Top 10 Video RPGs of All Time

I spent a lot of my childhood reading and playing video games. I just submitted an article about the 10 best SNES games. As most of the video games I play are RPGs (role-playing games) there are 3 crossover titles from the SNES list and this one.

What makes an RPG so intriguing is different for each person. For me it's about the puzzles and storyline. I like to search for either people or items or figure out the different puzzles. Here are my top ten favorite RPGs of all time.

10. Star Ocean: The Second Story -At the beginning of the game you get to choose between two characters, Crawd or Rena. This determines the way your story takes place, but ultimately both characters meet up anyway.

I wouldn't say this is the best role-playing game out there. But what I liked about this game was its individual touches.

For in this game, aside from the normal RPG battles you also got to cook, change your relationship with others in your party via a system of emotional points, and explore to your heart's content.

The fact that the storyline is decent, you can optimize and individualize each member, and a host of other myriad touches makes this a good game to have in your RPG library.

9. Wild Arms - I have always liked games that were different. To begin with, rather than begin the game with all three party members together, each one has a little separate journey they have to go through before the actual game begins.

Like many roleplaying games there is a decent backstory, many demons etc. to fight and good characters.

With this game, you get a gun-toting hero/loner, the magic-using princess who must fulfill her birthright, and the treasure hunter who needs to prove himself.

This game has many puzzles in which you need certain implements that the characters find along the way. It is very interesting and different.

I think that anyone who is an RPG fan should try the Wild Arms series. It will be a very entertaining ride.

8. Persona - Persona is one game that you can truly call "different." It really stokes the imagination and leaves you wanting more.

The first difference from most RPGs is that Persona is set in modern day times. So the weapons are knives and guns etc. The characters are teenagers from a local high school. The theme pervasive throughout is about dreams, and who we are as people.

When it comes to combat, this game, as with many RPGS, is turn-based. However, you don't have to fight monsters. Instead you can choose to converse with them. There will be different responses from getting the creature angry enough to attack, frightened enough to run away, happy enough to give you a spell component. Obviously, the more components you have, the stronger are your spells. Different characters elicit different responses.

Also part of this game, are good puzzles to solve, a hidden character, and multiple endings. The only downsides are the game is pretty short and the dialogue is quite inane. But, all-in-all, this game is definitely worth a look. This is a game that was definitely underrated.

7. Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time - I can't help it, I have always been a fan of the pointy-eared boy in the green outfit. And, this title is the best of the series. The graphics are beautiful and the game play is addictive.

For those familiar with the series, you know the hero is a Kokiri named Link. After a nightmare he is taken into an adventure that crosses through time. Imagine being in one time period to be told about something that happened earlier and then go back and do it!

The game is filled with many mini-tasks and games, including a fishing game that is incredible. I spent hours just doing that. With everything that always made the Legend of Zelda a fan favorite, a very easy control system, this game goes beyond our expectations.

This game is a MUST HAVE for any gaming library.

6. Suikoden series - I have a soft spot for the Suikoden series. I think the Suikoden II may be the best of the bunch, but there is much to like in the original.

On the surface there is not much to distinguish it from the everyday RPG. There are random encounters, turn-based combat, walking through towns to get to your next needed spot.

But, then come its differences. With Suikoden you get three different forms of combat: the normal team combat, one-on-one, and a strategy Kingdom combat. It was nice to have the different types. Also in Suikoden, you have the ability to find 108 characters for your group. And as you find more members, your home-base is built up. Many of these characters are playable and you can have combination attacks from many of them.

Plus, there are many side quests to occupy your time. Add to that a deep storyline and characters you care about, and Suikoden is an important part of any RPG library.

5. FF VII - I know a lot of people are going to argue this one. But, let's be honest, this was the game that brought video roleplaying into the mainstream.

Cloud Strife was a loner, until he gets involved with his childhood friend Tifa Lockheart and her group, fighting the nasty technological using corporation Shinra, which is using the planets resources for its power.

With beautifully cut scenes using 3D graphics, an incredible storyline, wonderful characters, and great game play, this was a game that changed the way we visualized what a good role-playing game entails.

This game is definitely worth it. I highly recommend you plunge into this world.

4. Earthbound - I loved playing this game. It was very different. Unlike most other games, it takes place in mostly modern times (199X) and includes items and accessories that would be accessible to a kid. Equipped armor includes baseball caps or dresses, etc. And, to get money to pay for anything Ness (the main character) uses an ATM card to get money, which his father gives him for battling monsters etc.

Ness is joined by 3 others (Paula, Jeff, and Poo). Together the four of them have various exciting adventures and, of course, save the world. Along the way they meet very interesting people, both friends and enemies.

Add to all this fun some great encounters (they fight opponents such as a scalding hot cup of coffee, wild crow, or the ever grotesque vomit monster), amusing locales (they visit deserts, Egyptian type pyramids, ancient prehistoric areas, etc.) and very funny people they meet along the way and you have a truly marvelous game. And, it's also not as frustrating as some RPGS because there are no random encounters and if you get clobbered, you still keep the items you had already gotten.

If you haven't tried it, I highly suggest you do. You won't be sorry.

3. Final Fantasy III - (also released as Final Fantasy VI on the Playstation with Final Fantasy V in Final Fantasy Anthology) - As I have mentioned in my SNES list, this was the second Final Fantasy game I ever owned, and I never get tired of playing it. Even with the graphics being so much older.

The story concerns a group of rebels who are working together to overthrow an imperial dictatorship. But, you will find so much more in this game. There is a vast assortment of characters for your party with various skills. And, there are plenty of activities to keep you busy as well. From participating in an opera, to fighting ghosts on a train bound for the other side, you will be amused and entertained.

If you truly consider yourself an RPG collector, then this title is a MUST HAVE for your video role-playing library. You'll wonder why you haven't been playing this before.

2. Final Fantasy Tactics - Although not technically a role-playing game, but rather a strategy game, it has enough role-playing elements that it has to be on my list.

In Final Fantasy Tactics, you play a young noble involved in a war between nations. You assemble your team from a random assortment of characters. As you accomplish your tasks and proceed from one encounter to the next, you get experience and job points you can use to get skills for different jobs that are available.

It is this system that makes it likely you will play this game multiple times. Because each character can advance differently, depending on what job you pick, the fact that there are hidden people, numerous side quests, and battling is fun, this game can keep you occupied for hours.

There have been many who tried to copy the magic of Final Fantasy Tactics, and none have been able to do so. This is a brilliant game and there is no doubt it should be in every RPG gamers library.

1. Chrono Trigger - There are many reasons this title is on the top of my list. The first time I played Chrono Trigger it was on the Super Nintendo. Reading about the time traveling aspect was intriguing so I decided to try it.

The main character is Crono. He is joined by many other disparate party members, some from his own time and others that he picks up on his journeys. Magic is big in this game and you can combine your attacks with others for more powerful attacks. It was fun to see what devastation each combination could cause.

The characters were fun and quirky. Enemies changed sides, experiences in the past affected your future, and depending on what you do, the ending was different. Also, as a plus, the developers put an extra into the game. When you finish the game you can reload and start from the beginning, but with all the items and experience (except for any item that you need to find for the storyline). Plus depending on when you go up against the big bad enemy, you get different endings.

I liked this game so much that I also purchased it for the playstation system. It is still as much fun the 20^th time through as it was the first. A great game!

Was your favorite on my list? Let me know what you think is missing, and what is there by mistake. I would love to hear from you.