JRPG Recommendations?

[boot]

was recommended Mystic Quest (GameBoy) by JustInside



Try it out

 

[Wayward Son]

Meant more like FF1 & 2 with the repetitive combat and grinding

Yeah, but I don't mind grinding as long as it's fun (I enjoy the combat enough that it rarely felt like a grind at least up until the Earth Temple.)

 

[Abu Antar]

Go play all the SaGa games except Unlimited SaGa.

 

[jungl]

Go play shadow hearts for ps2. One of the more unique JRPG experiences.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

FF Tactics was mentioned, but I want to further emphasize how much you should play it. Go with the PSP version I think.

FF Tactics is really good, indeed, but if you want a meatier gameplay and in some ways more "hardcore" experience, check out Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. If you go with the PSP version you have to keep in mind there are features present that weren't in the original (and some I'm not too crazy about). The PS1 version is great as long as you can handle "semi-grinding" by having to train your group between battles (which is something they removed from the PSP version). There is a simple and effective way to do the training grind that doesn't take a ton of time, if interested I can share it.

But I would put it this way. Final Fantasy Tactics is a more story-heavy SRPG, while TO:LUCT is a more gameplay-heavy SRPG. Each one has sufficient amounts of both, though, so it's really up to you which one you want to try first. Both are must-plays, IMO. All-time classics.

 

[Bigg Boss]

FF Tactics was mentioned, but I want to further emphasize how much you should play it. Go with the PSP version I think.

FF Tactics is really good, indeed, but if you want a meatier gameplay and in some ways more "hardcore" experience, check out Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together. If you go with the PSP version you have to keep in mind there are features present that weren't in the original (and some I'm not too crazy about). The PS1 version is great as long as you can handle "semi-grinding" by having to train your group between battles (which is something they removed from the PSP version). There is a simple and effective way to do the training grind that doesn't take a ton of time, if interested I can share it.

But I would put it this way. Final Fantasy Tactics is a more story-heavy SRPG, while TO:LUCT is a more gameplay-heavy SRPG. Each one has sufficient amounts of both, though, so it's really up to you which one you want to try first. Both are must-plays, IMO. All-time classics.

I didn't get around to beating Tactics Ogre, but I agree it is more hardcore. I have way too many jRPG's in my backlog. Advantage of going PC for so long I guess.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

I didn't get around to beating Tactics Ogre, but I agree it is more hardcore. I have way too many jRPG's in my backlog. Advantage of going PC for so long I guess.

I have a lot of RPGs in my backlog, too, JRPG or otherwise! There are lots of interesting RPGs that released on consoles over the years and to play them all you'd probably need several lifetimes.

Tactics Ogre also has a brutally difficult 100 level bonus dungeon near the end of the game. Final Fantasy Tactic's bonus dungeon has 10 floors in comparison. Tactics Ogre overall is much more difficult, IMO, and has permadeath if you don't resurrect a character in a few turns. So yeah, a bit more hardcore.

 

[Keldryn]

Lots of good recommendations so far. I'll add one of my favorites.

Skies of Arcadia Legends for the Nintendo GameCube. Could also go with the Dreamcast original, but Legends has some extra content and a significantly lower random encounter rate.

You don't get to create your character, but you get a party and your own airship to command. Exploring the world is a lot of fun; you'll be searching for "discoveries" (some quite well hidden). But if you're too slow, rival sky captains can find them before you do. And just when you've explored the whole world map, brand new aspects of the world become available to you.

There are several ship to ship combat sequences in the game, completely separate from the normal combat system. Speaking of which, the characters actually move around in combat. It's not tactical combat and you don't actually control their movement, but they don't stand in a line and attack either. And there are definitely no "emo" characters... The PCs are generally upbeat and excited to see what's out there. No moody Squall (FF8) or whiny Fei (Xenogears) here.

 

[sebas]

Gonna highjack this a bit since, you see, I used to watch a lot of anime 20something years ago when I was a kid but because I only ever played PC games I haven't had much exposure to JRPGs. What are a few great JRPGs to play on PC?

 

[Chaotic_Heretic]

Also there is a obscure little jrpg on SNES called Robotrek.

