By the time Gold/Silver released in 1999, I had played more JRPGs including several such as Breath of Fire II, Robotrek, Legend of River King, and Dragon Quest V which introduced the mechanic in question. While playing BoF2, I first saw a day and night cycle in an RPG. Prior to that, I’d only seen it in Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time and Super Mario 64.

Pokemon Day and Night

When the day and night cycle made itself known in Pokemon Gold, I was blown away. This was on the Gameboy Color, so you saw the few colors the GBC allowed then you saw the Johto region at night! Not only that but certain Pokemon came out at certain times while others might pop up more in the daytime or at night.

It was a big jump for GameFreak and I was impressed at 14. With each game, the studio improve upon different game world elements, combat balancing, introduced new elements and so on. The main story changed to a degree but has always been around a powerful, influential trainer harnessing some next-level power. You always have the reoccurring gang the player spanks as well.

There’s quite a bit that remains the same in Pokemon and the day-night cycle is one of them. Now, it’s just kind of there and it serves its purpose for what GameFreak needs as far the ecosystem. My thing is that each Pokemon game feels like one very eventful summer where your trainer is another supernova.

Think about it, your trainer—probably 10-years-old, definitely no older than 13—heads into a world of dangerous monsters, eccentric adults, a roving gang, and experienced trainers. Only, those experienced trainers are actually no match for you even with their years or experience.

The Long Summer

Picture that: you just got your first Pokemon what has to be a few weeks ago in-game and you’re clapping up trainers who have been at this for years. Some have badges, they’ve just hit a wall or something but they have enough experience to beat someone who just became a trainer and don’t even have a badge.

At least they should.

That’s not reality. You trample these trainers in record time. The solution is simple: have an in-game clock where the days change every hour or whatever but just have real time for promotions and events. I’d just like for these adventures in each Pokemon game to not feel like a brief career between when you get your first monster to when you defeat the Elite Four.

I mean, your opponents could get back in battle form after a couple of real-world hours, they might be more powerful the next day or even later that day. Different city gyms and the region HQ could have in-game events that occur on certain “days”—it’s something that pokeclone Monster Rancher managed to do sans the overworld/open-world travel. I’ll admit, it’s a relatively minor gripe and the franchise has worked and sold for years without changing this aspect much but I believe a lot more could always be done with just the day-night cycle to stretch out the journey.

What do you think? Should the Pokemon games do more with this mechanic? What are some changes you’d like to see made to the franchise?

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Secret of the Stars- 1993

Alright, here me out on this one. This game is not the most critically acclaimed, highly thought of, or even well-known RPG of its time, but there are a lot of things that this game has that I would love to see come back or even modern RPGs copy.

While the story wasn’t something that was groundbreaking or even very memorable, and the battle system wasn’t anything special, they did something that I absolutely loved at the time, and I wish that more RPGs did today. They had two separate parties and forced you to level up and play with both. There were eight playable characters in the game I think, and you had four on one team and four on the other. One team had certain strengths and abilities and the other team did as well.

I really liked this dynamic because it gave you time to develop all the characters and get attached to what they can do and how they fit into your playstyle. In most RPG games, you play with the same characters and the other characters are basically on the bench the whole game, especially if they join later in the game.

Another aspect of this game that I loved that you see more of it in modern games but not enough is city building. You start in a city that has nothing and you must go out, do quests and get people to move into your city and start shops and other utilities for you and your heroes. There are games like Ni No Kuni that do this better, but games that have this aspect are few and far between.

Ogre Battle: March of the Black Queen- 1993

I have no idea how the Ogre Battle series died after three games. I think that if it was rebooted today, it would be an absolute hit. While Tactics Ogre is still great and Ogre Battle 64 was fun in its day, the original still hold a special place for me, mainly because of the gameplay loop and battle system.

