Board 8's Top 100 RPGs

Board 8's Top 100 RPGs was a project run by Vlado in early 2010. Users were asked to list their top 10 RPGs. For the purposes of ranking, their top game would get 10 points, second - 9 and so on. Voting coincided with the contest season (2010 was the first year when the GameFAQs Character Battle was held during the winter) and some of the voters were not board regulars. At the end, a total of 105 people voted (some votes were incomplete).

Here are the complete results.

98. Super Robot Taisen: Original Generation 2
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Developer: Banpresto Original release: 2005 Original platform: Game Boy Advance Sub-genre: Strategy RPG List appearances: 1 Total points: 10

Opening the list is AppleKidJosh's favourite RPG. Also one of the handful of handheld games on the list. It is apparently a fun anime-style strategy RPG with robots! Part of a relatively big series, too.

98. Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
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Developer: Tri-Ace Original release: 2004 Original platform: PlayStation 2 Sub-genre: Action RPG List appearances: 1 Total points: 10

Holy Excalibur's favourite game is next. I'm honestly shocked to only see a single vote mentioning this game, I really thought it was better liked around here. I reckon it didn't have lasting appeal, it was really hot here for 1-2 years after its release, but not anymore. Till the End of Time is the first of two entries from the highly acclaimed Star Ocean series on this list.

98. Front Mission 3
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Developer: SquareSoft Original release: 1999 Original platform: PlayStation Sub-genre: Strategy RPG List appearances: 1 Total points: 10

Bartolus1 is the guy who put this game on the map, as far as our list is concerned. It is the only representative of Square's Front Mission series on it. Front Mission 3 is a fun-looking war game with mechs which I should really put on my backlog. And maybe so should you! It has two separate story arcs depending on a choice you take pretty early in the game, so it's actually good for 2 playthroughs. You get different characters to join you depending on your choice, but the game doesn't change too much, since you can really customise your mechs so every character can be be pretty similar.

98. Dragon Quest
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Developer: ChunSoft Original release: 1986 Original platform: NES Sub-genre: Console-style RPG List appearances: 1 Total points: 10

Quintious is a person who won't deny his nostalgia, apparently. Thanks to him, a legendary game makes this list. Dragon Quest, the game that basically started the classical RPG genre, not to mention a franchise truly beloved throughout the world, and especially in Japan. It really hasn't stood the test of time too well... But the foundation it established is its most important asset.

98. Captain Tsubasa vol. II - Super Striker
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Developer: Tecmo Original release: 1990 Original platform: NES Sub-genre: Sports RPG List appearances: 1 Total points: 10

^_^ Vlado's favourite game also managed to make the list, if only just barely. Building tremendously upon the original Captain Tsubasa, the second installment in this Tecmo series is a timeless classic. I am playing it even now on my mobile phone. :) If you enjoy RPGs, anime or football/soccer, I recommend this to you. If you have played Final Fantasy X, you certainly remember Blitzball. Well, Blitzball is a dumbed down version of this game. If you like that, do give this a shot. There's even an English translation to this Japan-only release!

The game pushes the NES to its limits, offering beautiful graphics and a lot of catchy music. It is based on the popular manga and anime series of the same name. However, while the original Captain Tsubasa game followed the events described there, this game begins a new story arc following the events in the Shin Captain Tsubasa anime. It follows the story of Tsubasa, Japan's star footballer, and his teammates on their road to winning the World Youth championship in Brazil. Tsubasa is now 18 and already in Brazil, playing for Sao Paolo, while Hyuga (in Toho) and Misaki (in Nankatsu) are battling it out in the high school championship in Japan.

97. Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice
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Developer: Nippon Ichi Software Original release: 2008 Original platform: PlayStation 3 Sub-genre: Strategy RPG List appearances: 2 Total points: 10

All three Disgaea games made the list, no surprise that the latest entry is the lowest placed, as it is a PlayStation 3 exclusive. Maintaining the tried and true gameplay, as well as the sprity style (even in the current generation) of the first two games, Disgaea 3 is a must for those who would enjoy a cult game with unique humour and a nice SRPG challenge.

96. Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor
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Developer: Atlus Co. Original release: 2009 Original platform: DS Sub-genre: Console-style RPG List appearances: 3 Total points: 10

Atlus is a beloved company on this board and its first DS installment of the vast Shin Megami Tensei franchise made a whole 3 lists to find its way in the Top 100 RPGs. Well received by gamers and critics alike, this game is undoubtedly one of the non-Pokemon RPGs DS owners should consider.

95. Ogre Battle: The March of the Black Queen
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Developer: Quest Original release: 1993 Original platform: SNES Sub-genre: Strategy RPG List appearances: 2 Total points: 11

Quest's Ogre series is mostly known for being Final Fantasy Tactics before Final Fantasy Tactics even existed. Even the music composers are the same - Hitoshi Sakimoto and Masaharu Iwata. This is the original installment of the franchise, and apparently a pretty decently liked game on this board, having made 2 users' Top 10 lists in order to appear here. It is also the only game in the series that made the list, while the one I considered more popular, Ogre Battle 64, didn't even get a point.

94. Lufia & the Fortress of Doom
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Developer: Neverland Original release: 1993 Original platform: SNES Sub-genre: Console-style RPG List appearances: 2 Total points: 11

The original and less popular installment of the Lufia series on the SNES, Lufia even won a user's Top 10 RPGs list (Arguro's). Known for combining classic RPG gameplay with puzzle elements, the Lufia series has captured many gamers' hearts. It is a relatively cult series, but one worth checking out if you aren't above playing SNES games in today's day and age nonetheless.

93. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
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Developer: Square Enix Original release: 2003 Original platform: Game Boy Advance Sub-genre: Strategy RPG List appearances: 4 Total points: 11

Tactics' snotty little brother usually gets a lot of hate on this board, but guess what? It has its fans, too - it made 4 people's Top 10 lists. While certainly being a poor man's version of the PlayStation classic, the game manages to maintain the essence of the original's gameplay. Unfortunately, it also adds some less than stellar components such as Judges, and the variety and depth of character building is just nowhere near that of Tactics. This game also spawned a character viewed in most hilarious light by most Board 8 users and one who has appeared in many villain contests despite being the game's protagonist - Marche.

92. Lost Odyssey
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Developer: Mistwalker Original release: 2007 Original platform: Xbox 360 Sub-genre: Console-style RPG List appearances: 2 Total points: 12

Lost Odyssey is the biggest project so far of Hironobu Sakaguchi's new studio, Mistwalker, as well as one of the best RPGs on Xbox 360. Unsurprisingly, it hasn't gone without notice on this board, either. Microsoft paid big bucks for the full rights of Mistwalker's work and that has helped them gain some ground on Japan, especially in comparison to the original Xbox. Sakaguchi is a genius and perhaps we can expect even bigger things from his studio.

91. Secret of Evermore
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Developer: Square USA Original release: 1995 Original platform: SNES Sub-genre: Action RPG List appearances: 2 Total points: 12

One of Square's less known jewels from the SNES days, Secret of Evermore tells the story of a boy and his dog travelling through different historical periods. Interesting enough premise, isn't it. It made 2 people's lists and is even Mega Mana's favourite RPG. A game worth checking out during one of those SNES mood days.