RPGs?

[dlopez9069]

Ok guys I'm kinda getting into the turn-based rpgs like fire emblem and eternal eyes(i said those cause they're the only ones i own) but would yall happen to have any suggestions in that field? all i have is an NES, N64, PSX and Genisis. Thanks in advance

[cyberfluxor]

I did a search in the database:

N64 - Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage - T*HQ - 4 - 03/20/01 - USA
N64 - Hybrid Heaven - Konami - 2 - 09/01/99 - USA
N64 - Paper Mario - Nintendo - 3 - 02/05/01 - USA
Nintendo NES - Dragon Warrior - Nintendo - 1 - 07/89 - USA
Nintendo NES - Dragon Warrior II - Enix - 5 - 10/90 - USA
Nintendo NES - Dragon Warrior III - Enix - 4 - 03/92 - USA
Nintendo NES - Dragon Warrior IV - Enix - 5 - 10/92 - USA
Nintendo NES - Final Fantasy - Nintendo - 2 - 07/90 - USA
Nintendo NES - Hydlide - FCI - 1 - 05/89 - USA
Nintendo NES - Ultima: Exodus - FCI - 2 - 02/89 - USA
Nintendo NES - Ultima: Quest of the Avatar - FCI - 4 - 01/91 - USA
Nintendo NES - Ultima: Warriors of Destiny - FCI - 5 - 01/93 - USA
PlayStation - Persona 2: Eternal Punishment - Atlus - 3 - 12/1/2000 - USA
PlayStation - Revelations: Persona - Atlus - 4 - - USA
SNES - 7th Saga, The - Enix - 3 - 08/93 - USA
SNES - Breath of Fire - Square - 2 - 07/94 - USA
SNES - Breath of Fire II - Capcom - 3 - 12/95 - USA
SNES - Chrono Trigger - Square - 2 - 08/95 - USA
SNES - Dragon View: Drakkhen 2 - Kemco - 4 - 11/94 - USA
SNES - Drakkhen - Kemco - 1 - 1991 - USA
SNES - EarthBound - Nintendo - 2 - 06/95 - USA
SNES - Final Fantasy II - Square - 2 - 11/91 - USA
SNES - Final Fantasy III - Square - 2 - 10/94 - USA
SNES - Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest - Square - 2 - 10/92 - USA
SNES - Inindo: Way of the Ninja - Koei - 4 - - USA
SNES - Lufia & The Fortress of Doom - Taito - 1 - 11/93 - USA
SNES - Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals - Natsume - 3 - 08/96 - USA
SNES - Paladin's Quest - Enix - 4 - 1993 - USA
SNES - RoboTrek - Enix - 4 - 11/94 - USA
SNES - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - Nintendo - 3 - 05/96 - USA
SNES - Tecmo Secret of the Stars - Tecmo - 4 - 07/95 - USA
SNES - Ultima VI: The False Prophet - FCI - 2 - 07/93 - USA
SNES - Ultima VII: The Black Gate - FCI - 5 - 12/94 - USA
SNES - Ultima: Runes of Virtue II - FCI - 2 - 10/94 - USA
SNES - Wizardry V: Heart of the Maelstrom - Capcom - 2 - 03/94 - USA


These are all listed as:
US releases / Turn-Based RPG

[dlopez9069]

thats a really nice list but i was kinda wanting the ones with the squares(i know its a very vauge description but im at a loss for words) im talkin bout when its your turn you move so many squares and fight whatever comes

[calthaer]

So you're talking about tactical RPGs like FF Tactics, Vandal Hearts, etc.?

[VACRMH]

Shining Force 1 and 2
Ogre Battle
Arc the Lad Collection
Final Fantasy Tactics
Vanguard Bandits

[dlopez9069]

if thats what theyre called, you know what yeah cause i remember FF tactics

[cyberfluxor]

thats a really nice list but i was kinda wanting the ones with the squares(i know its a very vauge description but im at a loss for words) im talkin bout when its your turn you move so many squares and fight whatever comes

Oh okay. VACRMH has a few good selections there. Generally these games fetch for some money in the pockets.

