6 Best 8-bit JRPGs, Ranked

JRPGs have been around for a very long time, and the fact that the genre still survives today goes to show just how popular and beloved it is among the gaming community. This genre has brought players timeless classic franchises such as Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, and many others that are both suitable for kids and adults.

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The JRPG genre has some of the longest-running franchises in gaming but shockingly few feature overarching stories that last multiple games.

Some JRPGs rely greatly on their combat mechanics, whereas others don’t do it as much and prefer to focus on the narrative or other elements instead. And while modern JRPGs are great fun, there’s just something unique about vintage titles. Here are some of the best 8-bit JRPGs.

6

Destiny Of An Emperor

A Tale Of Resistance And Defense Tactics

Destiny Of an Emperor

Fulfill an Ancient Prophesy In the era known as the Later Han, the people of China were plagued by a bandit horde called the Yellow Scarves. They
searched for a hero that could amass a force strong enough to conquer these cutthroats and thieves.
At that time, three men were separately gaining power by attaining the service of many Warlords. They each planned on ridding their country of the Yellow Scarves, but when that task is finished there will only be room for one Emperor.

Return to a time of sword and honor, where an oath was signed in blood.
Master the strategies in this role playing game for the Nintendo Entertainment System.

Systems

Released

May 19, 1989

ESRB

m

• Loosely based on a 14th-century Chinese historical novel
• Entertaining combat system for its time

The story of Destiny of an Emperor focuses on Liu Bei, Zhang Fei and Guan Yi, who form a small militia to defend their village from an imminent threat originating from the followers of the powerful sorcerer Zhang Jiao.

While it doesn’t stick to it perfectly, it has been argued that the game follows the events shown in Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a 14th-century historical Chinese novel. Like other JRPGs of its time, Destiny of an Emperor has a unique combat system that fits well with its period and was very entertaining. This is why it should be one of the JRPGs that get ported to the Nintendo Switch 2.

5

Sweet Home

A Frightening Experience In 8-bit Format

How many people will be able to escape alive…?The cursed mansion, Mamiya Mansion. A myriad of horrors attack the five TV station staff members who visit this mansion where no one lives anymore.Doors close, ceilings collapse. The spirit of the Mamiya family appears.Seeking an exit, the battle of the five begins. Will they be able to find the exit? How many people will be able to leave this mansion alive?

Systems

Released

December 15, 1989

ESRB

Mature

• Scary moments and supernatural entities
• Considered to be one of the games that laid the foundations for the survival horror genre

As far as scary JRPGs from the 80s go, Sweet Home is definitely among the top contenders. The game follows the story of five filmmakers who are exploring an old mansion looking for frescoes that are supposedly hidden in the area. As they explore the abandoned location, they will come across various ghosts and other hostile supernatural entities that will put their lives at risk and stop at nothing until they’re either gone or dead.

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To this day, Sweet Home is considered to be one of the titles that helped lay the foundations for the survival horror genre in the years that came after its release, and it’s safe to say that, for its time, it had some of the scariest moments in JRPGs.

4

Phantasy Star

An Interplanetary Journey For Revenge

The classic galactical adventure!

The tyrant Lassic rules the cosmos, and it is up to you to defeat his evil reign. Witness the revival of this defining RPG in SEGA AGES Phantasy Star.

Take advantage of the new dungeon map display and the acclaimed “Ages Mode” as you traverse tricky dungeon mazes and battle ferocious 8-bit beasts. Phantasy Star has claimed its place as a pioneer RPG and its retro-spirit is sure to find a home in the hearts of old and new fans alike.

Released

December 20, 1987

ESRB

kta

• Alis travels to various planets recruiting fighters to join her cause
• She wishes to avenge her brother’s death at the hands of King Lassic

Phantasy Star is a timeless classic developed by Sega that helped lay the foundations for what JRPGs would become in the following decades. The game follows the story of Alis as she tries to defeat an evil ruler in her star system known as King Lassic.

Throughout the story, Alis travels to many different planets, recruiting party members to join her cause and gathering the resources that she needs for the challenging fight that is upon her. While the game is very complete and undoubtedly one of the best titles of its time, many players wish that a few more characters were playable.

3

Ultima 3: Exodus

Players Must Defeat Exodus, The Main Antagonist Of The Story

• Platform(s): Windows, Apple II, Macintosh, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64
• Released: 1983
• Developer(s): Richard Garriott, Origin Systems, Newtopia Planning, Pony Canyon
• Genre(s): JRPG, Adventure Game
• The roles of good and evil are clear-cut
• Innovative animated characters that weren’t common at the time

Ultima 3: Exodus is the final installment in the “Age of Darkness” trilogy of this popular franchise. The story revolves around Exodus, the main antagonist, who is threatening the world of Sosaria. Players will have to stop Exodus’ evil plans to save Sosaria and defeat the forces of evil once and for all.

