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There was no single RPG every child born in the 1990s played. What people encountered depended on where they lived, when a game reached their market, and whether they had a Game Boy, console, or computer. But these five picks capture very different sides of the decade: portable adventures, major console stories, and a franchise that began on handhelds.
Five RPGs that shaped different 90s gaming memories
This is a representative nostalgia list, not a ranking or a survey of what children played most. The games span distinct platforms and styles, so they did not all reach the same players at the same time.
Pokémon Red and Blue
For many players, Pokémon Red and Blue made the RPG portable: the Game Boy could go wherever its owner did. Their release timing also varied by region. Nintendo Life lists September 30, 1998, for North America and May 10, 1999, for the UK and Europe in its 2024 guide to Game Boy and Game Boy Color RPGs. That difference helps explain why the games may feel like late-decade childhood memories in one market and turn-of-the-century ones in another.
Final Fantasy VII
Released in 1997, Final Fantasy VII offered a very different scale from a handheld game: a home-console RPG built around Cloud, the Shinra corporation, and the anti-Shinra group Avalanche. Square Enix’s official Final Fantasy VII page describes that conflict and lists current versions for multiple platforms. Its place in a 90s childhood depended on access to a compatible console and the game’s availability in a player’s region.
#1 Best Overall
- In Dreams is a slightly surreal storytelling game for one, which uses vivid imagery and evocative prompts to immerse you in a dreamworld you wouldn’t have otherwise imagined.
- In this storytelling solo game, the player writes a story in which a character in a dreamworld must complete a specific goal before waking. The player begins by drawing cards to create a randomized character with a starting temperament. Card draws will also determine the goal the character must achieve by the dream's end in order for the player to win.
- Storytelling then begins by drawings cards to create an Encounter. An Encounter consists of 2-4 short prompts as well as a location. All Encounter cards include surreal artwork to help inspire fresh and creative interpretations each game. The player must immediately write about the generated Encounter, including all of the prompts and the location while attempting to move the character closer to their goal.
- Some Encounters will prompt the player to generate an Event. Two cards from the Event deck will determine what is happening as well as the tone. These cards too include surreal artwork for inspiration. Events are resolved in the same manner as Encounters.
- The game continues, with the player drawing and resolving Encounters and Events through storytelling until the character's goal is met.
The Final Fantasy Legend
This early handheld RPG is part of the SaGa franchise. The series began on Game Boy in Japan in December 1989; Square Enix dates the North American release of The Final Fantasy Legend to September 1990. Its SaGa franchise page characterizes the series by exploration, branching plots, and unconventional gameplay. It belongs on a decade-spanning list because it shows how RPG play was already taking shape on a portable system at the start of the 1990s.
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Trigger is another landmark name from the decade. Square Enix’s official Chrono Trigger page carries a 1995 copyright and creator credits. For this list, the important contrast is its place among 1990s console RPGs alongside portable titles such as Pokémon and The Final Fantasy Legend.
Rank #2
- 🎮5.1-inch color screen game console🎮. It has a very rich range of functions, not only for playing games, but also for watching videos, listening to music, and reading e-books. Very suitable for outdoor/indoor/travel leisure and entertainment, and also very suitable as a gift.
- 🎮Supports multiple emulators🎮. Equipped with various retro emulators such as MAME/arcade/MD, players have more choices. Each emulator has many games, and one game console is equivalent to ten game consoles from the past. It is now very cost-effective to purchase.
- 🎮Built in thousands of free games🎮. Built in over 4000 classic nostalgic games (ACT/AVG/RPG/FTG/PUZ/RAC/SLG/SPG/STG) built-in, games can be added or deleted, making it convenient for users to organize game files(portable game console).
- 🎮The game can be saved🎮. When the battery is low or the user cannot continue playing the game, pressing the "ESC" button can save the game progress, and the player can continue playing according to the previous progress without starting over.
- 🎮Support video and audio playback🎮. When users don't want to play games, they can also watch videos, listen to music, and read e-books. It is a great multifunctional portable electronic entertainment device (pocket game console).
