What system has the best RPGs

[cyberfluxor]

Although I haven't played nearly all the systems out there, I was currious as to knowing what system thus far has provided the largest collection of great RPGs. Include the system and set of your favorites that aren't found on other consules.

[Richter Belmount]

ngage



















nah just pullin your leg , id said snes has tons , but some real quality ones are on the turbo duo .

[Daria]

Snes and Playstation easily have the largest libraries. And there fore not only have the most "great games" they also pack the most crap. When it comes to portable Gaming the GBA SP is your obvious answer for it's current games and backwards compatible library.

If you're looking for a system with fewer selections but a better ratio of classic to crap then you can't go wrong with Sega CD or Sega Saturn.

And if you're just longing for a more western library then you'll want an XboX.

[Blanka789]

I'm gonna have to go with the PSone. It has Final Fantasy 1-9(Plus Tactics),Dragon Warrior VII(more DW if you import),The Lunar Series, Chrono Trigger & Chrono Cross, Saga Frontier 1&2, Threads of Fate, Legend of Legaia, Breath of Fire 4(may also have 3), Arc The Lad Collection, Legend of Dragoon, Grandia, and many, many others.

Next up, The Sega Saturn: Didn't have a long life, but had some incredible RPGs-Albert Oddysey, Magic Knight Rayearth, Riglord Saga, Lunar Remake, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Grandia(I Believe), Shining Force III, Dragon Force, and others.

The Sega CD and Super Nintendo get honorable mention, but since many of their games were ported to one of these two consoles, I just can't give them full credit. Other Consoles with good RPG's: NES, SMS, Dreamcast, and, if you are counting handhelds, The Wonderswan.

PS I'm assuming that you didn't want PC games...

[hbkprm]

the pc have always been a harbor for the rpg

[MrSmiley381]

It's hard to tell. The PSOne had some good games, and some GOD AWFUL CRAP. The SNES had some good RPGs, but they were made most by Square, so there wasn't too much variety.

Now, the Saturn... :devilish:

Dragon Force. Panzer Dragoon Saga. Albert Odyssey. I know I guy that had them all until his friend (who I seriously think he must've killed) traded them all for one mediocre shmup. But the Saturn probably had the coolest and most unique games. Dreamcast had a few as well, but my vote goes for the Saturn.

[cyberfluxor]

Yeah. As for my collection, my best RPGs are on the SNES whereas I have more PS1 RPG games to play. I'm mainly looking into what system I should more so concentrate on for those better RPG titles.

[Daria]

Alright here's a quick run down of some of my favorites, plus a lot of very popular RPGs I wouldn't normally list. I also didn't bother to list every Zelda title, and opted to instead cover the more RPGish Link to the Past clones. As the n64 games play more like the original which wasn't an RPG at all.

Nintendo:
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior II
Dragon Warrior III
Dragon Warrior IV
Crystalis
Magic of Scherherazade
Ultima III: Exodus
Star Tropics
Legend of the Ghost Lion
Faxanadu
Final Fantasy
Willow
Gargoyle's Quest II
Legend of Zelda II, The: The Adventure of Link

Super Nintendo:
Harvest Moon
Dragon View
Chrono Trigger
Breath of Fire
Breath of Fire II
Lufia
Lufia II
Super Mario RPG
Inindo: Way of the Ninja
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (well *I* liked it anyway)
Legend of Zelda: Link to the Past

N64:
Harvest Moon 64
Paper Mario

GameCube:
Paper Mario 2
Tales of Symphonia
Lost Kingdoms
Lost Kingdoms II
Legend of Zelda: Four Swords

Sega Master System:
Phantasy Star
Miracle Warriors
Y's: The Vanished Omens

Genesis:
Shining Force
Shining Force II
ShadowRun
LandStalker
Warsong
Crusader of Centy
Shining in the Darkness
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star IV
Pirates

Sega CD:
Shining Force CD
Vay
Popful Mail

Sega Saturn:
Shining Force III
Dragon Force
Albert's Odyssey
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Magic Knight Rayearth

Dreamcast:
Skies of Arcadia
Grandia II

PlayStation 2:
Wizardry
La Pucelle: Tactics
Disgaea
Phantom Brave
Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana
Dark Cloud 2
Kingdom Hearts
Shadow Hearts
Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne
Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim
Harvest Moon

