JRPGs (Japanese Role-Playing Games) are extremely fun and useful for learning a second language. Due to their use of a language that blends modern and ancient styles, RPGs are highly recommended for those who wish to enhance reading skills, grammar comprehension, and also improve their understanding of different dialects. Furthermore, they significantly improve vocabulary as well.
Many students use the method of collecting phrases and words while playing a game that contains a large amount of text. JRPGs are that type of game. Just as many people learn English by playing, it is also possible to improve in the Japanese language through video games.
However, unlike English, which has the same alphabet as ours (Portuguese), in Japanese it is necessary to have at least knowledge of Hiragana, Katakana and basic vocabulary in Kanji before starting on this endeavor.
Through the game it is possible to acquire new and often very specific vocabulary. I particularly learned more than 90% of vocabulary related to magic and battle by playing these kind of games, picking up words I didn't know and later putting them into Anki (or another spaced repetition app).
In this article, we will list 5 games that can help you with your Japanese studies.
Don't forget to also read the articles below:
Table of Content
1. Estópolis Denki II (Lufia)
One of the best JRPGs to train reading in Japanese is, without a doubt, Estpolis Denki II (Lufia). The grammar used by the developers is very simple and many words are written in hiragana, considering that it is a game for children and young people. Because Japanese children and young people are still learning kanji, game creators often leave a lot of terms in hiragana or even katakana.
Rating: 10,0
Difficulty: 5 (from 0 to 10)
2. Dragon Quest I and II
Because it takes place in a medieval era, the game mixes complicated (and older) terms with simpler and more common terms in everyday life. As with Estpolis Denki, the developers of Dorakue (the nickname by which he is better known in Japan) were concerned about leaving a lot of text in hiragana. However, sometimes more difficult kanji names appear on the screen.
This is where I learned the meanings of words like "tools", "map", "monsters", "battle", "magic" and the like.
Rating: 9,0
Difficulty: 7
Dragon Quest VI
In addition to being one of the best games in the franchise, it is considered one of the most accessible and fun to improve Japanese. Following the premise of the other games in the series, the grammar fluctuates depending on the NPC. Older NPCs often use the language typical of the elderly. I highly recommend this game, not only for those who want to practice reading, but also for those who want to play a good game. The best known version of DQ 6 is the SNES (Super Nintendo), but there are versions for portable and Mobile consoles.
Rating: 10,0
Difficulty: 8
Secret of Mana
Secret of Mana, like the other games in the “Mana” franchise, are extremely popular all over the world. Developed initially for SNES, it has recently received a remake for PS4, PS Vita and PC. Unlike most Japanese RPGs, Secret of Mana stands out for having a real-time battle system, unlike the classic turn-based model. To learn Japanese is also an excellent option.
Rating: 8,5
Difficulty: 7
Chrono Trigger
Rating: 10,0
Difficulty: 9
My favorite JRPG. We recently made an article about it here on the site. Click here to read it.
Other JRPGs to train nihongo
- Terranigma
- EarthBound
- Chrono Cross
- Final Fantasy
- Pokémon
- Breath of Fire
JapaneseQuest – Twitch channel dedicated to learning Japanese with JRPGs
On Twitch TV, there is a channel specialized in JRPG gameplay focused on learning Japanese. During the lives and gameplay, the host collects words and expressions and registers everything in a database. The name of the channel is JapaneseQuest and can be watched at the following link.
If you want to access the list of registered words click here. There are more than 3000 words!
Basic RPG Vocabulary
- 魔物 (まもの, mamono) = Monsters, Demons, Creatures.
- 剣 (けん, ken) = Sword.
- 盾 (たて, tate) = Shield.
- 城 (しろ, shiro) = Castle.
- 竜 (りゅう, ryuu) = Dragon.
- 防御 (ぼうぎょ, bougyo) = Defense, Protection, Defensive Weaponry.
- 攻撃 (こうげき, kougeki) = Attack, Charge, Strike.
- 呪文 (じゅもん, jumon) = Magic.
- 道具 (どうぐ, dougu) = Items.
- 作戦 (さくせん, sakusen) = Battle tactic.
- 旅 (たび, tabi) = Journey.
- 冒険 (ぼうけん, bouken) = Adventure.
- 勝負 (しょうぶ, shoubu) = Confrontation, Dispute, Fight, Duel.
- 勝利 (しょうり, shouri) = Victory.
- 王国 (おうこく, oukoku) = Kingdom, Monarchy.
- 国王 (こくおう, kokuou) = King.
- 女王 (じょおう, joou) = Queen.
- 王妃 (おうひ, ouhi) = Queen, Empress.
- 王女 (おうじょ, oujo) = Princess.
- 王子 (おうじ, ouji) = Prince.
- 勇者 (ゆうしゃ, yuusha) = Hero, Brave Warrior.
- 英雄 (えいゆう, eiyuu) = Hero.
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