Currently, there are still some amazing JRPGs coming out today, like Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, Tales of Arise, and Metaphor: ReFantasia, just to name a few examples. As great as these games are, there are some JRPG fans who still feel like the 90s and early 2000s were the pinnacle of the genre, and cannot see eye to eye with modern games.
The 10 Most Timeless Classic JRPGs, Ranked
From the SNES to the 3DS, these JRPGs remain timeless in quality and have earned their spot as genre classics.
There are turn-based, tactical, and action-based examples that still hold up today just as much as they did decades ago. Some even have modern ports or remasters to help their case. So, let’s take a look at some JRPGs that were released before 2010 across a wide array of consoles. How well do these classics hold up?
Chrono Trigger
It’s About Time
Chrono Trigger is still one of the best games on the SNES that represents the 90s so well. It’s an epic adventure with one surprise after the other as players travel between different time periods from the modern age to the Middle Ages to the future and even the prehistoric era.
Before players know it, they will be at the end, as the pacing is so tight without a lot of need to backtrack or grind for levels. Plus, if players want, they can start a New Game+ to keep going.
Final Fantasy 9
A Timeless Classic
Final Fantasy 9 is a classic adventure that shows what’s great about the Final Fantasy franchise as a whole. It may start out with some cliches about kidnapping princesses and warring kingdoms, but there’s so much more at stake in the plot.
The battle system is decent, with each character representing a classic job like a Black Mage or Thief, and the Trance powers level up the battlefield. The best part is how lived-in the world feels between the well-designed locations and the plethora of races, making the game truly feel like a journey across cultures.
Persona 4
Scooby-Doo Goes To Japan
Persona 4, like most of the Persona games, is a linear game wherein players, as students, have to go about their lives day after day. The first two hours are slow, but once things open up after this trial phase, players will start to ease into the flow.
The overall plot involves a group of teens who discover powers within a TV-based world, and they try to use them to solve a series of murders around town. In each month, a major revelation will come in, leading the team to investigate a new related dungeon, and like any good detective story, it will have players guessing until the end.
Pokemon Gold/Silver
Monster-Catching At Its Best
Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver gave fans what any JRPG fan would want from a sequel. There was a new region, Johto, new Pokemon, and new mechanics to keep things feeling fresh.
10 Turn-Based JRPGs With Wild Difficulty Spikes Fans Still Secretly Love
Even the most beloved JRPGs can have challenge bursts that feel downright unfair.
Pokemon now had genders and could breed with each other, players had a phone system to talk to NPCs, and the list goes on. While the Pokemon series has evolved, making some mechanics a bit archaic now, there is one thing that sets these games apart: the second area. After players beat the game, they can go to the previous region, Kanto, and start a whole new adventure, which was mind-blowing back then.
Mother 3
Lost But Not Forgotten
Mother 3 was never released outside of Japan, but that hasn’t stopped fans from wanting to play it officially since it was released in 2006 on the Game Boy Advance. Serving as the last game in the Mother series, the pacing is the best the series has to offer, with a quicker intro, partners join the party faster, and the overall blend of colors makes the game more inviting.
The battle system is simple, but also complex if players wish to dive into the musical cues deeper, but it is not necessary. Buckle up, though, because this turn-based JRPG is a sad one.
Odin Sphere
The Norse Winds Are Calling
- Developer: Vanillaware
- Publisher: Atlus
- Platform: PS2
- Released: May 22, 2007 (NA)
Odin Sphere was released late for the PS2 in 2007, almost a full year after the PS3 was released in 2006. Because of this, many may have passed it by, but it remains one of Vanillaware’s best games. This 2D action JRPG puts players in charge of several characters, all of whom tie together in some way, as players will see by jumping around chapters.
The gameplay systems were improved in the remaster, Odin Sphere: Leifthrasir, making the action more fluid, for example, but this core version on the PS2 is still a worthwhile piece of art.
Golden Sun
Turn-Based Puzzles
Golden Sun is a great turn-based RPG for those who want a little bit of Zelda gameplay in their experience, too. Players will encounter enemies randomly and fight in cinematic battles with big sprites and flashy animations.
In dungeons, players will learn psychic powers to interact with objects, like being able to summon a big hand to move pillars around. It’s a great blend of genres that never overstays its welcome, and it, along with the sequel, is part of the GBA collection on the Switch consoles.
Parasite Eve
The RPG Equivalent of Die Hard
Parasite Eve is a great blend of action and turn-based JRPGs, as players can run around the battlefield to dodge attacks while they wait for their meter to fill up, which will allow them to attack back. Taking place in New York City, the game is focused on a few days around Christmas, wherein detectives are investigating a series of incidents involving animals and humans mutating.
8 Forgotten JRPGs That Deserve To Be Rediscovered
These more obscure JRPGs are in dire need of gamers rediscovering their charm.
Even though it is a sci-fi game, much of the plot is grounded thanks to the characters. It’s a brief adventure, too, even with the extras, making now a good time to play it over a weekend during the holidays.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Alternate History Mayhem
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
- Released
-
September 27, 2004
Shadow Hearts: Covenant is set during an alternate version of World War 1 wherein Rasputin and other notable characters in history are gathering a secret society to rule the world. Players assume control of a special unit aimed at defeating this secret society, formed from an eclectic cast of characters like a magical wolf and a gifted puppeteer.
In battle, players have control of the Judgment Ring, a spinning wheel that can affect the power of an attack, making the turn-based combat system a bit more active. Overall, the tone is sillier than most of the JRPGs on the PS2.
Jeanne d’Arc
Tactically Accurate
Jeanne d’Arc is also an alternative history JRPG, except this one takes place during a French and English war in the Middle Ages. Players start as Jeanne, a simple village girl who gets swept into the war when her village gets attacked by monsters, and she is gifted a magical power to transform into a knight in battle.
Players will go from battlefield to battlefield, accessed by a world map, and combat is a grid-based tactical JRPG. Beyond Jeanne, other party members can learn to transform, too, and this once PSP-exclusive can now be accessed on modern hardware like the PS5.
8 RPGs That Are Practically MMOs in Disguise
These games may not officially be MMOs, but fans of the genre may find something familiar in them.
