Top 10 JRPGs that everyone must play.

Burning Eclipse

I've missed out on a whole host of JRPGs and it's something I'd like to rectify. Was hoping that the posters in this thread would be so kind as to point me in the right direction.

Might not be a bad idea for the forum to have a list of games that people (in general) think should be played by everyone who likes this genre.

For example, I've never played anything from the Suikoden series, the SMT series or the Dragon Quest series... yes, I know... I'm a disgrace . But as mentioned before, with a little help from this forum, I'd like to rectify that.

Anyone want to start off...

xeni

Even though I haven't finished them (but plan to :P) I'd recommend Persona 3, Persona 4. I consider SMT: Devil Summoner 2 quite fun as well.

From newer ones it would be Star Ocean 4, Lost Odyssey.

From the upcoming ones (judging by reviews and other people feedback) Resonance of Fate.

jimi_t2

Seiken Densetsu 3 (eng translation) for the SNES. It's between this and Chronotrigger as the definitive JRPG of the 16bit era for me.

Retr0gamer

My absolute favourite JRPG that everyone should play is Panzer Dragoon Saga. Unfortunately it's tough to find it and actually play it although I've heard saturn emulators have greatly improved and it's perfectly playable on one of those.

The Grandia series is worth getting into, well the first two games are. Grandia 1 is on PSN and is excellent.

Suikoden 1 is a good game but it's sequel Suikoden 2 really is something special. It should be played by everyone and has a really powerful story that's heartbreaking. Suikoden 3 is ok, Suikoden 4 is utter **** and Suikoden 5 is excellent, almost but not quite as good as Suikoden 2.

Dragon Quests early games are a little archaic until DQ 4. Best to play the DS remakes of them. DQ5 is meant to be an amazing game as well as DQ6 which is out soon. DQ8 is well worth hunting down, one of the best PS2 games.

In the FF series you really have to play FF6 if you haven't already. It's better than FFVII no matter what anybody else says. FF Tactics is also ridiculously good (not the portable games but the PS1 game).

Valkyrie Profile is probably the only Tri-Ace game worth play but it's a really good one. The sequel is meant to be not bad either.

If you haven't played Chrono Trigger yet then you owe it to yourself to play it.

As mentioned Seiken Densetsu 3 is great but so is Secret of Mana

Shin Megami Tensei is well worth getting into, in my opinion the best rpg series of them all. There's not a bad game in the series but they are all very tough. A good place to start is on Persona 3 and 4, two brilliant games and I also heard SMT: Lucifiers Call/Nocturne is stupidly good if stupidly tough. SMT: Strange Journey and Devil Survivor are also pretty amazing by all accounts. Here's a good guide to the series:

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/megaten/megaten.htm

Vagrant Story which is on PSN is a funny game. It's not the best RPG but the amazing music, graphics and storyline make it excellent.

Don't miss out on Valkyria Chronicles on the PS3, it really is excellent.

Demon's Souls is more of an action game but if you have a PS3 and haven't imported it you are an idiot.

There's some good Gamecube RPGs as well. Tales of Symphonia is great and Baten Kaitos and Baten Kaitos Origin have a great battle system but it takes a while to get into.

The Mario RPG and Paper Mario games are excellent as well.

Oh and how could I forget Earthbound! It's a charming game that's just loads of fun to play and takes the piss out of JRPGs at the same time as being a deeply moving experience. It's weird but it's fantastic. The sequel, Mother 3, was never released outside of japan but there's a fan translation of the rom and anyone who has played it that I've heard from have said it's in their top 10 games ever.

I forgot Pokemon. Don't listen to the naysayers. It might be for kids but it's actually one of the deepest RPG games you can play if you are interested in RPG battle mechanics!

I'll try and remember more.

DaveTwenty7

Retr0gamer wrote: »

My absolute favourite JRPG that everyone should play is Panzer Dragoon Saga. Unfortunately it's tough to find it and actually play it although I've heard saturn emulators have greatly improved and it's perfectly playable on one of those.

I forgot Pokemon. Don't listen to the naysayers. It might be for kids but it's actually one of the deepest RPG games you can play if you are interested in RPG battle mechanics!

I agree totally about these

Retr0gamer

Some one else that played Panzer Dragoon Saga! I didn't think so many existed

Funny thing about that game is nobody believes me when I say how good it is yet I don't think there's anyone that has played it and it isn't their favourite game ever or very close.

noodler

Retr0gamer wrote: »

In the FF series you really have to play FF6 if you haven't already. It's better than FFVII no matter what anybody else says.

