Golden sun 1 and 2 are just one of those "once in a lifetime" games. Sure the puzzles have only one solution, but the amount of thinking and preparation to solve it on your own was really a cut above everything else for the time
It's twice in a lifetime, Camalots Sega Saturn games are even better than Golden Sun, so you're in for a treat. Shining the Holy Arc is literally Golden Sun Zero. Shining Force 3 is the best tactics JRPG.
Great choices , top 3 always has that emotional hook , cant play ff7 these days , not because it got worse , well for obvious reasons most of us get :P
You can play ps1 games on a ps3. It’s not a remake but you don’t need to own a ps1 to play them and the ps3 will save them without an actual memory card.
@@HessianXthere’s 2 other lunar games I’m aware of but idk what point they are in the story. Dragon song for the DS and Magical school (which was only released in Japan on the sega saturn)
I'm actually replaying FF9 right now, haven't played it since it came out, because there was a lot I didn't much care for. But I have a broken ankle and I'm layed up for a while, unable to work, so I figured it's been almost 25 years, let's give it a run. Having more fun than I remembered it being.
Hironobu Sakaguchi is on record saying it's the best one, and he made the series, so it's canon. Personally, I like 4 the best out of the Final Fantasy games, but there's nothing I can do.
FFT is my favorite of all time, but if someone was to ask me for a game that encapsulates what a JRPG is I’d give them Lunar Silver Star Story. One of my absolute favorite games of all time. I need to beat the second one!
FFT was designed by Yasumi Matsuno, who was famous in Japan already for creating FFT's spiritual predecessor Tactics Ogre. It recently got remade and highly recommend it.
@@SolracCAP haha! Thanks! I’m a huge Matsuno fanboy. I finally finished my Ogre Battle Collection not to long ago. I did beat the remake too! It was so good! I originally only played the psx version.
I love seeing Chained Echoes getting the recognition it deserves. It’s absolutely the complete package - battle system, characters, story, pacing, exploration are all top tier. The game really respects your time when it comes to side quests and revisiting areas in ways that other devs need to take note of. FFIX is peak FF and it’s not close.
Great list, but David I have to thank you. From Aug 22 my mom had massive health problems which left her in hospital for a while. I was watching you and fell asleep one particularly difficult night. A nurse checked my phone at moms behest and the games you recommnend are games my mom got my this week as my belated christmas and birthday presents for the last two years. She also.says thank you for giving her laughs when my dad and i were able to be there (ie at work) so. again thank you from mine and my parents hearts. Know that you helped a woman who had to have mutliple life saving surgeries in three days of each other, heal and get back home ❤❤.
Oh thank you so much for this comment! I’m happy to help out anyway that I can and I’m glad that she’s doing better! Send her my love and my prayers too :)
Lunar Silver Star Story has a mobile version that they just did a massive update on last year with tons of quality of life features and controller support. Should definitely check it out if you’ve never played this series.
My list in no particular order, based upon my time with them and not necessarily on their “quality”, and allowing only 1 title in the same series: - FF6 - Chrono Trigger - Breath of Fire 3 - Legend of Legaia - Legend of Dragoon - Secret of Evermore - Morrowind - Skies of Arcadia - Eternal Sonata - Lost Odyssey
Xenogears is not just my favorite JRPG of all times, it is my favorite THING of all times. That game is the ultimate epic culmination of everything awesome about 80s mecha anime from here to Gundam and not to mention the storytelling pretty much surpasses works like Dune and Lord of the Rings even (both of which are some of my favorite stories in sci-fi and fantasy respectively).
My all-time fondest JRPG fantasy is for this to be remade in exactly the way it was intended before Squaresoft and their corporate meddling gave us the compromised product we all know today. It speaks to its' quality that Xenogears was as bloody amazing as it was with all the compromises that had to be made for its' release. I hope alternate universe me is enjoying the time he is spending with Xenogears Complete Edition, Megaman Legends 3, and Half-Life 3.
I'm always happy when Lunar and Golden Sun are mentioned. There's something magical about both, it feels like you're on an adventure in the best way possible.
I remember Silver Star on Sega CD. Then playing its remaster made it hard for me to put down one for the other, being CT (CT was my jam, too many New Game + lol). Might be time to get the rom and go again!
