21 Best RPGs on Nintendo Switch

[@alihasanabdullah7586]

For future quick reference: 21# Bravely Default 2 20# Monster Hunter Stories 2 19# Valkyria Chronicles 4 18# Trials of Mana (Also Collection of Mana) 17# Harvestella 16# Tales of Vesperia 15# Tokyo Mirage Sessions 14# Sea of Stars 13# NEO The World Ends with You 12# Live a Live 11# Super Mario RPG 10# Fire Emblem: Three Houses 9# Persona 5 Royal 8# Shin Megami Tensei V (My #1) 7# 13 Sentinels 6# Dark Souls Remastered 5# Star Ocean 2 R 4# Octopath Traveller 2 3# Ring Fit Adventure 2# Xenoblade Series (1,2,3) 1# Dragon Quest 11S

[@StrangeJoe]

Thanks very useful

[@rafaelrodriguez9371]

Thank you. Ni nu kuni could of definitely made the list tho

[@Twisted88HH]

Nice one 🤘

[@ramrodbldm9876]

Weirdo

[@corrinleivan]

The fact that Octopath II couldn't even get a soundtrack nomination is an absolute crime. Easily one of the best games I played this year.

[@TaliesinMyrddin]

Happened with XC3 last year, really does feel like TGA is just anti JRPG sometimes

[@herbertortiz9159]

Am I surprised? Not really…Am I disappointed? Yes

[@DonkThikkness]

I wouldn’t get too upset about it. The game awards are mostly to stroke the egos of leaders in the industry. I find it pointless and a waste of energy trying to identify the best of the best. Just celebrate the awesomeness of games for the year. That’s all I want. Competition breeds toxicity far too often.

[@TaliesinMyrddin]

@@DonkThikkness Oh, yeah, don't get emotionally attached to it or anything, it's just pretty much proven in my mind that the only thing TGA is good for is sporadic new trailers or reveals. The actual awards are biased as hell.

[@DonkThikkness]

@@TaliesinMyrddinyeah I’m really only there for the trailers and cringe moments.

[@daz1876]

Dragon Quest 11 is one of the best turn based RPGs i have ever played. The story is so deep that it always kept me suprised.

[@AndriukYT]

Good job Jon, couldn't have ranked it better myself.

[@GentlemanGamer94]

Same 👍👍

[@gantoris3811]

Hey... that's what I was going to say...

[@jakea3950]

Sucked.

[@MoonGhostDoodles]

Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is also an incredible RPG. It may not be much of a looker at first glance. But people who love the Mario RPGs (especially Paper Mario) are in for an incredible time if they pick it up.

[@slapstickers]

Vouch!

[@klop4228]

I was expecting a decent time. What I got was a freaking fantastic time.

[@MoonGhostDoodles]

@@klop4228 hell yeah!

[@13bmullins]

Genuinely fantastic RPG that is best played portably. The Switch gives it even more of a Paper Mario descendant vibe! Stamp of approval!

[@SomniRespiratoryFlux]

I grew up with the original Paper Mario on 64, but I feel like I'm kind of an outlier in that I think it's just kind of okay. I think that PM64 and to some degree TTYD get a bit too much nostalgia goggling towards them. So I gave Bug Fables a try expecting to get a game aimed at that nostalgia that wouldn't quite resonate with me the way it did for others. What I got was something so much more than that. This game, in my opinion, out-Paper Marios Paper Mario. Leif is my favorite character in just about any game. And the music just straight up slaps. I can't recommend it enough, especially if you like the classic Papes more than I do.

[@MimouFirst]

I love that the Xenoblade games are put on 2nd place all three of them. I feel the same, they belong together and I love them all for their own thing. Also, yessss to Ring fit adventure! Great to see that one mentioned.

[@m.m.2341]

I really want Ring Fit Adventure now 🤣

[@zigazav1]

The three Xenoblade games actually have some ties with each other, something very few JRPG attempt. While still being different games. I know little about the franchise though. I played only a decent portion of Xenoblade 1, my friends heavily discouraged me from buying and playing Xenoblade 2, and Xenoblade 3 I haven't gotten around to buying because there's so many games getting released that have my attention and therefore I cannot afford buying Xenoblade 3. I do know though, that characters in Xenoblade 3 have ties to Rex and the "Blades" he loves.

[@redcrimson1028]

Xenoblade had the worst battle system ever! If it had a better battle system then I see it higher on the charts

[@MoonRanalie]

@@redcrimson1028 the battle system isn't bad, it's just not for you, and that's okay

[@redcrimson1028]

@@MoonRanalie not gonna argue with you about a game that has a terrible battle system

[@TaliesinMyrddin]

I'm glad the Xenoblades were put together so high, and I'll need to get OP2 sometime with all this praise. Also, 13 Sentinels deserved higher!

