TOP 20 ALL-TIME FAVORITE RPGs! - Nerds of the Northland, Episode 33

In this episode of Nerds of the Northland, hosts Joseph Mosier and Jacob LeRoux present their Top 20 All-Time Favorite RPGs. Their list is heavily influenced by personal nostalgia and spans various console generations, featuring both retro classics and modern titles. The Top 20 RPG List: 20. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (1:30): Noted for its accessibility and popularity in the speedrunning community. It is remembered for being linear and plain, but incredibly intensely repeatable and fun in various ways (challenge running, speedrunning categories, etc.). 19. Phantasy Star Series (4:16): Praised for its interconnected, generational world-building across four titles. 18. The Legend of Dragoon (7:28): Recognized for its innovative battle system and impressive production value for the PS1 era. Double. Slash! 17. Final Fantasy 9 (9:22): Highlights include its cinematic storytelling and ability system. 16. Crimson Desert (11:13): A modern entry that impressed the hosts with its open-world quality and responsive development. 15. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars (13:23): A unique collaboration between Square and Nintendo with memorable music and awesome character interactions within the story. 14. Final Fantasy 12 (15:37): Appreciated for its grand scale and deep mechanical systems like the license board. 13. Final Fantasy 10 (18:19): A standout for its emotional story and the introduction of Blitzball. The Sphere Grid was awesome, too! The characters were great, too! Too, too! 12. Pokemon Gold and Silver (20:17): Cited for improving upon the original generation and adding the ability to revisit the previous map. 11. Fallout: New Vegas (21:56): Admirably praised for its personal, choice-driven narrative despite its infamous technical glitches. 10. Breath of Fire 1, 2, and 3 (24:38): Notable for the dragon transformation mechanics and character-driven progression. 9. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot (27:47): Considered the definitive open-world experience for Dragon Ball Z fans. You actually feel like the characters! :D 8. Pokemon Red and Blue (29:57): The nostalgic foundation of the franchise for the hosts. 7. Secret of Evermore (32:12): A passion project from Square that successfully blended Western themes with the Mana series' gameplay. 6. Red Dead Redemption 2 (34:36): A modern masterpiece with an incredibly deep, emotional story. 5. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (37:15): The gold standard for Metroidvanias with heavy RPG elements. 4. Final Fantasy 6 (38:58): The hosts' pick for the best Final Fantasy on the Super Nintendo, featuring the iconic, crazy villain named, Kefka. 3. The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (41:12): A quintessential Zelda experience that set the template for the series' exploration and puzzle design. 2. Final Fantasy 7 (43:38): Celebrated for its revolutionary impact and the ongoing Remake/Rebirth project. 1. Chrono Trigger (45:59): An artistic and mechanical masterpiece, representing the peak of Squaresoft's golden era. Thank you for joining us on this journey! We will talk about games, music, art, culture, history, and more! This is supposed to be as authentic as possible and whatever comes to mind in meaningful conversations with each other and you, the audience. Thank you for all the love and support! You rock! THE NERDS OF THE NORTHLAND ARE: Joseph Mosier: Lifelong Minnesotan Father, Writer, Comedian, Streamer, Game Professional/ Tester, & Editor Jacob LeRoux: Lifelong Minnesotan Game Designer, Owner of CosmoRetro Studios, Admin for Critical Hit Community, Streamer/ Speedrunner, Musician, Full Sail Game Design Alum Contact/ Links: Find us on Twitch! Joe -   / jmosier89   Jacob -   / cosmoretro   To see more of Jacob's independent content, check out these other links!    / @cosmoretrogaming  Jacob LeRoux's YouTube   / criticalhitcommunity   - Critical Hit Community Game Charity Twitch Homepage   / discord   - DISCORD INVITE TO CRITICAL HIT COMMUNITY