1. Chrono Trigger - For years this game was the stick all other jRPGs were measured against. Some would say it still is, and hell I really couldn't argue with them. Still my favorite game soundtrack to this day. Perfect length too. That's something that always gets over looked. They crammed an epic experience that can be played through in under 20 hours. So many RPGs that drag out for 40 hours or more could really learn from this.
2. Seiken Densetsu 3 - This game will forever be my arguement about why emulators are a good thing. Square's biggest crime was not translating this game for Western audiences. Great experience, and tons of replay value thanks to a good assortment of cliched, but fun characters.
3. Kingdom Hearts - No one thought the combination of Disney and Final Fantasy would work. It did. It did in a huge way. It was fan service to two separate series and did them both justice and still managed to be fun the entire time.
4. Final Fantasy IV - Everything in the game may be an RPG cliche now, but this game pretty much set those cliches in motion. The soundtrack still holds up, the characters are cool, and hell it's just fun.
5. Legend of Mana - Most underrated game Square ever made. Planning out levels, blacksmithing, robot making, monster raising, and dozens of little stories that weave one hell of a tapestry. Layers and layers of depth that are just waiting to be explored and everyone says it's crap. I say FUCK EM!!!
I'm with you on Legend of Mana. So much fun with two players!
nice list i do agree with chrono trigger and legend of mana
chrono trigger was unheard of with what it did, first rpg to have different endings but also new game + where you could bring over characters and items, and the story and music it was a masterpiece to hold up for many years.
legend of mana to me was the best one of the mana series with the ability to place towns/caves on the map and with so many quests.
but i feel that kingdom hearts has no right on the list with how broken the camera is and story and controls, the whole disney/ff thing was a gimmick where ff characters were pointless npcs. and now square is trying to weed out the FF characters they were only put there to try to sell the game square was worried with making a disney hack and slash rpg
The only games of those I have played is Chrono Trigger and FF4.
4 is the best of 1 through 5, but completely sucks compared to 6.
Chrono I don't get. I mean, I just don't get it. I've tried to finish it 3 times, but at some point I get sick of it. It is technicallky impressive, but from a gameplay perspective it's a lot like Blue Dragon.in that it is pushing new tech rather than better technique.
Yeah I forgot about Tactics when I made the list. My most recent memories of it are the PSP remake with the "Square-Enix" logo right on top of it, and that made me forget about it's proper chronology. It would have probably taken the #2 or #3 spot if I did this again.
Vagrant Story on the other hand I consider to be over treasured piece of crud. I tried playing it on a couple occasions and just never was able to get into it. I know people put it on a pedestal, but for the life of me I'll never understand why.
On behalf of Yodariquo and myself, I'll put forward Super Mario RPG for the SNES.
I'm not big on certain other Square products, but won't quibble, there is no shortage of legendary games from Square.