PSX JRPG Definitive List ( One per Franchise) 1.FF7 2.Xenogears 3.Suikoden 2 4.Legend of Legaia 5.Grandia 6.Legend of Dragoon 7.Chrono Cross 8.Breath of Fire 4 9:Lunar Silver Star Story 10.Star Ocean Second Story
One of my most formative gaming experiences was when I was about 8 years old, my cousin came to visit and brought his ps1 along with a copy of Parasite Eve. The opening scene at the opera was something that has stuck with me my entire life. It wasn't until many years later that I got to play the game in full, but I've been obsessed with it ever since I first saw it.
@@matthewbumgarner9928 Yeah, it hurt to leave that one out, but I wouldn't trade it for any of the 10 I chose. You've got me whistling the opening song again though!
@@terrenitup Xenogears if it were finished, sure (and I hadn't gotten to disc 2 and ended up with a corrupted save file)... and Star Ocean? It's good, but I wouldn't trade any of the others for it. Parasite Eve never clicked with me either. But I suppose that's why we're all different and can enjoy different things!
*Xenogears* - When I saw you transitioning into Xenogears, I had the *exact same thoughts* as you did. Remaster with the disc 2 content worked out as it was originally intended to be before they hit the time crunch. I saw the official story that was eventually told, and I'm honestly just glad that we got disc 2 at all - we almost didn't. But putting this tragic tale to rights would be so epic! My own version of this list would include: *SaGa Frontier* - not the first SaGa game released in the US, but the first to do so under the SaGa brand. The 7 different stories(even if Lute's was cut short because SF also suffered a time crunch) were neat and varied, and the 4 types of characters were interestingly different, and the way you were encouraged to go full physical or full magical(plus the opposing schools of magic, which oddly worked for me). It was just neat, especially once I got used to how the mechanics worked - it did have a bit of a learning curve for me. *Wild Arms* - I would say that Alter Code F is better. More of everything that made the first one good. But this holds a special place in my heart for the way it incorporated some more western(as in spaghetti) elements, so didn't look or feel like your typical fantasy jRPG. But with the gameplay being largely familiar(those combat sprites tho - lol). And it's one of the first games I ever played that included puzzles of the sort it has(the other being Lufia 2 on the SNES). It made exploring its environments a lot of fun. 2 improved on the gamplay, but I think 1 had the better story, so that's why I chose it.
The song that is playing during the Legend of Dragoon section is one of my favorite songs ever in a game. I actually listen to it still sometimes. It's hypnotic!
Stand tall and shake the heavens! Even with it's unfinished/rushed second disc, I still say Xenogears is the greatest RPG of all time nearly 30 years later. The story and combat was just the best.
So this might be a little of a stretch but, I didn’t grow up with RPG’s as a kid but what I did grew up with was Mega Man. And playing Mega Man Legends and Legends 2 as a kid was the closest thing to an RPG I played back then. The RPG elements and the JRPG type of story 2 had will always hold a special place for me, and it’s probably the catalyst for me falling in love with JRPG games in general. And those games still hold up to this day! Some of the most charming games you’ll ever play
Megaman legends is one of my favorites on the ps1, but it's not your typical jrpg. As it doesn't have normal exp gaining and leveling up, it does have pretty much everything else, and it came close to being the first megaman came I ever beaten. Star Ocean 2 is also one of my favorites, but we all know why it's awesome. I'm still discovering ps1 rpgs I've missed out on
I absolutely loved how Megaman Legends cutscenes were fully animated and voiced. The art style they chose holds up well that "low poly" artists copy it's style. The gameplay didn't age as well though because aiming and shooting schemes have evolved to a standard now so MML feels really janky.
The PS1, Sega Saturn and N64 era for me has been the best generation ever and the end of golden era of gaiming. So many great RPG, so much innovation, memorable characters... 30 years laters and everything is going downhill. There are a lot of JRPG from PS1 that I havent played yet and some from this list that I totally forget. Awesome video!
@@BacklogBattle No problem! I do think there would be a lot of fans of that one that would appreciate a remaster or remake. Graphically it’s a bit rough to go back to these days, but my nostalgia for it keeps me coming back haha.
This is the era where making these lists actually becomes difficult but you can't go wrong with any of these. My list would probably find a way to include Valkyrie Profile and Final Fantasy IX but I'm not sure what Id even think to remove because they are all gems!
Valkyrie Profile and FFIX would absolutely be on this list! We actually took a bit of time to try and nail down the games we wanted to show up on this list and came up with some really important guidelines. Things like, "Let's only pick one mainline Final Fantasy to include" or "Let's make sure we also represent other JRPGs that aren't Square Enix" were just some of the considerations. If we didn't, Square Enix games would probably comprise the majority of this list!
@@BacklogBattle Always appreciate that you take time to interact with the community. In a sea of negative content that seems to be prevalent across TH-cam and other social media platforms, nice to have a creator like yours that is always upbeat and pushing positive content. Your videos make my work days better each time they come out and you are appreciated!
No Wild Arms... 🥺 That was the game who made me fall in love with (J)RPGs back in late 1996. While everybody was gushing all over Final Fantasy VII in early '97, I was playing Wild Arms like a madlad and not understanding much because I was a kid and English is not my first language lol.
@@tsukishiro70 That's the only way I've beaten the game throughout the years, but I'm planning to beat it "straight" for the first time. Wish me luck lol.
Final Fantasy 9, Breath of Fire 4, Chrono Cross, Grandia, Wild Arms 2, Legend of Legaia, Grandstream Saga, Legend of Dragoon, Threads of Fate, Front Mission 3.
So great to see Vagrant Story on here! Such an amazing and unique game! And Square, we need a remake or good remaster!! Vagrant Story is a work of art and should be accessible for all to enjoy and experience!