I remember tinkering with certain party combinations and loadouts for hours (this was long before the internet where you could get someone to tell you what the best stuff to use is). The day and night system in the game was great where certain enemies would come out at night that didn’t show in the daytime. Also, I love the way that lore was presented in the game where you had to go out to every castle and town to see what people were saying and sometimes go and come back at another time of day or the next day. There were even times that the people in certain towns or castles would give you hints to somewhere you might want to visit or an area that you might want to explore to get a special character.

Robotrek- 1994

This game was a fun game that I played when I was younger that I didn’t fully appreciate at the time. While my brother played way more of this game than I did, I think that there were things in the game that I found so fun that I would always pick it back up again and again to see what else I could do.

There was an aspect of “build crafting” in the game that would be simple by today’s standards but back then was great. You could do missions to find different parts for your robots and kit them out to do exactly what you wanted them to do. The difficulty of the game was a little much for my young self, but it is a game that I wish that I had stuck by because the story was starting to get better when the gameplay started to get harder.

While I don’t think that this game is worth the full blown, Nintendo remake like the other games on the list, I think that it would be worth getting an indie studio to remake the game and give it an upgrade. I really think that Nintendo fans would love this game and shell out at least $40 for it, if not more.

Earthbound- 1994

This JRPG was one of my favorites when I was younger. Some called it Earthbound, some called it Mother or Mother 2 (I never understood the difference) but whatever you called it, make sure that you called it good. This game had basic RPG elements for the time but where the charm came in was at the story level and how you got through the game.

This game had a lot of tongue in cheek and fourth wall breaking moments in it and it really felt like a game that me and my brother would have wrote while we were growing up. That sort of relatability in a game adds to the fun factor.

I’ve heard many JRPG enthusiasts throughout the years ask for a remake if not a reboot of this game and im right along with them.

Golden Sun- 2010

The most modern game on this list and one that Nintendo should be locked up for. Golden Sun was a staple of every JRPG lover that had a Gameboy Advanced. They had a three game run with the series but if you look at some of the games that they are remaking and rebooting today, you have to ask yourself, why not Golden Sun?

The game had a great battle system, a great story, great graphics, the game was just great. Nintendo would be printing even more money today if they announced a new entry into the series or even that they were going to be remaking the first three games and putting them into a bundle.

There isn’t much more that I can say about this game other than it is a classic and I think with the recent announcements and release of the Advanced Wars remake, which was another game that helped define the GBA era of games, a new Golden Sun game isn’t completely out of the question.

Staff Writer; Tardell Swift

This brother is new to writing yet has many different interests such as gaming, hip hop, wrestling, and manga.

You can follow him on Twitter; PhirewoodGaming and keep up with his thoughts there as well.

If a game has at least two of those, I’ll stick around to see how it pans out. It might not hit all four but that doesn’t eliminate it from being a fun experience, after all. We’re going to get into five video game franchises with truly satisfying stealth mechanics.

Middle-earth: Shadow of Mordor and Shadow of War

We mention this game every now and then on AfroGamers but the Middle-earth really encourages a stealthy approach to dispatching enemies as opposed to just berserking on hordes. Mind you, if you’re armed and geared up enough, you could very well go berserk take out a small group of orcs.

However, the wise thing is to target lone or small groups of them away from larger groups or encampments. A stealthy approach is best for this kind of long game and Shadow of Mordor’s spin on stealth gameplay works perfectly with its setting and combat mechanics.

What really bolsters the stealth in Middle-earth—and the game as a whole—is the Nemesis System. Having enemies who remember their encounters with the player and actually improve if left alone was next-level AI—really years ahead.

It adds to the stealth by having the player stalk the movements of their main prey. That comes in the form of just following them if you’re close enough to remember their last location or interrogating other enemy commanders and either forcing them to serve you or getting info.

I’d love to see this in more games with stealth gameplay.

Elder Scrolls

I would’ve put Elder Scrolls and Fallout since their stealth mechanics are similar but Elder Scrolls’ setting makes stealth much more rewarding and fun. Sneaking around and lockpicking is more practical in Fallout. It’s something you should be doing because of how dangerous everything seems to be in the wasteland.

