JRPGshave been a staple genre of video games since the 1980s. Stylized games that tend to put a major focus on character and telling a story, while many modern JRPGs are released every year, there are a wide range of classic JRPGs of the 90s and 2000s that many players have been unable to experience due to a lack of accessibility.
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While porting pre-existing games to modern consoles is a common solution to this problem,remaking games is another approach with many merits. Remaking games allows developers to revisit past projects with modern game design in mind, offering graphical updates as well as quality of life changes in a game’s interface and gameplay. So today, we’re going to examine tenJRPGsthat are in dire need of a remake!
10Persona 3
Thanks to the success ofPersona 5andPersona 4 Golden’s rerelease on Steam,there is now a much more notable interest inthePersonafranchiseas a whole. One of the most notable entries in the series,Persona 3is essentially the first modern entry in the series, introducing several mechanics that are now synonymous with the franchise such as social links. However, going back to play the game, there are numerous quality of life improvements that could be made to the game, most notably the ability to directly control one’s party members in combat. Luckily, thanks toPersona 3: Dancing In Moonlight, several characters and areas from the original game have already been remodeled with modern graphics, meaning some of the work of potentially remaking the game is already done.
9Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy Tacticswas originally released for the PS1 in 1997 and is often regarded as one of the best tactical JRPGs of all time. The game takes many elements synonymous with theFinal Fantasyfranchise such as the series job system, elegantly blending them into a tactical RPG.
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While Square Enix hadn’t released any new tactical JRPGs in quite some time, the recent announcement ofTriangle Strategyis already changing that. IfTriangle Strategysells well, perhaps Square Enix would consider remaking one of their earlier tactical RPGs such asFinal Fantasytactics with a similar graphics engine as that ofTriangle Strategy.
8Tales Of Phantasia
Rather than using a traditional turn-based battle systemTales Ofseriesis an action JRPG system that is highly regarded for its multiplayer, with several entries in the series allowing the majority of the game to be played with up to four players. Despite this, the first entry in the series,Tales of Phantasiahas only ever been released as a single player game, with an AI controlling the majority of one’s party members. As it’s currently the 25th anniversary of the series, now is the perfect time to remakeTales of Phantasiawith the addition of the multiplayer functionality the series is now known for.
7Super Mario RPG
Originally released for the SNES in 1996,Super Mario RPGwas developed by Square and Nintendo, functioning as a traditional JRPG that uses the characters and world of the Mario franchise. Despite its popularity, the game has had limited re-releases, appearing on the no longer functional Wii Shop channel and the SNES Classic. As we’ve seen recently that Nintendo and Square Enix each have no problem rereleasing older games, a rerelease or remake ofSuper Mario RPGis quite possible.
6Fire Emblem: Genealogy Of The Holy War
Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy Waris the fourth entry in theFire Emblemfranchise, originally released in 1996. Despite being released on the virtual consoles of the Wii, Wii U, and the 3DS, none ofGenealogy of the Holy War’s releases have been available outside of Japan, with an official English translation of the game not currently in existence. AsFire Emblemis currently at the peak of its popularity and Nintendo has recently shown a willingness to rerelease previously Japan-exclusive entries of the series with the recent re-release ofFire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, a western release ofGenealogy of the Holy Waris within the realm of possibility. A full-on remake of the game would allow for gameplay elements to be streamlined and adjusted to make the game more palatable to much of the series' current player base.
5The Persona 2 Duology
Persona 2was originally released as two games:Persona 2: Innocent SinandPersona 2: Eternal Punishment.Originally releases in 1999 and 2000 respectively, whileInnocent Sinwas ported to the PSP in 2011, the game is currently quite difficult to come by, while the PSP remake ofEternal Punishmentwas never released outside of Japan. With both parts foPersona 2being difficult to come by and the series growing in popularity, a perfect means of alleviating this problem would be to remake both games as a single collection. Like theTales Ofseries, it’s currently the 25th anniversary of the franchise, making notable remakes and rereleases more likely.
4Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is often regarded as not just one of the greatest JRPGs of the 16-bit era, but one of the greatest JRPGs of all time. With character designs byDragon Ball Zcreator, Akira Toriyama,Chrono Triggerfeatures a memorable cast of characters, several side quests, and numerous endings.
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While the game is an iconic SNES era JRPG, we’ve seen recently with the release ofDragon Quest XIhow breathtaking a JRPG with designs by Toriyama can look on modern consoles. Not only would a remake of the iconic game allow new players to experience everything it has to offer, but it would even open the door for additional content to be added to an already stellar game, all while looking absolutely gorgeous.
3Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade
Fire Emblem: The BindingBladeis another entry of theFire Emblemseries that has not been released outside of Japan. While the game’s protagonist, Roy has garnered a great deal of popularity due to his appearances in theSuper Smash Bros.series, his home game has never been made playable outside of Japan. AsFire Emblem: The Binding Bladeis directly connected to the fan-favoriteFire Emblem: The Blazing Blade, there is potential for a remake to potentially include both entries in a single package.
2Final Fantasy VI
Final Fantasy VIIrecently received a massive overhaul, not just updating the game’s graphics, but completely reworking the game’s gameplay for audiences that aren’t fans of turn-based combat. WhileFinal Fantasy VIIis largely one of the most popular entries in the series, its predecessor,Final Fantasy VIis often brought up in discussions regarding the greatest JRPGs or all-time along with the previously mentionedChrono Trigger.While the game has been ported to several consoles over the years, a remake akin to that ofFinal Fantasy VII’s could introduce the game to many new audiences that wouldn’t experience the game otherwise.
1Mother 3
The sequel to Nintendo’s cult classic RPGEarthbound,despite pleas from its fanbase for years,Mother 3has never been released outside of Japan. While a port of the game would satisfy many fans desires to play the game, a full-on remake for the Switch with updated visuals would open up a great deal of possibilities, such as the employment of a felt-based art-direction that was proposed for a potential entry in the series for the Gamecube.
