While it’s difficult to determine the very firstJRPG, the genre began gaining popularity during the NES era, also known as Famicom.
However, it was on theSNESthat JRPGs began achieving global relevance, and many series earned their place in the sun.
10 JRPG Sequels That Improve On The Original
Games like Kingdom Hearts 2 and Persona 3 took their respective series in bold new directions.
Some franchises remain strong even today, with new mainline releases strengthening their installments with each generation.
Others, though, were born on the SNES, and there they remained but still made enough noise to be remembered to this day.
10Bahamut Lagoon
Dragons Partnership
Bahamut Lagoon
Bahamut Lagoonis one of many SquareSoft titles that have never been released outside Japan, but playing it with fan translations was possible.
The game is atactical JRPGin which players control humans and dragons in the world of Orelo, which is filled with floating continents.
What setBahamut Lagoonapart from other tactical games of its time was its dragon unit management. Players could feed dragons various items and equipment to strengthen them and change their forms.
However, depending on the food, a dragon could lose loyalty to the player. Since these units can’t be directly controlled, sometimes they would refuse to act, throwing a wrench into the player’s plans but adding a nice twist to the gameplay.
9Breath of Fire II
Becoming A Dragon
Breath of Fire II
Capcom saw other Japanese companies digging into a delicious slice of JRPG pie and wanted to launch their own franchise. Thus,Breath of Firewas born.
The first game was simple, maybe too simple, though it had good ideas. ButBreath of Fire IIrefined what its predecessor aimed to do.
Ryu, the draconic protagonist, returns to a plot set 500 years after the first game. Alongside an anthropomorphic group, he faces conflict after conflict to prevent the return of an ancient devil.
The standout feature of this JRPG was the power of its protagonist, who could transform into a dragon in battle, as well as a fusion system. By finding shamans around the world, we could link their powers to a party member, altering that member’s appearance and abilities.
Breath of Fire IIalso featured a town-management system. Certain NPCs could be recruited to live in our town and expand it with new facilities and features.
8Tales of Phantasia
The Beginning Of The Tale
Tales of Phantasia
Tales of Phantasia, the first game in theTales ofseries, was released in 1995 for the SNES, but this version stayed in Japan.
It only had an international release on the GBA in 2006. However, with the help of passionate translator fans, it was still possible to playTales of Phantasiaon SNES and see how one of thelongest-running JRPG franchisesbegan.
8 Most Satisfying JRPG Progression Systems
Leveling up is just the beginning.
InTales of Phantasia, we play as Cress Albane on a journey involving time travel, spirit summoning, and a unique battle system called the Linear Motion Battle System that plays out in an action-based 2D scenario.
The JRPG had some of the best graphics on the SNES, voice acting, and a vocal theme song.Tales of Phantasia’ssuccess launched a series that today has more than 15 mainline titles.
7Trials of Mana
Trials of Mana (1995)
Continuing our saga of “JRPGs that didn’t make it out of Japan at launch,” we haveTrials of Mana, known back then asSeiken Densetsu 3.
The successor to the renownedSecret of Mana,Trials of Manatook SquareSoft’s action RPG formula to the next level. Today, the game is globally recognized thanks to its remake on modern platforms.
This JRPG allowed players to choose a protagonist from six characters, along with two sidekicks from the same roster who would accompany the main plot of the selected lead. Depending on the chosen protagonist, a different story is told.
Each character had a class, and upon reaching a certain level, they could evolve into one of two new classes: one aligned with darkness and the other with light. After another level threshold, another evolution was possible. In total, each character had six classes, excluding the initial one.
The technical excellence, the different narratives, and the gameplay were all top-notch for an SNES game. A producer said in an interview thatTrials of Manawasn’t released internationally because there was no room on the cartridge for localization.
6Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy 4
You can’t talk about JRPGs without mentioningFinal Fantasy, especially the fourth title. Sakaguchi createdFinal Fantasyas a way to tell stories, but withFinal Fantasy IV, he took storytelling to a whole new level.
The SNES JRPG introduced fixed characters full of personalities, fears, and desires, making them more relatable than the blank canvases of FFI and FFIII.
It was easy to identify with Cecil and his struggles with his duties as a Dark Knight, even his shift to a Paladin. Or with Rydia, the fan-favorite summoner beloved by many series fans.
Equally notable is thatFinal Fantasy IVintroduced the ATB system, the Active Time Battle, which added a gauge to the stapleJRPG turn-based combat. The system kept players on their toes, forcing them to think quickly about their moves or get punished for hesitation.
To this day, many fans of the Crystal franchise considerFinal Fantasy IVone of their favorite titles, showing just how iconic it was in its time. The game received a sequel,The After Years, and a bonus game,Final Fantasy IV Interlude.
