The Best JRPGs For EVERY CONSOLE

Twitter: / thedavidvinc Instagram: / davidvincofficial Also, don't forget to support me on Patreon!
/ davidvinc
Hidden Gems and Strangest RPGs:
1st Edition: https: • 10 Super Weird RPGs Yo...
2nd Edition: • 10 Super Weird RPGs Yo...
3rd Edition: • 10 Super Weird RPGs Yo...
4th Edition: • 10 Super Weird RPGs Yo...
5th Edition: • Top 10 Strangest RPGs ...
6th Edition: • 10 Super Weird RPGs Yo...
Worst Voice Acting Part 1: • Top 10 WORST Voice Act...
Worst Voice Acting Part 2: • Top 10 Worst Voice Act...
Worst Voice Acting Part 3: • Top 10 Worst JRPG Voic...
Missed the other Top 10 best RPG videos?
NES: • Top 10 NES RPGs Of All...
SNES: • Top 10 Best Non-Square...
Fan Translated: • Top 10 Best Fan-Transl...
PlayStation: • Top 10 PlayStation RPG...
PlayStation Part 2: • Top 10 PlayStation RPG...
PlayStation 2: • Top 10 PlayStation 2 R...
PlayStation 3: • Top 10 BEST PS3 and Xb...
PlayStation 4: • Top 10 Best PS4 RPGs O...
Gameboy: • Top 10 Best Gameboy RPGs
GBC: • Top 10 Best Gameboy Co...
GBA: • Top 10 Gameboy Advance...
PSP: • Top 10 PSP RPGs (No Po...
DS: • Top 10 Nintendo DS RPG...
3DS: • Top 10 Nintendo 3DS RP...
Worst Party Members:
Part 1: • Top 10 Worst JRPG Part...
Part 2: • Top 10 Worst JRPG Part...
Part 3: • Top 10 Worst JRPG Part...
Part 4: • Top 10 Worst JRPG Part...
Part 5: • Top 10 Worst JRPG Part...
Part 6: • Top 10 Worst JRPG Part...
Part 7: • Top 10 Worst JRPG Part...
Best Party Members:
Part 1: • Top 10 Best JRPG Party...
Part 2: • Top 10 Best JRPG Chara...
Part 3: • Top 10 Best JRPG Chara...
Part 4: • Top 10 Best JRPG Party...
Part 5: • Top 10 Best JRPG Party...
Final Fantasy 4 Characters: • Ranking the Final Fant...
Final Fantasy 5 Job Classes: • Final Fantasy V JOBS R...
Final Fantasy 6 Characters: • Ranking the Final Fant...
Annoying Characters:
The Men: • Top 10 Most Annoying J...
The Women: • Top 10 Most Annoying J...
Part 3: • Top 10 Most Annoying J...
Worst Dungeon Series:
NES (8-bit): • 10 Worst NES RPG Dunge...
SNES (16-bit): • 10 Worst SNES JRPG Dun...
PlayStation: • Top 10 Worst PSX RPG D...
PlayStation 2: • Top 10 Worst RPG Dunge...
PlayStation 3 and Xbox360: • Top 10 Worst RPG Dunge...
Gameboy and GBC: • Top 10 Worst RPG Dunge...
GBA: • Top 10 Worst RPG Dunge...
PSP: • 10 Worst PSP RPG Dunge...
DS: • Top 10 Worst RPG Dunge...
3DS: • Top 10 Worst RPG Dunge...
N64, Gamecube and Wii: • Top 10 Worst RPG Dunge...
Sega CD, Saturn and Dreamcast: • Top 10 Worst RPG Dunge...
Nintendo Post-Game: • Top 10 Worst RPG Dunge...
Best Towns:
NES Edition: • Top 10 Best NES RPG Towns
Battleground Edition: • Top 10 Best RPG Battle...
SNES Final Fantasy Edition: • Top 10 Best SNES Towns...
SNES Non-Square/Enix: • Top 10 SNES Towns - No...
SNES Square/Enix: • Top 10 Best SNES Towns...
PS1 Non-Square/Enix: • Top 10 Best PlayStatio...
PS1 Square/Enix: • Top 10 Best PlayStatio...
PS1 Final Fantasy Edition: • Top 10 Best PlayStatio...
PS2 Top 20 Towns, Part 1: • Top 20 Best PlayStatio...
PS2 Top 20 Towns, Part 2: • Top 20 Best PlayStatio...
Also, don't forget to support me on Patreon!
/ davidvinc #gaymer #nintendo #rpg #playstation #xbox #asmr #atelier #steamdeck

[@stanm4410]

Ogre Battle 64 is a criminally underrated tactical RPG for the N64. Really great game that was overshadowed by so many great RPGs on the PS1. But it's the best "Ogre" game other than Tactics Ogre. It would have been worth including the N64 on this list just to mention OB64 or Paper Mario 64. They are just good RPGs (if not better) than several others on this list. I don't see why to exclude the N64, but include the Dreamcast. The RPG libraries of both systems are both pretty sparse.

