Earthbound (SNES) seems like it's right up your alley. No random battles, interesting story, great sense of humor, etc. The only bad thing is that it's pretty expensive.
Earthbound (SNES) seems like it's right up your alley. No random battles, interesting story, great sense of humor, etc. The only bad thing is that it's pretty expensive.
Paper Mario for the N64 is where I got my start a couple of years ago after traditionally avoiding the genre.Originally Posted by Malon_Forever
I haven't gone much beyond playing Super Mario RPG, the three Paper Mario titles, and the Mario & Luigi series but it's been enjoyable despite avoiding the genre in the past.
So I see both NES FF & SMS Phantasy Star are on Wii VC. Is one prefrrable over the other?
Though for $10 I guess I could buy both...
Also I see SNES Mystic Quest got an official release rating for VC, which I understand means it's basically guaranteed available. How long between a game's rating & its actual release date?
Last edited by RJ; 08-05-2010 at 09:07 AM.
"The big things that...nerds like to argue about might not actually matter that much."
you gotta let go of those awful Japanese RPGs and get yourself some serious SSI RPGing: Wizard's Crown is a very good starter RPG, very easy to get in to, very rewarding, and very enjoyable, and after that try The Eternal Dagger.
Last edited by tom; 08-05-2010 at 07:04 AM.
Both are good games though I prefer Final Fantasy much more.
I'd also like to recommend that instead of purchasing Phantasy Star on the VC, see if you can try and find the GBA Phantasy Star Collection. It has Phantasy Star 1, 2, and 3 and can be found for $10 or less on Ebay even complete. You'll own a physical copy of the game and you'll get the packaging along with it. Make sure it's complete though because usually games that aren't complete are Chinese bootlegs.
Too bad you don't have a PS360 as Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection is only $20 and all the main Phantasy Star games(including the first as an unlockable) are on it as well as a ton of others. The PS2/PSP Sega Genesis Collection has Phantasy Star 2, 3, and 4 if you happen to like the first game and own a PS2(since I think I saw you didn't own a PSP.)
Last edited by kupomogli; 08-05-2010 at 09:47 AM.
Everything in the above post is opinion unless stated otherwise.
I know some jumps can get annoying, but Landstalker for the Genesis is a great action RPG. Suikoden is another good choice.
JS
Golden Sun for GBA. It's very well made. Not confusing. Easy on the eyes and fun. Then you could move to part 2. And then you'd be ready for 3 when it comes out.
In yo face!
Never played Guadia Quest but it sounds like it's a bit more of a smoother ride than the RPGs of old.
I guess the question I have to ask you: how much effort/time do you WANT to give?, because many of the NES/SMS/GEN/SNES-era RPGs take time to get through, especially if you aren't using a guide. I know I spent a good deal of time on Phantasy Star back in the day because I had to do the other thing you don't want to get into: go through lots of random turn-based battles to build the characters up.
RPGs of that time were all about exploration and getting creamed by higher level monsters that forced you to fight lower level ones until you got strong and equipped enough to continue. The adventures put the fear in you-fear of loss, fear of not having the right tools or enough money to advance. Show of e-hands, how many here had to duke it out with some monsters before you had enough cash to resurrect a party member?
Just my thoughts. I'd recommend Shining Force 1 or 2 but they are more combat heavy and becomes more tactical with the placing of heroes to fight monsters. I wanna say there isn't much of "random" encounters as I think you can see bad guys on the map. Also I don't think you can really "die" in the game, just lose cash, regroup and try again.
Yeah truth be told unless you want an action-RPG, the NES just doesn't hold any RPGs that don't have random battles every few steps and grinding. I mean, there's Ghost Lion, where grinding is useless except for money, but it's no cakewalk, and there's a LOT of random battles. It's fairly short tho, as is Dragon Warrior (the first one). Other than that, there just aren't any short, non-grindy traditional RPGs on the NES.
The SMS only had a couple of traditional RPGs and the best of the bunch is very grind-heavy (Phantasy Star).
Genesis is the same way. Again, I'd recommend Phantasy Star IV. Beyond that, there's either action-RPGs, strategy-RPGs or garbage. I'd also say that PS & PSIV are not short games. Most of the RPGs for these consoles aren't really short.
& I wouldnt own a 360 if you gave it to me free.
Real life interferes w/ my gametime; I have very little time to play, so any RPG would prob. last me 2x or longer than usual. Thats why I'd prefer something relatively easy on the DS, I actually do most of my gaming at work on breaks.
My 2nd option is the Wii or PS2, Im leaning toward the Wii virtual console- I have 1500 pts there & I dont care about owning physical copies of games or pkging. Actually Im trying to save space in this house & I have forces working against me (wife & 2 kids)
& I read the VC review of SMS Phantasy Star, said it has a slight edge over NES FF. Im thinking once I have the house back to myself every morning & all day Fridays off, I'll chip away at it an hour or 2 at a time. But for now I think I'll just keep going on Guadia Quest- Im not nearly done w/ it, & the final RetroGame Challenge is to beat ALL the games.