In the Elder Scrolls games, the danger—even at high settings—was never such that it was utterly impossible to avoid or overcome. That’s also in part because while looting, there’s not much to load up worth keeping in your inventory. You can always ditch something.

Meanwhile in Fallout 4, a glass bottle or tin can is worth keeping up until a point if you’re focusing on base building and crafting a lot. In Elder Scrolls, it’s more like you’re keeping the most value things for trading or salvaging skills.

Obtaining those valuable things by delving into dungeons, rummaging houses, and spelunking in caves requires a lot of sneaking, lockpicking, and trap avoidance. Well, at least to do it with a degree of caution.

Elder Scrolls’ stealth game is ridiculously solid for this kind of approach. Plus, doing it regularly actually shows some improvement while using stealth class skills. Locks become easier to pick, traps can be run over without triggering them, and you can sneak up on enemies and secure stealth kills. Love it.

Spider-Man

Marvel’s Spider-Man is a game with a good stealth mechanic that has a flaw of enemies always reaching a point where they’re aware of the player’s presence. The mechanics are actually good enough that you should be able to clear a room without alerting the remaining force.

Part of the stealth mechanic in games is enemy AI—particularly, their awareness that an enemy is nearby. Most of the enemy’s you’re clapping—and the same is the case with the Arkham games—are goons. Sure, some ninjas and cybersuit super soldiers might pop up but you’re mostly dealing with robbers and street toughs.

They shouldn’t be as quick as they are in spotting the player for some reason. I don’t know. Regardless, the swinging around rooms with conveniently placed bars, rafters, levels, platforms, and ledges makes for an awesome experience while sneaking around.

Also, Spidey’s combat of webbing enemies up and quick melee attacks makes dispatching enemies quickly and quietly very rewarding.

Metal Gear Solid

A stealth list wouldn’t be complete without Metal Gear Solid. Depending on the game, you might either really love the stealth and combat or really dislike one or both. I enjoyed MGS 3 and MGS 4’s stealth and combat but the first two games—eh, the stealth just wasn’t as fun for me.

It could be that I discovered stealth games during the PS2 with Tenchu and missed out on the initial PS1 run of Metal Gear Solid. Revisiting it after playing something more fluid in MGS 3 when analog movement wasn’t an addition might have impacted my view of the first two MGS games.

However, by the time we reach MGS 3, it’s an eye-opener for people new to stealth gameplay. Trying not to make noise, taking enemies out with knife attacks or sleeper holds, having to move bodies to avoid detection—it’s all presented extremely well in MGS 3 and it only got better with MGS 4 as consoles and PC power improved to where increasingly complex enemy AI and level design made the stealth pop.

Splinter Cell

The fifth one was a difficult pick but it just means we’ll have to do a second list down the line. Tom Clancy’s Splinter Cell was probably my second experience with stealth gameplay and it was more complex than MGS 3. I sum this up to a preference in approaches. While MGS action/sci-fi/stealth mix is extremely fun, I liked the more rooted stealth/action approach of Splinter Cell more.

Both games—as well as Hitman—require some clean up in the sense of hiding bodies to avoid detection but Splinter Cell made heavy use of tighter quarters/smaller rooms to discourage using firearms inside. Another thing that the three games focus on is paying attention to enemy movements.

I can’t say that one game does it better than the other. However, MGS often gave you more room to groove as far as level design. As the franchise went on, you were given more and more space to explore in your missions. Splinter Cell gave players more to explore as well but exploration never really became a focus of the games. This was more like practical space with better development technology. Think of it more like the early and mid-console Hitman games where knowing enemy location and a lot of navigating rooms and floors are necessary. That’s Splinter Cell’s stealth approach. There’s rarely a lot of places to hide if enemies are detected without backtracking a bit.

Let’s say this was part one of our stealth series. Did any of your franchise picks make the list? Also, what games do you think will make part two? Let us know down below!

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

However, I’ve always had questions about these villages. In classic JRPGs, there often wasn’t enough space for players to get the lore of the settlement. It was merely there way before the main character was born and often times, it had some significance in the past.

