Hey, I love RPGs. JRPGs in particular are my favourite genre, and I'm very fond of tactical turn-based RPGs. I can't begin to mention how much I love Fire Emblem, but it's already been discussed.
Here are some gems for the DS and 3DS, since the 3DS is backwards compatible:
- Radiant Historia (incredibly deep [we're talking hundreds of hours if full completion] in actual content and innovative story mechanics, lots of sidequests, very fun battle system, soundtrack is beautiful, lovely character design. Really going to be loved by anyone who loves JRPGs. Since Chrono Trigger is a
must-play for the genre, I can easily recommend this to you once you've played CT)
- Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor / 2 (they have 3DS-enhanced remakes with more content. Hard to summarise them beyond 'SMT games', but multiple endings, customisation, monster fusion, and intense map play make these games pretty enjoyable)
- The World Ends with You (customisation-heavy action RPG, very stylised, one of the most unique combat systems in the platform, great story and art direction, amazing soundtrack)
- the Dragon Quest games (IX is a great one)
- the Etrian Odyssey series (dungeon crawler RPGs)
- If you want easier tactical RPGs, try pretty much anything put out by Atlus that I haven't mentioned (Luminous Arc, Rondo of Swords, maybe Knights in the Nightmare?)
- There are some Final Fantasy remakes (III, IV...) on the DS that were enjoyable
- Summon Night is a nice series, has a DS game I haven't played, though, so I can't fully recommend it in all honesty
The first three games are games I almost always recommend to anyone looking for good DS games, and part of an integral core of about five or six games that I consider must-plays on the platform :)
Why am I recommending you DS games? Because the DS was one of the greatest platforms in modern times for JRPGs, and you can play them on your 3DS, and it'd be a shame if you overlooked them. I haven't even gotten to all the games I've meant to play on it yet! The 3DS has fewer offerings in comparison. There's a great list on
/r/JRPG of NDS (and under it, 3DS) JRPGs.
I agree FE7 is the best gateway game for the series, but many newer fans might be more attracted to the newer games, in which case FE13 is a better introduction to the 'new' FE. The GBA FEs are in the eshop iirc.
I'll write longer messages on them at some point, or feel free to ask me about any aspects of the games.
If playing on the PC (or another console) is a thing you'd be interested in, your options expand a bit more. Let us know if that's the case. I'd instantly recommend you Valkyria Chronicles and The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky.
If you liked the Mario & Luigi series, by the way, I could not recommend to you more the series from which my favourite game is from: the Paper Mario series. The modern Paper Mario games are not really RPGs so much as adventure games, but Paper Mario 64 and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door are pure RPGs and better than the M&L games, which are kind of their spiritual successors in the franchise. Some of the best localisations seen, too.
Mostly you've been recommended turn-based RPGs, but I also have to ask what it is about RPGs you like, because there may be other games on the DS/3DS you like. For example, if you like story-rich games and can stand interactive fiction, the Zero Escape series are incredible visual novels with puzzle elements, as are the Ace Attorney games (which have entries on both DS/3DS), which have more mystery/detective segments. If it's character progression or exploration, there are other types of games you might like, like Castlevania: Dawn of Sorrow. Since you like the Zelda games, which are adventure games more than anything, I do recommend playing it, if dark fantasy is your thing. I couldn't recommend TWEWY enough if you're interested in trying an action RPG to diversify your options, and would recommend it to you anyway.