PlayStation:
Alundra
Arc the Lad Collection
Lunar
Lunar 2
Tales of Destiny 2
Shadow Madness
Dragon Warrior VII
Breath of Fire III
Koudelka
Persona 2
Rhapsody
Valkyrie Profile
Vandal Hearts
Suikoden
Suikoden II
Grandia
Star Ocean: The Second Story
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy VII (I hate it but I'm a minority)
Wild Arms
Thousand Arms
Tactics Ogre
Harvest Moon: Back to Nature

GameGear:
Crystal Warriors
Defenders of Oasis
Shining Force: The Sword of Hajya

Gameboy:
Riviera
CIMA: The Enemy
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Golden Sun
Mario Golf
Pokémon
Dragon Warrior Monsters
Legend of Zelda, The: Oracle of Ages
Legend of Zelda, The: Oracle of Seasons
Legend of Zelda, The: The Minish Cap

XboX:
Morrowind
Knights of the Old Republic
Knights of the Old Republic 2
Fable
Sudeki
Pirates

[Daria]

And conversly some real crap you probably ought to avoid.

Nintendo:
Hydlide

Super Nintendo:
Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder
Lagoon

N64:
Quest 64

GameCube:
Darken Skye

Genesis:
Kings Bounty
Super Hydlide

Sega CD:
Dungeon Master II: Skullkeep

Dreamcast:
Evolution

PlayStation 2:
This console has a lot of mediocre RPGs but I've yet to come across any true crap. I'm sure it's there, I've just been fortunate enough not to step in it.

Playstation:
Eternal Eyes
Yu-Gi-Oh: Forbidden Memories (I don't know if it's really that bad but it's probably a safe bet)

Gameboy:
Dragonball Z: The Legacy of Goku
Dragonball Z: The Legacy of Goku II
Dungeons & Dragons: Eye of the Beholder

XboX:
Metal Dungeon

[Blanka789]

On your "avoid list", you forgot Aidyn Chronicles on N64.

[Daria]

On your "avoid list", you forgot Aidyn Chronicles on N64.

Haven't played it, besides I've heard some good things about it.

[retroman]

i would have to say either the NES or the Playstation

[Niku-Sama]

super nintendo for me

i think chrono trigger is still the best RPG

[squidblatt]

I'd add Arx Fatalis to the Xbox list.

[kainemaxwell]

SNES. RPGs on the snes had style and weren't overwhelmed by fancy FMV and some of the pointlessness later system rpgs have.

[pragmatic insanester]

what was so bad about the later hydlide titles? i haven't played any of the series, but everywhere i go i see the genesis and saturn reiterations getting shit on.

[MattyXB]

Super Nintendo has the most best RPGs from all consoles for me too. Most from Squaresoft, yes. But Enix has too some great RPGs. 8-)

[VACRMH]

Playstation, Playstation 2 and SNES are my top picks.

Some of my faves....

Playstation -

Lunar - SSSC
Final Fantasy VII
Star Ocean 2

Playstation 2 -

Kingdom Hearts
Shadow Hearts
Shadow Hearts 2

SNES -

Final Fantasy VI
Secret of Mana
Chrono Trigger
Breath of Fire

[HyrulianHedgehog]

I’ve hated every single Final Fantasy, so I’m not going to mention the Playstation, because most the RPGs on that system uses a similar turn-based mechanic, which I hate. I’d have to say if you wanted remarkable, non-generic RPGs, I’d say the best ones are on the GameCube and PC.

Gamecube has Wind Waker and the Zelda Collectors Edition, which has four Zelda games on it, Eternal Darkness, Baldur’s Gate, The Sims, and it has two of the greatest PS1 game’s remakes, Metal Gear Solid: Twin Snakes, and Resident Evil. These games are more what you’d call ‘Adventure Games,’ but I think they’ve got stories on-par with most your traditional Japanese Turnbased games. There’s also the excellent Skies of Arcadia and Tale of Symphonia. There are more, but I haven’t played them so I shouldn’t be the one to suggest them.