[@booghost8187]

Good job, Jon! Couldn't have ranked it better myself! Let's put you on our shoulders and parade around your achievement!!!! Seriously, it's a fantastic list of JRPGs, incredibly well rounded and well explained for each entry.

[@BenjaminDirgo]

Couldn’t have done it better myself! You were correct to not put a single Final Fantasy game on this list.

[@tfsoul6384]

I can honestly agree with DQ11S. It was the game that, after many years of dreading turn-based RPGs, pulled me deep into the the genre and I'm still working my way back through some of the most legendary turn-based RPGs of all time. I'm nine Final Fantasy games in, Persona 5 Royal, and a few others under my belt as well.

[@klop4228]

Nine Final Fantasys, from the beginning, or just haphazardly?

[@tfsoul6384]

@@klop4228 1 through 9 so far. I play 16 in between them.

[@klop4228]

@@tfsoul6384 Ah, I see! Well, enjoy the last few! You're past my personaly favourite now (IX), but there are some gems in the next few too. My personal no.s 2 and 3, for example :P

[@tfsoul6384]

@@klop4228 I played IX when I was very young and it was always my favorite, and still is. I didn’t really like VIII too much but I stuck it out. Out of the original six, I really enjoyed III, IV & VI. And VII is VII, its neck and neck with IX for favorite.

[@jaretco6423]

​​@@tfsoul6384DQ11 is an fantastic starting point to those that never played the series or RPG games in general. It's simple, easy to understand, stays traditional and not being overcomplicated or telling in an shakespear way of an story. But it still delivers an good challenge, interesting worlds to explore and the story telling does an perfect blend of lighthearted and serious tones. Alot of RPG games don't follow that these days. So I'm happy DQ11 sticks with that and gives people an shit who never played this type of game.

[@gabeTelethia]

Let's go! Octopath 2 getting the recognition it deserves. Also one of these kinds of lists (i think Nintendo Life's best switch games) is what got me and my brother to get DQ11 right when the pandemic started and get into JRPGS, so I'll definitely see if there's any of these I still need to play

[@cbmatty9262]

The thing I love about DQ11 compared to its cousin FF16 is that DQ knows it’s history and that it’s JRPG and it revels in it and celebrates it, while FF is absolutely embarrassed of it’s history. Please square, keep up this style with DQ12. Nobody wants game of thrones dragon quest.

[@Mintcar923]

I feel like a kid at Christmas on thanksgiving! Especially since I own most of these.. The videos pretty phenomenal and is reminding to play the ol backlog.. Subscribed!!

[@MatthewMedina-b7l]

Surprised not to see WRPGs(Skyrim, Diablo, Divinity Original Sin 2, heck I think getting the Witcher to run on it good enough is a miracle as well). But everyone has different tastes. It’s just good to see Nintendo have a bunch of RPGs on its system.

[@RawPower867]

You are right. Switch has a pretty healthy WRPG library too.

[@JCO78]

Yeah Witcher 3 destroys most of these. Strange list.

[@Citanoo]

Honorable mention I'd say Chained Echoes, Ni no Kuni 1 and 2, Disgaea 5 and 6 and 7 (maybe not 6 but its not bad!), Triangle Strategy, Ys 8 and 9, Rune Factory 3 and 4 and 5 Special, Atelier series (especially the Ryza trilogy) and the Legend of Heroes games.

[@xxJing]

Chained Echos is fun. It was definitely inspired by Xenogears. Not nearly as deep, but I still like the take. Honestly though, not even the Xenoblade games are as deep as Xenogears.

[@RawPower867]

Next year we've got Fantasy Life i, Deca Police, Tokyo Xanadu, Oath in Felghana, Paper Mario, Ys X, and possibly Dragon Quest 3 remake coming. And who knows what else will be announced. The future is bright.

[@KingNothing1st]

Dragon Quest 11 is genuinely one of the best games I've ever played, no idea what makes it so special though

[@OmegaMetroid93]

I'm so happy to see some love for 13 Sentinels. That game is so unique, I think if you love investing yourself in a really good story, getting lost in theory-crafting and figuring out the mysteries of the plot, I think you owe it to yourself to try it. It's phenomenal.

[@maroXUprising]

Can’t wait for unicorn overlord. Easily my most anticipated release for 2024. Man, I dream of the day when every single VW game is on switch.

[@michaelmacorso4479]

The plot, graphics, music and battle system makes that game so amazing.

[@RPG_Hacker]

The story of 13 Sentinels is just mind-blowing. I still can't grasp how it can juggle so many different concepts in a single game and still somehow mange to make it work perfectly. Never played a game like it. It probably has one of my favorite video game stories of all time. Of course the beautiful art style, the great music and the relatively fun and stimulating combat just add to the overall package.

[@hododod246]

Yes but it doesn’t belong to this list. It is not an rpg.