I don't know if I was an idiot back in the day or if my Vagrant Story glitched or something, but I remember that past a certain point my weapon dealt only 1 point of damage to almost all enemies, final boss included. I still managed to finish the game because every time I succeeded at doing another sword slash in a combo my damage doubled so it went 1 >> 2 >> 4 >> 8 >> 16 >> 32 >> 64 etc (and went back to 1 when I missed the timing). The mechanics of this game were so complex, I ended up not liking it too much. The story, music and graphics were fire though.
One of my absolute favourite PS1 games is Legend of Legaia, but I also loved Digimon World 1, and though I never finished it Guardian's Crusade has a fond place in my heart.
@@BacklogBattle The harmony version is terrible i wrote a review on it on my amazon account, but damn stream lined dungeons, decreased difficulty so there is no strategy, no overworld, some anime cutscenes removed, and to top it off, the story and script was heavly altered and didn't have near the personality that working designs had. Silver star story complete will always be to me the most definitive way to experience that game.
I've just recently started the Suikoden franchise, and after finishing the first game, I can safely say that's a must-have PS1 RPG. The way it juggles over 100 recruitable characters while making most of them interesting (and many of them optional party members) is really impressive. On top of that, a high-stakes story where deaths on both sides of the war are inevitable, and some excellent character designs evocative of 90's anime and manga. The overall game moves at a brisk pace, too, and I like how I can unlock fast-travel options early on to make coming and going from the homebase less tedious than it otherwise would be (something Suikoden II held out on for way too long). I'm halfway through Suikoden II, and despite the aforementioned gripe with the Blinking Mirror, it really is a bigger and better sequel. Better visuals (environments, enemy sprites, animation), an ambitious and gripping story with some fantastic villains, and more gameplay variety and attention to detail in its world. It makes me wonder just how Konami was able to pack so much content into one game back in the day.
Final Fantasy IX is another one of my favorites along with FFT, Kegend of Dragoon, and Grandia. PS1 was also my first time playing FF1, 2, and 4-6, as well as Chrono Trigger. I would love to see a PS2 list. Curious how many align with mine.
Fantastic choice with BOF3. One of my favorites & by far the best in the series! You can completely break the game by strategically using the Master system, specially Fahl 😁
Xenogears, Lunar 1&2, Suikoden 1&2, Vagrant Story, Beyond the Beyond, Wild Arms, Alundra, Legend of Legaia , Vandal Hearts, Koudelka, I could go on forever. I own all of these and more! PS1/2 will never be topped. Time and cost to make games are much different now. Glad I got to live during this time but I still do enjoy new games of today there’s actually a lot of good games still I think people just like to complain
@@StewNWT Alundra better than BoF3? Strong disagree my friend. BoF3 is no joke one of the best JRPGs I've ever played, Alundra was fun tho, Just not that memorable for me personally.
@@butterschunkmcdonalds5333 BOF i'm glad you liked it but I got bored of it after 10 years. Not even close to one of the best rpgs out there it would be lucky to make top 100. Alundra 100% better
@@StewNWT Lol I guess that just shows how preferences differ, I feel the exact opposite. Both are good IMO, But BoF3 is incredible to me, I think about it often, While Alundra is ok, And it rarely ever crosses my mind. But hey, It's fine if you feel differently, You're always entitled to your opinion!
Vandal Hearts! Suikoden! The first two Persona games were there, and while I'd hardly call them the best, they're probably of interest to a lot of people now. I had Persona 1 when it came out and I think it was one of my biggest regrets of any game I'd purchased. I think I got it used at least.
Props for including the masterpiece that is FFT over the more popular FF9. FFT has an unabashedly harsh storyline. It was my Game of Thrones before I knew GoT existed. I think Front Mission 3 deserved a spot on your list. Like Tactics, it’s a strategy RPG with a serious and dark storyline. While it has a lot of customization, it’s not as robust of a system as FFT, but it makes up for that with Mech on Mech combat. Who doesn’t love that?
Grandia 1 will always be my favourite game ever, the combat was alot of fun and the having meals together fleshing out the game and how everyone was doing at the point in time. Obvious it was linear, but i liked the fact that the cast of characters even had conversations with most NPCs which not many rpgs do. I also see linear as a good thing, sometime cuts the fat, to m pointless overly inflated open world games nowadays. Anyways good list, all great games.
Just finished another run. I probably have over 2000 hours in it. Done every run thinkable. From tank Ryu to Mage Ryu. To magic Garr. To solo Ryu run. BOF3 deserves a Remake but nothing will beat the original.
For me, Breath Of Fire 4 is all time my personal Fav. First, because its the first JRPG i've played. The art, the colour, hand drawn pixel model, and music, specially the main theme is somehow so spiritual, and the mature dark story within its colourfull world. I've played almost every single English language JRPG, but to be honest, even thou its biased, BoF4 is my fav PS1 JRPG.
There are so many titles from that era they could bring back with even just remasters that would sell at this point it makes my head spin. The PS1 had a long list of JRPG bangers and the ones not shared with todays audience are being done a disservice. Amazing video Alex!
Yeah, Wild Arms 1 & 2 are must plays for me. Wish Sony would make HD remasters, but who am I kidding. It also be nice if Sony would drop the exclusivity for Wild Arms games; I don't want to buy a Sony system for two DLs when nothing modern on the platform tickles my fancy. Also, remasters for Syphon Filter I-3 and the first two Twisted Metals would be great. Sigh. Almost every franchise I love is dead.
