QuestForTori
2001
One of the duller Beat-Em-Ups in the genre, a game only memorable for how forgettable it is. The player is never given sufficient options in combat to feel as though they are ever doing anything but button mashing. Avoid this one.
2005
I adore fantasy media with thoughtfully-realized nontraditional magic systems, and Abyss' music-based system manages to use the 3D space offered by modern Tales games' battle systems in the most novel way yet. Also, the main character Luke has one of the most significant character arcs of any protagonist in the genre, I love watching him learn to become a decent person and take responsibility for his problems.
2003
I played this back when starting high school and it was one of those games that changed my perspective on the entire RPG genre. A shining example of fast-paced, addictive combat and a story you never want to end. I played this through so many times, once even with several friends over the course of a few years. Every time I come back to it, I find something new to love.
My favorite game on the N64 - I found this game one day when trying random N64 games with friends, and when we discovered Polygonecia, we were absolutely blown away - it was like we discovered something completely untouched by anyone else. It was so magical to experience a game from the past that is totally unsullied by outside knowledge, and it made me crave more of that feeling of true secrets in games. Play this game, and play the Experimental World segment without looking anything up, it is magical <3
One of the best progression loops I have ever seen in a turn-based RPG. The Digivolution/Devolution system is wildly addictive and encourages rapid experimentation by players who enjoy getting deep into systems to break them. This game is a better SMT than SMT!