10 Best RETRO Turn Based JRPGs

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What are the BEST retro turn based JRPGs? Well you're about to find out! In this video I count down the top 10 best retro turn based JRPGs of all time.
What are your favorite retro turn based JRPGs?
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[@TheGamingShelf]

🌱Order your copy of Rune Factory 3 Special TODAY 👉 dared.io/FRcN

[@XultanisDragon]

You never played Xenogears. The comment about building your gear how you want is nonsense. There was no "building" or customizing your gear. Every section you had just enough money to fully upgrade all your gears defenses and attack power. If you didn't then your gears would be too weak to fight the next boss so upgrading was mandatory however there was no customizing. If you got to a shop that had gear parts you basically buy all of them then and there because it meant there was a gear boss coming up.

[@a.m.pietroschek1972]

Well, not retro, but in the spirit of: Pixel Noir & Chaos Chain on #Steam. For action preference (instead of turn based): Pecaminosa - A Pixel Noir Adventure.

[@mdnght0095]

NOOOO

[@mdnght0095]

did u ever play grandia 2 ? I think it was very good

[@louvella-sama]

Here for Lunar 🙌

[@MrDwaters88]

Same except saying psp is best is so wrong. Mainly because they change the voices.

[@louvella-sama]

@@MrDwaters88 I've only played the psp version because we only have handhelds at home, no home consoles so can't relate

[@srbaran]

I didn't even know there was a PSP version. It was an amazing game on the PS1, though.

[@jasonm8051]

This guy gets it👆 Sega cd originalist

[@Lord_Sirec]

I have found my people 🥺

[@Shadowmyst1]

Just from the Avatar you could see that Xenogears is number 1 to me. lol I have played all of the games and their sequels listed so this was very nostalgic for me. The original Wild Arms is my favorite of the series also.

[@feiwong3634]

Hey pal, nice taste in games :)

[@mikematay7340]

Wait a second.... Wild Arms is part of the Xenogears saga? Wild Arms is probably my fav game of all time, VASTLY under rated. And it was released basically at the same time as FF7 so had zero coverage. I love that game and replay it often. I've yet to dive into the Xenogear games, but if they are related to Wild Arms iI'm in for sure.

[@jordanwolfe739]

Opinions are opinions and everyone is different, but if you played xenogears and only saw giant robots you missed the point. The game is absolutely perfect, even though it isn't finished. Every character is dynamic and memorable, the story is so in depth, the combat is incredibly unique, and the soundtrack...*chefs kiss* To each their own of course I'm just glad it made the list

[@Cerbskies]

FF7, FFT and Suikoden 2 were absolute monsters of an RPG. Theres a reason square hasnt topped FF7 though. Its popular to hate because people like to be contrarians but it was simply that good. It doesnt matter if its your "first" rpg cause even if it was, it sets the standard for a FF game which no mainline series has even come close to beating. Says alot right there.

[@Albertigues]

Amazing video, really loved your selection. Hoping for a retro ARPG video soon

[@humantacos9800]

Lunar for sega was good but it was the Working Designs remake that really brought it into its own. They put a lot of love into that project

[@quincymims2580]

Lufia 2 - amazing game at the time it was released.

[@gamerbear84]

Definitely some solid picks. One of my biggest gaming regrets is selling off my copy of Suikoden 2 after I lost my save data after like 20+ hours of gametime... TWICE. But the shoddy memory card was the guilty party, not the game. And years later it was worth WAY more than I got for it. lol Glad to see it and Grandia here in particular.

[@Kunisaki]

Really liked your list, though Xenogears and Parasite Eve would be the in top 3 for me. Final Fantasy VII was one of my favourites, along with Breath of Fire III and later on, playing with emulator, Earthbound, an amazing RPG on SNES, really surprised me! There's so many good RPG's like the Lufia, Phantasy Star series, Star Ocean series, a few bad too but even them have players who loved them and still do.

[@feiwong3634]

Phantasy Star IV is one of my all time favorites, such a huge classic.

[@turismofoegaming8806]

I’m very surprised we have not got a remaster yet to dragon quest eight?!?? I never got to play it on the PS two, but I have it on my 3DS and I think it is one of the best looking and best playing games on the system!

[@reptardudebro9562]

Pretty good list but as good as Lunar SSS is the sequel really should’ve been on the list. It improved on the original in every meaningful way.

[@Genethagenius]

Love most of the games on this list, but prefer “Persona 3” (portable or FES w/ mod to control all characters) but “Persona 4” is excellent! And I tried many times to play “Resonance of Fate”, but that battle system is just too convoluted for me. But it looks awesome when you perform attacks!

