7 More Expensive JRPGs That Are Worth the Cost

[@simplykaleb4165]

Seeing Koudelka and Shadow Hearts get recognition makes me so happy, I sometimes feel like I'm the only person who knows they exist.

[@Chelaxim]

Yup a series with 4 entries,characters who showed up in the crossover game Chaos Wars and a successful kickstarter for a spiritual successor and you're the only person who knows they exist.

[@simplykaleb4165]

So true bestie

[@JustTheGems]

I slept on them for far too long, but they're fantastic!

[@moonknight1985]

Thank You for emulation because Some of these games never came out in Ireland

[@JustTheGems]

Yeah, play them however you can!

[@8bit_jake]

Cool list! Your humor is awesome, love your videos and always excited when one drops. Thank you!

[@JustTheGems]

Thank you so much!!

[@udsmusic_official]

My first JRPG was Chrono Trigger. I borrowed a copy from my cousin and ever since I played and finished it, I fell in love with it's story and gameplay. I'm currently replaying it on steam along side Octopath Traveler 1. I'll be playing these retro-rpg and hd-2d games more 😊

[@JustTheGems]

Chrono Trigger ♥️ Also, Octopath is fantastic!

[@ahoha.]

You know, I love how you often mention the soundtrack in the games that you recommend. To me, just to exemplify, the music in Trails in the Sky is one of the BIG reasons why it's my favorite arc in the series. Would love to see you listing your most cherished soundtracks in jrpgs. I know its kind of a generic topic, but hey... Anyway, loved the video!

[@JustTheGems]

Thank you! Yeah, maybe you're right, I probably should do a favorite soundtrack video...

[@stonerdemon]

The Raidoku Kuzunoha RPGs (from Shin Megami Tensei's Devil Summoner subseries) are also really good and very expensive in CIB condition. On the other hand, it's surprising that some excellent games are still affordable, like Dragon Quest VIII.

[@MiamiSunrise]

Good shout on those games, they are rarely referenced.

[@ophidianmind333]

As I am building a new PS2 collection after having parted with my previous one years ago, those games are sort of grails for me because they are great and I'd really like to own them again, but it is going to take a lot of saving to be able to afford them. Raidou is an awesome character and I wish Atlus would release remasters of those games as well as the Digital Devil Saga games for modern consoles and PC.

[@stonerdemon]

@@ophidianmind333 Excellent idea. They should release a "Raidoku Collection". The first Soul Hackers plot has some connections with that character. I think it's part of an after story included on the 3DS version. I finished the main game but not that part, though.

[@JustTheGems]

Oh yeah, I have the first Kuzunoha game, but I haven't played it yet

[@bigslim7777]

Hilarious too, since Atlus had re-released DS1 and 2 sometime in 2014 or something. Had brand new $30 copies on their website. They did the same thing with Rhapsody and Persona 2 in 07 or 08, $20 @ gamestop. Wish they'd do a persona collection or smt collection and destroy this overpriced bullshit market.

[@bballwalli]

Very good list. I would add one of my favorite JRPGs of all time to this in Suikoden II. It’s a must play in my opinion. Glad to see the series will live on in spirit with Eiyuden Chronicles.

[@JustTheGems]

Yes, definitely! I wish I'd kept my Suikoden 2 from all those years ago

[@bigslim7777]

Getting a re-release with 1 and 2 on everything in like Jan. So S2 prices are gonna plummet.

[@PindleofKujata]

I lucked out and bought all of these either new or before the used market got stupid. The only one I don't own is Koudelka, which still bothers me slightly. Dragon Quest 5 is a holy grail.

[@MiamiSunrise]

Same and Koudelka much like Vanguard Bandits on PS1 have eluded me for years and are now horribly spendy. Can we hope for a remastered Shadow Hearts collection with Koudelka? I think we should haha even if its not likely.

[@JustTheGems]

I was so glad to have found Koudelka for a reasonable price (still up there, but not where it's at now).

[@Ngamergal]

Phantasy Star IV is part SEGA Genesis Classics collection which you can get for $30, Chrono Trigger can be purchased in Final Fantasy Chronicles: Chrono Trigger/Final Fantasy IV for $30 as well on PS Great video on some classics.

[@JustTheGems]

Great point, some of these games have alternate routes to ownership which is fantastic!

[@jarredcombs7603]

$352 for a grocery bill for a family of 4???? Where the heck are they shopping???? Mines double that at least.

[@JustTheGems]

Lol yeah, watching that back I definitely realized I underestimated that...😅

[@millasgameroom]

Also worth noting that the Japanese DS version of Chrono Trigger is much cheaper than the SNES cartridge and contains English text. Fingers crossed the other Xeno games all get remasters at some point.

