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Glad to see Emerald Beyond getting so much love, even as a long time SaGa fan I was pleasantly suprised by just how great the combat and progression is and couldnt put it down.
Me too. I been considering getting that game and after the review, I’m definitely getting that game, I really do need to stack up some rpgs for my switch. Super Mario rpg and paper Mario is next.
I'm going to stand up and defend SaGa Frontier 2 as one of the best SaGa games. The story is great, once you learn the mechanics it isn't bad at all and best of all, at least compared to Romancing SaGa and SaGa Frontier, it doesn't have a Battle Rank. And also it is absolutely gorgeous as you mentioned. Gustave XIII and the Knights family are some of my favorite characters ever.
Saga Frontier 2 is very underrated. Fantastic game, graphically gorgeous, intriguing plot where you really could not guess where it was going. The soundtrack, while a little more RPG traditional is amazing… I think the only issue I have is the difficulty… the last dungeon and boss and last war battle are ridiculous.
@@andrewhegstrom2187 even then lmao I still couldn’t do it. I felt like there’s was a bit of rng involved. I did watch a speed run where they managed to get the boss in a corner where he couldn’t retreat which ended the battle.. that was kinda cool
You have to be one of the only UA-camrs that I really enjoy seeing do a tier list. It's rare that people doing them have as informed and articulated opinions. Love it. Romancing Saga 3 has become my favorite, especially since the remaster being available in English. The New Game+ feature it included was also wonderful for experiencing the branching paths. I just love how much freedom and flexibility are included, yet I never really felt directionless. The commander mode is also just wild to experiment with in different situations for people used to the Dragon Quest/Final Fantasy approach to battles.
I forget her name, but there's a comic I saw once on Comedy Central Presents who had a really funny bit about Final Fantasy Legend. Got Minstrel Song, Scarlet, and Emerald coming in the mail!
After unlimited saga, they are all pretty fun. Ranking how fun they are to play now vs. how fun they were to play is another factor. The first game has great memories for me, and I still remember how I felt as I was exploring, but it may be a little old for today's tastes. There is an excellent RPG maker saga4 Masters of The Demon world that I just started playing, if you are a saga fan it is very loyal to the original... the music, tiles, and classes are all used.
I’m so glad you made this video, I finally got saga frontier on a really good sale and I’m trying really hard to get into it. I’m starting to though!! I was literally looking for this exact video a couple weeks ago but you hadn’t made it yet lol
Oh wow. This is one list where we completely differ 😅. I would put saga frontier 2 at the top. I love the art style. And I think it’s one of the only games in the series that managed to have a clear through-line in the story regarding the series’ theme of ancestry. Also…Unlimited saga took me several attempts, but once it clicked, I was into it. I still think it’s a little clunky, and I probably wouldn’t have the patience to play it today, but I kind of loved the growth panel concept. I thought that was such a clever way to grow your characters….the panels you got were based on what the individual character used most during a dungeon…but you couldn’t completely control it, so there was a slight element of strategy and testing the player’s adaptability within the randomness of it. I also love romancing 2 and 3…as well as saga frontier 1. I tried to play 5 minutes of emerald beyond and I was so repulsed that I immediately deleted all traces of it from my console…that’s not my saga. Absolute trash Minstrel song would probably be 3rd or 4th from the top of my list. It’s really solid, but it has some systems that I don’t really love
If you’re new to the series you should start with either Saga frontier or Minstrel Song Remastered if you want a longer more in depth game. This is a good list David I only disagree with Unlimited Saga and Emerald beyonds placement 😅. Unlimited Saga just needs a remaster that has tutorials to explain the game, and maybe a way to disable the reel system if you don’t like it. Personally I like games that don’t hold your hand and explain everything to you so Unlimited Saga was a real treat. You really don’t need a guide it only took about a night or two of playing to figure stuff out myself, I guess others just drop the game too fast before giving it an actual chance which I understand. Emerald Beyond on the other hand ohh boy, I hated this game. The story is laughably bad on almost every planet you go to, the menu UI is bad and slow to navigate, smallest soundtrack of a Saga game so hope you enjoy listening to the same 2-3 songs all game in and out of combat, there’s no towns, no shops, no cutscenes, all you do is run panel to panel ( which I somehow enjoyed more in unlimited saga,maybe cause you could actually choose where to go instead of the game just pointing you to the next panel like a child) read some cringey dialogue and then fight some mobs or a boss.The combat is the only part of the game I enjoyed everything else was a boring slog. First Saga game I’ve played where I have no motivation to start a second character after beating it.
David I can't tell you how many times I've gotten into full arguments with friends over " just because a game is old doesn't mean it's bad!" Preach brother preach !
Been replaying SaGa2/FFL2 over a phone emu between breaks on work, and some longer sessions at home. Some friends and I found it under a bed when we were 9 and had a blast beating it. It has an impeccable short-burst gameplay loop that makes even arranging equipment fun. I have yet to play other SaGa titles, but am delighted with SaGa 2 being your number one pick.
Yeah, I really loved this game. As a kid, I thought these games were going to develop into something with a tone not too dissimilar to Earthbound with a quirky progression system to match. I kinda wish they hadn't abandoned the general vibe of the early games so quickly. I feel that the initial formula still has potential that has yet to be realised. Having different progression systems for each type of character is cool and still very unique for RPGs. The Romancing games are good, but I feel the initial formula perfected would trump those games easily.
