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Before i start this i just want you guys to know that IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS WITH MY LIST THEN DON'T BITCH ABOUT IT! Just leave a comment saying the name of a game, the place it should be, and why it's better than the current one. YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO CRITICIZE A GAME IF YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IT -No Pictures added so the post could load faster for you guys, be thankful.
- 100. Adventure - I personally think this game is boring as hell. But it pretty much created the genre for consoles, so it deserves to be on here.
- 99. Crazy Cross - Probably the least known RPG on the list. It's a 3D RPG made by some DigiPen folk that pokes fun at all the RPG stereotypes out there. And when you get down to it, it's a very sturdy game. You can download it for free at www.digipen.edu. Excuse the artwork, as their artists left the team early in the project.
- 97. Hoshigami - This game could have been so much more if it weren't so damn hard! A tile based strategy game similar to Final Fantasy Tactics.
- 96. Shining Wisdom - Not a very popular Saturn game similar to the Zelda series. It has some graphics and collision issues, but when you get past that it's a blast.
- 95. Final Fantasy Legend - This was the begining of the Secret of Mana series. A fun little game to take on the road.
- 94. Magic Knight Rayearth - Based on the anime of the same name, this Saturn RPG plays like Zelda where you control 3 characters at once. Some pretty cool ideas and characters tucked away in this little gem.
- 93. Phantasy Star 3 - The worst game of the Phantasy Star Series, but still worth a mention. If you're a true Phantasy Star fan, you can have fun with this one.
- 92. Saga Frontier - A little collection of a couple different character driven RPG's. While most are decent at best, it's a great idea and has some cool characters and art.
- 91. Parasite Eve - An innovative little game with a unique battle system. It has a pretty cool story as well. But it's weapon system and lagging story elements drag this one down quite a bit.
- 90. Legend of Zelda 2: Links Awakening - The first mention of our little friend Link. While this is in my opinion the worst of the franchise (excluding the CDI games), it can still be pretty fun.
- 89. Golden Sun - This game had a pretty cool feel to it, but the battle systems was very repedative dragging the game down. Fun dungeions when you aren't battling.
- 88. Landstalker - A hidden gem on the Genesis. This game plays similar to the less fun but more popular Legend of Oasis.
- 87. Breath of Fire 5 - This game is the worst of the Breath of Fire series. But it's a great game! Problem is, it's one of the shortest RPG's I've ever played.
- 86. Albert Odyssey - A pretty cool little Saturn RPG that not many people have gotten to try out. It has a great classic SNES style feel to it. But a boring battle system and lagging load times bring it down.
- 85. Legend of Mana - This game could have been so much more than it was. One of the prettiest games I have ever played, but also the biggest dissapointment in RPG history. It's obvious that this game was rushed out. If it had 10 more months of development, it could have very well been in the top 10. Still fun to play though.
- 84. Golden Sun 2 - Made some improvments on the battle system that brought the first Golden Sun down, but still lacking.
- 83. Final Fantasy 2 - First mention of Final Fantasy. This game felt the lest like any Final Fantasy game I've played. But it's still a good game none the less.
- 82. Final Fantasy 3 - This was a pretty cool Final Fantasy from what I picked up. The only RPG I've been able to play through in all Japanese. So while I can't comment on the story, I had fun with it.
- 81. Shining the Holy Arc - The last true console dungeon crawl game. This game had a good story and graphics for the time. But it got repedative.
- 80. Shenmue - I still don't know if I love or hate this game. It was a great idea, and in no other series have I felt so immersed and involved with the character. Great minigames as well. But this is the single most repedative game I have ever played. Also, the fighting sequences were choppy as hell.
- 79. Brave Fencer Musashi - I really liked the combat and play mechanics of this game. But it's world was very generic and uninvolving to me.
- 78. Harvest Moon 64 - This is the best of the Harvest Moon games so far. I never though farming could be this fun! But the game just sort of drops off suddenly. Fans of Animal Crossing need to check this series out.
