In the olden days of gaming, all games from platformers to JRPGs were rendered in pixel graphics.
It was less of a style thing and more that pixels were literally the only thing consoles were capable of rendering.
15 Best Pixel Art Games, Ranked
We love pixel art!
However, even in today’s high-definition 3D world, there is no shortage of both big name andindie gamesthat remain in therealm of the pixelated.
Of course, compared to the pixels of the 80s and 90s, these games feature gorgeous, detailed pixel art that is simultaneously detailed and simplified.
This particular style meshesexcellently with JRPGs, evoking the images of the role-playing greats of years past while still providing unique perspectives.
10Sea Of Stars
Tag-Team Travelers
Sea of Stars
Many pixel art JRPGs wear their retro influences on their sleeves. It comes with the territory, and it helps to sell whatever gameplay they’re going for.
Sea of Stars, for instance, is heavily inspired by the likes of Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG.
From the former, we have a sprawling world with an intriguing story full of fun and likable characters.
From the latter, we have combat with an emphasis on mini games and timed button presses to keep things engaging and hectic.
9Octopath Traveler 2
The Poster Child Of HD-2D
Octopath Traveler 2
Square Enix has been steadily building up its repertoire of HD-2D games for years, reviving classics and creating new stories.
One of the best games to come out of this pursuit isOctopath Traveler 2.
Much like the first game, Octopath Traveler 2 follows eight vagabonds from around the world, pursuing their own goals before ultimately joining forces.
This game features improved combat and mechanics over its predecessors, as well as various quality-of-life improvements and new features like multi-character story arcs.
8Chained Echoes
Monsters And Mech Suits, Oh My
Chained Echoes
A fantasy JRPG is often full of the usual staples like magic and dragons. What if, in addition to all that, you got a healthy dose of steampunk mecha?
Chained Echoes is an old-school story-driven fantasy JRPG following a group of heroes adventuring around a war-torn continent.
In addition to battling foes with swords and sorcery on the ground, you can also hop into a massive mech suit.
In this suit, you’re able to both take on larger monsters, as well as fly freely around the world.
7Small Saga
It’s A Small World After All
If you’ve ever seen The Secret of NIMH, you know that the world of rodents and critters is perfect for a high fantasy adventure.
Small Saga focuses on a medieval society of rats living beneath the streets of modern-day London.
Explore a world exponentially bigger than your own and do battle with massive, horrifying creatures (i.e. any animal slightly bigger than you are).
With small size comes great ingenuity, with your rodent team brandishing pencils, army knives, and more to even the odds.
6Meg’s Monster
You’re Not The One In Danger
Meg’s Monster
Typically, in a JRPG, you stand on equal footing with whatever monsters or baddies you’re battling.
In Meg’s Monster, though, your protagonist Roy is built like a brick house and isn’t at much risk of harm.
However, your lost human ward, Meg, is seen as easy prey by other monsters. To make matters worse, she’s easily frightened, and if she cries, the world will end.
Carefully battle those who wish to do her harm, while occasionally taking a turn to pat her on the head and keep her calm.
5CrossCode
Life In An MMO
The idea of being trapped inside of an MMORPG has been a regular subject of anime and light novels. What if the MMORPG was the only home you ever knew, though?
CrossCodeis an action RPG meshing the equipment and stat-building elements of traditional RPG fare with the dungeon-crawling and puzzle-solving elements of a Legend of Zelda game.
All of this is backed by a fascinating sci-fi setup where players control virtual avatars in a real-life fantasy environment.
It’s a story with equal amounts of serious character development and the occasional eye-roller of a joke.
4Chroma Squad
Make Your Own Sentai Show
Chroma Squad
Chroma Squadis a tactical RPG inspired heavily by tokusatsu shows like Super Sentai (or Power Rangers, if you prefer).
Every episode, your gang of teenagers with attitude transform and team up to dazzle and decimate rubber-suited monsters with skills and team-up attacks.
At the end of the episode, take control of the team’s giant robot to show off some real spectacle.
Outside of filming, you can sign new advertising deals, which in turn help you afford better costumes and props to make the show more believable.
3Live A Live
A Long-Lost JRPG
Live A Live
Live A Livewas a JRPG developed and published by Square in 1994, releasing exclusively forthe Super Famicom.
In 2022, the game finally made it west in a beautiful full remake.
Live A Live: The Inspirations And Themes For Each Chapter
The classic JRPG is full of profound messages.
Live A Live is one of the most experimental JRPGs ever made, with eight different heroes featuring in eight different stories across eight time periods.
One moment you’ll be in a wild west gunfight, the next you’ll be controlling a giant robot with psychic powers.
We’re admittedly cheating a bit here, since this is technically an old game, but since it was never actually released in English until 2023, it still counts as a new pixel art game.
2Jack Move
Attacks With Hacks
Any sufficiently advanced science is identical to magic, and any sufficiently understood magic is identical to science.
In thecyberpunk settingof Jack Move, there is no magic, but technology has become so ubiquitous that you can control and destroy people and things with hacking.
Customize your hacker hero with better hardware and hacking techniques, allowing you to switch your combat abilities on the fly.
Engage in turn-based hack battles to disable and destroy your opponents’ systems while protecting your own.
1In Stars And Time
If At First You Don’t Succeed…
One of the fun parts of making a game in an established genre is that there are a lot of storytelling tropes you can play around with.
In In Stars and Time, the bulk of the traditional JRPG adventure has already happened (gather the party, find the macguffins, etc.).
However, when your protagonist, Siffrin, ends up getting killed immediately upon entering the final dungeon, he’s thrust into a time loop to try it again and again.
In Stars and Time is areal hidden gem of a gamewhere save-scumming is a baseline mechanic, though you may also find that exploiting knowledge of the future can have severe, unintended consequences.
10 Spooky Pixel Art Games You Need To Play
If you’re looking for something spooky to play this Halloween season, then you’re in luck with DualShockers' list of 10 Spooky Pixel Art Games.
