3/4 view mode 7 ocean! Since Treasure Hunter G was the last RPG that Squaresoft released for the SNES, it's only to be expected for everything about it to be top-notch quality.

My complaint is the limited inventory. Characters can only hold up to 20 items. Enemies almost always drop items, forcing you to constantly take the time to prune your inventory. Overall, Treasure Hunter G is another great Squaresoft classic that every fan should play. It comes highly recommended.

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» LockeJV's Treasure Hunter G Review