When I think about the PS1 I'm always drawn back to the first game I ever played on it, Digimon World, I remember having a blast playing it as a kid, but I don't dare to play it again today at the risk of ruining my nostalgic memories lol. I also recently started playing Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure on the Windows version, and my younger self should have played it back on the PS1, such a fun little game.
great list! PS1 had so many great JRPGs that I feel like you could do a top 20 and still feel like you’re leaving things off ☺️ also I’m looking forward to David Vinc’s reaction to Legend of Dragoon being so high 😜
It's hard to just take 10, the PSX had so many classics that I was lucky to experience through YARRRR! as a jobless teenager of a lower middle-class family 😅 I'm pretty sure Suikoden 1 & 2 are mentioned in every other comment, so I'll try to go off the beaten ground a bit. First would be Front Mission 3, a mech-based tactical RPG and the first one in the series we got in the West. The game had two scenarios, you could browse an in-game internet and sometimes find secret websites with more background info on the game, special training stages and secret online shops. I remember being mind-blown when I first played it. It's highly underrated in my opinion. Another Square game is Parasite Eve, combining an ATB system and real-time movement to the survival horror elements of a game like Resident Evil. You play as a New York City cop, dealing with gruesome monstruosities and mutants, getting into random encounters, managing your stock of medicines and bullets to stop Eve from eradicating everything during the winter holidays. The sequels moved away from its more RPG origins, but it's pretty unique and has some serious gory moments. Finally, I have to mention SaGa Frontier. Truth be told, first time I played it, I didn't understand it, and because of that, I didn't particularly care for it. We didn't get Final Fantasy 2 yet and I never played any of the Final Fantasy Legend games at that point, so Frontier came out of the left field and destroyed my expectations in a bad way. I've since fallen into the SaGa rabbit hole, as hostile as it can be, and think it's probably one of the easiest games in the series to get into. Definitely worth a try if you crave something different, especially with the Remastered version (though I think Romancing 3 is still a superior game) Honorable mention to Final Fantasy 5. Yes, it's a SuFami game, but the Anthology version was the first time I got to play the game with a complete (though questionable) translation. Through Origins, Anthology and Chronicles, Square got us five out of six early FFs and Chrono Trigger, which included two previously unreleased titles in the West, meaning the PSX had 8 mainline Final Fantasy games by the end of its life, kinda crazy to think about!
Breath of Fire 4 - it's a much more polished experience than Breath of Fire 3. And the art style has the most beautiful pixel art in any game ever made Dragon Quest 7 - the time travel mechanic is just as good as Chrono Trigger, if not better. Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment - it's not even up for debate, these are the best Persona games And some honorable mentions: Suikoden 1 and Suikoden 2 Popolocrois Alundra Linda³ Again Moon: Remix RPG Adventure Mega Man Legends 1 and Mega Man Legends 2 Parasite Eve Saga Frontier 2 Legend of Mana Koudelka Threads of Fate Valkyrie Profile
Said list. Also toss in Breath of Fire 4 (personally prefer this one over 3 but both are great). Parasite Eve 1 AND 2 (usually gets a bad wrap but I played it for the first time recently and though not as good as the first it was still fun). Lastly, one of my favorite RPGs of all time and has gotten re-released not long ago on newer platforms... Saga Frontier. Bonus: When you get or if you get to the PS2 then Shadow Hearts 1 and 2. 3 was ok but not anywhere near as good as the first 2. If you have to play only one then 2 (Covenant) is generally considered the best. Bonus bonus: The Last Story on the Wii
I love so many of the games listed in this video. Back then, all I had to judge whether to buy a game was by the box art or if it was a sequel to an old SNES RPG. Even though it's cool that games today get such a deep dive before they're released, I kind of miss that risk/reward of just picking a game and seeing if it was for me. My list would be: FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, Chrono Cross, Legend of Mana, Xenogears, Star Ocean: The Second Story, Legend of Dragoon, Valkyrie Profile and Breath of Fire IV.
Ahh yes! My childhood! Tales of Destiny II or Eternia is one of my most replayed game, ever! I remember playing it from start to finish almost every summer vacation from grade school until high school! Sometimes my brother and/or my cousin joins in co-op, and those were the best days of my childhood!
JRPGs truly shine on PS1 era because back then for better or worse, the hardware limitations forced game developers to create appealing characters, engaging stories and unique gameplay mechanics to make the game interesting enough to sell and these in turn make those games timeless and memorable. Maybe it's just me but nowadays we have the luxury of amazing graphics and features in modern games that sometimes it doesn't feel like a ROLE-PLAYING game in PS1 era sense. I got too excited watching flashy movements and can't immerse myself in the character or story. By the time I finished the game all I remember was just how cool it looked and how fun it was, then new games came out with better graphic etc. and I forgot all about it. Tales of Eternia, The Legend of Dragoon and Final Fantasy VIII are my top favorites. I would include Final Fantasy Tactics as well, but I have only played the PSP version.
The PSP version of Tactics is largely the same as the PS1 version, the biggest difference is the updated translation, the PS1 version of Tactics has a very dry and stiff translation, the PSP version's translation is closer to what Yasumi Matsino wanted.
Suikoden 2 and Wild Arms are my top 1 PS1 games. Oh and Legend of Legaia also, I'm a shame that most people know about Legend of Dragoon and not Legend of Legaia.
How appropriate I've been curating my own list of ps1 games to finally play, and most of these are on there. The rest have been added to my infinite backlog now lol
@@makasete30 I agree with 6 being better than 7; however, 6 initially released on SNES not PS1, but I'll hear out your argument for it's superiority over 8.
As an rpg lover....I am ashamed that there were games in this video that I never even heard of....which is why I'm thankful for this video.....some of these are definitely on my bucket list
Breath of Fire III was and still is pretty great. Maybe too easy as a game but it easily beats out IV for me which is pretty damn dry in the narrative dept. IV doesn't have a bad story, just takes forever for something to happen in that one.
