These Short JRPGs Are Worth Playing Today!

We're diving into the world of JRPGs with a list of short games that players can complete in 25 hours or less.
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Welcome to Fireside Gaming! We release a new video every couple of weeks. Look for us to upload between Friday and Sunday!
We do a little bit of everything here when it comes to games but one of the biggest focuses is on retro gaming. Even so, don't be surprised if you see us pump out a video for a new release here and there, or even take a look at games still in their unfinished states.
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Laxia's Twitter: / laxia16
Thank you for watching and take care!

[@npsmel]

A lot of these have phone ports

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

That's good to know! I'll pin this so more people see it!

[@zanderstigen]

You know what they say for some of these games… Play them any way you can 😉

[@andrewsingsthehymns9567]

yo ho ho ho, ho ho ho ho. yo ho ho ho, ho ho ho ho.

[@treetheoak8313]

The fact that you understood the assignment and even suggested easier to access ports. Earned you a new subscriber my friend

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Thank you!

[@robertbarker5802]

The Switch port of Phantasy Star 1 is fantastic.

[@Quick_Nerd]

this was a very enjoyable watch, thank you for making this

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Thank you for watching!

[@grahamwilliams8187]

I’m really enjoying indie RPGs. If I can get 10-15 hours out of a game and support small studios, it’s a win-win imo.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Completely agree. I've got Small Saga and Chained Echoes sitting in my backlog right now. We love supporting indie games here.

[@crocodilenaknak8809]

I have always been amazed by the fact that people can breeze through the .hack franchise on the game side I have spent literal years playing through that franchise because alongside the games I followed the guide of which anime series takes place in-between the games and alongside the games same thing with the various manga released its been since 2009 and im still slowly taking my time fully immersing myself with my all time favorite non existent MMO. Thanks for making a good video about some great rpg games I got to enjoy and make great memories I made with my dad playing a lot of these.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

You're welcome. I enjoy the larger Dot Hack franchise as well. I've been going through it in between my recent reviews. Outside of the Sign anime and one of the light novels, I didn't get the chance to as a kid so it's been satisfying.

[@chrisjohnson9542]

Cosmic star heroine is really good and it's super fast paced. So it's perfect for someone who's really busy as a lot happens in an hours time from moment to moment. I haven't quite finished it but its about 15 hours or so.

[@woogha]

Another recommendation. Jade Cocoon.

[@lifeiaskedfor]

another good one that's not too long is Crosscode. To get through the main story you probably take probably 20-25 hours. Though it might be longer due to the game's difficulty

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

I thought you were crazy at first but I checked and that might be viable. I haven't played since release and I did loads of the side stuff so I thought it was way longer than that.

[@zanderstigen]

The FF Pixel Remasters are also available relatively affordable especially when on sale on both PlayStation and Switch. They are definitely the most accessible and look absolutely amazing

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

That's fair and I should've mentioned them. I'm not the biggest fan of the sprites and just completely forgot about them when making this video.

[@chronoscat3371]

I've played through the first three so far, and while I don't like every change they made, over all they're really good versions. I was particularly impressed by the Remaster of II which I think is the best version of the game so far (and one I truly enjoyed playing, unlike the PS1 version).

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

I'm gonna cover the PSP versions of II and IV but I'm unsure what to do with III. The PR is one of the options I'm considering for it.

[@chronoscat3371]

@@FiresideGamingReviews Yeah, tough call. While the 3D Remake & Pixel Remaster of III may be the same game at the core, they feel very different - and many of the differences are more than cosmetic.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Right? I'm also considering the original since I played it first through a fan translation.

[@edroy2523]

Suikoden!!!!!! Between that and Chrono Trigger, I can see how they would be beatable quickly. But I had to uncover every secret in both. Then do the New Game + on Chrono. And find all endings. Took a bit longer

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

I get it. Bravely Default did the same for me. Doesn't help I'm a sucker for job classes.

[@Equ3strianGam3r]

I realize that strategy type RPG's may not be for everybody but, I suggest Arc the Lad on PS1. The first game of the 3 is only about 10 hours. It does end on kind of a cliffhanger so you'll want to continue with Arc the Lad 2 as well. It is much longer if you count both of them as one title.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Those have been sitting in my PSN account for a couple years now. Knowing they aren't too long is good!