Lunar and Lunar 2 are wonderful. I would LOVE to see them rereleased and a third game added; Lunar Origins, set 1000 years before Lunar Silver Star Story Complete, following Dragon Master Dyne. Final Fantasy Tactics is BEGGING for a remaster!!! It is one of the greatest games ever made! Chrono Trigger being your number 1 is SPOT ON! You couldn’t be more right. It is my favorite game ever, and I truly hope we get to play it on the Switch as a rerelease/remaster. PLEASE GIVE US BACK CHRONO TRIGGER!!!!!!???!?!?
@@WhiteFangofWar no voices! Just remake it in the Octopath Traveller engine and leave everything else alone. Give us the choice between original and orchestrated soundtrack. All of the DS enhancements in this style of game would be epic!
Or a third game called Lunar: Redemption ** spoiler alert ** Wherein Ghaleon, who made a seemingly villainous return in Lunar 2 only for you to learn he was actually trying to undermine the chief antagonist, makes a reincarnated comeback at the behest of the Goddess. Here, she sends him back [a la Gandalf the White] to stave off a new dread some centuries after the events of Lunar 2. Fantastic opportunity to weave the narratives and characters of the first two games into the third chapter and really delve into the virtues of redemption and self forgiveness.
Without putting too much thought into it, and in no particular order: -Suikoden 1&2 -Final Fantasy 4, 5, & 6 (too close to call and basically made by the same production staff) -Lunar 1&2 -Chrono Trigger -Secret of Mana -Lufia 2 -Breath of Fire 3 -Xenogears -Final Fantasy Tactics -Wild Arms
@@briang6994 Dragon Quest XI was such a joy. For some reason, though, I've never felt any desire to play through it again. I don't feel like a replay would offer me anything. Chrono Trigger, I've probably played at least 7 times; and 2 of them with the Insane Difficulty hack.
Btw if you haven't tried it, play it with the ID hack... It makes spells like haste, stop, poison, protect, etc etc etc actually relevant. It's so outrageously fun.
@@xthatwhiteguyx yeah for me replay value for chrono trigger and suikoden 2 was very high. Must have played them both almost in the double digits. FFT was also the same as that’s in my top 5 also. Secret of mana is probably there too. Very nostalgic for me. Me and both my 2 older brothers used to play that all the time growing up on SNES with the multi tap. Lol. Good times.
Ff 9 definitely on mine my dragon quest is 9 though love that game. It's more the story of a place than characters which I find a neat change. My number 1 rpg though is shadow hearts/covenant. They are essentially one game split into two and both are amazing even the 3rd is good just not as much. Golden Sun is definitely on my list as well
my top 10 rpgs of all time 1- dragon quest 8 3DS VERSION 2- valkery profile 2 3- xenoblad 1 4- final fantesy 9 5- persona 5 royal 6- baten kaitos origins 7- wild armes 2 8- shinmegami tensei 5 9- STAR OCEAN 4 10- GRANDIA 2
I'm not sure if I have seen anyone choose Star Ocean 4 as the best game in the series. For me it is pretty much in the middle of the pack. What made that one stand out to you above the rest of the series?
@@Eternalwarpuppy i playeD STAR OCEAN 2,3,4 and 6 yes the 4th one is the best for me by far it has the best gamplay in the whole serie of star ocean...then i love the 3rd one , the 6 and the last is the second story , i dont love it so much it pretty simple and basic
Great list! As a SNES RPG lover, I'm SO glad that this isn't just a "these are the SNES RPGs" list. A really nice and varied mix of old and new, with genuine picks that I'd consider the best of the best (Xenoblade, Chrono Trigger, FF9) and picks that I can see being the top of their own little branches of RPG (FFTactics for the tactics, Chained Echoes for the indies, Golden Sun for puzzle lovers)! The only thing I personally miss is Mother 3, for that is my favourite game of all time 😅
Wholeheartedly agree with Chrono Trigger being #1 despite it not being my personal favorite. Replayed it recently a few months ago, and I think it's one of the few games in general that I think is appropriately rated and actually lives up to all the praise and hype it has gotten (and continues to get) in the 29 years since its release.
