The Top 10 Best Japanese Role-Playing Games Ever Made

A lot of great role-playing games don't get the love that t hey deserve, so let's give them their time in the sun with the top 10 best Japanese role-playing games outside of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Mario RPG, Megami Tensei, Castlevania, and Pokémon!

[Cy]

The fact that you think Castlevania is a role playing game makes any opinions you have suspect at best.

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

>_> A good number of Castlevania games are role-playing games, yes. I'm not referring to the NES etc. Castlevanias, I'm referring to the entries that are RPGs like SotN and AoS. And if you still argue that the latter isn't an RPG, then I guess I would question what exactly qualifies as an RPG. Is it turn-based combat? I should hope not, because a number of games on this list do not have that. Same with random battles. If it's leveling up, Castlevania has that. If it's customizing you weapons and armor, Castlevania has that. If it's character growth, Castlevania has that in numerous ways. This is not some situation like how The Legend of Zelda is considered an RPG, Castlevania straight up fits the bill. RPGs can be adventure games, or platformers, or any other genre. It seems kind of like a waste of time to make a list of RPGs that is just going to fulfill a very narrow definition of what an RPG can entail, so if that is what you want, I guess you will have to look elsewhere. I like to keep my subject matter interesting.

[Kabukiface]

Preach

[Last_Boss]

Not saying you're wrong, but I always put any castlevania still as action adventure, just like I put Yakuza as action, even though they both have stat management. It's the core of the games I initially look at.

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

I definitely concur that there is a certain degree if overcategorization of any game with RPG elements as being RPGs thus diluting it, but my perspective is less that Castlevania is not an action/adventure game like you said, and more that its RPG elements are 1/3 of the core. I think that Cy's issue (beyond an embarrassing user profile) is that they simply have a certain perspective that doesn't really work. For example, what exactly makes the Mana games RPGs? They are definitely Action RPGs, but they're also adventure games and could reasonably be called Action-Adventure games with RPG elements. AoM is no more or less an RPG than modern Castlevania games, but they took a fairly narrow look at what an RPG can be and dismissed only one of them.

Not arguing against you, your perspective is entirely valid.

[nitus10]

I think replying to what you said is extremely difficult and any reader should read https://en.wikipedia.org/wi... as a starter and even if they do the term RPG can still be confusing.

The only Zelda game I would consider an RPG is "Zelda 2 The Adventure of Link" which allowed the user to control the stats associated with Link. While I have not played all the Zelda/Link games most don't allow the user to change Links stats unless you count weapons, armour and skills which could be considered as part of RPG elements.

Personally I would consider the Zelda games (exception Zelda 2) as Action/Adventure but how would you describe games like Dark Souls and Bloodborne which allow you to actually change the stats associated with the particular character you are controlling?

[Kabukiface]

Get outta here, Comic Book Guy >:^(

[Asuka]

Never got around to TWEWY. I really need too

[Razmiran]

You wont regret it
Any version is fine

[ExTrA1256]

good list

[Gamist2dot0]

7. Miracle Warriors
6. Sword of Vermillion
5. Dragon's Crown
4. MGS: Phantom Pain.
3. Persona 5 (soon)
2. Nioh
1. Bloodborne

[BinaryMind]

LOL MGSV, a role-playing game? That made me laugh.

[New_Age_Retro_Hippie]

I admit to being entirely ignorant to Metal Gear, but I guess I'd be curious to hear the thought process behind why V is an RPG.

[Gamist2dot0]

"A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game and abbreviated to RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting."

LOLLOLOL

[Kabukiface]

Reel it in, Papyrus!

[sk8ofmnd]

Chrono trigger, legend of dragoon, secret of mana, 7th saga, legend of gaia, parasite eve, and the earlier ff from 7-1 are among my top faves...

They def dont make em like they used to.

[EatCrow]

Agreed. Its a shame.

[Fist4achin]

Definitely a respectable list of rpgs.