This can be long list but i shorten it:
- Granknight history
Awesome arts, awesome combat, game flow is pretty cool. The game is standard turnbase rpg but with twist and also different approach of explorations.
- lost odyssey
I heard lot of good things for this game. I wish it can be ported to the other system. Havent try it, but the character illustrator is Inoue, one of my fave manga artist. Also the world concept art is mega awesome.
- SMT Digital devil saga duology
The visual style is perfect imo. And the premise and concept is pretty awesome. There are lot of things that separate this game to be different with other rpg, the scifi supranatural and nihilism theme. Captivating at the time.
- oriental blue, ao no tengai
Open world, non linear, feudal japanese rpg. A game where some degree of freedom is the key. You can go anywhere with limitation of collider such as sea or mountain and also beware with enemy levels of course. Lost to a boss? Story continued. Failed to do a quest? Npc died. Late to find or see certain character in xx:xx playtime? Lost that character forever. The gameplay is simple yet solid. Akin to FF8 and DQ, very interesting game. Only in GBA though, and JP vers, but a huge fans made patch.
- Parasite eve 1 & 2
What more to say, Aya brea and unique gameplay at the time is the main drawing power. Also the game presentation is kind of awesome.
- vagrant story
This game is my first taste to true dark fantasy rpg. And the gameplay is very customizable. Although if someday remake will be made, i wish the fashion is not weird like original game : ))
- seventh dragon series
This series is quite underrated back at the time. 7D 2020 1-2 is pretty fine game. The theme is pretty standard at the time, as with many apocalypse rpg. But still, they have unusual interplanetary dragons which seems cool for me.
I think thats all i have in mind right now. I can write essay for this kind of thread XD
Remake/porting/remaster, often mocked as cheap move. But there are lot of people who wants them because they are missed the game, and doesnt want to hunt overpriced used game or doesnt want to emulate it.