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[Microcline]

Super Mario RPG

Have you tried Barkley, Shut Up and Jam Gaiden?  It's a freeware PC game with a similar combat system and sense of humor.  It's also possibly the greatest (or at least most entertaining) JRPG ever made.

Final Fantasy 5/6
Front Mission 1/3

Final Fantasy Tactics/Final Fantasy Tactics Advance might satisfy this.  They both have pretty deep job systems and SRPG gameplay.  Tactics is arguably overall the stronger of the two but Advance has more addictive gameplay at the expense of a weaker plot as for better or worse the MC ends up as the Ivalice equivalent of Kefka Palazzo.

Chrono Trigger

Have you played Xenogears?  Despite many differences between the two, I always grouped them together (most likely because apart from the absence of the Chrono Trigger "dream team", most of the staff was unchanged).  They both have a certain "unity" that other JRPGs lack.  Although, I should probably warn that your mileage will vary greatly based on your tolerance for bullshit boss rushes and words words words.

[Seriyu]

Oh, just remembered something.I have yet to try them, but have heard nothing but good things, The sprit engine 1 and 2.

I dunno how J the RPG is but it's got some neat mechanics in there I hear. First one is free, second one is not, I think.

[Aoi]

Have you played Xenogears?  Despite many differences between the two, I always grouped them together (most likely because apart from the absence of the Chrono Trigger "dream team", most of the staff was unchanged).  They both have a certain "unity" that other JRPGs lack.  Although, I should probably warn that your mileage will vary greatly based on your tolerance for bullshit boss rushes and words words words.

I seem to recall that somebody did a video of only dialogue and cutscenes (skipping combats and running around). At default speed, it ran longer than the anime series that covered the same portion. =P

[Microcline]

Oh, just remembered something.I have yet to try them, but have heard nothing but good things, The sprit engine 1 and 2.

I dunno how J the RPG is but it's got some neat mechanics in there I hear. First one is free, second one is not, I think.

If I recall correctly TSE2 went freeware about a year ago.  I played through the first one but quit the second after the first world.  While the battle system was certainly innovative as an excellent play on the 1D space and transition (or lack thereof) between field and battle, it ultimately turned into a repetitive slog indistinguishable from countless flash RPGs.  The plot is nonsensical and the characters aren't likable or developed, so there isn't much reason to play.

Have you played Xenogears?  Despite many differences between the two, I always grouped them together (most likely because apart from the absence of the Chrono Trigger "dream team", most of the staff was unchanged).  They both have a certain "unity" that other JRPGs lack.  Although, I should probably warn that your mileage will vary greatly based on your tolerance for bullshit boss rushes and words words words.

I seem to recall that somebody did a video of only dialogue and cutscenes (skipping combats and running around). At default speed, it ran longer than the anime series that covered the same portion. =P

That's Xenosaga, and the less said about that game, the better.

[quinnr]

If I were you, I'd check out Elona. It's a freeware game I've been playing excessively the last few days, very JRPGy (it's made by a Japanese person and it's an RPG!) and a roguelike. It's not being officially maintained anymore, but there are various offshoot projects being done to continue it. There is a (quite large) thread about it on this forum even: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=83097.0

Oh, just remembered something.I have yet to try them, but have heard nothing but good things, The sprit engine 1 and 2.

I dunno how J the RPG is but it's got some neat mechanics in there I hear. First one is free, second one is not, I think.

If I recall correctly TSE2 went freeware about a year ago.  I played through the first one but quit the second after the first world.  While the battle system was certainly innovative as an excellent play on the 1D space and transition (or lack thereof) between field and battle, it ultimately turned into a repetitive slog indistinguishable from countless flash RPGs.  The plot is nonsensical and the characters aren't likable or developed, so there isn't much reason to play.

Have you played Xenogears?  Despite many differences between the two, I always grouped them together (most likely because apart from the absence of the Chrono Trigger "dream team", most of the staff was unchanged).  They both have a certain "unity" that other JRPGs lack.  Although, I should probably warn that your mileage will vary greatly based on your tolerance for bullshit boss rushes and words words words.

I seem to recall that somebody did a video of only dialogue and cutscenes (skipping combats and running around). At default speed, it ran longer than the anime series that covered the same portion. =P

That's Xenosaga, and the less said about that game, the better.

B-but I love Xenosaga!

