Best RPG for the Sega CD

[esquire]

Okay, I've had a Sega CD player for a long time now, and I just started to collect for it. I've recently purchased Vay, Popful Mail, Eye of the Beholder and Heimdall. Lunar Silver Star Story and Lunar 2 Eternal Blue are both on the way from an Ebay auction I won. I don't have Dungeon Explorer (but I do have it for the TG16) or Dungeon Master II: Skullkeep. The question is, where should I start and which ones should I avoid. Did I miss any?

I didn't include Shining Force CD or Dark Wizard as those are more tactics/strategy rpgs, rather than pure RPGs. I may run a separate poll with them and Third World War.

Thanks for the input.

[Melf]

While I know that the Lunar games are going to dominate this poll, I just want to chime in on Eye of the Beholder's behalf. It's a great RPG that's long and involved, and has a great Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack.

[GobopopRevisited]

ShadowRun :eek 2:

[MegaDrive20XX]

Lunar Silver Star Story

[Sardius]

by what definition is popful mail an rpg? seriously.

also wow, didn't know eye of the beholder's music was done by koshiro...I'll have to check that out.

[InsaneDavid]

Popful Mail. :) It took everything that was great about Cadash, smoothed out the controls, and mixed in a touch of anime. The writing was good, the voicework was excellent (especially given the other games of the time), there was a good amount of humor in there, and most importantly the game was just fun to play yet it was challenging at some points. It contained everything that is great about platforming games yet was very much an action RPG hack and slash with a good story. The animated cutscenes were top notch and well done even by todays standards.

Everything that could be animated was animated, when you came up to a up character to talk to there would be full voicework as well as ANIMATED dialogue boxes that also showed expression - not static images like most RPG's of today. Quite simply it was a game where the production value was perfect and even today when you drop $60 on a mint copy, you're still getting your moneys worth.

Great music, excellent animation, excellent voice work, excellent play mechanics, it's just one of the best games of that era and one of the most overlooked games of all time. After I restored my JVC X'Eye this was the first game I hunted down. :)

[suppafly]

I voted for "Lunar Silver Star Story". I really enjoyed it over other sega cd rpgs..

[InsaneDavid]

by what definition is popful mail an rpg? seriously.

Action RPG, while you don't build levels you still have a party that grows as the game progresses, you purchase new weapons and accessories, health items, etc.

[drwily008]

I personally like the 2 lunars best and I voted for Eternal Blue as I liked the story and gameplay more.

But, since you already have it start on Lunar 1 since the stories are directly connected.

[BigGeorgeJohnson]

I think Shining Force should be on that list.

[stevec1636]

Lunar silver star story without a doubt. nothing comes close not even Lunar 2.

[Sotenga]

Out of the choices given, definitely Popful Mail. Being that it's the only one from the choices there that I own, it wins by default. LOL

Other than that, though, it is a very awesome action-adventure-RPG, worthy to be in everyone's Sega CD collection. Damned hard, though. I haven't yet beaten it (waiting until I get an actual Sega CD to play my CD on instead of this damn Gens emulator), but if the fight against the freaking Wood Golem was problematic, then I shudder to see how painful all future bosses are... :eek 2:

[InsaneDavid]

but if the fight against the freaking Wood Golem was problematic, then I shudder to see how painful all future bosses are... :eek 2:

After you get further into the game you start to appriciate the Wood Golem battle as it teaches you how to approach the boss fights in the game. While the later ones aren't as intense it's all about having patience and figuring out a solid attack pattern - like in all outstanding action RPG platform games. In fact the whole reason the latter bosses don't seem as hairraising as the Wood Golem is because of your experence after fighting the Wood Golem.

[XxMe2NiKxX]

I thought I was going to be the only person who voted for Popful mail (does this sound inappropriate to anyone else but me? Say it aloud).

[James]

While I know that the Lunar games are going to dominate this poll, I just want to chime in on Eye of the Beholder's behalf. It's a great RPG that's long and involved, and has a great Yuzo Koshiro soundtrack.

Is that Eye of the Beholder the same game as the SNES one? Lunar 2 Eternal Blue for me though. Love the cinematics and the soundtrack, the Sega CD version is the best too bad it got the Sony treatment.

