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10. Dragon Quest VI
Following the unforgettable greatness of Dragon Quest V, Square Enix's sixth chapter to the beloved RPG still packed the same enjoyable charm of the series. While it offers the same elements of the previous games, it sprinkled in a few features and a graphical makeover on their long-spanning formula that naturally added to the experience.
A fan of grand narrative tales, this sixth installment brings us a unique look into the lives of the little people, and a closer look into the protagonist's identity. Take yourself into the land of Dream and Reality, build relationships, upgrade your weaponry, and put a stop to the tyrannies of Murdaw.
Although it arguably took a step back in terms of narrative direction, Dragon Quest VI vastly improves on the franchise's combat and class systems. Starting with 9 different classes, you'll eventually be given the choice to take on higher roles with more powerful skillsets.
While it's not the definitive Dragon Quest game, its satisfying action-combat and expansive class system makes it worthy of a spot in your collection. Go on a quest for greatness, and explore all the different possibilities!
It has a playscore of 8.52.
9. Shin Megami Tensei
Released way back 1992, Shin Megami Tensei is easily the oldest in our list, and a title kept alive by its series of successful sequels. And, with its collection of various spinoffs, Atlus' serendipitous hits is one of the most influential gems of the JRPG brand. With Persona 5 topping list after list this year, there's no better time for people to start talking about its humble origins.
Unlike Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, Shin Megami Tensei and their series as a whole, hasn't really seen much in the way of western localizations. Fortunately, with this translation of their very first title, many more will come from it.
Leaving medieval worlds for a moment, step into a modern, post-apocalyptic world that takes us along the days of an unknown protagonist in a city haunted by a recent murder.
With themes of sorcery, demons, and more, you'll definitely see many of the fascinating aspects of the franchise. Talk down your enemies using your items, or fight them alongside your friendly demon companions. Famous for their punishing difficulty, this first chapter is a lot more forgiving than their recent counterparts.
A flawed port, with its glaring interface quirks, but it is a passable port of a much-awaited title. It has a playscore of 8.54.
8. DRAGON QUEST V
The second title in the Zenithia Trilogy, it's arguably the highest point of the whole Dragon Quest series. Originally released on the Nintendo Super Famicom in 1992, the game never quite made it to western shores until the DS remakes in 2009. It was like the magic when we first got our hands on it, and now you're free to relive that feeling every day with this mobile port.
Waiting 17 years to get our hands on the title, genius Yuji Horii didn't disappoint, giving us a bittersweet tale of growth and maturity. It covers about 30 years of our protagonist's life--from the moment of his birth to his eventual entrance into marriage and family. It's still a story of hero defeats evil villain, no doubt about that, but it's one of the more moving and well-crafted narratives--sustaining the epic feeling all throughout the game.
Known for its many milestones, it was also the basis for the monster-collecting genres like Pokemon and Digimon with its innovative mechanic that lets you recruit random encounter monsters into your party. With its legendary narrative and memorable gameplay experience, it's still hailed as one of the best titles in the series. With the addition of some modern conveniences, it is a classic you can enjoy every single day.
It has a playscore of 8.57.
7. Terra Battle
Already an established icon in the golden days of videogames, Hironobu Sakaguchi has to lead the development of Chrono Trigger, and some of the games and films of the Final Fantasy series. But, just recently, he's showing the world that he still has a few tricks up his sleeves.
Venturing into the world of free-to-play RPG, Sakaguchi is giving Japan's famous Puzzle and Dragons a run for their money. His latest game is basically a modern RPG, stripped of all the superfluous elements, and putting its focus on the character-building aspects. Step into the grid-based battlefield, and make war with the opposing forces. Create your own party of heroes, move them around once per turn, and punish them for getting close. With enough victories, you'll have the party of your dreams, complete with an array of skills and weapons to demolish the next army that stands in your way.
With a series of Kickstarter campaign earnings, he calls on the aid of many videogame superstars. Leading the way are the two iconic artists from the original Final Fantasy series: Yoshitaka Amano for his signature artworks, and Nobuo Uematsu for the stellar soundtracks.
Harken back to the classic days of Square Enix, and watch out for their console releases. It has a playscore of 8.59.
6. SWORD ART ONLINE: Memory Defrag
A popular anime and manga hit makes its way to mobile in certified style. Published by Bandai Namco, Sword Art Online fearlessly takes on another digital battlefield, taking us into their iconic tale of cyber imprisonment. It's a mobile RPG that rides on the trend of character-collecting games--and while it's not original, it definitely knows its audience. Strap on your belts, and trap yourselves in their colorful cyber worlds--with new scenes, and new ways to play.
Maneuver along with your favorite characters, Kirito, Asuna, Leafa, and Sinon, as they take on a brand new adventure. Relive iconic moments, and relish new scenes made directly for the game. Raise your swords, and ready your spells as you faceoff with the anime's towering archnemeses. With their well-implemented RPG system, you'll grow along with your favorites, strengthening them with new upgrades and skills to survive the monsters that lie in wait.
This sidescrolling adventure packs a fair amount of cooperative fun, perfect for long raids with your friends. With so much content, packed into a bite-sized diversion, it’s one digital world you won’t bother escaping.
It has a playscore of 8.6.
5. DRAGON QUEST IV Chapters of the Chosen
A classic Dragon Quest game that was so good, they had to remake it twice. Making an appearance on both the PlayStation and the Nintendo DS, both these releases made their own waves around the global market, cementing the game into Dragon Quest Halls of Fame. With its slew of upgrades and little extras, though, the DS version was ultimately chosen to be immortalized on the mobile hemisphere.