You start as a boy genius and can build and customize upto 3 robots to fight for you. good fun.

 

[Bigg Boss]

Try some of the fan translated games like Bahamut Lagoon which was mentioned earlier. Shining Force 3 for the Saturn I think had one too. Legend of Mana is one that is poorly underrated and launched with a crafting system that was left unexplained. Might be too simplistic for some but Super Mario RPG was the first jRPG I owned and beat.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

Super Mario RPG is really good. It does have some simple elements but also a few interesting puzzles and secret things to find. The game is high on charm level, too.

One of the optional bosses is definitely not for the faint of heart. The exploration and areas are also interesting, IMO.

And I'd add Paper Mario to the JRPG list as well.

 

[Bigg Boss]

Super Mario RPG is really good. It does have some simple elements but also a few interesting puzzles and secret things to find. The game is high on charm level, too.

One of the optional bosses is definitely not for the faint of heart. The exploration and areas are also interesting, IMO.

And I'd add Paper Mario to the JRPG list as well.

The first one on the N64 was pretty good, but it never lived up to the one Squaresoft worked on. I always thought the optional boss in Super Mario RPG actually came from another Final Fantasy game until I found out it was more of a homage.

 

[Rahdulan]

Lots of good recommendations so far. I'll add one of my favorites.

Skies of Arcadia Legends for the Nintendo GameCube. Could also go with the Dreamcast original, but Legends has some extra content and a significantly lower random encounter rate.

You don't get to create your character, but you get a party and your own airship to command. Exploring the world is a lot of fun; you'll be searching for "discoveries" (some quite well hidden). But if you're too slow, rival sky captains can find them before you do. And just when you've explored the whole world map, brand new aspects of the world become available to you.

There are several ship to ship combat sequences in the game, completely separate from the normal combat system. Speaking of which, the characters actually move around in combat. It's not tactical combat and you don't actually control their movement, but they don't stand in a line and attack either. And there are definitely no "emo" characters... The PCs are generally upbeat and excited to see what's out there. No moody Squall (FF8) or whiny Fei (Xenogears) here.

My problem with Skies of Arcadia, original or Legends, and something that hardly applies only to that particular game is that it suffers from that early '00s clunk JRPGs experienced at the time. Like, the visuals were certainly improved from early 3D days but devs were still struggling with things like disk-read times and generally not making full use of the technological potential beyond mere presentation. Some JRPGs that went with 3D basically played like older games in the genre, which was great news for existing fans, but were constrained by things like rigid animations, poorly thought out cutscene direction, etc. Suikoden 3 stands out for me as one of more notable examples of this and where sticking to higher quality 2D would've worked out much better. Just a rant.

Try some of the fan translated games like Bahamut Lagoon which was mentioned earlier. Shining Force 3 for the Saturn I think had one too. Legend of Mana is one that is poorly underrated and launched with a crafting system that was left unexplained. Might be too simplistic for some but Super Mario RPG was the first jRPG I owned and beat.

If we're talking fan-translated then something like Live-A-Live is a must. I persist in thinking, had it ever received international release, that game would be venerated as one of the JRPG classics now.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

Suikoden 3 stands out as a notable example of "rigid animations, poorly thought out cutscene direction and a game where 2D would have worked out better" !? Are you MAD?! Cutscene direction and animations are excellent and add a TON of charm to the game. It is a prime example of the OPPOSITE of what you said!

Disregard talks of "early '00s clunk". There are plenty of good RPGs to check out from that time, including Chrono Cross, Suikoden 3/4, Final Fantasy X, Rogue Galaxy and more PS2 RPGs.

(No offense meant, just having a bit of fun here. )

 

[AetherVagrant]

*The fan translation for Mother3 is one of my favorite jrpgs ever and one of the only i still play on occasion. It's a little heavy on cut scenes and emo story for the first hour or so until it really gets going, but as a kid I always dreamed of a sequel to Earthbound, and as an adult we finally got one.

* Tactics Ogre as well. I keep running through FFT and FFTA, both a great but I usually get locked battles midway through the game I can't beat, and with no way to change my party or level them up from there. At least Ogre Battle *lets* you grind if you need to improve your party. Good story, great mechanics, you can have a great variety of units (monsters, birdmen, etc) One of those games you can start and play the first 1/4 of a half-dozen times and still not feel bored or played out.