Oh, if you're curious about the rest of the series, to keep it brief, I don't think any of the later games capture the charm this one has. If Saga games were the band Yes, Saga 2 is Close to the Edge, and every game after is "Tales from Toppographic Oceans". They have their appeal, but they never quite come close to the sweet spot that was FFL2. Frontier comes closest in tone imho, but it's still not nearly as intuitively obtuse. I left David a comment about the recent games as I haven't played them, he's usually pretty great at replying, but if he doesn't I'll may take the plunge and get back to you. Sorry for the long reply, but that story about finding a Gameboy game in a weird spot randomly resonated with me because that is how I found Cadtlevania 2: Belmont's Revenge and that game has been special ever since. It's like magic put it there.
Thank you for making this, David. Also Happy belated Birthday! I was just about to reach out to you and ask which game should I get between Megaton Musashi W vs. Saga Emerald Beyond? Guess I’m going with Saga!
According to Wikipedia there were no SNES releases of the Romancing SaGa games, only Super Famicom, they were original passed over for Localization like Final Fantasy 5.
Awesome video David! Emerald Beyond has become my absolute all time favorite SaGa and i haven't been able to put it down since it released. Where would you have put The Last Remnant on the list though?
Saga Frontier was the first game I played on the PS1 (it was a loaner) and it holds a special place in my heart. I'll probably try scarlet and emerald when i can grab a copy as they look interesting, I'm restarting Saga Frontier when I get my order, probably tomorrow 😊
The thing about SaGa is even though there's some common design elements the entries really vary a ton. It's very possible to love some and hate others. For me SaGa Frontier 2 is probably my favorite. Having a more focused and less open ended narrative with "just" two main protaganists are good things, not bad. But it's pretty different so I get why people whose favorites are Romancing SaGa 3 or even SF1 won't rank it that highly.
I enjoyed Saga frontier 2 growing up. I may not have beaten it at all until much later down the road due to the last boss being crazy difficult and the two types of currencies is a bit annoying but other then that, pretty good game. But Romancing Saga 2, while my favorite to this day has some issues that I wish could be explained more without having to look up a guide. Like the whole armor system and damage types. For example, there is a glove called oven mittens or something similar and they give like 1 defense or something.. why would you wear this? well, it has great fire defense but the game does not tell you this and there is a boss down the road that does a lot of fire damage. I know its a SNES game, but hidden info like that can really make or break your run.
I need to go back and play FFLegend 2 I remember loving it as a kid and playing it for hours on roadtrips. I barely remember the story now as an adult. I’m curious how different it would be today and if that same fondness I remember would still be there. Thanks to one of you other videos about saga I bought the collection on switch to go back and play those old school ones.
I think you overvalue the original SaGa trilogy a little but I appreciate the nostalgia you have for them. Great video. I love me some SaGa content and it is extremely misunderstand on the west. My favourite? Romancing SaGa 3!
Hey David, quick question. Totally agree with your top pick. I played these games as they were released (the ones we got, at least). As a kid, I thought this series was going to keep the anachronistic quirkiness while refining the obtuse but fun progression system. As much as I love the series, I really bemoan that we never got what felt like a true progression from 2 (Frontier probably comes closest). I almost feel that, in an alternate world, these games adapted a tone not too disimilar to Earthbound. How much mileage do you think I'd get out of the newest one? I haven't played it yet.
Odd, i was looking for recommendations which Sa-Ga game ranks best only to find out i allreaedy played the best one 33 years ago on the gameboy and i only played the first 2.
I havent played all of these but I was stoked to see Legend 2 get the top spot. That game has stuck with me for many years and is still one of my favorite games. Great list overall.
Which one is the saga game where your a blonde king? Not to be confused with the one where your like a prince twin and there's another brother but one that has u like time travel or is it unlimited saga ?
I think I could have adapted to Unlimited SaGa if it wasn't for one thing. Whenever it's time to determine if a stat might go up... you use the reel system. A bad roll means stats will go down. Making it even harder. Outside of that I was almost getting the hang of it.
I've recently started Final Fantasy XIII-2 and the noise my PS3 makes is crazy loud less than two hours after I switch on the PS3, has anyone else who has played this game experienced this? It didn't happen this loud while I was playing the first game.
Right on!! The Game Boy Final Fantasy Legend trilogy are among my all-time, most creatively influential, favorites! Legend III did cool things blending SaGa's system with more traditional RPGs; as well as the time and space crossing adventures (who wouldn't want the Talon as their ship?). The first game was just SO ambitious and mind-blowing in its mechanics and scope!! I agree the second one's the best: it refined and added to those ahead of the time, outside the box, ideas introduced in the first!! Great list, David!
Gosh, minstel song would have been awesome for me if that Event and battle rank system wasn’t in it. What a kick to the balls that was lol. Punishing you for wanting to kill every enemy and explore everything
Back in the day, SaGa Frontier 1-2 (and Vagrant Story) were the only PSX jRPGs I couldn't understand at fullest because higher complexity (and no internet, no game manuals where I bought them and I still learning english). Because of that, up to this day I still respect Kawazu A LOT for making this franchise.
I rewatch this video after Romancing Saga 2 remake announcement at Nintendo Direct. At this list, the original is at rank 8 of 11. So, are you recommending the remake, David? Thank you for making useful content
That´s a nice topic, I´d get a troubled mind ranking SaGa. I Love the Original triology, I love the Romancing triology, I love Scarlet Grace and Emerald Beyond. How do you even start ranking?
I've played the three game boy games and Saga Frontier 1 and 2. The only reason I don't still regularly play Final Fantasy Legend 2 and 3 is I don't have a functioning game boy anymore. I've said for years that Saga Frontier 1 is a collection of sidequests and bugs held together by hope and bubble gum, but despite that I still have some genuine affection for the game.
I hope some people who see this video will be inspired to try out the SaGa series. They really are wonderful, unique RPGs. Personally, my favorites are the SaGa Frontier games.