I disagree and can't appreciate Chrono Trigger. I find it dull. But, I love lists like these, especially from David. Fun to hear others' perspectives. David is persuasive!
I recommend trying it with the Insane Difficulty hack. It takes the combat to an entire new level. I put it on my phone, like 12 years ago, and played it at work... I could not stop. That said, I'm not sure where to find the hack, these days lol. I think it may have been called "Lavos Awakening"? I'm not sure ;_;
@@xthatwhiteguyxI Think the best CT Difficulty hack is Level Zero. The combat just gets 10 times better. And for me is the definitive way to play Chrono Trigger.
@@mypartyisprivate8693 that was the common criticism on the game back in the day, simply because Chrono has the personality of the doorknob when taken for what it is. The developers said that it was deliberate because they want the player to project themselves into Chrono. Thus, Chrono is your avatar and whatever emotion you were feeling during the game is also what Chrono was feeling as well. Consequently, you were supposed to provide the dialogues as well. That actually made me appreciate the game more, as the game gave us something JRPGs rarely do: role play. IMHO, this is the closest we have to a perfect game.
Great video as always, and challenge accepted! My own top 10: 10. Final Fantasy Tactics 9. Shining Force 3 8. Grandia II 7. Xenogears 6. Might & Magic VII: For Blood and Honor 5. Final Fantasy VI 4. Dragon Quest XI 3. Skies of Arcadia 2. Dragon Force 1. Baldur's Gate 3
If I'm going to be totally honest, my Top Ten would be 9 Squaresoft titles and Shadow Hearts, and that's just simply not fair to the amazing games in the genre since Squaresoft and Enix diluted themselves with each other. I don't have a bloody clue how you could have narrowed this down to just ten, that would have been a Herculean task by itself. Brilliantly done.
finally someone on youtube praising Chained Echoes instead of Sea of Stars! everyone forget there's another rpg inspiret by the classics and all they can talk about is Sea of Stars, which is a great game, but Chained Echoes must go side-by-side with him too, it cannot be forgotten!
Completely agree with #1 and was pleased to see Chained Echoes make the list. While I’m probably very much in the minority, I enjoyed Triangle Strategy more than FFT.
Triangle Strategy has the benefit of coming out 25 years later so they can refine and learn from a lot of whats great about FFT and Tactics Ogre. BUT even with that in mind I personally enjoy Triangle Strategy more than FFT too.
I just finished chained echoes and omg. How amazing, just so dense with content and hilarious which is right up my alley. Def deserves the spot on your list.
Getting the Switch for The XenoBlade Chronicles Trilogy and Fire Emblem Three Houses was worth it since Fire Emblem Three Houses and XenoBlade Chronicles 3 and Definitive Edition are all in my Top 10 VideoGames of All Time
Good video. "My" in the title would probably be more welcomed. I like and was surprised with some of the games mentioned, but this is clearly a personal list.
Great list David. My favorite RPG/Game/Thing in the world is Xenogears. I'm a big FF saga fan, but Xenogears really hit that special place in my heart from the get go. Such and awesome world, an amazing history, such complex characters, i just can't praise it enough. I wish almost everyday that a HD 2D remake happens some day. It would be the best day of my life. Greetings from Argentina!
Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy Tactics & Chrono Trigger are some of my favorite games of all time, so I’m very happy to seee them represented in this list. Rock on, David!
I wish I had more time to play JRPGs. Between gym, work, relationships w family/friends and chores it can be hard to make time as an adult. I’m impressed you are able to maintain your physique and still make time for jrpgs.
THANK YOU for giving Lunar Eternal Blue its flowers! It's too often overshadowed by its predecessor despite being a much better game. Absolutely a Top 10 JRPG (and fair enough for counting them as a duology).
