8 Great Retro Tactical RPGs You Might Not Have Heard Of

[@mbe102]

If you see this comment, do NOT sleep on Jeane D'Arc, its freaking tons of fun.

[@mrbransformer4184]

but its the only pillow i have!!

[@zeem2524]

Psp right? Nevermind 😂

[@7111mohamed]

I remember coming across this game in my old hobby store. Didn't pick it up, since it was on the PSP and did not have the console, but I have it on the list to eventually play one day

[@Vulpas]

Eh, it's okay but unbalanced.

[@hugbuzzard]

Game rules!

[@sawwormGIF]

Vanguard Bandits was one of my favourite game on the PS1, enjoyed the branching paths and endings that the game offered

[@MidnightBlackandVictoria]

The funny path was very short, but wow was it great. Puck hijacking the Ultragunner never gets old.

[@residentrump3271]

I was never able to get the good ending....😭😭😭

[@TheGameReaper948]

​@@residentrump3271kingdom or empire path?

[@residentrump3271]

@@TheGameReaper948 I can never get the ending in which the main character isn't forced to defeat his allies. I haven't given it a go in quite some time

[@SpikeCuervo]

@@residentrump3271 you have to take care of your team mates, check their mood before each battle. It is necesary for them to be happy for getting the good ending.

[@fossil-bit8439]

Great video as usual! One of the lesser talked about tactical RPGs that I liked was Vandal Hearts. I quite enjoyed it. Very simplistic and easy to play.

[@GamingBroductions]

Thank you! We’ve talked about the first Vandal Hearts game in a previous video before but not the second, they would be good for a future video like this

[@Vulpas]

Yu Yu Hakusho Tactics and Onimusha Tactics are both a bit simple but really fun, they serve as perfect entry points for the genre.

[@westonmeyer3110]

Onimusha Tactics especially

[@michaelp4122]

Came out only months before FFT Advance, so most people missed this. Isn't there a tactical Growlancer game for PSP? Langrisser 1&2 is also a great gem.

[@westonmeyer3110]

@@michaelp4122 Growlanser 1 and 4 are on the PSP

[@nightday2030]

Devil Survivor is a tactical RPG I did with the most grinding. Most of the time bidding and rising one specific demon for a Fusion because that freaking demon has a "Mana Surge" ability to increase mana capacity or finding one sepcific elemental resistance trait so the demon I fuse will no longer have any weaknesses.

[@VincentVanBro]

“The light is your guide” 🎶 Dammit I say this every time. The intro is perfect 🤌

[@dangox3370]

One that I think people should look into is Stella Glow for 3DS. It seems really basic at first but if you stick with it you'll find a lot of interesting gameplay mechanics. Plus the writing is really good. All of the characters are very charming plus they each have a special ending depending on your actions during the game.

[@TylerJBrown192]

Damn, it’s pretty wild as a JRPG fan and subscriber to this channel that I’ve never heard of any of these games whatsoever. It makes me feel excited, like I have an entirely undiscovered trove of art to parse through. Thanks for the recommendations!

[@GamingBroductions]

No problem, glad to hear you some new games to check out! Hope you enjoy them

[@michaelp4122]

Open your mind! But yea, enjoy, I thought all of these were common. Try Front Mission, Shining Force, and Langrisser series.

[@xxalucard66xx]

Another badass video! Nice to see Soul Nomad get some love, it's one of my favorites outside of Tactics and Disgaea. Good stuff. :D

[@GamingBroductions]

Thank you! Soul Nomad is a very slept on game for sure

[@DavisGSee]

I've always liked SRPGs, but I feel like I've only truly been able to appreciate them recently. I attempted Final Fantasy Tactics multiple times in my youth, but was only able to get through it this year. Now I know why it's so beloved! Vanguard Bandits is one I've played over and over from quite a young age, though. I'm always pleased to see someone mention it, as it truly is a hidden gem!

[@Vulpas]

Onimusha Tactics and Yu Yu Hakusho Tactics are good ones, easy to get into.

[@NucleaRaptor]

Vanguard Bandits was probably the first RPG I ever played. So many carefree childhood summers spent trying to figure out how to get anything other than the bad ending, lol. Unquestionably peak SOVL.

