Turn-based RPGs with timing mechanics in battles

I've been feeling like something kind of slow to play, but with just a little more to keep random battles interesting. If I remember correctly, Chrono Trigger and Super Mario RPG had these. Are there any others?

Chrono Trigger didn't really, but a few that did off the top of my head:

Legend of Dragoon (Possibly the peak of that style of combat)

Shadow Hearts series

Lost Odyssey

I am Setsuna (a little)

Shadow Hearts series. Your attacks are blips on a ring, and you have to time your presses as the pointer swings to make successful attacks. Same with magic and items, too.

I guess these go under Super Mario RPG, but the Mario & Luigi series feature them prominently. You can pretty much avoid all damage. Paper Mario had them too, though I don't remember if they were defensive or just a bonus to the offense.

Gladius by lucasarts is another one, but it's more of an srpg I guess.

Crypt of the necrodancer

Child of Light isn't necessarily a button press timing thing, but there is an element of trying to hit enemies at the right time to knock them back a turn.

Stick of Truth had some of this depending on the attacks used

I mean the old Final Fantasy games always had the ATB system

Vagrant Story isn't technically turn-based, but it does have a timing-based combo system and I only need the slightest excuse to bring this game up in conversation.

Seeing the first two posts recommend Shadow Hearts warms the cockles of my old, JRPG loving heart. If there was ever a series crying out for an HD remaster, or even one of those slightly better than original PS4 re-releases, Shadow Hearts is it. Those games are the best.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant was my favorite one of these

Both Costume quest games fit the bill.

South Park: Stick of Truth's mehanics seemed like they were going to br fun throughout the game but ended up not adapting and just repetitive and busywork.

the ar tonelico games are RPGs with active timing components to the battles.

Grandia series

Child of Light

Parasite Eve

Just got into The Stick of Truth and cannot wait to get into some of these other ones! Great topic, OP!

Valkyrie Profile is turn based, but there's an element of timing your party members' attacks to combo enemies. I did find the game massively impenetrable, though, so I'm not sure if this is a recommendation or just a mention.

Came here to say the Shadow Hearts series. Glad a few people already did. That was a series that just didn't get enough love.

Giant bomb is a video game encyclopedia with concept pages for this exact thing. That being said, you're forgiven because search still kinda sucks and that concept page isn't completely filled out.

In more direct answer, if you happen to have a DS I'd dig into either the Mario & Luigi games or The World Ends With You which is not a turn-based RPG at all but is still an RPG with more involved random battles and is also on iOS.

Really though, the real answer is go and find a way to play Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door for Gamecube which is the absolute best Mario RPG game. Fantastic sense of humour and just all-around fun times to be had.

Final Fantasy X-2: best active-time turn-based battle system ever made (I'm not joking)

Edit: I offer this game in reference to your mention of Chrono Trigger as having a battle system you're interested in. Chrono Trigger is an Active Time Battle (ATB) system and I just think that X-2 has the most accomplished version of that battle system. That said, Chrono Trigger's and Super Mario RPG's systems are not alike: they differ in that the former has actions constantly occurring, and the turn-based aspect comes from cooldowns on each character/actions; the latter completely stops between actions but during attacks you can press a button to gain effects (usually damage increase/resist)

FFX's overdrives do that. The rest of the game is slow, but entertainingly so.

I would absolutely not bother with FFX-2. While I believe some find that mechanic to be good, I know far more people that thought it was garbage, myself included. The game also has no redeeming qualities anywhere outside of that.

If you have a DS or 3DS browsers inside story is fantastic

I just recently started playing Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door for the first time on my PC with the Dolphin emulator. That game seems rad as hell so far, and every attack has a little timing-based mini game attached that decides how much damage it does.

Don't forget FF VIII's gunblade trigger on hit for Squall- a mechanic I had no idea about until my third playthrough of the game.

Shadow Hearts series (PS2)

Lost Odyssey (Xbox 360/ Xbox One)

Both of these games are fantastic

It seems that I did misremember Chrono Trigger, the "Action Command" is what I was referring to, not ATB. I didn't realize it had a specific name. Thanks @imhungry for the wiki link! I'll have to check out the newer Mario RPG games, for whatever reason I never really took them seriously. The only one I have played is the original, which I remember loving. Thanks for the help, everyone!

I never played it personally, and I don't think it was that well received? But just to toss one more on the pile, I'm pretty sure Blue Dragon had elements along those lines.

Been playing Divinity: Original Sin lately for the first time. And man, it's pretty good. Not much timing based stuff in the combat as far as I can tell, but the combat has a lot of elements to it.

It's funny that you mentioned that, back in the day my best friend convinced me Chrono Trigger DID have a timing based combat system that rewarded you with critical hits. I spent way too damn long wondering why the hell the crit happened last time but not this other time.

Final Fantasy 8 had some interaction during the summons... which is pretty good, since some of that animations can last for several minutes.