*Trails in the Sky....loved the mechanics compared to most jrpgs, at least the combat was slightly more than menu clicking. It takes *forever* to get out of the intros and cutscenes and into the game proper. Much patience needed, but it looks great and plays great.

*Disgaea -- never beat it, still play it time to time. charming story, exploding penguins, hyooooj variety of mechanics to explore, it's like the Divinity:OS of srpgs.

The Mana series and any other with real-time combat I would stay away from unless using a controller on a pc. Trying to do that shit on a touch screen-phone emulation is ballz to the wallz. I play srpgs on my phone because save-anywhere plus turn-based combat is a godsend on mobile, and even if jrpgs suck they are better than almost anything on android besides x-com, which my phone can't run anymore.

 

[Wayward Son]

Final Fantasy X,

I actually played that one as a kid. Me and my brother never could beat Seymour's final form (the ghost robot basilisk demon robot thing that paralyzed on every hit)

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

I actually played that one as a kid. Me and my brother never could beat Seymour's final form (the ghost robot basilisk demon robot thing that paralyzed on every hit)

Yeah, there were a few tough battles in that one. It had some fun optional content near the end, too. Ultimate weapons, hidden summons, etc. Cool stuff.

 

[Wayward Son]

I actually played that one as a kid. Me and my brother never could beat Seymour's final form (the ghost robot basilisk demon robot thing that paralyzed on every hit)

Yeah, there were a few tough battles in that one. It had some fun optional content near the end, too. Ultimate weapons, hidden summons, etc. Cool stuff.

I don't think we did any of those. We mostly just stuck to the story.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

I don't think we did any of those. We mostly just stuck to the story.

Some of the challenges were rough, like the infamous dodging hundreds of those lightning strikes in a row.

Fun game, though. I liked Blitzball and the Sphere Grid. And Sin was pretty badass, too.

 

[Rahdulan]

Suikoden 3 stands out as a notable example of "rigid animations, poorly thought out cutscene direction and a game where 2D would have worked out better" !? Are you MAD?! Cutscene direction and animations are excellent and add a TON of charm to the game. It is a prime example of the OPPOSITE of what you said!

Disregard talks of "early '00s clunk". There are plenty of good RPGs to check out from that time, including Chrono Cross, Suikoden 3/4, Final Fantasy X, Rogue Galaxy and more PS2 RPGs.

(No offense meant, just having a bit of fun here. )

Nahnsense, fluent. Nahnsense

You tell me with a straight face and without crossing your fingers that

looks better than

and I'll believe you. Suikoden 3 in particular was a case of not figuring out 3D yet and, in my opinion at least, team didn't get it until Suikoden 5.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

Trust me, I'm not a big graphics guy, but Sui 3 is/was real noice. The 3 games are all real nice and I played them on release (except for 2, which was even rarer than the first game for some reason...)

The facial and body animations of 3 are fantastically expressive. Don't tell me you didn't fall in love with Cecile. The cut scenes in 3 are some of my favorite ever in an RPG.

 

[Bigg Boss]

Trust me, I'm not a big graphics guy, but Sui 3 is/was real noice. The 3 games are all real nice and I played them on release (except for 2, which was even rarer than the first game for some reason...)

The facial and body animations of 3 are fantastically expressive. Don't tell me you didn't fall in love with Cecile. The cut scenes in 3 are some of my favorite ever in an RPG.

The second one is probably rarer because it's the best in the series.

 

[Deleted Member 16721]

The second one is probably rarer because it's the best in the series.

Nah, it goes 3-1-2.

(3 being the best )

 

[Bigg Boss]

The second one is probably rarer because it's the best in the series.

Nah, it goes 3-1-2.

(3 being the best )

I can't say personally I'm just going off the consensus I see online with that. It gets my dick hard just thinking about trying one of them though if it helps.

I started Saga Frontier not too long back, but I need to pick it back up. Both of the ones on PSX were pretty damn good. Nice artstyle too. I seem to remember the combat being unique for the genre.