This week, I wrote about why summer break always felt like RPG season and how it is the Summer of RPGs 2026. The more I thought about it, the more I realized there were a handful of games that completely defined those summers for me.
These were the RPGs that kept me up way too late. The ones that had me drawing maps, grinding levels, arguing with friends about who had the stronger party, and thinking about them even when the console was turned off.
Some of them were huge adventures. Some of them were comfort games. All of them helped make summer break feel a little more magical.
These aren’t necessarily the best RPGs ever made. They’re the RPGs that defined my summers.
In no particular order…okay, maybe a little particular order, here are the RPGs that defined my childhood summers.
10. Golden Sun
If you haven’t played Golden Sun before you are doing yourself a disservice. While it may seem strange to think the Game Boy Advance could produce something so high quality, it’s true!
Golden sun was the first huge RPG you could take anywhere. Long car trips? A breeze with this. Heading to your parent’s boring friends house? Suddenly exciting.
Golden Sun had a pretty deep Djinn system that felt fun to master back as a kid. Mix this with some pretty snazzy puzzles and a good story and you have yourself one of the best RPGs on the go.
Golden Sun also had one of those worlds that seemed much bigger than it actually was. Back then, I remember feeling like every new town was a major discovery and every dungeon had some sort of puzzle waiting to make me feel either really smart or really dumb. There never seemed to be a shortage of things to do and that made every new play session exciting.
9. Chrono Trigger
Every summer had that a game that made you lose track of time. Ironically, Chrono Trigger was literally about time. Every era felt like a new adventure, and discovering different endings felt revolutionary.
I didn’t know I was playing a game that would hold up for decades but I could tell that it was fun. Meeting all these different time travelers and getting to fight alongside them was a blast. Plus, Chrono Trigger made you feel like your choices mattered. And going back to replay the game and getting a different ending than originally was such a shock.
8. Pokemon Red & Blue
Full transparency, I was a part of those wonderful 90s news stories that had their schools banning Pokemon games. Only my 6th grade teacher rebelled and actually LET us bring in our Gameboy’s and battle and trade during dedicated times.
Once school was out, though, Pokemon and I hung out a ton more. Golden Sun may be bigger than this in scale but this was the first time I ever felt SO invested in a handheld RPG that it took over. Yes, my friends heard from a friend that Mew could be found under the truck. It was a lie. But we searched. And searched. And also caught them all.
7. The Legend of Dragoon
Holy combat system. The Legend of Dragoon offered up not only a cool story, but a combat system that made you feel like you were actually part of the action. Each attack demanded your attention and made you feel like the baddest person on the planet.
I remember actually getting lost in this world and just listening to the music for hours. Sweet looking dragoons, immersive attacks, and a solid story. You surely would think that this was a Squaresoft game with how good it is. What more do you want out of an RPG?
6. Xenogears
As a kid I understood maybe half of what Xenogears was trying to tell me. But I knew it felt important. Between giant gears and an incredibly ambitious story, it was one of the first RPGs that made me realize games could tell stories on the same level as books and movies.
But also as a kid, just being able to be a that giant mech and fight other baddies, now that was awesome. Xenogears not only offers up some fun memories, but a game that will stick with you years later. Playing it as an adult really let me understand it more and doesn’t tarnish the good times.
5. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue
Lunar 2 felt like a Saturday morning cartoon mixed with a grand adventure. The cast was impossible not to like and every new town felt like another stop on an unforgettable journey.
It was comedic, it was exciting, it had a fun collector’s edition. This game may actually be the first collector’s edition I ever bought. I listened to the soundtrack ALL the time. I even watched the bonus disc that came with voice acting bloopers often. =
Lunar 2 got a remaster recently alongside the first and I have yet to play it but I still remember the game like it was yesterday.
4. Final Fantasy IX
This is probably my favorite Final Fantasy of all time. Charming characters, a bad ass setting, and Vivi.
That’s the paragraph. Vivi is awesome.
Final Fantasy jumped back to its roots after the mixed reception of 8 (I still like 8, don’t worry) and it felt like home again.
Card games, deep drama with humor sprinkled in, and a strategy guide that had you sign in online to actually use it. Weird facts aside, the music and environments in Final Fantasy IX remain some of my favorite in video game history.
Final Fantasy IX also had one of the strongest casts in the entire series. Everyone remembers Vivi, and rightfully so, but Zidane, Steiner, Freya, and the rest of the crew all brought something special to the adventure. It felt like traveling with actual friends. By the end of the game, I didn’t want the journey to end, and that’s probably the biggest compliment I can give any RPG.
3. Super Mario RPG
Before I knew what a JRPG even was, Super Mario RPG tricked me into becoming a fan of the genre.
Because it starred Mario, it felt approachable. I already knew the Mushroom Kingdom, Bowser, and Peach. The RPG mechanics were new, but everything else felt familiar. It was the perfect gateway into a genre that would eventually dominate my summers. I remember sitting with my friend and writing down which attacks did how much damage to certain bosses after finding out their HP. Since we were so new to RPGs it felt like an entirely new world.
Whenever I see the newly remastered Super Mario RPG or screenshots of the old, I am teleported back into that bedroom and fighting those bosses all over again.
2. Final Fantasy VII
I mean, c’mon. I know there are two Final Fantasy games on this list but 7 HAS to be included. The first time launching into Midgar off of that speeding train is SUCH an iconic moment.
From learning materia, to gambling in the Gold Saucer to….Aerith…Final Fantasy 7 truly defined what it meant to be an RPG. Not only did it set the bar, it set the tone for many years to come.
What really blew my mind was just how much there was to do. Chocobo breeding, hidden materia, secret bosses, side quests, and entire areas you could miss if you weren’t paying attention. The moment you got the airship, the game opened up in a way that felt almost impossible at the time. I spent countless hours flying around that world looking for things I had missed. Sometimes I found something incredible. Other times I found absolutely nothing. Either way, I was having the time of my life.
1. Suikoden 1 & 2
My favorite RPG. Of all time. Suikoden. I traded a copy of Beyond the Beyond on Playstation for this wonky looking cover art of a game and got blessed with a diamond. Before Final Fantasy 7, I was playing this. A game where you have to recruit 108 Stars of Destiny to build your army and castle to take on the evil empire.
Suikoden is more than a video game. It is an experience. While some of the mechanics do not hold up too well today (the remake fixes some), the story is one of the most emotional stories in video game history. This game combined with the sequel are tied with my favorite gaming memories.
What made Suikoden special wasn’t just the 108 characters. It was seeing your actions reflected in the world around you. Every new recruit made your castle feel a little more alive. New shops opened, new conversations appeared, and your army slowly transformed from a handful of allies into a force capable of changing the fate of an entire nation. I had never played anything like it before and honestly, I still haven’t.
Strategy guides, trading character locations with my friend, and spending hours crafting the perfect party for the final battles. Those memories are a huge reason why Suikoden remains my favorite RPG series of all time.
Why The Summer of RPGs Matter
Looking back, I don’t just remember these games. I remember where I played them. I remember sitting on the floor in front of the TV. I remember swapping strategy guide secrets with friends and staying up way later than I should have.
Summer break eventually ended, but somehow these RPGs never really left. Every time I hear a familiar soundtrack or see a screenshot from one of these games, I’m immediately transported back to those late-night gaming sessions.
That’s the magic of RPGs. They’re not just games. They’re memories.
And for me, these were the RPGs that defined my summers.
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