The 1990s were one of the best decades forJRPGs, seeing the beginnings or continuations of pillars of the genre, such as Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, and Shin Megami Tensei. These years were defined by their innovation on the genre and deeper emphasis on storytelling than what was previously possible.
If you’ve ever wondered which JRPG was the absolute best of its year from 1990 to 1999, you’ve come to the right place. Below, we’ll go through each year of this decade and choose just one JRPG to represent it. Note that this will be based on the game’s original release year.
Starting things off, we have Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, or more commonly known as simply Fire Emblem. This game kicked off the Fire Emblem franchise, which has gone on to receive universal acclaim and massive appeal. However, this original Fire Emblem is quite unforgiving and difficult to get into, mainly due to its bad (relative to the time) graphics and permadeath.
When your units die in Fire Emblem, they’re gone for good. This makes every choice matter, and each battle can be extremely stressful. While this aspect has been alleviated in more modern entries, it’s a core aspect of the series that has earned it a group of diehard fans.
The fourth entry in the Final Fantasy series takes the top spot for 1991. Final Fantasy 4 truly exemplifies the philosophies of the 90s in terms of JRPG development, with its dramatic story and intriguing characters. Final Fantasy 4 was one of the first JRPGs to prove that the genre was moving forward.
The story follows Cecil, a Dark Knight, who works with a group of allies to fight an evil sorcerer. The game was also the first in the franchise to introduce the Active Time Battle (ATB) system, which would become a staple of Final Fantasy for the remainder of the decade.
1992 is a difficult year to choose just one JRPG to represent it, since Dragon Quest 5, Final Fantasy 5, Romancing Saga, and Shining Force also came out this year. However, Shin Megami Tensei was the game that really tried to push the boundaries of the genre, as well as solidified Atlus as a developer and publisher.
A post-apocalyptic Tokyo, invading demons, and brutal gameplay; the original SMT has all the staples that the series has become known for, making it more than worthy of this spot.
The Saga series has always been at the forefront of experimentation, using nonlinear structures that encourage exploration and combat expression. The gameplay and progression systems are also non-standard, especially for the time, using the Glimmer system to randomly learn new skills as you use other ones in battle.
While Romancing Saga 2’s 2024 remake is definitely the best way to play the game, the charm of the original sprites and retro vibe has its own merits.
Final Fantasy 6 is not only the best JRPG to release in 1994, it’s also one of the best Final Fantasy games to this day. Its story focuses on themes like the industrial revolution, corrupt empires, chemical warfare, and the cycle of violence.
At the time, Final Fantasy 6 was unlike anything else on the market, sporting some of the best graphics, music, and story found in a JRPG. The best part is that it all still holds up incredibly well, even 30 years later.
Chrono Trigger takes the spot for the best JRPG of 1995, the best JRPG of the 90s, and quite possibly one of the best JRPGs ever created. Created by some of Square Enix’s most celebrated developers, Chrono Trigger delivers perfectly on every single aspect, from its gameplay to music.
Chrono Trigger is a time-traveling adventure through different ages of humanity, from the prehistoric age to the distant, apocalyptic future. The game’s time-traveling mechanic also means that there are multiple endings to discover, which was revolutionary for the time.
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars is essentially Final Fantasy with a Mario-colored coat of paint. It takes the iconic and lovable cast of Mario characters and puts them into turn-based battles, with a deeper emphasis on its story than the Mario series is usually known for.
What sets Super Mario RPG apart from its peers is its ability to make a standard turn-based system that is fun and engaging, utilizing time-button presses to execute attacks or special moves. These gameplay innovations, along with the unique spin on the Mario franchise, make it the best JRPG of 1996.
Final Fantasy 7 is still considered the best Final Fantasy out of all the mainline numbered entries, and for good reason. While the gameplay is fairly standard for Final Fantasy at this point, it was the first 3D Final Fantasy game, and its story about rebels fighting a corrupt megacorporation and its impacts on the planet still resonate today.
With so many spin-off games, movies, and its excellent remake trilogy (of which only the first two parts are out), it’s no wonder that Final Fantasy 7 is a titan of the JRPG genre, and absolutely earns the spot as the best JRPG of 1997.
Xenogears is the first entry in the larger Xeno series of loosely related games that share similar themes and concepts, but aren’t outright connected through their worlds or characters. Originally conceived as a sequel to Chrono Trigger, Xenogears is a sci-fi JRPG that explores the relationship between man and machine, consciousness and religion, and our place in the universe.
Despite Xenogears’s gameplay being somewhat obtuse and difficult to get into, its story and characters have earned it a cult following. Whatever your views on Xenogears, especially in the second disc, without it, we wouldn’t have masterpieces like the Xenoblade Chronicles trilogy, which are among the best JRPGs of the last decade.
As we close out the decade, we return to the Chrono series. While set in the same world as Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross features an entirely new cast of characters, 3D graphics, and updated gameplay, with a magic system akin to Final Fantasy 7’s Materia.
1999 was an incredible year for JPRGs, and even if you only take into account Final Fantasy 8, which released the same year, it’s hard to choose just one here. That said, Chrono Cross’s innovation on gameplay and story earns it this spot.