[@usaskjock]

I didn't even realize there was an ogre battle 64 game thanks for reminding me - must be hella rare to find

[@DF-lk2th]

My neighbor and I growing up would "play" dragon warrior 3 in the real world. we would make shop lists and stick them all over the neighborhood and go fight monsters and buy equipment. We had classes and stuff. It was badass!

[@davidvinc]

That sounds like a blast!

[@nanoglitch6693]

This list must've had a lot of tough choices lol.

[@yezzir8929]

My List ( Replaced 3DO with Sega CD because I have Never played that system) NES - DQIII Master System - Phantasy Star Gameboy - Pokemon Red/Blue Turbo Graphix 16 - Ys IV Genesis - Phantasy Star 4 Game Gear - Defenders of Oasis SNES - FFVI Sega CD - Lunar: The Silver Star Story Playstation - Xenogears Sega Saturn - Panzer Dragon Saga Gameboy Color - DWIII Dreamcast - Grandia II Playstation 2 - Suikoden V Gamecube - Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door Gameboy Advance - Mother 3 Nintendo DS - Chrono Trigger PSP - Legend of Heroes: Trails of the Sky SC X Box 360 - Lost Odyssey Playstation 3 - Final Fantasy XIII Lightning Returns Wii - Xenoblade Chronicles 3DS - Fire Emblem: Awakening Vita - Persona 4 Wii U - Xenoblade Chronicles X PS4 - Persona 5 Royal Switch - Dragon Quest XI

[@jc.1191]

I can second that ff4!

[@johntracy72]

On Gameboy Advance, it's Golden Sun and Golden Sun The Lost Age as they were originally supposed to be one game.

[@Cyzure]

Chrono Trigger and Trails are technically ports from Snes and Pc respectively edit: Dragon Warrior III is also a port from Nes

[@AdamTheGameBoy]

0:29 Paper Mario: Am I a joke to you?

[@georgielockhart6686]

Paper Mario is literally the only choice for that system though which is why he probably didn't include it. As an JRPG lover, my parents got me a friggin' 64 so I know the pain.

[@TheLevelGrinders]

Seriously lol, yea there were almost no other rpgs but paper Mario was solid

[@durfmcgurf1730]

Had the exact same thought. N64 didn't have shit, but Paper Mario is legit and spawned TTYD, which is even better.

[@georgielockhart6686]

@@durfmcgurf1730 TTYD is so amazing. I just finished it a couple days ago for the first time since I was 17 years old, 15 years ago and had such a blast.

[@AdamTheGameBoy]

@@georgielockhart6686 I mean there's also Pokemon Stadium and Quest 64 lol Mega Man 64 if you count it as an RPG Custom Robo if you include Japanese games too. Paper Mario is still one of the best RPGs ever made though.

[@Eagleknight815]

Final Fantasy IX over VII....a man of culture indeed!! Great List!!

[@PunishedPrince]

9 has a great story and characters but wack combat. 7 has a great story and characters and battle system. 9 is the hipster choice.7 is the better game

[@GodBroly]

@@PunishedPrince not even remotely true 7’s battle system was rigged in your favor and had to artificially inflate the difficulty and the story was so convoluted it had to have what four+ different games to expand on it. Where as 9 is tight, consistent and has a fantastic battle system it’s not perfect but damn close.

[@justanotherrandomontheyout4791]

@@PunishedPrince Nah 9 is way better than 7

[@MegaDicksneeze]

9 is what 7 only wished it could be. 7 is just for the anime fanbois out there and people who purposely like to misspell Airis' name.

[@justinc882]

So i know this is an unpopular opinion but.. FF7 is overrated as heck. It's a great game but I think it gets more love than it deserves because it was the big mainstream explosion rpg of the time. I find most of the characters pretty boring, Sephiroth looks cool but his flip to homicidal villain felt awkward. The remake did a lot to flesh out the characters but looking back there's a great number of RPGS from the ps1 days that I'd put above FF7. Personally opinion ofcourse i know a lot of people love the game. Also note, overrated doesn't mean bad by any stretch. It just means I don't think it's one of the best ever made. Hell it's barely in my top 5 ff games (FF6, 9, 5, tactics rank higher for me)

[@Beanfairy]

persona 4 golden over that tales r on vita anyday

[@disgaea1390]

Gotta agree and the localization on the game was oddly weird for no reason.

[@makotoyuki345]

True. Kinda wish we got Tales of Innocence R too...

[@Chelaxim]

If you go ask Tales fans on Reddit or Gamefaqs they do not like that game at all. Unlike Legendia and Zesteria that game doesn't have hardly any redeeming qualities.

