Suddenly RPG!

Game series that suddenly shifted gears and had a full RPG out of nowhere.

Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Yakuza: Like a Dragon
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
Sonic Chronicles: The Dark Brotherhood
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Mega Man Battle Network
Mega Man Battle Network
Mega Man X: Command Mission
Mega Man X: Command Mission
Onimusha Tactics
Onimusha Tactics
Bomberman Tournament
Bomberman Tournament
World of Warcraft
World of Warcraft
Monster Hunter Stories
Monster Hunter Stories
Five Nights at Freddy's World
Five Nights at Freddy's World
Metal Slug Tactics
Metal Slug Tactics
TwinBee RPG
TwinBee RPG
Metal Gear Acid
Metal Gear Acid
Doom RPG
Doom RPG
Wolfenstein RPG
Wolfenstein RPG
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story
Ruined King: A League of Legends Story
Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars
Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars
Ape Quest
Ape Quest
Minecraft Dungeons
Minecraft Dungeons
Silent Hill: Book of Memories
Silent Hill: Book of Memories
Angry Birds Epic
Angry Birds Epic
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech
SteamWorld Quest: Hand of Gilgamech
Klonoa Heroes: Densetsu no Star Medal
Klonoa Heroes: Densetsu no Star Medal
SD Snatcher
SD Snatcher
Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushido Retsuden
Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushido Retsuden
Paro Wars
Paro Wars
R-Type Tactics I & II Cosmos
R-Type Tactics I & II Cosmos
Spyro: Shadow Legacy
Spyro: Shadow Legacy
Ganbare Goemon Gaiden: Kieta Ougon Kiseru
Ganbare Goemon Gaiden: Kieta Ougon Kiseru
Last Hour of an Epic to the Moon RPG
Last Hour of an Epic to the Moon RPG
Doom II RPG
Doom II RPG

37 Comments


8 months ago

also Samurai Shodown and TwinBee, just off the top of my head

8 months ago

Metal Slug shifting into an RPG is something I never expected, but I admire the bold shift just as Yakuza did with Like a Dragon. Looking forward to the release! Hope development is going all right. Haven't heard any recent updates on it in sometime.

8 months ago

@mooptea - Wait what? There is a TwinBee RPG?

@Detectivefail - Yeah it's kinda bonkers but as a SRPG I think it could work well. I'm keeping an eye on it.

8 months ago

@mooptea - I had no idea about these. Seems someone might be working on an English patch for the Samurai Showdown game to boot. Thanks for this!

8 months ago

Would Mega Man Battle Network fit here?

8 months ago

@Drax - I considered it but just put X Command Mission to represent Mega Man as a whole in this case.

8 months ago

Gotcha. Also, I just remembered Metal Gear Acid which if I recall correctly is basically a turn-based tactical RPG with card collecting?

8 months ago

@Drax - Yeah that fits thanks!

I also just recalled that Doom had an RPG on mobile insanely!

8 months ago

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8 months ago

How about Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars (GBA)
Theres also Battles of Prince of Persia but thats shifted a little too far into pure turn based tactics vs tactics RPG.

8 months ago

Oh! Also Ape Quest (PSP). Almost forgot that existed.

8 months ago

One last one - would Guilty Gear 2: Overture count?

8 months ago

@Jamesbuc - Some good inclusions there! I had no idea The Fists of Mars was a SRPG! It's in my backlog but I knew little about it! I had no idea Ape Quest existed at all! 😂

I'm not going to add Guilty Gear though, it looks like an interesting hybrid experiment but not a full RPG.

8 months ago

Great list! I love these ones where it seems like a really narrow category but people just keep adding to it. How about Minecraft Dungeons?

8 months ago

@cowboyjosh - That's a good suggestion. Seems like a simple take on a dungeon crawler? Sure I'll add that thanks!

I normally have a good think and research as best I can games for these lists before I make them and people nearly always instantly give me more to add. I love it lol.

8 months ago

A Doom mobile RPG? Now I've seen everything...

Anyways I also just remembered about Silent Hill: Book of Memories, which I believe is a dungeon crawler RPG. I'll keep trying to think of more, though most likely my past self was trying to suppress these...

8 months ago

@Drax - Nice! I had no idea this was a thing! I thought you were talking about the GBA visual novel until I looked it up. Silent Hill had a dungeon crawler? Just wow!

8 months ago

Angry Birds Epic RPG

8 months ago

@DeltaWDunn - Nice! Added that one too thanks!

8 months ago

Would you include Steamworld Quest? These devs mix up their formula every few games it seems (Dig 1 & 2 were metroidvania-ish, Heist was a sort of tactics game), so it's probably less fitting than other games on the list, but it sort of still works...

8 months ago

@Corrugated_Fox - Good question as that series has jumped a few genres but yes I think it qualifies if not in the way I was thinking when I started this. Added thanks!

8 months ago

@FallenGrace
Add Klonoa Heroes to this list; it's Japan exclusive but it's a Klonoa action RPG for Game Boy Advance:
https://www.backloggd.com/games/klonoa-heroes/

8 months ago

@SunlitSonata - Another game I had no idea existed. Good call! Thanks for letting me know. Added on.

5 months ago

Shinsetsu Samurai Spirits: Bushidou Retsuden (Samurai Showdown RPG) Just got a full English fan patch for those interested.

5 months ago

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5 months ago

Paro Wars for Parodius should fit here

5 months ago

R-Type Tactics would be a good addition as well

5 months ago

Spyro Shadow Legacy baybeeeee

5 months ago

@Drax - Added!

5 months ago

@Funbil - Added the upcoming rerelease collection of I and II. Looking forward to their release!


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