- 77. Wild Arms - This game has the second best opening of any game out there. It's also a very solid RPG and the best of the series. An honorable mention goes to being the first console RPG to have 3D turn based battles.
- 76. Breath of Fire 4 - This game had a really cool story and characters. But the camera and inconsistent battle system killed it for me. Still fun though.
- 75. Links Awakening - This is in my opinion the hardest Zelda game out there. It's really fun while you're rolling. But it leaves you stuck without a clue what to do way too often to be higher on the list.
- 74. Vagrant Story - I'm gonna get reamed for putting this one so far down on the list. But I found it's weapon creation and battle system boring. Still a marvelous story, excellent characters, beautiful graphics, the best opening sequence of any game out there, and a mood setting soundtrack to boot. A great game.
- 73. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue - I really liked how this game tied into the first game. But it lacked a certian somthing. Parts of the story were too drawn out, and this game just sort of seemed to drag on. Still had some very memorable parts in it though.
- 72. Shenmue 2 - This game was much better than the first Shemnue, but still suffered from many of the same problems
- 71. Breath of Fire - A really cool little RPG. Very generic though. A great game to pick up on the SNES or even better GBA for RPG newbies.
- 70. Star Tropics - This game was to Zelda what Earthbound was to Dragon Warrior. A really fun little American Zelda clone.
- 69. Front Mission 3 - I loved the level of customization this game had, and the battles were really fun! But there weren't enough different attacks you could learn, and the story put me to sleep.
- 68. Star Tropics 2 - Same thing as the first Star Tropics on with time travel! Badass little game.
- 67. Shining in the Darkness - This game was very similar to Shining the Holy Ark. I don't know what it is about this game, but it's really charming. A great dungeon crawl for begginers.
- 66. Illusion of Gaia - This game was a pretty decent action RPG. It had some cool settings, but got repedative pretty fast. Still and amazing game none the less.
- 65. Arc the Lad Collection - I don't know enough about the Arc the Lad games to talk about them individually. But the games they included in this collection were all a lot of fun!
- 64. Dragon Warrior 2 - This game made leaps and bounds above the first Dragon Warrior. But it wasn't as innovative, so it doesn't get my respect as much as the first Dragon Warrior does
- 63. Dragon Warrior 3 - Same goes for what I said about Dragon Warrior 2. This game had a great job system though. Lots of fun.
- 62. Final Fantasy 5 - Speaking of great job systems, Final Fantasy 5 had one of the best job systems to date. It's character customization overshadowed the bland story and carried it to greatness.
- 61. Paper Mario - Nowhere near as great as Mario RPG, but a really quirky and innovative title. It's battle system and theme was great! But it was a little too easy to get it higher on the list.
- 60. Advance Wars - A great turn based strategy game. Very quirky, but a little repedative and easy at times.
- 59. Advance Wars 2 - Due to my connections at Nintendo, I've already been able to beat this game. It improves on the first game, but not by much. That's not such a bad thing though
- 58. Lufia - This game started a great series. It had some problems with character balance, but was fun none the less.
- 57. Soul Blazer - I love this game! It was very original for it's time and made way for Illusion of Gaia and Terrainagma.
- 56. Tactics Ogre - I really liked the organization of resources and troops this game used. But once you started a battle, you pretty much had zero involvement in the game.
- 55. Terrainagma - This game had wonderful graphics and really fun puzzles. A true gem.
- 54. Phantasy Star - This game did a lot for RPG's and blazed new trails for the genre. It was a little bland due to the lack of technology at the time. But it's still a lot of fun if you're a fan of the series.
- 53. Shining Force - Every Shining Force game is better than the last. I'd kill for a next gen Shining Force, but it doesn't look very likley. My only gripe with this game is that the strong characters would get exponetially stronger and the weak characters such as healers and mages would become weak and useless.
