RPG (Role-Playing Games) have been one of the most interesting genres. Gripping storylines, level grinding, sidequests, upgrades, the whole lot! Now this list is going to be telling you the best of the best (in my opinion) RPG series. Franchises that last more than 2 games is the rule here. Also, RPG spinoffs from other franchises is also out. So, let's start! Oh, and before I forget, I'll only be describing the story from the first game in the series. (Each game is either different or a continuation of the last, and it personally gets tiring for me. So bear with it if you can OK?) At the end of the list, I will give you my reasons for why they are at that spot. Your quest begins...

The series starts off in a civil war between the Light Dragon clan and the Dark Dragon clan. "1000 years ago, the goddess Myria spread discord amongst the dragon clan by telling them she would grant any wish. This caused a feud among the clan and eventually split the clan in two, thus began the start of the Goddess War. When the world was on the brink of destruction, a heroic light dragon sealed away the goddess by using six ancient keys. These keys were then scattered around the world". 

The story starts off when the Dark Dragon Clan attacks the town of Aura to obtain one of the goddess keys. One of the villagers, Ryu, awakens to find the village in flames! Her sister and village priestess, Sara, turns him and the other villagers to stone in order to draw their attention to her, and ended up captured. The Dark Dragon Emperor Zog, plans to use the keys to awaken the goddess once more. So Ryu sets out to collect the keys, along with resucing Sara. 

Gameplay: While it has the basic RPG elements, it also has some unique features. Your characters have special effects on the overworld map. But they have to be at the front of your party. Ex: You can't walk through forest areas unless Bo is at the head of your group. Also, When exploring the field, Time will flow and it will go from sunrise to sunset. Some towns won't open until nightfall. Most item shops in the towns and cities double as a makeshift "bank", allowing you store extra items you can't carry or GP (the series' currency).

Battle: Most of commands in battle are pretty basic: Attack, Spells/techniques, Item, Defend, Escape, and it has the same leveling up and skill learn features. You can also set them to auto-battle so you can watch the fight instead. Monsters' HP bars will show when attacked. Some monsters are still able to fight even after their HP is gone (Usually a boss or strong enemy). Skill Example: Ryu can change into various dragons in battle by completing the trials in isolated shrines scattered throughout the world. Also, Karn can fuse with others to increase his stats by visiting shamans.

Series upgrades: BOF II: Character Fusing won't be just one character. By visiting Shamans, you can increase your party's stats, and (if you're lucky) the character you chose will be completely transformed along with a set of new abilities. You will also be able to build a town in this game. Once you reach the mid-way point, you can then choose the style of buildings that will be constructed. Once it's expanded enough, you can ask people who are willing to move into your new city. On the field, you can switch your character's positions. Ryu's dragon powers are only one-shot abilities now. The more AP Ryu uses, the more powerful the attack. The minigames return as well. 

BOF III: Master System: It allows a character to train under specific "Masters" to learn new skills and influence stats. The new "Faerie Village" addition lets you manage a village of faeries, and in turn, you can access special items or in-game features. You can set up camp to regain health and speak with other party members. In battle you can "examine" enemies, and when the enemy that character examines uses a specific attack on the one who did it, that attack is permanently added to their skills. New "Dragon Genes" can found to splice together new dragons, up to three at a time. Only 3 characters at a time per battle.

BOF IV: Combo System: Combine attacks for bonus damage and other effects. Characters in battle can switch to the back row to regain lost HP and Magic. The Master System and Faerie Village is here as well.

WILD ARMS follows the band of adventurers, the Dream Chasers, on a journey of fame and fortune. It starts like this. "A war raged between Filgaia and the Metal Demons, hoping to make the world their own. After a fierce struggle, the humans managed to capture the demon's leader, "Mother", and sealed her deep in a castle in the tundra of Arctica. Unable to destroy her constant regenerating body, the people of Arctica removed her heart and tore it into 3 pieces, imprisoned her in a cocoon, and sealed the pieces of her heart into 3 stone statues, which are scattered across the world. With their leader gone, the majority of demons disappeared, leaving only a few remaining in seclusion over the next few centuries, eventually launching an attack on the castle to reclaim the imprisoned body of Mother. As time passed, talk of the ancient war dwindled, though records of demonic weaponry called ARM (Ancient Relic Machine) guns and robot soldiers still lingered in the minds of many. When a mysterious child named Rudy was left in the care of mayor of Surf, an ARM was found next to him. Fearing his safety, he hid the ARM and raised him as his own."