[@chrisspellman8545]

Yeah it's a great game👍

[@Bornagainvillain]

DQ11 is fricking fantastic. And I agree that Persona is best experienced portably. I wish Destiny Connect: Tick Tock Travelers was mentioned. It was designed to be a modern day Nintendo era RPG. It was heart warming and I consider it a hidden gem nobody really talks about.

[@prince_warhero]

Dragon quest 11 is one of the most generic chosen hero save the world, basic brain dumb game I have ever played . I felt like a baby when playing there's so much hand holding

[@Bornagainvillain]

@@prince_warhero person enjoys game. You: nah it sucks. Don’t do that shit.

[@prince_warhero]

@@Bornagainvillain i never said anyone not to enjoy anything. for all that person wants they can even enjoy eating shit and i dont care, but it will still be shit though

[@zigazav1]

@@prince_warhero Hey, don't be a jerk about something you don't like, that other people do like. Nobody asked for you to smack-talk about a game. You don't see me smack talk, say, Dark Souls, for being unfair and having grim-looking graphics. I swear most people on this planet are like children when it comes to things they don't like. Even adults act immature in that way when a topic is brought up they don't like. There really are evils within the hearts of every human, just some of us know better and suppress those inner evils. I swear, the world would be a better place if someone could "change the hearts" of corrupted humans, like Persona 5's Phantom Thieves of Hearts can.

[@prince_warhero]

@@zigazav1 you sound like a weeb haha. If other people like it why care about my opinion, internet is a place to voice our opinion be it positive/negative. you sound like a snowflake who only wants to be within a positive echo chamber. if you hear only what you want and dont think people should have different opinions i suggest you stay off the internet. and yes i totally agree dark souls is unfair and grim looking there is nothing wrong for you to say that opinion of yours

[@Onion_57]

Octopath Traveler II is one of my favorite RPG games ever made. Along with having one of my favorite soundtracks of all time. Please pick it up if you haven’t already.

[@Yamadutai]

I was worried DQ11:S was getting snubbed. Glad to see others appreciate it.

[@By-the_Way]

I really want Tokyo Mirage Session to do better, it's such an underrated gem. Personally, it's my favorite battle system of all the Atlus RPGs, so I really hope they reuse the system or make TMS2 or something... And if you haven't played 13 Sentinels, I really recommend it to everyone!

[@chipwiseman2]

A sequel to TMS is one of my dream games... really loved the vibes of the first one, so expanding on that with a new story would bring me so much joy

[@Beny763]

I wish they would give this IP another chance. Sure, the whole vibe and aesthetic is VASTLY different than anything anyone would expect from FE x SMT but it´s still just so FUN! And the soundtrack is great due to the idol theme.

[@Dtgray12]

It's criminal Octopath Traveler 2 isn't getting nominated.

[@mellowfire420]

I don't really like turn-based RPGs, but I love Jon's buttery voice.

[@indexical1897]

Great video. The fact that some of my favourites didn’t make the list just shows what a juggernaut for rpgs the switch truly is. Hope you get to play some Falcom games at some point Jon. Trails from Zero and Trails to Azure, Ys 8 are all must plays!

[@GVG]

I actually have played a few Ys games, Origins, Memories of Celceta and 8 Was so close to making it on

[@indexical1897]

That’s cool, an unenviable task but great to see your favourites - might have to give Harvestella a try as I feel shamed that I kind of ignored it 😬

[@RawPower867]

Would also give Tales of Symphonia another shot. Most of the issues have been fixed.

[@stripedrajang3571]

​@@RawPower867, what issues did it have? And what had been fixed?

[@RawPower867]

@@stripedrajang3571 Framerate issues, black backgrounds during menus and skits, loss of battle transitions, color palettes, missing dialogue. Most of that has been fixed, except for the missing dialogue stuff.

[@NappyFresh]

LOVE how your list is definitely uniquely Johns fr. I appreciate the respect you give to some of the games that others wouldn’t have on their list! Good work!!

[@studio_1]

Aw, not a mention of Ys 8? That game is one of the best RPG’s you can get on the Switch!

[@drakenstoc4885]

This and Trails from Zero/Trails to Azure definitely deserve a place on lists like this.

[@ramrodbldm9876]

Clown this isn't "YOUR LIST" quit expecting ppls list to match yours bozo. Or how about you make a list of your own, put yees ate on there, hell put it at number 1, and see how many ppl care to watch 😂 I guarantee not even 2% of the views so scram bozo

[@Fxbox920]

I nominate star ocean 2. Its really really damn good and slept on. Jon i always knew you had class, glad to see neo twewys on your list. It was easily my 2021 goty

[@GentlemanGamer94]

*High Fives* Glad to see another NEO TWEWY enjoyer in these comments ^_^ This was also my 2021 GOTY, with The Great Ace Attorney Chronicles being a close second.