[@chrisjohnson9542]

As someone who has a severe illness causing me to spend 90% of my life to my bed or couch I'm having the exact opposite problem 😂 I keep burning through 10 to 15 hour games and need beefy 50 and 60 hour games. But at the same time, though I absolutely LOVE turn based rpgs, the battle systems can sometimes get reall monotonous and boring. Which is why I really adore the megaman battle network series and the mario and luigi series because they have a really active battle system. But I've been finding myself playing more and more metroidvania type games. But the downside is that most are pretty short or fall into that 10 to 15 hour slot.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Hollow Knight might be right up your alley for a longer Metroidvania. Shadow Hearts on PS2 has a more active turn-based system as well. Not anywhere close to the Mario & Luigi games but moreso than most JRPGs have.

[@chrisjohnson9542]

​@@FiresideGamingReviewshey thank you! I really appreciate the feedback and recommendations!

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

@@chrisjohnson9542 You're welcome!

[@mjbuffalo716]

You know, this entire video is me realizing that classic jrpgs are a lot shorter than I gave them credit for 😂 That’s on me for jumping in with FF8 and only running that series, haha

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Lol. Yeah, JRPGs started getting a lot longer during the PS1/PS2 era. Definitely still worth playing many of them but the time sink is real.

[@boomer-nomad]

You earned one more fan. Thank you for your work.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Thanks!

[@anonamatron]

I can beat Dragon Quest 1 SNES in under an hour (using emulators with fast forward buttons, and using that button heavily, particularly during battle). NES takes quite a bit longer because they made the SNES version pretty easy. This game is pretty cool to run through now and then given how simple it is.

[@Eric-zx2wk]

Thank you for the content. You clearly have an era of games you prefer. Nothing from the past decade?

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Thanks! I still play new games but not near as much as retro games. Also, many of them, like the Bravely or Octopath games, were too long for my 25-hour limit.

[@lauraheffner5342]

Great video!!! What version did you use for FF? It looks gorgeous!

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

That's the PSP version. FFII and FFIV:The Complete Collection also got remakes on the PSP with this same style.

[@lauraheffner5342]

@@FiresideGamingReviews Thank you!!!

[@roguerifter9724]

I always thought all the Phantasy Star games took place in one universe with the various settings just occurring at different times and locations. Edit is Robotrek, aka my favorite Quintet RPG, too long for the list or was it not included because it was so different from Quintet's other RPGs?

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

There are some very loose connections and some fans do place them all together, but if you start with any one subseries you aren't going to need to know anything about the others to enjoy them.

[@justinbailey1108]

Awesome list of games few i didnt know about but, No parasite eve on this list? That's a great jrpg that only takes about 10-12hrs for the main game

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

I did consider it but didn't add it because of how long it's been since I last played it. It only just missed the cut because of that. If I make another short JRPGs video like this again I have no doubt it will be on it.

[@sammichboop9939]

Okie another one I have fun with (that might be a lil silly for some) is Rhapsody a musical adventure. It also got ported to the switch as well as the 2nd and 3rd one :3

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

That's been on my backlog for a bit now. I should really check it out.

[@KabooomandStuff]

I'm currently playing through both lost kingdoms 1 and 2 on the gamecube, those are both great short jrpg made by from software. It such a different combat system then I've play in any other game as you're a summer who uses cards to summon monster or attack all in real time.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

I have the first one but haven't played it yet. It's on my list to check out soon.

[@KabooomandStuff]

@@FiresideGamingReviews honestly the second one improves on everything from the first game plus adds new cards, they're both good games though

[@johngibson4874]

I played Chrono Trigger on Android and it was totally worth it

[@alttraq]

Ok I need to just finally play chrono trigger, its been on my to do list forever. I also actually bought one of fantasy star games on genesis like 10 or so years ago because I was trying to just buy older games but never actually played it.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Go for it. It's loads of fun. The sequel is...different but also one of my favorites. From my understanding Phantasy Star 2 and 4 are well loved but 3 is a little rough around the edges. If you don't mind emulating, there's a General Improvement Patch that makes it play closer to 2 and 4.

