I'd suggest Terranigma or Secret of Mana over both of those.

It's best to link pictures to let people decide.

Smart phone version

SNES Version


Side by Side comparison

Maybe it is personal taste, but I thought the new version of FF6 looks better.

I don't like the smartphone version because of always online DRM. I heard that Chrono Trigger is the same.

What? That's the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard.

Requiring always online on phone is infinitely far beyond totally unacceptable.

I've just checked it by searching on google, seems to be true. My strong advice to OP is to find some non-mobile versions of the games and not support this gravely dark future of gaming.

Get it on your PSP instead.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VI#PlayStation_Network

Well the reviewer of FF6 claims so
The DRM always-connected means you cannot play the game where there is no internet access. Lame.

And the smart phone version of Chrono Trigger seems worst as a user claimed here

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I thought the stupidest possible example of DRM was Bionic Commando: Rearmed 2. This is a single-player action game you download over PSN. It has no multiplayer component I'm aware of. And yet you cannot boot it up without an internet connection. I had heard of similar measure taken in PC games before that, and I thought those were stupid, but I thought it was double extra stupid to go that extra mile in a console game. I refused to play BC:R2 as a result of this stupidity, and I never thought I would ever see a stupider example in all my livelong days.

I stand corrected. Today I came across the Android port of Chrono Trigger. This is an almost-20-year-old game they're selling for $10 (currently on sale for $6.99). Not only does it require a stable internet connection to boot up, but it actually requires you to stop and download more game content at random points as you play. Because everyone knows that your smartphone and/or tablet has a constant, stable connection at all times! And that it's totally cool to spring hidden data charges on customers for no reason! For a long-ish game that is meant to be enjoyed in several hours-long chunks!
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Here is Squeeznix stance on DRM


So OP, I think it is better to forgot both of the games and play on console instead, or like me buy a console disk for moral reason and play the crack / emulated version.

ughhh - just was reading through the thread and was about to give a game recommendation and was also even about getting FF6 for myself. After reading the information about both having always on DRM - well i wont recommend either of them and wont buy either.
As for me it's really counterproductive - because ya on short "trips" with stable internet connection on my mobile i always just read online newspapers and blogs anyway and well my only usage for "mobile gaming" is prolonged travels (flights, long trainrides) which usually come together with limited/no internet access. So ya basically i wouldn't be able to play the games when i need them.

I have the game from the Amazon Appstore; it never asks for always on DRM; only the initial Amazon DRM is mandatory (which I bypass with Lucky Patcher)

DQ1 was released in the 80's. It is grind-y with little story and not a lot else to it. Rescue the princess, get the artifacts, kill the bad guy. With tons of grind in between. The second game is also kind of grind-y, as is the third. Until around DQ4, that's the staple of the series (grinding was fun because the little story these games had was more than most of their competition).

Those aren't the same type of game (I actually don't classify them as RPGs), so that substitution doesn't really work. Plus, Terranigma was never released in the US.

From what I have seen and read, the smartphone ports of FF5 made some pointless changes that I happen to dislike.

1. Some things behave a bit differently, such as Aegis Shield not blocking Almagest. This sort of thing ends up making certain challenges fail that would work in the original. (A few things were improved, such as dualcast behavior and Power Drinks, but some things were not.)

2. In prior versions, when a character's turn comes up, the game briefly pauses, reducing (and sometimes eliminating) the time penalty associated with having to choose a command. This seems to be absent in the smartphone versions. (If you want to know what I mean, turn on the ATB meter display and set the battle speed to its slowest setting (6); you will notice it then.)

Rescuing the princess was not required. Then again, she does give you something to direct you to a required item, so not rescuing is more of a replay option. There was massive amounts of grinding, though. Most of the game was either grinding or some exploration.

I thought about getting Secret of Mana as well

It mainly just comes down to me wanting a really good rpg to play on my phone

I can't help but find a small measure of enjoyment at the stupidity of a mobile game that requires a persistent internet connection. Perhaps we should call these particular titles "immobile games," instead?

I wonder if the game now does not include the so called online DRM. For me, its just the initial Amazon DRM. I'm curious about this because I'll be picking up FF8 on Android when it comes out.