[@Smiler_707]

Alundra, vagrant story, shadow hearts are 3 of my favourites thats not counting any Final Fantasy games tho lol 🎮👾👌🏻

[@jennyf-eg5gl]

Omg...i have so many! Shadow Hearts series, Suikoden 2, wild arms code F, Persona 4, Dark Cloud 1 and 2...tales of Grace.

[@cnkclark]

The absence of Skies of Arcadia is a glaring oversight.

[@joselazo9799]

To be pedantic I believe it is widely accepted that something has to be at least 20 years old to be considered retro. Persona 4 misses that mark by 4 years, which in a 20 year span is 20%. great list all things considered.

[@mikebellsfitnessshorts2783]

Vandal Hearts 2 is an awesome turn based strategy game. In the same format as FF tatics.

[@Nikketsinne]

Can I please know how you captured these gorgeous looking visuals for Grandia? It's the PC version Remaster you mention ? That's just amazing

[@Rob_Cahill]

I was glad to see Grandia on this list. I love/ed that game. I always hated how there were so many moments against Justin. I get that he was a kid but it drove me nuts during the game play how quick he reverted to a child attitude. I excuse when he was trying to become someone when Sue was around, she always kinda pulled him back into a kid mindset. However it was nice seeing him on the boat with Feena but then to act all out of place made it more memorable, reminding you hes still like 16 or 17. I was hoping for a scene where they were alone together and it had a slight better click between them which never happened. Then the moment more towards the end I believe. Where everyone abandon Justin. That kinda pissed me off, Justin kinda lost faith a bit and everyone bailed on him hard. That I felt just so out of place. Rapp I get bailing on him. However, Liete should have stayed. She was with him for so long, always honest with him and helping him grow. You mean to tell me with all the potential she saw in Justin, she abandon him, couldn't even maybe tried to be there for him for a few moments. Then to see Feena also did, that to me just seemed like a big F you. Even Feena should have had a moment there with him, which would make sense, specially given everything over the whole game at that point. The things he had lost. Justin always was there for everyone else, they literally show him needing people and they all left him, not only all walking away but in a monster filled area when his will is kinda broken. They were basically sending a person to their grave. Sure the kid is strong and all but when your state of mind is "given up", your mind is not in a fighting way. He'd walk into a fight without the will to defend himself feeling like a failure. That scene to me kinda ruined my view on Liete and added a dislike towards Feena. I get they wanted to make him seem strong, even stand alone. It makes it different when, everyone abandons you, cant even try for 5 minutes to support you. When the M.C. was emotionally the support through the whole thing, makes me feel, Justin has bad friends. Even if they felt he would kick out of it, what happens if he didnt!? The world is a lot to bank on their belief. It would have made the ending mean more if Feena sat down with him. To me it would have given it more a feeling of she supports her Justin in his time of need.

[@LordMaskin]

Xenogears to this day is my favorite RPG, followed by Lunar the Silver start for sega cd.

[@dangox3370]

Dragon Quest 8 is the best retro JRPG. Skies of Arcadia and Persona 3 also rank way up there.

[@nogibertv4824]

you know persona series is great when even Yatzhee Croshaw of Zero Punctuation dont have negative banter on that one.

[@VivisPal]

Wild Arms 4 was the best in the series. Fact. (Also, it has the GREATEST, bar none, final boss music of any game.)

[@mdl6348]

Tales series are so underrated

[@bin_said8444]

Shining force 1 for sega Genesis (The eternal legend of the most beautiful Japanese RPG game)

[@manramen]

Everytime a link on my feed says a long time classic is being remastered or remade I keep hoping it's Parasite Eve. Starting to think there's some kind of bad blood behind the scenes where Square Enix isn't having it so they keep the franchise buried.

[@turismofoegaming8806]

I just wish Square did not always purposefully make menu systems and upgrade paths difficult to learn just for the sake of being difficult like they did in parasite Eve?! I am playing parasite Eve for the first time and I am just at the part where you get to upgrade your weapons and the first thing I did was attempt to upgrade my weapon and it resulted in my pistol disappearing??? WTH? Either way, all I have to do is upload my save from before the boss fight at the end of the store and go back and do that again.. but I thought I was upgrading my pistol and it ended up disappearing?!?!

[@akira666420]

Lunar Sega CD version is the best version for real classic play through.

