What could be better than an E for Everyone game? Some older players may snub their nose at the idea but it’s not like E-rated games are for babies. Let’s take a look at one of the industry’s most beloved franchises, Mario. Those games are full of whimsy but also have some challenges to them.
It’s great that the whole family can enjoy them and Nintendo knows exactly how to craft a good experience. So, take a look at the RPGs below before disregarding them. There will be some surprises in here along with some fairly obvious choices. Only one game per series was chosen so as not to cluster into one giant gaming empire.
8 Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling
Bug Fables: The Everlasting Sapling is an indie take on the Paper Mario RPG series. All of the characters look like cutouts from a book and the game overall is bright and colorful. As the name implies, it follows a series of bugs on a quest to help their bug-filled lives grow.
It’s a simple RPG but can be challenging until one wraps their mind around the battle mechanics. With practice, it'll become easier and it's a nice short ride too.
7 Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime
Most of the games in the Dragon Quest series range from E10+ to Teen. Dragon Quest Heroes: Rocket Slime is one of the few examples in the series that was rated E for Everyone. It is a cute DS spinoff starring a Slime monster from the series. It’s on a quest to free his fellow Slimes from an invading army.
Instead of turn-based gameplay, players can stretch out their Slime to attack enemies head-on. This is the only game the West received but there were also entries on GBA and 3DS.
6 Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Final Fantasy Tactics is a gold standard for tactical RPGs and a bloody affair as well. Players assume the role of Marche, a young schoolboy who gets sucked into the world of Ivalice from a magical book. The game then is technically like an Isekai from anime.
Square Enix dialed things back a bit for Final Fantasy Tactics Advance probably because it was released on GBA. They did not, however, go back on the challenge of the original because this sequel is still brutal.
5 Golden Sun
Golden Sun is one of Nintendo’s rare exclusive RPG series. Unfortunately, it’s also one that they abandoned years ago. The nice part is that players can access it soon via Nintendo Switch Online. The game itself is a typical turn-based RPG in battle, but field exploration is more like The Legend of Zelda.
Players can learn psychic abilities to manipulate the environment. For example, they can push over a pillar to create a makeshift bridge to get across some water.
4 Kingdom Hearts
Kingdom Hearts began as an E for Everyone series but sequels have been branded as E10+. There are certainly scary things about this first entry that may startle kids below the age of ten. The same could be said about Disney movies which are mostly rated G for all audiences, such as Peter Pan or The Little Mermaid. Part of the fun as a kid is getting scared though.
There’s nothing that extreme in any of these games to create everlasting nightmares akin to watching a horror classic like Friday the 13th. Kingdom Hearts does a fine job of creating a good action RPG for Square Enix fans and a loving comedic tale for Disney fans.
3 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga is the first entry in this sub-series and the third attempt at creating an RPG based on Mario. This game, unlike Golden Sun at the moment, is on Nintendo Switch Online. Mario and Luigi are the only two party members and each button on the GBA original dictated what they did in battle and in the field.
For RPG fans that never experienced it before or for parents looking for a good RPG to get their kids into, this is a great start. It can be challenging as everything is more active during combat, but Save States can help on Switch.
2 Mega Man Battle Network
Mega Man Battle Network mashed up the shooting gameplay of the platformer entries with some mild tactical gameplay. Players assume the role of Lan, who has a digital version of Mega Man. Lan can hack him into different USB ports wherein the gameplay changes to Mega Man’s perspective inside a Matrix-like network.
Mega Man Battle Network Legacy Collection is a recently remastered bundle with every entry in the series. So, now is a great time to jump in with a small warning. The overall package is E10+ since things changed after the GBA got the original.
1 Pokemon HeartGold And Pokemon SoulSilver
There is no greater RPG for kids than the Pokemon series. They are filled with cute characters, wholesome messages, and easy-to-understand mechanics for RPG beginners. It’s hard to choose just one entry to send RPG fans to check out but Pokemon Gold and Pokemon Silver come to mind.
They were everything a sequel should be. They added more monsters, and a new region to explore, and the original region was also added along with the previous character as a secret boss. The DS remakes are the way to check these games out via Pokemon HeartGold and Pokemon SoulSilver.