[@disgaea1390]

@@Chelaxim Yes i can

[@makotoyuki345]

@@Chelaxim wait are you talking about hearts or Innocence R ? (Imo R is a bit lackluster but the original on the other hand is quite enjoyable for the gameplay)

[@bobgray6498]

FF9 ages like wine. I love it more and more with each replay

[@GarnetDust24]

Agreed. Do you think they should remake it?

[@Vanoxe]

To me it is the last true FF game. After that it went downhill

[@bobgray6498]

@@GarnetDust24 they really don't have to. Sure, it'd be nice to play it with updated graphics, but they absolutely don't need to change anything about the story

[@RetroGamingReplay]

Was there anything after this?

[@AndSpaceY]

@@GarnetDust24 The game is perfect and doesn’t need to be remade.

[@christopherddrew7555]

I would have had a hard time picking between FFIX, Lunar Silver Star Complete, and Grandia.

[@alondor8157]

Trueeee

[@acidwizard6528]

Those are all amazing games. I would consider Valkyrie Profile too, but I think I agree with David about FFIX being the best PS1 RPG.

[@alondor8157]

@@acidwizard6528 I Stil find FF7 to be equal with 9. It might not have aged as well. But the character development I still enjoy a lot.

[@acidwizard6528]

@@alondor8157 I love FFVII as well. For me personally the top three Final Fantasy games are VI, IX, and then VII in that order. IX may be objectively the best and is a distillation of the characteristics that make for a great Final Fantasy game, but VI has so many memories attached to it for me that the nostalgia factor puts it over the top.

[@christopherddrew7555]

The channel Design Doc did a video on FFIX a year ago or more and called it the platonic ideal of a Final Fantasy game and I felt like that was a great insight. I judge all FF games based off of my love of IX. Unpopular option I know but I thought FF XV was the best FF since IX.

[@briansmith8361]

YESSS! Thank you, David for picking Dragon Quest VIII! It turns out that it's my favorite JRPG on PS2 as well! I thought I was the only one who played and adored that game. I loved the British voice acting, too!

[@grimgrog]

I’ve played fully through DQ VIII three times, and not because it has all that much replay value, aside from choosing different builds, but because it was just so good. David, err, the Guv’, definitely made the right choice!

[@justinc882]

DQ8 is a great game, DQ7 holds a special place to me. I got it at a yard sale and I probably replay the entire game 1-2 times a year. Not sure why because it's such a grind fest but the game just stuck with me.

[@briansmith8361]

@@justinc882 I really enjoyed Dragon Quest/Warrior VII as well. VI and VII were extremely long, as I had 260 hours on the clock by the time I finished DQ VII, but talk about a deep, huge game! I'm sure many RPG fans back in the PS ONE days were turned off by the graphics (it looked more like a PSX game from 1996), lack of CG videos, slow pacing, etc, but not me, nor the Japanese fans! This was the best selling PS ONE game in Japan, and in this country (US) it probably sold fewer copies than Bubsy 3D! American gamers tend to prefer flashy games with realistic graphics and gameplay that provides instant gratification because they tend to be impatient. This game was very content-rich and even after 260 hours I still hadn't done everything! I feel like I definitely got my money's worth with this one.

[@johntracy72]

I still have this game on Playstation 2.

[@nunyabusiness69]

Hmm, I'm beginning to think this guy loves the Dragon Quest series 🤔😂😂👍

[@deadmanx9864]

Its his favorite series... do you not watch his videos

[@nunyabusiness69]

@@deadmanx9864 ever heard of sarcasm? Lol

[@justinc882]

Dragon Quest and Persona are two series that have had a remarkable consistency throughout. Even their worst game is still pretty damn good. So it's easy to have that be your favorite franchise. Personally Dragon quest is pretty high on my favorite list as well.

[@frostdragon3693]

Trails in the sky for psp

[@Olson454]

Expected Xenoblade 2 for Switch for the clean sweep! Great list overall

[@gamerji-li4755]

Love the list! Makes me want to go back and play a lot of my older JRPGs now

[@Rylain]

Just bought it for the switch. Never played it but super excited!

[@sharebear421]

I thought you were gonna do 25 jrpgs for each console 😅 I’m so dumb

[@kyleward3914]

It's kind of what the title sounds like, though that would either have been a very long video or had almost no details.

[@sharebear421]

@@kyleward3914 true!

[@alexzanin1684]

Same here, hoping to see if he does that someday.

[@countquackula8539]

Its not your fault its the way he titled it.

[@homesteadhero]

I 100% thought so too lol I thought this was gonna be a series, with each video being for one console and the best 25 JRPGs on each...but I also wondered if there even _are_ 25 good JRPGs for some consoles lol

[@tein357]

"not trash like the N64"...I see you're a man of culture.

[@HarmfulDesign]

N64 was a good console with lots of great games (looking at you, Rare), just not many JRPGs, especially good ones.

[@dancelittleliar3995]

Well, it had Paper Mario and Ogre Battle 64.

[@djiock]

@@dancelittleliar3995 And that's pretty much it...