[@michaelmacorso4479]

​@GentlemanGamer94 man neo world ends with you is a master piece. I put in over 200 hours and 100 percent it. The story line was spectacular

[@GentlemanGamer94]

@@michaelmacorso4479 it was! The story of Rindo and friends gripped me and kept me hooked till the end 🙂 who was your favorite character?

[@michaelmacorso4479]

@@GentlemanGamer94 I love all the characters. I would say Beat but man when Neku came during the last week hard to top him. Such a brilliant game that deserves to get the recognition it deserves.

[@GentlemanGamer94]

@@michaelmacorso4479 great choices! 😁 And agreed. I hope it gets more recognition in the years to come 🙂

[@iviyohane]

I love that you put the three numbered Xenoblade games as a whole because you need the three to see the complete picture.

[@Neoxon619]

I agree with the sentiments regarding Fire Emblem on Switch. Engage is better from a pure gameplay standpoint, but Three Houses is the better overall package. And as a longtime Ring Fit Adventure player, I’m glad you ranked it so high. That said, I do prefer Xenoblade 3 over 2. It just feels better written, has better character designs, & is generally more fun than XB2. Plus XB3 has Taion, one of the best-written Black characters I’ve seen in an RPG. XB1 still beats both, though.

[@heavydonkeykong5190]

Xenoblade 3 is my favorite of the series thus far, for story characters and gameplay, although Xenoblade 1 feels the tightest in execution.

[@dart7957]

As someone who played three houses after engage, I think one game makes up for the other, engage's gameplay is simply fantastic, stupidly fun, with good visuals but a very simple story, while three houses has the best story and maybe the best ost, but the gameplay is one of the worst I've ever played in a tactical rpg, it has so many weak points that halfway through my first route, I wished it had a visual novel mode, where I could only experience the story

[@mikatu]

In 3 houses i was able to establish a relantionship with the characters, but in engane that didn't happen.... there are too many to choose from and there is no story to engage. 3 houses is one of the best games ever.

[@RawPower867]

This list needs some Falcom and Rune Factory love for sure. Ys 8 and 9, Nayuta, the Trails series, Rune Factory 3, 4, 5. I'd also give Tales of Symphonia a mention, as most of its issues have been patched out (and the color palette issue can easily be fixed by adjusting screen settings). Ninokuni 1 and 2 are worth mentioning as well. This year and next we've also got Fantasy Life i, Deca Police, Tokyo Xanadu, Oath in Felghana, Paper Mario, Ys X, Dragon Quest 1-3 HD, Mario and Luigi, Romancing Saga 2, Rune Factory Project Dragon, Farmagia, Fantasian

[@TheCaffeinatedCozyGamer]

It’s criminal that Octopath Traveller 2 got snubbed and didn’t even get nominated for best score and music at the Game Awards. An absolute gem of a game, with one of the best soundtracks I’ve ever heard!

[@ssyxji659]

I'm so glad you put Dragon Quest XI on first place. It's my favorite game of all time. If you like RPGs, please play this gem.

[@HarpiePlayerJoeHPJ]

This shows how evolved Nintendo has gotten with rpgs and the vase amount they have gotten over the years. Even with their own titles for the switch.

[@Reubs-o5m]

Good list! Loved SMT5 that’s probably my top pick of the bunch. Oozes atmosphere, well-crafted levels that make for fun exploration and immersion, extremely addictive combat system, a banging soundtrack and some really fun dialogue!!

[@Dee-yj1im]

I just downloaded Persona 5 , i love the anime theme and what not and honestly it has been a series i wished i could play since i was a teenager but never had the means to buy the console or the game. Now that i own a switch i tried it and honestly so much dialogue i dropped one hour in, i’ll get back to it eventually but not with being swarmed with work and what not. Is SMT5 less dialogue heavy? I remember it having an online game years ago where you had to capture demons and fuse them which i really liked it but i remember it being action not turn based. Id like to try SMT5 but im worried about long winded dialogues and long battle sequences.

[@CamDaGR8X]

@@Dee-yj1im While it does have dialogue, I think it’s less so than Persona 5. I love SMTV, you should try it out if you can.

[@Dee-yj1im]

@@CamDaGR8X i just started playing it yesterday and i am loving it! I love the atmosphere and fact it doesn’t swarm you with text and cut scenes, but it really is so grindy and im wondering if i should keep playing.

[@CamDaGR8X]

@@Dee-yj1im If you really need it, there’s DLC to help with EXP and other grinding by increasing the rare Mitama enemies.

[@Dee-yj1im]

@@CamDaGR8X thanks! I have the dlc , honestly its just that with work barely have spare time so don’t want to spend unnecessary time wasted on grinding exp.

[@corey2232]

If you grew up with Nintendo around the N64-GC era, it feels so good to see a Nintendo console finally be an RPG powerhouse again!