In more modern JRPGS starting with the PlayStation 2/Xbox/Gamecube generation, players began to get more lore about these small towns. That was primarily thanks to improvements in storage hardware allowing for more to be stored on a disc or cartridge as well as hardware allowing for video and voice.

Even then, we were still getting some of the same quests. It’s as if the writing for quests was slowly getting better across the industry.

Why Do Villagers Always Lose Something?

Ah, yes: the fetch quest. It comes in many forms. Sometimes players have to retrieve something and take it to someone else only to bring something else back to the quest giver. Then we have villager Butterfingers McBadMemory who has something and the player will find it by chance.

In JRPGs and many open world games, it’s not unusual to check everything that could be a container or storage space, right? So, this schmuck of a villager loses a fishing rod, a magical grimoire, or their wedding ring and you’ve got yourself a side quest.

Sometimes, it’s part of the main storyline as was the case in many Dragon Quest games. Someone would lose something which took the player to a cave not far from the town and you’ll fight the boss monster inside.

The boss monster coughs up the lost item, you return it to the quest giver, get a minor reward, and some storyline progression. It’s a DQ staple and one used by many other JRPG franchises.

My thing is how are all these people losing their sh** in such strange ways? First off, no one who isn’t trained in climbing down wells such be spelunking into the town’s main water supply. Also, how is it that everything gets dropped down a well only to be washed down the river and into the nearby cave.

This gets to another point but you’d figure everyone in this village would be extra careful with their stuff since the village is remote and adventurers don’t just come through regularly.

Can you image how many villagers who were married to their spouse for 40 years lost their wedding ring in a well? Not only that but they feel comfortable in telling a traveled stranger about their lost ring.

I mean, granted the stranger has nothing to gain from snitching and everything to gain from finding the ring and selling it in a shop. Also, sharing this information with someone wearing a sword on their back and traveling with armed people doesn’t seem wise. I don’t know what about that group makes them welcoming—even if they’re the heroes of the game.

How Do These Small JRPG Villages Always Have Trouble?

Seriously. These small towns are always at the front row of catastrophe. In a couple of JRPGs, villages are just built close to where there could be danger. In Secret of the Stars for instance, the village can be built close to volcano or mountain.

My RPG experience tells me that mountains, caves, and volcanos are 100-percent always trouble for a village or small town. That is followed by forests and wooded areas. You’d think being a port town or city would be more trouble because of the risk of invasion, right? Nah, that’s only in a few JRPGs and the town’s location doesn’t factor into it.

Most of the time, the country or continent the player starts in is on fire from all of random encounter monsters and enemies lurking the overworld map.

That raises the question of why did they build this town with its own economy, trade routes with other villages, generations of families—in this dangerous ass spot. Bandits hit these villages up regularly, wolves are a problem while farming and grazing, there’s goblins nearby, some of the slimes are actually poisonous, it goes on and on.

Not only that, these towns are built in locations only familiar to traders and adventurers. Maybe a villager elsewhere will mention it in a vague location but make no doubt about it—this is a remote location. You’re traveling to the boondocks.

Why Is the Economy Built on Hope and Low-Level Equipment?

So, we have these villages built in the sticks and it’s so far from the larger towns and cities that they’re probably not getting taxed. Maybe their taxes are collected every couple of years instead of every year? Anyway, these villages are in these dangerous areas and they rarely produce adventurers but they make sure to produce weapons and potions.

I mean, potions have their use even for villagers and civilians but the weapons? You have blacksmiths making weapons and armor for years in hopes that a trickling of adventurers will swing by. Now, either a lot of their time is wasted repairing farm tools and whatnot or they keep the good weapons and armor under the shelf.

These villages early on always have the busted stuff that you might see in a previous village. Mind you, this in classic RPGs. Modern day games have their own economies. The Fallout series is a prime example of a changing economy that have players revisiting previous locations.

As mentioned before, in the classic games, there is never a reason to return to previous villages. Those items are static, the shopkeepers add nothing else. Considering the player’s quest, that village is never seeing those adventurers again. They might never see another adventurer.

