Some RPGs, from both the East and the West, are very lucky because they get to come back as ports, remasters, or remakes. Final Fantasy 7 is a prime example that has received all three types, and has also remained in the popular zeitgeist due to numerous multimedia projects related to Final Fantasy 7, from books to movies to spinoff games.
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These old-school JRPGs represent the best the genre had to offer before the 2010s, with no drops in quality during their playthrough.
Some games, even if they get a second or third chance at life, are not that lucky to stick around as long, and it's a shame. If more RPG fans played these games, perhaps they would be more accessible, or at least more talked about today. Popular or not, they’re all great in their own ways.
Find all 10 pairs
Find all 10 pairs
Breath Of Fire 4
Late To The Party
Breath of Fire 4 was a late addition to the PS1 in 2000, which did come out in North America after the PS2 launched. Like all major entries, the game starred a blue-haired silent hero, Ryu, who could transform into dragons in turn-based combat.
The visuals still look great thanks to the vibrant colors of the polygonal models, and the world is a little more desolate than other entries in the series, giving it an almost post-apocalyptic vibe at the start. There is some good news for Capcom RPG fans as Breath of Fire 4 did release on GOG in 2025, so it’s not too late to check this hidden gem out.
Champions Of Norrath: Realms Of EverQuest
A True Diablo Rival
- ESRB
- T for Teen Due To Blood & Gore, Violence
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG
Champions of Norrath: Realms of EverQuest was released for the PS2 in 2004, and there, along with its sequel, it has remained ever since. Like the Diablo games, players could choose one of several characters, all belonging to a specific race and class. They could then go on a linear progression of levels through top-down dungeons to fight hordes of monsters and collect loot.
It was a staple for PS2 RPG fans who enjoyed multiplayer, and it’s a darn shame Sony has never remastered it or even ported it to another PlayStation console since they published it in North America.
Dragon Quest 5: Hand Of The Heavenly Bride
Before Pokemon
Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride
- Released
- September 27, 1992
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- JRPG, Adventure
- Platform(s)
- Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation 2, Nintendo DS, Android, iOS
- How Long To Beat
- 30 hours
Most Dragon Quest fans in North America missed Dragon Quest 5: Hand of the Heavenly Bride because it actually didn’t come out over here. Originally released for the SNES in Japan, the 2009 DS remake is the first official time North America got to play it. Release history aside, the second trilogy in the series, which includes this game, is often forgotten compared to other Dragon Quest titles.
Dragon Quest 5: Hand of the Heavenly Bride has a lot of interesting concepts worth checking out in any version. Players will grow up over time, choose a bride, and instead of a party, they will befriend monsters, and it’s important to note this was four years before Pokemon.
Final Fantasy 5
Not Praised Enough
- ESRB
- T For Teen due to Mild Fantasy Violence, Partial Nudity
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Another fifth installment in a big franchise, Final Fantasy, also doesn’t get enough credit. Final Fantasy 5 was also released in 1992 for the SNES in Japan, and North Americans got to play it in 1999 via the PS1 collection, Final Fantasy Anthology, which also included Final Fantasy 6.
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This was the second game to use the Job system, following Final Fantasy 3, and it did a better job developing its core four characters over time. The Job system was the selling point, and there are plenty of versions to choose from now, with the GBA release still being the best, albeit hard to find, option.
Jeanne d'Arc
For France!
- ESRB
- T Due To Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, Mild Language
- Genre(s)
- Tactical
Jeanne d'Arc was a PSP exclusive tactical RPG developed by Level-5, taking place in an alternate timeline to the English and French war in the 1400s. In this version, the English is aided by monsters, and a young girl, Jeanne, is given a magic bracelet to transform into a mighty warrior, and other characters along the way receive similar transformative abilities.
Tactical combat is pretty standard with units moving on a grid, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t compelling. Like so many other PSP RPGs, this one fell by the wayside because of the portable’s low sales rates in North America. The game is thankfully now available on PS5, along with other PSP gems just waiting to be rediscovered.
Lufia 2: Rise Of The Sinistrals
Trapped On The SNES
Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
- Released
- February 24, 1995
- ESRB
- e
- Developer(s)
- Neverland Co.
The Lufia series has largely been forgotten because this is a case where all of the games are currently stuck on old hardware. Many fans believe Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals is the best of the bunch, and it was released on the SNES in 1996. It has good music, colorful sprites, interactive dungeons, monsters that appear in dungeons, and so much more.
It was way ahead of its time on the SNES, and the only real way to play it officially now is by buying a cartridge, and even an unboxed version will not come cheap, but anyone aching for the SNES glory days will find a way to get this game running.
Odin Sphere
An Action Anthology
Odin Sphere was a very late release for the PS2 in 2007, which was a full year after the PS3 launched globally. It’s a 2D action RPG developed by Vanillaware, who always excelled at 2D art with lavishly painted backgrounds and larger-than-life characters who were intricately detailed.
Players will go through various fairy tales, all exploring different characters connected to the same world, like Mercedes the fairy, who uses a crossbow, and Cornelius, who is a warrior that has been turned into a bunny-like creature but can still use a sword. Odin Sphere Leifthrasir was a 2016 remaster, and a good one at that, but the re-release didn’t set the world on fire either. True fans appreciated it, and Odin Sphere Leifthrasir can still be played on a PS5 thanks to backwards compatibility.
Radiant Historia
Lost To Time
Radiant Historia is a must-play DS RPG that was released in 2011 in North America before it got a new addition, Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology, in 2018 for the 3DS. The attempt to make it available again was admirable, but it would have worked so much better on the Switch since DS cartridges still worked on a 3DS anyway, and the Switch was just killing it in sales.
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Port history aside, this turn-based RPG used time travel as the core mechanic to tell its story. Instead of going to wild timelines like prehistory or the future, akin to Chrono Trigger, Radiant Historia was wiser about its choices as they all related to solvable problems within the given era. The art, story, and combat combined into the “Perfect Chronology” indeed.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Alternate RPG History
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
- Released
- September 27, 2004
WHERE TO PLAY
- ESRB
- T For Teen Due To Language, Partial Nudity, Suggestive Themes, Violence
- Genre(s)
- JRPG
Shadow Hearts: Covenant is another alternate history RPG, but this one took place during World War 1. From a female soldier to a vampire wrestler, the party had an eclectic vibe that made the gameplay more compelling than most, and the story’s over-the-top nature also made it a funnier one to dive into.
The turn-based combat was also a bit more active as players could time attacks and specials with a ring-like mechanic to get bonuses, which was not easy. Like the rest of the Shadow Hearts games, these PS2 gems are completely lost to time, but hopefully, diehard fans will never stop beating the drum.
Xenogears
The Start Of Something Great
Xenogears was one of the more ambitious games from Square on the PS1, which incorporated martial arts, mechs, and religion all into one fantastical adventure. The story is almost impossible to summarize since it is so dense, but the twisted nature of its characters at least kept players entertained and guessing as to what could happen next.
Combat was turn-based, but players could input button combos to create special attacks, and later on, mechs were unlocked. Today, the spiritual Xenoblade Chronicles games get more attention, with Xenogears lying now forgotten on the PS1.
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