9. Super Mario RPG (SNES)

A Japanese rpg that’s fun? Get out. Nope, it’s true. While the battle system is turn based, you’re still quite involved in your attacks as you can press a button mid strike to amplify the damage you inflict. It doesn’t sound like much, but trust me, it makes the level grinding much more tolerable and even, like I said, fun. That’s not all though, there are numerous mini-games that take you out of the turn based world and into the feel of a Mario game, even the overworld is structured like a platformer and you’ll still need to make precise jumps to get to places. Now, the main hold-up for many is probably preconceived thoughts as to how goofy the story must be. Thankfully, those notions are dead wrong. The story is not only witty, but heartfelt and even serious. Basically, an otherworldly entity named Smithy has come to the Mushroom Kingdom and he’s even taken over Bowser’s castle. Smithy’s goal is simple: destroy all who oppose him and rule the world. This sets in motion the most diverse characters for any Mario game, with original folks like the doll Geno and the self-described “tadpole” who looks nothing like a tadpole, Mallow. Of course, the coolest part to this game is that even Bowser joins your party. I know it may sound a bit strange to have Mario in an rpg, but I urge you to give this unorthodox game a try.