Of course, the nature of those classic RPGs is that you rarely get a direct sequel. It’s usually a franchise sequel with a different story so we don’t know the fate of that land in the last game.

What are some of your gripes with JRPG world-building? Let us know in the comments and we might just weight in on it!

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Beat ‘Em Up/Brawlers: “A City Ravaged by Crime…Take to the Streets!”

If you’ve ever played Streets of Rage, Rival Turf, River City Ransom, Final Fight, or Double Dragon you know this trope. Often times, you just start at the far end of a stage—a city or town—and you have to throw fists with every gang in town.

That’s it. This town is flooded with street gangs and apparently, you’re the only one who can bring down the big boss. There have always been questions about this trope.

How was the “big boss” able to unify these gangs? Why are they wilding out now? Where in the hell are the police? Oh, they’re working for the big boss as well? Skip that question. Why do these street gangs have such advanced weaponry?

That last question is an important one because you’ll end up fighting robots, they have helicopters with gatling guns, and of course, our next entry.

Beat ‘Em Up/Brawlers: The Bad Guy Who Is Way Bigger Than Everyone Else

This is a Konami trope in their titles but in beat ‘em ups, you will always get to a stage where the boss is this guy who is just massive. Not even obese just…muscle-bound and large.

Height-wise, he’s probably a little under half the height of your screen. Not only that but he does damage. The solution to beating him is usually the jumping kick and staying out of the way of his attacks but where does he come from?

Seriously, if you—and maybe another player—were busy spanking all of the thugs and minions that came after you, why didn’t the big boss send this guy out earlier to put an end to all of that?

The big boss is just throwing people at you and you’re mowing them down. Wouldn’t it mess up their operation if they’re short on able-bodied henchmen to do the dirty work?

Apparently not since there are so many coming out nowhere like roaches when the lights come on. Just send Birdie out to put Guy and Cody to sleep already.

Old School JRPGs: The Forgotten Economy

We don’t have so much of a trope here as something I always bring up to my brother when we talk about old school RPGs. The old Japanese RPGs had a linear progression that even extended to the game world.

There are often weapon and armor shops in every town. In addition to this, there is usually one main quest in the general area. Players will take their party into those towns, get the best gear available, a couple of potions, and set off to beat the monster or boss of that area.

Once that boss is defeated, the story moves forward and so does the party. There is absolutely no reason to return to this town now. When that happens, I picture the town falling into an economic depression because no one else is buying gear!

If they were—meaning another group of heroes swing by—then sure, that town or village can thrive. However, no one comes through. That town is cooked, it’s done. Why would a group of heroes come through anyway?

After your party kills the area boss, there’s no work for another group of adventurers. There’s no gold in killing mobs out on the map. The big money and best gear is in the dungeon, cave, and spanking the dungeon boss.

Final Fantasy: A Kingdom is Corrupted or A Large Oppressive Government Needs to Stopped

This has always been a backdrop to Final Fantasy games and sometimes, it has been a major part of the story. Basically, whatever kingdom the main character hails from is corrupted by some kind of influence—magic, schemes, or magical schemes.

Things go bad real fast but you and a party of adventurers aim to stop them. Well, you have to because if you don’t, maybe the world will be at risk. If there isn’t a kingdom, then it’s a government or organization going hard in the paint with oppression.

They’re breaking new ground in oppression, folks. Just like in the more fantasy-oriented “corrupted kingdom” trope, it’s up to you to stop them. Tie it into the above “the forgotten economy” for a primo RPG mix.

“This Is My Strongest Form!” or “I’m Not Out Yet!”

I first ran into this in Donkey Kong Country on the Super Nintendo. After you beat King K. Rool, he’ll be down, the music becomes intense, then sh** gets real. K. Rool becomes faster, the music becomes faster, and your reflexes have to be better than in round one.

This trope is a little cheap. You might go into a boss fight with a certain amount potion or whatever and think “This should get me through this fight.” You’re right, it should and often it does.