A year-by-year RPG pick
There was no one computer or console RPG that stood in for every child’s experience. RPGFan’s year-by-year retrospective of RPGs from 1987 to 1999 offers a useful way to see the decade’s breadth, including its own editorial selections and reader choices. Treat those choices as a snapshot of RPG fandom, not proof of what children broadly owned or played.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why these five do not describe one shared childhood
“RPG” covers more than one play context. A Game Boy game could travel with its owner; a home-console RPG required access to the system it ran on. Release dates were not universal, either: a game’s arrival in Japan, North America, and Europe could fall in different years. And a retrospective or fan poll reflects the people who selected games, not a population-wide count of childhood play.
Rank #3
- 🎮4.3-inch color screen game console🎮. Whether playing games or watching videos, the picture details are clear. Its functions are very rich; it can not only play games, but also watch videos, listen to music, and read e-books. It's a great gift.
- 🎮Supports multiple emulators🎮. Built-in MAME/Arcade/MD and other retro emulators, giving players more choices. Each emulator has many games. Perfect for outdoor/indoor/travel leisure entertainment.
- 🎮 Thousands of built-in games🎮. 8GB storage includes over 4800 classic 80s and 90s retro games (ACT/AVG/RPG/FTG/PUZ/RAC/SLG/SPG/STG). You can start playing as soon as you get the console. Games can be added or deleted.
- 🎮Game saving function🎮. When the battery is low or the user can no longer continue playing, pressing the "ESC" key saves the game progress. Players can continue playing from where they left off without starting from the beginning.
- 🎮Supports video and audio playback🎮. When users don't want to play games, they can also watch videos, listen to music, and read e-books. It's a fantastic multi-functional portable electronic entertainment device (pocket game console).
So the more accurate answer to “What RPGs did 90s kids play?” is that different kids played different slices of the decade. These five make a varied starting point for revisiting those memories—not a claim that everybody shared them.
Quick Recap
Best Value
- EXPANDED TRAVEL AND SOCIAL RULES: Discover new strategy mechanics for journeys in Middle earth and engaging with its iconic characters through the Journey and Council systems.
- COMPREHENSIVE LOREMASTER GUIDANCE: This RPG expansion offers thorough advice on bringing the world of Middle-earth to life, including rules for handling magical treasures, the influence of the Shadow, and the ever-watchful Eye of Mordor.
- DETAILED PATRON PROFILES: Explore in-depth The Lord of the Rings RPG information on 6 notable Patrons, such as Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey, who can sponsor the adventures of the Player-heroes.
- DIVERSE THE ONE RING RPG BESTIARY: Encounter a range of adversaries, from common foes like Orc Soldiers and Highway-robbers to formidable enemies like Cave-trolls and Barrow-wights.
- CREATE YOUR OWN NAMELESS THINGS: Utilize rules to craft unique and mysterious beings from the darkest corners of Middle-earth, adding an element of the unknown to your campaigns.
Rank #4
- Lyric Legend is the perfect game to see who knows their 90's Hip-Hop and Rap lyrics! Get quizzed on 144 different songs (4 multiple choice answers each 576 possibilities!) and show off your lyrical skills to your friends and family!
- 3 Games in one box! Ask the questions with no help, use the multiple choice answers, or read the multiple choice answers by themselves! Answer cards so everyone can play, or just go one by one! Created by the same folks who brought you Game That Song, so you know that your game night will bring back memories while keeping the competition strong
- If you are looking for a birthday or Christmas gift for that 90's lover in your life, this is it. It's not just a deck of cards, but instead the box is wider and holds two 75 card stacks. When you wrap it and give it to your crew, you know they'll be satisfied.
- All of the trivia songs are in a Spotify playlist so you can party while you play! Some players like to double check the correct answer, so this way you can listen to the artist and hear the words as they were originally spoken.
- Lyric Legend can be played by as few as two players and as many as six. With 144 cards and 6 steal cards, this game should last you through your game night!
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