The SNES certainly isn't short of RPGs, so it's hardly surprising that there were some amazing examples of the genre which simply fell through the cracks and didn't get the attention they perhaps deserved.
In our opinion, 1992's Arcana (known in Japan as Card Master: Rimsalia no Fuuin) falls into that category. Developed by HAL Laboratory, it's a first-person, turn-based dungeon crawler which owes a particular debt to the likes of Dungeon Master, Wizardry and Shining in the Darkness, and it boasts some amazing visuals and outstanding music.
Despite being lucky enough to get a North American release at a time when most JRPGs remained exclusive to Japan, Arcana received lukewarm reviews and was largely overlooked – especially when more famous titles began to hit the market, such as Final Fantasy and Secret of Mana.
Thankfully, Arcana is getting the chance to make another impression via a fan-made patch by Sarah Shinespark.
"Seal of Rimsala is a labour of love and was designed as the definitive version of Arcana," says Shinespark. "Arcana is Hal Labs’ forgotten JRPG, a first-person dungeon crawler with a card theme and killer music. Please enjoy this modernized take on an underrated title!"
The patch includes a brand-new English translation, which offers a "clearer and more descriptive" take on the plot. It also boasts "an improved map with symbols for doors, treasure chests and more," as well as "faster gameplay with anti-frustration features galore". In addition to this, we also have a new status screen with icons and damage bonuses (in the original, it is often hard to see what each character has equipped, for example), as well as hidden extras and bug fixes.
If you fancy checking out the patch, point your browser here.