Top 10: Fun RPG's

It's easy to throw around terms like "ground breaking" or "revolutionary". The RPG genre is responsible for shaping the gaming industry and setting standards for modern classics. While these achievements shouldn't be discounted, today I'd like to focus on those RPG's that can be popped in and enjoyed at a moments notice.  This list will ignore story elements and character development and focus solely on game play. Some are hybrid games, some are traditional JRPG's, but they all share a common element; They are just plain fun to play.

10. 3-D Dot Game Heroes

Homage, or blatant rip off? We don't care...

3-D Dot Game Heroes is a game that is charmingly shameless. It pokes fun at gaming cliche's while simultaneously mimicking one of the greatest franchises of all time. Everything about this game screams "Legend of Zelda". From the dungeon layout and puzzle solving to the music, 3-D feels like the Zelda game that was never made. Developer Silicon Studio basks in it's self awareness in this wall to wall homage of classic NES games.

Memorable Moment: Tower defense side game.


9. Secret of Mana

Square's 1993 action role playing title combined real time combat with traditional RPG elements. The story was strong but it was the combat and character development that really shined. Players could switch between three characters, with different abilities, while the other two would follow a customizable A.I. Weapons, items and magic spells could be chosen on the fly with the use of the "Ring" Menu system. This allowed for fun, yet surprisingly strategic combat.

Memorable Moment: Any of the boss fights. They were awesome.


8. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

Well there's a hefty title for ya. What can I say? It's Mario. This game takes everything we love about the franchise and rolls it all up into an addicting and entertaining RPG that is vastly underrated. The world is painstakingly crafted around the Mario universe and almost everything in this game is instantly recognizable. The addition of an original villain and two new heroes gives a fresh face to the franchise and puts the gang in a more fully realized world than ever before. More importantly, the game feels like Mario. I can't say enough good things about it so, for the sake of brevity, check this one out.

Memorable Moment: Yoshi Races!!!

7. Pokemon (1st Generation)

The trading card game that spawned a video game. The video game that spawned a cartoon. The cartoon that spawned countless movies. The movies that spawned more video games. Pokemon was, and still is, a phenomenon. A new game, and a new group of monsters, comes out every couple of years, but it was the first generation that got us hooked. Simple yet incredibly deep game play partnered with a fun, whimsical, environment kept us coming back again and again to find that next great catch.

Memorable Moment: Choosing a starter. Charmander 4 Life!

6. Parasite Eve

Parasite Eve was a rare specimen. Producer Hironobu Sakaguchi (Final Fantasy series) seamlessly blended RPG and Survival Horror elements into a revolutionary new title that was overshadowed by current RPG giant, Final Fantasy. The game is set in modern day New York City, with Aya Brea, a police officer, as the main protagonist.

When an opera singer named Melissa causes her entire audience to spontaneously combust, it's up to Aya to investigate what could be the next phase of human evolution and blast the hell out of anything monstrous. The game play here is fantastic. With Aya as the sole controllable character, players must balance survival skills, fire power, and a host of mysterious magical abilities. A must play for fans of the genre.

Memorable Moment: Mutating Rat.

5. Illusion of Gaia  

Another under appreciated classic, Illusion of Gaia was more "Legend of Zelda" than "Final Fantasy". Players take control of Will, a boy who is on a quest to find his long lost father. The game is set during an alternate reality of 16th century Earth, and players will explore real world locations such as the Inca Ruins, The Great Wall of China, and the Hindu temple of Angkor Wat. Will possesses a mysterious psychic power that allows him to transform into two alternate forms; Freedan, the dark knight, and Shadow, a solid form of pure energy. The game is a rare mixture of combat and puzzle solving elements that never grows stale as the game progresses. This is one that has aged gracefully and is still worth revisiting. 

Memorable Moment: Leaving the Inca Ruins on the golden ship.

4. Diablo 2: Lord of Destruction

The game that ended relationships. Diablo 2 and it's subsequent expansion changed what we looked for in an RPG, using story, setting, and mood simply as tools to drive it's incredible game play. A friend of mine once described the game to me, and It went something like this. "Well, ya see, there's Diablo. He's a demon, I think, and he's doing...something. So what you've got to do is...OH MY GOD IS THAT SWORD PURPLE?!?" Nobody cared what the story was. We didn't care what we were doing, only how we were doing it. The game play could accurately be compared to a heroin addiction, and players were obsessed with finding that next great piece of loot.

Memorable Moment: Cows. 'Nuff said.


3. Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance

Baldurs Gate: Dark Alliance is a game that often gets over looked. A hybrid of action and rpg elements, this game combined frantic hack n' slash game play with a dungeon crawling atmosphere generally reserved for PC based RPG's. This game brought the world of Forgotten Realms into the living room and provided a refreshing change to the Action RPG genre. Dark Alliance utilized the random loot drop system made popular with Diablo 2, and told a story worthy of the D&D universe. In fact, die hard fans could even unlock Forgotten Realms' famous Drizzt Do'Urden as a playable character. 12 years after it's release, it's still a great game to get lost in.

Memorable Moment: Two Player Co-Op

2. Borderlands 2

Despite being released only last year, Borderlands 2 has made an irreversible impact on what we expect from a video game. It's cinematic, stylish, and never once shies away from game play. Gearbox really out did themselves with this one.  B2 is another hybrid, combining RPG elements with the game play of a modern shooter, coining the term "Shoot and Loot". Seamlessly blending humor, violence, and a plethora of over the top characters, Gearbox bridges the genre gap to create one of the most memorable titles in recent history. A must play for any gamer.

Memorable Moment: Opening cinematic/Anything done, or said, by Claptrap.

1. Drumroll, please.....Kingdom Hearts

In an age of gaming ambiguity, two companies banded together and dared to ask the question that was on all of our minds; What would you get if you combined the world of Disney, Final Fantasy, and three orphan children inexplicably living on an island in the middle of nowhere. It was one of those rare concepts that made gamers everywhere stop and ask...what? Admittedly the idea seemed odd, however, what resulted was a uniquely charming and addicting title from two powerhouses of media entertainment.

Players take control of Sora, a boy who lives on Destiny Island with his two best friends Kairi and Riku. When an evil force transports Sora to a far away land, he learns that the dimensional rift has been shattered and parallel worlds are combining. Sora quickly meets two emissaries from King Mickeys court, Royal Guard Goofy and Court Magician Donald Duck. Together, the three embark on a quest to discover the secrets of the Keyblade and find Sora's lost friends.

Kingdom Hearts was a delightfully original game that drew players in with it's odd concept, but kept them coming back with it's incredible game play. The game utilized every weapon in it's arsenal, sending players to the familiar yet diverse worlds from the Disney universe. Locations vary from A Nightmare Before Christmas's Holloweentown to Winnie the Pooh's Ashdown Forest and all locations are beautifully crafted and fully realized.

Combat and character progression are both addicting and deep, combining finely polished hack n' slash with rpg elements. Players directly control Sora while Donald and Goofy follow a customizable A.I. that is natural and easy to use. Each world provides the team with a temporary  member in the form of movie protagonists, i.e. Aladdin, Tarzan, Ariel, etc, allowing for a more strategic experience.

While fairly linear, Kingdom Hearts provides countless side quests that are highly addictive. There are secrets around every corner and finding them is both challenging and rewarding. All of these elements combine to create a game that is, simply put, fun as hell. Whether a fan of Disney, Final Fantasy, or video games in general, Kingdom Hearts is a wonder to behold and a no brainer for the number one spot.



Do you agree with the list? What is your number one RPG? Please comment below.