[@jc.1191]

I honestly disliked the direction all the consoles took that generation.

[@Artimes.]

N64 was a great system for specific games like Zelda Ocarina of time and Mario 64, but if jrpgs is what you were looking for, then you best look on a different console beacuse the n64 was pretty much devoid of any japanese role playing games. There was some amazing platformers and great action adventure titles though on that system.

[@HybridAngelZero]

Man, I cannot imagine how hard it was picking the game for some of these consoles, especially PSone, SNES and PS2. Also, I know the N64 isn't exactly an RPG machine, but Paper Mario is pretty rock solid

[@caturiges]

Ogre Battle 64 is also amazing.

[@jaimereupert4247]

Quest 64.

[@HybridAngelZero]

@@caturiges I really need to finally play that, I completely forgot about it! I actually have a Wii U and it's only $9.99, so...

[@HybridAngelZero]

@@jaimereupert4247 Quest 64 is actually one of my favorite N64 games! Sadly, not a lot of people like it, and I don't think David does either (which is fine) xD

[@gjergjaurelius9798]

@@jaimereupert4247 no....😐

[@papaG6423]

I'm so glad DQVIII made it. It's such a special, charming game.

[@Rylain]

Love these videos and your passion for RPGs!

[@shadowscythe21]

Lost Odyssey was such an underrated RPG. Omg David I hope you have checked out Xenoblade Chronicles Definitive Edition on the Switch. If you though it looked beautiful check out the switch version

[@Mamiya645]

Runner-up on the Wii is The Last Story, in my personal taste. Same charming high quality voice acting talent, different gameplay, incredibly unique, wide and wild story, not without irritation and frustration here and there in all honesty. World and character design I cannot forget. While waiting for the next big thing it would be quite something to treat ones self with, go for it folks.

[@MrJules39]

Awesome list David, Have a Good Day!

[@chocobros1]

Skipping the N64 but not the 3DO and Wii U? You must not be a Person of Lordly Calibre

[@slashermaster28]

Yeah, when I read the title 'for every console', I was hoping he'd add at least one N64 game to the list since it's not as if the console didn't have any good RPGs on it. It had Ogre Battle and the first Paper Mario, both of which are fantastic, and while I wouldn't exactly call this list-worthy, I still think people are way too hard on Quest 64. It had a weak story, but parts of the gameplay are pretty inventive for the time, most notably the ability to move and avoid attacks during your opponent's turn.

[@chocobros1]

@@slashermaster28 Exactly, and since David is counting Japan-only releases I would be remiss not to mention the great titles on the N64 that never made it here like Super Robot Wars or Shiren the Wanderer, even though I would assume he probably hasn't played them since they hardly have the rep of something like Mother 3.

[@ndralcasid]

For what is generally considered a "strategy RPG" -- Ogre Battle 64 was more of a strategy game than an RPG to be completely honest

[@chocobros1]

@@ndralcasid I can see your point, but in a world where I keep hearing people call Advance Wars a strategy RPG I think the shoe still fits on Ogre Battle

[@ailtonbueno4333]

Great video, mate. Keep the good job.

[@jamessteel4633]

Skies of Arcadia definitely needs more love. An amazing game, fantastic world and an easy way to spend 60 hours!

[@louisdellalucca8969]

Also, FFIX aged waaaaay better. And Tales of Hearts R was awesome for PSVITA!

[@dickyyuspandi6752]

Wow i really enjoy the video. Thanks david for another great list of jrpg 👍

[@TheRicFactor]

I know this is going to sound weird, but Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a classic JRPG wrapped up in a modern setting. With the turn based combat, the jobs, the weapon crafting and upgrading, and the minigames, I swear I felt like I was playing something closer to Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy. I was surprised I enjoyed it as much if not just a little bit more than Dragon Quest XI.

[@gargonovich]

I feel like Panzer Dragoon Saga deserves a mention on the Saturn. It's got a brilliant combat system and really interesting spins on traversal and world interaction, especially considering the time it came out. There's really never been anything like it before or since, and it holds up really well as a result.

[@kodytiffany5686]

Will you do a playthrough of Octopath Traveler and Radiant Historia? In both games cases an exploration of there stories (more than just main quest). Please and Thank you.

[@TheLevelGrinders]

I second this, I would love to see you do a play through of Octopath

[@TheSILV1982]

some nice Choices there, you nailed it, for every Console i played on

[@expendable6373]

Can't agree more! Chrono Trigger, FF 9, Last Odyssey and Dragon Quest XI are also my favorites on these systems ❤️

[@kujo62]

Personally, I prefer DW4 over DW3 but 1000% get how you can make the case for either one.

[@lindenstromberg6859]

I also liked DW4 better, but DW3 made a much larger splash than 4. DW3 was the first really expansive modern feeling RPG, although some might argue FFII/4 because of the production value - which were super high for the time.