My top 10: 1° Divinity Original Sin 2 2° The Witcher 3 + DLCs 3° Chrono Trigger 4° The Legend of Heroes Trails From Zero 5° Final Fantasy VI 6° Dragon Quest XI 7° Final Fantasy Tactics 8° Tales of Arise 9° Dragon Age Inquisition 10° Skyrim And Fire Emblem Series, Persona and Xenoblade Bonus: Elden Ring (I Know its a Soulslike too) but would be in my top 3 easily
Everything in your top ten belongs. Your great taste in games is what keeps your channel high on my watch list; but I didn't need this video to know that. Here's my personal top ten 10) Secret of the Stars 9) Octopath Traveller II 8) Tales of the Abyss 7) Blue Dragon 6) Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne 5) Dragon Quest VIII 4) Final Fantasy IX 3) Final Fantasy VI 2) Chrono Trigger 1) Lost Odyssey This wasn't easy to make. I really wanted a Lunar game in there, but there were only ten slots. And Chrono Trigger could've easily been my number one, but I was simply trying to be different.
So glad Chained Echoes made an appearance. Such an amazing game. And my thoughts are the exact same with Lunar. I played it 20 years ago and have some amazing memories. I'm going to try to replay them this year.
This was such a blast of nostalgia for me David. Lunar is one of my favorite games of all time, Star Ocean is fabulous, and I adore the remake of trials of mana! Thank you so much for this!
Love how your list celebrates RPGs of the past that really are hard to top but are used as inspiration to a lot of today's RPG games. FF9 definitely a favorite of mine. I hope they port Lunar series to modern consoles I wanna play that.
Im glad that you have chosen chained echoes between the games... when I was playing, feeled something very special and unique somehow and seeing it here in your list made me knows that im not tje only one.. that the game really has something special
That’s a great list! And you’re right, the greatest of all time is difficult to answer because there are so many of them! Everything from story, music, gameplay, visuals, fun factor, and replayability. Mine isn’t particularly ranked, just ones that got me immersed and played the most: - Tales of Destiny - Star Ocean Second Story - Wild Arms 3 - Lunar 1&2 - Chrono Trigger - Suikoden 2 - Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht - Neverwinter Nights 2 - Super Mario RPG - Final Fantasy 8
I really appreciate that you tried to keep it to one game per franchise. A bit sad that a lot of my top franchises were not represented (Tales of, Atelier, Shadowheart, Trails, Fire Emblem) but at least some were.
Glad to see SO2R made the list. I've already done 3 playthroughs since its launch, with a 4th one currently in progress. Happy to see Trials of Mana, Golden Sun and Chrono Trigger made the list, too. They're easily in my personal top 10, as well. Lunar isn't quite in my top 10, but it is in my top 20. Jennifer Stigile did an incredible job for the singing vocals!
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals has been my favorite RPG and game of all time since the first time I finished the game all those years ago. To this day, I still love the episodic story telling, characters, IP system and, of course, the gorgeous soundtrack. :)
Tales of The Abyss for me is by far the greatest RPG I’ve ever played, plus the best written Tales game in this series. The character writing in games to come after it pale in comparison, and that’s a hill I’ll die on.
Once I saw #2 I immediately knew what was #1. It’s amazing how long we’ve gone without a remake. Square is so shameless now I expect it to be announced any moment now as a 5-part AAA budget POS.
This is an awesome list! Really happy seeing Golden Sun receiving the love it deserves. I also loved Chained Echoes, truly amazing. I’m a big fan of the original Trials of Mana, the remake looks awesome, I really should play it ASAP. As for the top 2, I don’t even have to mention how incredible they are.
Top 10 for now in no order: *Dragon Quest V, VIII, & XI *Grandia I & II *Final Fantasy IX *Skies of Arcadia Legends *Octopath Traveler II *Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology *Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Lots I haven’t played, & lots of good ones that didn’t make it for today.
I'm a big fan of Phantasy Star game which was ahead of its time in the early days of RPGs. The series has some of the best storytelling of any Sci-Fi/Fantasy RPG ever in my opinion.
I love to see FF9 getting love. I too have trouble deciding which is my favorite of the series, between 6, 7 and 9 (and 5 sort of, that job system...) , but whenever I speak to anyone familiar with RPG's I always find myself recommending 9. Really just well balanced and a wonderful representation of both the old and new in FF.
Another great way to play Lunar is the PSP version. I actually doubledipped to get the digital version, just so I could play it on my PSTV with a ps4 controller.
@@sinthetic4878 Missed that era. I got the two PS1 Luna games by donating platelets. I know that the graphics are dated, but it still looks so good to me.
