The Best JRPGs Nintendo Ever Made

When you think of JRPGs, Nintendo isn’t necessarily the first publisher you think of. Despite that, Nintendo has released a lot of games since entering the business. It’s no surprise then that there are many great JRPGs in the bunch. Nintendo has worked with many different studios on these games, offering a wide variety of tastes. We’ve prepared a list of the best JRPGs Nintendo ever made, whether that be as publisher, developer, or both.

Mother 3

In the last several years, we’ve seen some publishers looking to their back catalogs to find unlocalized games to bring back and release globally. One of the biggest fish to get away from Western players, JRPG-wise, is Mother 3. The third and seemingly final title in this excellent series is also the only one without an official English release. There is a very good fan translation, and it’s worth tracking down to play this heartfelt, unforgettable tale. Easily one of the best JRPGs Nintendo ever made, and a true masterpiece of the genre.

Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver

Whatever one might think of the direction of the Pokémon games over time, it has to be acknowledged that this is the most popular JRPG series in history. As to which one is best, nostalgia will almost always play a major role in that answer. Setting aside that factor, the most agreeable choice seems to be the Generation 2 remakes for the Nintendo DS. You get all of the enjoyment of the original releases wrapped up in an updated presentation with plenty of extra goodies on top. Pokémon HeartGold & SoulSilver handily earn their places among the best JRPGs Nintendo ever made.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door

Since the launch of Super Mario RPG on the Super NES back in 1996, Mario RPGs have almost always made an appearance on Nintendo’s consoles. Some are excellent, some are merely okay, and others are perhaps more creative than fans would prefer. There are a few good options here, but we’ll go with Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for today’s purposes. With memorable characters, a lot of interesting scenarios, and great writing, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door is about as good as a Nintendo JRPG gets.

Xenoblade Chronicles

The Xenoblade Chronicles series has given genre fans plenty to savor since its debut on the Nintendo Wii. There’s no wrong answer here, but the first game is the one that broke the ground. There’s a great main plot driving the game, but the large world is full of diversions that can and will distract you from your goals. Whether you’re rocking the original Wii release, living in 3D on your New 3DS, or enjoying that spiffy remake on Switch, Xenoblade Chronicles is an incredible experience.

Golden Sun

One of the best early surprises on the Game Boy Advance was Golden Sun. Nintendo and Camelot had been working together for a few years on Mario sports games. Camelot’s past experience creating and developing the Shining series at SEGA had many wondering when it would return to the JRPG genre. With Golden Sun, Camelot showed its experience in the genre. The interesting dungeon puzzles, stylish summon-heavy combat, and well-paced story make Golden Sun a great game. Its sequels were excellent too, even if we did get left on a cliffhanger.

Let us know what you think are some of the best JRPGs Nintendo has made in the comments below!