Alright, Top 10 list number three! I've been in the mood for RPGs recently, so I decided, why not count off my ten favorite RPGs? I'm not going to limit this to any one type of RPG, so it can be turn-based, action, any kind of subgenre! Anyway, a few things to note, as usual: Only one game per franchise, excluding spin-off titles. Also, this can only contain games that I've played, for obvious reasons. There are some games that I believe could be in this list when I do play them (Such as EarthBound on the SNES), but since I haven't, I can't count them yet. Also, if the game was released on multiple platforms, I'll bold the version that I own in case versions are different, or if anyone happens to be curious. So, let's get going!
And we start off the list with Super Paper Mario. Mario's starred in all sorts of genres, and the RPG genre is no exception. The Paper Mario franchise is fairly popular, and still ongoing. Super Paper Mario for the Wii was the first entry I played in the series, and I really enjoyed it. The combat's very different from past Paper Mario games; instead of turn-based battles, it was played similarly to the regular Mario Bros games, only with RPG elements such as health. There were a few playable characters with their own powers, and entities called Pixls which had special abilities to help Mario and the gang on their quest to save the world. The cast of characters is lovable, and the humor is exactly what would be expected for a Mario RPG. The story can get surprisingly dark and deep, as well. All of these are what put this game in my #10 position.
As I said before, Mario has starred in many RPGs. His first RPG, Super Mario RPG, is definitely my favorite of his RPGs. I haven't played much of it, but from what I have played, it's incredibly fun. The combat system is simple enough for beginners or young players, yet still fun enough for hardcore RPG fans. There's a decently sized cast of characters, and the story is interesting as well. The ability to dodge attacks is nice, but balanced through timed button pushes. This game started a subgenre for Mario, and is currently my favorite of that subgenre.
Xenoblade Chronicles was a big topic among American Wii RPG fans around the time of its release. It was originally intended to only be released in Japan and Europe, which led to an uproar from the potential American audience. After a long effort of trying to convince Nintendo of America to localize the game, the project ended as a success, but with a cost: The game didn't have many copies printed, and as a result, is considered to be rare and expensive these days. I was lucky enough to get my own copy, and I'm glad I did. The world in this game is huge, with all sorts of areas to explore and quests to participate in. The characters are all well written, and the combat is very fluid. I'm only about 20 hours into this game, and from what I've heard, it can take up to 100+ hours to complete. It's a huge journey, and definitely worth picking up if you have a Wii and are willing to drop the money for it.
Dragon Quest is one of Japan's most popular RPG franchises, but is sadly not too well known outside of the country. The ninth game in the franchise marks the era when Nintendo began to publish the game, making DQ a series mostly exclusive to Nintendo systems. This game is absolutely amazing for something released on the Nintendo DS. It's main story is fun, but the amount of customization is incredible. Supposedly, even the experts took hundreds of hours to do everything in the game. The story is also fun, despite the party being a group of silent protagonists created by the player. There's also multiplayer, which is fun from what little of it I played. It's a game I'd highly recommend to anyone with a Nintendo DS.
6.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky (DS)
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is a sidebranch of the Pokemon franchise which seems criminally underrated at times. They're fantastic games, but are rarely given decent scores by professional reviewers. However, they have a dedicated fanbase from those who have played them, and are definitely worth this. The Explorers era of games are also commonly called Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2, and I consider these to be the best in the series. The gameplay is a dungeon crawler-type game, and you can team up with various Pokemon to go on missions that vary from delivering items to taking down a Pokemon criminal. The story is where the game truly shines, though. The games are about a human (The player) who is transformed into a Pokemon, and ends up in a mysterious world inhabited only by Pokemon. The player teams up with another Pokemon, then tries to solve the mystery of how they got in this world. The game has some very emotional moments, and some very surprsing twists. The postgame is also very fun, and continues exploring the mysteries of the world.
Chrono Trigger is considered to be a legendary game in today's age. Created through the combined efforts of Squaresoft, Enix (Note: This was before the two companies had merged, back when they were still rivals), and even Dragonball creator Akira Toriyama, this was certainly made to be a legendary game. And boy, did it succeed. The game is about a boy named Crono, who wakes up on the morning of a village fair to celebrate the 100th anniversary of a battle ending in their kingdom's victory. Here, he meets a mysterious girl named Marle, and meets with his inventor friend Lucca. Due to an accident with Lucca's new creation, the three end up vaulted into the past. After a while, the three end up in an apocalyptic future, and view the end of the world in a video recording. They decide that they have to team up to prevent this horrible future from ever taking place, and go on an epic quest through time to save the future. The gameplay is groundbreaking, allowing teammates to team up with each other to perform special moves called Dual Techs, or even Triple Techs. It's easy to tell how much love was put into this game, which is why it gets my #5 spot.
