And the RPG genre did pretty well in the 8-bit era, even if the graphics weren’t as polished. They have managed to create compelling stories, innovative gameplay and immersive worlds that you can get lost in for days.
The NES and its Japanese counterpart, the Famicom, have an incredible library of RPGs, including some of the most important titles of the decade.
This is the place where Zelda and Final Fantasy made their debut. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
Let’s take a look at the NES RPGs that shaped the industry we know and love today.
25. Willow (1989)
Willow, released as a companion piece to Ron Howard’s 1988 film of the same name, tells the story of Willow Ufgood, an inverted heroine who takes up the sword to protect her newborn child.
The game leans heavily on top-down action-RPGs like Zelda and Crystalis.
You will explore different quest scenarios, fight mythical creatures, win levels, all in a good role-playing game.
Willow isn’t particularly innovative or tells a compelling story, but it’s a competent Zelda-style game and the graphics are (so far) pretty good.
24. Swords and Snakes (1990)
Sword and Snakes is a typical western fantasy role-playing game, with a first-person dungeon crawl.
You control a group of adventurers exploring a dungeon inhabited by an evil snake.
The graphics are nothing special and the story is shallow at best. But the intense gameplay makes it worth it if you get the chance.
23. Rainbow Silk Road (1991) (JP)
One of my favorite NES games is The Guardian Legend, a fantasy/sci-fi game that combines a top-down action-RPG with an intense shooter.
After waking up in the heart of the planet Naju, the creators have instructed you to find and disable ten security devices scattered around the world.
You can explore Naju in a fairly non-linear fashion, enjoying impressive graphics and memorable sound effects.
21. Digital History of the Devil Megami Tensei (1987) (JP)
In Digital Devil Story, you can persuade demons to join your group.
These powerful allies will help you descend into an underground labyrinth in this gem of a first-person dungeon game.
Unfortunately, the game was never released in the United States, probably due to the quasi-religious aesthetic of the dungeons and the allusions to Jewish and Christian traditions (the final boss is literally Satan).
You can find a translation by a fan here, and again, it’s well worth your time. Especially for fans of the series.
20. Hayden Fire Emblem (1992) (JP)
The Fire Emblem franchise has been an essential part of my gaming habits for most of my life.
Therefore, I chose to include some games for EZ in our NES rankings, even though they were never released outside of Japan.
Fire Emblem Gaiden is the second game in the series. It brought many changes, including a world map with cities to visit, the removal of stamina weapons, and a significantly lower difficulty level.
Overall, it’s a simplified version of the formula, with better graphics and a bit more focus on the story.
If you want to give it a try, you can get an English translation here or the 3DS remake, Fire Emblem: Shades of Valentia.
19. The Magic of Scheherazade (1990)
One of the most underrated gems of the NES is Magic of Scheherazade, a turn-based action-adventure RPG that had creative time travel elements before it became cool.
You’ll explore five different worlds as you battle to save Princess Scheherazade and defeat the evil wizard Sabaron.
Besides the attractive graphics, the game offers varied gameplay and a well-designed difficulty balance.
You will feel challenged throughout the game without ever getting frustrated.
18. Magic: The Foundations of a Mad Lord (1990)
Most of the best RPGs on the NES were JRPGs.
But some western titles deserve our attention, especially the Wizardry series.
This NES title is a direct port of a classic computer game released a few years earlier.
Some were disappointed by the lack of innovation, but many enjoyed playing it from the comfort of their armchairs.
The game is a fantasy adventure based on Dungeons and Dragons – like most WRPGs at the time – and despite its simple graphics, it offered addictive gameplay with relentless challenges that kept you coming back to prove yourself in the dungeons of Castle Trebor.
17. A Bard’s Tale (1991)
If you’re looking for a timeless classic that makes you feel like you’re in the 80s, Bard’s Tale is for you.
This is a first-person dungeon crawler with gameplay somewhat reminiscent of the old text-based games.
Choose one of six classes and lead your medieval squad through dangerous dungeons to defeat the evil Mangar and free the city of Skara Brae from its icy curse.
16. Sid Meyer’s Pirates! (1991)
Most people, including me, know Sid Meyer’s Pirates from the 2004 remake. It’s a fantastic and exciting (and topical) experience where you can choose your own pirate tour.
So I was surprised to discover that the fundamental aspects were still relevant in 1991, when the original game was released on the NES.