Good list and brings so much nostalgia. Would love to see the classics in current consoles (or next gen) again. Doesn't have to remake. I'm fine with HD at least. Thats my way of getting these whether digital or physical classics legally and cheaper.
Ok so I'm going to choose from these titles which one should I start with? Breath of Fire 3 Vagrant Story Legend of Dragoon Tales of Eternia (I may play PSP version)
I wasn't able to play some of these games due to limited availability or limited funds. So, my list would be less varied. In alphabetical order: Chrono Cross Final Fantasy VII Final Fantasy VIII Final Fantasy IX Grandia Koudelka Legend of Dragoon Legend of Legaia Parasite Eve Star Ocean: The Second Story
I paid 200$ for the Persona 3 reload Aigis CE back in jan or Feb and I did not get that metallic case you have behind you, whats in it and how did you get it? I'm jealous
@BacklogBattle at first I said to myself that looks like a lunch box, but then I thought about that persona 3 psp rerelease edition that had the pistol and thought it could be that, thanks for linking the short. That promo pack you got was awesome though!
Props to you for being able to narrow down a list. I'm always good for the first 4-5 for this gen.....but then i gant narrow it down to 10. I iust love too many 😂. That said did YT place an ad after every title for anyone else or just me? Good lord YT 😂
I heard that if you're using an ad-blocker, TH-cam doubles down on ads on videos! The usual behavior is that TH-cam will try and serve you a video after a certain period of time. But it becomes super aggressive when people either skip parts of the video or have ad-block extensions. But back to your point - it's a miracle that we were able to narrow it down to 10! We had a list of 20 at one point!
Wild ARMs, Suikoden 1+2, Vandal Hearts. BoF 4.
Good Lord the PSX was stacked.
Tales of Eternia is the first jrpg I properly played til the end credit as a child, a non english speaking child.
It got a special place in my heart.
It's an amazing looking game, even to this day!
@@BacklogBattle why didn’t Suikoden 2, Chrono Cross or Final Fantasy 9 make the cut for you?
Idk but I have the original hard copy and it’s called “tales of destiny 2”?
@@yohannb8371 Yes, that's Eternia. Outside of Japan it was called Destiny II to sell more copies, but Destiny II = Eternia.
PSX JRPG Definitive List ( One per Franchise)
1.FF7
2.Xenogears
3.Suikoden 2
4.Legend of Legaia
5.Grandia
6.Legend of Dragoon
7.Chrono Cross
8.Breath of Fire 4
9:Lunar Silver Star Story
10.Star Ocean Second Story
The PS1 was THE revolutionary era for JRPG's. There are just SO MANY absolute timeless ones on the system!
I mean game boy advance. I feel like goes toe to toe
Agree PS1 is the best
@@hossman3000 Really, like what?
Digimon world,legend of legaia,suikoden 2,wild arms 2,valkyrie profile
One of my most formative gaming experiences was when I was about 8 years old, my cousin came to visit and brought his ps1 along with a copy of Parasite Eve. The opening scene at the opera was something that has stuck with me my entire life. It wasn't until many years later that I got to play the game in full, but I've been obsessed with it ever since I first saw it.
Let's see... FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, FFT, Lunar, Lunar II, Suikoden, Suikoden II, Chrono Cross, Dragon Quest VII. Wow, I ran out of spots quick.
Left out wild arms and 100 others lol but yeah list fills up quick brotha
@@matthewbumgarner9928 Yeah, it hurt to leave that one out, but I wouldn't trade it for any of the 10 I chose. You've got me whistling the opening song again though!
Nearly perfect list here
Xenogears, star ocean: the second story, parasite eve 1 and 2….
@@terrenitup Xenogears if it were finished, sure (and I hadn't gotten to disc 2 and ended up with a corrupted save file)... and Star Ocean? It's good, but I wouldn't trade any of the others for it. Parasite Eve never clicked with me either. But I suppose that's why we're all different and can enjoy different things!
I've played XenoGears many times. That game just has so many memorable and nostalgic moments.
Remake when though??
I'd be happy with even just a remake of disk 2 so it's not a visual novel anymore
*Xenogears* - When I saw you transitioning into Xenogears, I had the *exact same thoughts* as you did. Remaster with the disc 2 content worked out as it was originally intended to be before they hit the time crunch. I saw the official story that was eventually told, and I'm honestly just glad that we got disc 2 at all - we almost didn't. But putting this tragic tale to rights would be so epic!
My own version of this list would include:
*SaGa Frontier* - not the first SaGa game released in the US, but the first to do so under the SaGa brand. The 7 different stories(even if Lute's was cut short because SF also suffered a time crunch) were neat and varied, and the 4 types of characters were interestingly different, and the way you were encouraged to go full physical or full magical(plus the opposing schools of magic, which oddly worked for me). It was just neat, especially once I got used to how the mechanics worked - it did have a bit of a learning curve for me.
*Wild Arms* - I would say that Alter Code F is better. More of everything that made the first one good. But this holds a special place in my heart for the way it incorporated some more western(as in spaghetti) elements, so didn't look or feel like your typical fantasy jRPG. But with the gameplay being largely familiar(those combat sprites tho - lol). And it's one of the first games I ever played that included puzzles of the sort it has(the other being Lufia 2 on the SNES). It made exploring its environments a lot of fun. 2 improved on the gamplay, but I think 1 had the better story, so that's why I chose it.
The song that is playing during the Legend of Dragoon section is one of my favorite songs ever in a game. I actually listen to it still sometimes. It's hypnotic!