One of the greatest things that made Ultima 3: Exodus stand out from the rest of the JRPGs of its time, is that it displayed animated characters, which was not common back then. Players looking for a story with anti-heroes in JRPGs might want to look elsewhere, as the plot for this particular title is rather linear and the roles of good and evil are clear-cut.

2

Dragon Quest 3: The Seeds Of Salvation

A Title That Greatly Improved On Its Franchise’s Previous Gameplay Experience

DRAGON QUEST III: The Seeds of Salvation—one of the most highly acclaimed and best-selling games in the franchise is finally here for mobile! Now all three instalments of the Erdrick Trilogy can be played in the palm of your hand!
Every wondrous weapon, spectacular spell and awesome adversary in this rich fantasy world is yours to discover in a single standalone package. Download it once, and there’s nothing else to buy, and nothing else to download!
DRAGON QUEST III: The Seeds of Salvation has an independent storyline and can be enjoyed without playing DRAGON QUEST I or DRAGON QUEST II.
In-game text is available in English only.
Prologue: On the morning of their sixteenth birthday, the child of Ortega, hero of the land of Aliahan, is charged with a seemingly impossible task by the King himself: to slay the Archfiend Baramos, master of darkness!
What trials await our intrepid hero as they set out to take on a quest not even their legendary father was strong enough to complete?
Game Features
Freely Customisable Party System: Set out on an unforgettable adventure with a party of up to four characters who can be customised to your exact specifications at Patty’s Party Planning Place! Choose names, genders and jobs, and put together the team of your dreams!
Freely Changeable Vocations: Your party members can be assigned any one of up to 9 vocations, a choice which will dictate their stats, equipment, spells and abilities.
Though the hero’s role has been decided by fate, the jobs of all the other characters are yours to change as you see fit.
Characters who change jobs will be returned to Level 1 and have their attributes halved, but they will retain all the spells and abilities they’ve learned, allowing you to tailor your team to perfectly suit your needs.
Turn a priest into a warrior to add healing abilities to your swordsman’s arsenal, or mix it up any other way you like! The possibilities are endless!
Experience an epic RPG experience with over 30 hours of gameplay with added features to the original release!
Travel across multiple continents and dungeons as you level up your characters and unlock new spells and abilities. The personality system changes how your character grows making your party always unique. Mini-games like medal collecting to unlock powerful new items that were not available in the original release. Discover and explore bonus dungeons and location after completing the main plot.
Simple, Intuitive Controls: The game’s controls are designed to work perfectly with the vertical layout of any modern mobile device, and the position of the movement button can be changed to facilitate both one- and two-handed play.
Experience the multi-million selling series, beloved both in Japan and beyond, and see how the masterful talents of series creator Yuji Horii first combined with the revolutionary synthesizer sounds of Koichi Sugiyama and the wildly popular manga illustrations of Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball) to create a gaming sensation.
 

Released

February 10, 1988

ESRB

T For Teen: Fantasy Violence, Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling, Language

• Interesting narrative
• The game greatly improves on its predecessors’ gameplay

Dragon Quest 3: The Seeds of Salvation is the third installment in the Dragon Quest series and was first released on the famous Japanese Famicom, which would later become the Nintendo NES.

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While the original Dragon Quest and Dragon Quest 2 were great, Dragon Quest 3 has long been praised for greatly expanding upon the gameplay that its predecessors presented to players. Like other JRPGs of its time, the game has a clear-cut system for leveling up through gaining XP and offers players the possibility to equip various items. Players looking for a JRPG where the story isn’t the center point of the game should look elsewhere, as Dragon Quest 3 has a very interesting narrative.

1

Final Fantasy 3

A Timeless Classic That Is Still Beloved By Many

• Platform(s): Nintendo DS, PSP, NES, Nintendo Switch, Android, PlayStation 4, iOS, Xbox Series X/S, Windows, Wii, Wii U
• Released: 1990
• Developer(s): Square, Square Enix, Matrix Software, Tose
• Genre(s): JRPG, Adventure Game
• 1.4 million copies sold in Japan for the Famicom
• First numbered Final Fantasy title to feature the job-change system

Final Fantasy 3 is a timeless classic that innovated in many ways. One of the greatest examples of this is that it was the first numbered Final Fantasy title to feature the job-change system. The story of Final Fantasy 3 revolves around four young people who are drawn to a crystal of light, which grants them some of its power.

This is one of those games that were a complete success, as the Famicom version sold 1.4 million copies in Japan, which was a lot at the time. Final Fantasy 3 is so popular that it’s still receiving updates on PC and mobile, despite having been released more than three decades ago.

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