[@DeffoZappo]

Phantom Brave is one of my favorite games of all time. I wish it was more popular so we can get another one

[@Broseftoast]

I didn’t expect another video so soon after your recent star ocean one. Love the videos man great job

[@GamingBroductions]

Yeah we had a quicker turn around for this one so it was a busy week haha. Thanks man!

[@Broseftoast]

Hey bro, I just wanted to take a second today to see your most recent upload to wish you a Merry Christmas! or happy holidays or whatever lol. I know we're just random strangers on the internet, but you're one of my favorite channels dude. Your videos are super entaining plus really nostalgic for me lol. You also show me a lot of games I didn't realize I missed during my childhood (especially the PAL region ones *cries in terranigma*) I hope you can continue doing what you're doing as long as you keep enjoying it. Anyway man, wanted to send you nice wishes and good vibes since its christmas. Wish you all the best and success on your channel brother. @@GamingBroductions

[@GamingBroductions]

@@Broseftoast Hey dude, really appreciate the thoughtful message! Hope you had a Merry Christmas yourself and got to enjoy some quality time off! It always helps the motivation to read messages like this knowing that the content resonates with some people on that level. Thanks a bunch for watching and supporting the channel, we’re looking forward to a whole new year of videos and seeing what 2024 brings 💯

[@mcnalga]

Thank you for making this video as I just got into emulation and been wanting to play Tactical RPGs I missed out on when I was a kid.

[@johnwilson8543]

Glad to seen Vanguard Bandits getting some love. It truly is a hidden gem. I put it on my psp way back, and it was really suited to the on the go format.

[@ProducerX21]

I love me some Disgaea 1 and 2. Disgaea 4 is my favorite, but I don’t think I’d call it retro or a hidden gem. Thanks for content

[@krixousragnarr2458]

I still hate that you can get 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and 7 on Pc but my fav 3 is still stuck on PS3 and Vita.

[@GamingBroductions]

Yeah I want to talk about the Disgaea series another time for sure but they’re pretty popular so just wasn’t fitting for this type of list. Thanks for watching as always 👌

[@Sinistra359]

Tactical rpgs are my FAVORITE genre! Thanks for this video!

[@BlackShogun]

Arc the Lad: ToS always stood out as a non traditional trpg, which is likely why I played it. Surprisingly fun fr

[@GamingBroductions]

Explorable environments go a long way, I wish more tactical RPGs would incorporate it

[@TheGameReaper948]

Vangard bandits is one of my most favorite games ever. The scoring was full of bangers that always fully set the mood to every emotional setting for every scene. And then the joke intro on top of the absolute masterpiece that was the original opener and the third gameplay being a joke branch. It was amazing

[@clemvador]

I don't see it mentioned in the other comments, so Tear Ring Saga on PSX by the original creator of fire emblem is definitely one of these great tactical RPG usually not known outside of the old fire emblem fan base.

[@betterinsodapop]

I watch every single Gaming Broductions vid, as I love old RPGs and find the vids to be relaxing and informative. Used to watch these a lot during breaks from my super stressful job, years ago. I didn't know ANY of these games really, but my one takeaway from this one has been: MAGIC SON GOKU MAGIC SON GOKU MAGIC SON GOKU MA MA MA MA MAGIC SON GOKU!

[@ithydoodles]

I really loved the game at 21:40 YYH Tournament Tactics.

[@Krokador]

I have a PS1 copy of Vanguard Bandits. Found it in a video store in the clearance bin for 5$ back in the day. Played through it once. It was fun. There was a point in time the game was worth like 120$ on ebay, idk if it's still the case xD

[@benf1742]

I would put forward the following: Warsong Brigandine Master of Monsters Dark Wizard Vandal Hearts Military Madness

[@spokiee2000]

Here just to say how amazing vanguard bandits is... the multiple paths make the game feel fresh no matter how many times I've beaten it.

[@zombiejesus2000]

Loved that arc the lad game growing up. Blast from the past. Pretty sure I still have the disc somewhere.

