Xenoblade (2 Points)
I can't even with this game. It's just so good. It's not super melodramatic so I can replay it forever, it's so fun, it's one of the few games that I want to just complete everything with. I loved all the characters, loved the story, the music. And finally, Takahashi got to complete his story. Well done sir.
Final Fantasy IX
This is my favourite Final Fantasy and probably the only one that will continue on with me. I enjoyed the others when I first played them but when I went back, they just bothered me. Except for FFIX. It's charming, Zidane is my favourite FF hero (and one of my faves in general), Kuja is my favourite FF villain. It just really worked for me. I don't want futuristic stuff and steam/cyber punk in my FF games, I want swords and castles and princesses.
Mother 3
Beautiful. I can't really say much more. It's just an amazing game. Only problem I have is that I couldn't do the battle system, haha. Either I just never got it, or my timing is awful or whatever, but I just never could, not even with Duster's skill. Whoops, music fail for me.
Xenosaga 3
I loved the whole XS series and how ~deep~ it is, but it's so so melodramatic, I doubt I could go back and play it anymore without ruining my love for it. But I was one of the few who really enjoyed Shion as the main character, I freaking love Albedo, Wilhelm and Kevin were great. I really liked 1 and 2, but 3 just kind of took the things I enjoyed a lot and made the best game out of it.
Earthbound
This is kind of my go to nostalgia game, even though I didn't play it as a kid when it first came out (I remember my mom looking at the huge box and all "Aliens and garbage, that sounds awful, no" haha). It's just a nice, pleasant game, it makes me happy and comfortable, and I've probably played through it 10 or so times. I just play it when I feel like I don't want to start a new game of anything else and it's just there and ~smiling at me~.
Kingdom Hearts
Can this count? Action RPG? Eh. I love Kingdom Hearts. I don't even care that it's gotten so batshit crazy it doesn't even make sense anymore, haha. I love Sora, he's always so happy. I love Disney, even though the worlds are just the movies watered down. I think the first game is still my favourite, even though 2 is a bit more fun to me. I just enjoyed the simple story in KH1 compared to the batshittery of the rest.
Threads of Fate
I don't even know why I love this game, I just do, haha. It's a lot of fun, I really enjoyed the stories overlapping, it's so delightfully bizarre and rather funny. I just had fun with it.
Chrono Trigger
It's Trigger.
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Another that's really bizarre (first is too) but it was fun, the battle system was greatly improved, and I really liked the story (time travel! Demons! Let's revive people!). I also really enjoy Yuri as a a character.
Pokemon Heart Gold
It's ridiculous how much time I spent with Gold as a kid. Ridiculous. With this entry, I kind of mean original Gold and Heart Gold, because they're the same, one just more refined and using new mechanics. It's "better" than the original, but the original was still the one that ate my 10/11 year old brain for 125 hours.
Older games I need to play next year:
-Skies of Arcadia (somehow, without spending $80
)
-Final Fantasy XII (I didn't like it much the first time I tried it, but having played Xenoblade now, I may appreciate the battle system more, and the fact that I don't go for melodrama much anymore might warm me to the political story)
-Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep (I need a cheap PSP...
)
Here's to 2012 and the coming new RPGs!