@@sinthetic4878 Yes and no. Blood is removed and filtered for platelets. This goes to help with surgeries and other procedures. Platelets actually can be donated much more often than blood and doesn't cause any reactions with people of different blood types. It takes 8 weeks between blood donations, but little more than 1 week for platelets. I tend to go every three weeks and often get an extra $50 for donation on the right day on top the $35 for the actual donation. I bought my PS4 and a few games with a few stacked donations.
@@sinthetic4878 Platelets pay better and the games were very expensive because they were the special editions with the CD's. I get $85 per donation that I do every three weeks to ensure a full donation.
Chrono Trigger without a doubt WILL get a remake or enhanced remaster next year for its 30th Anniversary. With all the praise & attention it still gets, it's a no-brainer! I will not be convinced otherwise.
You really make a case for Golden Sun... I almost want to find the time to play it lol. I've also owned Chained Echoes for a couple years, but haven't installed it. I absolutely agree with your top 2, FFT and their positions. I would put EverQuest 1 and 2 on this list, somewhere. Legend of Dragoon. I also may be insane, but Tales of Graces f was one of my favorite JRPG's, ever. My heart goes soft every time I think about that game. My top 3 would be: Chrono Trigger: Peak RPG, peak nostalgia. This game was meaningful to me, not only because of the amazing story, but also the time in my life when it came out, and the person who bought it for me. Final Fantasy IX: Peak Final Fantasy. Beautiful story. Cast of absolutely perfect and unique characters. Fantastic mini-games. MUSIC OFF THE CHARTS; Melodies of Life makes me cry, every time. Legend of Dragoon: Most fun battle system. Manipulated my "Magical Girl/Boy/Transformation obsession" BEAUTIFUL STORY, and again MUSIC A++++
@@stroberdolb9183 I bought it and Sea of Stars together, with much hype. Then my cousin told me Sea of Stars was the most disappointing and boring game he's ever played lol... so I kinda backlogged them both 50+ games behind.
Nice list. Same number one. 2: Suikoden II. 3: FFIV. 4: Dragon Quest 8. 5: Both PS Lunars. 6: Legend of Legaia. 7: Wild Arms. 8: Tales of Berseria. 9: Breath of Fire. 10: FFT and Vanguard Bandits.
As much as I love all of these games, I've just entered the Kiseki universe and finished Sky SC, and the first 2 games of the sky trilogy are my favorite RPG now
Solid list! Chrono Trigger is always going to be my number one but Suikoden II is a very close second for me. Also, Nocturne is probably one of the most underrated RPGs of all time. Shoji Meguro's soundtrack alone really solidifies that game as a classic for me
I REALLY appreciate this list. It's always neat to see how others are impacted by video games. My List: Final Fantasy VI Suikoden II Final Fantasy IX Breath of Fire III Final Fantasy XI Chrono Trigger Dragon Quest III Breath of Fire III Final Fantasy VII Chrono Cross
[Greatest tactical RPG] Disgaea 2-5, the Disgaea series was filled with tongue-in-cheek immature humor involving demons, angels and humans that really made me smile. Each game had its own setting, and I'd say Disgaea 3 and Disgaea 4 were my favorite stories. The mechanics were easy to get into with the Geo Panels and grindy as hell but really fun to max your level and ROFLstomp everything. It was also the first RPG to break tradition and have a max level of 9999! [Greatest monster-catching RPG] It used to be Pokemon but now Nexomon and its sequel are my favorites. These games don't rely on the boring "defeat the elite trainers and become champion" trophy that Pokemon can't get rid of, and has a more JRPG type of story that uses the monster taming to tell its story. The graphics are great and music is bopping. ^_^ [Greatest MMO] Final Fantasy XIV, its story is timeless and its characters are memorable. The community is amazing as well. [Greatest JRPGS] Trials of Mana, Dragon Quest IX, Final Fantasy VIII, and Chrono Cross. I can't think of three more RPGs.
I totally agree with the 2d hd style. Octopath traveler is one of the best looking games ever made, and that proves that developers don't need to waste so much time on graphics. The people want fun and COMPLETE games!