Gameplay: While it has most RPG elements, A new "tool" function can be used to get through obstacles. Ex: Rudy's "Bomb" can blow up boulders blocking your path, and Jack's "Grappling Hook" can get you across chasms and other traps. These can be found during certain points in the game.

Battle: It has the basic elements, but the kicker here is the "Force Bar" which allows the party to use special techniques. It is divided into four levels, and as it increases, they can use one of four techniques. The more effective the skill, the more force levels required. Special items called Runes can be equipped to increase stats, summon guardians, or healing allies for example. 

Series Upgrades: WA 2: Battles are indicated by speech balloons with a ! over it and can sometimes be avoided at an instant. Six characters can join your party, but only three can be in battle. Tools make their return as well.

WA 3: You can run from fights, and can be customized on a battle to battle basis.

All party members wield ARMs, and weapons and armor have been replaced by "Personal Skills" via Guardian invocation.

WA 4: Some action-game type elements have been added, such as the ability to double-jump. Tool functions are not available. A new area-based "Hex-Battle system" has been added for more complex battles. The Force abilities make return, and can be executed by either a single member, or a group of two or more party members. How much FP (Force Points) is consumed depends on the skill used and number of members. When two or more members are on the same hex, they can heal allies, combine attacks, and cast two spells at once. However, if they are attacked by enemies, the group also receives the same damage. The reverse also holds true. 

WA 5: The Hex-Battle System returns along with the force bar. Some hexes have special properties. Only 3 party members per battle. The guardians make its return from the first game, as well as new Original Attacks and Team Combos. You can also chain attacks, provided you can find the "Violator badge" hidden in the game. The ARMs each member has must be reloaded during a battle when they run out of ammo. They can increase their stats by finding "dragon fossil" items throughout the game. Mediums can be used to grant the party unique abilities, but only one can be equipped to each member. Dungeon exploration splits into 2 modes: Action mode lets you interact with objects, as well as jump and slide. Shooting mode allows you to use your ARMs in the environment. Ex: you can shoot switches or break objects. By using specific "cartridges", you can do a variety of things in the dungeon. 

The series takes place on Lunar (a.k.a. Silver Star), That orbits a Earth-like planet called the Blue Star. "Thousands of years ago, The Blue Star was infected by a dark god named Zophar. His evil corrupted the hearts of people, some turning into monsters to do his bidding. The survivors cried to the savior of the Blue Star, a goddess named Althena, for help. She fought with Zophar in an epic battle, but was only able to stop him by using her powers of creation to seal him in another dimension, nearly destroying all life on the planet in the process. Unable to restore the planet until several millennia had passed, Althena instead chose to turn the planet's moon into an Earthlike world and transport the survivors there. They included not just humans, but also a race of "beast-men", and a race of elf-like creatures who are skilled in magic. They were later to be known as the "Vile Tribe" after rejecting Althena's teachings. Althena banished them to an area of Lunar known as "The Frontier", a barren wasteland where even Althena's power couldn't reach. They became enemies of Althena and her followers for thousands of years. To protect Lunar, Althena created four intelligent dragons, (one white, one red, one blue, and one black), each one sharing a part of her divine power. There are only four dragons over any given time, though they are replaced by younger ones. During their infancy, they look like winged talking cats until they gain the power of their predecessor and ascend to adulthood. They spend most of their time sleeping underground until they are needed. Althena declared there would also be a champion called the Dragonmaster to lead Lunar's heroes. This person would be anyone who managed to make their way to the hidden lairs of the four dragons and pass their harrowing trials. There have been many Dragonmasters across the centuries, and many on Lunar strive to acheive that title. The people became very devoted to Althena, though many remember Lunar's origin as only an old legend..."

Gameplay: I won't lie, the gameplay and battle elements are all traditional-style. Turn-based fights, story progresses by gathering info, and all of the graphics, beautiful.

