JRPGs have evolved over the years from turn-based battles and random encounters to more refined combat systems and better-paced fights. These are always wrapped around an epic story with generally high stakes.
While the best JRPGs these days include the hyper-realistic and grounded Final Fantasy VII Remake and the open-world science fiction drama of Xenoblade Chronicles, the genre is also known for hammy writing and melodrama. The games below are all extremely cheesy thanks to their stories and characters, but this is why many people love them. This isn't to say they have bad stories, either. They are simply ridiculous at times.
8 Paper Mario
This spiritual successor to Super Mario RPG revels in its absurdity. It is a genuine comedy and one of the few games of its era to really make players laugh. The art style also makes sure the graphics have aged well.
The very idea of an RPG based on Super Mario is cheesy and could have ended in disaster, but Paper Mario does the character and the genre justice. The original N64 game spawned a series that has now seen entries on all subsequent Nintendo home consoles.
7 Eternal Sonata
Musicians know there's nothing cheesier than inserting a bunch of classical music jargon into everyday life and speech. Eternal Sonata does this with a JRPG. The game takes place inside Frederic Chopin's consciousness during the final moments of his life.
The fantasy world includes numerous allusions to music and the soundtrack features some of the composer's pieces. It's surprisingly sincere and the gameplay is unique to keep even those who aren't music fans entertained. While a quirky concept, it might just make a Chopin fan out of some players.
6 Tomato Adventure
In Tomato Adventure, players control a character who is shunned because of his dislike of tomatoes and eventually goes on a big adventure to save the Ketchup Kingdom. The writing is filled with jokes and references to tomatoes and the art style is extremely colorful and quirky.
Tomato Adventure comes from developer Alpha Dream, who would go on to make the Mario & Luigi games, which carry a similar level of charm and absurdity. Being slightly ahead of its time, Tomato Adventure does not have random encounters, opting for the Chrono Trigger approach of showing the enemies on screen and activating combat when players run into them.
5 Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy is sacred to many. Some fans would grit their teeth at the first sign of anyone besmirching the series' good name. Did they feel the same when Final Fantasy X-2, the first official sequel to a numbered title, started with a musical number?
When compared to Final Fantasy X's intro which shows Sin destroying an entire city, it certainly establishes what kind of adventure Final Fantasy X-2 is. While the stakes are high, there is little drama until the end and the characters are friendly and comfortable with each other from the start. It's a stark contrast to the serious tone most of the games in the series had beforehand.
4 Bravely Default
It only takes a quick look at the art style to understand if one will enjoy Bravely Default or not. The Nintendo 3DS game is a loving throwback to older JRPGs. The writing does a few things to play with the ideas common to the genre, but it is pretty standard fare in the early hours of the adventure.
However, this is exactly what fans of the franchise love about it. Some people look for cheese and familiarity in their JRPGs, and Bravely Default delivers both.
3 Yakuza: Like A Dragon
Fans might have been surprised by the seventh Yakuza game making the turn into a traditional turn-based RPG. The move paid off, however, and Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a great starting point for newcomers to this long-running series.
The very idea of making a game about organized crime a JRPG is ridiculous, but Like a Dragon utilizes the concept excellently and still contains the stellar writing for which the franchise is known. The aesthetic and style will make players smile, and the story has real heart and sincerity.
2 Kingdom Hearts
If anybody says they fully understand the Kingdom Hearts storyline, they are probably lying. The series has become so overloaded with plot twists and supporting characters, anyone would hit their head against the wall just trying to figure it all out.
The games still take themselves seriously, however, and the characters hit emotional beats hard, even if players barely understand what is going on. Despite the story being hard to follow, though, the gameplay remains spectacular and engaging, starting from the debut entry, which features incredibly simple controls.
1 Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition
Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition almost feels like a joke that went too far. It retells Final Fantasy XV's story in a chibi art style and with a very different battle system.
The game still includes the original voice acting from the full title. The game sounds like an afterthought, but it works surprisingly well and is a shorter way to experience Final Fantasy XV for those without a current-generation console. Even if one has already played Final Fantasy XV, it's different enough to enjoy separately.