Fun fact: as I was compiling this top ten list, I realized a huge chunk of it is in the RPG genre. To be more precise, two-thirds of the list (including the honorable mentions) are RPGs or some variation of it, while about half (with or without the honorable mentions) are traditional RPGs, in my definition at least. I suppose that was interesting.
Oh yeah I also wanted to add, in the 30 Days of Gaming V2 thread, I put in
a different favourite game of all time. Obviously that means, it will not be the top game indicated in the list below. I don't know why I did that, but I guess I had a clearer mindset and much more time to think it through this time. I still love the game I mentioned there, but I realized I love these games a little bit more. I mean, really, there are tons of games not mentioned in this post that I adore, it's just that the thread doesn't care about those, no?
1. Mother 3 (GBA) - Truly a strange, funny and heartrending RPG. No words can describe how much I adore this game. The characters, the plot and their development; the universe, the genre, the charm, the gameplay, the lasting appeal, and the ending— I could go on for years and even after all that time, this will still probably be high up on my best video games lists, if not still
the best. I just love it so much. <3 You have to go play it to know what I mean.
2. Pokémon Gold and Silver (GBC) - My favourite entry in the whole franchise. This RPG has got it all, everything from a seemingly perfect pair of predecessors was taken up a notch, and it never once slipped with anything it carried on or introduced. The Pokémon, both old and new, are all perfect and attainable, the gameplay is as great as ever, every new feature introduced is lovely, it has a simple plot that works, and due to an immense amount of replayability— I've played this game for months to no end. Everything about it is indeed
golden. Or silvery, if you played Silver instead.
3. Kingdom Hearts (PS2) - I love this action RPG series so much, the first entry and the series and the unassuming player (in this case, my past self that just discovered the series) go like bread and butter. Legit. It's filled with wonderful Disney characters and stellar voice casting, gorgeous visuals, decent gameplay and a beautiful story. The whole universe of this series just sucked me in, and starting with a game like this, you'd know that the franchise will never get old. I love KH because of this game.
4. The Sims (PC) - What, this isn't an RPG? In fact...it's a life simulation game? Indeed, and frankly, this game played a huge part in turning me into a video game enthusiast, and it's one of the earliest games I've played that made it to the top of this list. This is as addicting as PokéCommunity, and that's saying something. Living your Sim's life again and again, having so much to do with building and buying, making a stable career for one or a life of slack for the other, or just having plain fun with sadistic deletion of the swimming pool ladders. So much replayability, so little time. In fact I enjoyed this game so much I zipped through a huge chunk of my childhood playing it, but maybe that's exaggerating it a bit. But yeah I love this game.
5. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (Sega Genesis) - Finally a platformer. And even I'm surprised that this isn't Mario. In fact, because our family had a Sega Genesis before we acquired an old NES, I was actually a Sonic fan way before being a Mario fan. And even though I'm more inclined to anything Mario than Sonic these days, this game simply had way too many memories tied into it that I just had to include it. Playing as Tails as my older brother controlled Sonic was really, frustrating and fun all the same. Tight game design and bright visuals seal the deal. I don't think we ever finished it in our actual cartridge, and even though I only actually finished it a few years ago on an emulator (shh), I still see this as an unforgettable game.
6. Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town (GBA) - Oh no, it seems a string of non-RPGs have invaded my 'best of' list. Never mind that, this one is sort of an RPG, although I think it's more of a farm simulation game. This game introduced me to Harvest Moon, and it's way too engrossing for its own good. Much like The Sims or Animal Crossing, but with its own charm in the farming aspect and the somewhat elaborate dating sim aspect. But yeah, I liked this game. There was a point in time I was too obsessed with this game that I don't even feel like playing any other game, and even if all that has passed, it's still one of those games I enjoyed and loved.
7. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney (DS) - "Haven't we had enough of these non-RPGs!? Here I was thinking this list would be full of them!" Scratch that, this cross of a visual novel and an adventure game is way too good to have to be an RPG. With top-notch, one-of-a-kind gameplay and an attractive theme, rich plot and character development and of course, quirky but loveable characters, playing these games will certainly be worth anyone's while. I listed the first one as my favourite because it will never feel complete if you do not play them all. But once you do, you'll probably be a fan of this series for life, like I am. Now, bring on Gyakuten Saiban 5, Capcom!
8. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Time (DS) - Yay, back to the RPGs, or if you're strictly bent on traditional ones, then a sort-of RPG. This roguelike, dungeon crawler RPG has Pokémon in it, so that's already a buy. But wait, I actually get to be a Pokémon? Yes! And it comes with a beautiful plot and colorful cast of characters, masterful gameplay, tons of replayability and even connectivity. This game was actually a huge chunk of my early PC days, with guilds dedicated to rescuing other PC members who played this game, and it helped me meet a lot of friendly people in this forum. No wonder I like this game so much. The ending is just perfect for it, really, and I hope they make a new installment that's as deep as this game.
9. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga (GBA) - A charming RPG that actually told me Nintendo actually makes great RPGs that star Mario. So this game not only motivated me to complete as much of the main series platformer Mario games as possible, but also made me play Legend of the Seven Stars and the Paper Mario series, and I thank it for that. And it made me love Luigi, too! One of the coolest RPGs I've played, and it started a really fun series that had a lot of fan service, and a lot of heart.
10. Paper Mario (N64) - This RPG is lucky to even be in the top ten. If the number nine were as used as ten in best of lists and if this thread didn't center around that latter number then it might have just dropped into the honorable mentions list below. But still it's here, and mentioning it means I loved this game, as apathetic as I seemed with my opening statements. Okay, I'll gush about it now. This game is a work of art. The graphic style is unique and beautiful, the characters are full of spunk, and the plot is really, really good. Gameplay is fun, but since I played this relatively late it doesn't have the nostalgia factor that Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga had. It's still a really good RPG that spawned a masterful series, so I'm in no position to put it down.
Final Fantasy VI (SNES), The World Ends With You (DS), Final Fantasy X (PS2), Super Smash Bros. Brawl (Wii) and Final Fantasy VII (PSX) - Most of these honorable mentions, I played way too late than what would have been desirable for both the player and the game, really they're in the same position as Paper Mario, which means that they don't hold as much nostalgia as the ones in the actual list. However they are, without a doubt, still great on their own. It's just hard to take off the nostalgia goggles for lists that are this subjective.