Saga Frontier will always be the best to me. Even though I spend every playthrough getting OP in the Research Lab. Fiend Rod central in the beginning room on the right. Actually so many great weapon drop in there.
I would absolutely LOVE an Unlimited SaGa remake in the style of Scarlet Grace and Emerald Beyond. Also for them to capitalize the G in Unlimited SaGa, cause why tf was this the only SaGa game not to have that? It really is the black sheep of the franchise. 4:02 Romancing SaGa 2 remaster was also released on PS4.*
I've loved exploring the series on Switch, as they've released almost the whole thing at this point. Unfortunately, they refuse to release Emerald Beyond as an English physical so I haven't picked it up. I had hoped there might be one down the road, but now with the company restructuring and all that... I'm pretty bummed on it...
I hope that I'm offering some friendly and constructive criticism when I say that I think that tier lists work much better than lists that are already in order. This is because there are surprises all the way through, as opposed to the most important and most high quality games come never being a surprise.
Saga frontier 2 being so low on the list hurt me. I get it much more on rails but I felt like I readinf classic 18 century novel wirh all the character. I love how we see effect choices down the road.
I want to enjoy them so bad but they're so hard to finish. Emerald beyond is the best to me since we can't get lost. It's the best for new comers. I was stuck to diva final battle with a 3 phases boss 😓 i gave up on it.
Agreed. It’s clunky for sure, but very addictive if you eventually understand how it works (and have the patience for it)….and some of the music is so good
I think I ruined my Bonnie and Formina, so started a new story linem the vampire guy. So far i love Emerald the most cuz animating, every action is a Keyframe and the combo lines are tweening zones. Reminds me a lot of Grandia battle system in it shows whos going who and who is doing what, and you gotta adapt to it. The fact their all mobile now its really perfect time to experience these.
Appreciate the SaGa content! I think Scarlet Grace is now my #1 SaGa since the combat is strategic and very engaging (still havent tried EB yet tho!). Every SaGa is at least good in my book. That said, nowadays I get tired of simplistic turn-based combat more easily. I'd say SaGa Scarlet Grace, Darkest Dungeon 1&2, Divinity 1&2, and Baldurs Gate 3 have some of the best turn based combat ever made. If anyone else has a similar contender I'd love another recommendation!
I'm a huge fan of the SaGa series. For me it's: 1. Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song 2. SaGa Frontier 3. Romancing SaGa 2 4. SaGa Scarlet Grace 5. Final Fantasy Legend II 6. Romancing SaGa 3 7. SaGa Emerald Beyond 8. The Final Fantasy Legend 9. Unlimited Saga 10. Final Fantasy Legend III 11. SaGa Frontier 2 I have never played a RPG that has given me the sense of adventure that Minstrel Song gave me.
Hey, as someone that wants to get into Saga games but has zero experience with it: which ones are the most beginner friendly? Or let me ask this aswell: is there even a beginner friendly one? 😅
I recommend looking at the settings of the games and decide on which one grabs your attention the most. Outside of that I recommend Romancing SaGa 3 as a good point to enter from. It has the largest world that you have to uncover and explore while regular battles aren't hard. But beware, the strength of bosses are beyond that of regular enemies.
I've played every saga game besides unlimited and frontier 2. I do know a long time die hard fan if the series said frontier 2 was his personal favorite. For me it's hard to rank them because for the most part they're all great games. I do love the idea that the big villain of romancing saga 2 was the previous heroes that's a twist that's rarely used. My top two ones are saga 2 on GB and romancing saga 3. But frontier 1 is close.
The first Saga game I played was Unlimited Saga for PS2. This explains a lot on why I didn't care for the series, as I started with the worst game in the series. 😆 I really liked the story, art and combat of Scarlet Grace, but I found myself getting frustrated over dying so much and not being able to complete all the quests for each battle. Since Emerald is similar to Scarlet Grace, is the game easier to play?
Despite its general obscurity, the Saga series a pretty solid one. A series you'll always associate with the term "non-linear". And Square has been doing a fine in keeping it alive with all these releases on modern consoles. Boggles the mind how Bandai Namco is doing the opposite for the Tales series, despite it being far more popular.
I absolutely loved FF legends 2. It was one of my first ever RPGs that i played and I've just played it recently on switch, its still a great game even today! I really tried to like unlimited Saga and started multiple playthroughs, but it really is bad - I even enjoyed Quest 64 more!
Legend II might be my favorite as well and influences a lot of my writing and dabbling in RPG Maker to this day! And III is definitely unfairly maligned. For a series that is constantly maligned for being different, it's a little strange that III is knocked by fans for, well, being different!
Wouldn't call one of the most successful in terms of sale numbers titles, SaGa Scarlet Grace, a hidden gem in it's own series. What's also worth noting is that that game somewhat saved the series from drowning from what I've been told as the series, due to it's very... swinging noticableness so it's thanks to that game, no matter how much I dislike it due to it's draggyness, that we got SaGa Emerald Beyond which luckily got more RPG conform and mass appealing in terms of battle system and some narrative drivenness, in the positive sense, without falling into some weird western RPG standards or weird eastern RPG standards!
5:09 Slow down there cowboy. It's a remake, or rather a reimagining, because it neither uses the original engine, nor does all the changes done to it make it really comparable to the original SNES version. So much was changed that it is more the definition of a reimagining, sadly, since I prefer quite some of the SNES version ideas and how it tackled some aspects, including the music or how some characters were designed.