5Earthbound
Earthbound
Irreverent, wacky, innovative, and provocative are just a few words players use to describeEarthbound, which is known in Japan asMother 2.
And there’s a reason for that, mainly because the JRPG is all these things.Earthboundpaints a satire of American culture while messing with some typical RPG conventions, practically making it an anti-RPG.
10 Best JRPGs With Unique Mechanics
Some JRPGs stand out solely for their unique mechanics.
Earthboundtakes place in the ’90s in a country parodying the USA. We play as Ness, a boy with psychic powers who must stop an alien threat.
Amid its turn-based battles, psychedelic visuals, modern settings, and the cultural clash between Japan and the developers' perception of American culture, there’s a hidden gem of a JRPG that would likely be much more successful if released today.
For a more modern reference, many players compareUndertaletoEarthbound, claiming that the former was heavily inspired by Ness’s JRPG.
4Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
When SquareSoft, one of the top JRPG producers of the time, joined forces with Nintendo to make an RPG for one of the industry’s most prominent mascots, the result wasSuper Mario RPG, an SNES masterpiece.
Super Mario RPGis a timeless game. It still looks great today, its combat mechanics involving timed inputs are iconic, and its story featuring familiar franchise characters quickly won fans' hearts worldwide.
The game also featured a platforming system that leveraged Mario’s jumps, including many puzzles and secrets only dedicated RPG players could uncover.
While a short game,Super Mario RPGis a must-play title for any JRPG fan. The game was recently remade on the Nintendo Switch, which is the ideal way to experience this instant classic.
3Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
It’s impossible to talk about JRPGs without mentioningDragon Quest, which many consider the forefather of the genre.Dragon Quest Vmarked the franchise’s entry on the SNES.
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Brideis yet another title that got stuck in Japan, only making its way to the West on the Nintendo DS. But once again, fans came to the rescue, allowing us to experience this title.
Dragon Quest Vretained many of the franchise’s staples but introduced a time-skip narrative that could melt even the toughest players' hearts. It’s nearly impossible not to be moved by the story.
10 Best Indie JRPGs You Need To Play
Craving for another JRPG to consume your life? Check out this list of the best the indie world has to offer!
System-wise, the game introduced a monster-taming feature. Though it wasn’t the first RPG to do this—the record goes toDigital Devil Story: Megami Tensei—Dragon Quest Vpopularized the system that later exploded worldwide withPokemon.
A powerful story spanning generations and an enhanced combat system that further refined the franchise’s formula turnedDragon Quest Vinto yet another timeless classic born in the SNES era.
2Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VI
IfFinal Fantasy IVshowcased the franchise’s storytelling power,Final Fantasy VIshowed what happens when developers pour all their experience into one title.
WhileFinal Fantasy Vfocused less on story and more on gameplay and its Job system,Final Fantasy VIwent all-in on narrative, character development, and world-building.
The JRPG features 14 main characters, along with some secondary ones who join the party temporarily. Each main character is packed with personality, has their own story, a unique skill set, and a shared goal of defeating the Gestahlian Empire—well, maybe not Shadow.
Final Fantasy VIwas so groundbreaking that, to this day, there’s no consensus on who the protagonist is, given how majestic some main characters are. Some even say the opera scene is among the best in all SNES games.
The only reasonFinal Fantasy VIisn’t at the top of the list is because of the World of Ruin. I love the outcome that led to this barren world and think Kefka is one of the best villains in the franchise, but the JRPG turned into a side-quest galore in its final moments.
1Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger
You obviously saw that coming, but hey, who can argue, right?Chrono Triggeris the de facto best JRPG on the SNES, period.
I may have minor gripes about Crono being a silent protagonist and, well, not mattering that much to the main plot, but I can let it slide because the rest of the game is pure joy.
Mechanics-wise, I don’t think any SNES JRPG could do better thanChrono Triggerdid. The game perfectly employedFinal Fantasy’sATB system, incorporating positioning, double and triple techs, and pushing combat to its limits.
The time-travel system is super tight, rarely relying on plot conveniences or creating plot holes, as is typical in time-travel games.
All the characters are lovable and authentic. Seeing characters from different eras unite for a common goal is heartwarming. The plot twist involving the protagonist was also unheard of for a JRPG back then.
The point here isn’t thatChrono Triggeris an easy game to praise, but it’s an extremely difficult JRPG to find fault with. There’s a reason why fans beg Square Enix for aChrono Triggerremake, but at the same time, they fear that the developer might taint the pristine image we have of it.
10 Best JRPGs With No Grinding
Don’t have time anymore to grind JRPG boss fights? Check out our grinding-free list of JRPGs to try instead.
