Radiant Historia might look, sound and sometimes feel like the classic 16-bit role-playing games of old. But it’s a thoroughly modern game with some clever twists on questing tropes.

Released Tuesday for Nintendo DS, this RPG will be quite appealing to those who loved adventuring on the Super Nintendo. It plays like the love child of Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy Tactics. The entertaining combat system and heavily political story rival the best of the classics. But the clever, time-twisting gameplay is all new.

As the curtain opens on Radiant Historia, archetypal tough-guy mercenary Stocke...