Series Upgrades: Lunar: Eternal Blue: In battle Characters position themselves in front of an enemy to attack. AI setting can let party members attack on their own. Characters gain magic points after battles to enhance their spells, allowing them to learn new skills to use in and out of battle. 

Lunar: Dragon Song: While earlier games had a strategy-based approach in combat, this one has returned to traditional turn-based combat. Also, enemies are targeted automatically instead of you choosing the target. There are two modes before going into battle: Virtue mode allows the party to gain experience for leveling up. Combat mode allows enemies to drop items in battle. At certain points, characters will switch automatically with no way of switching back. 

Not all RPGs are about swords and spells. There are other types as well, such as monster collecting and battling. Pokemon is one such game. Anyone who hasn't heard of this, START NOW! I got into this when the Red version came out on gameboy, and while I can get all nostalgic, I'm pretty sure everyone knows this name by now. So I'll get to the point. You're a young up-and-coming trainer set out to become the best pokemon trainer. The storyline differs with each pair of versions, so I'll simply tell the main points. You'll face against your rival on numerous occasions, go up against the 8 gym leaders to earn their badges, then take on the Elite Four, the best of the best, before the final confrontation against the champ. I'll start at the beginning at work on up, so try and keep up.

 

Red & Blue versions: These two were the ones that started it all. Here's a refresher for those who are new. To catch a pokemon, you'll need to weaken it in battle, then use a Poke ball to catch it. However, the stronger the level, the more likely it is to escape. To catch high-level pokemon, you'll need better balls. There are four types: Poke, Great, Ultra, and Master. There is only one Master ball in the entire game, so use it wisely. When you start out, you have to choose one of 3 starters, grass-type Bulbasaur, Fire-type Charmander, or Water-type Squirtle. After an introductory battle against your rival, you're ready to start you journey. When battling another trainer, the rules are simple: whoever knocks out the opponent's team first wins. Each pokemon has a distinct type that is strong or weak against a certain type. My advice: get a team of pokemon with six different types to balance your team. If any of your pokemon faint, take them to a pokemon center to revive them. Item shops carry items to heal your pokemon and cure status ailments. While I can tell you the rest, just look up a Pokemon website to get the rest. I'll keep the versions coming. Remakes were made for the GBA as Fire red and Leaf Green. 

Yellow Version: If you've watched the anime, then you should know that this is coming. Your partner is a pikachu, an electric-type who should be familiar to most fans of the series. At first it doesn't like you, as you continue battling, it'll warm up to you. You can check how it's feeling by talking to him. Oh, you know the three starter pokemon you get at the beginning of red and blue? Well, now you can collect all three of em! I'm not telling you how, so don't try to pry it out of me! Also, the Team Rocket Trio that Ash runs into also makes an appearance on numerous occasions. Also, you're rival's starter is an eevee. An EEVEE! Don't worry, you can still get one of your own. (Talk to a man inside a building in Celadon City, and he'll give it to you. This also applies in red and blue versions.)

 

Gold & Silver Version: Along with the usual modifications, (new batch of pokemon, new region, new items, new moves, yadda yadda..) There are also new features in this pair. It is also one of the longest as you can visit the Kanto region after beating the game once. And with the remakes coming soon (Heart Gold & Soul Silver), I thought I might give a rundown of the new additions. Pokegear: You have a wristwatch that also acts as a phone! Some trainers will ask for your number after a battle, some will ask for a rematch, others will tell you where to find certain pokemon. You heard me right, a phone, and a map, and a radio! Also, the game is played in real time! Day and Night play a huge role here, because some events or pokemon only show up at a certain time. New Types: Steel and Dark types are added for more variety! Ex: Magnemite was first known as an electric type, but now it is a combo of Steel/Electric type! Tip: Steel types have a high defensive stats, so it may not be easy. Held Items: Your pokemon can now hold items, each with different effects. Some increase the power of a certain type, others recover lost HP or cure status effects, for example. The Special stats is now divided into Sp. Attack and Sp. Defense. Shiny Pokemon: Shiny pokemon is introduced here believe it or not, and they appear VERY rarely. You can tell them apart because they are a different color when you encounter them. Breeding: When leaving a male and female pokemon (which I neglected to mention earlier), at the day-care center, you might be able to obtain an egg. Some pokemon can only be hatched from eggs. New balls can be made too. By collecting certain pinecones from trees, you can take them to the smith in Azalea Town to forge new ball types. 

