What console has the best JRPG library let alone the best RPG library? It’s a simple question but a hard one to answer as there are a lot of stipulations that can be had. For example, a hacked console that can run emulators like the NES and the SNES would be great or just saying the PC is the best gaming system.
Best SNES RPGs With Open-World Elements
Though limited in terms of the open-world aspect, these incredible SNES RPGs still showcase some of the best elements the genre has to offer.
The PC or emulation route would be too simple of an answer, so let’s go through every system of the past and try to think critically. What JRPGs are must-plays for their native consoles without taking into account ports or HD conversions? The results may be a bit shocking.
6 SNES
The 16-Bit Revolution Was Paved In Squares
The SNES is kind of where video games leveled up. The graphics were better and technology helped developers put more into their games which was great for the RPG genre on the SNES. Square absolutely dominated the console with sequels such as Final Fantasy 6 defining the franchise. They had a good number of original titles as well such as Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars.
Enix made good contributions to the platform as well with more Dragon Quest games, like Dragon Quest 5: Hand of the Heavenly Bride which helped define the monster-catching genre, and weirder games like E.V.O.: The Search for Eden. Other great non-Enix and non-Square RPGs include Breath of Fire, EarthBound, Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals, Star Ocean, and Tales of Phantasia. Not all of these games left Japan but future ports and fan translations helped keep the SNES RPG dream alive decades later.
5 PS1
Sony Got A Good Head Start In The Console And RPG Market
Following the SNES, Square jumped ship from Nintendo to aid Sony with their first console, which truly helped the PS1 thrive with RPGs after the first few years. Final Fantasy 7 helped break barriers in the genre, getting non-RPG fans onboard thanks to the flashy cutscenes and more mature themes. Other Final Fantasy entries were popular too like the first tactical entry, Final Fantasy Tactics. Beyond Final Fantasy, Square took more chances with original titles like Parasite Eve, Vagrant Story, and Brave Fencer Musashi.
Beyond Square, Konami had a good hold on the RPG genre. Suikoden 2, Vandal Hearts, and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night all turned into RPG classics. Sony helped publish some bangers too like Wild Arms 2 and The Legend of Dragoon.
4 PS2
Still One Of The Best-Selling Consoles Of All Time
- Brand
- PlayStation
- Original Release Date
- October 26, 2000
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $299
- Weight
- 4.85 lb
- Dimensions
- 3.1" x 11.9"
The PS2 continued to kill it for Sony not only in the RPG market but all genres. Once again, Square had some great titles and this would be the era when they finally merged with Square Enix. Final Fantasy 10 and Dragon Quest 8: Journey of the Cursed King were the first two mainline entries in their respective series to offer voice acting. Kingdom Hearts was seen as a miracle, bringing Disney characters into a very Final Fantasy-infused universe.
The PS2 was also the console that started to turn Atlus into a more known quantity from Persona 3 to Odin Sphere. Namco and Bandai, before they merged, had hits like Tales of the Abyss and .hack//Infection. Sony got some attention with the two Dark Cloud games along with its spiritual sequel Rogue Galaxy just to name a few heavy hitters overall on the PS2.
3 DS
Playing RPGs On The Go Feels Right
- Brand
- Nintendo
- Original Release Date
- November 21, 2004
- Hardware Versions
- Nintendo DS
- Original MSRP (USD)
- $149.99
- Weight
- 9.7 oz
RPGs felt naturally at home on the DS as many titles felt like a throwback without having to worry about groundbreaking graphics. The DS was also great because players could grind on the go in short bursts, putting their games on pause by closing the clamshell. Final Fantasy didn’t have a huge home on the portable although the remakes of the third and fourth games were good. The two games that Square Enix truly excelled at were Dragon Quest 9: Sentinels of the Starry Skies and The World Ends With You.
Atlus once again had a big DS RPG library including Radiant Historia, Etrian Odyssey 3: The Drowned City, and various Shin Megami Tensei spinoffs. Nintendo had some great exclusives too from the many Pokemon mainline and spinoff titles like Pokemon Conquest to more Mario RPGs including Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story.
2 3DS
What The Ds Started, The 3DS Improved
The 3DS was a natural progression from the DS, allowing for 3D gameplay without glasses while keeping the graphics relatively on the same court as its predecessor. Once again, Final Fantasy didn’t explode on the handheld but its spiritual successor to the franchise, Bravely Default, did. Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance was a good interquel and Dragon Quest 11: Echoes of an Elusive Age had an interesting release in Japan that was somewhat emulated with the Switch port.
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Some of these games have good gameplay and story while others are heavier on the narrative.
The Pokemon series once again ruled the portable although it had a rival via Yo-Kai Watch which exploded in Japan but not so much in the West. Shin Megami Tensei 4 marked the franchise’s first mainline game to debut on a handheld and Fire Emblem Awakening changed the series from niche to white hot. A final shoutout goes to Project X Zone, one of the most audacious crossover projects since the original Kingdom Hearts.
1 PS4
From New Games To Bringing Back The Classics, The PS4 Is Home To Many An RPG
Finally, the PS4’s RPG output is almost tied with its contemporaries, the Switch and Xbox One, because this was the true beginning of the digital and remastered age. Many games that were great in the past from the PS1 to the DS were getting transformed via ports and remasters or just digital downloads. RPG fans could not be happier and thanks to backward compatibility, the PS5, and Xbox Series X/S are also great with these titles.
The PS4 stands out besides retro games thanks to titles like Bloodborne, Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom, NieR: Automata, Valkyria Chronicles 4, Yakuza: Like a Dragon, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Some titles were PS4 exclusives before moving onto other consoles while others were always global releases. Bloodborne is still an exclusive though 100% much to the chagrin of fans. Either way, the PS4 was a course correction for Sony following the PS3 which helped make it a redemption tale to emulate the heights of the PS1 and the PS2.