[VACRMH]

While Vay holds a special place in my heart, i'll always love Lunar more :)

[Melf]

Is that Eye of the Beholder the same game as the SNES one? Lunar 2 Eternal Blue for me though. Love the cinematics and the soundtrack, the Sega CD version is the best too bad it got the Sony treatment.

It's the same game, but enhanced with cut scenes, voice overs, great music, and the ability to use the D pad for movement like a regular RPG (makes all the difference in the world). It's leagues better than the cartridge version, and it's unfortunate that so many gamers never gave it a chance.

[Cirrus]

Well, I voted for Silver Star Story, because it was perfect. I still name every "namable" RPG character Alex because of that game.

And I guess I'm going to have to give Popful Mail a try... I bought it as part of a lot fairly recently and figured I'd get to it soon. (Even though it doesn't sound as if it is a pure RPG.)

[Bluteg]

I voted for Lunar: Silver Star Story also and am wondering what happened to Shining Force? But Lunar is a true classic that is definately in my personal top two or three games, right next to Sonic CD. I have loved every version of it realesed even the GBA version.

[InsaneDavid]

I think Shining Force should be on that list.

uh, read the initial forum post...


I didn't include Shining Force CD or Dark Wizard as those are more tactics/strategy rpgs, rather than pure RPGs. I may run a separate poll with them and Third World War.

If there's a game that is missing it be Snatcher - Hideo Kojima's loving tribute to Blade Runner of which the Sega CD version is the only English release. Then again that's less of an RPG and more like interactive drama with one hell of a well executed story. :king:

[Tron 2.0]

Lunar EB i just feel the characters were flesh out more then the original.

[kainemaxwell]

Hard tossup between Lunar 1 and 2. Lunar 1 did alot of things right in most aspects and Lunar 2 just upped the ante, along with the difficulty for that matter.

[DDCecil]

I voted for Lunar: Silver Star. I just had more fun with it than all the others, though the rest of Working Designs games come close, and I have a very special place in my heart for Dungeon Explorer.

[slip81]

I think Shining Force should be on that list.

Ditto

But as it is I voted for Lunar: SS

[DragonMaster Sam]

I voted for Lunar 2: Eternal Blue, being that it's the only Sega CD RPG that I've played. Would've voted for Shining Force CD, but as someone mentioned earlier, it's more of a strategy game.

[Daria]

ShadowRun :eek 2:

Actually it's Shadowrun.

You just don't capitalize the "R".

Anyway I'm going to go with Vay. As much as I love the two Lunars I prefer their PSX ports over the Sega CD version. And Popful Mail was just too damn hard.

Although for the record, Shining Force CD kicks even Vay's butt.

[Melf]

I didn't like the high random battle rate in Vay. It was practically "step and fight, step and fight." The wimpiness of the healing items turned me off too.

[ghostangelofcky]

Lunar 2 Eternal Blue gets my vote, I've never played Vay but it's on the list along with a lot of others

[Pop Culture Portal]

I vote Lunar: Silver Star...played that game three days straight with no sleep. No game has ever drawn me in like that one. Naturally, I did enjoy Lunar 2, Vay, and Popful Mail, all running a close second.

[pseudonym]

lunar silver star for me.

[InsaneDavid]

And Popful Mail was just too damn hard.

But that's why we love her! :D


I didn't like the high random battle rate in Vay. It was practically "step and fight, step and fight." The wimpiness of the healing items turned me off too.

That's hands down why I just can't get into modern RPG's, they all seem to use that system now, especially the recent Final Fantasy titles. Ruined Xenogears for me too "6..5..4..3..2..1..BATTLE - 6..5..4..3..2..1..BATTLE.." :angry:

[grimbal]

Popful Mail got my vote. When I started playing the Lunar games I knew already that they were great games and so I wasn't dissapointed.

I went into Popful not knowing anything about it. It was a surprise to me and I really enjoyed the writing and voice acting.

[Blackjax]

Allright, I gotta chime in on this one since I played through em all.

