Originally released as the Family Computer (or Famicom) in Japan in 1983, the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) arrived on American shores in 1985 and proceeded to captivate an entire generation of young gamers. As History Computer details, the NES was instrumental in rebuilding the video game market after the crash of 1983, selling over 60 million units in its lifetime and introducing beloved franchises like Super Mario, The Legend of Zelda, and Metroid.
The NES library encompassed a variety of genres, but role-playing games (RPGs) were particularly well-suited for the console. Defined by epic storytelling, character growth through experience points, equipment and inventory management, and turn-based combat, RPGs allowed players to immerse themselves in fantastical worlds filled with magic, monsters, and adventure. As home consoles grew more sophisticated than early arcade machines, RPGs could tap into their potential for depth and complexity.
While the NES lacked the processing power of later systems, talented developers made the most of the hardware to create compelling RPG experiences that laid the groundwork for classics on future platforms. Let‘s dive into the 7 best RPGs released on the Nintendo Entertainment System.
#7: The Legend of Zelda
Blurring the lines between action-adventure and roleplaying games, the original Legend of Zelda wowed players in 1987 with its expansive fantasy world begging to be explored. Controlling the green-clad hero Link, gamers traversed the kingdom of Hyrule, battling evil monsters and uncovering secrets as they quested to reassemble the Triforce. With an arsenal of tools like the boomerang and bow alongside magic rings offering perks like defense bonuses, Zelda loosely implemented RPG mechanics amid real-time battles and room-to-room dungeon crawling.
While subsequent Zelda releases would lean further into RPG territory, it was perhaps this first game‘s Action RPG format that contributed greatly to its widespread appeal and skyrocketing sales of over 6 million copies. Beyond commercial success, The Legend of Zelda also achieved unanimously favorable critical reception and pioneered a number of gameplay and world design elements that Action RPGs still utilize today. With its timeless hero‘s journey storyline coupled with accessible action-based combat, The Legend of Zelda deserves recognition among the top NES RPG greats for bringing the genre to millions of gamers worldwide.
#6: Dragon Warrior
Known in Japan as Dragon Quest, Dragon Warrior closely followed the template set by Ultima and Wizardry to deliver a classic RPG experience to NES owners in North America. As an unnamed hero, players battled slimes and other monsters across a kingdom plagued by an evil Dragonlord. With top-down 2D visuals, turn-based combat relying on menus, and a world map dotted with towns, castles, and dungeons to explore, Dragon Warrior played identically to the seminal RPGs found on PC.
What set Dragon Warrior apart was how it so adeptly brought those roleplaying fundamentals over to Nintendo‘s platform, resulting in the first widely recognized console RPG series. Dragon Warrior established hallmarks of storytelling, difficulty, and an intensely rewarding grind that drove players to keep questing. And with composer Koichi Sugiyama‘s sweeping score filling out its world, Dragon Warrior created an experience totally encapsulating on the small NES screen. It marked an early high point for RPG console releases and the start of the globally popular Dragon Quest franchise.
#5: Mother / EarthBound Beginnings
Later rebranded as EarthBound Beginnings upon its official stateside debut on the Wii U Virtual Console in 2015, Mother marked the start of a particularly quirky take on RPGs. Beneath its conventional exterior of psychic powers combatting aliens lay unique elements of parody and allegory that satirized 1980s American culture. Offbeat weaponry like the Franklin Badge and cosmic tools like the PSI Teleport granted players special attacks. All the while, pop culture references paired with catchy tunes gave Mother its endearing and comedic tone.
Developed by Shigesato Itoi rather than a traditional game company, Mother became a cult classic that never made it overseas in its era. But its innovative story, contemporary setting, and subversions of RPG tropes inspired future series like Square‘s (now Square Enix) EarthBound on Super NES. Even with limited exposure outside Japan upon its 1989 release, Mother is rightly considered one of the best NES RPGs for fearlessly driving the genre in new directions.
#4: Crystalis
Crystalis combined post-apocalyptic sci-fi trappings with fantasy RPG gameplay to great effect upon its 1990 launch. Players awakened cryogenically frozen protagonist Sion in the year 2097 and explored the remnants of Earth to take on the evil Draygon and his forces. A varied world and locales ranging from overgrown forests to deserts to underwater ruins provided obstacles to overcome using elemental swords imbued with powers of fire, wind, earth, and water.