[@dukemon6163]

Nintendo Handhelds have always been RPG powerhouses though. N64 and Gamecube might have lacked back then but GBC, GBA, DS and 3DS got tons of RPGs.

[@zigazav1]

The Switch is also an indie game platform, so many Indie games gets released on Switch, in addition to big developers/publishers' games

[@corey2232]

@dukemon6163 I should've specified home console, as big RPGs skipped Nintendo's contemporary current gen platforms. N64, GC, Wii, Wii U, all were extremely limited in RPGs. The SNES era was the best we got. Handheld gaming played 2nd fiddle. The GBA getting Final Fanasty ports wasn't quite as impactful as the PS2 getting Final Fantasy 10-12

[@nelson-haha89]

Honestly you could probably double the length of the list and still have all really good games on there. Triangle strategy was my favorite new IP for sure.

[@Raynoldlibrian]

Bravely Dafault II is the only reason I want to have a nintento switch

[@Joeynator3000]

Stories 2's battle system is actually not luck/rng, all of the enemy monsters have an attack pattern. It was the first game that was more random with the battles and only some monsters had patterns.

[@Jeff-tt7wj]

What a great list! This put some games on my radar like Star Ocean second story R and 13 sentinels! Great to see SMT make it so high. That was such a memorable game for me….such an unsettling and dark world that I’ve never experienced before in an Rpg. Hard to argue against DQ11 being number one. It’s the classic jrpg distilled to its absolute purest.Only thing keeping the switch from being the perfect rpg console for me is the lack of Skies of Arcadia. Cmon Sega! We’ve waited years!

[@EbolaGW]

Low-key Pong Quest is an interesting reimagination of the classic Pong game as an RPG. Really recommend!

[@darkshadow3015]

You should really check out the Trails Franchise if you already like RPG that much. They are fantastic games with a rich and very lively World and fascinating characters and Story.

[@drakenstoc4885]

@LucasThePhantomThief Your friend is a smart person. You should listen to them. They know what they are talking about. ;)

[@darkshadow3015]

its a big franchise, but if you want to have a taste testing, I would definitely recommend getting Trails in the Sky First Chapter and Second Chapter on Steam during sales. They get pretty cheap during that time and its definitely worth the price. If you from there think, you like the games, then go for it. I wish the first 3 game would come to switch to but the Sky Trilogy is for some reason on Steam locked. Anyway if your willing to try yourself on this Franchise then, I wish you fun on your journey.@LucasThePhantomThief

[@Beny763]

@LucasThePhantomThief Your friend has great taste! Although it´s for sure a commitment, and a bit daunting to get into a series with 10+ games that all contribute to an overarching narrative but it´s so worth it.

[@drakenstoc4885]

@@Beny763 It isn't daunting at all if you think about it like this: A new player can play one of the games, and if they like it, they can play another one. And if they didn't like it, then they can just say it isn't for them and stop. Or if they did like it, but don't really see the point in playing any more... then that is fine too. There is no need to commit to the entire series just because there is an entire series to play. =P

[@ZiggyPalffyLA]

Ring Fit Adventure is an inspired choice. My GOTY for 2019 and it put me on the fitness journey I’ve continued to this day. So glad to see you rank it so highly!

[@heavydonkeykong5190]

I'm thankful that I can consume this content to kick off the Holidays. Happy Thanksgiving GvG!!

[@MrSir]

Ah yes, 21 games I want to play but dont have the time to!

[@projectmayhem6898]

Bro, you have the perfect voice for narration, keep up the great work!

[@riversart2030]

Pretty wild list if I'm being honest but I definitely agree with the number one choice. Dragon Quest XI is amazing and doesn't really get the recognition it deserves as one of the greatest RPGs of all time.

[@AlterBridgeJericho]

Great list, I've put way too many hours into FE Three Houses/Engage, all the Xenoblades and Dragon Quest XI

[@michaelmacorso4479]

​@LucasThePhantomThief if I didn't hit the level cap in xenoblade 3 I would of put in over 300 hours The side quest and hero missions were brilliant I wanted to do all of them.

[@LadyLunaNini88]

It's a total crime the OT2 didn't even get ONE nomination for the Game Awards, but I don't care. OT2 is MY GOTY in 2023, cause it's the game that honestly felt like the perfect RPG game for me. Music is great, story felt fine, characters are some of my favorites... period.

[@KorenLesthe]

Star Ocean 2 is there ! YES ! I know if Terranigma was ported to the Switch, it would've been in this list ^^

[@stupidvideogameclips]

Jon is so passionate that I don't care he probably only played these all halfway.

