90. Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (#84)
Now this game is definitely way too easy. Another Final Fantasy Tactics battle system, but enemies are no trouble at all in this game and leveling up is super easy. There's pretty much no challenge, so what saves its score? Well, it's a musical adventure all right, a main character who's the RPG equivalent of a Disney Princess and an inversion of a cliche plot device, not to mention some humor here and there.
89. Earthbound ZERO (#88)
The sad thing about Earthbound ZERO is that it's basically a Dragon Quest clone and a barebones RPG as a result. But it makes the setting more modern and the encounters are a little easier to tangle with, plus it still offers interesting storyline and gameplay. Being the predecessor to the most famous cult classic definitely helps out, since the Mother games actually still keep their charm despite seeming barebones.
88. Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon (#145)
You know I never actually played any games that had the "Mystery Dungeon" aspect to them yet, but this was the first. Kinda annoying this one wasn't released outside of Japan though. In any case, it's the Final Fantasy Mystery Dungeon game, with many elements incorporated from the game into the randomized dungeon aspect. Keep your levels and stamina handy, and look out for the cutesy cutscenes as you go along.
87. Jade Cocoon (#58)
Trying to catch onto the Pokemon fad never really works out all that much for games that are simply not Pokemon. Jade Cocoon allows for Levant, the player character, to spin and tame insect monsters for use in battle, while also simultaneously being in battle himself. Not much in the way of "trainer battles" and also quite short for an RPG. Also I can't stop laughing at this guy's pathetic running animation. It's decent for what it has at least.
86. Wild ARMs (#22)
The premise of Wild Arms definitely will bring interested players in. A Western-style RPG with gunslingers! Cool! Unfortunately this isn't the game for that. Rudy's the only real connection to a gunslinger here, the other characters using swords and staves. Plus demons! But it does have one of the best Playstation RPG soundtracks and a number of great plot twists that definitely up its score.
85. Star Ocean: Blue Sphere (#109)
This is a game I see that has a ton of potential, marred by the fact that I can barely figure my way around it due to the unfinished translation. That's a Star Ocean game for the GBC, one that obviously never was released outside of Japan, but for the work done it is quite astounding. An item creation system inside a GBC game? Neat. Plus it's a direct sequel to the Second Story, which is even nicer.
The watercolor graphics in this SaGa release are quite a neat touch, but the game ultimately ends up forgettable especially compared to previous entries. It's very plot-based, you follow at least two different storylines, one of which is heavy on just cutscenes and the other more focused on gameplay. There's even a war battle system that works out a bit better. But of course, combat is gonna be exceptionally hard with the way the stat growth system works. Be especially careful in duels, since it's easy to get a game over.
83. Dragon Quest VI (#116)
Would you say the Dragon Quest series is getting better? I'd say the Dragon Quest series is getting better! Well despite most core conventions being the same, there's more work done. Now multiple classes are available once again, multiple abilities can be learned, and the plot gives you some and then thickens some more. It is quite a long game though, plus since I played the DS remake I apparently somehow missed out on a few aspects that were not carried over.
82. Sailor Moon: Another Story (#37)
Sometimes the best thing about a game is that it's overall length is just right. Some games are too short, many in the RPG section are just too long, but this one, only five chapters, manages to have a worthwhile length. While mostly barebones, it's got decent multi-character attacks and a surprisingly original plot. Plus, I like any time that focus shifts from the main character, and the entirety of Chapter 2 and half of Chapter 3 do just that.
81. Star Ocean (#67)
Known for being the largest game byte-size-wise on the SNES, Star Ocean 1 starts off a series with a unique and fun battle system, plus a BOATLOAD of other things like skills, talents, private actions, and sci-fi melded with fantasy plot. The original SNES version does have some game-freezing problems, though, which really mars the score quite a bit. Fun was had when it was had though.
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