Round 1: The 8 bit era!

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=178723

Origins - only played remakes of FF and FFII
Evolution - Final Fantasy VI, Final Fantasy V, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy IV
Prominence - Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Suikoden, Wild Arms
Maturation - Suikoden III, Dragon Quest VIII, Final Fantasy XII, Final Fantasy X, Wild Arms 4
Modern - Ni no Kuni, Tales of Xillia, Valkyria Chronicles, White Knight Chronicles 2, Tales of Graces F

Story - Final Fantasy VIII, Suikoden III, Valkyria Chronicles, Final Fantasy XII, Ni no Kuni
Design - Ni no Kuni, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy XII, Tales of Xillia
Gameplay - Final Fantasy IX, Suikoden III, White Knight Chronicles 2, Tales of Xillia, Valkyria Chronicles
Presentation - Valkyria Chronicles, Ni no Kuni, Final Fantasy VIII, Tales of Xillia, Atelier Ayesha
Influence - Final Fantasy XII, Ni no Kuni, Tales of Xillia, Valkyria Chronicles, Final Fantasy VII
Multiplayer - White Knight Chronicles 2, Tales of Xillia

These lists are very hard to make, seriously... and I'm pretty sure my sweet Atelier Escha & Logy will make the cut in many categories after i get to play it.

I always think the classification as western and japanese RPGs as very weak. The differences are imperceptible, if you look really at it. You will find japanese and western RPGs for nearly every style. So I'm not really sure this classification makes any sense. That starts with the early JRPGs (like Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy), that were heavily influenced in gameplay choices by the preexisting RPG-classics like Wizardry and Ultima.

*cough, cough* 
As JRPGs are very late to the party (around a decade) they weren't existing in the dawn of video-gaming.

Prominence - Final Fantasy IX
Maturation - Final Fantasy X
Modern - Pesrona 4 Golden if that counts, Ni No Kuni or Lost Odyssey if it doesn't

Plot - Persona 4: Golden
Design - Final Fantasy X
Gameplay - Kingdom Hearts Final Mix or II, I probably have to give it to Final Mx since I just played that
Presentation - Ni No Kuni
Influence - This has to go to Final Fantasy VII surely?

Multiplayer - Ugh, disgusting!

I'm too young for some of the classifications and I wish I could give more to Lost Odyssey since that was a very fine jRPG and there are many others I have missed, notably Squeenix's fine efforts on PSP with Crisis Core and BBS

Tagging.

nobody has mentioned breath of fire saga

Gonna use Basil's template

Origins
-Final Fantasy (NES) (emulator, no shame)
-Mother (NES)

Evolution
-Final Fantasy VI (SNES)
-Chrono Trigger (SNES)
-Phantasy Star IV (Genesis)
-Final Fantasy IV (SNES)
-Phantasy Star III & Final Fantasy V (Genesis/SNES) (for voting purposes consider only PSIII)

Prominence
-Xenogears (PS)
-Castlevania SOTN (PS) (i consider an action RPG and it's japanese)
-Chrono Cross (PS)
-Final Fantasy VIII (PS)
-Final Fantasy IX & VII (PS) - (for voting purposes consider only IX)

Maturation
-Persona 3 (PS2)
-Golden Sun (GBA)
-Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne/Lucifer's Call (PS2)
-Persona 4 (PS2)
-Final Fantasy Tactics (GBA) (still a jrpg ¬_¬)

Modern
-Etrian Odyssey (DS) - Only remarkable jrpg (from those i've played which admitedley are not that much) and it's not even great.
-Haven't (or didn't) finished some i would like to vote for

--------------

Story
-Xenogears(PS)
-Chrono Trigger (PS)
-Final Fantasy VI (PS)
-Phantasy Star IV (Genesis)
-Xenosaga (PS2)

Design
-Final Fantasy VI (SNES)
-Chrono Trigger (SNES)

Gameplay
-Final Fantasy VI (SNES)
-Chrono Trigger (SNES)

Presentation
-Final Fantasy VI (PS)
-Chrono Trigger (PS)
-Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox360) (only for the graphics)
-Persona 4 (PS2)
-Xenogears (PS)

Influence
-Final Fantasy (NES)
-Phantasy Star (SMS)
-Castlevania SOTN (PS)
-Final Fantasy IV (SNES)
-Xenogears (PS) - More pioneer than influential due to regulations and general world changes in modern time

Multiplayer
- - - - -

If there was a top six, Breath of Fire 3 would have been listed in the prominence category and Breath of Fire 5 would have been listed in the maturation category. 

If ports count Breath of Fire 3(and Tales of Eternia) would have been listed in the modern category. 

Do I... vote in this thread? Or do I have to wait for you to make the thread for the era I want to vote in?

Nvm, saw the disclaimer in the OP.

Evolution

Breath of Fire II
Final Fantasy VI
(I wasn't very old during this era)

Prominence

Breath of Fire IV
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX

Maturation

Dark Chronicle (aka Dark Cloud 2)
Grandia II
Wild ARMs 3
Wild ARMs 5

Modern

Atelier Ayesha
Final Fantasy XIII-2
Tales of Xillia

Ta-da

Can you give an example on how to vote?

Thanks