Difficult for me to rank them in any order, and it's not a top 10, but my personal favorite JRPGs (so far) are: - Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana - Chrono Cross - Phantasy Star Online - entire Xeno series - Grandia 2 - Octopath Traveler 2 - Star Ocean: The Second Story R - Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria - Final Fantasy 9 - Final Fantasy Tactics - Tales of the Abyss - Trials of Mana - Golden Sun 1+2 This list will probably change since I'm discovering a lot of new RPGs this year, including the old Phantasy Star games, the Star Ocean games, and the Mana games. Crossing off a lot of the JRPGs I missed too, like Skies of Arcadia, FF6, and Chrono Trigger (I know, I missed a lot of great games). If you have any recommendations for great JRPGs to play, I'll take any suggestions.
Love this list! I haven't played all of them, but the ones that I have that are on your list are absolutely amazing. Some of them are ones I really want to replay when I have time, too.
As a kid i had a chipped ps1 so had 100s of games and was heavily into RPGs.. very suprised ive never heard of Lunar.. seems like something i wouldve loved
Probably the closest top 10 JRPG list to mine so far. FFIX and Golden Sun will always be my two personal favourites and I’m so glad they’re both included!
Nice List, David! Mine is: 1. Secret of Mana (i replay this game nearly every year) 2.Chrono Trigger (same as above) 3. Sukoden 1 (i will never forget my 1st PS1 RPG) 4. Phantasy Star Online 5. Phantasy Star 3 (i loved the dark atmosphere and the dynamic battle themes) 6. Final Fantasy 6 7. Tales of Symphonia - dawn of the new World (i still dont understand why ppl hate it.. the monstertraining-system was gorgeous) 8. Ragnarok online (my first MMO.. it was so much fun exploring) 9.Grandia 1+2 (containing my alltime favorite rpg-characters Leen and Tio) 10.Star Ocean (yes, every entry of the Series)
David, wasn't the wagon introduced to the DQ series in #4? Which is my personal favorite in the series, although 11 is very close, and 3 is right behind that one, lol.
Such a hard list to make! I would definitely add the Suikoden franchise, especially for its second entry that is just a masterpiece of a game. Also I have quite a love for Sword of Mana, Illusion of Gaia, Lost Odyssey and Shadow Hearts Covenant.
So glad to see both Lunar and Golden Sun on here! Both of them are absolutely top-tier games, RPG or not. And Golden Sun blew me away with how much those games encompassed on a handheld device. Also happy to see FFIX. I feel like this game gets a lot of hate for being "simple" or whatever. It seems that these people completely miss the point. It's the simplicity of it, crafted with pure love, that elevates it. Everything in the game works together in harmony in a way that escapes most of even my favorite RPGs (aside from the final boss, but it's FF, so 🤷♂). Graphics, story, music, characters EVERYTHING is great. And it's FUN. Every time I play it it's still a fun game. And the ending hits me like the end of Return of the King, again, every time I play. "Bring my beloved Dagger to me!" and I'm 😭😭😭😭 It's one I'd recommend to anyone, but specifically someone who might not really know how to get into JRPGs. There's a few on here I haven't played (and I've been out of the JRPG scene for a long time), but being ranked among some of these titans, and coming from someone who's opinions I trust, I'll have to check them out.
Chrono Trigger, Shining Force 3 Scenario 3, Fire Emblem Awakening, Super Mario RPG, Pokemon Red/Blue, Xenoblade Chronicles, Lost Odyssey, Front Mission, FFVII, and Golden Sun are my top 10 ❤️
Fantastic list. You took on a Herculean task and handled it with great aplomb. It just goes to show how rich the genre is when no Suikoden, Wild Arms, Breath of Fire, Shadow Hearts, Tales of, Fire Emblem, or SMT games even make the list. I’ve still yet to play Chained Echoes, as I have been waiting to receive my physical copy, but can’t wait to play it-especially after Sea of Stars blew me away.
So I only managed to get round to Star Ocean 2 last year on PSP. I was about 10 hours in or so when the remake got announced. Not gonna lie, after trying the demo I just stopped playing the PSP version all together and waited for the full release as I found the remake just so much better! SO2R was one of my highlights for 2023.
