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Top 10 American Translated Console RPGs Prior to 1998

Article By: Jason Estey

Jason Estey is a freelance writer and Xcessive Gamer Editor. Jason also has his own video game site.
Visit: Jason Estey's GAME REVIEW

Before we begin the list, I believe that something of an explanation is in order. Specifically, why such a lengthy title? Wouldn't the title "Top Ten RPGs Before 1998" have been good enough? The truth is, I'm not enough of an expert authority to give a ruling on what the top 10 RPGs to date are, since the category of RPG games is just so massive. It would be a true challenge to take all of the RPGs that have ever been made and try to choose the ten best ones, when there are so many of them that I've never even actually played.

For instance, I haven't played any Japanese RPG titles that weren't translated into english first (it's embarrassing, but true.) Hence, I can't say that I'm rating the top ten console RPGs of all time because I won't be able to accurately take games like Final Fantasy V, Seiken Densetsu 3, Star Ocean, Tales of Phantasia, Langrisser IV, and Dragon Quest VI in to consideration (and that's only a hand full of the excellent Japanese console RPGs that were never released in America!)

I'm afraid that I must also cut PC RPGs out of the picture as well, not so much because I'm totally ignorant about them as because I'm far more interested in the console RPGs (for this article at least.) This disqualifies games like Ultima (soon to be on its ninth installment), Quest for Glory (which is half RPG - half quest game), Might and Magic, Wizardry, Betrayal at Krondor, Wasteland, and Anvil of Dawn (just to name a very small sample of the massive market for PC RPGs, and I didn't even name any of the dozens of AD&D RPG games by SSI.)

Perhaps the primary reason that I wanted to focus on console RPGs for this article is because they have developed to be something very unique and interesting, particularly because they are of Japanese origin and are influenced by Japanese culture (and believe me when I say that some really strange things happen on that funny little island, just look at Parrappa the Rapper.) It is interesting to see something of a totally foreign origin starting to become a major influence in the American gaming market. Japanese console RPGs are starting to catch on in the mainstream video game market, and it could have a very serious impact on the development of the American gaming industry. Up until now, the number of Japanese RPGs being brought into America has been minimal. For instance, out of the six Dragon Quest games, only four came to America (under the Dragon Warrior title), and Dragon Quest is one of the most popular RPG series' of all time! Even more popular is the Final Fantasy series, but of the seven Final Fantasy titles in Japan, only Final Fantasy's I, IV, VI, and VII came to America (we know them as Final Fantasy's I, II, III, and VII.) RPG fans in America have been frustrated by this trend for years, and rightfully so since we've missed out on some of the best RPGs titles to come out in Japan. Some fans have gone so far as to start ordering the Japanese versions of these games with a printed english translation so they can catch some of the action that they've been missing out on.

Fortunately, this trend is starting to come to an end now that the legions of RPG fans here in North America are finally being recognized (to a considerable degree for a change.) Konami released its Japanese hit RPG, Genso Suikoden, in America under the title of Suikoden, and they were plesantly surprised to find that there really is a market for RPGs in America (a market which has been consistently overlooked by other major RPG publishers since the beginning.) I don't believe that you can totally blame all of the other publishers for their mistakes in the past, since the market for RPGs in America was relatively small until quite recently. But now that all of these companies are starting to make lots of money off of their American RPGs, we're going to start to see more and more titles coming overseas (on the Playstation at least.) I could be wrong in this assessment, but there's always hope for us RPG fans that a flood of new RPGs is on the way to North America. Keep your fingers crossed.