4.
Final Fantasy VI (III SNES) (SNES/PSX/GBA/Wii VC/PSN/Mobile)
Final Fantasy is definitely within the top 3 most well known JRPGs. It's inspired multiple sequels, spin-offs, and even movies. My personal favorite in the series, which was groundbreaking at its time and is still considered by many to be the best, is the sixth entry. This game doesn't really focus on one specific character, but instead splits the spotlight between a few very important characters, with the supporting cast and other team members also playing major roles. It is about an Empire which wishes to use the power of the Espers, entities with power over magic, for the purpose of evil. A girl named Terra ends up joining a resistance, and this resistance must battle the Emperor, and his partner, Kefka. The story is written spectacularly, the characters are all fun and easy to become attached to, and the gameplay is spectacular. The Magicite system is my personal favorite in the series, allowing party members to learn spells through the usage of Magicite, and making them master what spells are available in the Magicite through battling is very fun. In the endless debate of which Final Fantasy game is the greatest, my vote will always go to this one. (For whatever reason, this one's showing up with double spacing in the preview, even though it's single spaced... I have no clue why it's doing that, really.)
Pokemon is one of the best selling game franchises of all time, and it's no surprise. It's gameplay has always been loved by fans, myself included. Pokemon is my second favorite game franchise, and the newest entry is definitely the biggest improvement on the age-old formula we've come to love. Pokemon Y's story feels more believable, as there are now all sorts of companions involved with their own personalities. The game takes a dark turn towards the end, but where the game truly shines is the gameplay. The new 3D environment fits the game perfectly, and the new features are all perfect additions. Mega Evolutions feel rewarding, and it's always very exciting to see a Pokemon Mega Evolve for the first time. The new Pokemon cast is well designed, and very enjoyable, despite being a smaller amount than usual. This is the game I'd recommend to anyone trying to get into the franchise, and I'd highly recommend it to existing fans who don't own it yet.
This and #1 were really tough for me. This was my favorite game, but after thinking about it, I've decided that it's my second favorite. This doesn't mean that it's not all that great, though. It's a fantastic game, with a perfect balance of gameplay and story. The game revolves around the Reaper's Game, a week-long event filled with insane tasks, and monsters named Noise. Neku Sakuraba, the main character, wakes up with no memory as to how he got there. He is forced to participate in the game, and team up with other people, something he absolutely hates having to do. The amount of development he shows is incredible, making him one of my favorite game protagonists. The other main characters are all very likable as well. The gameplay is fun, and hectic. Battles span both screens, with Neku being controlled with the stylus on the touch screen, and the partner using button commands on the top. The game's fast pace really helps it in the end, which is one of the many things that I like about this game. If you have a DS, then I'd highly recommend getting this if you have the chance!
I really could've listed any of the seven games in the KH franchise in here, but my favorite is by far the first, for the PS2. I haven't played the Final Mix edition yet, so I'm only going to be including the original one for the PS2 in here. There was an HD collection on the PS3 containing the Final Mix edition of this, so if you're unable to get the PS2 game, then by all means get that instead. Now then... I've got a lot of fond memories with this game. I got it the year it came out, and every playthrough I have of this game never gets boring. The game is about a boy named Sora, who, while trying to reach other worlds with his friends, ends up in a disaster on the islands he lives in. He is given a mystical weapon called a Keyblade, and is tasked with battling enemies named Heartless, and saving not just his world, but all worlds. He must team up with Donald Duck and Goofy, and sets off to also try to find his islander friends. The story of this game has a magical feeling, even when compared to the following titles. Every time I play, I have the same reactions. I still feel like I did when I was a kid, and this is the only game to really give me this feeling. The gameplay is also really fun. It's not as flashy as the second game, or Dream Drop Distance, and not quite as repetitive as the DS titles. It's simplified, but for the better. Also, getting to team with Disney characters and explore their worlds adds to the charm of the game. This is my favorite game of all time, and the beginning of my favorite game franchise of all time. I can't recommend it enough to any sort of gamer!
Well, that's it for my list. Hope you all enjoyed! (Also, if anyone asks why I explained more about KH1, it's because I might try to put my list up in other places too, and I'd like to explain for people who don't know much about the series)
Alright, Top 10 list number three! I've been in the mood for RPGs recently, so I decided, why not count off my ten favorite RPGs? I'm not going to limit this to any one type of RPG, so it can be turn-based, action, any kind of subgenre! Anyway, a few things to note, as usual: Only one game per franchise, excluding spin-off titles. Also, this can only contain games that I've played, for obvious reasons. There are some games that I believe could be in this list when I do play them (Such as EarthBound on the SNES), but since I haven't, I can't count them yet. Also, if the game was released on multiple platforms, I'll bold the version that I own in case versions are different, or if anyone happens to be curious. So, let's get going!
