Summary
- Breath of Fire 3’s deep dragon gene mechanic makes it stand out in the JRPG genre.
- Parasite Eve’s engaging narrative and FMV sequences make it a standout title despite its short length.
- Suikoden 2’s grounded view of war and improved predecessor solidify its status as an essential JRPG.
The 32-bit era was a bit of a strange one for many video game genres, particularly those industry staples that established themselves in the 16-bit era, like JRPGs. As the industry was quickly turning towards 3D graphics, the march of progress would ensure it would soon become absorbed into an encroaching 64-bit era, creating a muddled yet enduring legacy.
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The 16-bit era was formative for the JRPG, and even though the style has been adopted for modern nostalgia value, its retro roots still sing today.
With the overlap occurring in a single console generation and many developers overselling their products, the boundaries were a lot less clearly delineated. In truth, although a lot of nostalgia persists for the period that cemented the market for home console gaming, most early 3D titles hold up much worse than those rose-tinted specs would have fans believe. Many of these games were still very influential on the genres they contributed to, however, like these excellent JRPGs of the 32-bit era.
8
Breath Of Fire 3
Last Of The Brood
Still considered by many fans to be the best in the series, Breath of Fire 3 is a novel JRPG about a protagonist with the ability to transform into different dragon species. The central mechanic is rewardingly deep in this third entry, with a plethora of dragon genes scattered throughout the world that can be equipped in battle with an impressive variety of combinations.
On the downside, party members can only be switched out at camps, and there are several moments in the story when a particular party member is mission-critical, so fans revisiting may want to have a guide handy to avoid a lot of needless backtracking to and from camps.
7
Parasite Eve
Dark Visual Spectacle
- Released
-
September 9, 1998
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ due to Animated Violence, Mature Sexual Themes
Parasite Eve is a short experience by the traditionally bloated JRPG standards, clocking in at around 10 hours. However, developer Square took full advantage of the savings in processing power with one of the most engaging narratives and some of the best FMV sequences of any game on the market at the time.
It’s here where Parasite Eve really shines, beginning with a theater audience being mysteriously set alight by the Primadonna of the show and devolving into a dark mystery of monsters and supernatural entities, like a JRPG version of Resident Evil.
6
Suikoden 2
Politics Of War
Suikoden II
- Released
-
September 29, 1999
- ESRB
-
M For Mature 17+ Due To Mild Violence, Suggestive Themes
Suikoden is a series much more concerned with reality than most of its contemporaries. The supernatural and fantastical elements typical of JRPGs are pared back in Konami’s prestigious series, which takes a much more grounded view of war between nations and the consequences for the people who reside in the conflict.
That makes its narrative altogether more poignant and relatable, which is where the series excels, promoting unity and defense. Suikoden 2 improves across the board on its equally beloved predecessor, making it the better entry, although it does help to have played the first game to better understand the events in the sequel.
5
Xenogears
Inception Of The Xeno Universe
- Released
-
October 20, 1998
- ESRB
-
e
It’s one of the most impactful entries on this list, spawning the Xeno franchise, which is still going strong today with the most recent entry, Xenoblade Chronicles 3, launching to huge acclaim in 2022. Xenogears is the origin of that complex world and was praised by fans and critics for its engaging and unique narrative.
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8 Most Experimental JRPGs, Ranked
These JRPGs broke the typical formula of the genre by bringing something new, unique, and experimental to the table.
It falls foul of a few tropes, like the amnesiac protagonist, and it doesn’t quite escape the classic JRPG trapping of falling into convolution, but once the giant mech fists start flying, fans are sure to be hooked to the end of the adventure.
4
Vagrant Story
The Pinnacle Of Experience
- Released
-
May 15, 2000
- ESRB
-
T For Teen due to Animated Violence
Vagrant Story was one of the last 32-bit JRPGs produced by Square, who feature several times on this list as a mark of their pedigree in the era. As a result, this game benefits from the wealth of experience gained from developing other genre staples and was intended as a true showcase of the developer’s prowess in full 3D.
The graphics engine was considered revolutionary for the PlayStation, but sadly, like so many other ambitious late-console titles, the game was largely consumed by the emerging sixth generation the same year, drastically limiting its appeal. However, for fans looking to relive some of the best JRPGs of the era, it’s still one well worth revisiting.
3
Panzer Dragoon Saga
A Triumph Against All Odds
- Platforms: Sega Saturn
- Released: 1998-01-29
- Developer: Sega
- ESRB: T
Speaking of being overshadowed, Panzer Dragoon Saga was a game that had everything working against it and somehow managed to be an excellent JRPG adventure nonetheless. As a first-party Sega title, it was exclusive to the comparatively underpowered and significantly less popular Sega Saturn.
It was an ambitious attempt by Sega to grab a foothold in the lucrative world of 3D JRPGs and was intended to stand tall among its competitors. The developers outdid themselves, crafting a rich cinematic tale and a unique combat system that combined the series’ dragon rail shooter mechanics with the time-based mechanics popular in the JRPG genre at the time.
2
Paper Mario
New Dimensions
- Released
-
February 5, 2001
- ESRB
-
E For Everyone Due To Comic Mischief
The most contentious entry, as the only one native to a 64-bit console, but most N64 games were actually 32-bit as it allowed for a smoother performance on the cartridge. Releasing in the same year in Japan as other games on this list, Paper Mario just about makes the cut as a 32-bit era game.
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Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is Poised to Remain Relevant For Another 20 Years
Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door turns 20, still remaining as a beloved title for many reasons even if it’s not trapped on the GameCube anymore.
Paper Mario significantly elevated the groundbreaking first entry, Super Mario RPG, to the point that the Paper Mario series spawned a whole parallel franchise. The paper aesthetic not only enables the reality-warping mechanics that defined the series, but it also helped the game stand alone as the only JRPG of the era to still hold up visually to this day.
1
Final Fantasy 7
A Genre Defining Juggernaut
- Released
-
January 31, 1997
- ESRB
-
T for Teen: Blood, Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Suggestive Themes
Could the top spot on this list be anything other than the most recognized JRPG in the history of the genre? Most gamers have at some point in their lives played a version of Final Fantasy 7, which still endures as arguably the pinnacle of the series across 16 critically acclaimed mainline entries.
Sandwiched between one of the most acclaimed JRPGs of the 16-bit generation in Final Fantasy 6 and the graphically revolutionary Final Fantasy 8, it successfully serves as the amalgamation of the best parts of each. Today, Final Fantasy 7 essentially serves as a blueprint for designers on how to make a traditional JRPG, although it does not entirely escape some dated mechanics that result in the game being more drawn out than it needs to be. Then again, the remake of Final Fantasy 7 had to be split into three full-length games, suggesting that if the game is good, drawing it out isn’t such a bad thing.
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