While combat and leveling mechanics stuck to familiar territory, it was the combination of swords and magic alongside Crystalis‘ interconnected levels and gripping storyline that made it distinct. Critics praised not just its gameplay but also impressive graphics and sound that shone on the aging NES hardware. Crystalis‘ twist on the action RPG template makes it one of the more unique entries among the top NES roleplaying games.
#3: Final Fantasy
After finding success on home computers with RPGs like Ultima and Wizardry, developer Square took a big risk in bringing their roleplaying sensibilities over to Nintendo‘s platform. But the gambit paid off tremendously, with Final Fantasy going on to become their most successful franchise ever across every subsequent console generation.
Players guided their customizable party of four Light Warriors as they embarked on a quest to defeat the Four Fiends of Chaos and restore the world‘s elemental crystals to their proper balance. With Black and White magic spells, special character classes like Fighters and Thieves, and an expansive airship-filled world to explore, Final Fantasy featured many staples that would become synonymous with the series. It also introduced innovations like safe healing areas called Lukahn‘s Prophecy that eased difficulty curves for newcomers to the genre.
Upon its 1987 release in Japan, Final Fantasy achieved the perfect balance of accessibility and challenge combined with an epic scope that granted it near universal acclaim at the time. And clearly its masterstroke of distilling core RPG elements into one exemplary experience granted Final Fantasy staying power, making it one of the absolute best RPGs released across all NES games.
#2: Dragon Warrior III
Building upon its predecessors, Dragon Warrior III added expanded character progression systems alongside deeper world exploration to offer players unparalleled freedom in an NES RPG. Rather than assume a predetermined protagonist like most RPGs, gamers could build out a custom hero then recruit seven additional party members. Allies‘ classes, spells, gear, and skill mastery directly influenced combat strategy against dangerous foes. And branching story moments based on moral choices or dialogue selections added replayability.
Beyond its roster of playable characters, one of Dragon Warrior III‘s most critically-lauded innovations was its pioneering open world design centered around the sprawling world map. With no set path through the game, objectives could be pursued at a player‘s own pace whether they wanted to focus on story missions, side content like betting on monster battles, or simply wander off to grind random encounters to build up their adventuring party. This tantalizing freedom was unheard of on NES.
Dragon Warrior III ambitiously expanded its RPG horizons to deliver unprecedented player choice and flexibility fused with an already top-notch turn-based combat system. These myriad innovations solidify its ranking not just among the best NES RPGs but some of the greatest 8-bit era games period.
#1: Dragon Warrior IV / Dragon Quest IV
While later installments in the Dragon Quest saga would innovate with new features and fresh settings, it was Dragon Quest IV on the Famicom that arguably perfected the turn-based RPG formula before making incremental changes. Released stateside as Dragon Warrior IV, its five epic chapters wove personal stories focused on future party members before uniting them against a demonic ruler threatening the world.
Players experienced solo stories detailing characters like warrior Ragnar McRyan or mage Tsarevna before leading their united group as a nameable Hero on an extensive final quest dotted with towns, secrets, and dangerous dungeons to conquer at their pace. Along with introducing follow and tactics systems enabling player control over allies, DWIV opened up choices in battle, exploration, and party chatter through its sprawling adventure.
Balancing accessibility with challenge for newcomers and veterans alike, Dragon Quest IV seized upon the full potential of RPGs on Nintendo‘s aging platform. As both the best-selling Japanese Famicom title and the pinnacle of NES graphical and technical capabilities for its era, we name it the absolute apex of roleplaying on the vintage console.
The Legacy of NES RPGs
Even 30+ years later, the best NES RPGs remain endlessly playable for newcomers seeking a pure roleplaying experience as well as veterans chasing nostalgia. These 8-bit pioneers laid successful formulas and franchises still enjoyed today. It‘s no stretch to say that without the care, creativity, and technical wizardry that developers invested into the roleplaying genre on this era-defining console, RPGs may not have become the massively popular behemoth they are now across platforms.
So when you want to explore the open worlds of Hyrule or Alefgard once more, appreciate not just the adventures offered but also the important foundations these cartridges established for decades of RPGs to come.
