Yeah, I forgot it was limited to JRPGs when I was making the list.  I have edited it accordingly.

However, I'm okay with naming 'hybrid' Action/RPG games as they are.  Action/RPGs.  If we don't allow them to be RPGs, or even your example of SRPGs, then frankly, RPGs will never evolve beyond D&D and Dragon Quest clones.

I'm leaving action and strategy RPGs out, because it's too hard to make the list otherwise.


1.) Final Fantasy VI
2.) Suikoden V
3.) Suikoden II
4.) Chrono Trigger
5.) Lunar the Silver Star
6.) Earthbound
7.) Final Fantasy IV tied with Final Fantasy VII
8.) Dragon Quest V
9.) Phantasy Star IV
10.) Final Fantasy X tied with Final Fantasy IX (If the ending parts of nine's story were as good as the beginning, it would be higher.)


Honorable mentions:

Best Magic System: Treasure of the Rudras, or Rudora No Hihou in Japanese. Magic system where you type in magic words and create spells. Learning new spells involves experimenting with different word combinations, eventually you start to speak the language of magic (and no, it's not screwy latin). Not a bad story either, made around the time as FFV.

Best Combat System of all time: Grandia III (shame about the story...)

Best Music not on the list: Chrono Cross (great game too)


Games I haven't played, or haven't beaten:
Xenogears
Persona 3 and 4
Vagrant Story
The end of Final Fantasy VIII
Ys 1 and 2

1) Dragon Quest 6 - The RPG that got me into RPGs, and probably one of my most played games of all time.
2) Chrono Trigger
3) FFVII
4) FFX
5) Fire Emblem (as a series, love em all)
6) Lost Odyssey - surprisingly good, was expecting much less
7) Terranigma
8) Super Mario RPG
9) Dragon Quest 7
10) Dragon Quest 8

FFVII
Persona4
Jeanne D'arc
Kingdom Hearts
Valkyria Chronicles
Kingdom Hearts II
Crisis CoreFFVII
FFX
Chrono Trigger
Dark Cloud 2

Is she from Vesperia? O.o

Hmmm my list goes something like this... (in no particular order)

FF VIII
FF X
GOLDEN SUN (not enough people have mentioned this one!)
Fire emblem path of radiance
Fire emblem radiant dawn
Disagea 2
Suikoden V
Legend of Zelda ocarina of time
Vagrant story! (i want a remake!)
Valkyrie Chronicles (not sure if this counts but i'm putting it anyways!!)

I really want to play a tales game to see what the fuss is about but haven't ever had the chance, wanted to get symphonia but its still to expensive and vesperia taking too long to come out in Europe!

And those 10 rpgs have easily taken more then 500 hours of my life easy!

Golden Sun almost made my list.

As for Vagrant Story, I 100% agree. You can find that much in this thread.

Thats Shana from light novels called "Shakugan no Shana". I think?

Lunar 1 and Lunar 2 at the top.

Then in no particular order:

Phantasy Star IV
FF IV
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
Pokemon Red
Pokemon Silver
Earthbound
Golden Sun
Valkyria Chronicles

@Euphoria14

Yea Alex sure pwns :)

I don't think I ever played 10 to the end, but here it goes:

- Chrono Trigger
- Chrono Cross
- FF IX
- Valkyrie Profile
- Lunar: Silver Star Story(PS)
- Pokemon Gold/Silver
- Super Mario RPG

well, I could fill the 3 other positions with Tales of Symphonia, Paper Mario Thousand-Year Door and Baten Kaitos, but no way I'm including Tales among the ones above, I would include Paper Mario but the last quarter of the game was boring as hell and I am currently playing Baten Kaitos, and even though I already think it's fantastic, I'll wait a bit more.

also, I didn't finish FF IX (there's one CD left, one day I'll do it), but I consider it one of the best. and I never finished Super Mario RPG too.

I bet I would include Lunar 2 if I had finished it, I played the beginning and that's it, one day I'll play it though.

I played Vagrant Story until I felt the battle system was too much for fighting bats and wolves so I gave up playing it.

I played a good part of FFV until I reached the four crystals boss then I gave up, wasn't bothered at all to grind.

I'm still playing Etrian Odyssey but that's more western than any entry in the list, and I'm just in the second stratum.

I played the beginning of Persona 1 at a time when I couldn't stand games that were SLOW.

I played Mario & Luigi: Partners in Time until the last boss, which I fought for more than 20 minutes until I decided I had won and therefore completed the game.

and I gave up playing Parasite Eve because it was fucking frustrating-hard, but I thought it was an awesome game.

as you can see, I didn't play any PS2 and GBA RPGs.

Golden sun is definatly one of my favourites, i remember when i picked it up i had no clue what the game was about, i just looked at the boxart and decided to buy it, no need to look at reviews! However I'm really disappointed that I didnt get to play the sequel, heres hoping they release another installment on wii