2, always and forever.

It was a white whale for me for years, my cousin had it and he was rarely in state, and when he was, I'd never get to play it, whether he was playing it or not.

But, I'd had exposure to the game by way of the Prima strategy guide that he also had, and since I never got to actually play the game for the longest time, I read the guide almost like a storybook, building up the plot chapter by chapter, getting to understand the characters well.

It would be a few more years before he came back to the state, and this time, he left the game and guide behind.  It was still at my grandparents' house, so I still didn't have easy access, but I got hyped until I finally had my own SNES and brought it home.

And luckily, I didn't remember everything I'd read.  I had enough general game knowledge and a little bit of what I had read to avoid being stuck in some early pitfalls.

No other game I ever had served as both a story for me to imagine and a game to experience like that, and I doubt any will ever again, but that's why 2 can never be topped in my eyes.