[@jeremyp3116]

It’s hard to single out a single rpg for snes and ps1 but you did it!

[@Cleggythesheep]

While I absolutely love The World Ends with You, I'll always have a soft spot for Radiant Historia. Such an underrated gem

[@sentientricecake3125]

Great idea for a video and even better execution!

[@georgielockhart6686]

Wow. Here I thought I was a big JRPG fan, but I haven't even heard let alone played most of this list. My favorite video game of all time forevermore is Final Fantasy Tactics on PS1. David is hardcore lol, thanks for the Alliance Alive recommendation. I just ordered it off eBay.

[@trowa9960]

Good choice with FF tactics. My all time favourite game as well

[@EmilyRose900]

Honorable mention Star Ocean Till the End of Time is amazing on PS2.

[@michaelcoffey1991]

Fun list, like any there are agreement's and wtf moments just like every top 10 top 20 top lists always create. Was a fun watch and a fun discussion on it here :). Many Thanks for the upload.

[@orwwan]

Thank you for the list 👌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[@zolyguy]

Bro do you have a vita? I’m trying to play my vita more. Wondering if you can do some vita focused video (when and if you have time). Thanks love your content it has inspired me and I’ve used your let’s play as reference when I’m stuck too

[@alexandrebrochu4265]

Lost Odyssey is a fantastic game. Beautyful looking too, music great, interesting progression system. The only sad thing is that unless you want to handicap yourself your final team is set in stone from the get go. There is simply no reason to not use the immortals and for the final member of the party Sed is clearly the superior option to all other characters.

[@tomderry7295]

I've really been interested in playing Octopath Traveler lateley. The graphics are fantastic and the music is phenomenal. Hoping it goes on sale sometime.

[@christopherddrew7555]

I really enjoyed this game. It’s a little light on replay value. I wish it had a New Game+ mode, and it would have been nice if the eight stories intertwined more. There is an optional side quest that ties the eight characters together and a bonus final boss that I never leveled up enough to beat. It sounds like I’m complaining, I really enjoyed my play through. The chapters are short but satisfying so it is great for playing in short sittings, which is nice. A lot of classic RPGs I feel you have to play for hours at a time to really accomplish anything. The music and visuals are awesome. The individual stories are interesting in of themselves. I do feel that having a New Game + so you could reasonably play through one character’s story uninterrupted would have been a nice addition.

[@kyleweaver2578]

I liked it.

[@justinc882]

I bought the switch for Octopath. Wasn't let down. Really hope they'll make a follow up. There's a few tweaks they could make to it that would really improve the game but as is i really loved it.

[@planwithelizabeth]

Such a good game !! Yeah

[@sonicwma0105]

I agree with the entire list except for the PSX entry. Xenogears is the best JRPG of that system for me.

[@gabrielpatten6939]

Yes, until you hit the 2nd disc lol. I wish they had released it as a part one and two, and waited to develope the second disc till they had the proper funds, and wouldn't have had to rush it 😪

[@lindenstromberg6859]

Mine too. Xenogears is not only my favourite PSX RPG, but my alltime favourite game. Although Breath of the Wild and Witcher 3 have been really giving it a run for its money. Oh, and I even liked Disk 2. The only area I really don't enjoy is the bottom of the Tower of Babel.

[@lindenstromberg6859]

@@gabrielpatten6939 Unfortunately, Takahashi all but proved that those sorts of anthologies don't really work out too well with the Xenosaga games. It'll work with FF7, but only because it's likely most people in the market for it are already familiar with the story.

[@sonicwma0105]

@@gabrielpatten6939 Yeah disk two was a bit of a let down. Really wanted to explore those Anima Relic dungeons. Hopefully if they do a remake they fix this part. But I doubt this would happen.

[@sonicwma0105]

@@lindenstromberg6859 Same for me. Completed (not just finished) this game at least 10 times already. Disk two could have been better. Really wanted to see more of the Anima Relic dungeons. Not to mention El-Crescens and El-Seibzehn.

[@rabbyd542]

I loved DQ8 so much that I did a hero only run(save for the last boss). What a great challenge; I had such a good time.

[@AngelCopout]

Very happy to see Radiant Historia on the list. Had Yoko as the composer and boy are those battle themes good. Played it on the DS back in 2013 or so. Been meaning to go back in with its Perfect Chronology remaster. Also I guess a game that wasn't on the list but I really enjoyed is Suikoden 1 (yes I know people think II or III are better but still)

[@Vessol]

David needs to make a top 30-16 JRPGs for the SNES list, especially considering he's played so many fan translated games.

[@RadBrad1986]

Phantasy Star, Phantasy Star 4, Crono Trigger, Skies of Arcadia I love those JRPG's. Some of these on the list I have never bothered to play, the others I have never heard of, and of course I don't own some of the handhelds or other consoles. Good video dude! Makes me want to play Phantasy Star in a bit. Cheers!