[@QuestionThings123]

This is an absolute banger of a list you put together. Reminded me of multiple games I need to get physical copies of as well as a lot of these that I already have on my backlog I need to pick back up. Appreciate the work put into the vid

[@mutantmangoman]

So glad to see SMTV in your top 10! It’s my favorite rpg ever. The gameplay is the main draw but I think the story/atmosphere/themes are really strong too

[@hugbuzzard]

Chained Echoes should be on the top 5 for sure. One of the best RPGs I’ve played in 20 years.

[@josephleiber9879]

Good job Jon! Couldn’t have ranked it better my selves. Woohoo!

[@barbwatchesyt4084]

Harvestella was such a satisfying rpg. I didn’t expect it, having played the demo, which was okay, but the the game was awesome

[@MexicanSunnyD]

You should definitely try The Legend of Heroes Trails from Zero/ Azure. They're my favorite RPGs on switch in terms of character development and story. The combats also pretty engaging since you have to worry about position and turn order. The spells pretty much work like materia from Final Fantasy 7.

[@Mintcar923]

Trails series is to RPGs what Jesus is to religion and not everyone realizes they even exist.. They basically have soap opera elements in that they are interlinked and you always wanna see what happens with the next installment

[@MexicanSunnyD]

@@Mintcar923 when we finally get to the final game and the big boss at the end is about to kill us and we hear " not so fast!" as 80 characters slowly run in to our aid.

[@Mintcar923]

@@MexicanSunnyD 👍

[@Terranigma23]

​@@Mintcar923I'm a big Trails fan, but I can understand how it's so intimidating to start this game series. Especially now because there is a LOT of them. Also the fandom is sadly quite toxic.

[@Mintcar923]

@@Terranigma23 Well it seems more like a cult following.. Not everyone knows about the series but the ones that do are usually very passionate.. Almost like Disgaea in a way.. It was recommended to me being a Suikoden fan actually.. I started with Cold Steel 1.. Although some disagree I think it’s entirely possible to start where I did and follow what’s going on for the most part

[@jasonulloa]

Good job, Jon! Couldn't have ranked it better myself. And I definitely typed this comment out rather that copying and pasting it from one of the many other comments saying the same thing. Jokes aside, I really do agree with most of the entries on this list, owning many of them myself. I just wish I had more time to play all of them!

[@8-BitFryup-ru7pk]

Your channel makes me smile, thank you!

[@sleepytwiggaming]

Happy to see xenoblade 2 getting the love it deserves! It’s my favorite one in the series and I loved the gatcha mechanics

[@NoonDragoon]

I’d swap your #1 and #2 entries, but I’m also biased since XC2 is my favorite game of all time. This is a very good list, RPG fans have been eating well during the Switch lifespan!

[@NoonDragoon]

@LucasThePhantomThief that’s totally fair, XC2 has it share of problems that I acknowledge. XC3 was close to surpassing it to become my favorite too but I found the story and characters to not be as impactful as 2 was, imo.

[@TaliesinMyrddin]

Finally finished replaying Torna yesterday, streaming for a friend who hasn't seen it before. Still teared me up, and got my friend, too

[@TaliesinMyrddin]

@LucasThePhantomThief Jin: *Walking away from Azurda to become his base-game self* Singer: "Promise me that you'll walk again Won't you show me that smile? And I know, you will find that someone Who will help you move on Since that day you came and took my hand Our story began So don't be scared to reach out for someone I know you will be fine, just go on" Me, every damn time: *Becomes a crying nopon*

[@ZenigameDirect]

Dragon Quest 11S getting the placement it deserves, you love to see it!

[@cjt217]

Good job, Jon! I couldn't have ranked it better myself .

[@CatKingCole82]

As a voice actor with a James Earl Jones deep voice myself, may I say, sir...your voice is Divine

[@mageius]

Octopath 2 is still on my list to pick up and play. Good games that I've had to pick and choose also love the fact that he used Star Ocean the Second Story R music in the video. I honestly keep telling people to play that game because it's so good.

[@melonious]

do you know what the first song is?

[@mageius]

@melonious Sadly I was skipping through the video so didn't notice it.

[@haelsoprofeten]

Solid list - Switch has such a vast amount of stellar RPGs Many of these would be on my list to - but I like to highlight a few that's not mentioned here: Triangle Strategy Chained Echoes

[@danwilliams4825]

Jon.😮 So excited I loved your stuff on the other channel you were on I know u had left but I didn't realize you had a new channel. Definitely following.

[@laveragegamer6000]

DS 🤝 Switch Long lasting systems with some of the best RPGs

[@guguig9746]

Good job Jon, couldn't have ranked them better myself

[@deathofcows]

Very happy to see Ring Fit's inclusion! What a gorgeous, glorious thing

[@captainmario_]

Surprised Triangle Strategy is not here

[@devenandplants7253]

I'm SOOOO happy anyone mentioned monster hunter stories 😭 They are so so good.

[@Trenell83]

That Bravely Default 2 field music in the beginning is lovely.