[Poofta!]

i love RPGs, and ive played probably 95% of all console RPGs ever released, defiantely havent finished them, but i gave them a chance. i speak from personal experience as a person who's fav genre is RPG (followed by FPS, but thats a different story). the most important thing in an RPG, for me at least, is the story, i kept that in mind when writing this very quick crash course intro to what has what.

now, im shocked to the number of people saying saturn and dreamcast.

dreamcast had like 2 RPGs worth playing, and both have been re-released (Skies of arcadia on GC, and Grandia2 for ps2) therefore, its worthless.

NEXT!

Saturn, it had 5, FIVE worthy games. yes they are good, but by no means the end all, be all of RPGs. and considering they run anywhere from 50 to 150 dollars, i wouldnt recommend it to someone who wants a healthy selection.

NEXT!

Turbografx? had no good RPGs period. the CD add-on had a 3, but again, they (and the console) are pricey and scarce, therefore probably wouldnt be your first choice.

now, here are my 2 favs:
there are really too many RPGs to list, but if you do decide on the console you wish to persue, PM me and ill make up a good, complete list.

SNES - spectacular RPGs, however, most of the best have been re-released (and improved) on other systems, the FFs are on the PS1, zelda is on GBA, Chrono Trigger also on PS1. Breath of FIres are on GBA. this only leave a couple that you can only play on the SNES, Secret of Evermore and more importantly, Secret of Mana. now personally id say Secret of Mana alone is worth the system, but its not my decision. in retrospect, there are better choices if you want the widest and best selection.

GBA - must have. a top notch library of truly great new RPGs and a very healthy dose of re-released and improved RPGs, mostly from the SNES (and some from genny). a definate must own for RPG fans, and since you can play them on your TV (through at least 2 different ways), 'portable' isnt an excuse not to own this RPG haven.

Playstation - ahh, playstation, the jackpot to an RPG'ers dream. aside from having a miraculously outstanding library of ORIGINAL RPGs, which cannot be played anywhere else, the PS1 has an excellent collection of the best RPGs of yester-year, namely SNES's Chrono Trigger, FF2, FF3. SCD's Lunar I and II. and a collection (like someone mentioned) of all the previouse Arc the Lads released previously only in japan. all in all there are close to 50 RPGs (solo games, some are on compilations). and around 30 of those are must-plays.

Playstation 2 - ironically, this system doesnt live up to its predecessor's RPG reputation, but it does have some gems, mainly the new FFs, and the excellent selection of Strategy RPGs. plus it can play all your PS1 games, so this is probably the best choice.

Xbox - anything the xbox can do, the PC can do better, including all of it's RPGs. Morrowind, Fable, Arx, all have far superior versions on the pc (fable will be out soon).

Gamecube - some gems, personally i think its worth owning due to its low price, but dont expect a hearty stream of new RPGs.

Ngage - HA!

Genesis - solid, its RPGs are a little bit different, the Phantasy Star series has always been a black sheep in the RPG genre, and the Shining force series is strategy RPG. Landstalker, an absolutely stunning RPG can be considered as the much much much better version of Zelda3, and should be played. Shadowrun is great too but very hard.

Game Gear - has 2 RPGs worth playing, with its cheap price its worth a try.

PC - if D&D ruleset RPGs is what you wanna play, this is the only place for ya.

NES - nice 'birth' of console RPGs. most of these wont play very well today, but if youre really dedicated and hardcore, and dont care about story (which most RPG gamers care very much about) there are some fun games to play, overall not my choice.

[sabre2922]

PS2 by far.

all the great PSone and PS2 RPGs on one system 8-) oh yeah.

Second would probably be SNES of course EMU solves that ;)

a close 3rd would be Genesis its the system that gave me Phantasy Star 2

[Trebuken]

I think they are correct, you need a PS2. A combined library of PS2 and PS1 Rpg's is a hands-down winner, unless you want to go the PC direction. Unfortunately the RPG scene on the PC has turned into MMORPG's, which is both good and bad, but unlimited playability.

I treasure all the old RPG's on the PC, games like ULTIMA I-IV, Questron, Wizard's Crown, Phantasie series, Bard's Tale, etc. Even if you have to use an emulator or DOSBox to get these games running, I think they are superior (on average).

