There were two RPG series that were huge on the NES and they continue to be a big deal on the modern consoles. Dragon Quest, or Dragon Warrior at the time, and Final Fantasy became the blueprints for every RPG that followed. Despite their popularity, both franchises have an interesting history in the West with name changes and sequel skips aplenty.
Ignoring that fiasco as that would take all day, let’s look at other games. Surely there must have been some other RPGs on the NES worth playing. There indeed were but a lot of them were exclusive to Japan or other areas. This breakdown will go through forgotten RPGs from all regions to give them another spotlight.
8 Crystalis
Crystalis is a game made by SNK which was released in 1990. SNK is probably best known for Metal Slug and The King of Fighters franchises, but they experimented a lot more in the 80s and 90s with one-offs like this. The game begins with players waking up in a cave before an entryway explodes open.
Everything seems foreign and the NPCs nearby also don’t know what to think of the hero. The gameplay is a lot like the top-down action and exploration of early games in The Legend of Zelda series except with explicit leveling up.
7 Destiny Of An Emperor
Destiny of an Emperor was a Capcom-made RPG that was also released in 1990 in North America. This was a year after Japan. It is a basic turn-based game except that every party member’s health is represented by their army backing them.
It was a clever idea at the time and anyone familiar with Dynasty Warriors will feel at home with the subject matter in Destiny of an Emperor. There was a sequel as well, which is a more refined experience. It, unfortunately, did not release in the West, but fans have translated it into English for those curious.
6 Faria: A World Of Mystery And Danger
Faria: A World of Mystery and Danger was developed by the lesser-known Game Arts studio. The game was released in 1991 in North America which was two years after Japan. The sprites and overworld make the game look like the original Final Fantasy.
The gameplay is much different though as random encounters will transport players into an arena. It then becomes an action RPG. The overall tone of the game is whimsical, making it sometimes feel like a parody of RPGs.
5 Just Breed
Just Breed was made by Random House, which is a developer most probably doesn’t know about. The publisher was a bigger deal though, Enix, which was way before they merged into Square Enix. The game was released exclusively in Japan in 1992, but this is another case where fans helped translate it into English unofficially.
It is a tactical RPG wherein players fight their way across a continuous map. They will take breaks in towns to rest their souls before venturing forward again. That concept and the inclusion of an auto-battle made this game way ahead of its time.
4 Legacy Of The Wizard
Legacy of the Wizard was made by Nihon Falcom who is best known for their action RPG series Ys. It was released first in 1987 in Japan before making its way westward in 1989. Players can choose to play as one of six characters all belonging to the same family.
There is also a dog that is playable but once chosen, it looks like a mini dragon instead. Each character has a unique weapon and ability. The youngest daughter can jump high, for example, and shoot fire. It’s a cross between a 2D action RPG and a Metroidvania. The emphasis on this family of guardians is reminiscent of Children of Morta.
3 Little Ninja Brothers
Little Ninja Brothers is a series known as Super Chinese in Japan. This game is the second in the franchise which was crafted by Culture Brain and was released in 1990 for North America. It’s a giant series too that made its way as far as the early 2000s and yet it is one of the more obscure action RPGs out there.
Like Faria, players can wander around an overworld before randomly encountering an enemy. The coolest part about this game is that it features two-player co-op which was a rarer feature on the NES at the time.
2 The Samurai Lord Musashi: Gimmick's On The Run
The Samurai Lord Musashi: Gimmick's on the Run is a lengthy name for this action RPG based on an anime. It’s another Japan exclusive which was developed by Tose and released in 1991. Like Crystalis, it plays similarly to The Legend of Zelda but with more RPG elements.
The most unique thing about it is that the game offers four different campaigns to choose from. They weren’t massive stories, but this was still a big deal. It’s even more impressive that the fan translations were able to sift through all of the dialogue.
1 Sweet Home
Let’s take one last look at Japan before closing out here. Sweet Home is a big deal because it can be thanked for influencing a game that was huge in the West aka Resident Evil. It is another Capcom game and it was released in 1989. Players could form a party and go into a haunted mansion.
Each character had a special skill, like the ability to unlock things, which helped with exploration. Random encounters would play out like a typical turn-based RPG but with a bigger horror vibe. And yes, there is an English patch out there.