Play Live A Live (Japan) Online

Live A Live came out on the Super Nintendo in 1994, developed by Square. It was one of those late-era SNES RPGs that tried something different, offering a collection of short stories instead of one long journey. Each chapter drops you into a completely different time period, from prehistory to the distant future, with its own look and cast.

You control a series of protagonists, each with unique abilities and goals. One chapter might have you sneaking through a feudal Japanese castle as a shinobi, avoiding guards and setting traps. Another puts you in the shoes of a cowboy defending a town, using a grid-based combat system where positioning matters for both attack and defense. The turn-based battles require tactical movement, and the scenarios vary so much that the pacing never drags. It feels surprising and inventive, even decades later.