Among the many improvements are boomerangs, immigrant towns, and a whole extra chapter, dedicated to expanding narrative and gameplay experience. But, even without the changes, this fourth dragon quest sets itself apart with its choice of storytelling. Instead of the usual linear theme, we get to see the story unfold through the perspectives of many characters--much like a more compressed Game of Thrones book. Among the five different chapters, four offer of them look through the eyes of the Hero's party members, before he moves on with journey in the fifth chapter.
It's inventiveness is what made a popular installment during its first release, and its kept alive today. With its fresh, yet familiar atmosphere, it manages to retain the magic that the series is known for, 20 years after the original.
Archaic as its interface may be, it's definitely a draw for fans of vintage gaming. It has a playscore of 8.61.
4. Final Fantasy V
Another throwback to the Super Famicom days from the other side of the vintage JRPG coin. Before there was Square Enix, there was the Square, creating their own brand of fantastical RPGs to the style of Enix's Dragon Quest. Already ported to the PlayStation and Game Boy Advance, the crystal quest takes on life with another enhanced port to the mobile in 2013. Although the revamp added a few tweaks to their touch-based interface, its high-resolution makeover may have stolen a bit of flair from the original pixel paradise.
In terms of gameplay, it's largely the same. With its gorgeous world and enjoyable RPG system, take on the role of Bartz and his allies in their quest to protect the shattering crystals and rid the world of evil once and for all. One of the more dark narratives in the whole series, set off with Princess Lena, Galuf, and Faris in an immensely emotional ride that might merit a tissue or two.
It's not a uniquely innovative chapter for the Final Fantasy series, but one of its defining chapters is their robust jobs system that stands well alongside their other titles. Experiment with the various classes, and do your part in restoring a world on the verge of destruction. It has a playscore of 8.62.
3. ONE PIECE TREASURE CRUISE
The voyage to the seas is nothing without the power of friendship. Form your hearty crew of landlubbers and sail to the vast waters in Bandai Namco’s Mobile One Piece game. Meet your favorite characters from Eiichiro Oda’s masterpiece and relive your favorite moments from the Manga and Anime.
The game’s combat relies on intense finger tapping action. With just the use of one finger, unleash powerful combos to take down rogue pirates. Team up with the crew to initiate an insane damage-dealing tandem. Witness the almighty powers of the Devil Fruit because this is one of the finest One Piece games on the Mobile. It has a playscore of 8.72.
2. FINAL FANTASY IX
One of the more modern titles in this list, we move on from the renowned sprites of the 90s, and into the stunningly blocky polygons of the turn of the century. But these are no ordinary polygons. A landmark in its time, Final Fantasy's 9th chapter is one of the leading contenders for the best of the whole series--giving us a taste of the once elusive 3-Dimensional plane. On a quest to one-up the PSX emulators of our time, Square Enix brings us the beloved FF9, with a few additional tweaks.
Starring the charming bandit, Zidane Tribal, and his crew of Tantalus thespians. They work together to kidnap the beautiful Princess Garnet and save her from her royal woes. Roam around the land of Gaia, learn about the secret of the Crystal, and destroy an evil force that looms about their world.
Ported for the first time since their PlayStation release, it has translated well on the mobile. Despite the low pixel count of the original, a lot of care was taken to give players the full extent of their high-resolution screens. With smoother graphics, Zidane and his crew are looking more alive than ever before. It has a playscore of 8.75.
Here are the runners-up before we reveal the number one:
11. FINAL FANTASY BRAVE EXVIUS
A collaboration between Final Fantasy and Brave Frontier, come along with Rain, Lasswell, and Fina in a journey full of magic and danger. It has a playscore of 8.4.
12. Brave Frontier
A turn-based RPG set in the familiar Grand Gaia. Collect heroes, summon them to battles, and level up! It has a playscore of 8.39.
13. Chaos Rings III
A full-scale RPG that will take you to the coasts of Neo Paleo, a stepping stone in an explorers journey to a blue planet. Scavenge for hidden treasures, fight against legendary monsters, and explore uninhabited lands. It has a playscore of 8.34.
14. FINAL FANTASY Record Keeper
Assemble your favorite characters from the Final Fantasy Series, and conquer each of their iconic realms in this free-to-play adventure. It has a playscore of 8.33.
15. Inotia 4
In this Com2uS USA's RPG masterpiece, Light and Dark are in a fight for power. Which side will you choose? With improved graphics and memorable storyline, this game has a playscore of 8.26.
And the best JRPG on the iOS is:
1. Final Fantasy VI
The root of our childhood confusions, and some of our geeky adolescent pride. Once known as Final Fantasy III to keep the continuity of the previous NA, Final Fantasy VI, in all its family-friendly glory reigns victorious among today's iPhone compatriots. And, that's not surprising, considering that it was this title that basically redefined the natural order of most RPG's. While it's not viewed as the inventive genre-breaker of today's times, the legend lives on, coming back to remind us of its not-so former glory.
Unlike the medieval fantasies of the previous chapters, this world boasts a lively steampunk world. It combines the hardcore brawn of their gigantic mechs and vehicles and the subtle yet persistent mysteries of magic in a non-magical world. What makes 6 so special, on the other hand, is its tendency towards a decentralized party system--one that was unheard of in its time. Return to its largely unnamed land, and come along with Terra, Locke, and his friendly moogles in their individual adventures as protagonists of their own story, connected by a magical bond.
While there are many improvements on the general aspects of this iOS port, its visual enhancements do more harm than good in preserving the essence of this unforgettable game. And, although it marked the first Sakaguchi-less title, it also welcomed the return of legends like art contributor Yoshitaka Amano, and composer Nobuo Uematsu--making it a worthy investment for any JRPG fan out there.
It has a playscore of 8.82.