[@Animosity00]

Still blows me away how good the graphics were for Chrono Trigger, being released one year into the SNES. Absolutely my favorite JRPG ever.

[@fd5934]

I love these list videos. Any chance we can get a Ys ranking video or a Ys IX character ranking?

[@douglanmar]

>Shows Nintendo 64 on the thumbnail >Doesn’t mention N64

[@hggfhh4449]

Yeah where is paper mario

[@tommj4365]

Ha, I just wrote "Paper Mario" before seeing this... fun, unique rpg

[@sameash3153]

There's only 3 RPGs for the 64, wouldn't be very fun to just say paper mario is all you got

[@QuestioningYourSanity]

Good vid. As a spin off, you should do a vid ranking of consoles based on quality/quantity of (J)RPGs.

[@PowerPandaMods]

I heard of Alliance Alive for the first time earlier today, while I was looking at Grezzo's development list. How have I not heard of this game?!

[@cheetobreath123]

personally i would add xenoblade chronicles 2 over octopath but i respect your list i just got bored of octopath around the third or forth chapter of each character

[@jc.1191]

I'm glad y'all posted. I'll probably save the money and play other games.

[@DHamblen]

Octopath Traveler was such a great retro flashback and a step forward. This list is amazing, I can’t say I’ve played everyone of these games, but of the games on this list I have played, I can’t find any I would disagree with, all amazing picks!!!

[@HDREconomist]

I'm sad we didn't find an excuse to put the Sega CD on here so we could have gotten a Lunar game, but otherwise, this was a cool list with some real gems in it!

[@MegaDicksneeze]

Silver star was such an amazing game, and eternal blue is quite possibly my favorite of all time. The psx complete ones suck in comparison.

[@HDREconomist]

@@MegaDicksneeze silver star is amazing and I too say Eternal Blue on Sega CD is my fav JRPG of all time. I actually LIKED the Magic XP system! THERE'S LITERALLY TWO OF US!!!

[@MegaDicksneeze]

I loved the magic system! I could boost the cool ones I liked, and let the shit ones fuck off lol

[@MegaDicksneeze]

The music in both of them, with the actual world map made them both feel like such epic experiences

[@CRedd9830]

Lunar I & II on Sega CD are phenomenal.

[@christopherlitzner8445]

I dont know if it was a jrpg but I did enjoy aidyn chronicles the first mage on the n64. The customization for each party member was unique each skill and Stat could be leveled at any point once you had the xp for it. And it made you have to be truly careful if a character who is not the main protag dies they are gone.

[@zerogold8717]

Defenders of the Oasis. I loved that game.

[@Bramhallthefifth]

ys 4 was also japan only, not just mother 3, but i suppose it was "remade" worldwide later

[@Turbo_Waitress]

The Saturn Rayearth love just fills my heart! That little game means so much to me and has an even bigger place in my heart than the manga/anime (which I also loved).

[@HarmfulDesign]

I played the GCN port of Skies of Arcadia and absolutely loved it! That game had a masterfully crafted sense of exploration to it. The SP battle system was unique and interesting, and the ship battles were even better! I was picking out a new video game for my birthday at a local Toys 'R' Us and I just happened to see this little gem and decided to take a chance, and boy am I gald I did!

[@robmalcolm8042]

I heard the original Dreamcast version was superior with sharper graphics same for grandia 1 which originally was on sega saturn but was re released with worser frame rates on PlayStation 1

[@tommyhatcher3399]

My favorite RPG is called Amberstar for Amiga. I think Amiga deserves credit for being the first "modern" console way back in the 80's.

[@garcianelson123]

Surprised that you didn’t include Xenogears. That game was masterclass

[@jrsanders1212]

While I agree, the ultimate down side is that it was the victim of budget cuts and felt/was only partially finished. I wish it had received the full attention I think it deserved.

[@chocobros1]

@@jrsanders1212 Yeah, that and it was on the console that arguably had the highest competition as far as JRPGs go.

[@theFado96]

As a big Xenogears fan I agree with FFIX over Xenogears. If you think at what game used the console to its fullest it would be FFIX. It almost looks like it could be a PS2 game. Xenogears in comparison doesn't do that, same reason why FFVII wasn't mentioned. Bother games where made around the same time, when Square was still new to the capabilities of the PS1. Once they got some practice in, they made more efficient use of the console's resources. I'd still play FFVII or Xenogears over FFIX but if we are just talking about the RPG who used the console to its fullest, I'd be FFIX. Probably similar reason to why Xenoblade was chosen for the Wii. It pushed the hardware to its limit.

[@user-ef7gn4jy6v]

@@theFado96 @TheFado96 I have to disagree with your logic. Technical prowess and ergonomy are not major factors of the quality of an rpg. Story, characters, gameplay, music, athmosphere are more important, at least for most players. That's why it wouldn't be shocking for someone to have FF7 or Xenogears instead of FF9.