That is until the boss gets back up after the first round and you realize that it’s a two-part fight! Not only that, the boss is even more powerful or faster. They might even have an attack that fills most of the screen.

Meanwhile, you ate through your resources in the first round. I mean, you’ll learn after getting clapped in that encounter but that was a little excessive. Then again, they’re a main boss so you shouldn’t expect them to fight fair.

What is really cheap is when sub-bosses do this. Who do they think they are? Ganon from Zelda? King Bowser? It’s sub-boss going for round two and halting your progress.

Again, it’s a wee bit excessive but fun all the same.

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.

Why Was Chrono Trigger So Good

While there are many things that made Chrono Trigger so beloved, there is one thing that sticks out like a sore thumb. The battle system was great but at the time, it was not really anything special, especially compared to some of the JRPGs out at the time. The music was great, but so was Final Fantasy’s music. The characters were great but there were other games out at the time that did great with the characters of the game in their own right.

The main thing that stuck out to me was the setting of the game. It took you on a rollercoaster of backdrops that were so similar yet so different at the same time. You start the game out in a regular castle setting where there is a celebration going on. As you progress in the game and start with the time traveling portion of the game, the setting of the castle and other parts of the game change with it. You go from present day to the prehistoric age and the monsters you are fighting change with you. When you go into the future, the monsters that you are fighting also change with you.

This was a big change from the type of setting in most JRPGs at the time that focused more on fantasy settings than environments like this one. If these unique settings weren’t enough, the story of the game was stellar also and fit the setting like a glove. There were times that the game was humorous and times that it was drab and dreary. This in addition to gameplay that took you back and forth through time made this game a must play for any JRPG fan.

What Went Wrong in the Series

This is a complicated question. Chrono Trigger did get a sequel named Chrono Cross. Was it a bad game? Not at all. In fact, most video game magazines at the time gave the overwhelmingly glowing reviews with very few giving it below an 8.5. While this sounds like it would be worthy of a sequel based on the scores, there was one big problem and one that is still going on today. The game did not get the same response from the fans of the game as it did from the video game magazine reviewers.

Even though fans of the game recognized that Chrono Cross was a great game, they were disappointed that it was not a direct continuation of Chrono Trigger. Chrono Cross was a completely different game with a different story to tell, different battle system, way too many characters to develop individually (45ish), and even a more upbeat setting and tone. While these changes did not lead to it being a bad game, it led to it not being the game that the fans wanted as a follow up to one of the greatest games of all time.

Usually with sequels to games, there are at least some characters from the previous game that make some type of appearance, or even some of the settings that you can look at as a throwback to the previous game. Chrono Cross had none of this. Chrono Cross was more of a new game completely than a game that needed the Chrono name on it and I think that it would have been better served that way.

Chrono Cross actually took certain elements from Radical Dreamers, a game that came out after Chrono Trigger that acts as a side story to Chrono Trigger and cleans up some of the loose story ends that was left behind after the game ends. Radical Dreamers was never released outside of Japan and while Chrono Cross does borrow some things from the game, Chrono Cross is not a sequel to that game either.

Where The Chrono Series Stands Today

Absolutely nowhere. Sadly, the series is basically dead. There was a copyright for the name of a new Chrono game but nothing ever came of it. The last work that the writer for the Chrono series did was for a game called Another Eden which is a mobile gatcha game that uses some of the time travel element that the Chrono games are known for. The writer does not have any upcoming games that he is working on at the time.  Square Enix, who I think owns the rights to the game, have many other games to work on and because fans did not receive the previous game well, it is something that I am sure is not a priority for them to put money and development manpower behind.

While Chrono Cross received great reviews, the fans did not like the direction that the game had taken and the writer did not agree with the fans. This is understandable since he put a lot of time and effort creating something that he thought that the fans would love. It turned out that the fans were more in love with Chrono Trigger as a game than Chrono as a series and wanted more of the same game instead of a completely different twist on the time travelling game.

Staff Writer; Tardell Swift

This brother is new to writing yet has many different interests such as gaming, hip hop, wrestling, and manga.