Xenogears is my favorite RPG of all time
Thanks for this! As a younger gamer looking to go back and play many more older games, this list makes a great starting point.
Great to hear! I hope more people are able to check out this list and see the things we've listed!
Loved this
Stand tall and shake the heavens!
Even with it's unfinished/rushed second disc, I still say Xenogears is the greatest RPG of all time nearly 30 years later. The story and combat was just the best.
Amazing list Alex. Nice work! And any praise for Xenogears gets a thumbs up from me. Only games I would add are Parasite Eve and Valkyrie Profile
So this might be a little of a stretch but, I didn’t grow up with RPG’s as a kid but what I did grew up with was Mega Man. And playing Mega Man Legends and Legends 2 as a kid was the closest thing to an RPG I played back then. The RPG elements and the JRPG type of story 2 had will always hold a special place for me, and it’s probably the catalyst for me falling in love with JRPG games in general. And those games still hold up to this day! Some of the most charming games you’ll ever play
Great list, Alex!
Breath of Fire 4 just being the thumbnail is enough for me. This game isn't talked about enough.
That was Ryu from BoF3 though...
@@NelCelestine So it was. So it was.
Dude great video and great list.
Completely agree with Xenogears being in that #1 spot!👍
Fantastic choices man! You knocked it out the park!
Glad you gave Breath of Fire 3 a spot. That game is such a classic and wonderful adventure.
Megaman legends is one of my favorites on the ps1, but it's not your typical jrpg. As it doesn't have normal exp gaining and leveling up, it does have pretty much everything else, and it came close to being the first megaman came I ever beaten. Star Ocean 2 is also one of my favorites, but we all know why it's awesome. I'm still discovering ps1 rpgs I've missed out on
I absolutely loved how Megaman Legends cutscenes were fully animated and voiced. The art style they chose holds up well that "low poly" artists copy it's style. The gameplay didn't age as well though because aiming and shooting schemes have evolved to a standard now so MML feels really janky.
The PS1, Sega Saturn and N64 era for me has been the best generation ever and the end of golden era of gaiming. So many great RPG, so much innovation, memorable characters...
30 years laters and everything is going downhill.
There are a lot of JRPG from PS1 that I havent played yet and some from this list that I totally forget.
Awesome video!
Vanguard bandits! Such a charming game. I loved that game so much I did many playthroughs to see other story paths. Great game
The Legend of Dragoon is so good! I’d love a remake of this one. Great video!
Thank you! A remaster of that game would be incredible!
@@BacklogBattle No problem! I do think there would be a lot of fans of that one that would appreciate a remaster or remake. Graphically it’s a bit rough to go back to these days, but my nostalgia for it keeps me coming back haha.
This is the era where making these lists actually becomes difficult but you can't go wrong with any of these. My list would probably find a way to include Valkyrie Profile and Final Fantasy IX but I'm not sure what Id even think to remove because they are all gems!
Valkyrie Profile and FFIX would absolutely be on this list! We actually took a bit of time to try and nail down the games we wanted to show up on this list and came up with some really important guidelines. Things like, "Let's only pick one mainline Final Fantasy to include" or "Let's make sure we also represent other JRPGs that aren't Square Enix" were just some of the considerations. If we didn't, Square Enix games would probably comprise the majority of this list!
@@BacklogBattlewith PS1 you could probably do a top 10 just for Square-Enix’s games and then a top 10 for everyone else 😮
@@GrayWolf323 believe it or not, I've considered it LOL
@BacklogBattle I second that idea. Since ps1 is where Square started killing it with banger after banger imo
@@BacklogBattle Always appreciate that you take time to interact with the community. In a sea of negative content that seems to be prevalent across TH-cam and other social media platforms, nice to have a creator like yours that is always upbeat and pushing positive content. Your videos make my work days better each time they come out and you are appreciated!
Your list was top tier!
Thank you!
No Wild Arms... 🥺
That was the game who made me fall in love with (J)RPGs back in late 1996. While everybody was gushing all over Final Fantasy VII in early '97, I was playing Wild Arms like a madlad and not understanding much because I was a kid and English is not my first language lol.
Wild Arms is fantastic! You have exquisite taste!
Great choice! Wild Arms is even better if you can get the dupe glitch to work.
@@wtmk_bk Well, thank you! It's one of my all-time favorite games and I truly think it's very underappreciated.
@@tsukishiro70 That's the only way I've beaten the game throughout the years, but I'm planning to beat it "straight" for the first time. Wish me luck lol.
To be fair I couldn’t only pick 10. No matter what you leave another 10-20 great games off the list
Final Fantasy 9, Breath of Fire 4, Chrono Cross, Grandia, Wild Arms 2, Legend of Legaia, Grandstream Saga, Legend of Dragoon, Threads of Fate, Front Mission 3.
So great to see Vagrant Story on here! Such an amazing and unique game!
And Square, we need a remake or good remaster!! Vagrant Story is a work of art and should be accessible for all to enjoy and experience!
I don't know if I was an idiot back in the day or if my Vagrant Story glitched or something, but I remember that past a certain point my weapon dealt only 1 point of damage to almost all enemies, final boss included. I still managed to finish the game because every time I succeeded at doing another sword slash in a combo my damage doubled so it went 1 >> 2 >> 4 >> 8 >> 16 >> 32 >> 64 etc (and went back to 1 when I missed the timing). The mechanics of this game were so complex, I ended up not liking it too much. The story, music and graphics were fire though.
One of my absolute favourite PS1 games is Legend of Legaia, but I also loved Digimon World 1, and though I never finished it Guardian's Crusade has a fond place in my heart.
Absolute classics. I've never played vagrant story, but I played all the other ones and they're the tops.
Great choices love Grandia, Tale of Eternia and Breath of Fire III.