[@hitmangfx7162]

The ONLY one of these I have an issue with is Wild Arms 3. I wanted this game to be amazing. I loved the character designs, the music, the artwork. But it just started dragging and...never stopped dragging. The characters just stopped being interesting (which sucks, because Virginia had so much potential) and the game felt long for the sake of being long. If I had to pick a representative of the series, it would have been 2. 2 stopped JUST shy of dragging on for too long and finished pretty strong. The two major dings against it were the graphics (which were antiquated even for the time) and the awful translation. Just in general, WA was a series I wanted to love more than I actually did. But other than that, great picks. I respect only having one game from a series on here, so I can see the Final Fantasy 6 omission. The only ones I might consider sliding in would be Phantasy Star IV and Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals.

[@ericbarlow6772]

Final Fantasy 6 was the best in my opinion. And this comes from playing the first one back in 1990 which is my nostalgia pick.

[@TrollCapAmerica]

Final Fantasy 6 was so good they recycled all the plot elements all over again in 7 just with no actual reason for any of it happening

[@lindseymorrison2012]

My all time fave is Legend of Dragoon

[@Bogidani]

Ive been looking for somethign that can recapture the feeling i had with Grandia 2 but never found anything that did so. Its so sadening

[@HarryPotter69420]

had to stop when he showed and recommended the psp version of lunar

[@gutterspeak]

Wish we could get some Lunar games remastered.

[@houchi69]

This is also a list of all the retro RPGs that need remakes. Why is your Lunar look like that? What version is that? That's not the original version.

[@g.l4448]

Lunar Silver Star was originally on Sega CD. It was amazing.

[@jasonm8051]

It was I ordered that joint out of the back of an egm basically off one screen shot.

[@g.l4448]

@@jasonm8051 I bought it from a closing video store

[@liamconverse8950]

Yeah considering it came out in 1992 and say FF6 came out in 94 it was ahead of it time and one of the few games to really show the potential of the Sega CD

[@johnsimth6587]

Blew my mind away with the story and everything, fell in love with the world instantly.

[@DigiAkuma]

Fortunate to have played the Collector Editions of Lunar 1 & 2 on PS1. PSP Version was a definite plus, except for the dubs on their cutscenes. Horrendous compared to the PS1 Cutscenes

[@aliceaiken3162]

Xenogears. Wild arms was the first rpg I played on the PS1. I'm 66 and I love RPGs.

[@aliceaiken3162]

I played Persona 4 golden. I love that one too. My husband passed away a little over 2 years ago. He love the music. Final Fantasy 7, Xenogears.

[@artylufia]

Hoping to see SNES Lufia 2 on a list like this one day.. That game is just so good.. So underrated..

[@7thlittleleopard7]

Yessss. One of my top 5 games.

[@Diadin22]

Ah yeah that's such a good game too

[@Livingtree32]

Funny, since I just posted my list and Lufia 2 would be on 11, just missing the Top 10 (with one game per franchise). But yes, it’s amazing.

[@bigstopowens]

lufia 2, ff3, snes had some of the best games

[@Konarcoffee]

Not anime enough for this list

[@Priomful]

I actually played Chrono Trigger this year for the first time and I loved it a lot.

[@brentabel5094]

Play "Sea Of Stars" on steam or ps5 then it's an indie spiritual successor and its amazing.

[@TheGamingShelf]

Nice!

[@Ceymoure]

Same :)

[@carlos2004]

Same, I just finished it last month, it was definitely worth it.

[@LN-Lifer]

congrats...I'm actually a little jealous

[@MiamiSunrise]

Parasite Eve was the first game I remember where friends of mine that were girls really got into an RPG. Back then it was much more of a rarity in my friends circle especially but this game definitely got their attention and I'm so happy that it did. You are correct, a full remake is a must for this game, newer players need to try this one out. You nailed an incredible group of great games in this list, theres just too much to say. Your top 5 are certainly legendary and might I say the day we could get a fixed remastered or remade and fixed version of Xenogears will be a great amazing day indeed. These games share such amazing moments and memories....its such a huge reason I love JRPGs and always will. Thanks Taylor!

[@Luckyfirerabbit]

Lunar SSS was my first JRPG, it and Lunar EB Complete on the PSX both have special places in my heart and always will. I always feel like I'm one of the only people that love those games, so it was really nice to see Silver Star on this list.

[@deleriumslayer4931]

Yea I played SSS and EB on psx as a kid an it def holds a special place in me. Amazing story.