[@F_ERAL]

I was so sad to see that Chrono Trigger isn't emulated on the Switch, but thank goodness I have a PC and 3DS. I'm sad to say I never got far, but I've heard how amazing it is.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

I feel like Square missed an opportunity with the Chrono Cross remaster on Switch by not just including Chrono Trigger as well. Make it a nice all-in-one package.

[@anonamatron]

If you want to emulate it I'd just grab a ROM.... buying ROMs for modern consoles where you get less cool emulator features doesn't do much for me. I have the SNES cart anyway.

[@F_ERAL]

@anonamatron I modded my 3DS for emulation, so I'm all set, but I always prefer to play legal way.

[@anonamatron]

@@F_ERAL For older games now I always put Fast Forward on R2 and Rewind on L2, which is cheating I guess but being a master of time so to speak on older RPGs just saves you an incredible amount of time, especially in RPG battles. Tough to live without that. I usually play on an Android tablet with an 8bitdo or PS4 controller. Are you using a New 3ds (I mean the model)? I never had very good emulation results on mine (regular 3DS XL or whatever they call the big one)

[@F_ERAL]

@@anonamatron I don't know if 3DS will let you fast forward, but I use a New Nintendo 3DS XL. :)

[@greasygranpapy7529]

... people beat Tales of Symphonia in 42 hours on average? Oh...

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Right? I thought that was on the short side compared to my playthrough but I guess not.

[@kainme1901]

.hack series got you my Sub!!

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Awesome! Always glad to have another .hack fan on board.

[@Vandal49]

lunar was originally a sega game, not a ps1 game (and included a fan service easter egg of all the male characters in an onsen together, which may or may not have been a sexual awakening for me as a kid)

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

I didn't say the PS1 version was the original. But it is the version that Legend is based on. Also, not sure I needed to know that last part, lol.

[@spagootest2185]

omg its beard hotline miami

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

Lol. I was confused at first but looked it up. I see what you mean.

[@noneofyourbusiness4616]

I started Chrono Trigger but got bogged down at the fair in the beginning of the game because a guide I looked at said there were a whole lot of alternate endings you could only see if you spent an absurd amount of time grinding this one game in the fair. Guess I shouldn't have looked at that guide.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

There are multiple endings but you shouldn't worry about them until New Game+. And most of them are just fun and goofy alternatives, nothing that majorly affects the main story. You should give it another shot. It's well worth it!

[@opaljk4835]

Right. I play it around once a year and do things a little bit different. It’s not worth getting bogged down in that other stuff

[@Matt_Sorensen]

Just started FF6, when I finish I'll dive into one of these! Thanks for the short recommendations. It's hard for me to finish 50hr+ games.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

@@Matt_Sorensen Thanks and have fun with FF6!

[@EugeneKurlikin]

PS1 is by far the best way to experience Lunar 1

[@TheyeronLowe]

First Comment and Like

[@zelphermm]

do not play the gba version of the lunar series you will be missing what made the game so great for its time and its a working designs game which means its will be good.

[@anonamatron]

I think that's the only version I haven't played. I didn't like the PSP version much at all, and I'm most partial to the Sega CD original.

[@zelphermm]

@@anonamatron i have the PlayStation versions of them.

[@anonamatron]

@@zelphermm Well, a lot of it is probably nostalgia, but I really love the Sega CD originals more than the PSX/Saturn remakes. Those are definitely not bad though. Give the originals a try someday.

[@mitchells2003]

You're not missing anything by dropping FFXII. It's probably the least impactful storyline of any main FF title. I can't even remember the names of the main characters other than Penelo and that's just because of the weird pronunciation putting the emphasis on "ne" instead of "pe".

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

I've actually dropped it twice now. Once after it came out and another time a few years back. I ended up watching a friend beat it and that's good enough for now.

[@croakclyde1654]

Kinda sad you think ff is the grandfather of all jrpg games when in actuality its dragon quest who started it all. 😢

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

I said it was "one of the grandfathers" of the genre. Not the only one. I gave DQ plenty of respect as well.

[@greasygranpapy7529]

It was huge in the US back in the day, DQ wasn't.