- 52. Legend of Dragoon - This game was Sony's answer to Final Fantasy. While it fell short of it's goal, it's still got some great gameplay in there.
- 51. Crystalis - This is an NES classic that that mixed action and RPG brilliantly. Check out the NST remake of the game on GBC for an even more polished experience.
- 50. Zelda Oracle of Seasons - This is a great game and a wonderful job on Capcoms part. While it lacks that Miyamoto magic, it's still a ton of fun, and just falls short of it's more cerebral based Oracle of Ages
- 49. Zelda Oracle of Ages - A lot goes for what I said about Oracle of Seasons here. I personally prefered this versions puzzles to the Seasons action.
- 48. Dragon Warrior 7 - The first and last Dragon Warrior game weve seen in a while. It falls short of Final Fantasy. But still has some great elements that Final Fantasy is missing.
- 47. Vandal Hearts - This is a great and vastly overlooked franchise for the Playstation One. Probably the second best tile based strategy franchise out there. This game also had a really cool job system similar to Final Fantasy Tactics. It's obvious Tactics borrowed heavily from this game. My only problem with it is that it was pretty short.
- 46. Final Fantasy 8 - This game had some of the coolest sequences of all time. I loved when there was pre rendered cutscenes in the background while you controlled a real time character in the foreground. It also had some cool characters and Final Fantasy charm. However, it's horrible battle system and story over saturated with plot twists hold this game down.
- 45. Legend of Zelda Majora's Mask - Everyone knows Majora's Mask. I really loved the use of masks turning you into different playable characters, and some of the dungeons in this game were really innovative. However, the time system and a few drab dungeon make this the worst of the 3D Zelda games.
- 44. Dragon Force - Truly one of the most original RPG's I've ever played. It's a strategy game similar to Ogre Battle, only you can actually control your characters in combat (what an idea!). You start out by chosing your genreal (good guys, bad guys, your choice) and branch out into an original game for each character. Once in battles you control huge braveheart like armies and tell them what formation to take. In the battle there are tons of matrix transformations preformed on the sprites, and it really adds to the dynamic of the battle and shows off that Saturn was a pretty cool little machine. Then at the end of fights, you could interrigate survivor captives and try to get them to join your team. This game also had some really cool characters. A true gem, but not for everyone.
- 43. PSO ver 1 & 2 - This is the only online RPG that could hold my intrest. I think it was the cool environments, characters, and most of all, weapons. All of the weapons in this game were really cool looking and urged you to play on. Yuji Naka magic at it's best here kids.
- 42. Secret of Evermore - Made in the Redmond campus of Squaresoft in the early 90's, this game didn't have the Japanese feel of Secret of Mana that people loved so much. Because of this, the game got a lot of flak. But set that aside and it's a really brilliant experience. I love this game!
- 41. Dragon Warrior 4 - In my opinion this is the peak of the Dragon Warrior series. It takes the best elements from the Dragon Warrior games, and keeps to it's classic roots at the same time. One of the better RPG's out there. A tough one to come by though, and it's graphics really hold it back due to the technical limitations of the time. A remake of this game done by Akira Toriyama could skyrocket this game into the top 20.
- 40. Lufia Ruins of Lore - Another fairly new game for the GBA. This game has one of the cooler battle systems out there. It mixes the collecting of Pokemon, the fusing of characters found in Breath of Fire II, the job system of Final Fantasy V, the character swapping of Final Fantasy X, and the dungeon mechanics of Golden Sun. It borrows from so many great RPG's, and has the franchise of one of the best. A must buy for the summer.
- 39. Chrono Cross - This game had some big shoes to fill! And while it didn't live up to the name, it was a masterpiece none the less. Tons of great playable character, tie ins with Chrono Trigger, and the single best soundtrack of any game make this a treasure. Too bad it had so many issues with leveling up and making characters individual in battle. Even with those flaws it is a must buy for any true RPG fan.
