# What is the best game by Hironobu Sakaguchi?

> He built a genre on 8-bit hardware, then kept reinventing it with his own studio. Mainline giants share the ballot with experiments that few people finished.

*By YPB Team · Published October 21, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/what-is-the-best-game-by-hironobu-sakaguchi*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Final Fantasy VI** — score 1000/1000
   The 1994 SNES epic with an ensemble cast, Kefka and a celebrated Nobuo Uematsu score.
2. **Final Fantasy VII** — score 764/1000
   The 1997 PlayStation RPG that took the series to 3D and worldwide fame, with Sakaguchi as executive producer.
3. **The Last Story** — score 741/1000
   A 2011 Wii action-RPG directed by Sakaguchi with real-time tactical combat.
4. **ASH: Archaic Sealed Heat** — score 611/1000
   A 2007 Nintendo DS tactical RPG from Mistwalker with a haunting score.
5. **Terra Battle** — score 600/1000
   A 2014 mobile tactical RPG from Mistwalker with a puzzle-like panel battle system.
6. **Fantasy Life** — score 600/1000
   A 2012 3DS life-sim RPG that lets players switch between a dozen careers.
7. **Final Fantasy** — score 529/1000
   The 1987 NES RPG that Sakaguchi directed and that saved Square from bankruptcy.
8. **Final Fantasy IX** — score 529/1000
   The 2000 return to classic fantasy and the last entry Sakaguchi was closely involved in.
9. **Final Fantasy V** — score 448/1000
   A 1992 job-system showpiece with a lighthearted crew of heroes and the Exdeath threat.
10. **Lost Odyssey** — score 448/1000
   A 2007 Xbox 360 JRPG about an immortal soldier, known for its Thousand Years of Dreams stories.
11. **Fantasian** — score 448/1000
   A 2021 Apple Arcade and later console RPG with hand-built diorama backgrounds.
12. **Final Fantasy VIII** — score 353/1000
   The 1999 PlayStation RPG built around the Junction system and a Seed-academy romance.
13. **Blue Dragon** — score 353/1000
   A 2006 Xbox 360 JRPG from Mistwalker with Akira Toriyama's character designs.
14. **Final Fantasy II** — score 240/1000
   The 1988 sequel that introduced a keyword dialogue system and skill-based character growth.
15. **Final Fantasy III** — score 0/1000
   The 1990 Famicom RPG that popularised the job system.
16. **Final Fantasy IV** — score 0/1000
   A 1991 SNES RPG known for its dramatic story and the Active Time Battle system.

Tags: games, japan, rpg, final fantasy, mistwalker