Top five RPGs on the DS

[Fynn]

Alright, my turn. The DS was an awesome platform for RPGs. List your favorites!

(could someone edit the title and icon so that it fits the theme in the other threads? I just don't pay enough attention these days)

Here's my list, in no particular order:

Radiant Historia
Mario and Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
Final Fantasy TA2
Pokemon Black Version
Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days

Wanna put SMT: Strange Journey somewhere in there too, but I can't decide.

[blackmage_nuke]

Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days is the only non port DS RPG i've played
I've played but havent finished Chrono Trigger DS

[Bolivar]

My favorites really are the Dragon Quest, Pokemon, and Final Fantasy III remakes.

[Wolf Kanno]

5. Final Fantasy: Four Heroes of Light - I'm cheating because I haven't actually finished this game but I was pretty damn impressed with what I've seen of it so far. It has an interesting take on the job class system and a quirky cast of characters.

4. Final Fantasy Tactics A2 - I like to think of this game as the anti-FFTA because they seem like polar opposites to me. While FFTA had a great story and good gameplay boggled down by some questionable game design choices, FFTA2 largely fixes a lot of problems the most prominent being mission variety. This is a really well crafted game that while not perfect was fun to play. The downside is that it's cast of characters and main story are forgettable, in fact the side-missions have more compelling characters and writing than the main cast and even getting some FFXII characters as team mates isn't enough to save the cast. Now if only we could get a FFTA remake using FFTA2 game design...

3. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey - Course I'm going to put this on here. This is a really well crafted dungeon crawler that while it is both frustrating and slow at time, really brought back that old school RPG feel. If you want to know what "classic" MegaTen felt like from a dungeon perspective, here is your game with walls with invisible paths, trap doors, warp points, damage floors optional mini-bosses that might be a pain or might be a Fiend who will totally ream you. Hell, even the plot is surprisingly really well done if still muted. is probably one of the few MegaTen games where both Law and Chaos heroes are presented as flawed but genuinely human characters whose choices seem reasonable considering all they both go through. With that said, despite it's high ranking on this list I would probably never recommend it to anyone because it's old school enough to be infuriating, but maybe that is why I love it.

2. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 - Is one of the best written KH games. Seriously Roxas and Xion have the most soul crushing storyline from an SE game and this game just rubs it into your face. The gameplay is surprisingly better than you would think it would be though still not as good as other entries but the game did seem to finally figure out how to make magic work in a 3D action game which served them well when BbS came around.

1. The World Ends With You - Go play this, it's like the best RPG on the DS. I shouldn't have to sell this to you.

[Colonel Angus]

The only one I played was III, which was pretty good.

[Fynn]

5. Final Fantasy: Four Heroes of Light - I'm cheating because I haven't actually finished this game but I was pretty damn impressed with what I've seen of it so far. It has an interesting take on the job class system and a quirky cast of characters.

4. Final Fantasy Tactics A2 - I like to think of this game as the anti-FFTA because they seem like polar opposites to me. While FFTA had a great story and good gameplay boggled down by some questionable game design choices, FFTA2 largely fixes a lot of problems the most prominent being mission variety. This is a really well crafted game that while not perfect was fun to play. The downside is that it's cast of characters and main story are forgettable, in fact the side-missions have more compelling characters and writing than the main cast and even getting some FFXII characters as team mates isn't enough to save the cast. Now if only we could get a FFTA remake using FFTA2 game design...

3. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey - Course I'm going to put this on here. This is a really well crafted dungeon crawler that while it is both frustrating and slow at time, really brought back that old school RPG feel. If you want to know what "classic" MegaTen felt like from a dungeon perspective, here is your game with walls with invisible paths, trap doors, warp points, damage floors optional mini-bosses that might be a pain or might be a Fiend who will totally ream you. Hell, even the plot is surprisingly really well done if still muted. is probably one of the few MegaTen games where both Law and Chaos heroes are presented as flawed but genuinely human characters whose choices seem reasonable considering all they both go through. With that said, despite it's high ranking on this list I would probably never recommend it to anyone because it's old school enough to be infuriating, but maybe that is why I love it.

2. Kingdom Hearts 358/2 - Is one of the best written KH games. Seriously Roxas and Xion have the most soul crushing storyline from an SE game and this game just rubs it into your face. The gameplay is surprisingly better than you would think it would be though still not as good as other entries but the game did seem to finally figure out how to make magic work in a 3D action game which served them well when BbS came around.

1. The World Ends With You - Go play this, it's like the best RPG on the DS. I shouldn't have to sell this to you.

Holy crap! I totally forgot about TWEWY! It IS one of the most brilliant things in existence. Though I've personally only experienced the iOS port, which is probably why I forgot to put it here.

[Skyblade]

Final Fantasy Tactics A2
Rune Factory 3 (I usually see this series counted as RPG, but I don't know what you guys will declare)
The World Ends With You (it has some design decisions I hate, but it's still a fantastic game)
Pokémon Platinum
Radiant Historia

[Del Murder]

I agree that the DS was a great platform for RPGs. There are a lot to choose from. My list:

1. Radiant Historia - You are wrong Wolf, this is better than TWEWY
2. The World Ends With You
3. Final Fantasy Tactics A2
4. Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story
5. Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days

Honorable mention: Fire Emblem Shadow Dragon, Golden Sun Dark Dawn, Mario & Luigi Partners in Time, Pokemon Black & White, FF Four Heroes of Light.

[Vyk]

Outside of the PS2, this is the other main console I keep going back and grabbing games I missed. I got the system pretty early in its life, but never really made a whole lot of use of it, sadly. I really want to try Radiant Historia and The Wold Ends With You, among a few other lesser regarded ones. Like Devil Survivor

[Wolf Kanno]

1. Radiant Historia - You are wrong Wolf, this is better than TWEWY

Hey, I never got around to playing it but it's on my list of games to pick up. So with that said, as far as I am aware TWEWY is the greatest RPG on the DS .

[metagloria]

Is TWEWY really so good? Maybe I should check it out.

I'm not particularly proud of this, but a DS RPG holds the distinction of being the game I sunk the most hours into in a single playthrough: Dragon Quest IX. Those grottoes, man. 190+ hours.

[Skyblade]

Is TWEWY really so good? Maybe I should check it out.

I kind of hate the combat system, and I really don't like the way the multi-act structure gates content and equipment.

But the important things: characters, setting, premise, writing, etcetera... Those are all really strong.

[Del Murder]

TWEWY is one of the most innovative games to come out in years. It's excellent.

I'll concede, Radiant Historia is not as innovative. But the way it expertly captures the 16-bit era of RPGs while also adding a few new twists in both combat and storytelling brought a tear to this old man's eye (not really but it is good).

[Skyblade]

TWEWY is one of the most innovative games to come out in years. It's excellent.

I'll concede, Radiant Historia is not as innovative. But the way it expertly captures the 16-bit era of RPGs while also adding a few new twists in both combat and storytelling brought a tear to this old man's eye (not really but it is good).

You are going to be bawling when you finally play Bravely Default.

[metagloria]

Is TWEWY really so good? Maybe I should check it out.

I kind of hate the combat system, and I really don't like the way the multi-act structure gates content and equipment.

But the important things: characters, setting, premise, writing, etcetera... Those are all really strong.

Actually, to me, combat system and non-gated content are kiiiiiind of the important things.