You can follow him on Twitter; PhirewoodGaming and keep up with his thoughts there as well.

RPG games have always been one of my favorite genres of video games because of the interesting characters, good storylines, some humor, amazing battle mechanics, and nice side quest missions just in case you wanted to take a break from the main story missions.

Here are my top 5 favorite RPG games.

1. Crono Trigger – This SNES game is actually one of my favorite JRPG (Japanese RPG) games because the graphics, gameplay, and storyline for the game were very spectacular. This game was revolutionary in the sense of its multiple endings, plot related side quests, amazingly unique battle system, and heavy emphasis on character development. I actually enjoyed playing this game because it brought something different to JRPGs at the time which was definitely a breath of fresh air from the old turn based system that many JRPGs had prior to Crono Trigger being released. Definitely one of my top 5 favorite JRPG games and my favorite RPG game overall. 

2. Dragon Quest IV (NES)- I remember often playing Dragon Quest IV very heavily during my early childhood years  because this was the very first RPG game that introduced the storyline in 5 chapters which had a very diverse group of characters like  Ragnar in Chapter 1, Alena in Chapter 2, Torneko in Chapter 3, the dark skinned dancers Meena & Maya In Chapter 4, and The Zenithian Hero in Chapter 5. This game had several new features that I greatly enjoyed like the day/night cycles, the ability to travel via flying vehicle and an airship. There are also three level of keys that you have to find throughout your travels to different areas, caves, and towns in the game called Thief, Magic, and Ultimate known outside of Japan as Final Key. My favorite chapter in this game was Chapter 4 because I got to enjoy seeing two twin female characters that in Meena and Maya that had beautiful dark skin and were amazingly talented dancers, so I had so much fun playing through that particular chapter of the game.

3. Final Fantasy V SNES (Japan) – Of all the Final Fantasy games that I’ve personally played over the years whether it’s through a console or an emulator on the computer, Final Fantasy V is my personal favorite RPG game for numerous reasons: 1) The player can navigate from a vertical perspective. 2) The player can also traverse the world by either on foot, by Chocobo, hydra-guided airship, or a wind drake depending on which situation the player is in. 3) The overworld being very traversable which connects to various towns, dungeons, and also other places of interest. 4) The customization of characters in terms of changing their jobs from White Mage that can chant healing and attack/defense buff spells in the white magician robe to Blue Mage that have that the ability to learn the special attacks of monsters as well as being the very first utility job that provides both offensive and defensive capabilities.

4. LaGrange Point NES (Japan) – When I first played this game on my mobile phone last year, I actually like the quality of the game especially in terms of the amazing music and sound effects of the game. This RPG is your typical navigate from a horizontal perspective which had an interesting storyline and backstory to the main characters of the game. This was technically the second RPG game to feature a dark skinned main character while Dragon Quest IV is the first to actually do so. My favorite character from this game was the dark skinned female character named Kris because she had some unique abilities and cool techniques that other main characters in the game couldn’t do.

5. Alvastia Chronicles (Mobile) – Alvastia Chronicles is a mobile JRPG game that I enjoyed playing recently because there were interesting characters with my favorite character being Raine because she’s a very outgoing adventurous person who often likes to flirt with the other main character named Alan. This mobile JRPG game was very good because you can learn new skills or spells by leveling up in most JRPG games as well as doing side quests to stock up on healing items or money just in case you are low on items. I greatly appreciated the 8-bit NES feel that the game definitely had in terms of music, character design and gameplay .

6. World of Warcraft – This is technically an MMORPG since it is played online with other people. It is one of the most popular MMORPG games right now, especially with the release of the Classic version. It’s a really addictive game and requires a lot of grinding to reach higher levels and get better equipment. However, you can easily buy WoW rating boost to kickstart your PvP experience and career! That way you can save time while still getting to use better loot and abilities.

The Conclusion – JRPGs to me are the best RPGs because of how well the character designs are plus good battling systems and interesting characters and storylines that make  many JRPGs so good.