I liked unlimited saga more then the other ones. I loved the randomizest of it. I liked the og Gameboy ones too..final fantasy legends series. I only played the saga series because i liked unlimited 🤔 i stop after the ps1 ones. The one with your offspring taking over was a cool idea. But i liked unlimited the most. I liked the crazy combos you can do. Oh 😔 yes i did have to restart my run a good three times before i beat it. There was s option to keep your lv, gear, skills, & items if you wanted to restart i think. I'm pretty sure about that 🤔 it felt like a rouge like to me 🤷🏾♀️ i remember using a game shark for more money because my luck was bad when it came to finding gear..no no 🤔 it was for skill points. To learn more combos/skills.
I misspoke.. it was way more then 3 times (restarting my runs). How many.. unknown 😂 I remembered beating everyone story stuff. I highly doubt I would have the patience for that nowadays. One ending is good enough for me. I get the other a year or two down the line if I have to restart a game
I haven't played any SaGa games past SaGa Frontier, I hated that game so much, it killed any interest in playing any of the games past it. But, Final Fantasy Legend II is still one of my all time favorite games, and it rivals Link's Awakening for my favorite Game Boy game.
I actually enjoyed RS2 despite the difficulty spikes and SF2. I love playing games with a generation/dynasty system. It’s a nice change from 15 years old teenager boy comes of age and saves the world from the evil empire with his girlfriends generic story. It’s too bad we never got Venus and Braves either…
I enjoyed Emerald Beyond, but it sure is unbalanced based on who you pick. I started with Bonnie and Formina and BARELY made it passed their final boss after soooo much grinding. Then picked Mido and it was easy breezy.
I was surprised to see saga emerald that high concidering all the people who recommend me are frontier minstrel song and emerald people dismiss it i got minstrel song to try the series out and welp it was experience alright....
I just cannot find a saga game I don’t hate. 🤷 Ibbouncednoff minstrel song three times and scarlet grace twice, And other back in the day never grabbed me either. They just don’t seem to want to do any of what I like these kinds of games for
Just found this video: "Why Do You Always Kill Gods in JRPGs?" ua-cam.com/video/IEUqLL8J4gI/v-deo.html Sa-Ga II was really excessive with god slaying for the 77 MAGI stones.
Unlimited Saga is one of the most terrible games Square-Enix has ever released. I should have been hesitant when I noticed that this newly released game was selling for $20 shortly after launch. It feels like there was someone in a board meeting sarcastically suggesting terrible ideas and the boss didn't catch the tone and went with the idea. Probably also how Lunar Dragon Song got made.
Between big releases, I'm actually reconnecting with the SaGa series on my end right now!! I'm starting with the very first one since I have the Collection. I saw a video on youtube where someone says that this is the worst RPG series, and I just thought "no, it really ISN'T!" Made me cling defensively to it. Like, no, I actually really like SaGa! How dare they! It's not bad, it's just different! (Except Unlimited SaGa. That game really *is* the worst game I've ever played.)
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Glad to see Emerald Beyond getting so much love, even as a long time SaGa fan I was pleasantly suprised by just how great the combat and progression is and couldnt put it down.
Me too. I been considering getting that game and after the review, I’m definitely getting that game, I really do need to stack up some rpgs for my switch. Super Mario rpg and paper Mario is next.
Literally the exact plot in Naruto anime too, lol XD
Weird to see Saga Frontier 2 second to last, I love that game.
I'm going to stand up and defend SaGa Frontier 2 as one of the best SaGa games. The story is great, once you learn the mechanics it isn't bad at all and best of all, at least compared to Romancing SaGa and SaGa Frontier, it doesn't have a Battle Rank. And also it is absolutely gorgeous as you mentioned. Gustave XIII and the Knights family are some of my favorite characters ever.
I think it’s the only saga game I like. Those war battles were pretty cool. Well except for south mound top
Saga Frontier 2 is very underrated. Fantastic game, graphically gorgeous, intriguing plot where you really could not guess where it was going. The soundtrack, while a little more RPG traditional is amazing… I think the only issue I have is the difficulty… the last dungeon and boss and last war battle are ridiculous.
South Moundtop is really tough until you figure out the puzzle that it is. You're just slowing them down, not trying to win.
@@andrewhegstrom2187 even then lmao I still couldn’t do it. I felt like there’s was a bit of rng involved. I did watch a speed run where they managed to get the boss in a corner where he couldn’t retreat which ended the battle.. that was kinda cool
Fuck your magic I have a sword -Gustave XIII
I’m not ready for the Unlimited Saga slander 😭
That cursed game needs to be banished from our timeline.
Still hoping they remake it and it be more like the newer Saga games. Saga Frontier 2 remake is probably next up.
it killed the series till scarlet grace. like dawn of mana did to the main line mana games until we finally got visons.
@@megamike15 If Scarlet Grace and Emerald Beyond are what we get now the series should have stayed dead. Definitely peaked with SaGa Frontier 1.
@@deedoubs i miss the dungeons but the combat makes up for ir.
Thanks for making this. I feel like no one ever talks about Saga so I never know where to start. This helps a lot
Glad you enjoyed it!
Legends 3, and Romancing SaGa 3 will always be my top recommendations to newcomers looking to get into the series.
You have to be one of the only UA-camrs that I really enjoy seeing do a tier list. It's rare that people doing them have as informed and articulated opinions. Love it.
Romancing Saga 3 has become my favorite, especially since the remaster being available in English. The New Game+ feature it included was also wonderful for experiencing the branching paths. I just love how much freedom and flexibility are included, yet I never really felt directionless. The commander mode is also just wild to experiment with in different situations for people used to the Dragon Quest/Final Fantasy approach to battles.
I loved this video! And though I would have a pretty different list, you back up your choices well! Very nice.