It isn't.

Xluna

O.K this is my kind of thread.:D

1: Final Fantasy VII/Suikoden II(Both PS1) (E.U version available. Might have to go online for Suikoden. FFVII available on E.U. PSN.)*
2:Terranigma (Snes) (Available on emulator)
3:Chrono Trigger (Snes/DS) (Easy to find on D.S. Available on emulator.)
4:Suikoden V (PS2) ( Might have buy online. E.U. version is available.)
5:Suikoden (PS1) (Available on U.S. PSN.)
6:Final Fantasy 9 (PS1) (Will probably be available on U.S PSN soon.)
7: Illusion of time/gaia (Snes) (Available on emulator.)
8:Secret of Mana (Snes) (Available on virtual console or via emulator.)
9:Lost Odyssey(Xbox 360) (Should be easy enough to pick up)
10: Dragon Quest: Journey of the cursed King(P.S.2) (Should be available preowned)

Could'nt decide which I enjoyed most so I put FFVII and Suikoden II in joint first place.

Retr0gamer

noodler wrote: »

It isn't.

Retr0gamer has spoken, therefore it is truth.

Forgot Skies of Arcadia, which is excellent. Best to get the Gamecube version.

Also Jeanne D'Arc on the PSP is a great game I need to get around to finishing.

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter is meant to be excellent but it's very different. It's very short but you can't beat the game on your first try but new areas open everytime you play it and eventually you uncover more of the story and can finish the game.

Xluna

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Suikoden 1 is a good game but it's sequel Suikoden 2 really is something special. It should be played by everyone and has a really powerful story that's heartbreaking. Suikoden 3 is ok, Suikoden 4 is utter **** and Suikoden 5 is excellent, almost but not quite as good as Suikoden 2.

Dragon Quests early games are a little archaic until DQ 4. Best to play the DS remakes of them. DQ5 is meant to be an amazing game as well as DQ6 which is out soon. DQ8 is well worth hunting down, one of the best PS2 games.
.

Well said on the Suikoden series. 3 broke my heart but five is fantastic. I saw it for sale preowned for about a fiver last month in gamestop. Was nearly going to buy it as a spare copy. Looks like I'm never going to be able to play Suikoden 3.

Funny you should mention the DS D.Q. remakes. I was playing D.Q.IV today and nearly pissed myself laughing in public reading all the Cork and Dublin slang in some of the towns. "Ejit" and "that feen". I was waiting for the King to say "Boy" at the end of every sentence.:D So unexpected!

Xyo

I fully agree on Suikoden 2! amazing game

Retr0gamer

Xyo wrote: »

I fully agree on Suikoden 2! amazing game

It was my favourite RPG until Panzer Dragoon Saga came along and my first wake up call that FFVII wasn't the best game ever

When I finished it I was like 'that could very well be the best game I ever played... no, it was the best game I ever played!'

Also one of the only JRPGs where despite the slow down and borders PAL got the definitive version due to a better translation and no cuts and bugs.

Burning Eclipse

Thanks to everyone for the posts... I can already see some trends emerging, and I'm glad to say I have played many of the suggestions already made

Would love to keep this thread going

Particular thanks to Retr0 for the detailed post and Xluna for pointing out how to play these games!!

And imo Final Fantasy VI is better than VII, but IX is my favourite FF, so that should explain a lot

Nobody has mentioned the Phantasy Star series... I really enjoyed IV!!

bokkenspiel

brynhilder = odin 2.0

i need help im stuck on him

bokkenspiel

is
pokemom

Retr0gamer

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Nobody has mentioned the Phantasy Star series... I really enjoyed IV!!

I heard 4 is amazing however I also heard that it doesn't have as much impact unless you have played the first 3 games. Unfortunately the first 3 games are a little archaic and require a lot of grinding and using walkthroughs to get through them. I'm only halfway through PS2 so haven't gotten to 4 yet.

joe123

Final fantasy 9. Best FF game ever.

That is all.

Vyse

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Forgot Skies of Arcadia, which is excellent. Best to get the Gamecube version.

