Summary

TheNintendo Entertainment Systemwas a huge step forward in the history of video games, bringing arcade-quality experiences into people’s homes. The console not only revolutionized the medium, but it also gave way to some of the most iconic games ever made. FromSuper Mario Bros., toThe Legend of Zelda, toMetroid, theNESwas an unparalleled system.

The NES was also home to some of the first video game RPGs, which were longer and more complex than most arcade cabinets could allow. These games truly allowed players to customize how they played, assembling a team of their choice and gaining more power based on their decisions. These 8 RPGs on the NES are the most memorable.

Characters in a town square in Glory of Heracles II

8Glory Of Heracles 2: Titan’s Downfall

The NES had no shortage ofgames inspired by Greek mythology, from Nintendo’s ownKid Icarusto other RPGs likeThe Battle of Olympus.Glory of Heraclesis one of the more obscure series, given its exclusive release in Japan, but its sequel,Glory of Heracles 2: Titan’s Downfallcan be considered a much stronger and dramatic iteration of the series.

Glory of Heracles 2is closer to a more traditional modern-day RPG, introducing a party system to the franchise and a day/night system. Though it never saw a Western release, there are fan translations that make the game easily understandable for English-speaking audiences, but it’s a shame it hasn’t made a transition to Nintendo Switch Online arcades yet.

Red and blue units in a castle in Fire Emblem Gaiden

7Fire Emblem Gaiden

It took a long time forFire Emblemto become the worldwide best-seller that it is now, but in the beginning, many of the series' core elements were intact. One of the first games,Fire Emblem Gaiden, was released for the Famicom in 1992, two years after the SNES’s worldwide release. However, it was a marked improvement on the very first game in the series.

ThoughFire Emblem Gaidenhas since been remade for the Nintendo 3DS, its original iteration on the NES didn’t immediately appeal to fans of the first game. However,the game’s characters, storyline, and gameplay improvementsremain staples of theFire Emblemfranchise to this day, sparking a great future for Nintendo’s strategy RPG series.

A party of four battling unicorns in Final Fantasy 1

6Final Fantasy

Released for the NES in 1997, the very firstFinal Fantasyis a far cry from more recent entries in the series. At the time, the game was a top-down JRPG with turn-based battles, with enemies randomly encountered on the map. It’s not dissimilar to what Nintendo eventually created as the formula behindPokemonon the GameBoy a decade later.

However, this game can be credited with starting one of the longest and most storied franchises in video game history. Many of the game’s elements, from its six character classes and world building, remain iconic parts of the franchise’s history. Furthermore, it’s inspired countless JRPG franchises to follow, though it wasn’t even Square Enix’s first try.

A warrior walking in a town in Dragon Quest 1

5Dragon Quest

Although the firstDragon Questgamefailed to reach audiences likeFinal Fantasy, some RPG fans could argue that it’s the superior JRPG. Unlike the party system ofFinal Fantasy, players take control of one character inDragon Quest, originally titledDragon Warriorfor its Famicom release in 1986.

Part of its lack of appeal to Western audiences was due to the game not being localized in English until 1989, two years afterFinal Fantasywas released in Japan and a year before its Western release. Though the game was a commercial failure, theDragon Questfanbase remains committed and strong to this day, and the series has continued to live on.

Ninten walking away from home in Mother 1

4Mother

Many RPG fans would probably cite the SNES sequel toMother,Earthbound, as the superior game in the franchise, and they would probably be right. Compared to its more polished and expansive sequel,Motherseems quite primitive, though it lays the foundation for what becomes perhaps Nintendo’s best RPG. However, it was quite polarizing upon release.

Aside from being released late into the NES’s lifespan,Motheralso challenged RPG fans with a high level of difficulty, though it was innovative for being set in modern-day America. Ironically, the game didn’t see a Western release until the Wii U Virtual Console, renamedEarthbound Beginnings, making ita prime choice to play for fansof the sequel.

Link near an old woman in a town in Zelda 2

While most titles in Nintendo’sThe Legend of Zeldafranchise are action-adventure games,Zelda 2: The Adventure of Linkis an outlier. As only the second game in the series released in 1987, Nintendo experimented with RPG elements, allowing players to upgrade their strengths by gaining experience and battling random encounters in the overworld.

However, the core ofZelda 2’sgameplay still relies on action, as players get to tread through dungeons and take on nearby enemies with their swords. Though it can be quitea divisive game among hardcoreZeldafans, it contains a lot more polish and charm than most other NES RPGs and has tons of replay value as well.

A party of four facing a skeleton enemy in Final Fantasy 3

2Final Fantasy 3

It’s a shame that for yearsFinal Fantasy 3only saw a release in Japan, despite the SNES’sFinal Fantasy 6taking its name for Western releases. However, it’s one of the more beloved entries in Square Enix’s JRPG series and is often considered one of the greatest games ever made as well. However, itdoesn’t change much from the original’s gameplay.

Instead, whereFinal Fantasy 3appeals so much to fans is its simplicity and polish. Though it adds some complication to its turn-based battles, such as the addition of special actions like “Steal” or “Summon,” it’s mostly a more sleek and refined version of the originalFinal Fantasy, with an even more compelling storyline and a greater legacy.

A party of four traveling the map in Dragon Quest 3

1Dragon Quest 3

Although JRPG fans loveFinal Fantasy,Dragon Queststill remains the series with a much clearer vision and stronger gameplay mechanics.Dragon Quest 3is an especially great example of this for how it expands upon and improves the gameplay of the first two games, giving players the option to explore a more open world early on in video game history.

Although the game has received several remakes over the yearswhich improve upon the graphics and controls, the original still remains dear to many RPG fans' hearts. Even the installment’s protagonist, Erdrick, appears as a playable fighter inSuper Smash Bros. Ultimatenow, remaining one of the most iconic JRPGs in the NES’s history.

More:The Best Switch Games To Play If You Love Old-School SNES RPGs