[@Archangelglenn]

Yeah I also played Lunar SSS and I fell in love with completely. It was and is my favorite RPG of all time. It was very fun to play and had some unique features to it that made it quite enjoyable. It was also the only game I knew ofmthat you could actually die in after beating the final boss. I only discovered how you accomplish that task accidently. Still loved it and fun fact, if you leveled Nash to level 50, he gained a second attack.

[@kingdaniel3519]

You're definitely not the only one. I love Lunar so much that I still have my original PS copies.

[@Luckyfirerabbit]

@@kingdaniel3519 SAME

[@richardhsuh]

Alex of Burg the goodboy goat

[@Jurmeytobgyevideos]

I’m a simple man, I see lunar, I click on the video

[@kibou2357]

Special place in my heart. First video game I ever completed. I begged my older brothers to help me because I was scared of the first slime boss. He told me I could do and I did. It also helped that I was probably 10 lvls too high because I earlier tried to play Lufia on an emulator on his computer and I… I couldn’t get past the cave spiders. Yes, the first lvl 1 enemies.

[@matteste]

Ar Tonelico 2, Grandia 2, Final Fantasy IX, Persona 2, Dragon Quest VIII and Digital Devil Saga are some of my absolute favorites.

[@ShockStormRPG]

Very happy to see Persona 4 and Wild ARMs 3 on here. Wild ARMs has always been a super underrated series with great dungeon designs and puzzles and unfortunately a lot of people never got a chance to try the series out. Persona 4 is my favorite Persona game and I agree with you that it has some of the best characters in any game.

[@chriswilhite5605]

I like all of the Wild Arms game as well, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone talk about Wild arms: alter Code F. It’s like the game never existed, and I love that game

[@feiwong3634]

I'm a huge Wild Arms fan, since the first one, i own all games and a lot of merch, i remember the first one very fondly because it was one of the very few RPG's that had a Spanish translation, back in the day, being a fan of the genre was difficult because it was so rare to have a game in your own language.

[@LelouchRika]

I liked Dragon Quest 4 and 5 a lot more than 8. I have the uncommon opinion that games can be too big and I just couldn't force myself to finish DQ8. The other 2 being way shorter and keeping things fresher with the different chapters/time skips made them a lot more enjoyable for me.

[@7thlittleleopard7]

And 6. The 4/5/6 trilogy is just so good. I love them so much. IDK, I didn't like 8 as much as many others did.

[@antonio4259]

I like the 3DS dragon quest 7 fragments of a forgotten time more than anything else. It is great as well for the fact that you can change classes and master them all for an essentially unkillable squad

[@continuallyblessed44]

Lunar and it’s sequel are some of my favorite games ever made. While the PSP version was good, they changed the boat song from the PS1 version and that was not okay lol.

[@Ubu90]

Its still the same singer

[@continuallyblessed44]

@@Ubu90 Yeah but the song was different if I remember correctly.

[@DarkKnightGrimm]

ya and they changed Nalls voice.

[@Drudain17]

Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Suikoden II, Mario RPG, Seiken Densetsu III, Tales of Phantasia, Dragon Quest, Xenogears, Breath of Fire II

[@goodnightis]

you missed 2 of the best games on the ps1, legend of dragoon and star ocean 2 the second story. the absolute best on the consol. also dong forget ff9.

[@brentabel5094]

Wilds arms 2 is way better than 3 WAY.

[@KingBanks18]

HARD disagree

[@brentabel5094]

@KingBanks18 In fact, 3 is easily the worst game in the entire series, even worse than the strategy rpg spinoff.

[@AdAce21]

1000% agree. Wild ARMs 2 is arguably the best in the series (and one of my all-time favorite rpgs)

[@NWOtion]

​@@brentabel50943 rules

[@michaeleason1217]

Parasite Eve and Xenogears are amazing. I replay both about once a year on my Vita and PS3 Really wish they would come to Switch or PS5 store

[@kgrayman]

Love your list. Almost all my classic top games are on this list. Wish more ppl knew about the Mana Khemia series. Its one of the JRPG where I felt it still holds up to this day

[@TheInfinityMaster1]

I know you said "Retro", but I really think *"The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky"* trilogy (and also *"Trails from Zero/to Azure")* qualifies as "retro" at least. *The Legend of Heroes* franchise in general has become *my all time favorite turn-based JRPG,* surpassing EVERY other franchise in the same genre, even Chrono Trigger/Final Fantasy.