Xenogears!
I do wish the Lunar games would get some love for current systems.
I want the Working Designs versions, so I'm a bit picky (and prickly) LOL
@@BacklogBattle The harmony version is terrible i wrote a review on it on my amazon account, but damn stream lined dungeons, decreased difficulty so there is no strategy, no overworld, some anime cutscenes removed, and to top it off, the story and script was heavly altered and didn't have near the personality that working designs had. Silver star story complete will always be to me the most definitive way to experience that game.
They did now
Tales of Destiny was my first ps1 game. I got it for my birthday. I kept sneaking out of my own party to play it in the other room.
I've just recently started the Suikoden franchise, and after finishing the first game, I can safely say that's a must-have PS1 RPG. The way it juggles over 100 recruitable characters while making most of them interesting (and many of them optional party members) is really impressive. On top of that, a high-stakes story where deaths on both sides of the war are inevitable, and some excellent character designs evocative of 90's anime and manga. The overall game moves at a brisk pace, too, and I like how I can unlock fast-travel options early on to make coming and going from the homebase less tedious than it otherwise would be (something Suikoden II held out on for way too long).
I'm halfway through Suikoden II, and despite the aforementioned gripe with the Blinking Mirror, it really is a bigger and better sequel. Better visuals (environments, enemy sprites, animation), an ambitious and gripping story with some fantastic villains, and more gameplay variety and attention to detail in its world. It makes me wonder just how Konami was able to pack so much content into one game back in the day.
Xenogears deserves the full 6 part game series
It deserves to be finished.
Final Fantasy IX is another one of my favorites along with FFT, Kegend of Dragoon, and Grandia. PS1 was also my first time playing FF1, 2, and 4-6, as well as Chrono Trigger.
I would love to see a PS2 list. Curious how many align with mine.
Fantastic choice with BOF3. One of my favorites & by far the best in the series!
You can completely break the game by strategically using the Master system, specially Fahl 😁
Legend of Legaia belongs in the list
Grandia was nostalgic at release already. That story was soooo sweeeet.
Xenogears, Lunar 1&2, Suikoden 1&2, Vagrant Story, Beyond the Beyond, Wild Arms, Alundra, Legend of Legaia , Vandal Hearts, Koudelka, I could go on forever. I own all of these and more! PS1/2 will never be topped. Time and cost to make games are much different now. Glad I got to live during this time but I still do enjoy new games of today there’s actually a lot of good games still I think people just like to complain
great games that I hope to get to sometime especially xeno gear!
I would add Legend of Legaia on that list and Alundra
I was reluctant in adding Alundra just because I hadn't played it in years!
@@BacklogBattleit’s WAY better than BOF3
@@StewNWT Alundra better than BoF3? Strong disagree my friend. BoF3 is no joke one of the best JRPGs I've ever played, Alundra was fun tho, Just not that memorable for me personally.
@@butterschunkmcdonalds5333 BOF i'm glad you liked it but I got bored of it after 10 years. Not even close to one of the best rpgs out there it would be lucky to make top 100. Alundra 100% better
@@StewNWT Lol I guess that just shows how preferences differ, I feel the exact opposite. Both are good IMO, But BoF3 is incredible to me, I think about it often, While Alundra is ok, And it rarely ever crosses my mind. But hey, It's fine if you feel differently, You're always entitled to your opinion!
Vandal Hearts! Suikoden!
The first two Persona games were there, and while I'd hardly call them the best, they're probably of interest to a lot of people now.
I had Persona 1 when it came out and I think it was one of my biggest regrets of any game I'd purchased. I think I got it used at least.
I'm so glad Xenogears is on this list!
So many gems on the ps1 to choose from that any pick is the right pick lol. What a time to be alive. I miss it
i still love Valkyrie Profile, so many rich characters linked together in a great Norse mythology setting.
Absolutely loved all those you mentioned. Feeling to play all now.
Needs Legend of Legaia!!! Most underrated JRPG EVER
Props for including the masterpiece that is FFT over the more popular FF9. FFT has an unabashedly harsh storyline. It was my Game of Thrones before I knew GoT existed.
I think Front Mission 3 deserved a spot on your list. Like Tactics, it’s a strategy RPG with a serious and dark storyline. While it has a lot of customization, it’s not as robust of a system as FFT, but it makes up for that with Mech on Mech combat. Who doesn’t love that?
Grandia 1 will always be my favourite game ever, the combat was alot of fun and the having meals together fleshing out the game and how everyone was doing at the point in time.
Obvious it was linear, but i liked the fact that the cast of characters even had conversations with most NPCs which not many rpgs do.
I also see linear as a good thing, sometime cuts the fat, to m pointless overly inflated open world games nowadays.
Anyways good list, all great games.
Breath of fire 3 is one of the greatest games of all time
It still looks and plays good after all these years!
Just finished another run. I probably have over 2000 hours in it. Done every run thinkable. From tank Ryu to Mage Ryu. To magic Garr. To solo Ryu run. BOF3 deserves a Remake but nothing will beat the original.
Grandia and xenogears to me were the best games ever. Don't get me wrong, there are a lot of good games, but these two are the best in my heart.
For me, Breath Of Fire 4 is all time my personal Fav. First, because its the first JRPG i've played. The art, the colour, hand drawn pixel model, and music, specially the main theme is somehow so spiritual, and the mature dark story within its colourfull world.
I've played almost every single English language JRPG, but to be honest, even thou its biased, BoF4 is my fav PS1 JRPG.
You’re allowed to be biased on your own list 😊
@@BacklogBattle hahahaha .... But, for real thou, ... PS era really was The Golden Age of JRPG! like, The Console and system were made for it.
