what are the best jrpgs

[laurenhiya21]

I haven't really played a lot of the "classic" JRPGs, so some of the ones I choose might be a little odd ha... But here are the ones I've played that I've really loved playing (in no particular order):

Suikoden (PS1)
Ys I & II Chronicles+ (Steam)
Ar Tonelico: Melody of Elemia (PS2)
Atelier Ayesha (PS3)

Persona 4 is close to being up there, but it had a ton of grinding near the end so it fell just a bit short for me :/ Still liked it, just not what I would consider the "best".

[BoneSnapDeez]

I want to put Souls games on here, but I need to finish one first

Country of origin aside, don't they share more with WRPG design?

Depends on if by "JRPG" you mean "console-style" RPG games that are most notably inspired by Dragon Quest or any RPG with a Japanese origin. Seems as if we've been using the latter definition in this thread so far.

[Ack]

To give a real answer, Final Fantasy VI was a defining moment of my childhood and one of the handful of games where my opinion of what a game could be was drastically changed. I loved every minute of it, from the excellent art direction and audio work, to the funky translation, to the large cast and contrasts in style from the linear first world to the second wide open one full of hidden secrets to uncover. It influenced a lot of what I like in RPGs, including large casts banding together, experimentation with equipment to uncover new methods of annihilating enemies, characters with unique abilities that could still be built to fill required roles based on my needs, etc. It became the definitive JRPG experience to me, and I compare every JRPG I play to it. I've gone back and played through it many times, as well as gone through the Game Boy Advance update and cleared the additional bonus dungeons added into the game as well as completed the bestiary.

There are many other JRPGs I have played through and enjoyed for various reasons: 7th Saga, Lufia II, Star Ocean: The Second Story, etc. But none have ever given me the same experience, even when I praise them highly. That's ok though, I don't expect them to.

As for the definition, I'm looking at it strictly from a console style inspired by Dragon Warrior perspective and not considering action RPGs, dungeon crawlers, WRPGs, etc...though I still prefer FF6 to those too, even if I absolutely adore Baldur's Gate, Arcana, Diablo, etc.

[BoneSnapDeez]

Yeah FFVI blew me away back in '95. It firmly cemented the fact that JRPGs were my favorite genre and for years afterwards I bought/played almost nothing but JRPGs. To this day if I had to choose one "subset" of games that remains my favorite it would be SNES & Super Famicom JRPGs. And I still have many many more to play, which is fantastic.

[prfsnl_gmr]

Here are my very favorite, in alphabetical order:

Chrono Trigger (SNES)
Dragon Quest III (GBC)
Dragon Quest IX (DS)
Final Fantasy III (DS)
Final Fantasy V (SNES)
Final Fantasy VI (SNES)
Lunar: The Silver Star (PS1)
Panzer Dragoon Saga (SAT)
Phantasy Star (SMS)
Secret of Mana (SNES)

[Sarge]

Yeah, gotta add Panzer Dragon Saga for sure. Wonderfully unique experience that still hasn't been duplicated.

As for one of the PS2-era RPGs that I thought was great, I'm gonna throw Shadow Hearts: Covenant out there. I also liked Rogue Galaxy a ton, and Wild ARMs 5 really floored me as a followup to the style in WA4.

[Kidpanda]

Phantasy Star II
Feel the grind.

[TheSSNintendo]

Final Fantasy IV (Ok, who didn't see that coming?)
Final Fantasy VI
Earthbound
Chrono Trigger
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete
Phantasy Star IV

[Nemoide]

This is off the top of my head and I'm putting them in alphabetical order because I can't commit to a best-worst style list. I'm also listing the system I played them on, but I can't guarantee that these versions are the best or anything.

Chrono Trigger (PS1) - There's a reason this game has the reputation it does! The way it handles time travel makes the game really interesting and allows for a whole bunch of endings, something pretty rare back in the day.
Dragon Quest III (GBC) - Hands down my favorite 8-bit RPG but really it blows away most RPGs from later generations. It also firmly cemented the DQ series in my heart.
Dragon Quest VII (PS1) - I'm normally not one for really long games, and this one is certainly loooooong, but it also has the polished DQ formula of the 16-bit games that I completely love and can't get enough of. If I could summarize what makes the DQ games special, it's that I feel constantly engaged while playing them, as huge as this game is, it never felt like pointless "sidequest" busywork.
Dragon Quest VIII (PS2) - I'm trying not to fill the list with games from the same series but I feel like these DQ games are all different enough. This is the series' first 3D game and it made the transition beautifully. It has all the fun gameplay one would expect from a DQ game and the cel-shaded graphics capture Akira Toriyama's goofy art style.
Final Fantasy VI (PS1) - I honestly can't *really* decide which 16-bit Final Fantasy is my favorite (I loved FF V and I don't care who knows it) but VI is definitely the most advanced of them. The story goes beyond all the earlier FF games, there's a huge cast of characters, the gameplay mechanics are a lot of fun... it's a great game!
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete[/b[ (PS1) - This game is amazing. I've played the Sega CD version too but the PS1 remake really improves things. I love the characters and story. And music! LUNA'S BOAT SONG!
[b]Lunar: Eternal Blue (Sega CD) - I never actually played the PS1 remake of this! But this sequel manages to capture everything great about the first one! Absolutely its equal
Panzer Dragoon Saga (Saturn) - My first JRPG and one I still love deeply. Even though I'm more versed in the genre, I can't think of anything that has engrossed me at that level or told its story in such an interesting way. The only flaw is that it's too short and easy. (I recommend it but... not necessarily at eBay prices.)
Phantasy Star IV (Genesis) - This is still my default answer to the "favorite 16-bit RPG" question even though the competition is fierce. The gameplay, graphics, music, and story are all great.
Shining Force (Genesis) - Okay my memory blurs between the first and second game, but I really love these strategy RPGs and the Shining series as a whole.

I feel like there's still room for swapping. Depending on my mood, I might want Final Fantasy IV or V in there; Final Fantasy IX probably deserves a mention as well. Dragon Quest V probably deserves a mention but I've got enough of those on the list as it is - I'm a big DQ fan so I'd suggest ALL OF THEM (except maybe the second one) to folks looking for the best JRPGs...

[Cronozilla]

I love me some Chrono Trigger, if you couldn't tell.

I also really enjoyed Lunar Silver Star Story and Tales of Destiny.