- 38. Phantasy Star 2 - This is one of the first RPG's to kill off one of it's main characters. This alone followed by a great game made it stand out to me. It's the first RPG that really got me attatched to the characters.
- 37. Suikoden 3 - This game was a far departure from the other Suikoden games. It lacked the great setting and music of the previous two games. But made up for it with a cool story and awesome characters (minus the ducks).
- 36. Lunar: Silver Star Story - This game has some of the best character development I have ever seen in video game history. I also really liked how no matter how much you leveled up, you would have a tough time with bosses. But the battle system wasn't very deep and the environments didn't capture me the way some of the better RPG's did. An amazing game, but were getting down to the nitty gritty here.
- 35. Final Fantasy 9 - This game doesn't have a very big fan following compared to the other Final Fantasies. But I loved most of it's characters, story, and environments. It also had a pretty decent battle system. I think it gets more crap than it deserves.
- 34. Shining Force 2 - This game improved on the first game in almost every way. However, it still had the issue of character balance that brought it down. It's still one of the best Genesis game though, and deserves it's high place on the list.
- 33. Vandal Hearts 2 - The second best tile based strategy game out there. I loved the battles and unique character growth system this game had. But it's characters, story, and art were horrible! But set that aside and this is one of the most fun and challenging games I have ever played.
- 32. Lufia 2 - My favorite game of the Lufia series. This game has the best dungeons and second best battle system in the franchise. It also has the best characters and story in the Lufia series. Find and buy this game!
- 31. Breath of Fire 3 - Breath of Fires first trial in 3D environments was also it's best. It had the best battle system and story in the Breath of Fire franchise. However, it's environments didn't capture the magic of Breath of Fire 2.
- 30. Panzer Dragoon Saga - This game pioneered 3D console RPG's. It also had the most innovative battle system I have ever played. Also, the majority of dungeons had you on your dragon, which added a sense of depth I haven't felt in any other RPG. The only problem I had with this game is that it ended too fast. It's only about 15 hours long. Not bad at all for a game, but short for RPG standards.
- 29. Grandia 2 - Best battle system of all RPG's. Grandia 2 also had beautiful environments, a great story, cool characters, and wonderful music. The only problem I had was that some of the dungeons dragged on a bit too long.
- 28. Final Fantasy - While this game didn't invent the franchise, it brought it into the spotlight. On top of that, it's still one of the best RPG's out there. It's only problem is that it feels dated to todays standards.
- 27. Suikoden 2 - This game had it all! Nice graphics, wonderful music, wonderful customization, tear jerker story, fun battle system, nostalgic elements of the first game, etc. There are a few areas in the game that weren't tested enough though and lead to some serious frustration. But that aside, this game is a marvelous work of art.
- 26. Shining Force 3 - The best of the Shining Force series. This Saturn game brought shining force into 3D, and it couldn't have done better. Well, except for the fact that they STILL had issues with character balance! A must buy either way though for tile based strategy fans.
- 25. Dragon Warrior - Dragon Warrior brought so much to the console RPG that while it isn't the best of the series, it is probably the most influential game on the list. It's also pretty fun RPG to this day, and a brilliant achivement for it's time.
- 24. Kingdom Hearts - I loved the idea of this game! And I have never seen a better adaptation in video game history. Anyone that doesn't hate Disney or Square can have fun with this title. The only issues I had are with the Gummi Ship. But it's such a minor part of the game that it doesn't matter to me.
- 23. Skies of Arcadia - For some reason this game reminded me a lot of Panzer Dragoon Saga. I think it was the theme of flight. Either way that's a plus. Also, this game has the best cities and environments out of any other game I've ever played or seen. Each local was so distinctive and original that it made me want to spend hours just exploring each area. It also brought some very original ideas to the table. My only beef is with it's uninspired battle system. It's not horrible, but there are much better battle systems out there. Skies of Arcadia Legends for the Gamecube improved on some of these issues making it the better version of the game. Skies is a piece of art to be cherished.