Thanks so much my friend! I would love to hear your ranking of the series!
I forget her name, but there's a comic I saw once on Comedy Central Presents who had a really funny bit about Final Fantasy Legend.
Got Minstrel Song, Scarlet, and Emerald coming in the mail!
After unlimited saga, they are all pretty fun. Ranking how fun they are to play now vs. how fun they were to play is another factor. The first game has great memories for me, and I still remember how I felt as I was exploring, but it may be a little old for today's tastes.
There is an excellent RPG maker saga4 Masters of The Demon world that I just started playing, if you are a saga fan it is very loyal to the original... the music, tiles, and classes are all used.
Here's hoping Frontier 2 gets a remaster. If it's of the calibre of what SF got, then that'll easily push it up the rankings.
Supposedly they are all getting a remaster, including unlimited SaGa.
Honestly with a few QOL updates unlimited would be a lot of fun.
Honestly when I first heard of the SaGa series, I thought of the company that sells holidays to older people.
I’m so glad you made this video, I finally got saga frontier on a really good sale and I’m trying really hard to get into it. I’m starting to though!! I was literally looking for this exact video a couple weeks ago but you hadn’t made it yet lol
Glad I could help!
JRPG rules level 1 save a kitten, level 100 fight god.
Oh wow. This is one list where we completely differ 😅. I would put saga frontier 2 at the top. I love the art style. And I think it’s one of the only games in the series that managed to have a clear through-line in the story regarding the series’ theme of ancestry. Also…Unlimited saga took me several attempts, but once it clicked, I was into it. I still think it’s a little clunky, and I probably wouldn’t have the patience to play it today, but I kind of loved the growth panel concept. I thought that was such a clever way to grow your characters….the panels you got were based on what the individual character used most during a dungeon…but you couldn’t completely control it, so there was a slight element of strategy and testing the player’s adaptability within the randomness of it.
I also love romancing 2 and 3…as well as saga frontier 1. I tried to play 5 minutes of emerald beyond and I was so repulsed that I immediately deleted all traces of it from my console…that’s not my saga. Absolute trash
Minstrel song would probably be 3rd or 4th from the top of my list. It’s really solid, but it has some systems that I don’t really love
If you’re new to the series you should start with either Saga frontier or Minstrel Song Remastered if you want a longer more in depth game. This is a good list David I only disagree with Unlimited Saga and Emerald beyonds placement 😅. Unlimited Saga just needs a remaster that has tutorials to explain the game, and maybe a way to disable the reel system if you don’t like it. Personally I like games that don’t hold your hand and explain everything to you so Unlimited Saga was a real treat. You really don’t need a guide it only took about a night or two of playing to figure stuff out myself, I guess others just drop the game too fast before giving it an actual chance which I understand. Emerald Beyond on the other hand ohh boy, I hated this game. The story is laughably bad on almost every planet you go to, the menu UI is bad and slow to navigate, smallest soundtrack of a Saga game so hope you enjoy listening to the same 2-3 songs all game in and out of combat, there’s no towns, no shops, no cutscenes, all you do is run panel to panel ( which I somehow enjoyed more in unlimited saga,maybe cause you could actually choose where to go instead of the game just pointing you to the next panel like a child) read some cringey dialogue and then fight some mobs or a boss.The combat is the only part of the game I enjoyed everything else was a boring slog. First Saga game I’ve played where I have no motivation to start a second character after beating it.
David I can't tell you how many times I've gotten into full arguments with friends over " just because a game is old doesn't mean it's bad!" Preach brother preach !
Been replaying SaGa2/FFL2 over a phone emu between breaks on work, and some longer sessions at home.
Some friends and I found it under a bed when we were 9 and had a blast beating it. It has an impeccable short-burst gameplay loop that makes even arranging equipment fun.
I have yet to play other SaGa titles, but am delighted with SaGa 2 being your number one pick.
Yeah, I really loved this game. As a kid, I thought these games were going to develop into something with a tone not too dissimilar to Earthbound with a quirky progression system to match. I kinda wish they hadn't abandoned the general vibe of the early games so quickly. I feel that the initial formula still has potential that has yet to be realised. Having different progression systems for each type of character is cool and still very unique for RPGs. The Romancing games are good, but I feel the initial formula perfected would trump those games easily.
Oh, if you're curious about the rest of the series, to keep it brief, I don't think any of the later games capture the charm this one has. If Saga games were the band Yes, Saga 2 is Close to the Edge, and every game after is "Tales from Toppographic Oceans". They have their appeal, but they never quite come close to the sweet spot that was FFL2. Frontier comes closest in tone imho, but it's still not nearly as intuitively obtuse. I left David a comment about the recent games as I haven't played them, he's usually pretty great at replying, but if he doesn't I'll may take the plunge and get back to you.
Sorry for the long reply, but that story about finding a Gameboy game in a weird spot randomly resonated with me because that is how I found Cadtlevania 2: Belmont's Revenge and that game has been special ever since. It's like magic put it there.
Thank you for making this, David. Also Happy belated Birthday! I was just about to reach out to you and ask which game should I get between Megaton Musashi W vs. Saga Emerald Beyond? Guess I’m going with Saga!
The music in Final Fantasy Legend 2 was absolutely amazing.
According to Wikipedia there were no SNES releases of the Romancing SaGa games, only Super Famicom, they were original passed over for Localization like Final Fantasy 5.
I remember owning saga frontier 2 as a child, I didn't get far.
I've dropped out of the series but always wanted to worm my way back in, so I'm really curious what someone who's played more of them thinks!