You can get a SNES for less than most of the RPG's on the system so you need to have one of them as well. Earthbound, played it for only ten minutes myself, but seems to me a must have. Super Mario RPG, buy the system for this game alone, Secret of Mana (PS1 updates of FF's and ChronoTrigger are preferred). Again etc.

Someone was talking down about the TG-16...Neutopia and Neutopia II are great games. Utterly exact clones of Zelda, but great games. There is also Order of the Griffin, which is OK, similar to the PC Golde BOX AD&D games. Now the there are a number of CD based games (more than 3). You have Cosmic Fantasy 2, Dragon Slayer, Exile, Exile 2, Might & Magic III, Vasteel (maybe), Y's 1-3. The Turbo also has quite a few games that are not RPG's but are fantasy themed and are just solid.

I believe the TG-16 library of RPG's is almost as good as the Saturn's (and a little less expensive).

Trebuken

[jdc]

The GameCube has a great library of RPGs. There are the Cube games......but if you hook up a GBA player to the Cube you have a fairly huge library of Gameboy (black and white, color and GBA) RPGs that can be played on the TV.

PS2 wins as well due to the huge back catalogue of PSX games.

Sadly the Xbox loses, which is ironic for a PC based company with access to hundreds of PC RPGs.

[Jumpman Jr.]

I'd have to say SNES as well. Not only do they have a really large quantity of RPG's. But most of them are also very good. All the Final Fastasy's, Zelda, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana etc...[/i]

[s1lence]

I'm going to say psone has the best overall, granted it also has the most crap too. The SNES also has a bunch but its a bit square heavy. PS2 seems to be gaining steam though a bunch of them are FF Tatics clones.

[PDorr3]

I love PSX rpg's, since I am not old enough to have been brought up with NES era rpgs, and I was not heavily into RPG's until the PSX era.

[davepesc]

Daria laid it out pretty well, so I'll just add that my favorite RPGs were on the PlayStation.
The SNES had some real gems, but you can play the Final Fantasies/Chrono on the PS1, so the PS1 still stays on top.

The Genesis had fewer, but between Phantasy Star/Shining Force/Warsong/Landstalker/Shadowrun...etc, there is plenty to see here.

After that, there are a few winners here and there on the SMS/N64 and modern consoles. GBA has some fun (if not too easy) RPGs as well.

[Trevor Belmont]

I'd have to say PSX, although SNES is a very close second. I give the edge to the PSX because I really started playing RPGs around the PSX's golden years, while I unfortunately missed out on SNES RPGs when they were in their heyday.

Just thinking about PSX RPGs brings a smile to my face. I remember playing the hell out of those games back in high school ... now with work and all of that I have trouble finding time to play anymore, unfortunately. The PSX ones have that nostalgia factor for me.

[Nature Boy]

I agree with the "SNES and PSX" being the two you want to look at, with the latter getting the nod.

I personally think the "... but it has a lot of crap too" argument is pointless. The number of bad games for a system should never be more of a factor than the number of good games for a system.

The reasons for the PSX are those already listed: lots of good PS1 only RPGs plus remakes of a lot of the other RPGs available on other systems (Lunar, Chrono, FF 1,2,4,56).

Before making a choice take a look at reviews of the games mentioned, just to get a feel for what you're getting yourself into. Just make sure you avoid fanboy reviews.

[Joker T]

I would say PS1 even if it were just for final fantasy 7 and 8

Did anyone like Legend of Legaia I thought that game was awesome :)

some of my other faves on Ps1 were

-Chrono Cross
-The Legend of Dragoon
-Vagrant Story

[cyberfluxor]

Haha. I love the big lists of the selections and bad choices to go with on the different systems. It's a really helpful guide from fellow gamers. Although, I must say Final Fantasy 7 is my favorite RPG, not because it was the first huge RPG sellout (From my point of view isolated early in life), but it was my first game outside of the Master System I owned and brought me to the world of turn-based RPGs.

And this is where I go off on a tanget. What exacty do you qualify as an RPG. I've had people tell me games like Zelda are RPG adventures. Where is the line of a RPG games core drawn and turned into another genre...

[cyberfluxor]

And conversly some real crap you probably ought to avoid.

Dreamcast:
Evolution


I have Evolution and Evolution 2 and think they are decent RPGs, but not top knotch. I think one that should be thrown in there is Time Stalkers. It's not a favorable RPG among most but is playable.

