Favorite RPG game

Originally Posted by Blizzaga

Last time I checked, those were all elements contained in RPG's. Not to mention that official Nintendo people refer to Zelda as RPG.

I thought games had to have stat and ability customizing to be an RPG. That way the character you play is special.

Though maybe genres have grey areas, and it's hard to tell. Only two out of four games I listed as RPGs are turnbased, although Arcanum has the option of whether you want it to be realtime or turnbased. I only use turn based in that game for my thief class. I'd explain, but it's kind of long and offtopic.

If Zelda cn be considered RPG, then Metroid can be considered FPS.

Originally Posted by Blizzaga

Fine. I stand corrected. Though the only thing keeping Zelda from being a pure RPG is a level-up system, I can arguably still call it part RPG.

Zelda is without a doubt an adventure game.

Final Fantasy IX

YEAH! THAT GAME WAS AWESOME!!!!!

Final Fantasy IX

YEAH! THAT MAKES 3!!!!!!

I didn't want to admit this, but I cried after the ending of FFIX, I did all the bonus stuff to get the "best ending" and it made me cry that my Fun filled awesome adventure had ended. Probably the 2nd sadest day of my life. Which is a bit sad. I need to get out more often...

FINAL FAMTASY series
FIRE EMBLEM series
MEGAMAN BATTLE NETWORK/ STAR FORCE Series

Those are my most favorite games...

Baten Kaitos
Golden Sun series
Fire Emblem series
(Harvest Moon)

1. Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. Reason? It's long, it's engaging, it has catchy music, and it's freaking hilarious to boot (not to mention it has a cameo of Link and Samus in it, and is the only game that has Geno as a playable character. He's my all-time favorite Mario character next to Bowser).

2. Mario & Luigi: Superstar Saga. Reason? It reminded me of the above game, it was sort of funny, and it was an enjoyable game to play (Geno cameo?! OH YEAH. I have yet to play its sequal).

3. Paper Mario (seeing a trend here?). Reason? It's a fun game, and certainly a fresh twist on the Marioverse. It also reminded me of both the above games (I bought it on VC, and I have yet to play its two sequals).

i have to say

1) Final Fantasy VIII, IX
i don't think i need to talk much about why i love these games.

2) Skies of Arcadia
though it looks kind of cheesy to begin with, this game is AMAZING. it's so, long as well, and there are so many things to do in it, like, so much. it's as long as any final fantasy game, almost. and that's some feat.

3) Paper Mario N64
i have this on my WiiVC, and haha, it's absolutely amazing. it's far better than i though it would ever be, it's just so.. thoroughly fun

Here's a list of the games that really left a lasting impression on me, for various reasons:

Phantasy Star - Absolutely archaic by today's standards, but still as compelling to play as ever. It demands a do-it-yourself approach with a heavy emphasis on exploration, almost never holding your hand along the way, which I absolutely loved. Nice and hard, too; you'd better be mapping the dungeons as you go, because getting lost probably means you'll never find your way out alive.

Phantasy Star IV - A very solid game in every regard, but the major thing it has going for it is the presentation of the story (which, ironically, is possibly the weakest point of all the other games in the series.) While the plotline isn't spectacular, it has a few very nice twists and relies heavily on its likeable cast, who are surprisingly distinct and well-developed for a 16-bit era game. A good example for showing that it isn't always what you say, so much as how you say it. An anomaly in the sense that I almost always write off story as one of the least important aspects of any game, RPGs included; I'm really not sure why this one is different. The game itself is far more satisfying if you've played the other Phantasy Star games, since its role as the conclusion of the series can fully be felt then.

Skies of Arcadia - Nothing groundbreaking, but everything it does, it does right. Ends up feeling like a masterpiece that's far more than the sum of its parts. Heavy (if optional) emphasis on exploration is a big part of what makes the game what it is.

Dragon Quest III - I played the GBC remake, and I can only assume it's everything the original was and more. An iconic, old-school game that still serves as a nice poster child of the JRPG genre as a whole. Makes good use of the "end that's not really the end" twist, possibly for the first time ever? I had a blast playing this.

Paper Mario - I don't feel a need to explain this. Actually, I've loved all of the Mario RPGs I've played for similar reasons, but I still had the most fun with this one.

KotOR - Oh god, this game kicks all kinds of ass. Incredible, relatively open-ended and full of choices. The only complaint I had was how I was eventually forced into becoming a Jedi when I was having so much fun as a fast-talking, gunslinging, Pazaak-hustling lowlife. However, I do concede that the plot wouldn't have worked as well otherwise, and am still thankful that I wasn't forced to use my lightsaber beyond the initial training. Killed Malak with a lone blaster pistol, baby! That's how the real men do it!

Puzzle Quest: Challenge of the Warlords - Arguably not a "real" RPG, but it's close enough for me. I've heard people complain that the story was bland, but I still thought it did its job well enough. Besides, it's a ****ing puzzle game; what were they expecting? All in all, this is an ingenius hybrid of genres that's impossibly addictive. Deserves more publicity.

Pokemon series - As an RPG, Pokemon is in fact quite mediocre, though still fairly enjoyable. I personally have trouble viewing it as an RPG rather than a highly customizable strategy game, but it technically is one, so I'm listing it here anyway.

