Best Handheld Turn-Based JRPGs, Ranked

JRPGs have been a big part of video game history since the 80s, and due to that, they have appeared on a variety of platforms and consoles. Whether it be Nintendo, Sega, or Sony, JRPGs have appeared on a variety of consoles, including a variety of handhelds like the Nintendo Game Boy and the Sony Playstation Portable.

Fans of handheld consoles have never been starving for JRPGs, as plenty of popular franchises have not only ported many popular entries to various handheld systems but have also created games specifically for them. Here are some of the best JRPGs that have been designed specifically for handheld systems, ranked by their general reception in the JRPG community.

7 Etrian Odyssey 5: Beyond The Myth

Classic Dungeon Crawler With Manual Map Creation

Etrian Odyssey V: Beyond the Myth

Systems

Platform(s)

New Nintendo 3DS

The Etrian Odyssey games are great at utilizing the features of the Nintendo DS and 3DS. A dungeon-crawler evoking classic role-playing games like Ultima and Wizardry, Etrian Odyssey‘s most unique feature is its map-making mechanic, giving players the ability to draw maps of the areas they explore using the touchscreen and stylus.

Of the various Etrian Odyssey games that have been released over the years, Etrian Odyssey 5 is considered one of the best in the series by many fans. The first to have voice acting of any kind, Etrian Odyssey 5 expands on the innovations of its predecessors, making it an essential JRPG for the 3DS.

6 Dragon Quest 9

The Story Of A Fallen Angel

Dragon Quest 9 puts players in the shoes of a Celestrian who has fallen from heaven and must find his way back. Unlike previous entries, the hero and his party members are all customizable, with all kinds of vocations and equipment at the player’s disposal.

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Dragon Quest 9 is the only mainline title in the Dragon Quest series to be exclusively on a handheld console, having been released on the Nintendo DS. However, the game is by no means small and is possibly one of the largest JRPGs on the system. With plenty of optional content for fans to explore, it is a worthy entry in the long-running JRPG franchise.

5 Golden Sun & Golden Sun: The Lost Age

Saving The World With The Power Of Psynergy

Golden Sun

Systems

Publisher(s)

Nintendo

Released

November 12, 2001

Golden Sun is one of the most popular JRPGs published directly by Nintendo and is considered one of the best titles on its native system, the Game Boy Advance. Following the adventures of Isaac and his friends, he attempts to stop the power of Alchemy from being released.

Golden Sun alone was unable to finish the grand story it started, so it was followed by Golden Sun: The Lost Age, a direct sequel that followed different characters while also continuing the story of the first game. Both games were stuck on the Game Boy Advance for a very long time, to the chagrin of its fans.

4 Pokemon HeartGold & SoulSilver

A Fantastic Remake Of An All-Time Classic

Pokemon is a JRPG franchise that lives on handheld systems, with the entirety of its mainline series released exclusively on Nintendo’s handheld consoles until the Nintendo Switch (which could be considered both a handheld and a home console). As one of the most popular video game franchises, Pokemon has been a pillar of handheld JRPGs.

While there are many iconic Pokemon games, the Gold and Silver games have always been popular due to giving the player the option to explore the Kanto region along with the Johto region. HeartGold and SoulSilver, the DS remakes, are just as beloved thanks to the various quality-of-life changes and new mechanics that were added to these iconic games.

3 Bravely Default

A Spiritual Successor To A Bygone Era

Bravely Default

Systems

Developer(s)

Silicon Studio

Released

February 7, 2014

Initially developed as a sequel to a Final Fantasy spin-off, Bravely Default soon sprang off into its own franchise, detaching itself from the landmark JRPG series. Featuring exhilarating music, unique quality-of-life options, and gameplay evoking classic JRPG turn-based gameplay, Bravely Default quickly became incredibly popular in the JRPG community.

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The game was released on the 3DS and was an incredibly popular JRPG entry for the system. It made special use of the 3DS’s Streetpass function, which affected certain mechanics in the game. It soon received several sequels and became a JRPG franchise in its own right.

2 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails From Zero & Trails To Azure

The Masterful Crossbell Duology

Though Nihon Falcom was traditionally known for publishing its games strictly on PC platforms, in the 2000s, they began dipping their toes into putting their games on consoles. Eventually, they began prioritizing releasing games on consoles over PCs, with Trails from Zero in particular being the first Trails game to be released on PSP first and foremost.

Trails from Zero and its sequel Trails to Azure feature the best gameplay the Trails series has to offer, with a compelling storyline full of intricate worldbuilding and political intrigue. The games were initially Japan-only for more than a decade, but their recent localization also brought them to modern console platforms, a pleasant surprise for Trails fans everywhere.

1 Mother 3

The Heart-rending Resolution To The Mother Series

Mother 3

Systems

Developer

Brownie Brown, HAL Laboratory

Released

April 20, 2006

The much-anticipated follow-up to the incredibly influential Earthbound, Mother 3 released on the Game Boy Advance in 2006. Featuring the Mother series’ trademark sense of off-kilter humor and a unique rhythm-based battle system, Mother 3 is a JRPG masterpiece.

Mother 3, despite its cult popularity, has yet to make it over to the west. Fans of the game and the series as a whole have been asking Nintendo to localize the game, but for the time being, it doesn’t seem like any plans for that are in the works.

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