Good handheld RPGs?

[noiseredux]

handhelds were made for RPG's and puzzle games.

[pepharytheworm]

Here' are then non snes ports I like on the GBA:

Lufia: The Ruins of Lore
Lunar Legend (plays diferently then the PS1 version and differnet weapons)
Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga
Riviera: The Promised Land
Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 1 & 2
Sigma Star Saga
Sword of Mana (GB remake)
Tales of Phantasia (SFC port)
The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap (I know not a RPG but close enough so shut it)

Gamegear:
Axe Battler (on the master system also)
Defenders of Oasis

Neo Geo Pocket:
BioMotor Unitron
Dark Arms
Falsei
Evolution Worlds

GB:
Lufia: The Legend Returns
and of course all the Zelda games

There are so many on the DS to list so I don't feel like listing them.
IUf you count turbo grafx because of the express there is even more to list.

[Betamax001]

I know they ported Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior) 1,2, and 3 to the Game Boy Colour. I havent personally played those, but they look pretty good. Also Dragon Quest IV and V were ported to the DS. For some reason DQV is kinda hard to find. I guess it had a low print run or something. I played DQ IV and it was a ton of fun to play! You mentioned Chrono Trigger DS and FFIII and I recommend those also if you havent played them. Also if you liked the 3D style of FFIII they made a similar version for FFIV which looked pretty cool.

[MrPopo]

I played Pokemon Blue when it first came out and I had a lot of fun with it! I haven't played anything since then, pretty much due to the fact that I'm overwhelmed with all of the different versions that have come out since then. Any suggestions on which ones to play and in which order?

I'd recommend you pick up Platinum and then either HeartGold or SoulSilver when it comes out in March. If you have a non-DSi you can also get some of the GBA games to use the connectivity to fill out the last parts of your Pokedex. The games come in pairs, and sometimes have a third "best of" game that enhances some of the features, and generally mixes up some of the Gym battles.

Also, has anyone played the Shining Force game for the Gamegear? I've a Shining Force noob and was thinking about playing through that series as well.

Shining Force on Game Gear I wouldn't recommend if you have a Sega CD. It was ported along with the first Shining Force on GG (which was JP only), only now it has enhanced graphics and sound. The Shining Force games on Game Gear are really only the battles, with a little camp screen where you can revive, save, and buy upgrades. The console entries include town segments that play like a standard RPG.

[skyknight]

Not sure about the Neo Geo Pocket Color, but I did just read that the Wonderswan Color had the original Final Fantasy ported to it. Too bad it's import only though.

Not just one, but three! FF I, II, and IV were ported to WSC, with I & II receiving enhancement that served as the base for the GBA port. There was a develop for III, but got cancel entirely (was 2D as opposed to DS' 3D)

Also on the WSC: Front Mission (1st one), Saga, and Romancing Saga, which is known as FF Legends in the West. Plus, Rivera was first introduced on the WSC, but later ported to GBA, and later PSP; talk about a triple jump! Plus, SD Gundam Generations series, which I think was about 5 or 6 of them.

But as always, due to its limited release within JP, all games are in Japanese, which can be a bit of a pain to play, if you don't know what the commends and spells are.

Oh, where would Half-minute Hero fit in?

[Gamerforlife]

What makes rpgs so good on portables is that grinding becomes less annoying when you can distract yourself with the tv or something. I played a few good PSP ones

I really like Jeanne d'Arc. As my first level 5 game it made a good impression

Crisis Core was cool because of its nifty real time combat system. Though the stupid, gimmicky DMW system hurt it a bit.

Then you've got awesome ports like Disgaea and Disgaea 2. Plus FF Tactics:War of the Lions

[alienjesus]

If you don't mind a bit of card gaming, Pokemon Trading Card for GBC is surprisingly enjoyable. Capcom vs SNK cardfighters clash for NGPC is also highly regarded, but personally i can't stand it.

Other RPGs (and SRPGs) that jump to mind:
Golden Sun 1&2 (GBA)- I think you already mentioned these, but they are brilliant, so I thought I'd double check.
Mario & Luigi Superstar saga(GBA), Partners in Time(DS), Bowsers inside Story(DS) - Fantastic and funny RPG's, especially the first one
Pokemon- They're generally all worth a shot. I'd go for the 3rd of each set if you want a more complete experience (yellow, crystal, emerald and platinum versions)
Dragon Quest Monsters(GBC)- Not played this, but I've heard its a great take on a monster catching RPG.
Biomotor Unitron - Again, not played, but it's always mentioned in NGPC discussions.
Fire Emblem(GBA), -Fuuin No Tsurugi(GBA), -Sacred Stones(GBA), -Shadow Dragon(DS)- All these are great, but if you have to pick, try and find Fire Emblem 7 (just called fire emblem in the west)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance(GBA), FFTA2(DS) - Brilliant SRPGs, that last forever XD
The World Ends With You(DS) - An original and enjoyable RPG from Square Enix that doesn't have "Final Fantasy" Tacked in the title for once.
Sonic Chronicles(DS) - Ok, this isn't that great, but its decent, and I thought it deserved a mention just because I felt like it.

Theres loads of DS RPGs though, it's not like you'll run short.

Harvest Moon/Rune Factory

[jmanx81]

I dont consider PS Zero a hardcore rpg, but its pretty decent if youre into that. Ive got my 60+ hrs in after having it for about a month. I like FF series and Chrono on the DS. Those are some of the best in my opinion. Deep story and plenty of things to do and get. Chrono has many different endings so the playthrough on that is good. It also has a coliseum mode for monster battles, which is a nice feature away from the main quest.

[randombullseye]

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona - Yes, this is a port of the PS1 game, but re-translated and re-localized with new contnet that the old game only had in the Japanese version. A very good dungeon crawly RPG with the usual cool storylines Shin Megami has.

Dragon Warrior(really Quest) V - A DS new classic. Seriously one of the all time best RPGs I've ever played. The storyline goes places you'll never expect it to and the battles are so fullfilling for me. I love this game.

[J T]

Shin Megami Tensei: Persona - Yes, this is a port of the PS1 game, but re-translated and re-localized with new contnet that the old game only had in the Japanese version. A very good dungeon crawly RPG with the usual cool storylines Shin Megami has.

They are also porting Persona 3 to the PSP.