Honorable mentions go to Shining Force III, the Golden Sun games, and some other stuff I know is slipping my mind at the moment.

So where's Square in all this? I've lived on the "other side" for most of my gaming career and have practically no experience with them at the moment, but that's slowly beginning to change. I recently completed my first Final Fantasy game, FF6. I liked it quite a bit, but not enough for it to make the list; I guess it kinda fell short of expectations in a way. I didn't think the plot was "all that" like so many people claim, nor did I particularly care for any of the characters. My favorite part of the game by far was actually the nonlinear World of Ruin. Still a very fun game, but I guess it's to be expected that Square's distinct flavor isn't as appealing to someone who grew up with the genre from a slightly different angle. I still greatly anticipate eventually getting around to somehow playing FF9 and Chrono Trigger. Maybe FF7 and 10 too, but they're lower priority.

Other RPGs I plan to (hopefully) play at some unknown point in the future:

Mass Effect
Baldur's Gate II
Planescape
Dragon Force
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Lunar series
Persona series
Etrian Odyssey
Great Greed (I randomly bought this from a local store for just $6, but haven't gotten around to it yet)

And that's that.

oh also, Star Ocean for PS2, that game was aahhh.. AMAZING

I've found this online RPG game, yet you can't play with other people online. It's called Dragon Fable. I go on it, and I recomend it for some. The graphics are, well... 2-D. But, you get to create your own character, weapons, etc.
Your allowed to upgrade your account there, by paying for a "Dragon Amulet", You can have up to 6 charatcers, unlock quests and weapons, and other good stuff.

Originally Posted by Homarid

KotOR - Oh god, this game kicks all kinds of ass. Incredible, relatively open-ended and full of choices. The only complaint I had was how I was eventually forced into becoming a Jedi when I was having so much fun as a fast-talking, gunslinging, Pazaak-hustling lowlife. However, I do concede that the plot wouldn't have worked as well otherwise, and am still thankful that I wasn't forced to use my lightsaber beyond the initial training. Killed Malak with a lone blaster pistol, baby! That's how the real men do it!

Damn, I can't believe I forgot that! KOTOR was KICK ASS. Did you play the second one? It was just as good as the first, and there were plenty of inconveniences that were rubbed out. Inconveniences also include Carth and Juhani.

As for the Malak thing, damn. I've killed him in clothing once. That was pretty tough.

Pokemon Blue will forever be known as the most successful RPG ever made. It is the king of all RPGs.

Etrian Odyssey

I LOVED THAT GAME!!! I got it for my R4 a while back, I havn't beaten it yet but its great!

Just to name a few (in no particular order):

- Xenogears
- Elder Scroll's IV: Oblivion
- Final Fantasy VI
- Final Fantasy VII
- Final Fantasy X
- Mass Effect
- Paper Mario

I might reedit with more depth and clarity later.

Originally Posted by Homarid

KotOR - Oh god, this game kicks all kinds of ass. Incredible, relatively open-ended and full of choices. The only complaint I had was how I was eventually forced into becoming a Jedi when I was having so much fun as a fast-talking, gunslinging, Pazaak-hustling lowlife. However, I do concede that the plot wouldn't have worked as well otherwise, and am still thankful that I wasn't forced to use my lightsaber beyond the initial training. Killed Malak with a lone blaster pistol, baby! That's how the real men do it!

You type out a long paragraph about the game, yet don't bother to spell out the name of the game itself?

Paper Mario 1 and 2. My favorite RPGs, and possibly my favorite games (especially the first one).

Pokemon FireRed. What can I say? It's Pokemon.

Fire Emblem. I haven't beaten it, or played it recently, but I still love it.

Originally Posted by Ender

Zelda is without a doubt an adventure game.

Oh, no doubt. I completely agree with you. All I'm saying is that it also feels a lot like an RPG.

I haven't played too many RPGs, but out of those I have played, my favorites would have to be:

1. Last Scenario, for an excellent plot and unique magic system.
2. Lufia: The Legend Returns, for a really neat battle system.

Originally Posted by Blizzaga

You type out a long paragraph about the game, yet don't bother to spell out the name of the game itself?

I point out that no one else in the thread has felt the need to spell out the full name either. Besides, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (there, I did it!) should be common knowledge by now.

Originally Posted by zeldask8r

I LOVED THAT GAME!!! I got it for my R4 a while back, I havn't beaten it yet but its great!

I just picked up Etrian used and really like it even though I've barely gotten anywhere yet. Shades of Phantasy Star, Wizardry, and some other things in its playstyle. I'm a sucker for games that center around exploration and discovery.

Originally Posted by Homarid

I point out that no one else in the thread has felt the need to spell out the full name either. Besides, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic (there, I did it!) should be common knowledge by now.

Chill. I was only playing. But, common knowledge or not, it is more interesting to read Ocarina of Time and Knights of the Old Republic instead OoT or KotOR. This is a forum after all, you have the time to spell it out.

Another RP I've fallen in love with is Kingdom Hearts. Adventure plus an awesome story and cast plus Disney nostalgia? I'm so there! ^_^