High-quality RPGs have been launched onNintendoplatforms since the 90s. For Nintendo’s earlier home consoles, RPGs were one of the key genres they pushed. Once Nintendo entered the 3D era, the success and popularity of Pokemon gave companies more reason to make games on handhelds which are cheaper to develop on and tend to have larger user bases than home console equivalents.
The forefront of JRPG gaming has been on Nintendo handhelds, with series such as Fire Emblem securing its longevity. It’s no coincidence that the strongest RPG home-console Nintendo has launched in decades is a hybrid console on the Nintendo Switch.
7Pokemon Yellow – Game Boy
For fans of the Pokemon anime, Pokemon Yellow does the best job of making as many references to it as possible while still retaining the feel of Pokemon Red and Blue. Any Pokemon game is a good RPG due to the many complex creatures you can choose for your party and a forward-moving plot that is more goal-oriented than narrative-based.
In Pokemon Yellow, the sprites are larger, more detailed, and resemble the more modern artwork of Pokemon compared to Red and Blue. Pokemon Yellow gives you the option to use all three starters, your Pikachu follows you, and it refuses to evolve with a Thunder Stone—it’s like you’re playing the game as Ash Ketchum.
6SD Gundam Dimension War – Virtual Boy
The Virtual Boy only had 22 games released worldwide and just one RPG, so it’s easy to see why SD Gundam Dimension War is considered the best RPG on the short-lived handheld.
The combination of big sprites, grids, and red-and-black coloring gives SD Gundam Dimension War a perspective as if you’re on a submarine traversing through enemy territory. While the gameplay is quite standard, SD Gundam Dimension War features highly detailed animations during battles between units, and the chunky, chibi-like interpretations of Gundams make the SD Gundam Dimension War stand out visually.
5Pokemon Crystal - Game Boy Color
Pokemon Crystal is one of the few sequels in the series. Pokemon Crystal treats its fans by showing what happened to Lance and Blue and introduces a new rival, Silver, the son of Giovanni.
Pokemon Crystal not only has a sizable roster of 251 Pokemon but also gives you access to Kanto after beating the main game. While the Kanto map isn’t as large as in the original Red and Blue games,it still provides substantial postgame content, allowing you to play against all the old gym leaders.
4Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade - Game Boy Advance
The Game Boy Advance was the first handheld console fromNintendo to have a strong RPG library, especially when it came to Japanese exclusives. Sadly, the best JRPGs on the Game Boy Advance, such as Mother 3 and Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade werenot launched outside of Japan. Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade is the Fire Emblem entry that introduces Roy, whom most of us are familiar with from Roy theSuper Smash Bros.series.
Most gamers are familiar with the sequel, Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, and while both games are nearly equal in quality, Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade isn’t as held back by a brutal difficulty spike. With one of the best difficulty curves in the series and a map design that reduces the chances of being blindsided by unpredictable attacks, Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade is one of the most accessible entries in the series.
3Shin Megami Tensei: A Strange Journey – Nintendo DS
Not many RPGs on the Nintendo DS challenge you the way Shin Megami Tensei: A Strange Journey does. Like many Shin Megami Tensei games, dungeon crawling is at the heart of what makes Shin Megami Tensei: A Strange Journey special.
Carefully considering your party, deciding which fusions to make between creatures, and mapping out dungeons to avoid running out of resources while exploring are key elements that make Shin Megami Tensei: A Strange Journey engaging. You’re consistently kept between never being painstakingly weak and never dramatically overpowered as you advance through the game.
2Fire Emblem: Awakening – Nintendo 3DS
The heavy focus of Fire Emblem: Awakening is on building relationships between your party members. The more time characters spend getting to know each other, the better their combat abilities become when they’re on the field together. Modern Fire Emblem is modeled after these dynamics, making Fire Emblem: Awakening one of the most influential as well asthe best in the series.
Not only do party members have dialogues and synergies that you can unlock by having them become closer, but they can also become spouses and have offspring for the next generation of party members. You can create incredibly powerful characters through breeding, making it a key mechanic for scaling into the late game.
1Unicorn Overdrive - Switch
Tactics RPGs work well in the Switch’s undocked mode, andUnicorn Overdriveexcels not only in the tactical aspects but also in its strategic depth. The game emphasizes moving numerous units across a large map and features the typical turn-based RPG battles that occur when two units engage.
Unicorn Overdrive offers various methods to overcome its challenges and encourages players to optimize by including a countdown timer during battles. The characters' abilities are straightforward, but you need to form multiple units and battalions from your large roster. Unicorn Overdrive successfully blends elements of Chess, Advance Wars, and JRPGs.