- 22. Final Fantasy 10 - I think I liked this game more than the general public did, but it's a respected game none the less. I loved it's battle system, music, environments, story, and characters. My only issue was with Blitzball and the lack of a world map. Again, minor issues that don't take away from the game much. But we're getting to the best of the best here, gotta be critical where I can.
- 21. Pokemon Red/Blue/Yellow - While many people that don't truly understand the Pokemon phenomenon will disagree with me here, I belive Pokemon is one of the most original, entertaining, and deep RPG's out there. Also, each version has been better than the last. Pokemon deserves it's high place on this list.
- 20. Pokemon Ruby/Sapphire - Better graphics, more balance, 2 player battles, more options, more Pokemon, more fun. The best intallment of the franchise thus far.
- 19. Pokemon Gold/Silver/Crystal - The addition of color, more options, and Pokemon make this version of the game better than the previous version and the fact that these are the only games that allow you to travel to 2 regions makes this the greatest Pokemon game yet.
- 18. Legend of Zelda - The begining of arguably the best franchise in video game history. It was perfect for it's time, but as games get better, it's age is starting to show.
- 17. Legend of Zelda: The Wind Waker - By far the best story of any of the Zelda games. It didn't feel like you were just collecting stones, they finally made your objectives make sense. Amazing graphics, audio, and gameplay also carry this game high on the list. The only thing keeping this Zelda from being the best is it's lack of dungeons and a certian dragged out seabound portion of the game.
- 16. Final Fantasy 4 - A marvelous game that set the bar for the pinnacle of console RPG gaming; the Super Nintendo era. The only thing that keeps this game down is the sheer quality of the higher games on this list.
- 15. Seiken Densetsu 3 - Also known as Secret of Mana 2. Seiken Densetsu 3 mixes the multiple character package found in SaGa Frontier, with the quality gameplay of Secret of Mana. I had more fun with this game than I had playing a game for a looooong time. My only real gripe is that there isn't an official English version of this game. So I'm forced to enjoy it by more glitchy means if you know what I mean. This would make my top 5 if there were a domestic version.
- 14. Suikoden - The first and best of the Suikoden games. This game boasts one of the best game soundtracks and immersive experiences out there. Also, it paved the way for many great PSX RPG's, and remains original to this day.
- 13. Earthbound - That weird game... This game borrowed heavily from Dragon Warrior, and improved on it's design wherever possible. It's pop culture setting has never been matched by any other RPG, making it one of the best RPG's of all time. Plus it came with a strategy guide! Now wasn't that nice of them? When I was a kid and this game came out, my friend and I played it so much over spring break that I literally developed a temorary lazy eye. Quality.
- 12. Breath of Fire 2 - Breath of Fire at it's best. This game is the definition of a great SNES RPG. And I loved how you could breed new characters! Also, I think Suikoden borrowed a lot from the town you could build in this game. Inspiration is just overflowing out of this gem.
- 11. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - The collaboration of the two greatest developers of all time lead to the 11th best RPG of all time. It brought twitch timing into battle systems, carried you through a familiar Nintendo world, and poured gooey Square goodness into every nook and cranny of that beautiful world. Think of this as Kindgom Hearts done better. The single best collaboration in video game history. I love you Super Mario RPG. But why can't I get more than 999 coins?! I need to buy kerocolas to kick Smithy's ass!
- 10. Xenogears - Excellent envirionments. Marvelous story. Innovative ideas. A rushed second disk. Ok, skip that last part. The first disk of this game would make up for the second even if the second disk was full of Rhea Pearlman table dances. I just wish Xenosaga were a game rather than a movie. Either way, Xenogears is Godly.
- 9. Grandia - Grandia has the best story of any RPG I have ever played. In fact, I think Grandia is the greatest story ever told. It's story arc keeps you glued to the game. And it's brilliant battle system keeps you moving forward in that excellent story. I'm not a big fan of cheesy anime humor, which this game had some of every once in a while. It doesn't take away from the game much at all, but hey, were in the top 10 here! Buy Grandia or puppies will cry.