#1) Lunar: The Silver Star - By far, the best RPG on this system. Yes, the PSX version may be better in the end, but this game is the original, and in my opinion, has the better ending boss. Don't get me wrong, the last part of the PSX Lunar was great and all, but it lacked the desperation attack of the major antagonist the SegaCD version had.

#1.5) Lunar: Eternal Blue - Why 1.5? this is a good game when played alone, but it becomes outstanding when played after Lunar: TSS is played. You get to see the same world you saved in the first game, 1000 years later. You get to see how the religion of the world has been corrupted into a controlling force instead of a force for good. Unlike the first Lunar, this one is BETTER on the SegaCD than it was on the PSX just in a difficulty level. The PSX version is really unbalanced and had incredibly cheap bosses. Play this one instead, the differences in the game are minor.

#2) Popful Mail - anything I could say about this game has already been said earlier. Read above.

Since I need to go to work the rest of my list, with no comment, other than ignoring the "forgotten" games.

#3) Snatcher
#4) Space Adventure Cobra
#5) Vay
#6) Dark Wizard

[Aussie2B]

Shining Force CD is more of an RPG than Popful Mail is. And some of the games being suggested, like Shadowrun and Snatcher, aren't RPGs in any sense. o_O They just have some vaguely RPG-ish elements.

But anyway, Shining Force CD whoops them all. ;)

[esquire]

Thanks for everybody's input. My Lunar I & II arrived today, so I think I am going to start with them in order. Then I'll move on to Vay or Popful Mail.

I didn't include Snatcher or Space Adventure because they are more of a pure adventure game, rather than RPG. And as stated, I didn't wan't to include Shining Force or Dark Wizard for different reasons. That's not to say they aren't great games, or even better than those games listed in my poll. I was just looking at it from a pure RPG standpoint, and according to the Online Rarity Guide, the games I listed are just that. I do have Dark Wizard, but not Shining Force. one of these days I'll going to pick it up if I can find one in the wild or for a reasonable price on ebay. Lately it seems like both Shining Force and dark Wizard have been going for twice their book value, so I may have to hold off for now.

What I was surprised about is that no one commented on Heimdall, Dungeon Master II or Dungeon Explorer. I really didn't expect them to get any votes, but I was hoping for some comments on them.

Dungeon Explorer intrigues me as I really liked it for the TG16. I am going to keep my eye out for that one.

Dungeon Master II looks like its similar to Eye of the Beholder and those old dungeon crawlers like Wizardy and Ultima Underworld. However, as I don't have this one yet, I am only basing it on screen shots.

I do have Heimdall, but haven't played it yet. Based on the screens on the back of the box, it looks isometric like Diablo, perhaps similar to Light Crusader for the Genesis. Has anyone played this one? Is it worth getting into?

[blissfulnoise]

Dungeon Master II moves at a snails pace, but it's great if your an old school DnD stat whore.

Melf is right. Vay's combat ratio is insane. BUT, it does have a pretty fun plot. And god-awfully awesome voice acting. It's too bad all the characters look like pansies... except for that armor. Rad to the max.

But I'm voting Lunar: Silver Star because, well, it is the best RPG on the console if you do apply the *formula*

Well drawn Anime inspired characters... check
Clever humor combined with scatological comedy... check
Unique PCs each with their own special abilities... check
Mysterious (read: bad-ass looking) evil genius caliber antagonist... check
Cute and seemlingly harmless flying animal serving as a constant companion only to unleash awesome powers in a dire time of need... check
A theme song with vocals... check
Slimes... check
Prerequesite cut scene featuring candid shots of the ladies of the game... check (and one of the guys... hum...)

Yep. It's all there.

Though Lunar 2 did up the ante with the sweet playable prologue and cooler character names. The heroes name is Hiro. How pun-tastic is that?

[nik]

I vote for shining force.

[Cryomancer]

I love Space Adventure Cobra as well, but it's really more of an adventure game, like say the lucasarts PC stuff. Dunno if I'd call it an RPG at all.

I'd say about the same for Popful Mail, in my mind it's more of a platformer with upgrades, maybe even call it RPG elements but I dunno, I guess I'm the minority here.

I've still got to play through the Lunars so I'll get back to you on this poll I think.