I enjoyed Breath of Fire IV more than III and still consider its sprite work to be God tier. I wish capcom would bring back the series.
ff7, fft, xenogears, wild arms, bof3 and 4, lunar 1 and 2, suikoden 1 and 2, chrono cross
There are so many titles from that era they could bring back with even just remasters that would sell at this point it makes my head spin. The PS1 had a long list of JRPG bangers and the ones not shared with todays audience are being done a disservice. Amazing video Alex!
i think every ps1 game had it's own charm about them but on ps1 my fav,s were ff7,8,9 to name a few💛🙏
Thousand arms! Saiyuki Journey West! Wild Arms! Threads of Fate!
Yeah, Wild Arms 1 & 2 are must plays for me. Wish Sony would make HD remasters, but who am I kidding. It also be nice if Sony would drop the exclusivity for Wild Arms games; I don't want to buy a Sony system for two DLs when nothing modern on the platform tickles my fancy. Also, remasters for Syphon Filter I-3 and the first two Twisted Metals would be great. Sigh. Almost every franchise I love is dead.
When I think about the PS1 I'm always drawn back to the first game I ever played on it, Digimon World, I remember having a blast playing it as a kid, but I don't dare to play it again today at the risk of ruining my nostalgic memories lol. I also recently started playing Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure on the Windows version, and my younger self should have played it back on the PS1, such a fun little game.
The PS1 Jrpgs are so charming and nostalgic, plus most of them had amazing soundtracks.
great list! PS1 had so many great JRPGs that I feel like you could do a top 20 and still feel like you’re leaving things off ☺️
also I’m looking forward to David Vinc’s reaction to Legend of Dragoon being so high 😜
not a jrpg but one of my favorites ps1 rpgs is koudelka such a great game and i would love for a koudelka and shadow hearts remake
It's hard to just take 10, the PSX had so many classics that I was lucky to experience through YARRRR! as a jobless teenager of a lower middle-class family 😅
I'm pretty sure Suikoden 1 & 2 are mentioned in every other comment, so I'll try to go off the beaten ground a bit.
First would be Front Mission 3, a mech-based tactical RPG and the first one in the series we got in the West. The game had two scenarios, you could browse an in-game internet and sometimes find secret websites with more background info on the game, special training stages and secret online shops. I remember being mind-blown when I first played it. It's highly underrated in my opinion.
Another Square game is Parasite Eve, combining an ATB system and real-time movement to the survival horror elements of a game like Resident Evil. You play as a New York City cop, dealing with gruesome monstruosities and mutants, getting into random encounters, managing your stock of medicines and bullets to stop Eve from eradicating everything during the winter holidays. The sequels moved away from its more RPG origins, but it's pretty unique and has some serious gory moments.
Finally, I have to mention SaGa Frontier. Truth be told, first time I played it, I didn't understand it, and because of that, I didn't particularly care for it. We didn't get Final Fantasy 2 yet and I never played any of the Final Fantasy Legend games at that point, so Frontier came out of the left field and destroyed my expectations in a bad way. I've since fallen into the SaGa rabbit hole, as hostile as it can be, and think it's probably one of the easiest games in the series to get into. Definitely worth a try if you crave something different, especially with the Remastered version (though I think Romancing 3 is still a superior game)
Honorable mention to Final Fantasy 5. Yes, it's a SuFami game, but the Anthology version was the first time I got to play the game with a complete (though questionable) translation. Through Origins, Anthology and Chronicles, Square got us five out of six early FFs and Chrono Trigger, which included two previously unreleased titles in the West, meaning the PSX had 8 mainline Final Fantasy games by the end of its life, kinda crazy to think about!
Breath of Fire 4 - it's a much more polished experience than Breath of Fire 3. And the art style has the most beautiful pixel art in any game ever made
Dragon Quest 7 - the time travel mechanic is just as good as Chrono Trigger, if not better.
Persona 2: Innocent Sin and Persona 2: Eternal Punishment - it's not even up for debate, these are the best Persona games
And some honorable mentions:
Suikoden 1 and Suikoden 2
Popolocrois
Alundra
Linda³ Again
Moon: Remix RPG Adventure
Mega Man Legends 1 and Mega Man Legends 2
Parasite Eve
Saga Frontier 2
Legend of Mana
Koudelka
Threads of Fate
Valkyrie Profile
A list of 10 is never enough for PS1 JRPG.
Said list.
Also toss in
Breath of Fire 4 (personally prefer this one over 3 but both are great).
Parasite Eve 1 AND 2 (usually gets a bad wrap but I played it for the first time recently and though not as good as the first it was still fun).
Lastly, one of my favorite RPGs of all time and has gotten re-released not long ago on newer platforms...
Saga Frontier.
Bonus:
When you get or if you get to the PS2 then Shadow Hearts 1 and 2.
3 was ok but not anywhere near as good as the first 2.
If you have to play only one then 2 (Covenant) is generally considered the best.
Bonus bonus:
The Last Story on the Wii
BOF3 for me left an indelible mark in my heart. I always play it from time to time.
Vagrant story!!!
I love Breath of Fire 3, wish it would get an HD remaster or at least a direct port to PS4/5, Switch, X-Box, etc.
Omg Yes!!!!!
I love so many of the games listed in this video. Back then, all I had to judge whether to buy a game was by the box art or if it was a sequel to an old SNES RPG. Even though it's cool that games today get such a deep dive before they're released, I kind of miss that risk/reward of just picking a game and seeing if it was for me. My list would be: FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, Chrono Cross, Legend of Mana, Xenogears, Star Ocean: The Second Story, Legend of Dragoon, Valkyrie Profile and Breath of Fire IV.
