With the release of Final Fantasy 16, JRPGs have re-entered the public spotlight. On top of this, companies have been remastering and re-releasing plenty of classic games from the genre as well. Games like Etrian Odyssey have received full remasters, while the Baiten Kaitos and Super Mario RPG remasters are coming soon. All of this combined means that fans of classic JRPGs have a lot to look forward to. However, there are still tons of classic series that deserve the same treatment. While remastering Super Mario RPG and Baiten Kaitos is a great start, it doesn’t even scratch the surface of potential returning games. Here are five forgotten JRPGs that deserve to come back as a remaster.
5) Final Fantasy Tactics
Recently, many rumors have been circulating about the potential of a Final Fantasy Tactics remaster. This game is a spin-off of the Final Fantasy series and features interesting turn-based tactical combat. Final Fantasy Tactics was a hit with fans and grew to have a sizeable following. Later, the game would go on to receive a port for the PSP as well, with updated graphics. However, besides this, no hint of the original Final Fantasy Tactics has graced the modern gaming era. With all these rumors circulating about, it goes to show how much people think the game deserves a remaster of the forgotten JRPG. Additionally, seeing the cutscenes of FF Tactics War of the Lions updated to HD would be an amazing treat.
4) Enchanted Arms
Coming from famous developer, From Software, is their lesser-known title, Enchanted Arms. The game is an interesting turn-based combat experience using up to four characters. The story itself is a bizarre but memorable experience that is bound to leave an impression on players. Although this game isn’t the most popular in the world, it would be great to see it return. Despite being a largely forgotten JRPG, it had enough fans and positive reviews to at least deserve the thought of a remaster. Of course, From Software has many far more pressing projects to work on at the moment. However, maybe sometime in the future, an Enchanted Arms remaster will be on the company’s radar.
3) Breath of Fire
Breath of Fire is a classic traditional JRPG released by Capcom. This game is considered by many to be Capcom’s first introduction to the realm of JRPGs. Since its release on the SNES, the game has garnered quite a bit of popularity. It was even brought back to play in the Switch’s SNES library. However, the JRPG seems to have been forgotten by the original developers, with no new entries or remasters coming out in North America since 2003. Even the more modern Japanese entries of the series have been made into mobile formats. It would be terrific to see the original game made with modern hardware and updated graphics. Creating a remaster for the classic series would be an excellent way to honor Capcom’s first JRPG.
2) Mother 3
It goes without saying that one of the most sought-after remasters is the port of Mother 3. Sadly, it seems that the cult classic JRPG has been all but forgotten by Nintendo. Fans of the Earthbound and the Mother series have been asking for an English port. However, to date, Mother 3 remains the only game in the series to not get an English release. Even the original Mother, or Earthbound Beginnings, was eventually brought to the U.S. in the form of a virtual console release. That being said, a remaster of Mother 3 may be the perfect way to recreate the last of the Mother JRPGs that American fans deserve. If Nintendo remasters it for modern consoles, I’m sure it will be a big hit among the many Earthbound fans, including myself.
1) Golden Sun
Finally, though Nintendo doesn’t seem to have any plans for Golden Sun, the game deserves a remaster. Golden Sun is a traditional JRPG for the Gameboy Advance that quickly became a hit. However, the series never seemed to pick up steam and only received three entries. Seeing as how much fun the games are, the series had a lot of potential that was never capitalized upon. However, with the release of a version in the Switch’s Gameboy Advance library, there is still an audience for the series. Though a remaster at this point seems unlikely, Golden Sun doesn’t deserve to be a forgotten JRPG.
