Teach me about 16-bit RPGs

[JustRob]

Ok, next up is an entire genre I pretty much told to fuck off for the past 20 years. I'm in a very receptive mood and am finally ready to start learning about and playing these.

What are some good 16-bit, either SNES or Genny rpgs to start with? I'm ruling out Mystic Quest as I've tried it and it turned me off big time. I need games that have easy save points as the time I have to dedicate to them will likely be spread out over weeks.

So...suggestions?

[substantial_snake]

I would suggest starting out with Final Fantasy VI (III in the States) and Chrono Trigger on the SNES.

Chrono Trigger is largely considered the best RPG thus far and I know a lot of people who considered it their favorite game ever. It a pretty light game for genera being 20-30 hours easily for a new player. It has fun combat mechanics, relatively light story, and not a ton of long talking phases to sit through. Its also not grindy and I know that's a plus for those getting into the genera. The graphics and music are both superb and look really great even now. Overall it really is a fantastic game and a great starting point.

I also suggested FFVI because its one of my personal favorites and IMO the best Final Finatasy game. In some ways the story is pretty good for the twists it takes and in others its pretty derivative, at least at first glance. There is a very large cast of character all with their own unique personalities and back stories with one of the greatest videogame villans ever IMO. The game is quite a bit more grindy then Chrono Trigger and the battlesystem is largely the FF bread&butter of Turn Based Combat. Its a average game for the genera in completion time at about 40-60 hours depending on hour through you are at exploring everything. The music and graphics are also great at showing off with the SNES can do with a lot of memorable tracks. Overall another solid game and a great example of the genera.

Special Mention:

Secret of Mana (though I am personally not a fan)
Final Fnatasy IV
Super Mario RPG

I am personally more of a fan of 32-bit RPGs most of the time but their are some gems in the 16-bit era.

[j_factor]

Super Mario RPG is really great for beginners. It's pretty easy and "RPG lite", but new things keep happening that keep it interesting.

If you want to dive in, I recommend Eye of the Beholder. It's kind of difficult to figure out at first if you're new to things, but it's a very rewarding game.

Quest for Glory is great, if you want to "ease into" RPG-ness via another genre.

[treismac]

Earthbound for the SNES; it is unconventional, charming, and quirky as hell. Buy two copies, and send one to me for turning you on to this cult classic. Just don't look at the price when you're buying them, alright? PM me for my address.

[hashiriya1]

Final Fantasy IV is all you need.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Its trite to say, but if you want to play the best 16-bit RPGs, you really can't go wrong with anything Square put out, especially Final Fantasy 6 (Known as Final Fantasy III in the US at the time).

FF6 is probably the best Final Fantasy game ever made, with a massive 14 playable character cast spanning well over 30 hours. FF6's visuals and audio will just grab you, and the unique and well crafted story will be a great motivator to see what happens next. The villian is among gaming's all time greats, and the game has some of the most memorable gaming events EVER. Opera scene, anyone?

So yeah, if you want to experience the best of 16-bit RPGs, you can't go wrong with Final Fantasy III. (SNES)

[Edmond Dantes]

Quest for Glory is great, if you want to "ease into" RPG-ness via another genre.

I wasn't aware Quest for Glory was released on either the SNES or Genesis...

[Colorado Rockies]

Snes:
Secret of Mana
Chrono Trigger
Super Mario RPG
Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy II
Earthbound
Lufia
Lufia II
Breath of Fire
Breath of Fire II

Genesis:
Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star IV
Shining Force
Shining Force II
Warsong
Beyond Oasis

[badinsults]

I'd happily suggest Dragon Quest V, though it was only released in North America officially on the DS. Definitely a great JRPG. DQVI is also great, though the sheer scope of the game might be a bit much for the beginner.

[TurboGenesis]

someone mentioned Phantasy Star II, but I wouldn't reccommend it for entry level player or someone new to the genre… the game is quite difficult and frustrating even for seasoned players…

Phantasy Star IV would be more suitable for entry level play

(this is in regards to Genesis RPGs)

for the SNES, Chrono Trigger seems like a solid suggestion…

[NerdXCrewWill]

What are some good 16-bit, either SNES or Genny rpgs to start with? I'm ruling out Mystic Quest as I've tried it and it turned me off big time. I need games that have easy save points as the time I have to dedicate to them will likely be spread out over weeks.

None of the games mentioned above (aside from maybe Beyond Oasis, as I haven't played that) offer better saving than Mystic Quest. If you want a game you can save at anytime, try playing some Gameboy games on the Super Gameboy. There's some good stuff out there, like Dragon Warrior I-III, the Final Fantasy Legends series, Final Fantasy Adventure, and Pokemon (among others).