10.
Super Paper Mario (Wii)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kjORKZrsKvE
And we start off the list with Super Paper Mario. Mario's starred in all sorts of genres, and the RPG genre is no exception. The Paper Mario franchise is fairly popular, and still ongoing. Super Paper Mario for the Wii was the first entry I played in the series, and I really enjoyed it. The combat's very different from past Paper Mario games; instead of turn-based battles, it was played similarly to the regular Mario Bros games, only with RPG elements such as health. There were a few playable characters with their own powers, and entities called Pixls which had special abilities to help Mario and the gang on their quest to save the world. The cast of characters is lovable, and the humor is exactly what would be expected for a Mario RPG. The story can get surprisingly dark and deep, as well. All of these are what put this game in my #10 position.
9.
Super Mario RPG (SNES, Wii VC)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HDQa3LAGO4
As I said before, Mario has starred in many RPGs. His first RPG, Super Mario RPG, is definitely my favorite of his RPGs. I haven't played much of it, but from what I have played, it's incredibly fun. The combat system is simple enough for beginners or young players, yet still fun enough for hardcore RPG fans. There's a decently sized cast of characters, and the story is interesting as well. The ability to dodge attacks is nice, but balanced through timed button pushes. This game started a subgenre for Mario, and is currently my favorite of that subgenre.
8.
Xenoblade Chronicles (Wii)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7Xc6in86rs
Xenoblade Chronicles was a big topic among American Wii RPG fans around the time of its release. It was originally intended to only be released in Japan and Europe, which led to an uproar from the potential American audience. After a long effort of trying to convince Nintendo of America to localize the game, the project ended as a success, but with a cost: The game didn't have many copies printed, and as a result, is considered to be rare and expensive these days. I was lucky enough to get my own copy, and I'm glad I did. The world in this game is huge, with all sorts of areas to explore and quests to participate in. The characters are all well written, and the combat is very fluid. I'm only about 20 hours into this game, and from what I've heard, it can take up to 100+ hours to complete. It's a huge journey, and definitely worth picking up if you have a Wii and are willing to drop the money for it.
7.
Dragon Quest IX (DS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhUwK4JicUM
Dragon Quest is one of Japan's most popular RPG franchises, but is sadly not too well known outside of the country. The ninth game in the franchise marks the era when Nintendo began to publish the game, making DQ a series mostly exclusive to Nintendo systems. This game is absolutely amazing for something released on the Nintendo DS. It's main story is fun, but the amount of customization is incredible. Supposedly, even the experts took hundreds of hours to do everything in the game. The story is also fun, despite the party being a group of silent protagonists created by the player. There's also multiplayer, which is fun from what little of it I played. It's a game I'd highly recommend to anyone with a Nintendo DS.
6.
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky (DS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlXuhxDiLBA
Pokemon Mystery Dungeon is a sidebranch of the Pokemon franchise which seems criminally underrated at times. They're fantastic games, but are rarely given decent scores by professional reviewers. However, they have a dedicated fanbase from those who have played them, and are definitely worth this. The Explorers era of games are also commonly called Pokemon Mystery Dungeon 2, and I consider these to be the best in the series. The gameplay is a dungeon crawler-type game, and you can team up with various Pokemon to go on missions that vary from delivering items to taking down a Pokemon criminal. The story is where the game truly shines, though. The games are about a human (The player) who is transformed into a Pokemon, and ends up in a mysterious world inhabited only by Pokemon. The player teams up with another Pokemon, then tries to solve the mystery of how they got in this world. The game has some very emotional moments, and some very surprsing twists. The postgame is also very fun, and continues exploring the mysteries of the world.
5.
Chrono Trigger (SNES/PSX/DS/Wii VC/PSN/Mobile)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqTZfknDVes
Chrono Trigger is considered to be a legendary game in today's age. Created through the combined efforts of Squaresoft, Enix (Note: This was before the two companies had merged, back when they were still rivals), and even Dragonball creator Akira Toriyama, this was certainly made to be a legendary game. And boy, did it succeed. The game is about a boy named Crono, who wakes up on the morning of a village fair to celebrate the 100th anniversary of a battle ending in their kingdom's victory. Here, he meets a mysterious girl named Marle, and meets with his inventor friend Lucca. Due to an accident with Lucca's new creation, the three end up vaulted into the past. After a while, the three end up in an apocalyptic future, and view the end of the world in a video recording. They decide that they have to team up to prevent this horrible future from ever taking place, and go on an epic quest through time to save the future. The gameplay is groundbreaking, allowing teammates to team up with each other to perform special moves called Dual Techs, or even Triple Techs. It's easy to tell how much love was put into this game, which is why it gets my #5 spot.