[@klo8458]

I'll add Shadow hearts 1& 2! amazing story and character, original setting during WW2 mixing historical events with fantasy, and a great turn based combat with the ring system that makes it very special and fun! Also Baten Kaitos, that just got re released in HD on switch, with cards based combat and great story and music !

[@Livingtree32]

Shadow Hearts 2 is in my Top 3 games of all time.

[@feiwong3634]

Shadow Hearts 1 and 2 are masterpieces, we are lucky to have a spiritual successor in the works now, from the same creator: Penny Blood.

[@hitmangfx7162]

I regret not playing the Shadow Hearts games back in the day. I'm reading about their historical premise and that seems like a fresh take on the whole genre. I picked up Covenant, but am currently trying to add SH1, so I play them in chronological order. Killer soundtracks! They give the speakers a workout.

[@MarvinConman]

1) Eh, IMO the best Wild Arms games were Alter Code F (PS2 remake of the 1st game) and WA5. I consider WA3 the most boring one out of the 5... 2) I still consider DQ8 the best one, or maybe it's because that it was the first DQ game I ever played XD 3) Oh God I love Grandia series to death. The first one was a masterpiece, the csecond one was great (also the first one I played). As for third.... We don't talk about third. 4) Suikoden 2 rules XD The first one was kinda diluted, 3 was weird to say the least, and the 4th kinda lost its charm (dear god that running animation)... 5th was ok I guess, tho honestly I never finished it. 5) It's Chrono Trigger. Nuff said. 6) My first Final Fantasy was 8. Most people don't like that one but it's ok to be wrong XD Still love that game.

[@VanNowe]

Love this list quite a bit. only "gripe" is the lunar segment and I'm 82% sure its just nostalgia kicking me in the head but I felt that the psp version changed some things in the story/character portrayal and it ultimately changed how i felt about some key characters. PSX version in my opinion has more heart. (if that counts for anything) but I agree that the music is astounding through out all versions.

[@jmarx3943]

I'm there with you with the psp version. Glad it's there, but not my favorite. As much as I love the sega cd version, I feel the Playstation upgrade is just too good to ignore. Eternal blue, however, the sega cd version is my preferred way to play.

[@paulerlingheuser8453]

Music was better on Sega CD. More dark

[@mikeingyu580]

Perfect list but I'd swap Grandia 1 for 2 and swap out FF7 for Legend of Dragoon. I'm one of the few that like that one more. Also, Star Ocean as an honorable mention.

[@jaysea5804]

Lunar was originally released on the sega cd

[@cam9144]

Grandia has one of the best (if not THE best) combat systems ever

[@brunobiagini4725]

My best retro RPG for sure is Radiata Stories, love that game so much, wish they did at least a remaster

[@archangelmichael1978]

Honorable mention for "Trails In The Sky."

[@ShonnDaylee]

This is going to be good. It's the list we've been waiting for folks. Let's get into it! Also, Persona games are very love it or hate it. Not everyone can get into the trope laden high school drama thing. I'm 44 years old, and I struggle with the Persona games. I still have yet to finish Persona 5, because I just can't get into the story/characters. The depth just doesn't seem to be there. I much prefer the style of writing in games like Lost Odyssey, Chained Echoes, and Outer Wilds, to name a few. To each their own, of course. Just an observation.

[@brentabel5094]

Star ocean 2 isn't turn based so ot shouldn't be on list even though it's great.

[@ShonnDaylee]

@@brentabel5094 Good grief. You are correct. My mistake. To be fair, by todays standards it's more of a hybrid.

[@brentabel5094]

@ShonnDaylee I did play the Star Ocean 2 remake demo on steam its freaking awesome. If you haven't check it out

[@bioboost12]

I feel the same way about persona....power of friends blah blah high-school life but persona 1 and 2 were darker. I personally like persona 2 because the music was so different from the other ones and the characters were generally older and had jobs and weren't high-school kids.

[@bioboost12]

So persona 2 seemed a little more relatable

[@Kasmot]

My best retro turn based will always be Legend of Legaia and Legend of Dragoon. I also like Vagrant story. For ps2 Shadow Hearts is amazing.

[@WhiteFangofWar]

Glad to see Wild Arms 3 on here for all the unique things it does (like letting you rename your spells and *any* NPC), but surprised not to see Lufia 2 or Breath of Fire 3. Lufia 2 is the zenith of the series and had the best puzzles in any JRPG, even WA3. The casino and procedurally-generated Ancient Cave were revolutionary for their time, the latter giving rise to numerous competitions.