[Enzo]

If I were you, I'd check out Elona. It's a freeware game I've been playing excessively the last few days, very JRPGy (it's made by a Japanese person and it's an RPG!) and a roguelike. It's not being officially maintained anymore, but there are various offshoot projects being done to continue it. There is a (quite large) thread about it on this forum even: http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=83097.0

OK, this is not what I'm talking about. Elona is a RL with Japanese-style graphics, I don't consider it a JRPG. When I say JRPG I just use it to differentiate from the traditionally western PC style RPG...The Baldurs Gates and the Diablos and the like, which are more heavily D&D based, with a faceless protagonist and generally more emphasis on free-roaming than the characters (although I guess the story itself can be good in either). This generally includes roguelikes. I guess it's kind of a hard distinction to describe? Maybe I'm tired.

Have you tried Barkley, Shut Up and Jam Gaiden?
Final Fantasy Tactics/Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Have you played Xenogears?

1) Oh shit, that's right, that game. Moved to top of the list for being free and PC.
2) Played them both, pretty damn good.
3) I haven't, maybe I should?

The sprit engine 1 and 2.

Played the first one, cool idea but got bland quickly. The second one is supposed to be good, but after I discovered it I promptly got Portal 2 or something that made me immediately forget about it. Thanks for reminding me!

[moogmg]

Vagrant story.
Parasite eve 1
Shin Megami Tensei series or persona. 

[Sonlirain]

Umm... any Final Fantasy game other than 5 or 6?

Chrono Cross?

Princess maker (a JRPG of a different kind)

[moogmg]

Umm... any Final Fantasy game other than 5 or 6?

Chrono Cross?

Princess maker (a JRPG of a different kind)

Second Princess maker, .

[Farce]

Live a Live.  SNES, so easy enough to emulate, never released in English but good enough to be fan-translated!

Breath of Fire series.  3 and 4 are my particular favorites, but 2 is also popular.  It may be prudent to stay away from 5.  1 and 2 are SNES-era, IIRC; 3 and 4 are golden-age PS1 era (4 is exceptionally pretty, also), 5 is for PS2.

Xenogears!  Very wordswordswords, but it there's some crazy stuff in the plot.  Also, kung fu and giant robots.  Has a pretty unique battle-system and a man of the sea.  PS1.

Atelier Iris 1 is enjoyable, also.  I wouldn't say it's Chrono Trigger or Super Mario RPG calibre, but it's not bad.  It's got sprites, the music's pretty damn catchy and it has a pretty sweet intro cinematic thing.  PS2.

Paper Mario?  It's quite awesome.  The Thousand Year Door is also good, but Super Paper Mario is a platformer of some sort (never touched, after learning that).

Barkley, Shut Up and Jam Gaiden

This guy knows what's up.  Shut up and Jam Gaiden is amazing.

There's also Wild Arms, though I haven't played that personally.  It's a Wild West JRPG, I think, which is pretty cool - though again, I can't confirm.

[Haspen]

Phantasy Star. No, not the dreamcast/online 'meh' stuff.

I mean original series. From 1 to 4, on SMS and Sega Genesis.

If you ask personal opinion: 4 > 2 > 3&1.

[Trapezohedron]

Avalon Code if you like complex meta gaming strategies by switching the creature's elemental and statistical make ups with your book, among other things. Haven't really gotten far with this though.

Paper Mario, hands down. Especially the N64 one.

Phantasy Star (Online). If you want to get online, I hear there's a server floating around somewhere, where you can still play the first game (which, for me, is the best of the series /nostalgiafilter)

Vagrant Story.

Persona series, especially 3 (psp version is great, and has an additional female mode) & 4.

GOLDEN SUN.

Summon Night series. Most of the main series is not translated, but Swordcraft Story 1 & 2, and Twin Age are. Which means you might be able to find them in your area, if you're not inclined to use emulators or something like the R4 for the DS. Swordcraft Story is arguably the much better spinoff than Twin Age, if you ask me.

[lordcooper]

Vagrant story.

I need to play this game again.  Obtaining this is now my mission for the day.

[quinnr]

GOLDEN SUN.

I strongly second this, one of my favorite games of all time. I've actually been replaying the three games (Original, The Lost Age, Dark Dawn) these last couple weeks.

[Duke 2.0]

There's also Wild Arms, though I haven't played that personally.  It's a Wild West JRPG, I think, which is pretty cool - though again, I can't confirm.

 They were kinda weird games. Loved the setting, but it didn't feel as good as the Breath of Fire games.

 A nice SNES game remade as a DS game is Lufia II. Charming SNES-era goodness. Another option for a DS remake is Tales of Phantasia, which has a surprisingly active combat system for the SNES. Although I would recommend playing the fan-translation of the SNES version, it has some... oddities.