[@nihouma11]

I have to recommend Weeks Arms XF personally, while Would Arms is will known XF doesn't seem to be, and I love it so much

[@InitialDL84]

I want to give strategy/tactical RPGs another go, last time I tried was back in 2003 with LA Pucelle Tactics. I just couldn't get into it back then, but maybe now that I'm older and want to give them another shot, I may just do that. Appreciate this list!

[@hatmangates883]

Try something like Vandal Hearts (ps1). It has very simple mechanics that can ease you into the genre.

[@markdiaz8895]

Im happy that i have all of these...except energy breaker. Thats a dope one tho! It was definitely fun to watch this!

[@Rafaeorafa]

I think knights in the nightmare deserves some light on. Amazing weird hard trpg.

[@monkebiznez]

I just discovered your channel and I'm enjoying all your content so far.

[@GamingBroductions]

Nice, love to hear that

[@adamujhelyi4340]

I always gotta bring up The Banner Saga when tactical rpgs are involved. Simple but great combat, awesome art, amazing music and atmosphere

[@dobadobadooo]

Yooo, Arc the Lad: Twilight of the Spirits is genuinely one of the most fun experiences I've ever had with a SRPG, _loved_ the story, gameplay and cast. Probably in my top 5 RPGs for the PS2, it really is that good imo. Like, it's hard to explain what exactly it is about the game that appeals to me so much, but everything about it just works for me.

[@DimbDumbDumb]

Maybe because my love for an obscure 80's and 90's anime plus video games, i already know & play those games, and expect for feda the emblem of justice to be mention here, but once again good stuff that you show here

[@milkweedreflections]

Vanguard Bandits is extremely cool. Played through that game like 3 times. Used to own the actual ps1 disk back in the day.

[@turnbasedtoddy7664]

That intro hits every time

[@Morraak]

The only one of these that I have is Phantom Brave, never really could get into tactical jrpgs but I enjoy hearing people talk about them.

[@ytgytgy]

Saiyuki Journey West!! My sister got that for Christmas in 01. We watched the crap out of DBZ on toonami back in the day, and having a video game that was based in the same legend was a treat.

[@GamingBroductions]

Nice! Yeah I’ve always been really fascinated by the whole Journey to the West story so anything that’s based on it automatically has my interest

[@ytgytgy]

@@GamingBroductions MAGIC SON GOKU. MAGIC SON GOKU.

[@Alfrebaut]

I've actually played most of these, except for Jeanne D'Arc, Kartia, and Energy Breaker.

[@magitek_riding_imperial_witch]

Nice video! Majin Tensei I and II for the Super Famicom are good additions to the list. God Wars is newer(ish) but as a total weeb, I love the setting, characters, and classes. I played it on Switch but its on several platforms. I'd also classify the Goldbox AD&D games for MS-DOS. Order of the Griffon for the Turbo Graphics 16 and Warriors of the Eternal Sun on Genesis are also great D&D games with tactical combat. Though, admittedly they might be hard to get into if you're not intimately familiar with older editions of the Dungeon & Dragons rulesets.

[@mohdaisyamudin7844]

vanguard bandit and saiyuki is such a great jrpg back in the day. i wish they remake vanguard bandit

[@guilhermebernardo8505]

SMT Devil Survivor is a great game, but has to be one of the hardest ones I've ever played

[@westonmeyer3110]

If you understand the basics of SRPGs and utilize most or all of Devil Survivor’s unique functions then it becomes quite easy.

[@rchassereau2]

Great video! Learned of some new ones I'll have to check out

[@BreathlessGust]

Me and my friends loved Saiyuki: Journey West in high school.

[@AngelCopout]

Aight be- oh snap I actually haven't heard of Energy Breaker. Damn I know what I'm doing today.

[@thegamersician]

My first thought: Nice... there better be Jeanne D'Arc *is happy*

[@JozefLucifugeKorzeniowski]

when I was very small I remember "vanguard bandits" was like one of the first videogames I saw advertised that I got super hyped over the art alone. I always tried to find it whenever I went to a game store but I could never find it and by the time I could buy it online my interest has waned. today's teenagers don't know what it's like to know exactly what they want to buy, to have all the means to buy it, and try every method available to acquire it and never be able to get it. it made me hate on japanese games and game companies for a while because they would run ads everywhere but their distribution deals were so patchy. you could find a few copies in bumfuck nowhere but not be able to find any in a major metropolitan city.

