10 Dragon Quest III

The original trilogy might be what some call a little basic, but the third establishes the formula that would be had by several JRPGs for years to come. A party of adventurers setting out across a fantasy landscape full of dungeons, forests, castles, and a menagerie of monsters to fight, rinse, and repeat. That being said, Dragon Quest III  offered something not seen in many games at the time, the option to customize the party. Enlist the help of a wizard, a thief, or any other class to accompany the hero on his quest against the forces of darkness.

9 Final Fantasy

Speaking of basic formula, consider this entry an honorable mention on the list but one that couldn’t be left out. Especially given the fact that the Final Fantasy series has had an intense rivalry with Dragon Quest since the very beginning.

Like Dragon Quest, this was the foundation on which has genre was built, sending out a party of adventurers to defeat an evil entity with turn-based combat, magic spells, Enchanted items, and so on. Two similar packages, but with very different flavors.

8 Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen

The DS remake of Dragon Quest IV  gave a fresh coat of paint to an old familiar favorite. As with the third entry, the hero could enlist the help of different allies to assist him in his party. But instead of the traditional levels and locations, the narrative unfolded like chapters in the book, revealing new characters and new party members with each chapter. A simple yet effective strategy, especially for a high-fantasy-themed game.

7 Bravely Default

From the makers of Final Fantasy,  Bravely Default was a JRPG with both traditional elements and modern mechanics, specifically its titular combat system that allowed players to strike fast or build up power during turn-based combat.

As with Square Enix’s most popular franchise, the characters on The Player’s team have the option of changing jobs and classes to better fit their skills and environments. Like Dragon Quest, it allows for customization and experimentation.

6 Dragon Quest IX: Sentinels of the Starry Skies

Sentinels of the Starry Skies add everything a traditional Dragon Quest game would need. It had turn-based combat, magic spells, and cute and cuddly enemies worthy of being stuffed animals. But it also included a twist on III’s party system by allowing the player to customize the look, class, and costume of their party members. Not a big leap forward, but one that certainly garnered some attention from fans of the series.

5 Octopath Traveler

Simply put, Octopath Traveler is beautiful. A visually stunning blend of traditional design with an intuitive combat system similar to Bravely Default,  as well as a vaguely Dragon-Quest-IV-esque take on the fantasy adventure.

It’s one of those JRPGs perfect for those gamers who are new to the genre or find the turn-based, random encounter nature of the beasts a bit hard to manage.

4 Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King

Journey of the Cursed King has all the mechanics of a traditional Dragon Quest title but was one of the first to be fully fleshed-out in the story department. With a full voice acting cast, a fairy tale narrative, and different endings, this is unquestionably one entry in the franchise that every gamer should play at least once. Come for the traditional gameplay, but stay for the intoxicatingly enchanting tale of bewitched princesses, evil jesters, and trodes.

3 Ys: Origin

Contrary to popular belief, not all JRPGs are of the turn-based-random-encounter camp. The Ys series takes the JRPG look and feel, but gives it a Zelda-esque hack-and-slash spin. Instead of a party of adventurers, players choose a hero to take on a tower full of dungeons and monsters to save a goddess.

At first, this might not seem in the same league as some of the others on the list, but one look at those cute character sprites says otherwise. What’s wrong with a little extra helping of combat in a JRPG?

2 Dragon Quest XI S: Echos of an Elusive Age

The most recent entry in the Dragon Quest series is what many consider the perfect title. Not only does the game incorporate odds and ends from other entries on the list into a familiar and warm fantasy epic, but the new S edition allows players to switch between full 3d graphics and a traditional 16-bit art style to experience the game like a traditional Dragon Quest adventure. It is quite literally the best of both worlds.

1 Chrono Trigger

What can be said about Chrono Trigger that hasn’t been said a hundred times over? Brought to gamers by Square Enix and with art direction behind the artist of Dragon Quest and Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama, this reality-bending fantasy turned the JRPG genre on its head. With multiple eras, characters, and endings, there are more than a few reasons to pick this game up. Now if only there was a current console port.

NEXT: Chrono Trigger’s 10 Best Endings (& How To Get Them)