Developer: Square
Publisher: Square
Year: 2000
Platform: Playstation, PS3, PSP
The last RPG I played, I consumed it during a one-month period in 2011 when I was unemployed. I rejoined the workforce completely satisfied. Getting away from the futuristic, steampunk atmospheres from the previous two games, Square returned to its roots with classic characters and a classic battle system that is the most user-friendly since Final Fantasy IV.
Developer: Neverland
Publisher: Natsume
Year: 1996
Platform: SNES
While Final Fantasy Legend II was miles ahead of its predecessor, it was a very similar game with a significantly improved plot. Lufia II is so unlike the first game in the series that it’s hard to believe they have the same name. About the only thing that’s similar about the two games is the battle interface, which was the best part it took from it’s older cousin. Everything else has been revamped to make Lufia II a near perfect RPG.
Developer: Square
Publisher: Square
Year: 1991
Platform: Game Boy
It’s hard to say a game with a Final Fantasy name is unheralded, but in 1991, there had only been two games released in North America with the name. Those two were the original game for the NES, and the dreadfully dull, long, and difficult first game in the Legend series. Square had yet to release Final Fantasy II in America (also, not much of a loss). So the name in 1991 wasn’t an automatic gold mine. It wasn’t until IV and VI came out that RPGs became a huge thing in America, and then of course with VII things really exploded.
Despite hating the first game in the series, I loved RPGs and asked for this game anyway. And I’m very glad I did.
Developer: Chunsoft
Publisher: Enix
Year: 1992
Platform: NES, DS
A rare and mostly forgotten game in the NES library, Dragon Quest IV should not be ignored by fans of classic RPGs. While, like its predecessors, it remains underwhelming in the graphics and music department (at least on the NES), it more than makes up for it with a tight, epic story. Thankfully, the DS version fixes some problems and makes the game much more palatable for today’s gamers.
Developer: Square
Publisher: Square
Year: 1997
Platform: Playstation, PS3, PSP, Windows
I got this game for Windows shortly after it came out, but my computer wasn’t strong enough to handle it. So I returned it and bough a bunch of You Don’t Know Jack games. Yeah.
Anyway, I eventually borrowed this game from a friend and the Playstation from my brother and fell completely in love with the game. I’m a sucker for anti-heroes, and Cloud was a perfect character to express my teen angst. I’ve fallen out of love with it a little bit over the years due to the poor graphics and the poor final chapter of the game. Continue reading 9. Final Fantasy VII
Developer: Square
Publisher: Square
Year: 1991
Platform: SNES, GBA, Playstation, PS3, PSP, Wii
This ranking is likely blasphemy to many who are reading. I know at least two people who would rank this game #1. And I have to admit, it’s just about as flawless as you can make an RPG. Proving how subjective these rankings can be, it only gets knocked down for me because despite playing it twice, I found the story and characters virtually unmemorable.
Developer: Chunsoft
Publisher: Enix
Year: 1992
Platform: NES, Gameboy Color, SNES (Japanese Only)
The final game in the Erdrick trilogy is easily the best one. While it suffers from the same thing as the first two games in the series (endless level-building), its story is epic and infinitely more interesting than the previous two games. Continue reading 11. Dragon Quest III
Developer: Square
Publisher: Square
Year: 1999
Platform: Playstation, Playstation 3, PSP
I never finished Chrono Cross thanks due to a bug (either with the game or with my disc) that left me perpetually stuck in one area. I thought about not ranking this game, but from what I played, I know I would rank it at least this high. Perhaps if I finished it (which I won’t, I’m sure) it would rank higher. Regardless, it’s a nice follow-up to Chrono Trigger that excels in everything except that I never felt fully engaged with the story.
Developer: Square
Publisher: Nintendo
Year: 1990
Platform: NES, GBA, Playstation, PS3, Wii, PSP, Smartphones
Square was about to go under when Nintendo decided they might take a chance and see if this whole RPG thing would catch on. We’re all glad they did.
Developer: Square
Publisher: Square
Year: 1993
Platform: Game Boy
The third and final game in this series makes some significant improvements in game mechanics, making the game more user-friendly. It also has a time-travel plot, which should be golden. Unfortunately, a rather dull story weakens an otherwise solid game.
Death By Troggles 
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