[@danielgervasi9567]

Happy Thanksgiving GVG! Thanks for the surprise of a video today 😊 Jon is a legend.

[@bluesphere7]

Dragon Quest XI S and P5R are two of the best RPGs of the generation

[@matlotl]

ZEN-oblade, not ZEE-noblade, Jon. You're renouncing the britishness of the series

[@diabeticman2194]

I've never been huge into RPGs, but I've slowly started to get into them over the past year. Persona 5 Royal is my favourite of the bunch, even though I got the vanilla ending and didn't see the Royal content it was such a good experience. FE Engage (controversial, but I love the gameplay and the goofy story), Live A Live and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle (if it counts) are also great experiences, looking forward to Super Mario RPG remake! I'm hoping one day to try out FF7, Dragon Quest 11S and the Xenoblade series, but don't know when that will be

[@intrepid1160]

Blue Reflection: Second Light is a great rpg for anyone who likes slice-of-life anime. It has a save-the-world plot in the background, but it really focuses more on the struggles of the characters. It’s balanced with a lot of lighthearted moments too and it has a great soundtrack.

[@09alltimelow]

I can’t believe someone mentioned this gem! I can’t agree more. Gusts Atelier games are good too.

[@maroXUprising]

Something that I like about Gust and their games is the OST for some of their releases. Blue Reflection series & The Nights of Azure series of games have some of my favorite OST’s of all time, of course can’t ignore the Atelier series and it’s wonderful OST as well. Still wish KT would port over the 1st entry to both BR & NoA series on switch to experience them on the go but oh well

[@intrepid1160]

@@09alltimelowI like Atelier too but the crafting stresses me out sometimes because I don’t always know what I’m doing, lol. I appreciate that BR:SL had a simpler version of it.

[@intrepid1160]

@@maroXUprisingYeah, Hayato Asano is the composer for BR and he’s a genius, some of the best music I’ve ever heard, still listen to it all the time years later. And yeah, I would love ports for BR1 and KoA, especially the latter as I missed out on it and secondhand copies are expensive now.

[@maroXUprising]

@intrepid1160 Same here. Every so often I tend to retread some of the OST for BR, along with other JRPG’s like Caligula Effect:overdose, Monark, Crystar & very recently Crymachina. I’d definitely pick up BR 1 & NoA 1 in a heartbeat if they were brought to switch. Oh yeah, it’s hard to find a new copy of NoA bride of the new moon without it being super expensive…I hate how secondhand sellers for switch versions of these types of games are insane sometimes. The downside with the switch version of NoA2 is the framerate, it’s the least optimized version which is all the more reason why it would be awesome if KT would do like a NoA collection like how they’ve been doing for most of the Atelier re-releases lately. I definitely still enjoyed my experience with the game even with the technical problems, plus…the character designs for NoA2 is just perfection…shame we’ll never get to see a new entry…especially considering modern day, censorship would definitely happen…ah well, I am glad that Gust gave us BR second light, such a Fantastic sequel well deserving of more people to experience it.

[@PhotonSieve]

Great list of games, and as expected, no Trails game (Zero/Azure/Reverie etc would easily make this list). I will never stop hoping for more people to give that series a shot. But no. 1 is objectively correct, Jon always with the great tastes.

[@craftywoody8752]

Did any one else double take on Ring Fit but then realised Jon is absolutely right with that one. Shout out to Dicey Dungeons.

[@s-wo8781]

I always wanted to play Golf Story when that came out. It a shame no one talks about it anymore.

[@1Mirimi]

The game is good, but there's is alkt of indie game that good too

[@Queenofthesevenseas]

What an amazing video thanks for this ❤ so many great games. Harvestella being one of my favorite games in my collection, was so totally worth the price of admission for me as I was very pleasantly surprised by it. Happy to see Xenoblade so high on the list, it’s one of my fave series next to the Trails series of games❤ Never had the opportunity to play the original mana game so the remake of trails of mana was a very nice experience. Never played a shin megami game before, so 5 on the switch was my first experience and I absolutely loved it. Will definitely be checking out Valkyrie chronicles 4 and Octopath traveler 2 based on your suggestions, as well as a few other games like super Mario RPG Could never really get into dragon quest 11 despite multiple attempts and many hours of gameplay. Not really sure what I don’t like about it🤔 like Zelda I just found the game to be boring honestly. And having a silent MC did not help ether.

[@forsakenchao]

Good job John! I couldn't have ranked it better myself! :)

[@mattburkey8393]

Harvestella was a banger. Just finished P5 Royal this week and loved it to death.

[@LotoTheHero]

I think Skyrim should have been on the list. First place I ever played it was on the Switch, and it's a great experience. Only game that really stands out as odd to me is Ring fit adventure, but to be fair, I haven't played it either.