4.
Final Fantasy VI (III SNES) (SNES/PSX/GBA/Wii VC/PSN/Mobile)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDMWp1oLoA0
Final Fantasy is definitely within the top 3 most well known JRPGs. It's inspired multiple sequels, spin-offs, and even movies. My personal favorite in the series, which was groundbreaking at its time and is still considered by many to be the best, is the sixth entry. This game doesn't really focus on one specific character, but instead splits the spotlight between a few very important characters, with the supporting cast and other team members also playing major roles. It is about an Empire which wishes to use the power of the Espers, entities with power over magic, for the purpose of evil. A girl named Terra ends up joining a resistance, and this resistance must battle the Emperor, and his partner, Kefka. The story is written spectacularly, the characters are all fun and easy to become attached to, and the gameplay is spectacular. The Magicite system is my personal favorite in the series, allowing party members to learn spells through the usage of Magicite, and making them master what spells are available in the Magicite through battling is very fun. In the endless debate of which Final Fantasy game is the greatest, my vote will always go to this one. (For whatever reason, this one's showing up with double spacing in the preview, even though it's single spaced... I have no clue why it's doing that, really.)
3.
Pokemon Y Version (3DS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMnwB6neGlY
Pokemon is one of the best selling game franchises of all time, and it's no surprise. It's gameplay has always been loved by fans, myself included. Pokemon is my second favorite game franchise, and the newest entry is definitely the biggest improvement on the age-old formula we've come to love. Pokemon Y's story feels more believable, as there are now all sorts of companions involved with their own personalities. The game takes a dark turn towards the end, but where the game truly shines is the gameplay. The new 3D environment fits the game perfectly, and the new features are all perfect additions. Mega Evolutions feel rewarding, and it's always very exciting to see a Pokemon Mega Evolve for the first time. The new Pokemon cast is well designed, and very enjoyable, despite being a smaller amount than usual. This is the game I'd recommend to anyone trying to get into the franchise, and I'd highly recommend it to existing fans who don't own it yet.
2.
The World Ends With You (DS/iOS)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmLdyyFKjxQ
This and #1 were really tough for me. This was my favorite game, but after thinking about it, I've decided that it's my second favorite. This doesn't mean that it's not all that great, though. It's a fantastic game, with a perfect balance of gameplay and story. The game revolves around the Reaper's Game, a week-long event filled with insane tasks, and monsters named Noise. Neku Sakuraba, the main character, wakes up with no memory as to how he got there. He is forced to participate in the game, and team up with other people, something he absolutely hates having to do. The amount of development he shows is incredible, making him one of my favorite game protagonists. The other main characters are all very likable as well. The gameplay is fun, and hectic. Battles span both screens, with Neku being controlled with the stylus on the touch screen, and the partner using button commands on the top. The game's fast pace really helps it in the end, which is one of the many things that I like about this game. If you have a DS, then I'd highly recommend getting this if you have the chance!
1.
Kingdom Hearts (PS2)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVXGKfxWAI4
I really could've listed any of the seven games in the KH franchise in here, but my favorite is by far the first, for the PS2. I haven't played the Final Mix edition yet, so I'm only going to be including the original one for the PS2 in here. There was an HD collection on the PS3 containing the Final Mix edition of this, so if you're unable to get the PS2 game, then by all means get that instead. Now then... I've got a lot of fond memories with this game. I got it the year it came out, and every playthrough I have of this game never gets boring. The game is about a boy named Sora, who, while trying to reach other worlds with his friends, ends up in a disaster on the islands he lives in. He is given a mystical weapon called a Keyblade, and is tasked with battling enemies named Heartless, and saving not just his world, but all worlds. He must team up with Donald Duck and Goofy, and sets off to also try to find his islander friends. The story of this game has a magical feeling, even when compared to the following titles. Every time I play, I have the same reactions. I still feel like I did when I was a kid, and this is the only game to really give me this feeling. The gameplay is also really fun. It's not as flashy as the second game, or Dream Drop Distance, and not quite as repetitive as the DS titles. It's simplified, but for the better. Also, getting to team with Disney characters and explore their worlds adds to the charm of the game. This is my favorite game of all time, and the beginning of my favorite game franchise of all time. I can't recommend it enough to any sort of gamer!
Well, that's it for my list. Hope you all enjoyed! (Also, if anyone asks why I explained more about KH1, it's because I might try to put my list up in other places too, and I'd like to explain for people who don't know much about the series)