[@JustTheGems]

Yeah, I know folks that went that route for CT and I think it makes a lot of sense to do so

[@vegeta9thousand]

I picked up the Shadow Hearts trilogy this year, like any game I buy I have to make sure they run at least so I play up until I can save. From just the intros alone I can say I'm really looking forward to this series. Good list once again 👍

[@JustTheGems]

Thanks! Yeah, I can vouch for Koudelka and the first two Shadow Hearts, but I haven't played the third yet.

[@vegeta9thousand]

@@JustTheGems Koudelka seems interesting but it's at that price point where I have to be put on a payment plan for, especially since the only way to play it, like you said in this video, is to buy it (lol).

[@MiamiSunrise]

Every one of these games is special and demands someones attention who is interested in collecting the original bangers that came out years ago. This could be a very long series of videos just based on how many amazing games have lost the ability to practice price control lol! Lots to like here in this video, thanks for doing another one of these 🙂

[@JustTheGems]

Oh yes, the list is VERY long......you could almost dedicate a whole channel to this topic.

[@bilditup1]

Trails in the Sky FC, SC, and the 3rd on Vita are nice and still affordable used depending on where you get them from and have an English patch available. I got an ok deal from solarisjapan, I thought

[@cesardavis8700]

I'm surprised you gave no mention to Sega Saturn's Panzer Dragoon Saga. It contains the usual jrpg tropes, plus the innovative ability to explore areas at different times(night/day). It's a true grail that any collector would be proud to own.

[@JustTheGems]

You're 100% right, but I wanted to only do games that I owned myself (still haven't secured my PDS yet)

[@bilditup1]

Just checked and the US version at least is an order of magnitude more expensive than anything on this list, or that I’ve ever seen for anything that didn’t have an official 3rd party ‘condition’ rating, at $1200+ CIB. Japanese copies are much cheaper ($50-60) but of course you’d need a Japanese console (and to uh, know Japanese). One option I guess could be to get the JP version purely for collection’s sake and then emulate or use a Fenrir ODE. Anyway, kudos if you were able to get this earlier than whenever that insane price spike happened lol

[@Rose_J]

I have some of these in my collection. Chrono Trigger and the 3 DQ games. I’m not surprised that DQ 5 is the most expensive. It was an exceptional game.

[@JustTheGems]

Yeah, it's definitely been my favorite of the classic DQs.

[@MrRPGcrazy]

I am gonna explain a big misconception about the Xenosaga series. The original vision was to tell 3 big story arcs within the same universe, 2 games per story arc. What we got in the end is just the first story arc. So episode 3 nowhere near as rushed people say it is because they dont have a great understanding of the story of this series in the first place. After Episode 1 Takahashi tried to convince Namco to increase the number of games from 6 to 9. To tell each story arc in 3 games, but he got denied. Because of that they decided to only focus on the first story arc and planned to make 5 games. But in the end only 3 games were made, and a drama cd and a mobile game were developed to cover the 2 biggest story gaps that the trilogy did not cover in great detail. I love these games so I have made alot of research on these games since I played them(When they came out).

[@JustTheGems]

That's really interesting to hear. Even still, we missed out on so much that the Japanese audience got to fill in some of the gaps. I hope they get a chance to re-envision the whole story soon.

[@therealjaystone2344]

Maybe one day we’ll have a remake of the series

[@saesang352]

I remember marathoning Xenosaga 3 in my dorm and skipping my classes for 3 days straight. Good times.

[@JustTheGems]

Yeah, Xenosaga also hit during my college years (Eps 2&3 at least) so I definitely spent more time on them than my grades suggested I should...😅

[@ophidianmind333]

I still need to play the DS Dragon Quest games, but I can also vouch for the rest of these being worth the price. They're all classics that give a unique experience that will stand out in your memory after having played them. Getting a cart-only copy of Phantasy Star IV might be the best way to go because there are people selling clamshell cases with the cover art in them and that is better than the official cardboard release. You can also get it with the Japanese cover art, which is much better than the Western versions. Phantasy Star IV is an amazing game and it blew my mind with how great it was when I first played it back in 1995. It is in a tie with Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne as my absolute favorite game of all time and every time I replay it I get to experience the joy of it being every bit as great as I remember it being.

[@JustTheGems]

Oh true, I actually bought a clamshell case for Shining Force 2, I should look into that for PS4 as well.

[@insaneasock3156]

Own all these gems and all are worth every penny.

[@JustTheGems]

Agreed!!

[@Eagleknight815]

DQ Collection. It's pretty much my grails of my DS collection.

[@CorinianSalame]

Picked up shadow hearts for $60 a few weeks ago. Still some of the most I’ve spent on a retro game (got most of my JRPGs before the boom) but glad to have it! Now here’s to hoping I can find Koudelka and Covenant for a reasonable price

[@JustTheGems]

Nice!! Koudelka might be a long shot, but I feel like I see Covenant around for a not-insane price, and that one is DEFINITELY worth playing, it's so good.