Awesome video David! Emerald Beyond has become my absolute all time favorite SaGa and i haven't been able to put it down since it released. Where would you have put The Last Remnant on the list though?
Saga Frontier was the first game I played on the PS1 (it was a loaner) and it holds a special place in my heart. I'll probably try scarlet and emerald when i can grab a copy as they look interesting, I'm restarting Saga Frontier when I get my order, probably tomorrow 😊
Great vid! Never played any Saga but I've always been curious I think I'll give one a try!
The thing about SaGa is even though there's some common design elements the entries really vary a ton. It's very possible to love some and hate others.
For me SaGa Frontier 2 is probably my favorite. Having a more focused and less open ended narrative with "just" two main protaganists are good things, not bad. But it's pretty different so I get why people whose favorites are Romancing SaGa 3 or even SF1 won't rank it that highly.
I heard rumors of saga frontier 2 remake or remaster for the switch. I would play that. It's one of those stories I'm curious about.
I enjoyed Saga frontier 2 growing up. I may not have beaten it at all until much later down the road due to the last boss being crazy difficult and the two types of currencies is a bit annoying but other then that, pretty good game. But Romancing Saga 2, while my favorite to this day has some issues that I wish could be explained more without having to look up a guide. Like the whole armor system and damage types. For example, there is a glove called oven mittens or something similar and they give like 1 defense or something.. why would you wear this? well, it has great fire defense but the game does not tell you this and there is a boss down the road that does a lot of fire damage. I know its a SNES game, but hidden info like that can really make or break your run.
I need to go back and play FFLegend 2 I remember loving it as a kid and playing it for hours on roadtrips. I barely remember the story now as an adult. I’m curious how different it would be today and if that same fondness I remember would still be there. Thanks to one of you other videos about saga I bought the collection on switch to go back and play those old school ones.
Awesome list, David!! I agree a game being old doesn’t mean it’s bad, I’ve been playing a lot of older games lately and most have aged amazingly!
Great ranking list, David! I still haven't played the SaGa series yet, but was thinking of grabbing all the ones available on Switch!
You should!
I finished Romancing Saga 2 Revenge of the seven, which one should i play next?
I’ve seen all from 1980-Now I enjoy all
Saga games my favorite is Romancing Saga 3
I think you overvalue the original SaGa trilogy a little but I appreciate the nostalgia you have for them. Great video. I love me some SaGa content and it is extremely misunderstand on the west.
My favourite? Romancing SaGa 3!
Fair enough!
Hey David, quick question.
Totally agree with your top pick. I played these games as they were released (the ones we got, at least). As a kid, I thought this series was going to keep the anachronistic quirkiness while refining the obtuse but fun progression system. As much as I love the series, I really bemoan that we never got what felt like a true progression from 2 (Frontier probably comes closest). I almost feel that, in an alternate world, these games adapted a tone not too disimilar to Earthbound.
How much mileage do you think I'd get out of the newest one? I haven't played it yet.
Odd, i was looking for recommendations which Sa-Ga game ranks best only to find out i allreaedy played the best one 33 years ago on the gameboy and i only played the first 2.
I havent played all of these but I was stoked to see Legend 2 get the top spot. That game has stuck with me for many years and is still one of my favorite games.
Great list overall.
Which one is the saga game where your a blonde king? Not to be confused with the one where your like a prince twin and there's another brother but one that has u like time travel or is it unlimited saga ?
FF Legend 1 was one of my first RPGs, and I really need to catch up on the rest of the series. It is awesome that the two newer ones ranked so high!
Hi David! I'm here to learn about the SaGa series so I can decide my first one to play. Have a blessed day!
Final Fantasy Legend 2 will always have a place in my heart
I think I could have adapted to Unlimited SaGa if it wasn't for one thing. Whenever it's time to determine if a stat might go up... you use the reel system. A bad roll means stats will go down. Making it even harder. Outside of that I was almost getting the hang of it.
Me with the entire GB list, both frontiers, and punching out romancing 3 right now : yeah this is pretty accurate
I've recently started Final Fantasy XIII-2 and the noise my PS3 makes is crazy loud less than two hours after I switch on the PS3, has anyone else who has played this game experienced this? It didn't happen this loud while I was playing the first game.
Right on!!
The Game Boy Final Fantasy Legend trilogy are among my all-time, most creatively influential, favorites! Legend III did cool things blending SaGa's system with more traditional RPGs; as well as the time and space crossing adventures (who wouldn't want the Talon as their ship?). The first game was just SO ambitious and mind-blowing in its mechanics and scope!! I agree the second one's the best: it refined and added to those ahead of the time, outside the box, ideas introduced in the first!!
Great list, David!
Mr S casting dissolve on BabyWyrm, so fraeking epic adventure
I played Final Fantasy Legend II so much as a kid as well! Fantastic game
Gosh, minstel song would have been awesome for me if that Event and battle rank system wasn’t in it. What a kick to the balls that was lol. Punishing you for wanting to kill every enemy and explore everything
I played the demo of SaGa Emerald Beyond. Gotta say, I was sadly unimpressed. Maybe I just miss the style of SaGa Frontier and Romancing SaGa 3...
Back in the day, SaGa Frontier 1-2 (and Vagrant Story) were the only PSX jRPGs I couldn't understand at fullest because higher complexity (and no internet, no game manuals where I bought them and I still learning english). Because of that, up to this day I still respect Kawazu A LOT for making this franchise.
I see we share the same top game. Cheers, the DS remake is even better.