[@WolxVal]

I think a minor TRPG is Royal Stones nothing to the table but mindless fun nonetheless

[@jerrymalonejr.6097]

Yes. Energy Breaker is awesome. Highly recommend

[@jeffwiese4037]

Yasuhiro Nightow was'nt just the artist of trigun he created it

[@kleberpereira3162]

Never knew there was a freakin YU YU HAKUSHO tactical RPG! Thank you so much

[@westonmeyer3110]

It’s not a good game though. Easily the worst SRPG on the gba.

[@kleberpereira3162]

@@westonmeyer3110 Ouch. Too bad. Thanks

[@MarsofAritia]

there's a bleach one on the ds that's not bad.

[@kabiebebe2332]

Jutie Senki, and Galaxy Robo good too....

[@fyiicheckforspies]

I completely forgot about Sayuki! I had this as a kid but I can't remember why I didn't finish it. Will definitely be going back to it now

[@Mat23]

Great video! Try the remake of Hoshigami on DS.

[@fredsorre6605]

There is a reason that only a few games ever managed to go mainstream for this Genre and it's cause a lot of people simply dislike the chess like gameplay not even Final Fantasy Tactics a staple in the genre can be called mainstream as it has never been a major seller for Square and now Square Enix the only actual game to ever reach that is Fire Emblem and that is cause of it's well animated battles and dating sim features I guess you can kinda include Mario and the Rabbids in there but the 2nd one didn't really sell very well.

[@dagroth123]

i'm normally very stingy with my likes but, you get one. even added Soul Nomad & the World Eaters to my wish list.

[@justarpgamer]

The original Brigandine for the PS1 doesn't get enough love.

[@GamingBroductions]

That’s a good one to talk about in a future video

[@StarDragonJP]

Man I forgot about Saiyuki. I played it on emulator a long time ago & enjoyed it but my computer crapped out & I lost the save for it. For some reason Kartia wouldn't work on emulator though. Also Energy Breaker is technically a Square Enix game. It was a Taito game and they got bought by Square Enix like 18 years ago.

[@felman87]

If you like Phantom Brave, I would recommend Makai Kingdom. I like it more and it's also on the Switch, I believe. So, what better classic recommendation can one give than a game that you can pick up right now?

[@RandomAsFunk]

Thank god someone still remember vanguard bandits lmao

[@supercool1412]

I am Surprised he didn’t mention Spectral Souls or Eternal Eyes

[@dangox3370]

Jeanne D'Arc seemed awesome at first.. but the only way to get some of the really good items (which any self respecting gamer is definitely gonna want to have) is by repeating maps. But you'll also get way over-leveled by doing that. And that kills the fun of it.

[@ImHiAdam]

Vanguard Bandits! I remember the day my playstation broke was when i rented this game.... Uhg... i wanted to play it so bad and could never remember the name of it.

[@Gh0ulface]

Part 2 requested, please.

[@GamingBroductions]

In due time 👌

[@Gh0ulface]

@@GamingBroductions 🙏🏾

[@spt-rx-78-24]

I was expecting Brigadine was gonna be on the list

[@MidnightBlackandVictoria]

Feda the emblem of justice was really good.

[@engineerofthemachine]

I owned a few of those games! I was trying to chase the high that FFT gave me. Saiyuki was fun! I owned Kartia but never got around to playing it. I’m not sure what happened to either of those games in my collection.

[@mathieulessard6212]

Sickest intro.