[@gabrielpatten6939]

It's that 2nd disc 😩

[@michaelkoditek7130]

Good video those are really good rpgs to play

[@marclosier4564]

Octopath Traveler has also some of the best music for an old/new school game I've heard in a while, Chrono Trigger/Cross hit the ceiling early

[@windmage0168]

I would like to see David play and review Bravely Deafult II.

[@lucianofutemma]

Great list. Its funny that recently i bought the game gear game from the 3ds store, not knowing anything about It, just bc It looked cool and was cheap.

[@reeyanx]

Wild Arms 1, and Wild Arms 2 were also great jrpgs for PS1, but seem to have flown super under the radar

[@johnnada6855]

Popolo was originally released for the Ps1 only in Japan., the Ps1 japanese exclusives are great

[@grimgrog]

I think Tales of Symphonia was my first Tales Game. Since it didn’t get much traction in the west, at the time, I had to use emulation to play the Phantasia and its sequels. Symphonia made me fall in love with the Namco Tales series and with only minor exception, I’ve rabidly hunted down and consumed most of the main series and a few spin offs

[@zachcarman8855]

I played Skies of Arcadia on the Gamecube and it is a game I still think about every now and then. One of the great adventures in gaming. Would love to see it released on PC or a modern console.

[@dr4c0blade]

My favorite Gamecube RPG is definitely Baten Kaitos Origins. For a while, it was the only RPG I would replay, because the combat was so much fun. Same with Tokyo Mirage Sessions -- big, bombastic and beautiful. I love the spectacle of the combat system, especially on the highest difficulty.

[@Silversky1113]

Despite some people disliking the last bit of the game, i still think Bravely Default is the best jrpg on 3ds. The music, the combat and job systems, and the characters are all amazing.

[@CompassIIDX]

You are correct.

[@albedoasura3872]

I subbed to you, love seeing the old school classics get some love. I absolutely agree on DQ8, it is my favorite DQ game so far. I really liked DQ11 but to me it just felt like something was missing. Imo for the PS4 Trails of Cold Steel 4 would win

[@Martyn-fon-Rosenberg]

So glad you put final fantasy 9 as the best on playstation. Definitely my favourite final fantasy. I play it at least once a year.

[@Alex-kr7vk]

Morning David. I believe they did bundle the first three phantasy star games on the GBA. Unsure if they ever did all 4

[@adamclark8994]

DQVIII is a great game but I would have picked Final Fantasy X. Anyway, I love this channel.

[@lindenstromberg6859]

FFX would also be my pick for PS2. That game remains great to this day. While I love the Dragon Quest franchise, I found DQ6-8 era to be not to my tastes, which puts m at a disagreement with most because DW7 and DQ8 were their introduction to the franchise, where mine was kind DW3, though I did play DW1 first, but finished it for the first time after DW3.

[@adamclark8994]

@@lindenstromberg6859 What's Dragon Warrior 3 like? I want to play that one day.

[@lindenstromberg6859]

@@adamclark8994 For one thing, there are more towns than FF games. While FF games tend to have around a dozen towns, DW3 has more like 30-40. It is the earliest RPG I know of that has a massive twist in it - and I'm not talking an FF1 or FF Legend style twist (basically, that guy from earlier is actually the end boss!), this is a massive twist even by today's standards that changes everything you know about what's happening in the game. I won't elaborate, but you kind of have to play Dragon Warrior 1 (at least) before 3 in order for the twist to have the full impact, although playing DW2 helps. The major things that attracted me to Dragon Warrior 3 was how it was a bit more sandboxy than previous RPGs that were more or less straight forward adventures - this one had mini games (the arenas) with gambling, and playing around with character job systems and taking on the challenges. While other games have done these things significantly better, since, Dragon Warrior 3 has the distinction of putting this all together in one game, first. That's why I consider it to be the first modern RPG - I don't mean "modern" as in most up to date, but "modern" in that it's an RPG that feels like most RPGs out these days - even FF1, which came out around the same time, lacks a lot of the modern feeling elements, it doesn't have much of a story, it's more like a setup and then you go and do the things established in the setup, and then there's a bit of a twist at the end - which isn't even a real twist (Garland, the first end boss, is actually also the last end boss). Gameplaywise, battle system is standard Dragon Quest, if you've played Dragon Quest 4-8, you'll have an idea of what Dragon Quest 3 plays like.

[@adamclark8994]

@@lindenstromberg6859 Cool man.

[@jc.1191]

Ff12. I didn't care for 10.

[@josefkrenshaw179]

'Defenders of Oasis' for the game gear is available on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console. Unless their eShop has been closed down.

[@damikki]

Hi David, thank you once again for finding yet another RPG I haven't yet played Lucienne's Quest on the 3DO - Now where did I put that emulator LOL. Also I would genuinely love to know why you feel the Atari Lynx and N64 are trash, is that just from a JRPG point of view or a general view of the consoles ? I am most interested, as you have a great taste in games, so I'd love to know your honest views on these two consoles. I would also love to see all 4 Phantasy Star games as remakes , perhaps they could fix the issues with 2 & 3. Thank you again for yet another great video.

