There’s no set definition of what a video game needs to be and there’s an increasing amount of genres that cater to all sorts of gaming interests. The RPG genre is a popular one in the industry due to its length and depth allowing for greater stories than tends to be possible in other games. RPGs can take players through sprawling journeys where they control dozens of characters. Over the years, multiple RPGs have become defining titles on Nintendo consoles.
Even now, audiences are learning that the Nintendo Switch can be a fantastic home for RPGs, both old and new. The hybrid console reflects Nintendo’s strong relationship with RPGs across their many systems and, with some big projects still in the pipeline, has the potential to further strengthen that reputation in the coming years.
Updated March 31, 2022, by Tom Bowen: With many of the biggest JRPG franchises having started life on Nintendo systems, it would perhaps be fair to say that Nintendo has a stronger relationship with the genre than most other console manufacturers. Over the years, there have been some incredible RPGs on Nintendo consoles. Many of these came back during the golden age of RPGs, when many of the tropes and mechanics that today define the genre were developed and refined to near perfection. That said, there have also been plenty of great RPGs on Nintendo consoles in the 21st century, with the Switch already having more than its fair share of them.
12 Fire Emblem Awakening (Nintendo 3DS)
Fire Emblem Awakening is the 13th game in the larger Fire Emblem series, but it’s this game that helped reboot the franchise for a more mainstream audience, allowing the games to become a popular property outside of Japan.
Set thousands of years after the original games in the series, Awakening simplifies Fire Emblem's tactical RPG mechanics in a helpful and modern way. Awakening is a great entry point for newcomers and characters like Chrom, Robin, and Marth make for engaging protagonists in this gigantic story that puts the fate of the world at stake.
11 Ogre Battle: The March Of The Black Queen (Super Nintendo)
There are plenty of standard RPGs for the Super Nintendo, but Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen tried to popularize the tactical RPG genre on the 16-bit machine. The Ogre Battle series has lasted through several generations, but the first entry in the franchise is remarkable and establishes most of Ogre Battle's staples.
The game is fantastic for those that desire a more immersive and consuming experience. Ogre Battle features 13 different endings and a wealth of Easter eggs that reward thoroughness and experimentation. It's also the only SNES game that mixes together wizards, ninjas, angels, vampires, and werewolves.
10 Super Mario RPG: Legend Of The Seven Stars (Super Nintendo)
Mario has been Nintendo’s leading mascot for the platforming genre, but it was a stroke of genius when the company teamed up with Square to combine Mario and his universe with the latter's RPG expertise. Super Mario RPG is an experiment that pays off beautifully and empowers Princess Peach and Bowser.
Both the Paper Mario and the Mario & Luigi series have continued on the tradition of Super Mario RPGs, but none of them are quite as emblematic of the genre or as purely entertaining as Super Mario RPG. With any luck, Nintendo will eventually get around to remastering the title for modern audiences.
9 Dragon Quest V: Hand Of The Heavenly Bride (Nintendo DS)
Dragon Quest has become a touchstone of the RPG genre and Dragon Quest V is a high point for the series. Dragon Quest V’s sense of scope is remarkable. It begins with the Hero’s birth and goes on to show him getting a wife and having children that carry on his legacy.
There are also many innovative gameplay elements, like how random monsters can join the party. Dragon Quest V originally wasn’t available outside of Japan, but a fantastic Nintendo DS remake in 2008 let Western fans play an even better version of the classic game.
8 Final Fantasy IV (Super Nintendo)
The first Final Fantasy for the Super Nintendo is also one of the console’s best titles. Final Fantasy IV introduces the honorable Cecil who’s on a quest to keep the world safe from an evil sorcerer. The game importantly incorporates many of the staples that helped define the series for years, like distinct character classes and a new active battle system.
Though far from the finest, Final Fantasy IV is still considered a defining entry in the long-running franchise. It received sequels many years later too, as well as an impressive 3D remake for the Nintendo DS, which is arguably as good as the original despite some of the questionable changes it made.
7 Trials of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 3) (Switch)
The Seiken Densetsu series is another masterpiece from the RPG savants at Square, but the franchise is better known as the Mana series in North America. Seiken Densetsu 3, the sequel to the Super Nintendo’s Secret of Mana, is the franchise's crown jewel. It elegantly tells a powerful story about a world on the brink of ruin and a team of legendary heroes who must save it.
