Nintendo has spent the last several decades establishing itself as one of the biggest players in the video game industry. The company helped bring gaming back from the brink in the ’80s and has used constant innovation to keep at the forefront of the industry. Nintendo is widely known for hit platformers like Mario and Donkey Kong, as well as fan-favorite action-adventure games like The Legend of Zelda and Metroid. However, they also have a solid catalog of great role-playing games, especially when you dig deeper into the company’s massive list of older games.
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Here are five classic Nintendo RPGs that still hold up.
5) Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
The Mario & Luigi series took the mobile gaming landscape by storm. Superstar Saga came out of the gate hot in 2003, delivering a thrilling story and engaging RPG combat. Partners in Time was a solid follow-up, but didn’t quite surpass the original. Thankfully, Nintendo didn’t stop there and gave fans Bowser’s Inside Story.
This DS classic makes Bowser the main character, a move that seemed odd at the time. Fortunately, he fit in perfectly with Mario & Luigi‘s trademark humor and gameplay. It cleaned up critically and commercially, becoming the best-selling Mario RPG of all time, as of 2020. In 2018, it got an expanded remake, which ironed out some kinks and added a new side story called Bowser Jr.’s Journey.
4) Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade
For many years, the Fire Emblem series only came out in Japan. That was weird, especially after a few characters popped up in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Thankfully, everyone else got in on the magic in 2002 with The Blazing Blade. And it’s a good thing Nintendo and Intelligent Systems brought it over because Fire Emblem has since become a major hit.
The Blazing Blade is classic Fire Emblem at its best. Fans were treated to a complex fantasy drama and engaging tactical combat. The gameplay isn’t as in-depth as future games, but that more streamlined style helped bring in new fans. Because it launched on the GBA, you don’t have to worry about dated 3D graphics. The Blazing Blade still looks great all these years later.
3) Super Mario RPG
Super Mario RPG seemed like a dream when it launched in 1996. The team at Square partnered with Nintendo to bring its trademark style to the world of Mario, giving Super Nintendo owners an all-time great spin-off for the beloved character. The turn-based combat is sublime, and the deep dive into the Mario characters was a treat for long-time fans.
Given the success of Super Mario RPG, it shouldn’t be a surprise to learn that director Chihiro Fujioka would go on to help design the Mario & Luigi series. He wasn’t as involved with those projects, but you can feel his influence while playing through the first three games. Thankfully, Super Mario RPG is still easy to get your hands on. Nintendo released a remake in 2023 for the Switch, which includes a few new quality-of-life features that make the all-time classic even better.
2) Golden Sun
It’s a shame that Golden Sun hasn’t become a major franchise for Nintendo. The first two games were blockbusters on the GBA, and while Dark Dawn didn’t enjoy similar success on the DS, it is still a solid RPG. Unfortunately for fans, Nintendo decided that developer Camelot was better off making Mario Golf and Tennis games for the last decade.
Those games are always fun, and some of them even incorporate RPG elements in nifty ways; however, Golden Sun fans have been waiting for more than 15 years to see another entry. Sadly, that day might never come, but you can still play the two original games relatively easily on your Switch 2 thanks to the Nintendo Switch Online service. It’s not exactly what fans want, but at least you don’t have to drop big bucks for a GBA copy.
1) Earthbound
Earthbound is the perfect Nintendo game on the Super Nintendo. It encapsulates that drive to stand out that’s made the company so successful. Most RPGs of the time are fantasy or sci-fi-based, but Earthbound decided to do something completely different. Sure, there are sci-fi elements, but this take on Americana is much more whimsical than everything else from the era.
It also doesn’t hurt that the turn-based combat is some of the best of its time, and the beastiary is appropriately wacky, keeping you laughing throughout as you discover new opponents. Earthbound did get a sequel a few years later, but Mother 3 has never officially left Japan. If you want to see what happens in the follow-up, you’ll have to download a fan translation. The good news is that you can play through the first game and Earthbound via the Switch Online program.
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Image Courtesy of MAPPA
