wfz on 24 February 2009
Damn, that's what I get for only paying attention to a list without reading the full OP. Sorry man....
I'd definitely recommend the Breath of Fire series, and Secret of Mana!! The fact that you haven't played those games yet blows me away, considering that they're some of the best RPGs ever made, by far.
I know you didn't list that you have a SNES in the OP, but you need to do basically whatever it takes to play those games. =)
EDIT: Also, I'm not sure if any of your friends are into RPGs, but Secret of Mana is one of the greatest multiplayer experiences in the history of videogames!