[@peteranon8455]

I know I'm late to the party, but this video earned my LIKE when he mentioned that the Saga Frontier games had this potential that wasn't quite realized. (12:17) They have this awesome layout, an idea that you could change the story in some way... but then they just fizzle into a foamy pile.

[@Nathan-rb3qp]

Fun Fact: Magic Knight Rayearth was the last Sega Saturn game ever released in America.

[@mariusamber3237]

Nice list! In only a few cases are all the RPGs for the system available in English now (Master System, Game Gear... and that's it I guess?), Japan got a slew of them by comparison, and here in Europe we got the shaft in this department, we didn't even get most of the big NES/SNES RPGs - though to be fair, PC RPGs were way, way more popular in the 90s over here, and we had tons of them too, so hey, at least there's that. I'd add Megami Tensei games personally, all the fan-translated/officially released ones, Etrian Odyssey and Shining in the Darkness too, as a dungeon-crawler fan.

[@thejetstarjump]

Japan got PS2 remakes of the Phantasy Star series. There’s some translated ROMS floating around if you’re curious.

[@honey_mustard98]

Tales of Symphonia is my absolute favorite game of all time 🥰 Glad to see love for Tales of Hearts R as well!!

[@honey_mustard98]

I think my fav PSP JRPG is Persona 3 Portable! Definitely another all-time fav!

[@123luff]

Good list, but surprised with Magic Knight Rayearth. It's a nice game, but there were many others, including Lunar which you mentioned during the review of it. On the top of my head: Shining the Holy Ark, Shining Force 3, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Lunar 1&2, Grandia, Dark Savior, and Albert Odyssey.

[@lostpunkrock]

My list of favs of the consoles I played rpgs on nes ff1 (I think its more nostalgia than it being good) snes - Tie between chrono trigger and ff6 (both are my fav games of all time) ps 1 - ff9 ps2 - tales of abyss ps3 - valkyira chronicles ps4 - persona 5 ps vita - persona 4 golden gamecube - tales of symphonia xbox360 - lost odyssey 3ds - bravely devault Switch - octopath traveller

[@cantonnierbethcepourlavhy6343]

Have you ever played Napple Tale on the Dreamcast ? It's pretty unique but it's a beautifully unknown gem with one of the greatest soundtrack for a RPG, all system considered !

[@ArtUndertheArch]

Sad not to see any Lunar on here but thanks for sharing your picks! Radiant Historia is an excellent DS/3DS jrpg, I think it is one of the last jpgs I've played that felt unique and creative instead of relying on "classic jrpg nostalgia."

[@stefanharaldsson8440]

I never gave Radiant Historia a chance back in the day, maybe I should give it a shot. With that said, I will put The World Ends With You as my favourite RPG for the DS

[@Kerdukie]

Glad you picked Skies of Arcadia over Grandia 2! :D

[@Ash113Lynx]

I'm playing Radiant Historia, the 3DS version, right now and it's so good! I know a lot of people prefer the DS version, but with nothing for me to compare it to, I'm really liking the 3DS version I also enjoyed Hearts R, I quite liked the combat as well. Even if Kor was a "meh" main, Kohaku and Hisui took up the mantle of the true mains really well (I also preferred playing as Kohaku because she was more fun AND could heal herself without me relying on the AI to have half a brain)

[@silver924]

Great list. I could never make one, because for almost every system I have at least 3-5 JRPGs, which I couldn't decide between. I honestly was surprised about Alliance Alive. I've never played it, so I can't evaluate the game, but I had heard mixed opinions about this game. Most of them ranged from "meh" to "good". You are the first person, who says that it's the best. My favourite jrpg for the 3ds is Bravely Default.

[@urdad1984]

I agree with a majority of this list, esp wii onward. Id have to do Persona 3 Portable for PSP & Soul Hackers for 3ds tho, aside from those a very solid list

[@insaneasock3156]

Loved the video and can agree with pretty much all these.

[@DarthLink2]

Well... this is a lovely little to do list.

[@redstratus97]

Bundle all 4 Fantasy Stars together? That was done already with the Sonic Ultimate Collection for the PS3. I have it. All 4 are in there.

[@miaththered]

Of this exhaustive list the only ones I've played are the later entries as I'm of 90s extraction.

[@Lukamusic81]

I’m playing Final Fantasy 9 finally. So Epic. Suikoden 2 will always be my favorite for the PS though. I loved Ni no Kuni. I want to play Dragon Quest 11 and Octopath traveler when I get a switch

[@jamesaitchison9478]

Good, competant list, i'd change a few titles but overall pretty good 👍

[@theultimaterush]

Ugh, I really want to get a vita!