Crystal Version: This is the first version that allows you to choose the trainer's gender. Also, the sprites in the game are animated during battle. A battle tower is also available where you can fight in Pokemon Stadium-like battles.

 

Ruby & Sapphire versions: The GBA really took their graphics to the next level. Along with new pokemon and a new region and storyline, this was the best version of its time. These versions introduced Double Battles, which allows two pokemon from both sides to fight at once. Also, they also introduced Abilities and Natures. Abilities are special techniques that can be used in battle. Ex: Intimidate cuts the pokemon's power when they are sent into battle, and Oblivious makes the pokemon immune to infatuation. Natures are like a Pokemon's personality, for it affects the pokemon's strength depending on the type of nature. Also introduced are the pokemon contests. Contestants choose the pokemon to compete with and appear before judges to show off their best moves. You can increase the condition of your pokemon's personality by giving it pokeblocks, candy made out of various berries. Real-time returns, and by picking berries from trees, it will revert back to a seedling. In time, it will revert back to a tree. You can also make a secret base and decorate it to your liking by finding or buying furniture and decorations.

Emerald Version: While it has the same additions as Ruby & Sapphire, It also includes the Battle Frontier, an area where you will face eight new leaders, as well as fight in different conditions. Also, once you defeat the Elite Four, you can re-battle gym leaders in double battles. 

 

Diamond & Pearl version: now we are back at the present day. The latest editions were the talk of the town among fans. The day and night feature from gold and silver versions return, only this time it's split into morning, day, afternoon, evening, and night. The Poketch is the newest tool in your bag. A wristwatch with many different apps to find and use, such as a clock, a drawing pad, calculator, and a step counter, to name a few. Also, you know how you can trade pokemon with other people if you had the right accessory in past games, right? Well, now with the Global Trade Station, you can trade wirelessly with people across the globe! You can even specify which pokemon you want at any level you choose. The contests also make a return, and this time, it splits into 3 parts. The Visual Contest: Dress up your pokemon to earn the most points for a particular trait. Dance Contest: Keep to the beat by tapping the button shown at the right time. Acting Competition: Like Ruby and Sapphire, you have to show your best moves to wow the judges. Like last time, you can feed pokemon special candy to increase your traits. A new area called the Underground can be accessed. You can dig for gems and orbs, which can be used to trade for accessories for your secret base. 

Platinum Version: The latest is the most awesome in the bunch, as it has new features along with Diamond and Pearls' upgrades as well. During the storyline, the Distortion World where Giratina is said to dwell, defies the laws of nature. See for yourself if you don't believe me. Also, a new Battle Frontier is available, with some new features. The Wi-Fi Plaza, where can play mini-games against your friends, and the Vs. Recorder, which allows you to save and replay your best battles. 

Whew! This has gotta be my longest list yet! OK, time for some R&R! (Reason and Recap)

5. Breath of Fire: While it is a good RPG, (Don't get me wrong, I love it) I kinda had a bit of a letdown in the menu department where almost everything is abbreviated. However, as the series went on, it got better as it went through 2 and up (though I can't say the same for Dragon Quarter).

4. Wild Arms: I was kinda drawn to the Wild West/Techno mix of the genre. When 4 came in though, a different look was set and more of a futuristic feel. It was a great series, I just kinda felt lost there.

3. Lunar: When I first saw this, I was kinda skeptical. But what really blew me away was the cutscenes. Even though it was on the Sega Saturn, I couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful graphics. I especially was intrigued by Dragon Song's auto-battle feature.

2. Pokemon: It's Pokemon, nuff said.

And the winner is....

 

HOLY SMOKES! It seems we got ourselves a tie! Now most would think Final Fantasy would take the top spot, however the Tales series also has a place in my heart for also being the best. In my mind I couldn't decide, so I just decided to place both. Now each game has a different story, a different set of rules, and each has a bit of spinoffs somewhere along the line. If you're suprised, well that's how it is. I'm going with this because both Square and Namco make awesome games and these two series are (in my opinion) the best ever!

That's it! You make the call, love it, hate it, can't decide, whatever! This is Gameblazer, signing off!