Assuming that more and more RPGs are going to start flooding into America, now seems like an appropriate time to sum up the best RPGs that have come to America to date (since the numbers are relatively small.) Hence, I present you with, my personal favorite top ten console RPGs to date! But first, some quick apologies. Bearing in mind that this is a list of my personal favorites, I very much doubt that anyone out there will agree with all of my choices. Tough. But there are a few important titles that were omitted which I simply must apologize for. Firstly, to all Dragon Warrior fans, none of the Dragon Warrior titles made the list. Also, I deeply regret to inform you that only one Enix RPG made the list, and it placed tenth. I am really sorry about this arrangement, but that's the way things worked out in the end. Secondly, to all Sega fans: of the ten titles, there are only two RPGs for any Sega systems. I must admit that you are perhaps grossly under represented on this list. Even worse, none of the Phantasy Star, or Shining Force titles made the list! I'm really really sorry, but I was never a really big fan of any of these games, so they aren't on here (I won't take offense if you're too disgusted to read on.) Now that that's out of the way, I hope you find the rest of the article... "enlightening."

#10: Illusion of Gaia
(Super Nintendo, 1994, Quintet/Enix)

The developers of this game, Quintet (the game was published by Enix), demonstrated their programming prowess with the early SNES hit Actraiser, and the less popular title, Soul Blazer. All of this past experience experience, as well as a heavy dosage of development funding, came together to create one massive masterpiece which turned out to be the popular action RPG, Illusion of Gaia. The graphics and sound for this game are the game's biggest highlights, and the play control is also quite nice (especially compared to Soul Blazer), but the storyline is weak and the character development is minimal at times. On the other hand, the setting and atmosphere of the game are very well done, and that counts for a great deal in an action RPG like this one where plot development often takes a back seat to the bigger issue of game design. This is obviously apparent in this game, where well designed levels involving careful exploration and puzzle solving seem to be the focus. While not uncommon in games of the action RPG genre, I can safely say that this game would have benefited from some additional story development. Overall, I'd have to say that Illusion of Gaia is one of the best titles ever published by Enix, and a must have for fans of the action-RPG genre.

#9: Lufia and the Fortress of Doom
(Super Nintendo, 1993, Taito)

I'm sure that many SNES fans immediately recognize this title as a classic (others are probably rolling their eyes right now, or cursing me that this title actually placed in this top 10 list.) Lufia was very popular amongst a number of SNES fans throughout America, and it earned a reputation as a cult favorite. Lufia starts off with one of the best RPG openers I've ever seen, immediately demonstrating the presence a cool plot loaded with melodrama and character development. As a fan of RPGs, I was totally drawn in by the first fifteen minutes of the game, and I was all hyped up to see the rest. Unfortunately, the incredible storyline and character development in this game doesn't last long, as it starts dropping off within an hour of playing time. By the time you're on your third hour into the game, there's hardly any trace of story or character development at all. Some semi-good news is that the story picks up again later... more than ten hours later when you've reached the very end of the game. However, Lufia was never really known for its plot or characters (not by most people, anyway.) Where Lufia really shines is with its own brand of puzzles, which appear to be very simple at first, but quickly prove to be frustrating as you find yourself consistently getting stuck and frantically trying to figure out what to do next (that's supposed to be a good thing... right?) The game is impressively large for its day, proving to have a great deal of area to explore. This adds quite a bit of replay value, since apon completing the game a statistic will come up telling you how many treasure chests you missed, which makes you wonder exactly how many little secrets you overlooked. I'm sure that not everyone would enjoy this game, but there's definitely a certain breed of RPGers out there that this kind of title was made for. Newcomers to the RPG genre will not find this game so impressive though, since the graphics and sound quality are very old (we're talking about a game back from the days when RPGs were actually expected to have crappy graphics and sound.) In my opinion, even though the graphics and sound are dated, they are so professionally done as to have a kind of timeless quality to them. Not everyone agrees, and I don't blame 'em. But unless you already despise Lufia for some reason, it is more than deserving of a chance to win you over. I'll stand behind this title any day.