Ahh yes! My childhood! Tales of Destiny II or Eternia is one of my most replayed game, ever! I remember playing it from start to finish almost every summer vacation from grade school until high school! Sometimes my brother and/or my cousin joins in co-op, and those were the best days of my childhood!
JRPGs truly shine on PS1 era because back then for better or worse, the hardware limitations forced game developers to create appealing characters, engaging stories and unique gameplay mechanics to make the game interesting enough to sell and these in turn make those games timeless and memorable.
Maybe it's just me but nowadays we have the luxury of amazing graphics and features in modern games that sometimes it doesn't feel like a ROLE-PLAYING game in PS1 era sense. I got too excited watching flashy movements and can't immerse myself in the character or story. By the time I finished the game all I remember was just how cool it looked and how fun it was, then new games came out with better graphic etc. and I forgot all about it.
Tales of Eternia, The Legend of Dragoon and Final Fantasy VIII are my top favorites. I would include Final Fantasy Tactics as well, but I have only played the PSP version.
The PSP version of Tactics is largely the same as the PS1 version, the biggest difference is the updated translation, the PS1 version of Tactics has a very dry and stiff translation, the PSP version's translation is closer to what Yasumi Matsino wanted.
XENOGEARS COMPLETE IS ALL OF OUR FANTASY.
As long as they don't f*k it up.
Suikoden 2 and Wild Arms are my top 1 PS1 games. Oh and Legend of Legaia also, I'm a shame that most people know about Legend of Dragoon and not Legend of Legaia.
Alundra
Jade Cocoon
Guardians Crusade
They are also must plays.
FINALLY! Someone mentioned Jade Cocoon and Guardian's Crusade!
I own both of them, which is why I mentioned them. I might own multiple of Jade Cocoon, cause scratched discs.
Xenogears was probably my first JRPG game that I ever played
Amazing picks
Someone finally shows Dragoon some love I could cry right now 😭
How appropriate I've been curating my own list of ps1 games to finally play, and most of these are on there. The rest have been added to my infinite backlog now lol
FF8 (>FF7 fight me), Chrono Cross, Legend of Legia, Valkyrie Profile, Front Mission 3, Alundra, Legend of Mana, FF9(>FF7), Suikoden 2, Thousand Arms.
This might be the second mention of Thousand Arms in the comments!
FF 9 and 6 are better than both of those - I’ll take at fight! lol!
@@makasete30 I agree with 6 being better than 7; however, 6 initially released on SNES not PS1, but I'll hear out your argument for it's superiority over 8.
Great minds think alike. Good list all my favourites in one top 10
Amazing list! I would add Suikoden 2, Valkyrie Profile and Brigandine
One of my favorite jrpg was thousand arms
Respect!
Thanks! I love how they combined the dating SIM part to work with a weaponsmithing
I'm kind of shocked we haven't gotten any Breath of Fire remakes/remasters yet.
LENGEND 👏 OF 👏 Legaia 👏
As an rpg lover....I am ashamed that there were games in this video that I never even heard of....which is why I'm thankful for this video.....some of these are definitely on my bucket list
Breath of Fire III was and still is pretty great. Maybe too easy as a game but it easily beats out IV for me which is pretty damn dry in the narrative dept. IV doesn't have a bad story, just takes forever for something to happen in that one.
Good list and brings so much nostalgia. Would love to see the classics in current consoles (or next gen) again. Doesn't have to remake. I'm fine with HD at least. Thats my way of getting these whether digital or physical classics legally and cheaper.
The legend of Dragoon and Grandia are must play games besides Final fantasy.
Ok so I'm going to choose from these titles which one should I start with?
Breath of Fire 3
Vagrant Story
Legend of Dragoon
Tales of Eternia (I may play PSP version)
why do i feel like im at church and im loving it
I wasn't able to play some of these games due to limited availability or limited funds. So, my list would be less varied.
In alphabetical order:
Chrono Cross
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy IX
Grandia
Koudelka
Legend of Dragoon
Legend of Legaia
Parasite Eve
Star Ocean: The Second Story
Lots of Square and Enix games!
@BacklogBattle that list could change. I finally acquired Tactics and Vagrant Story. Most still remain unattainable from a financial perspective.
You're going to have fun with Vagrant Story! Nothing else is like it out there, even decades later!
I paid 200$ for the Persona 3 reload Aigis CE back in jan or Feb and I did not get that metallic case you have behind you, whats in it and how did you get it? I'm jealous
To answer that question, I've got just the Short for you! th-cam.com/users/shortsl4VGWz3oBzY
@BacklogBattle at first I said to myself that looks like a lunch box, but then I thought about that persona 3 psp rerelease edition that had the pistol and thought it could be that, thanks for linking the short. That promo pack you got was awesome though!
LEGEND OF DRAGOON ❤️ I have hope for a remake or sequel, i Lost count of the number of Times i finish this game
That is a list! My man knows his rpgs. Would add Chrono Cross but man that list is freakiing solid.
It’s in another list that released after this one 😉
To late I've already played them all 😊😊😊😊😊😊
Props to you for being able to narrow down a list. I'm always good for the first 4-5 for this gen.....but then i gant narrow it down to 10. I iust love too many 😂. That said did YT place an ad after every title for anyone else or just me? Good lord YT 😂
I heard that if you're using an ad-blocker, TH-cam doubles down on ads on videos!
The usual behavior is that TH-cam will try and serve you a video after a certain period of time. But it becomes super aggressive when people either skip parts of the video or have ad-block extensions.
But back to your point - it's a miracle that we were able to narrow it down to 10! We had a list of 20 at one point!
@@BacklogBattle on mobile so no ad blocker. Did accidentally seek the video a little bit while phone was in my pocket. Could be that
Good to know! Thank you for sharing!