[jonebone]

None of the games mentioned above (aside from maybe Beyond Oasis, as I haven't played that) offer better saving than Mystic Quest. If you want a game you can save at anytime, try playing some Gameboy games on the Super Gameboy. There's some good stuff out there, like Dragon Warrior I-III, the Final Fantasy Legends series, Final Fantasy Adventure, and Pokemon (among others).

Or just play them on an emulator with Save States. Sure you're "cheating", but if all you care about is experiencing the game and being able to save any moment that you want, this is the perfect option for you.

Saves you hour long trips into dungeons where you only get beat by the boss because you were unprepared.

[chrisbid]

start out with final fantasy ii on the snes. it is not super long, you can save anywhere in the overworld, and there are a decent number of save points within dungeons.

another good-but-fairly-quick game is phantasy star iv for the genesis.

[JustRob]

Wow, wasn't expecting so many responses so soon, but I guess I should have figured based on the topic.

I've played Final Fantasy II (SNES). I just couldn't take the grinding. The part I don't like about those earlier Final Fantasies is the complete lack of direction besides the generic "To the west lies a great mystery" type of crap coming out of the NPCs.

I've got tons of experience with the western style of RPG. Someone mentioned Eye of the Beholder. I've played through the Gold Box D&D games, Fallouts, etc, so those are what I know.

I have Chrono Trigger and all of the Final Fantasies released for the GBA and DS, so I guess I can start with those.

I was actually planning on playing them on the real hardware vs emulation, but I'll make an exception for the handheld remakes as they'll do nicely.

Super Mario RPG is actually right at the top of my list. From what I gather, it's the best of Square with Nintendo trappings.

[Satoshi_Matrix]

Grinding goes hand in hand with oldschool RPGs. You will have to grind in every 16-bit RPG I can think of. That said some games require it less than others, and again in that respect, I recommend FF6, both thanks to smart progression design and the fact that the grinding is of little annoyance since the battle system is so perfectly executed.

And if you really don't want to level grind, the SNES Final Fantasy III has the famous Vanish/Doom glitch once you acquire the magic to do that about 15 hours in. Vanish causes the enemy to disappear, making them invulnerable to physical attacks but magic will always hit. Then cast Doom, a spell that instantly kills the target unless they have a resistance to it, which most enemies do. Cool thing is, in the SNES original, the game code ignores all resistances once Vanish is cast, so you can kill any enemy in the game by casting Vanish and then Doom. This even works on all the bosses!

[Ryudo]

Soulblazer
Illusion of Gaia
Ys III (Genesis version) Ys is my fave series ever and while be best to start with the first two on TG16(also on Wii VC,PSP,DS) You can junp in at any game. It's an ARPG. Most the series is top down view but III is sideview. Now I say the Genesis version as it's the best between the SNES & Genny version. SNES version is buggy as hell and harder than hell. Genny version of easier and more fun. Plus th emusic is better

[burn_654]

I'm going to have to put in another vote for Final Fantasy 3/6! Beautiful, beautiful game. Very solid.

I like 5's battle system quite a bit but yes, you'll be grinding in that one. 6 though? I only grinded when I wanted to, to get additional esper magic and such. There were very few situations where I felt it was truly -necessary-.

[dra600n]

Soul Blazer is an awesome game - doesn't require grinding, you can't really get lost with direction because... well.. you'll have to play it to understand.

Final Fantasy 3(6) is an amazing game. Requires some grinding, but the story is absolutely amazing and very in depth.

I wouldn't recommend any Phantasy Star's as a starting point, and same with Earthbound. Phantasy Star games are pretty tedious with grinding, and may turn you off of RPG's in general. Earthbound also isn't for every RPG fan either.

Other titles I personally enjoy (and I think you may enjoy them if you're starting to get into RPG's) are Secret of Mana (action/rpg - decent story, fun game play, beautiful graphics, over all a very solid title), Illusions of Gaia ("sequel" to Soul Blazer, similar game play), Mario RPG (fantastic game - not much to say other than that), and Final Fantasy 2(4) { Awesome game, but takes a little more patience than other Final Fantasies in terms of grinding/figuring out where to go, but it's got one hell of a story, one hell of a cast of characters, and the music and graphics are bad ass as well).

[j_factor]

I wasn't aware Quest for Glory was released on either the SNES or Genesis...

Oops, I missed that part of the OP and just saw "16-bit". My bad.

[chrisbid]

I wouldn't recommend any Phantasy Star's as a starting point, and same with Earthbound. Phantasy Star games are pretty tedious with grinding, and may turn you off of RPG's in general. Earthbound also isn't for every RPG fan either.

not true, phantasy star iv requires very little grinding.