Seiken Densetsu 3 wasn’t available outside of Japan until fairly recently, but the Switch’s Collection of Mana finally localized the title as Trials of Mana. Later on, a 3D remake was also released, though fans of retro RPGs may prefer to stick to the Collection of Mana version of the game.
6 Dragon Quest XI (Switch)
The Dragon Quest series doesn't get nearly as much respect as it deserves, particularly when compared with Final Fantasy. Both franchises have helped to define and redefine the RPG genre numerous times throughout the years and between them, they've contributed a healthy portion of the best role-playing games ever made. Dragon Quest XI definitely falls into this category.
Originally released for the 3DS and PS4 back in 2017, a definitive edition of the title followed just a few years later. It's easily one of the series' strongest installments, if not the very best Dragon Quest game of all time. The definitive edition even allows players to switch from 3D to a 2D world map-style perspective similar to those found in some of the classic JRPGs of yesteryear, making this a must-play for fans of both retro and modern role-playing games alike.
5 Skies Of Arcadia: Legends (GameCube)
Skies of Arcadia is one of the most polished RPGs of its generation, and it’s a title that’s been grossly overlooked. The game made its debut on Sega’s ill-fated Dreamcast, but an upgraded version was ported over to Nintendo’s GameCube after the console's untimely demise.
Skies of Arcadia: Legends only prospered from this process, and it is easily the best RPG that the GameCube has to offer. The story in Skies of Arcadia Legends puts the Earth’s safety in jeopardy from an evil empire as so many RPGs do, but Vyse and his team of sky pirates are an incredibly lovable group of protagonists.
4 Earthbound (Super Nintendo)
There’s a lot to be said for the fantastical worlds that RPGs can introduce to their audiences, and there are many effective stories that are immersed in deep fantasy and hard science fiction. However, the Super Nintendo’s Earthbound is such a breath of fresh air because of how incredibly modern it is. In fact, common weapons are things like baseball bats and yo-yos rather than Mythril blades.
Earthbound’s absurdist point of view makes it feel like something truly special. On top of everything else, its gameplay and battle mechanics are also fantastic. It's just a shame that not all of the Mother trilogy are readily available to western players in the modern age.
3 The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Switch)
There's a lot of debate as to whether The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild should really be classed as an RPG. On the one hand, it features a wide variety of weapons and armor and allows players to improve Link's stats (albeit, in a very basic way). It does, however, lack a lot of the features and mechanics that one might expect to find in a traditional JRPG. Whatever it is, there aren't too many people questioning the game's quality, with most considering it one of the very best games of the 21st century to date.
Like pretty much all of its predecessors, Breath of the Wild raised the bar to new heights and was able to successfully freshen up a formula that had remained more or less the same for more than three decades. Not everyone will like the move away from more traditional dungeons and weapon durability can be a real pain, but the story, gameplay, and overall presentation are top-notch, making this a must-play for any serious video game fan.
2 Final Fantasy VI (Super Nintendo)
There were several Final Fantasy titles released for the Super Nintendo, but Final Fantasy VI (or Final Fantasy III, as it was originally called in the west) is the grand finale that literally ends the world. More importantly, it pushed the franchise to places it had never gone before.
Final Fantasy VI’s steampunk world that’s at odds with magic is one of the series’ best environments, while Kefka is a villain that actually feels frightening and evil. Final Fantasy has greatly benefited from its shift to 3D environments, but Final Fantasy VI is the franchise's best title before that transition and feels like the end of an era.
1 Chrono Trigger (Super Nintendo)
Square gets plenty of credit for their groundbreaking work on the Final Fantasy series, but the Super Nintendo’s Chrono Trigger might just be the developer’s best game from that golden era of gaming. The game contains the same fundamentals as Square’s other RPG, but it tells a stunning story that involves lots of time travel and dozens of story possibilities.
Chrono Trigger is incredibly impressive for its era in terms of how many characters and alternate routes it allows. Even now, the game's seamless structure is something that the majority of modern titles aspire and struggle to accomplish. It really is a masterpiece of a game and one that helped to shape the genre for years to come in the years following its release.