[goemon]

I've been really enjoying Black/Matrix Cross for the Japanese PS recently. The storyline is good so far, all the cutscenes are fully voiced, and there are a few game mechanics that keep the battles interesting. (Instead of magic points your party gets "blood points" based on how many enemies you kill. Before each battle, BP are distributed between members. You can also use BP to imbue weapons with magical abilities. There is also a meter that fluctuates between red and blue. If it's blue your attacks do more damage, and if it's red your enemies do more damage. You have to time your attacks according to who has the advantage.) If you don't know any Japanese you might not be able to enjoy the story or figure out some of the nuances of the controls and menu system, but if you have even a basic grasp on the language, it could be playable. Once I'm done with this one I'm definately getting Black/Matrix 00!

Another good Japanese TRPG is "Ningyo no Rakuin," or "Mark of the Mermaid." It's based on H.P. Lovecraft's stories and lore. It's a little short ("only" 29-31 scenarios based on which route you take) but the battles can take a while since many of them are more like puzzles with enemies. It's not as polished as B/M+, but the literary storyline, great art and memorable characters make it a good game in my opinion.

Then there's Battle Konchuuden, which features tactical battles fought with beetles. It's aimed towards kids, but I guess I'm a kid at heart because I like bugs and I like this game. The only bad thing about it is that, like many other RPG's, there's a long opening sequence that has you running around town talking to every single NPC before the first battle can start. It's not as bad as "Dragon Knights Glorious," though, which took me three hours and one "game over" before I got to the first battle.

Anyway, those are some recommended Japanese Playstation tactics RPG's. I'll be doing in-depth reviews of Ningyo and Konchuuden on YouTube once the semester's over and I actually have time to play games again.

[theshizzle3000]

Disgaea thats a good game and I have only watched people play it.

[FantasiaWHT]

For the systems you have...

(Genesis) Shining Force 1 & 2- basically the original console S-RPGS, and still fantastic to this day

(PSX) Final Fantasy Tactics- many people's favorite S-RPG. Incredibly deep game, but really REALLY heavy on the confusing politics that makes up the story line

(PSX) Saiyuki- Late in PSX's life, this little gem came out. Set in ancient China, it's a classic mythological story with some solid S-RPGing

(PSX) Vanguard Bandits- real fun mecha-based S-RPG. Can't remember too much about it other than I enjoyed it, and I had gotten jaded to S-RPGs at that point.

I cannot recommend Ogre Battle, Vandal Hearts (1 or 2) or the Arc the Lad games. VH and AtL are definitely sub-par, and I remember not being able to get into OB, although to be fair I only played 5-10 hours of it.

Saiyuki

[Cornelius]

A game that only sort of fits in this category, but that I think everyone should play, is Fallout. A PC game, but when you enter battle it can be pretty tactical.

[FantasiaWHT]

Another one popped into my head- Koudelka. It plays more like a normal RPG, BUT the random fights are grid/tactical-based. Great music and story, too (it's the prequel of the Shadow Hearts series).

[Gabriel]

Tactical RPGs and regular RPGs with turn and grid based tactical combat.

NES
---
Ultima: Quest of the Avatar*
Ultima: Exodus
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Pool of Radiance


N64
---
nothing


PS1
---
Vandal Hearts
Vandal Hearts 2
Kartia
Final Fantasy Tactics
Hoshigami: Ruining Blue Earth
Vanguard Bandits
Sayuki: Journey West
Front Mission 3*
Tactics Ogre
Master of Monsters
Arc the Lad Collection


Genesis
-------
Shining Force*
Shining Force II

* = Best game of the type for the system.

[Gabriel]

For the systems you have...
I cannot recommend Ogre Battle, Vandal Hearts (1 or 2) or the Arc the Lad games. VH and AtL are definitely sub-par, and I remember not being able to get into OB, although to be fair I only played 5-10 hours of it.


I definitely disagree about Ogre Battle and Vandal Hearts.

While Ogre Battle is a tactical RPG, it isn't turn or grid based, being more of a RTS with added RPG elements. It has a lot of variety and character options, as well as having a lot of replay value.

I'd consider the first Vandal Hearts as one of the better examples of the genre. The second one is kinda blah, though.

Arc the Lad is a bit grindy.