#8: Wild Arms
(Playstation, 1997, Media Vision/Sony Computer Entertainment America)

Wild Arms is an impressive title, to say the least. The graphics and artwork are excellent, and the game engine is very clean dispite the rather unimpressive polygon rendered battle system. Wild Arms has a strong, refreshing atmosphere which is quite different than any other RPG I've played, as well as a nifty storyline with more than a few nice plot twists. It also offers enough challenge to satisfy experienced RPG fans, which is nice to see for a change, although this advantage is offset somewhat by the shortcomings of the combat system. What Wild Arms really reminds me of (and I'm not alone in this assessment) is the original Lufia and the Fortress of Doom, which happens to be the game which you just read about at #9. The kinds of puzzles that you must solve in Wild Arms are similar to the style of puzzles presented in Lufia, although more sophisticated in Wild Arms (and less frustrating, for the most part.) Wild Arms also seems to suffer from the same problem of presenting the player with characters which initially have lots of potential for development, but wind up not being developed as much as they should have. The battle system is also a major similarity between WildArms and Lufia, since they both feature the little command cross which is used to pick your commands, and both battle systems are frustratingly unentertaining (translation: boring.) In the final analysis, I'd say that this is a good, solid title with very few serious weaknesses, and a great game for Playstation RPG fans.

#7: Chrono Trigger
(Super Nintendo, 1995, Squaresoft)

This was the final SNES game to be made by Squaresoft, which makes it the last Nintendo title they've made to date (now that they're busy with the Playstation.) Chrono Trigger has what I consider to be the cleanest game engine of any SNES RPG, with almost no detectable flaws. The graphics are astounding for a 16 bit title, definitely the best for any Nintendo RPG to come to America, and the background music is very fitting for such a fine RPG. The storyline is really good, but the character development could have been stronger. What really impresses me is the atmosphere of the game, which is so well developed that the game immediately grabs your attention and continues to fascinate you throughout. The setting continually changes, but I've found that the Squaresoft style of the game can be found everywhere you look. The game also has lots of hidden secrets and stuff, including multiple different endings (more than a dozen, actually) which give this title plenty of replay value. Unfortunately, it lacks any real challenges, which is great for RPG newcomers, but disappointing for seasoned players. Overall, I'd say that Chrono Trigger is a must for Squaresoft fans, and even for SNES owning RPG fans in general.

#6: Suikoden
(Playstation, 1996, Konami)

This RPG has come under a lot of fire from some RPG fans, saying that there isn't enough character development because there are too many characters, the storyline is too simple, and the graphics could have been done on a 16 bit platform. To them I say, "get bent." While it is true that the game lacks character development to some degree, it has far more character development than any of the titles on this list that ranked below it. I consider this to be an impressive feat considering that there are some odd 108 characters in this game that can join your party (no kidding!) The storyline may be simplistic, but it is not so simple as to be boring, and it makes up for this shortcoming with plenty of melodrama. To me, that just means that the plot is easier to follow than most RPGs, which is can be considered more of a good thing than a bad thing. Finally, the graphics are lacking, but the hand drawn artwork is really good. I really don't care that the game has a 16 bit quality to it, so long as the quality of the artwork is so good that the graphics are forgivable. In my opinion, Suikoden is a very good game, an xcellent introduction to the RPG genre for newcomers, and a lot of fun for RPG veterans.

#5: Lunar: The Silver Star
(Sega CD, 1992, GameArts/Working Designs)

Few games are as classic as Lunar: The Silver Star. In fact, I can easily say that this is the most classic RPG I've ever played, excelling in those difficult to describe attributes that RPGs are known for, like having a lovable cast of characters, a catchy soundtrack, and an addictive battle system. The story behind Lunar: The Silver Star is really good, more than enough to keep any RPG fan interested, and it features a good helping of melodrama and humor. But I could hardly say that the storyline is the game's strongest quality. What Lunar does have going for it in abundance is that it is incredibly addictive, it has a well developed cast of characters, and the game's setting is both attractive and original. Lunar is so appealing that it easily makes fans out of the gamers that play it, and it definitely qualifies as being an excellent introduction for people that have never played an RPG before. Lunar is also very well designed and professionally done, dispite the game's obviously lacking budget. You can tell, just by playing it, that the people who made this game loved RPGs and knew what they were doing. Even though the game is already more than five years old, the game engine still holds its own in terms of graphics and sound. For a 16 bit title, this isn't bad at all; and when you consider the year that this game was produced in, I'd rank it as being very impressive indeed.