[@Fatgucci1017]

Subbed 👍🏽 Deepest voice / looks mismatch i’ve ever seen 😂 great video

[@thomasdavis8722]

Noooooo youve lengthened my backlog curse yoouuuu

[@VanMichael21]

Wow I honestly didn't think my favorite game on the switch would be #1 on the list! Yep DQ11 rocks baby!!

[@BigCalsWorld]

Not a single Legend of Heroes trails game. FOR SHAME. At least your #1 was correct😁

[@trik6727]

Your video here is one of the best top RPG videos I've ever watched. Thank you

[@SmoothRiker]

Solid list that can't be argued with, but I would also squeeze Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana in there. One of the best RPGs I've ever played.

[@LowlySlime]

DQ11 is what made me really fall in love with turn-based rpgs, because as a teen I for some reason had this idea that I just didn't like them despite never really trying to like them besides pokemon

[@jaretco6423]

DQ11 is an fantastic starting point to those who never played the series or RPG games in general. It's simple, easy to understand and not as overbearing, overcomplicated and not too much dramatize; yet still delivers fair challenge, interesting worlds and the story telling is balanced between lighthearted & serious tones. So it's great you started there and see the kinds that makes the series or any RPG games that takes inspiration from so unique.

[@Beny763]

I´m surprised none of the Trails games managed to make the cut, although I guess there are a few points against it, with Sky being stuck on PC and Cold Steel only being on Switch for it´s 2nd half. But the worldbuilding and story of this franchise is so incredibly engaging.

[@BlueGrovyle]

The fan favorite Azure is on Switch though, yeah? That should be enough, though the series has been attracting plenty of new eyes over the last few years so I can't complain.

[@theguy261]

Its a shame that the any of the trails games that came out on switch arent here. I understand the barrier to entry can be hard. Having watching a video explaining the story in depth of the sky trilogy because its only on pc really. Its so worth the time probably on the ranks with xenoblade and dragon quest to me

[@caar6611]

Solid list! The only thing I was missing was any type of Falcom rep. Ys is such a classic series, and Ys VIII is amazing and perfect for the Switch. And I know the Trails series is daunting but once you're in it they have some of the highest highs you can find in games story-telling. Trails to Azure was my favorite game of the year. One of the GVG crew should really take the plunge into the Trails series at some point. I'd love to see your opinions on it! (And you could always get a taste of it with Nayuta: Bounless Trails, that one is stand-alone).

[@positronixartandlife4545]

Another TWEWY fan here thanking you for highlighting NEO on this list. There is (or at least was) a demo available which covered the first three days but even then, if you loved the original *please* look into the sequel. The original got a remake and some extra content on Switch but I cannot honestly recommend that unless you buy a stylus and play in handheld mode as the motion controls are terrible to play with Also glad that the Xenoblade games were merged into one position; I had guessed they would be but it's nice to verify, though I disagree on the "best combat" being in 3 :D 2, and specifically, Torna (because in 2 you need to follow specific elemental paths to get orbs, while Torna just lets you fling any element at the enemy and get an orb) has that *rush* when you get a bunch of elemental orbs set up, do a combo attack, and watch those elemental orbs burst and the damage goes higher and higher and higher and higher...

[@michaelmacorso4479]

We need more people to come out to support neo. Man that game was beautiful, the story, music, combat and fan service .

[@michaelmacorso4479]

How is mario rabbits not on this list. Very under rated games that deserves more recognition

[@jaretco6423]

Some people don't think it's an RPG game. They technically are. But some don't think it is.

[@michaelmacorso4479]

@jaretco6423 it much is. You level up, upgrades. If they consider dark souls, 13 sentinels as rpgs then mario rabbits should be considered one. The only thing I could of is that they didn't include any western rpgs because mario rabbids was made by ubisoft.

[@jaretco6423]

@@michaelmacorso4479 Hm. Good point.

[@wilk1026]

Good job John! I couldn't have ranked it better myself 👍

[@Some_Random_Guy]

You're sleeping on one of the best RPG series by not mentioning Falcom's flagship RPG series

[@thohillesland]

Then the question is, which one are you talking about?

[@drakenstoc4885]

@@thohillesland I'm assuming it is Trails (the avatar with Estelle/Joshua suggests as much), although technically both Trails and Ys qualify as Falcom's flagship RPG series at this point.

[@SuperPaperPokemon]

Wahoo! (Throws Jon over my shoulder)

[@NexusNine]

Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom are both indeed RPGs. I agree that the Zelda series as a whole isn't an RPG, but there is no denying that BotW and TotK most certainly are. While they don't boast a traditional leveling system, both games do indeed have a stat progression system running in the background. And armor and weapon upgrades, as well as the heart and stamina containers, do play out similar to level boosting.

[@abstr4cted496]

Well in that case the GTA games are rpg's too.

[@postlex]

Enjoyed this video very much: vibe, argumentation, expertise. Thanks!