[@stevewallace1387]

The game that got me hooked on RPGS was the first phantasy star love that game would love a remake of phantasy star and also sky's of arcadia by Sega

[@mikeclarke3990]

Don't think this lad had a Sega console

[@SquallLeonhartlo]

The best version of Lunar is the PS1 version, hands down.

[@dreadpirates_]

FF7 story was so dark and music was dark and amazing.... my first❤

[@fantasybookclub]

I didn't realize RF3 Special was released already - this is maybe the first time I've been happy about the sponsorship segment 😂

[@MiamiSunrise]

I'm betting the Rune Factory people will be ecstatic with this comment haha, sometimes those sponsored ads can work.

[@TheGamingShelf]

Haha glad it was helpful!

[@redstratus97]

My personal top 5: 1. FF 10 2. FF 7 3. Xenosaga 3 4. Baten Kaitos 5. Skies of Arcadia Keep in mind there are many I haven’t played yet.

[@Bowflex2480]

great list taylor, parasite eve is an underrated gem that i think more people should play. yes the controls are a bit clunky but once you get used to it and hooked on the story you realize they probably should have made at least one more game.

[@ckgolangco]

My favorites never make it on anyone's list haha. Rogue galaxy and legend of legaia

[@jennyf-eg5gl]

I replayed Legend of Legaia. It was such fun game. Second one...not so much. Rogue galaxy had a great battle system but the plot fell apart toward the end.

[@ckgolangco]

@@jennyf-eg5gl I actually liked Legaia 2 a lot too, but I can see why most people don't. I'm just happy to hear someone else acknowledge these games haha

[@DSK2007]

Breath of Fire 3 will always be tied to my number one JRPG spot with FF7. I still try to play both at least once every couple of years.

[@mikeclarke3990]

I'd have BoF 2/3/4 over Wild Arms any day.

[@jmarx3943]

Great list. If you've never played Phantasy Star 4, i highly suggest giving it a try. It can stand right along side the very best the snes classics have to offer in my humble opinion.

[@kennethcook9406]

Agreed! And while not strictly RPGs (they're Tactical RPGs) Shining Force and Shining Force 2.

[@SephirothWaifu]

Vintage always the generation of gold and birth! Classic! FF7 I'm obsessed since a kid 90s rule!! I've only CRIED TO FF7 Real magical and spiritual. (Persona 3 & 4 only!)(need to play 1 and 2)

[@EugeneKurlikin]

Psp lunar over ps1 lunar really? 😳🤢. I’d even go GBA lunar before the PSP one.

[@Grail_Quest]

Sega CD Lunar was best.

[@markkanaar1751]

The oldest retro RPG game that had a solid story line with the main character as a women was Phantasy Star for the Sega Master System. Sad it wasn't mentioned. Probably the best RPG made in the 1980's.

[@HMaiusculo1]

came for lunar. first JRPG i truly fell in love.

[@zerobeatw2059]

I didn't have internet when I finally gave Wild Arms 3 a shot and the guides I did find didn't help. I literally got stuck a few hours into the game because of stupid "pinging" mechanic... I was really enjoying it too. but I COULD NOT get the next area to pop up so I never progressed. maybe I'll try it again someday as I said, I was really enjoying it until that happened.

[@wyatthagar4010]

my favorite would be Blue Dragon, it’s the first jrpg on an xbox platform and was made by an amazing team from the Final Fantasy games. also Akria Toriyama did the character design

[@NerdsThatDo]

Final Fantasy 7 (Yes, it is the best), Xenogears, Seiken Densetsu III, Tales of Phantasia, Breath of Fire 3, Chrono Trigger, Suikoden II, Wild Arms 1, Grandia, Lunar: Eternal Blue

[@jordanpeacock8774]

I used to LOATHE turn-based RPGs but Dragon Warrior for NES changed my perception of them and now I like them. Action RPGs are still my favorite though.

[@joaomauriciomacedo3415]

THANKS GOODNESS!! I was hoping to see persona in this list so I would not invalidate any other recommendation, but it would never come!! I was getting anxious!! BUT HELL YEAH, it came, and it deserves the top!!

[@spardathedevil7956]

Dude, where is Skies of Arcadia?

[@mbr-il6ud]

My favorites are Final Fantasy 1 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 7R. Dragon Quest 1-8 and 11. Breath of fire 1-3, Secret of Mana, Lunar Silver star story, FInal Fantasy Tactics, XenoGears, Chrono Trigger, Suikoden 1&2. My childhood was SNES and PS1, N64. So my favorites here are the originals. Exception being FF7 Remake which is the only one on the list. You mentioned Grandia and I remember that one. The combat was unique. It was enjoyable.

