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RPGs are usually huge games that take place in vast, sprawling worlds, full of NPCs to talk to and quests to uncover. So you'd think that a great RPG would be the exclusive domain of home consoles, and that portable systems wouldn't be able to support that kind of massive adventure.
But nay! Even ignoring that Nintendo's hybrid console, the Switch, has a robust library of killer RPGs, these games from the exclusively handheld systems of yesteryear prove that developers can always squeeze an incredible RPG out of humble, portable hardware.
10 Golden Sun
The SNES had no shortage of excellent RPGs, so it's no surprise that the technologically similar Game Boy Advance had its fair share of awesome RPGs as well. Foremost among these was Golden Sun, a vast and ambitious game released just a few short months after the GBA's launch.
The game features some of the best graphics and music on the system, along with a cast of lovable characters and buckets of old-school RPG charm. It's no wonder that fans of the series are still clamoring for another installment.
9 The World Ends With You
The DS's oddball form factor led to a lot of games that are... well, a little off-kilter. Remember Feel The Magic: XY/XX? Not all of these experiments worked out, but Square's stylish cult classic The World Ends With You certainly did.
The game casts you as Neku, a surly teenager who's drawn into a mysterious tournament known as the Reapers' Game. The battle system takes advantage of all the DS' unique features — its two-screen setup, its touch capabilities, and even its microphone — to create a frantic, fun twist on the genre... and it doesn't hurt that the game positively oozes cool.
8 Shin Megami Tensei 4
Though the 3DS had a legendarily rocky launch, the system's reputation slowly improved over its lifespan. One of the many reasons for this turnaround was the fact that it became a haven for hardcore RPGs, and no game demonstrates this quite like Shin Megami Tensei 4.
In keeping with the series tradition, SMT4 can be brutally difficult — good luck with that Minotaur fight — but it suits a game that's about being lost in a strange, alienating world.
7 Fire Emblem: Awakening
Before Fire Emblem: Awakening, the Fire Emblem series was in trouble — many of the games never made it out of Japan, and those that did weren't exactly smash hits. But when players got their hands on the series' first 3DS installment, all of that changed.
Awakening added in several new features that made purists cry foul, but these additions also made the game more approachable to newcomers without sacrificing too much of the series' hardcore appeal. It also added in new party bonding mechanics, paving the way for more recent entries to go full-blown anime friend simulator — and the series is all the better for it.
6 Radiant Historia
Talk about RPGs for long enough and someone is bound to bring up Chrono Trigger. Square's classic tale casts a long shadow, not least because of how it takes a tricky concept — time travel — and executes it to effortless perfection. Though Radiant Historia was developed by a different studio over a decade later, it keeps Chrono Trigger's legacy alive by telling a time travel story with similar grace.
Radiant Historia casts you as Stocke, a loyal soldier who is tasked with traveling through time to prevent an oncoming disaster. The game even incorporates time travel into its battle system, allowing you to manipulate your party's turn order to your advantage. That attention to detail is indicative of the game's well-considered, satisfying take on this old trope.
5 Persona 4 Golden
The PlayStation Vita didn't quite set the world on fire, but despite poor sales, the system gained a cult following thanks to its surprisingly robust library. One of the standout games from that library was Persona 4 Golden, an enhanced port of Persona 4 that originally released exclusively on the underperforming handheld.
Persona 4 Golden keeps the core game's intriguing murder mystery setup while expanding the plot and characters, introducing a new party member, new social links, and new demons to recruit. The result is the definitive edition of a classic game.
4 Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga hails from a time when Nintendo seemed to really care about RPGs starring their beloved Italian mascot. Released for the GBA in 2003, the game is a delightfully quirky successor to Super Mario RPG and Paper Mario, in which Mario and Luigi must crisscross the Beanbean Kingdom to restore Princess Peach's lost voice.
The game overflows with humor and charm — just read any of Fawful's dialogue — and its turn-based combat features the quick-time action commands that became a Mario RPG staple. Developer Alphadream may have closed its doors in 2019, but their legacy lives on in this beloved classic.
3 The Legend Of Heroes: Trails In The Sky
Portable RPGs have a big problem to overcome: how do you tell a huge, complex story when the console encourages players to drop in and out at will? Many RPGs tell smaller-scale stories to get around this problem. The Legend Of Heroes: Trails In The Sky, on the other hand, just leans all the way into epic storytelling.
This installment of Falcom's long-running Legend Of Heroes series is so dense with text and worldbuilding that the process of translating the PSP version into English took nearly a year, leading to a delayed launch and poor initial sales. But with time, its sheer quality made it a word-of-mouth success. It's an effortlessly charming RPG with depth to spare, the kind of game that will eat up your time if you let it.
2 Bravely Default
Despite its silly title, Bravely Default became one of the defining titles for the 3DS and paved the way for Square's modern return to classic RPG goodness. The game is heavily inspired by old-school Final Fantasy, and its focus on crystals and medieval fantasy provides a familiar backdrop for its more interesting innovations.
In particular, the battle system allows you to manipulate your turn order, giving up turns now to stack up your moves for maximum damage later. It adds a layer of strategic depth that makes Bravely Default's gameplay endlessly compelling.
1 Mother 3
Every other game on this list managed an official English-language release, but despite a dedicated campaign from fans of the franchise (including Terry Crews), Nintendo has steadfastly refused to release the GBA classic Mother 3 outside of Japan. And that's a real shame, because the game is unlike anything else.
Mother 3 is a sequel to the SNES cult classic Earthbound, and follows a boy named Lucas and his family as they deal with an encroaching military force. The game strikes a more serious, mature tone than its predecessor — it's like a fairy tale about the evils of capitalism. But it maintains the series' trademark oddball humor, softening its intensity with real human warmth. It's a masterpiece.