In the interest of coming up with ideas to contribute to the forum I wanted to throw out the idea of everyone naming a game they really felt flew under the radar and why everyone should play it.

My recommendation - Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals for Super NES

Pros:
Story - What begins with a simple investigation into a strange ball of light becomes the catalyst for the hero to embark on a journey to save the world. Along the way he meets with friends new and old and even believes that, at one point, the journey is already over when, in fact, averting his original destiny is what causes the journey to be extended. With excellent character development one of the best endings on the Super NES.
Gameplay - The overworld and battle system are both fairly straightforward while adding a bit of customization as this is one of the few games I know of where one can select casting a spell onto a select group rather than the standard all-or-nothing approach. But where the most fun comes into play is the dungeon exploration as it becomes half dungeon-crawler/half puzzle adventure game with the numerous and actually challenging puzzles within the dungeons that feel very satisfying to solve.
Music - One of the best OSTs for the system, especially all three battle themes.
Replay Value - Quite a bit as beating the game once allows playing "Retry" mode, which is the main game a second time but earning 4x the exp. and money to make it easier on challenges that require a lot of grinding the first time through and also make it possible to defeat enemies you aren't supposed to. Clearing that mode unlocks a second challenge that allows the player to enter the game's bonus dungeon with a fully-customized party, and that bonus dungeon alone can easily be seen as the biggest challenge and time eater in the game itself.


Cons:
Sadly the end of the game was a bit rushed so some areas are incomplete and some plot elements are dropped pretty quickly.
The localization isn't perfect due to inconsistent translation, censorship of the day, and a couple of bugs (but only one serious one due to the game crashing when using an optional item).

Overall remains the best and best-aged game in the series and is definitely up there with RPGs like Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, and Secret of Mana.

I like this idea for a thread, but I don't think I'd consider Lufia 2 underrated. It's one of the most beloved RPGs of all time.

On the other hand...this is Demon's Crest the thread.

The game has sweet graphics, perfect music, fun and varied gameplay, exploration and you can play it in almost any order you want. It's a crime more people haven't played this.

Odd, considering so many people I've spoken with who also grew up with the Super NES had never heard of it.

Can second the recommendation for Demon's Crest, too.

Hybrid Heaven.

It's an RPG on the N64. Sorta. Battles are turn-based, you have stat growth, and you can learn various attacks which you select from a menu. But it's also like a wrestling/fighting game, as those battles are one-on-one, with you and your opponent moving around each other, and all the attacks you learn are physical, including grappling attacks. It also has a bit of a Metal Gear Solid feel to it, which makes sense, since it was made by Konami. You even have a little pulse gun that you use to shoot out drones.

The story is essentially that aliens are trying to take over the world, and it's up to your bad self to rescue the President. The entire game takes place in an underground facility, and aside from the occasional cutscene, there's very little character interaction.

The game's a little rough around the edges, and sometimes the environment feels a little too empty, but it's pretty enjoyable.

A while back, I did a video showing the first boss fight:

Ogre Battle 64: Person of Lordly Caliber, another N64 RPG, and a strategy RPG at that, which is probably why it went so under the radar for most, though I'd say the Ogre Battle series as a whole is underrated.

Plus, it boasts one the best soundtracks on the N64, from the same composers that worked on games like Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story.

I agree, the fact that a game like this wound up on the N64 is amazing, especially considering how few games of this sort wound up hitting the N64 in the first place.

Can definitely agree about Ogre Battle 64 too and especially the soundtrack. Still need to play through it again some day and go for the true ending.

Another pair that game to mind this morning are the Legend of Legaia titles, particularly the sequel, Legaia 2: Duel Saga.

While both have very similar systems the second is superior for making it more balanced, cutting down on fluff and adding a unique customization factor wherein the choices you make during the story also determine the main character's personality, which is mostly reflected during battles.

EVO: The Search For Eden.

At first I thought the game didn't get a NA release, but it did. It's a active RPG based on evolution. Experience gained can be spent on evolving specific body parts. It's really slow paced, but it's super fun.

The PSP was full of great RPGs but one that really flew under the radar is Brave Story: New Traveler, a spin-off of the Brave Story novel and even features characters from it but the novel isn't necessary reading to enjoy the game.

One for the DS that came back to mind is Glory of Heracles, the only entry in the series released in the US and is a turn-based RPG based on Greek Mythology.