[@astrades2601]

Hello, nice video. I wrote down some new titles for my never ending list of games to play :D

[@detilbury]

I'm sick and miserable right now, so this won't be my best attempt to make this point. I am called to make this point when I come across tactics games and SRPGs talked about, though, so here is my very abridged spiel. "Tactics" games are not the same as "Strategy RPGs." This distinction used to be more common, though admittedly never fully ubiquitous, but then all the kids just started calling everything "tactics" and leaving it at that. I suffer no illusion that my yelling at clouds will change the tide at this point, but like any good, reclusive mad-man, I will do my small part to pass this nugget of pedantic distinction into the future as far as it may travel. The difference is "strategic" vs "tactical". It is about scale. In a grand STRATEGY game, like the Total War series, you view the world at at the scale of empires, kingdoms, and factions. The individuals under your command are largely generic and unknown, with a few stand-outs. You do not control the intricate details of how a unit caries out it's orders, you just say "jump" and they clamber as best as their AI and RNG will allow them. "Strategy" is "macro" in scale. In a tactical game, the players perspective is at the individual units. Your relationship with the cast is more as characters than units, even when they are generic. You can take the X-COM series for a good example. Because of the zoomed in perspective at a tactical layer of command, terrain often matters much more. This is why tactics games usually have terrain height and surfaces as features your characters interact with at the level of line-of-sight determination, visible cover mechanics, weapon ranges limited by height differences, more emphasis on area of effect abilities, and, of course, character facing orientation. "Tactics/Tactical" is "micro" in scale. Fire Emblem is SRPG, not tactics. Why? - Simplified, square-grid, for character placement/movement. - Battles are just as often at the scale of an entire region of land, with multiple towns present. - Terrain has simplified effects of probabilities of RNG, but are otherwise rarely physical features. - While all the playable characters are unique, Fire Emblem stories are set in large, sweeping wars between kingdoms & empires. The scale of the war is still large, but the battles you play-out are treated as the vignettes of the part of the war that the central characters take direct action, with the broader conflict abstracted into dialog and, these days, some cutscenes. (Three Houses seems to have tried to portray more of this, but I haven't gotten to playing it yet to speak on it.) - So on and so forth... Dang, I'm running out of steam, so forgive me if I start to phone it in... ;) Let's go with Disgaea for the tactics side. - The narrative focus is about the characters. There are big conflicts in the game lore, but the actually narrative conflict is always inter-personal. - Maps are character-scale. You're not playing a battle that spans an entire region of the Nether World, with Laharl's castle over there and Hoggmeiser's palace over there. - Terrain is a prominent element of player-scoped gameplay, with characters having particular ranges, orientations, and individual map grid effects that can be quite drastic when the player must consider what decisions to make. - Character development is much more intricate in how characters level, with control over their classes, stats, and skills highly involving the player's input. (Compared to something like Fire Emblem or Shining Force.) Eh, you get the idea already... Of course, there are a lot of titles that blur the lines between these categories, but all I'm really making a case for is that there is an actual, categorical distinction to begin with. One that I don't feel is trivial, and dammit, if nothing else, the "SRGP" moniker was around before the "Tactics" one! If we are going to go with a one-size-fits-all designation, why the hell is the chosen term the one that was originally UNDER the umbrella of "SRPG" in the first place? 😤😮‍💨 Excuse me, I'm going back under my rock, now. PS: Enjoyed the video!

[@paolovalbuena]

What’s that first rpg at the very start of the video? looks cool and earthboundy.

[@johncuneo6723]

Does anyone know what the game at 0:13 is? It looks interesting to me.

[@forseti5774]

Battle Hunter for PlayStation maybe ?

[@johncuneo6723]

@@forseti5774 That’s it, thank you!

[@republicofnoobs7437]

Try: Mystaria tue realm of lore on Saturn, this made me fall in love with Tact rpg

[@p00pdragon]

Shout out to the tenchi Muyo tactics rpg for snes

[@GamingBroductions]

I do remember trying that one out on an emulator many years ago, I’ll have to go back to it

[@gabrielpinheiro6186]

uuuuuuhh, devil survivor mentioned!!

[@forseti5774]

Monstania spotted. The comments have mentionned Yu Yu Hakusho but not Super Robot Wars and big robots are cool. I like the super famicom version of Lord of the elementals. Energy Breaker might be my favorite SRPG ever. To anyone wanting to know why...I don't know, it just is. I could try to justify myself with "logical arguments" but at the end of the day it boils down to emotional stuff. A remake will never happen ever but I feel like with a bit more polish it would be even better (like all games ever made). The different emotions option for dialogue could be more frequent for example. I really like the fact that Myra can interact with a lot of the environment but I would have liked some more interactions with another character chiming in, I only remember it happening once with Dorothy. The characters are interesting imo and having more little interactions would have made it thé best game ever made (opinion + exaggeration for dramatic effect)

[@sunekoo]

Highly recommend Gungnir and Yggdra Union

[@baelorbreakspeartargaryen993]

SMT DS is a masterpiece.