I rewatch this video after Romancing Saga 2 remake announcement at Nintendo Direct. At this list, the original is at rank 8 of 11. So, are you recommending the remake, David? Thank you for making useful content
Oh I'm definitely going to try it out! I do love the series after all :)
@@davidvinc then I'll be waiting for your review, David 🙂
That´s a nice topic, I´d get a troubled mind ranking SaGa. I Love the Original triology, I love the Romancing triology, I love Scarlet Grace and Emerald Beyond. How do you even start ranking?
For anyone that want to get into the Saga seires. I recommened Romancing SaGa 3 to be your first Saga game.
What happened to your mic on this one David?
What do you mean?
I've played the three game boy games and Saga Frontier 1 and 2. The only reason I don't still regularly play Final Fantasy Legend 2 and 3 is I don't have a functioning game boy anymore. I've said for years that Saga Frontier 1 is a collection of sidequests and bugs held together by hope and bubble gum, but despite that I still have some genuine affection for the game.
FFL1-3 were re released in Collection Of SaGa
Seeing emerald at your #2 makes me wanna vom =)
I hope some people who see this video will be inspired to try out the SaGa series. They really are wonderful, unique RPGs. Personally, my favorites are the SaGa Frontier games.
Saga Frontier will always be the best to me. Even though I spend every playthrough getting OP in the Research Lab. Fiend Rod central in the beginning room on the right. Actually so many great weapon drop in there.
I would absolutely LOVE an Unlimited SaGa remake in the style of Scarlet Grace and Emerald Beyond. Also for them to capitalize the G in Unlimited SaGa, cause why tf was this the only SaGa game not to have that? It really is the black sheep of the franchise.
4:02 Romancing SaGa 2 remaster was also released on PS4.*
I've loved exploring the series on Switch, as they've released almost the whole thing at this point. Unfortunately, they refuse to release Emerald Beyond as an English physical so I haven't picked it up. I had hoped there might be one down the road, but now with the company restructuring and all that... I'm pretty bummed on it...
I hope that I'm offering some friendly and constructive criticism when I say that I think that tier lists work much better than lists that are already in order. This is because there are surprises all the way through, as opposed to the most important and most high quality games come never being a surprise.
My fav is Saga Frontier 1. Amazing game.
💯 agree game is a classic
Same here. I really liked the art designs, music, the attacks and all that too. Sort of liked the storyline too for some of the characters.
You said Minstrel's Song had standard stat raising, regardless of race but didn't it only have one race?
Emerald Beyond is that high up, huh? Hmm, I might have to give that game a shot sooner than I thought.
Saga frontier 2 being so low on the list hurt me. I get it much more on rails but I felt like I readinf classic 18 century novel wirh all the character. I love how we see effect choices down the road.
Seeing Emerald Beyond hit 2 and FFL2 at the top pleases me. Kinda surprised at how low Romancing SaGa 2 and MinSong were though!
I want to enjoy them so bad but they're so hard to finish.
Emerald beyond is the best to me since we can't get lost.
It's the best for new comers.
I was stuck to diva final battle with a 3 phases boss 😓 i gave up on it.
Love from Belgium 🇧🇪 ❤
Unlimited SaGa is the most misunderstood entry in the most misunderstood series
Agreed. It’s clunky for sure, but very addictive if you eventually understand how it works (and have the patience for it)….and some of the music is so good
I loved it but it was B's hard compared to the other games in the series. I didn't know what the heck was going on the first time I played it.
Its not misunderstood. People who dont like it completely understand why they dont.
No it is not. It is understood. Thats why it’s known that it’s a bad game
@@jeremyhall2727it wasn’t hard at all
I think I ruined my Bonnie and Formina, so started a new story linem the vampire guy. So far i love Emerald the most cuz animating, every action is a Keyframe and the combo lines are tweening zones. Reminds me a lot of Grandia battle system in it shows whos going who and who is doing what, and you gotta adapt to it. The fact their all mobile now its really perfect time to experience these.
Appreciate the SaGa content! I think Scarlet Grace is now my #1 SaGa since the combat is strategic and very engaging (still havent tried EB yet tho!). Every SaGa is at least good in my book. That said, nowadays I get tired of simplistic turn-based combat more easily. I'd say SaGa Scarlet Grace, Darkest Dungeon 1&2, Divinity 1&2, and Baldurs Gate 3 have some of the best turn based combat ever made. If anyone else has a similar contender I'd love another recommendation!
I'm a huge fan of the SaGa series. For me it's:
1. Romancing SaGa: Minstrel Song
2. SaGa Frontier
3. Romancing SaGa 2
4. SaGa Scarlet Grace
5. Final Fantasy Legend II
6. Romancing SaGa 3
7. SaGa Emerald Beyond
8. The Final Fantasy Legend
9. Unlimited Saga
10. Final Fantasy Legend III
11. SaGa Frontier 2
I have never played a RPG that has given me the sense of adventure that Minstrel Song gave me.
Hey, as someone that wants to get into Saga games but has zero experience with it: which ones are the most beginner friendly? Or let me ask this aswell: is there even a beginner friendly one? 😅
I recommend looking at the settings of the games and decide on which one grabs your attention the most. Outside of that I recommend Romancing SaGa 3 as a good point to enter from. It has the largest world that you have to uncover and explore while regular battles aren't hard. But beware, the strength of bosses are beyond that of regular enemies.
I've played every saga game besides unlimited and frontier 2. I do know a long time die hard fan if the series said frontier 2 was his personal favorite. For me it's hard to rank them because for the most part they're all great games. I do love the idea that the big villain of romancing saga 2 was the previous heroes that's a twist that's rarely used. My top two ones are saga 2 on GB and romancing saga 3. But frontier 1 is close.
after buy it 6 saga games and have not played one at all i finally know wich wiht one i will startet thank you this video help me a lot (^^)//
Im a simple man. I see saga, I watch.