- 8. Phantasy Star 4 - Phantasy Star 4. Wow. Combo attacks, lush environments, interesting characters, and really badass controllable vehicles that you can use in battle! The best of the Phantasy Star series fits nice at number 8, dontcha think?
- 7. Final Fantasy Tactics - By far the best tile based strategy game ever. It's story made no sense what so ever, but the battles were challenging, the artwork was breathtaking, the music tugged at your emotions, and a job system has never been perfected the way this game did it. If this game had a better story, it just may be the best game of all time. I know it's one of the funnest. I hope to God the new for GBA can come close to it's greatness.
- 6. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - Also known as Nintendo 64. This game just wouldn't stop getting better! The world I loved in 2D was brilliant in 3D, and I skipped school for a week to prove it to myself. The music, the characters, the dungeons, the items, the game! It was and still is THE 3D action RPG. Dark Cloud my ass.
- 5. Final Fantasy 7 - It may not have been the first 3D RPG, but it is the best. The way this story didn't just lead you from dungeon to dungeon collecting stones like so many of the other games in this list enthralled me. The only thing that I put this game down for was my freashman year homecoming (thank god I went, I'd really be a loser if I picked FF over that). Final Fantasy 7's story is second to only Grandia to me. It's music is some of the best there is. I became emotionally attatched with each of it's characters. This is the first game to blend cinematics and gameplay so perfectly, and it had me spellbound. Final Fantasy 7 is one of the best experiences I've had playing a video game. I love it.
- 4. The Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past - A lot of people are torn between this and Ocarina of Time for being the best of the Zelda franchise. I personally belive this is the best. It's dungeons were so brilliantly designed that sometimes I find myself solving them in my head when I'm not even playing the game. It was the first game to utilize tools in such a perfect way. The music was finally more than catchy tunes, it invoked emotions inside of me for the first time in video games. This is the best of one of the best franchises known to man. The only reason I can't place it higher on the list is the brilliance our top three titles.
- 3. Secret of Mana - Many people would place this lower on the list. But Secret of Mana makes me feel like no other game can. It's bright and colorful graphics warm my heart. When I think of Secret of Mana, I see a light color palette, and soothing music. I think of the care free times I had playing this game with my two best friends in the prime of my childhood on summer vacation. It's like a great song, it brings you back to a better time. This three player aspect almost created a bond between these three friends that couldn't be broken. It wasn't a game, it was an experience. An experience that you just can't get with a single player game. Because of this, Secret of Mana deserves number 3.
- 2. Final Fantasy 6 - While Mana was an experience with friends, Final Fantasy 6 was an experience on a higher level. It blended comedy and drama like no other game. It had both a dark and light feel to it. An almost eerie environment, that somehow brought joy. It was the best game of the best franchise in video game history. It made you feel with it's music. It had you caring for it's characters. It made people think about human nature. And it did all this with engaging play mechanics. It can only be kept out of number one by the pure magic that is...
- 1. Chrono Trigger - Most of you will agree. Chrono Trigger isn't the greatest RPG of all time. It's the greatest game of all time. It's music is second only to it's sequel. It's characters are second to none. It carried you through different environments and presented dilemas to you like no other game could. It's amazing time travel system had you tinkering with things in the past to see if it could effect the future. It made you think. It made you want to play the game as many different ways as you could to get all the different endings. And it's endings were the best of any other game. They were dark, they were happy, they were funny, they actually let you control yourself and experience the end of the game as a game in itself! Chrono Trigger had you combining your characters strengths and weaknesses to come up with new combo attacks. It had you collecting every last item in the games many sidequests because you just didn't want this little box of magic to go away. Chrono Trigger invoked emotions inside of me I didn't know I had. Chrono Trigger is the greatest experience in the greatest form of entertainment. Chrono Trigger is number one.