Skies is one of my fav games ever and definitely my favourite RPG. I actually prefer the Dreamcast version over the GameCubes. I found both the audio and visual quality to be better on the DC. Then again the Gamecube version does have the added content (although you really do have to look for it) and far less random battles:)

OxfordComma

Nobody's mentioned Final Fantasy X yet? Not only is it my favourite FF, overall, it's my favourite game ever. Granted, it's very story-focused, which I'm sure a lot of people find off-putting, but I think it's an absolutely magnificent game.

(I also think FFVI is better than FFVII.)

Burning Eclipse

joe123 wrote: »

Final fantasy 9. Best FF game ever.

That is all.

Vyse wrote: »

Skies is one of my fav games ever and definitely my favourite RPG. I actually prefer the Dreamcast version over the GameCubes. I found both the audio and visual quality to be better on the DC. Then again the Gamecube version does have the added content (although you really do have to look for it) and far less random battles:)

Nice to see these posted side by side as they are my two favourite JRPGs!! Final Fantasy IX is just about my favourite game full stop in fact.

In troubling news however... I got a PS3 slim at christmas, which I love, I've got to admit... but Final Fantasy IX won't work on it VI works no problem, and I'll be testing out VII shortly, but IX just won't work. Anybody got any ideas, because google isn't throwing up any help!

Retr0gamer

Scratched disc maybe? Try booting it up with any of the other 3 discs.

Burning Eclipse

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Scratched disc maybe? Try booting it up with any of the other 3 discs.

Tried all 4 discs and I keep them in pristine condition, so no scratches. It loads the PS symbol, then just blackness and a disc loading sound coming from the console.

Played the first 30 minutes of VI with no issues (apart from crazy slow loading).

Gunmonkey

Had the same problem with my copy of FFVIII on my fat PS3, discs 1 + 2 just boot to black screens, 3 + 4 work fine, tried all 4 on my PS2 and not a hint of a problem. All discs were scratch free. i think some FF games just dont work on PS3's (probably to force us to buy them on the PSN).

bugs

Xenogears is probably worth a play.

Xluna

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Tried all 4 discs and I keep them in pristine condition, so no scratches. It loads the PS symbol, then just blackness and a disc loading sound coming from the console.

Played the first 30 minutes of VI with no issues (apart from crazy slow loading).

Probably best to hunt down an old fat PS2,or PS1.

OxfordComma

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Tried all 4 discs and I keep them in pristine condition, so no scratches. It loads the PS symbol, then just blackness and a disc loading sound coming from the console.

Played the first 30 minutes of VI with no issues (apart from crazy slow loading).

Is your console playing normal PS3 games properly? Mine broke down at Christmas - used to work normally with PS3 games for about 2-3 seconds, then freeze. I eventually managed to fix it

Retr0gamer

bugs wrote: »

Xenogears is probably worth a play.

No it's not.

Mr. K

Burning Eclipse wrote: »

Played the first 30 minutes of VI with no issues (apart from crazy slow loading).

I forgot about VI on PS1's slow loading, it was really irritating! Didn't stop me poring hours and hours into it though...

Aurongroove

If there was a list of 10 children's fiction you must read, there'd be no reason to mention harry potter or discuss which book was your favorite. HP is so well known at this stage that humans are preprogrammed to about it. Like wise talk of FF in a thread like this is almost redundant; play them all, (except X-2), they are an exceptional fine example of a techno-cultural movement. and exist as a phenomenon "para" to their genre.

One game that hasn't been mentioned yet is the brilliantly warm and fuzzy Breath of Fire 3.

I also "second" shouts for Suikoden 2 (arguably the greatest 2D RPG ever made)

and I suppose to complete a trinity of lovely title for PS1 titles: Grandia, with it's two whole disks!, (bless, you could probably fit FF7,8,9 Grandia and the life stories of every single person involved in their making on a PS3 blue ray disk, and still have enough room left over to decode the Germans secret code and win world war 2)

Xluna

The first Vandal Hearts game on ps1 was good too.

tman

Doesn't look like anybody has mentioned Odin Sphere yet (one of the PS2's swansongs)
Finally got around to starting it the other day and 5 hours flashed by in the blink of an eye.
Quirky, with what seems like an extremely simple battle system at first, but it soon unfolds into something a little bit more complex.

Oh yeah, and unlike any other PS2 game I've played, it still looks very nice on a HD TV! (upscaled with a launch PS3)

I'm not the typical JRPG fanboi, so don't take my word for gospel (the only FF game I've played was X, and couldn't stand that ****e for more than 30 mins)