[@MrTimelord77]

Actually if you by the Genesis Collection discs, you can have the entire Phantasy Star series for next to nothing. It only cost me $3 for PS3.

[@JustTheGems]

Yeah, I have them for PS4 and it's great to have that convenience. But you know me, I gotta have that Genesis case...😂

[@MrTimelord77]

Understandable. Something about having all original parts is to be proud of in a very digital age. @@JustTheGems

[@Lynrowen]

Sir is that a Moebius painting in the background? My brain knows that painting, it's just not braining 100%. Great list as always. It'd be interesting to see some low budget titles to acquire as well!

[@JustTheGems]

The one over my right shoulder? (Left side of the screen?) That's a wool recreation of the Japanese cover of the game Ico. My wife made it for me for Christmas one year 😊

[@Lynrowen]

@@JustTheGems very cool, you've got a fan.

[@vagabond4576]

Nei was the sad ending shocker before Aerith in Phantasy Star 2. That was devestating. Phantasy Star 4 was my all time favorite. Also Vagrant Story. That was also an epic game that needs to either port to Switch in a remaster or a Remake.

[@JustTheGems]

Oh right, I need to put Vagrant Story on the list for the next video...

[@chickenfillets]

Some mighty expensive games here!!!

[@JustTheGems]

🤑🤑🤑🤑

[@florentinsaint-yves8256]

I discovered Xenogears not that much time ago (2 years ago). I played it on an emulator, and when I finished it, I went on the internet to buy a physical copy, because there was no way I wouldn't own a copy of such a masterpiece. And now I'm collecting video games, so I guess...Thank you emulation for making me spend more money than I should ? 😂😂

[@JustTheGems]

Haha right? Once you get the itch to start grabbing these games, it's hard to say no

[@rodrigobvlima]

Great video as away. Hopefully it will get more people talking about the classic phantasy star series and convincing Sega to bringing it back 😊

[@JustTheGems]

Thanks! Here's hoping!

[@OwtDaftUK]

I luckily own all of these if you include the rereleases Sega collections that has Phantasy Star 4 on and the PS1 version of Chrono Trigger.

[@JustTheGems]

I love the anime scenes in the PS1 Chrono Trigger, it's worth having for those alone.

[@rensro2138]

Great list of those games Chrono Trigger and Phantasy Star 4 have pc ports for a decent price

[@JustTheGems]

Yeah, and the PC port of Chrono Trigger has all the DS additions from what I understand, so it's a GREAT value

[@femtrooper]

Great video and lots of good stuff here! The one I want to play most is Phantasy Star IV actually! It looks completely like my thing!!! Maybe I'll make it a priority for 2024!

[@JustTheGems]

Thanks Paige! I'm planning to do a full Phantasy Star series playthrough sometime soon!

[@1jidion]

im playing through xenogears now, just finished rescuing margie from aveh

[@JustTheGems]

Oh nice! Have you ever played it before? I honestly wish I could play it for the first time again, it was just such a wonderful experience for me.

[@1jidion]

@@JustTheGems oh yea, it’s been 25 years lol, played it way back on launch, just made it to d block in kislev

[@GentlemenofAction]

Should probably have just done a Shadow Hearts series and included SH2

[@JustTheGems]

SH2 is definitely worth getting, but fortunately it's MUCH cheaper.

[@TheRosswise]

Dragon Quest games in general, all the way back to the first 4 on NES.

[@JustTheGems]

Yeah, I wish I had DQ2-4 on NES, I only have the first (because it's by far the cheapest)

[@bohdaniatsenko8428]

I never had a DS, but now the only reasons I have to get one is to experience the best versions of Chrono Trigger and DQ 4-6 😭

[@JustTheGems]

Honestly? It's worth it for those alone.

[@MJ-oi6ul]

Do you think they will ever remake these games? Shadow Hearts looks cool surprised I never heard of it before!

[@JustTheGems]

I hope so. And if you haven't played Shadow Hearts, you've gotta check it out!

[@RaineyDaysStudio]

Love this, insane list! Have you watched Majuulars review of xenogears?? It’s a good romp!

[@JustTheGems]

Oh not yet, but thanks for putting it on my radar

[@mavtato6898]

You can get chrono trigger as part of the ff anthology disk thats how i got it and you get 2 great games in one

[@JustTheGems]

Yeah, it's a great deal.

[@Mampersand]

Fun fact: Shadow Hearts was included as a free preorder bonus when you bought Shadow Hearts: Covenant at Best Buy. Still have my copy. As much I love the Shadow Hearts series… I don’t think Koudelka is a must play, and I don’t think it’s worth its asking price. I generally consider it a pretty mediocre title, especially on a system filled with amazing experiences.