In this open-air pirate adventure, you can sail the Caribbean Sea as a pirate, colonial powerhouse or even a dedicated pirate hunter.
You follow your captain throughout his naval career, until the day he retires and the game ends.
15. Ultima III : Exodus (1983)
A few years after its computer debut, Ultima III brought classic turn-based combat RPGs and creative puzzles to the NES.
The game follows a group of heroes in search of Exodus, the AI-controlled demonic machine terrorizing the world of Sosaria (which we also visited in the first game).
To do this, they must find four magic cards that deactivate the robot monster.
Compared to previous versions, Ultima III on the NES is a rather unique experience.
The biggest difference is in the graphics, which swap the original design for a standard JRPG look.
Kind of generic, but I think they’re great in their own way.
14. Ultima IV : Looking for the Avatar (1985)
After Ultima III, the series took a strange turn.
Instead of being a group of warriors trying to defeat a great evil, in Ultima IV you become an Avatar, a kind of religious leader who must develop the eight virtues to achieve enlightenment and save people’s hearts from corruption.
In other words, it’s a 1985 simulation of Jesus Christ.
This change in focus made this returning RPG one of the most unique on the NES.
Outside of combat, you develop your virtues by interacting with and helping NPCs. In some ways, it resembles the social simulation elements of the Persona series.
13. Radiation pole (1992)
The first paper-and-pencil adaptation of the Advanced Dungeons and Dragons video game was made as Pool of Radiance, one of the best NES RPGs released in the West.
Exploring the dungeons in first person was wonderful and quite challenging.
Newcomers to RPGs will find the game a little tricky, but veterans of the genre will love it.
One of the best things about Pool of Radiance at the time was that it had a built-in system for storing passwords, rather than just using passwords like most other RPGs at the time. It was pretty innovative for the time, honestly.
12. The Legend of Zelda II (1988)
After the huge success of The Legend of Zelda, Nintendo decided that innovation was the key to repeating this feat, and so The Legend of Zelda II was born.
This unique game in the Zelda series transforms the top-down action into a side-scrolling adventure somewhat reminiscent of Metroid.
Although the game introduced some core elements of the Zelda series, such as the magic meter, the move to side-scrolling levels wasn’t the smartest idea.
This is no way to explore Hyrule!
And I’m not the only one – this is probably the most controversial game in the entire Loz series.
Still, it’s an incredibly good game and an important milestone in Zelda history. It’s also a direct sequel to the first game, so you should play it if you want to know the whole story (or if you’re just a finalist).
11. Nut (1989) (JP)
Everyone knows EarthBound from its slow rise after Nintendo included Ness in the original Super Smash Bros.
But did you know that Earth is connected to the prequel?
Mother, which later appeared on the Virtual Console for Wii as EarthBound Beginnings, is a turn-based RPG in which you must defeat medieval knights and demonic lords.
Instead, it is set in Eagleland, a fictional kingdom created by the United States in the late 20th century.
After a robot invasion takes over their town, it’s up to Nintin and his friends to stop it with their psychic abilities.
If you like EarthBound (AKA Mother II), you should get an English translation of the original ROM (try here).
For true nostalgia, it’s best to play the original, but you can also download EarthBound Beginnings on a virtual console.
10. Starry Tropics (1990)
StarTropics is another incredible TLoZ inspired top-down combat RPG that deserves your attention. It pits you against vicious, bloodthirsty beasts with… Playing baseball?
The game calls you Mike Jones, a Seattle pitcher visiting his grandfather in the tropics.
After discovering he’s been kidnapped, Mike embarks on a dangerous rescue mission taking on zombies, giant worms, ancient automatons and more.
StarTropic’s shooter really stands out from most top-down adventure games. And the puzzles scattered throughout the dungeons are quite difficult.
9. The Emperor’s Fate (1990)
The Emperor’s fortunes are set during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history.
It follows the legendary Liu Bei as he builds his army from a small militia to a fighting force capable of restoring the Han Dynasty.
This tactical RPG refreshes the genre with large-scale combat and innovative mechanics, including an enemy recruitment system.
There’s also an All Out mode, where you can go into battle without any intervention if you feel your units are sufficiently overpowered.
There are about 150 recruitable characters in the game.
This may seem like a lot, and it’s a bit for the NES days, but they can really drop like flies if you abuse the All Out mechanics.