Edit: forgot to say that minstrel song is my favorite saga game ever xD
looking good, Mr. David
The first Saga game I played was Unlimited Saga for PS2. This explains a lot on why I didn't care for the series, as I started with the worst game in the series. 😆 I really liked the story, art and combat of Scarlet Grace, but I found myself getting frustrated over dying so much and not being able to complete all the quests for each battle. Since Emerald is similar to Scarlet Grace, is the game easier to play?
Despite its general obscurity, the Saga series a pretty solid one. A series you'll always associate with the term "non-linear". And Square has been doing a fine in keeping it alive with all these releases on modern consoles. Boggles the mind how Bandai Namco is doing the opposite for the Tales series, despite it being far more popular.
I absolutely loved FF legends 2. It was one of my first ever RPGs that i played and I've just played it recently on switch, its still a great game even today! I really tried to like unlimited Saga and started multiple playthroughs, but it really is bad - I even enjoyed Quest 64 more!
He sunshine in case I'm not online on the day I'll say this now happy birthday David
Legend II might be my favorite as well and influences a lot of my writing and dabbling in RPG Maker to this day! And III is definitely unfairly maligned. For a series that is constantly maligned for being different, it's a little strange that III is knocked by fans for, well, being different!
I completely agree, III is an amazing game!
minstrel song is my #1, with scarlet and emerald tied for 2
Wouldn't call one of the most successful in terms of sale numbers titles, SaGa Scarlet Grace, a hidden gem in it's own series. What's also worth noting is that that game somewhat saved the series from drowning from what I've been told as the series, due to it's very... swinging noticableness so it's thanks to that game, no matter how much I dislike it due to it's draggyness, that we got SaGa Emerald Beyond which luckily got more RPG conform and mass appealing in terms of battle system and some narrative drivenness, in the positive sense, without falling into some weird western RPG standards or weird eastern RPG standards!
5:09 Slow down there cowboy. It's a remake, or rather a reimagining, because it neither uses the original engine, nor does all the changes done to it make it really comparable to the original SNES version. So much was changed that it is more the definition of a reimagining, sadly, since I prefer quite some of the SNES version ideas and how it tackled some aspects, including the music or how some characters were designed.
I liked unlimited saga more then the other ones. I loved the randomizest of it. I liked the og Gameboy ones too..final fantasy legends series. I only played the saga series because i liked unlimited 🤔 i stop after the ps1 ones. The one with your offspring taking over was a cool idea. But i liked unlimited the most. I liked the crazy combos you can do. Oh 😔 yes i did have to restart my run a good three times before i beat it. There was s option to keep your lv, gear, skills, & items if you wanted to restart i think. I'm pretty sure about that 🤔 it felt like a rouge like to me 🤷🏾♀️ i remember using a game shark for more money because my luck was bad when it came to finding gear..no no 🤔 it was for skill points. To learn more combos/skills.
I misspoke.. it was way more then 3 times (restarting my runs). How many.. unknown 😂 I remembered beating everyone story stuff. I highly doubt I would have the patience for that nowadays. One ending is good enough for me. I get the other a year or two down the line if I have to restart a game
I haven't played any SaGa games past SaGa Frontier, I hated that game so much, it killed any interest in playing any of the games past it. But, Final Fantasy Legend II is still one of my all time favorite games, and it rivals Link's Awakening for my favorite Game Boy game.
I don’t like the game boy ones anymore. I do love saga 2 . 3 was like forget it, but I wouldn’t mind trying another one. Thanks for the Vid.
I actually enjoyed RS2 despite the difficulty spikes and SF2. I love playing games with a generation/dynasty system. It’s a nice change from 15 years old teenager boy comes of age and saves the world from the evil empire with his girlfriends generic story. It’s too bad we never got Venus and Braves either…
I enjoyed Emerald Beyond, but it sure is unbalanced based on who you pick. I started with Bonnie and Formina and BARELY made it passed their final boss after soooo much grinding. Then picked Mido and it was easy breezy.
I was surprised to see saga emerald that high concidering all the people who recommend me are frontier minstrel song and emerald people dismiss it i got minstrel song to try the series out and welp it was experience alright....
I just cannot find a saga game I don’t hate. 🤷
Ibbouncednoff minstrel song three times and scarlet grace twice,
And other back in the day never grabbed me either.
They just don’t seem to want to do any of what I like these kinds of games for
Romancing 2 Remake is definitely th best
Just found this video:
"Why Do You Always Kill Gods in JRPGs?"
ua-cam.com/video/IEUqLL8J4gI/v-deo.html
Sa-Ga II was really excessive with god slaying for the 77 MAGI stones.
Unlimited Saga is one of the most terrible games Square-Enix has ever released. I should have been hesitant when I noticed that this newly released game was selling for $20 shortly after launch. It feels like there was someone in a board meeting sarcastically suggesting terrible ideas and the boss didn't catch the tone and went with the idea. Probably also how Lunar Dragon Song got made.
Unlimited SaGa is the best one in the series including Emerald Beyond
Between big releases, I'm actually reconnecting with the SaGa series on my end right now!! I'm starting with the very first one since I have the Collection. I saw a video on youtube where someone says that this is the worst RPG series, and I just thought "no, it really ISN'T!" Made me cling defensively to it. Like, no, I actually really like SaGa! How dare they! It's not bad, it's just different! (Except Unlimited SaGa. That game really *is* the worst game I've ever played.)
Hahaha! That was my good friend Taylor’s video - I had to rib him a bit for that too. I love the SaGa series!
The only bad saga in my opinion is The unlimited saga , other saga is bone ash class perfect JRPG .