In my venture to have a fun enjoyable JRPG this gen with a story and battle system that hooks me from the start (yes both together, crazy idea no?) I have finally just started buying old SNES JRPGs that I never got around to.

FFXIII while having a good battle system, the story lacks a real hook, some cool characters yes, but not a lot of substance.  The battle system itself while works pretty well it's just doesn't give you the feeling that there's a ton of strategy to it like previous battle systems and when you're beaten its like oh well I guess I should have healed more and just waited it out instead of smacking him silly cause he has A MILLION HP.

I'm going to go back to Valkayria Chronicles some time or another but I just couldn't get into the SRPG battle system, which happens to me with a lot of SRPGs with the main exception being Final Fantasy Tactics which again is a PS1 game.

This is excluding handhelds since they give a good many quality JRPGs but when I'm home I sometimes want to sit down at my TV and play a good JRPG.  So now that I've got a new SNES I've started to buy JRPGs at my local Play-n-Trade.

First up on the list is Secret of Evermore, been playing this one lately, uses the same battle system of Secret of Mana, a lot of fun, and some good humor.

Next will be Ogre Battle since I never got to play it but it just hit the VC, but it seems high on everyone's recommended list.

Then I'm going to pick up Breath of Fire on the SNES since I never played the series before.

So how about you?  Has JRPG quality on the consoles this gen driven you to the previous gens to find gems you might have missed out on?  Maybe just replaying the old JRPGs and remembering how things once were?  Here's hoping some Japanese Dev can break this cycle!

Breath of Fire is (was) my favourite JRPG series.
Enjoy !

Butbutbutbut Bowser's Inside Story was amazing! D:

Ogre Battle 64 is pretty great but it may not be what you're looking for. Definitely an acquired taste in terms of gameplay.

Play FFI and then tell me you don't want to stay in this gen.

Hell, I sold FFXIII but I'm 25 hours in FFIII on my DS and loving it, and it's an NES game!

I approve of this thread.

Seiken Densetsu 3!

Breath of Fire is great! I played them all, and only number 5 is not that good, but good nonetheless!
I would recommend Earthbound, but by your avatar that is not needed, right?

But what killed JRPGs for me (well, almost, because I still love some Dragon Quest) was one thing only: the Paper Mario series (and mario and luigi too). Much better - and simple - mechanics, amazing graphics (they're still perfect till this day!), sounds, music, lots and lots of gameplay (no videos, cinematics or 30 minutes of pressing a button to scroll text) and fun factor!

Perfection in JRPG. No other series gets close to it. Oh, man, how much better it is when you don't have to fake a tear to save the world in a game! :)

PS. Final Fantasy V is also good, since it's so ridiculous at times! But to master it you need time! It's hard as hell, but it's worthy, since it's an excelent system.

thanks to emulation I can have my yearly dose of FFVI and Chrono Trigger

It felt really refreshing when I started Shin Megami Tensei: Lucifer's Call again during FFXIII, man, that game just gives you the roleplay- feeling. I just got Strange Journey and have been playing it for non-stop. I don't know when I will get to finish FFXIII, I'm afraid I will get bored from it the 3rd time.

Yeah, that pretty much sums up my feelings.