#4: Secret of Mana
(Super Nintendo, 1993, Squaresoft)

I had to struggle with myself in order to rank this title as low as fourth, even though Lunar: The Silver Star probably deserves this ranking just as much (if not more.) I am a massive fan of Secret of Mana, and it most certainly ranks as one of my all time personal favorites. However, I can easily spot a couple of rather large shortcomings that could have turned this Squaresoft masterpiece into an even greater game. Quite simply, the storyline is weak and there is very little character development. But when I played this game, those shortcomings were dwarfed by the strengths in the game that I saw before me. Considering the year in which this game was released, the graphics and sound are phenomenal. It easily had the best graphics of any game I'd ever seen (at the time), and I still consider the musical score for this game to be one of the best for any RPG ever made. Of course, having the best graphics and sound will fill you with awe, but on a game that lacks depth, what good will it do? Well, in the sense that the storyline is shabby and the characters are poorly developed, Secret of Mana does lack depth. But in terms of setting and atmosphere, I have seen few other games that offer as much. So much work must have went into perfecting the various areas to have just the right mood about them that it boggles the mind. Traveling north to the forests covered with snow and ice actually makes me feel cold. When you get stranded in the desert, you actually feel as though you might die of thirst. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little here, but Secret of Mana made such an impact on me that I hold it to be sacred. The impressiveness of the game's design is also compounded by the game's sheer size. Although it is only average in length by today's standards, back when it came out, Secret of Mana was one of the biggest games that one could get for the Super Nintendo. With all of these strengths going for it, Secret of Mana provides such an experience that I have yet to know anyone who played it and wasn't addicted to it.

#3: Final Fantasy VII
(Playstation, 1997, Squaresoft)

Uh oh... I sense trouble. "Final Fantasy VII at number THREE?!" "You better have a REAL good explanation for this, Jason." The reason for this is quite simple, actually. What this means is that, as you undoubtedly believe to be impossible, the two games following this one on the list are even better. "Two RPGs that are better than Final Fantasy VII? You've lost it Jay." No, it's true. But before I move on, I must talk about why Final Fantasy VII isn't the perfect RPG. As you are all aware, it has astounding graphics, it is so massive that it occupies three CDs, it has tons of character development, and it could easily be conside red the best game ever made, so what could possibly be wrong with Final Fantasy VII? Nothing is wrong with it, there are just certain areas that other games have done better in. For example, as good as the storyline and character development in Final Fantasy VII is, there are actually RPGs with even better storylines and even more character development. And although the graphics in Final Fantasy VII are the best of any game I've ever seen, we have to remember that other titles, which had astounding graphics in their day, paved the way for a game like this to happen. Final Fantasy VII is the best game to come along in several years, but it isn't the best RPG of all time. Still, Final Fantasy VII can do no worse than third spot, with some really strong attributes going for it. Somehow, Squaresoft managed to engineer this game such that it wouldn't be too difficult for beginners to play, but it isn't too easy for the experienced players either, making it perfect for RPG fans of all kinds. Final Fantasy VII has more area to explore than any other RPG I've ever seen, and it has dozens of sub-quests near the end (many of them being secrets) to challenge anybody who thinks that nothing in this game is too difficult for them to beat. By far, Final Fantasy VII's strongest attribute is that you can play it forever. It is so massive, with so much replay value, that the only way you'll ever want to stop playing it is when you get sick from playing so much. Many of hard core RPG fans out there are probably wondering if it is worth buying a Playstation just so they can play Final Fantasy VII. In my opinion, it is.