[@JustTheGems]

I just find Koudelka so interesting. What a crazy experiment! But yeah, you can make an argument that if you're not in the market for that sort of thing, it wouldn't be worth it.

[@Mampersand]

@@JustTheGems interesting for sure, but not $200+ interesting. I think I paid $20 for it around 2000/2001, and that still feels like a reasonable price to me 😂

[@jkemp6791]

Do u even emulate bro??? Just kidding. People are reactionary and dumb. Your lists are awesome and the games are unquestionably great. Thanks for another great video!

[@JustTheGems]

I appreciate that so much! Thanks!

[@cyberangel9967]

Makes me happy that i bought most of these years back before they got popular 😅

[@JustTheGems]

That's the way to do it!!

[@robertusmaximus42]

I once saw a copy of Xenogears go for $500, and Xenosaga ep 3 alone go for $300+. Obviously over priced but man my wife still had to stop me from blowing our mortgage payment for that month on those games.

[@JustTheGems]

It's a struggle!!

[@therealjaystone2344]

At least there’s a chance for a Xenogears remake and it’ll be an HD2D

[@omegaman182]

I never take them out that box, in fact I put them in More boxes for displays. Then emulate them on a moded 3ds or ps3, cus your right native hardware does feel better. And both those consoles are now no longer in service so it more about game presavation than piracy. 😂

[@JustTheGems]

Yeah, if Nintendo isn't going to preserve the legacy, someone has to.

[@omegaman182]

@@JustTheGems someone from the digital content preservation community once told me that when the 3ds eshop went down nearly 80% of the content disappeared into the ether, and that the wii was much worse. Not sure how accurate that is or if people have reclaim alot of that lost media/abandon ware, but its still really sad.

[@RaineyDaysStudio]

Also, the internet severely lacks phantasy star IV content. I suppose it’s just too old

[@JustTheGems]

Yeah, I wonder if it's just because Sega RPGs were more niche...? I don't know, but it's a full-on AAA JRPG experience on par with the best of the SNES, so it deserves more attention.

[@chronocrosser]

Hang on, you're actually PLAYING games, rather than simply collecting them for no reason? How absurd.

[@JustTheGems]

I know, I've been ostracized from the collecting community!!💀lol

[@grlff]

why you can not own physical copy, and play it on emulator?

[@JustTheGems]

You can!

[@rickvasquez3709]

Oh man when is Suikoden 2 gonna make the list! Thwt shouldve been on the first list!

[@JustTheGems]

You're 100% right, it's well deserving. I was starting out with games that I currently own, and unfortunately I got rid of Suikoden 2 years and years ago (much to my regret). But once I start branching into games I USED to own, that one will be there for sure.

[@rickvasquez3709]

​@@JustTheGemsbetter get it fast. The price is only going up!

[@bocanegrageorge]

I hope xenosaga gets a remake. Recently I found the holy grail. Xenosaga iii lenticular cover sealed. Only cost me $260😍😍🤣🤣🤣

[@JustTheGems]

OHHH nice, I wish I had the lenticular vresion!

[@aliceaiken3162]

How do you play Xenogears. The PS1 and the PS2 are obsolete.

[@JustTheGems]

I believe you can at the very least download it via PSN on the PS3, if you have one of those. If the Vita store is still open (I think it is...?) then you should be able to get it there, too.

[@omegaman182]

Xenogears didn't come out in Europe, and now I'm older and have access to it I'm honestly afraid to play it. Its so overhyped and since I'm older I worry its themes will fall in to "I'm 14 and this is deep" territory.. May I should just leave unplayed up one the pedestal I placed it on 😂

[@JustTheGems]

Sure, I imagine there is some level of "this is so DEEP" that hit me as a kid, but to be honest, I never fully understood the story as a teenager -- it wasn't until I was an adult and replayed it the third or fourth time that I really felt like I understood it. But it was engaging enough even before then that I was happy to replay it.

[@omegaman182]

@@JustTheGems eventually ill get round to it I'm sure because I'm on a bit of a retro rpg kick at the moment, just played ys1&2, trails of the sky and soul blazer great fun 👍 There are a more than a few games in my back log that I'm worried to play as they super beloved and I'm in the safe limbo of im so excited to play them put dont because I don want to be disappointed. Fire emblem path of radiance, persona 4, grandia 2, majoras mask, symphony of the night ect the list goes on lol List idea for you "intimidating jrpgs series to get in to" Thanks for replying by the way

[@flippingtheswitch]

Phantasy Star IV is phenomenal! One of the Genesis best! And Chrono is the legit GOAT!

[@JustTheGems]

I would LOVE more traditional Phantasy Star

[@theopatino2379]

Phantasy Star 4 is one of the best JRPGs ever made, 2nd only to Final Fantasy 6

[@JustTheGems]

It's incredible.