[@yugoprowers]

My retro top ten: 10: Legend of Legaia 09: Grandia II 08: Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals 07: Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits 06: Dragon Quest VIII 05: Breath of Fire III 04: Golden Sun 03: Lunar Silver Star Story Complete 02: Final Fantasy IX 01: Chrono Trigger

[@dethaddr]

Really got to argue on a few points. Xenogears and Parasite Eve are my two games that NEED an upgraded remake. They both came in during the "Golden Age of RPGs" and truly there are no others more deserving of top spots that are not named either "Chrono Trigger" "Final Fantasy" or "Grandia Xtreme", Xenogears in particular is actually BETTER than all Final Fantasies except Tactics, which is a perfect game (and I'm saying this despite not being a big fan of the Tactics type games). Dragon Warrior/Quest 8 is where I lost all respect for the series. This is because the devs were LAZY in how they programmed the RNG. Need proof? Go ahead and start in an easy to fight area and grind from a cold boot. It won't take more than few times of doing this to figure out they placed the "ultra-rare" drops for the "RNG" right next to each other.... at 254 and 255! This game is next to trash because of this, because you're going to need to cheat or be some kind of insane to grind for the rarest drops for the best weapons. I won't lie, I was wowed until I went looking for some of the rares and got my respect for the not just the game, but the series, completely DERAILED by this atrocious excuse for a so-called "Random" Number Generator. Won't pick up a DQ game past 8 ever again due to this. Chrono Trigger is the best JRPG, this is hands down. All the best people in the best place all in their prime. The DS version is the ultimate best due to having the Compendium, which lets you see any ending you've achieved at any time, which is really the only upgrade this needed, but it did add more. I'd like to see a remake, with all of the animated scenes from the PS version. (If they give the battles the Persona "anime comic" treatment, I bet you'd change your mind about Persona 4, LOL. On a side note I liked the US Persona 1 best, Mark was my fave character because he used to say "Whassup!" when he attacked with the gun. really liked that) FF7 remake is KH trash that downright $#!TS on the original (and DESERVES that word being used). So happy I watched someone else playing online before just shelling for it. The original was nothing short of a masterpiece (I began with the original FF in 1990, and worked hard so I could have the privilege of playing each one in order- in the years they came out). Basically the Remake is just using the characters for a completely different game with a different story as a cash grab. It doesn't feel right or play right. While I do like that they fleshed out a few other characters more (Jessie comes to mind), they did NOT stay true to the original story, which is what was the huge draw that kept me playing it. It's almost akin to taking your favorite movie and remaking it, except destroying everything you ever loved about it.... (That first Ghostbusters reboot comes to mind, LOL).

[@Minoujill24]

I always dream than they remake Parasite Eve 1 and 2 and a Fear effect 2. Parasite eve was so different at the time! the atmosphere, the music...Lunar and Chronos are amazing! Same for old Atelier game, Mana khemia etc... As a video game collector ( collect games and console since more than 35 yr), i could put a long list of JRPG... Xenosaga, last story, Dino crisis 1, Arc the lad, Dark cloud etc.. But yeah...Parasite Eve is probably my favorite of the list ( with Persona but those are not so old and Ps3 Reload is comming soon)

[@bennethbugna7795]

My top 10 retro JRPGs would be: 10: Legends of Legaia 9: Digimon World 2 8: Star Ocean Second Story 7: Valkyrie Profile Lenneth 6: Thousand Arms 5: Breath of Fire II 4: Final Fantasy IX 3: Grandia 2: Final Fantasy VII 1: Legend of Dragoon Oh how I miss the good old days :((

[@Livingtree32]

If I keep it one game per franchise, it would be: 10. Super Mario RPG 9. Ni no Kuni 8. Breath of Fire 2 7. Suikoden IV (yes, IV 😂) 6. Pokémon Arceus 5. Grandia 4. Dragon Quest VIII 3. Chrono Trigger 2. Shadow Hearts: Covenant 1. Final Fantasy VII

[@stwenty5758]

I *loved* Wild Arms and was super excited about the sequel. Then I played WA2, and... the RADAR. It ruined it. It ruined every subsequent Wild Arms game. I know some folks could et past it, but I can't for the life of me figure out how. It is such an atrocious mechanic, and you have to use it constantly while you're exploring. It's a completely stupid idea that makes exploration - one of my favorite parts of any game - a tedious chore. And if you're gonna say out loud that FF7 is the one from the series you chose because it's got sentimental value to you, you should say "My favorite RETRO Turn Based JRPGs", since by your own admission it's not a list of the best. Good list though.