#2: Lunar: Eternal Blue
(Sega CD, 1994, GameArts/Working Designs)

The original Lunar: The Silver Star was about as good as RPG games get, correct? And let's face it, Working Designs will never bring us anything better than that... right? Wrong. Apparently, Lunar: The Silver Star was just a warm up session for GameArts before they started work on the real deal, this time with a bigger budget and a grander vision for what they were going to make. But the difference between Lunar: The Silver Star and Lunar: Eternal Blue runs far deeper than just the amount of money and experience that went into making them, Lunar: Eternal Blue takes a serious stab at being the best RPG to ever reach American shores (thanks, in no small part, to Working Designs for translating it.) Personally, I find that the characters in Lunar: Eternal Blue aren't as lovable as the cast of the original, but they are far better developed, having as much character depth as you could hope to see in an RPG. The storyline is also much better, with more depth and some more serious drama in it. Lunar: Eternal Blue isn't all serious, though; in fact, it expands apon the hilarious antics that made the original Lunar so funny. Lunar: Eternal Blue will make you laugh and cry, but be forewarned that it is really sappy (even more mushy than Lunar: The Silver Star, right down to the ending.) Lunar: The Silver Star will definitely make a fan of the Lunar series out of you, but speaking personally, Lunar: Eternal Blue is the real reason that I like Lunar so much.

#1: Final Fantasy III
(Super Nintendo, 1994, Squaresoft)

There can be no doubt about this. More than any other game I have ever played, Final Fantasy III deserves to be at the top of this list (er... the #1 spot, that is.) This is the game which decided for me that RPGs were going to be my personal favorite genre of games. It has the best cast of characters of any RPG, with all of the major characters receiving plenty of development. Terra, Cyan, Locke, Celes, Edgar, and Sabin all rank amoung my favorite RPG characters of all time, but Final Fantasy III also houses my absolute favorite character of all time: Shadow. And it wouldn't have been possible for these characters to be as well developed as they are if it weren't for the absolutely brilliant storyline, which happens to be the very best plotline ever conceived for an RPG. You have to really pay attention, but once you finally understand the scope of the story presented in Final Fantasy III, you'll realize just how good this game really is. The characters and plotline for this game are so complicated, that it was more than a year before I finally settled on who my favorite character was and why. Originally, I didn't even like Shadow, but these characters have so much depth that you might decide at first that you don't like a character, only to change your mind later when you realize what motivates that character to act the way that they do. Even though Final Fantasy III has more depth than one could ever hope to find in an RPG, it isn't lacking any bells and whistles either. The graphics are astounding for a 16 bit title, perhaps topped only by the more recent Squaresoft title, Chrono Trigger. And the musical composition is incredible, definitely the best that I have ever heard in an RPG (or any game, for that matter), dispite the 16 bit sound quality. Final Fantasy III also features the kind of well developed, quality atmosphere and mood that you'd find in other Squaresoft titles like Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VII, and Secret of Mana. It was a long and grueling battle for me to initially decide whether Final Fantasy VII had managed to top its predecessor or not, but in the end, Final Fantasy III remains my favorite game of all time. And I couldn't be happier about it.

And now for a little "bonus":

The Best Console For RPGs: Super Nintendo

Super Nintendo is certainly the best system for RPGs, whether you're talking Japanese titles or the domestic variety. It houses almost every one of Squaresoft's and Enix's most popular titles, as well as countless RPG classics. Runners up for this category include: Playstation, which has the most potential for RPGs in the near future, Sega CD, because of the Lunar games as well as Shining Force, and Sega Saturn, which boasts an impressive collection of Japanese import titles. Don't be fooled into thinking that Nintendo 64 will be any good for RPGs, though. Currently, the prospects for the N64's RPG department are extremely bleak, especially compared to those of the Playstation. The Best Year for Console RPGs: 1994

It was 1994 and the biggest thing in video games were the 16 bit consoles, the most dominant being the Super Nintendo and Sega Genesis. Sega CD was still relatively new, which was a big deal since it was the first and most popular CD based console system. Enter the two greatest RPGs to ever reach America: Final Fantasy III and Lunar: Eternal Blue. Little did I know that a mere two years later, the Super Nintendo would be on its way out, and the Sega CD would be all but dead. It would have devastated me to learn that Squaresoft would stop making games for Nintendo, and that the console game industry was to be invaded on a mass scale by Sony in only a couple of short years. On the bright side, I'd have never imagined back in 1994 that Final Fantasy VII would be so massive as to span 3 CDs, or that some day I'd actually be lucky enough to own Lunar: Eternal Blue. Anyway, this ol' timer has a tendency to ramble about the glory days... <g>

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