Dragon Quest V is one of those RPGs that sticks with you—it starts with you as a kid, just tagging along with your dad on adventures, and before long you're grown up, making big choices (like, y'know, who to marry) that actually matter. The turn-based battles feel classic but smooth, and the monster recruiting? Way more fun than it sounds—I ended up with a killer team of slimes and golems by mid-game.

What really got me was how personal the story feels. You watch your character age, deal with loss, build a family... it’s got that old-school charm but with way more emotional weight than most RPGs from its era. The DS version’s the way to go if you can find it—the extra content and touch controls just work.

If you’ve ever wanted an RPG that actually makes you care about generational storytelling, this is the one.