[@scarpg7882]

What is the game you tease at the end of the Saiyuki section?

[@forseti5774]

Looks like Monstania to me.

[@SELJ75]

i don't really like persona but im ready to try these other atlus games

[@netangel39]

What was that 1st game in the intro?

[@johnpeterson8689]

I recommend Stella Glow on the 3ds

[@MarsofAritia]

ds & psp are retro now? didn't know the langrisser team was behind devil survivor. explains it's quality.

[@hhaammzzaattaarraaff3313]

The most underrated and obscure SRPG in my opinion is Gungnir

[@SpikeCuervo]

Vanguard Bandits is the greaters of all time!

[@mrbrex95]

You got a new Sub

[@Industen]

Been a tactical RPG fan since the Ultima series back on the C64. There are a ton of older DOS games that are great like Heroes of Might and Magic 3. Vandal Hearts is a must play.

[@4reg4]

what rpg is that at the very start where the mc battles an otaku?

[@kill_repeat8491]

I was really expecting to see Stella Glow here

[@GamingBroductions]

That would be a good one to include in a future part, I did think about including it here

[@michaelp4122]

Lesser known tactical JRPG's *Shining Force 3 Scenario 3* Best tactics game and very few people have ever played it. *Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem* First Fire Emblem game with Casual mode and it didn't even localize here. Also a Marth game, but few have played this. *Langrisser 1&2* I am now a big Langrisser fan and hope 3-5 get remade or at least a fan translation (I think only 4 is translated).

[@menosay1912]

Biggest problem with AtL was that I hated both sides. Darc was by far the better protagonist, But as much as I hated Kharg, the monsters were just terrible as a whole. I had to choose between a protag I hated and the race I hated. No subtlety, It is just who do you find more irridemable, Kharg or the monsters.

[@OliverNorth9729]

Can't help but feel that some of these rpgs were made because of hardware limitations. Which they did a well job anyways.

[@alvinedwaldchan3071]

Only one new to me was Energy Breaker. I wouod add the Megaten Super Famicom strategy game D.O.L.L.S. PC CRW PC Dragon Knighy 4 PSX

[@PaladinJones]

whats that game at 11:13 ?

[@TrillVirtualBoi]

Yes

[@EmersionX]

11:05 name of the game pls?

[@louradean9293]

my biggest barrier when it comes to tactical jrpgs is that they are incredibly linear and the battles a loooooooooong!

[@Whydoesthissitesuck]

I remember seeing Vanguard Bandits advertised in a gaming magazine when I was young. It really stood out to me aesthetically, and stuck with me through the years despite never playing it. Because of the way the battles are shown, I thought it was a fighting game by the screenshots though

[@residentgrey]

This happened to me too!

[@matthewjacobs2991]

Really really hard for me to get into strategy RPGs that are only battles, cut scenes, and town menus. I need down time and the ability to wander the world/towns and talk to NPCs and stuff. I have no idea why fans of the genre are so forgiving that half the game is missing in most cases. I'll never beat FFT because it's just battles and cut scenes

[@GamingBroductions]

I hear you there, tbh this can hold me back from liking some of them more as well. Games like the Shining Force series I love because they still offer exploration in towns and whatnot. Energy Breaker and Arc The Lad Twilight of the Spirits from this video do as well, as with the older Arc the Lad games

[@MarsofAritia]

that stuff is all filler

[@matthewjacobs2991]

@@MarsofAritia I see it as down-time, which I generally need for pacing. And it's a couple more options to give the player more agency. Not saying you have to like the excess stuff in RPGs, but are you also not a fan of sidequests?

[@MarsofAritia]

​@@matthewjacobs2991 i dropped chrono trigger specifically because of the pretty much mandatory side quests you have to do at the end of the game lol

[@justicerainz]

Great list, especially the ps1 titles. I feel like I've heard of basically all the snes titles but not a lot about ps1 jrpgs