Staff Writer; Kwame Shakir (aka Joe D.)

As I got older and started playing RPGs on PC or ones that were ported over to console, I started to wonder more about the world of RPGs. While Elder Scrolls III didn’t really require you to use your imagination, the game world of Tamriel had everything laid out from game to game for over a decade. Everything from lore to beasts to religion to the economy all made sense and was managed. Not only that, but it improved with each sequel!

Then you have JRPGs which are like “F that nonsense.” So here are a few world gripes I have with JRPGs pulled from over 20 years of playing them.

Local Problem No One Comes to Solve

If you’ve played any Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest game you’d know this theme in JRPGs. Your party–whether just starting out or just reaching a new region–finds out about this major problem in this town. “We can’t cross through the mountains because there’s a large serpent in the marsh” to use Final Fantasy VII as an example.

There might be too many wolves in the area and they’ve been plaguing the villagers for years now. There’s always some problem that can’t be solved. Mind you, this is always a town that either has a weapon shop or sells weapons and armor but has no adventurers! Or maybe no adventurer wants to come through that neck of the woods so bump your issues, town chief.

So, here comes your merry band of adventurers and you take the quest. Not only do you solve the problem, you’re given something for your troubles. This all would have solved a long time ago if the mayor had put an advertisement in the capitol’s Thrifty Nickel and announced there was a good reward.

The Economy

What happens to all those towns you visit in old school JRPGs but never return to? If that town is nestled in a mountain after you exit the cave, no one’s really coming that way. At all. That town is textbook fly over country. Your party is that town’s sole source of income.

Not only that, but the town’s so far out there and it has the best equipment! These are true artisans, look at the embroidery on that robe and the embellishments on that armor! But no one else is buying any of this. Certainly not the useless townsfolk who can do their job because there’s some beast in the mines.

Let’s say it’s a spider. There’s always some sort of spiders or enormous bats in a cave. Anyway, the town merchants sell their armor and weapons–at jacked up prices, mind you–and no one does business with them for months at a time. Oddly enough, that village in the middle of nowhere never becomes a ghost town.

Local Problem Solved Forever

So after solving the village’s main problem that’s the end for that town. Your party leaves after getting nice gear and no one ever mentions that town again. Everyone forgets about it. It never happened. Sure, you all remember that you fought a giant serpent but no one remembers why.

Also, that was the only issue that town had? The only thing stopping them from trading and traveling? It was wild–possibly mutated to a degree–animals. Local animals. No bandits, no rowdy adventurers that won’t leave?

Don’t get me wrong, the large, dangerous animal is a problem but it just seems like there might be other issues that keep your party returning in these games. Like outside of that very town your party would’ve ran into so many random encounters with monsters.

“Nah, forget the bats and the wolves, that giant snake is the problem.” Sure. Okay, Mr. Mayor Man.

You’re the Only Group of Adventurers

Paladin’s Quest is a particularly difficult RPG on the Super Nintendo where you could recruit adventurers to your party by going to a bar in a particular town. The only other time I’d seen this was Dragon Quest III on Nintendo.

This was kind of cool. It showed that there were other adventurers in the world. Of course, the problem was that there were no other groups of adventurers in the world. Your party is the only one questing apparently.

Certainly news has gotten around the realm and other realms about this big, lurking evil threatening to either conquer the world or destroy it (which I never understood but never mind that). But guess what? The game had dubbed your party the chosen ones so go fix that little pulsating evil problem before the planet is dust in space, thanks and bye.

The thing is that these other adventurers don’t know you’re the chosen one so they could certainly help or even go attempt to battle it themselves. At least they shouldn’t know. It’s insidious isn’t it? Your fellow adventurers know you’re the chosen one before you do and opt out of getting a hole put through their chest plate.

Then again if they’re not going to fight the big evil then why couldn’t they go and solve that village’s problem with the large marsh snake?!

Don’t think about it too much.

Staff Writer; M. Swift

This talented writer is also a podcast host, and comic book fan who loves all things old school. One may also find him on Twitter at; metalswift.