8. Facsanadu (1989)
Fans of the Dragon Slayer series can find something similar in Faxanadu, which looks like a ravine on the NES.
After a weeks-long siege of the elven city of Eolis, food and water run out.
They go to the World Tree in search of a way to purify the poisoned springs around Aeolis.
The gameplay is similar to Legend of Zelda II and focuses more on the platforming style, making it a must play for platform and RPG fans.
7. Dragon Warrior (1989)
The first game in Chunsoft’s popular Dragon Quest saga was localized in North America as Dragon Warrior and was an instant hit with RPG fans.
This groundbreaking turn-based RPG was inspired by games like Ultima, but focused on a compelling story and detailed worldbuilding.
The gameplay is not innovative, far from it. After all, it was the original NES.
But the characters are well written and developed, the story is interesting and the graphics are very nice. An absolutely worthy breakthrough for die-hard fans of the series.
6. Dragon Warrior II (1990)
After the great success of the original Dragon Warrior series, DQ has released a second title.
And it was quickly localized for the international market.
The story of this sequel takes place 100 years after the original. This time you play as the prince of Midenhall and lead your group against the evil wizard Hargon.
The game improves upon the original by creating a larger world with more varied areas and characters. You can also sail your own boat, which adds to the sense of adventure.
Overall, this title is just an incredible role-playing game. It’s worth a try, even if you’ve never played a Dragon Quest game before, but just want to try a retro game.
5. The Legend of Zelda (1986)
Many Zelda fans like to waste their time wondering whether or not it’s a role-playing game.
I’m not gonna worry about something like that.
It’s a fantastic game with serious RPG elements, and I love it.
The first Zelda game is one of the best 8-bit games of all time and, along with Final Fantasy, arguably the most influential in the genre.
Numerous games from that era tried to mimic the dynamic downward motion. And still inspires great games like The Sword of Ditto (2018).
It’s a real classic.
If you’ve never picked up an old man’s sword, collected all 8 volumes of the Wisdom Triad or defeated Ganon, you should play as soon as possible.
4. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Blade of Light (1990) (JP)
International audiences were introduced to the Fire Emblem franchise with the release of the GBA title of the same name.
By then, it had already established itself in Japan, starting with Shadow Dragon on the NES.
Here, as Prince Martha, you command units on the grid maps and deprive the infamous wizard Garnef and his evil patron Medea, the shadow dragon, of your rightful place on the throne.
One of the game’s main contributions to tactical RPG gameplay is the eternal death, which forces you to take better care of your units, protecting them and retreating if necessary.
This game was very difficult to play until recently, when Nintendo finally released it outside of Japan on the Nintendo Switch.
3. Final Fantasy (1990)
As soon as I hear the word RPG, I think of the original Final Fantasy game in a split second.
This is the game that taught me what a JRPG is. And that has shaped my playing habits for the rest of my life.
The story is simple:
Four warriors of the light must take on the evil that envelops the world of darkness. They do this by awakening the four elemental spheres.
If this is anything like other JRPGs you’ve played, it’s because Final Fantasy became the gold standard when it came out. And everyone wanted to emulate his success.
The same goes for the fantastic class system in this original title, as well as the massive open world and introduction of fast travel, which has become an industry staple since Final Fantasy was released.
And if you want to skip the NES version, you can try the GBA port version.
2. Crystalis (1990)
Crystalis is a fantasy action RPG that always has something to say to fans.
The story is good, the gameplay is innovative, and overall the game seems to be way ahead of its time.
As with Fallout, we learn that Crystallis takes place after modern society has been wiped out by nuclear war.
Wizards keep the world safe in this new age of sword and sorcery, until the evil wizard Dreygon takes over.
And you have to embark on a Zelda-like adventure to find the four elemental swords and merge them into Crystallis, the only weapon that can take on Dreygon.
1. Dragon Warrior III (1992)
This penultimate Dragon Warrior title, released abroad under the localized title Dragon Warrior, was the final installment of the Erdrick saga.
And one of the best games on the NES.
In this classic turn-based RPG, you are the 16-year-old son of a famous hero who sets out on a journey to rid the world of the archenemy Baramos and save the kingdom of Aliyahan from destruction.
It’s hard to find fault with DW III. But the game shines in the depth of its universe and the way it concludes the scenarios of the last three games.
At some point, you’ll even enter the world of the very first DW game!
But no spoilers.
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