Top 5 Best Kemco JRPGs

One thing you have to hand to Kemco: it’s a survivor. Of all the companies that jumped in on the Famicom boom back in the day, relatively few are still around. It’s even more remarkable when you consider that Kemco, unlike most of its peers from that era, never managed to build any homegrown hit franchises. Its best-known games were ports of computer games like Shadowgate or from external developers like Gremlin’s Top Gear series. These days, Kemco makes its bread by releasing some very similar-looking games at a frightening speed. Are any of them good? Here are our picks for the best Kemco JRPGs.

Dragon View

If we want to find the very best Kemco JRPGs, we have to dig into the past. Not long after the launch of the Super NES, Kemco released a port of the Infogrames computer game Drakkhen. It must have done well, because Kemco made its own original follow-up in the form of Dragon View. The map exploration uses the same first-person view as the first game, but dungeon exploration and combat scenes switch to a side-scrolling view. I guess that’s how dragons view things. This is a surprisingly high-quality game, and one that is well-worth checking out if you missed it.

The Sword of Hope

Narrowly missing out on being the first Game Boy JRPG released by a matter of weeks, The Sword of Hope combines Shadowgate-style exploration with turn-based battles. It makes for an interesting hybrid of adventure game and JRPG. You have to solve inventory puzzles, but you’ll also need to make sure you’re gathering enough experience to level up. It’s not the fanciest of affairs, but as early handheld JRPGs go, there’s a certain appeal to it. There’s also a sequel to this game that you should dig into if you enjoy what this game has to offer.

Marenian Tavern Story: Patty and the Hungry God

Moving up to more modern releases, Marenian Tavern Story: Patty and the Hungry God offers a rather satisfying Atelier-lite experience. Developed by RideonJapan, the game initially launched on mobile devices before making its way to other platforms. Don’t come into this expecting it to rival the likes of Atelier Ryza or anything, but it’s still good fun. Run your tavern, explore the world to gather ingredients, and battle monsters when needed. As recent games from the publisher go, this is one of the best Kemco JRPGs to check out.

Asdivine Hearts

One of Kemco’s more reliable development partners in the last couple of decades is EXE-Create. If you can manage to conjure an image of a Kemco JRPG in your mind, it probably looks like this developer’s work. I’m not going to try to snow you. EXE-Create’s games really do bleed together after you’ve played a few, so you’ll probably want to limit your intake. With that in mind, I recommend Asdivine Hearts as one of your picks. It has an interesting skill system, and the story is amusing enough. It can’t quite shake off that feeling of being empty JRPG calories, but it’s not bad.

Genso Chronicles

Another developer that Kemco frequently works with is Hit-Point. Probably best known for its cat-collecting game Neko Atsume, Hit-Point is a bit more ambitious with its JRPGs than stablemate EXE-Create. The results can vary wildly, and so we’ll play it safe by recommending one of its earlier releases with Kemco. Genso Chronicles, which has also gone under the names Fantasy Chronicle and Mystic Chronicles, is a rather meat-and-potatoes affair. Indeed, it’s so straightforward that it’s kind of pleasant to zone out with. Sometimes that’s what you’re in the mood for.

Let us know what your favorite Kemco JRPG is in the comments below!