[@Elvisbackpack]

My top 10 1) Xenogears 2) Xenosaga 3) Final Fantasy VIII 4) Wild Arms 3 5) Chrono Trigger 6) Breath of Fire IV 7) Parasite Eve 8) Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete 9) Legend of Dragoon 10) Final Fantasy VI

[@BraveOne_Photo]

I love Xenogears I like Lunar Silver Star I like Chrono Trigger I like Final Fantasy (the 8th one)

[@redlion145]

Solid list. I'd probably pick different games from the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises, but that's mostly down to opinion and personal taste. Nothing wrong with your picks. (mine would be FFX and DQ3 btw) Some constructive criticism: The video would be improved by varying your adjectives and sentence structure. 10:07 as an example, using classic twice in the same sentence doesn't tell the listener much. It's the opposite of an earworm, it's off-putting. I'm not suggesting that you pull out a thesaurus and never use the same word twice, but there seems to be a lot of filler words in your script that aren't doing much descriptive work. Other examples, "pretty unique at the time" "holds up well" and "absolutely incredible" all see multiple uses, and don't do much to describe the games.

[@PendelSteven]

Now weit a minute! These are just OLD JRPGS! Anything from tne NES up until the PS2 is NOT FAIR GAME! That is OLD, not RETRO! Retro means New work, looking back to the past as inspiration.

[@redwizardmatt]

I'd like to remind everyone here that Lunar on PS1 was already a remaster of Lunar on Sega CD. So was Lunar 2. They weren't ps1 generation games, they were ports of 16 bit era games. Personally, I still prefer the Sega CD version of Lunar 1. The characters have less set classes (Alex can cast fire and healing magic) and the story, music, and tone is MUCH darker. They made it feel fluffier in the ps1 version and onwards, but the Sega CD version made you feel the danger, and the fact that it was a story about *death*. Later it felt more like a story about love, with the changes they made, and that's not entirely wrong, but it definitely felt less adult oriented after the ps1 remaster.

[@synngames5446]

Again another incorrect list: Look I know its super edge lord to try and bump down Chrono trigger to number 2, or 3, or even 4 but chrono trigger has been WIDELY stated by countless review sites, blogs, youtubers that is is not only THE BEST rpg of all time but it is one of the best GAMES of all time. Chrono trigger is simply number 1 on every important list and its that simply. If this is your own personal feelings well god bless but again every single gaming list has Chrono trigger beating out almost every other game because it was that good. I personally just liked Chrono trigger and didn't go bananas for it but even if I made a list it would be number 1 because you can't ignore what it did for gaming.

[@dynastygirl2912]

Final Fantasy 7 and Chrono Trigger I agree putting above Dragon Quest 8 but the rest of the BS? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Dragon Quest 8 has more heart than Persona and Suikoden

[@HonestEmillHead]

dq 8 needs a definitive version cause 3ds version graphics sucks and ps2 random encounter also sucks , so a version with ps2 graphics and 3ds QOL improvements would be great.

[@Merellin]

I am sadened that you did not have Star Ocean: The Second Story on this list, It is an amazing Playstation 1 JRPG with a ton of different endings and many recruitable characters, Good story, And two different view points based on what character you start the game with. I hope many people check out the remake coming in november, Star Ocean The Second Story R.

[@southcoastinventors6583]

Just going to wait for these games to be remastered since it seems to pay well plus I get to hear the characters now glad I spent the the pandemic learning Japanese those dubs are just getting out of hand with the poor or fake translations.

[@ThomasJeff1898]

It will probably be on the top 10 retro Action JRPG list. This video is the Turn-based version as the title explained.

[@Merellin]

@@ThomasJeff1898 Yep, Thats what I get for posting right after waking up. My brain completely blanked on turn based, Sorry all!

[@flipninja55]

One of my top JRPG memories is Golden Sun. It’s up there with FF7 and Chrono Trigger to form my top 3. Great list!

[@Kunisaki]

I just made a coment about Golden Sun, trully unique RPG that i've played in the GBA, got hooked for a few weeks until the end!

[@Loner098]

How about Mother 3? Many people tend to hold *that* game in high regard as well.

[@countquackula8539]

Whoa whoa whoa no Chrono Cross or FF6. What's going on here?

[@TheGamingShelf]

1 game per franchise and I wasn’t gonna boot trigger or 7.