[ty896]

Hard to argue against the PC, especially as RPGs, in my experience, play fine in an emulated environment.

Has no one recommended Earthbound (aka Mother 2) for SNES?

I played it last month, mostly on the recommendation of the Internet's Tim Rogers ( Read Review Here (http://www.largeprimenumbers.com/article.php?sid=mother2)), and it is a blast. Without question the funniest RPG I have ever played. The whole thing is very clever, and not being a Square title, it may very well provide the variety that the SNES RPG player is looking for.

[Aussie2B]

dreamcast had like 2 RPGs worth playing, and both have been re-released (Skies of arcadia on GC, and Grandia2 for ps2) therefore, its worthless.

NEXT!

Saturn, it had 5, FIVE worthy games. yes they are good, but by no means the end all, be all of RPGs. and considering they run anywhere from 50 to 150 dollars, i wouldnt recommend it to someone who wants a healthy selection.

NEXT!

Turbografx? had no good RPGs period. the CD add-on had a 3, but again, they (and the console) are pricey and scarce, therefore probably wouldnt be your first choice.

While I'd be inclined to agree with you if limited to just US releases, those are all great systems for RPG players if you import. No one said that this topic had to be ONLY about US releases, so I figure that should be pointed out.

Daria, no recommendation for Star Ocean 3 for your PS2 list? You break my heart. :P

Personally, I'd easily go with SNES/SFC as the best RPG system. Prior RPGs, such as those on NES, could be fun, but they tended to be a bit primitive and unweildly (at the time, adventure games offered a more satisfying experience, like Zelda, StarTropics, and Crystalis). Like buying each item in Final Fantasy one at a time, ugh. SNES and Super Famicom RPGs were not only prettier, sounded better, and had more interesting plot lines, but they also evolved enough to the point that the cumbersome stuff was eliminated and gameplay was refined, complex, and interesting. It made for a polished, smooth experience. PlayStation RPGs evolved a bit further, but it started going in the wrong direction. Story became TOO much of the focus, most FMV just bloated the games and didn't offer much, and the difficulty was dumbed down so you could just coast through the story. Now, don't get me wrong, there are tons of great RPGs for PlayStation, but the mainstream titles were usually a disappointment to me, like Final Fantasy 7 and Chrono Cross. But for every game like those, you got a Valkyrie Profile and Star Ocean 2. :)

Ironically, my favorite RPG is on Game Boy Color, but that's neither here nor there. :P

[Lord Contaminous]

PS1, PS2 and SNES are had the most good RPGs.

But I'm sure in the eyes of a non Japanese speaking gamer, the well runs dry on the Turbo scene.

[lendelin]

The PS1 has the most well balanced and varied RPG library of all the systems which gives you a lot of choices.

Close second is already the PS2; at the end of its life-cycle it will have around the same amount (around 70) and quality of the PS1 library.

Then certainly comes the SNES.

The explanation for successive system-chronology is simple: RPGs only got well established during the SNES times, and the SNES as the most popular system got the best library. Same goes for the PS1 and the PS2 as the dominant consoles of their respective generations when RPGs finally became a profitable genre.

During the 8bit era RPGs just didn't sell well in the US and Europe; not even as a niche franchise they were profitable.

Looking at the RPG libraries of the PS1 and PS2 they are almost identical in game content, franchises, gameplay and variety. Not much change there.

There is only one aspect which has historical signifigance in todays consoles: the Xbox with its unique RPG library (Morrowind, Star Wars, Fable, Jade Empire) bridged the long-standing gap between console-RPGs and PC-RPGs which were so far two different animals.

[tylerwillis]

Best systems? SNES or PSX for many many reasons already made.

Best system to buy? PS2 - nothing else will net you as varied a gameplay experience.




dreamcast had like 2 RPGs worth playing, and both have been re-released (Skies of arcadia on GC, and Grandia2 for ps2) therefore, its worthless.


You beat me to this, I love my DC, but I nearly fell out of my chair when someone nominated it as a great RPG machine. Both of the above are awesome and deserve a play, but the only DC unique RPG I'd recommend if Record of Lodoss.

[badinsults]

I, of course, am going to say the Snes. However, Paper Mario 2 is still my favourite RPG of all time.