[@anonamatron]

@@greasygranpapy7529 We got Dragon Warrior for free from Nintendo Power! Final Fantasy was definitely more popular back then but we got some miles out of Dragon Quest too. For some reason though despite loving DW I NEVER played the sequels. I'd replay DW1 again and again, but just never thought to play the sequels, despite very much knowing about them. When SNES emulators came out I remember drooling over the Japanese ROMS for 5 and 6 and wishing I could understand Japanese so I could play them.... I've been working through the series recently, playing multiple versions of each game. I'm up to DQ6 SNES now, and it's been really great. I might go through the whole Zenethian trilogy (4-6) again on DS next. If you asked me right now I'd say DQ is better than FF. When I'm not in the middle of a DQ kick maybe that would change, but I'm enjoying it for now.

[@croakclyde1654]

@@greasygranpapy7529 but it doesnt change anything at all. so what if ff was more popular in the west? that doesnt change the fact that dragon quest pioneered jrpgs and final fantasy was directly inspired by dragon quest.

[@greasygranpapy7529]

@@croakclyde1654 My point is, if not for FF, jrpgs wouldn't have become huge in the west like they did back in the day. It's totally valid to say FF is one of the grandfathers of jrpgs.

[@IntrepidOnce]

The Last Story was honestly a huge disappointment. From a leveling experience, it's very basic, the story is honestly very cliche, and the Ending is about as unoriginal as one could imagine. If you were to analyze this game in a Vacuum, you'd be looking at a 6/10 experience. But considering there are many many many more well made RPG's I would suggest you just pass over this one. Mediocre at best.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

I'll respectfully disagree.

[@koopakape]

I dunno. I gave it a shot, but with the first half being the most obvious possible suggestions on the planet and the last half being filled with random awful takes like the implication that Paper Mario is anything less than a masterpiece or, sickeningly, pointing new JRPG fans toward the complete embarrassment that was Lunar Legend just because you can't take a little silly humor in the original translations... I dunno, man. I think this kind of content is cool and I like seeing more retro game channels pop up but this one rubbed me a bit wrong lol. On top of other nitpicks like going on about Phantasy Star as a series when only the first really makes any sense for this video's topic, or mentioning Quintet's games which aren't reeeeeeeeally RPGs, etc...

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

It's fine if we disagree. No harm, no foul. But show Quintet some respect. The Blazer saga are action RPGs through and through.

[@suxdonti]

Ugh stop yapping and go play the games

[@anonamatron]

Your scanlines make the games look so ugly... I haven't played on a CRT in a long time, but when emulators first came out I was still playing SNES and PS1 on a CRT, and when I played on my computer I did not prefer scanlines, that's for sure. I don't think it makes them look like a CRT at all... just dark and ugly.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

PS1 scanlines can still be pretty hit or miss, I think it was a bit of a miss for Suikoden this time around, but I love a scanlines+blur+glow filter combination for SNES games. But to each their own.

[@anonamatron]

​@@FiresideGamingReviews Sure, do it if you like it, I just never got it. I've seen some CRT filters that give a bit of a fisheye distortion around the corners. My TV used to cut off one side and stretch stuff out near the corners of the screen, and it'd warp when the screen scrolled... I guess I have some amount of nostalgia for that but I always liked the cleaner look on a computer screen.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

I can dig the fisheye sometimes but not often. Part of that's due to me having a flat screen CRT in highschool so it's what I'm nostalgic for. I'm good with crisp too but only for certain games, like the Mega Man X series. I just feel like those sprites look best without any filters.

[@SpoonyBard88]

Playing a JRPG as an adult? Select easy difficulty if it has one. A ton of games think "difficulty" means "grinding," which just wastes your time.

[@FiresideGamingReviews]

It'll sound silly but I'm one of those prideful gamers that refuses to play on easy mode.

[@gaming_with_chuck2299]

That stupid, I'm 40 years old and love the grind, it doesn't not mean difficulty it's battle preparation. Now go in a boss battle and don't grind now that is difficulty. Also playing hard if the rpg does have it most likely means that's the only way to get the full storyline in example valkyrie profile story of lenneth. You don't play on hard you do not get the true ending. So I'm sorry I'm going to have to disagree with you big time