Best Tactical RPGs ever

1) Dark Wizard (Sega CD)
2) Front Mission 3 (PS1)
3) Shining Force CD (Sega CD)
4) Final Fantasy Tactics (PS1)
5) Shining Force 1 (Genesis)

[Nebagram]

I can only repeat what people have been saying here, but get Shining Force as quick as possible, also FFT and if you can afford it, pick up a GBA (hell, pick one up anyway) and get Tactics advance on that- it is a different game to the original and well worth a look, esp. when you're on the move.

[Gabriel]

I can only repeat what people have been saying here, but get Shining Force as quick as possible, also FFT and if you can afford it, pick up a GBA (hell, pick one up anyway) and get Tactics advance on that- it is a different game to the original and well worth a look, esp. when you're on the move.

I disagree. FFT Advance is a frustrating and unenjoyable experience because of the "Judges" and the arbitrary rules they plop down at random on the battles and their tendency to only enforce them on your party.

If you're getting Tactical RPGs for the GBA, get one or both of the Fire Emblem games. I've noticed that many places have the second one on sale for a drastically marked down price. Rebelstar Tactical Command is another must have for the GBA.

[FantasiaWHT]

Seconding the disapproval of FFT:Advance. It's passable, but barely. In addition to the stupid judges, I'd like to add a complaint that the maps are extremely boring and very very similar, nothing at all like the great variety in the original FFT. And the OP doesn't have a GBA ;) If you're going to buy a GBA for a game, make it either of the Fire Emblem games, not FFT:A. Or either of the Advance Wars, which are tactical, grid-based strategy games, but not RPGs.

[starfox316]

Any games like this for the SNES? besides ogre battle (which costs more than i like to think about)

[greedostick]

of the games mentioned and a few not mentioned I would look into..

ff tactics
shining force 1 and 2 (shining force 2 is the better of the 2)
shining force cd sega cd )my favorite sega shining game)
military madness turbo grafx
hoshigami ruining blue earth
tactics ogre let us cling together psx
vandal hearts 2
hogs of war psx
shining force 3 sega saturn
dark wizard sega cd
power monger (sega gennesis and sega cd)
darwinia pc (get this game)
Dragon force sega saturn
X-com UFO Defense PC also on ps1
Disgaea (the first one)
Riviera the promised land GBA

Pretty much anything shining force or made by atlus is a good way to go.

[Gabriel]

Any games like this for the SNES? besides ogre battle (which costs more than i like to think about)

No. There aren't any US localized turn and grid based tactical RPGs for the SNES. There are a handful of turn based tactical games, though.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms has several iterations on the SNES. #2 is the best one.

There are two very stripped down wargames called War: 2410 and War: 3010. (I think those are the titles.) 2410 is a ground war game. 3010 has a spaceship war theme.

There's Metal Marines. Good luck finding that one.

[Gabriel]

For Saturn owners, everyone who loves the Tactical RPG genre should get Dragon Force. It's realtime, and has more in common with Ogre Battle than turn/grid based games, but is still awesome. Personally, I'd say it's the only Saturn game which really ages well.

There's also a little tactical RPG named Blazing Heroes. It's a bit bland, but worth checking out if you enjoy the genre.

Shining Force 3 is the worst in the series (before they turned it into an action RPG). I don't feel it's worth the extreme prices it goes for to get a copy. Maybe the other unlocalized parts of the game change this, but the game isn't fun enough for me to care.

[Mad Gear]

Vandal Hearts is one of my fave games ever. I've run through it many times and i never tire of it. I wouldn't really bother with the sequel as it just doesn't have the charm of the first.

Sayuki Journey West is another goodie. If you are a fan of Monkey (frikkin ace Jap TV series) then you will be in seventh heaven, as the game is based on the Chinese "Monkey" legend.

You might be also interested in the Xcom games on the PS1. Not really RPG's but they are turn based Strat games and good-uns too.

If you do get a GBA (every gamer needs one) look out for Fire Emblem, Super Robot Taisen (not everyone cup of tea tho), Shining Force Resurrection of the Dark Dragon, Tactics Ogre (bit slow for me), Final Fantasy Tactics, RebelStar and Riviera (not a S/RPG but i've recently got into it and it's a must have).