(oops, that's not a spoiler is it?)
Last edited by RJ; 08-05-2010 at 09:31 PM.
"The big things that...nerds like to argue about might not actually matter that much."
Well the Sega Genesis Collection option would be a very cost effective route if you plan on going this way. $11.99 with possible free shipping if you have Amazon Prime or it's in an order over $25. It's from another seller but is stocked by Amazon so shipping costs aren't overpriced if you happen to pay for shipping.
People mentioned Phantasy Star 4 but you get quite a few other games, including Phantasy Star 2 which is good but overrated in my opinion. A lot of the best Genesis games.
http://www.amazon.com/Sega-Genesis-C...1067510&sr=8-3
About Final Fantasy or Phantasy Star. I still pick Final Fantasy. I've finished Final Fantasy more times than any other game except for Castlevania and Super Castlevania 4.
Everything in the above post is opinion unless stated otherwise.
Guardian's Crusade, ever hear of that?
"If each mistake being made is a new one, then progress is being made."
Then two games come to mind:
Lunar Knights...an action/RPG by the Kojima team. Though a short one. clocking in at 15 hours even w/ sidequests. Has some good usage for stylus too.
Ys III (Snes or Genesis)....weaved from similar cloth as SOTN but sorta the black sheep in the Ys family. Again it's a short game you clock in less than 10 hours so it's should fit your criteria nicely.
Check my video reviews on YouTube:http://www.youtube.com/user/optitube
My Pixel Paradise Blog: http://blockmangamer.blogspot.com/
The problem with Ys III is that it presents itself more as a sidescrolling action game most of the time.
Aetherbyte: PC-Engine and more homebrew
No, why dont you tell me about it? Thats what the topic's for.
I saw Sega Genesis Collection in great shape for $10 at a GameStop today. But Im not looking for a Genesis collection, nor am I looking for 16-bit-era RPGs. I got DS Puzzle Quest used. Will ty it tonight. Generic box, no manual, there'd better be a tutorial.
"The big things that...nerds like to argue about might not actually matter that much."
Playing Puzzle Quest is very simple... Beating some of those research spell puzzles on the other hand...
Terrific game, you should enjoy it.
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Yeah, there wasnt much of a tutorial, & PQ was really pissing me off last night. I was on my 2nd training battle & lost 5x IN A ROW. I read some online reviews & now understand the "randomness" can be suspect, you just have to deal/live w/ it.
It was the last thing I did before bed last night, & the 1st thing I did this AM, so thats a good sign.I look forward to what the game has to offer me.
"The big things that...nerds like to argue about might not actually matter that much."
Chrono Trigger actually works very well as a beginner RPG; the only problem is that once you play it, no other traditional Japanese RPG will ever live up to it. :P It was actually the first RPG I played all the way to the end. It's only about 20 hours, even if you do every side quest, and it never drags on for a moment. It's a bit too easy, so it's actually beneficial to play it when you're still relatively new to RPGs. When I played it as a teenager, quite a few of the bosses killed me off, but grinding was never necessary. Personally, I never found it particularly cryptic to figure out what to do, so I wouldn't worry about that.
After Chrono Trigger, a couple more of the first RPGs I beat were Lufia II and Super Mario RPG. No random battles in those too (well, besides on Lufia II's world map) and also great games.
I'll give another vote towards Final Fantasy Mystic Quest. You can get through that one in around 10 hours.
Crystalis, Secret of Mana, and Secret of Evermore are all good choices if you're looking for adventure games. Although, assuming you play on NES, I'll give you the warning that Crystalis can be a little hard to make progress in at parts. Like, for example, you have to find a lost statue, but you're only given a vague clue as to where it is and it isn't actually visible on the map at all. You simply have to get lucky walking over its spot.
I would have to recommend Mario & Luigi Partners in Time or Bowsers Inside Story, very simple, basic RPGs. No random battles, no complicated leveling system, and both have a funny story. Also one thing I could never get into was RPGs with party members, just seemed to be too much, but these games don't have that which I feel make them better, hope this helps, only concern I would have for you is price since you're not looking to spend too much, but both of these are well worth the price.
Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned for Sega. - Brodie Bruce
I never really thought the AI was cheating, but I can see how the computer taking multiple turns in a row can be frustrating. Once you get a good combination of spells and items you can whip up on stuff really quick yourself.Yeah, there wasnt much of a tutorial, & PQ was really pissing me off last night. I was on my 2nd training battle & lost 5x IN A ROW. I read some online reviews & now understand the "randomness" can be suspect, you just have to deal/live w/ it.
It was the last thing I did before bed last night, & the 1st thing I did this AM, so thats a good sign.
If you have any questions about the game I'd be happy to answer them.
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