Top 10 Adventure Games for 8- and 16-bit Consoles?

[Cornelius]

Just to really confuse people as to genre defining, there are adventure games that have RPG elements. The Quest for Glory series is an example.

I always considered those pretty straight up RPGs.

[timewarpgamer]

Wow, this thread has gathered some momentum since I last checked up on it. Great fun.

If you really want to nitpick and dork out on such questions as: what is an RPG? What makes it different from other genres? Can I chart the history of every computer RPG ever made? Then I highly recommend Dungeons and Desktops: http://www.amazon.com/Dungeons-Deskt...2733714&sr=8-1

This thread is really two topics now, the action-adventure and the adventure game, so I've divided up my latest lists accordingly:

Action-Adventure Games
Super Metroid -- SNES
Legend of Zelda -- NES
Zelda: Link to the Past -- SNES
Toejam & Earl -- Genesis
Wonder Boy III / Dragon's Curse -- SMS, TG-16
Popful Mail -- Sega CD
Flashback: The Quest for Identity -- Gen, SNES
StarTropics -- NES
Golvellius: Valley of Doom -- SMS
Faxandu (NES)

**Note that Crystalis (NES) will be reclassified as an Action RPG and moved to my RPG list found here: http://timewarpgamer.com/top10s/rpgs.html

Adventure Games
Snatcher (Sega CD)
Loom (TG-CD)
Otigirisou (J) (SNES)
Famicom Tantei Club Part II (J) (SNES)
Beyond Shadowgate (TG-CD)
Maniac Mansion (NES)
Metal Slader Glory (JP) (NES)
Secret of Monkey Island (Sega CD)
Shadowgate (NES)
FREE SLOT

I'm sure there will be infinite additional revisions, but we're making progress! Thanks again for all the comments.

Additional food for thought:
--The latter list seems to have much less competition than the former
--What about the Goemon Gambare games?
--Is Toejam & Earl really an action-adventure?

[Arkhan]

What a beautiful day for a nitpick!

Action-RPG is an outright oxymoron. RPGs are by definition the opposite of an action game, and any game that involves any act of timing (to progress/defend character) should technically be excluded from the genre.

I think the most encompassing definition for the "Adventure" genre would be to say all games in which both area selection AND gameplay is non-linear (so yes to Metroid, no to Super Mario Bros 3,etc).

Says you?

what about Hylide and Ys? the box for Hydlide says active role playing. I think the people making the games have more say-so than you do.

and what about a game like Popful mail? clearly an action/platform oriented game... with leveling.

and what about the original Dragon Slayer?

Xak?

your "technicality" is severely flawed by about 2 decades worth of games.

i can see the difference between "RPG" and "adventure", but alot of it is just splitting hairs. Instead of leveling up via XP, you level up via new gear.

In the end you're still not playing a strict action game like Contra or something.

[Gameguy]

I always considered those pretty straight up RPGs.

Yeah, that's fair too. According to Wikipedia they're Adventure/RPG hybrids so they can go either way. On adventure game websites they're still considered to be adventure games with RPG elements but that could be because of bias.

For the lists, should ports of PC games be considered or just console only releases?

[RASK1904]

Dragon Warrior was a great adventure, game!

[Breetai]

Action-Adventure Games
Super Metroid -- SNES
Legend of Zelda -- NES
Zelda: Link to the Past -- SNES
Toejam & Earl -- Genesis
Wonder Boy III / Dragon's Curse -- SMS, TG-16
Popful Mail -- Sega CD
Flashback: The Quest for Identity -- Gen, SNES
StarTropics -- NES
Golvellius: Valley of Doom -- SMS
Faxandu (NES)

Wouldn't Dracula X: Chi no Rondo qualify for this list? You put freakin' Toejam & Earl in there! Also, Wonder Boy III and Flashback as the best of this genre? Is that for real? Even Faxandu shouldn't be in this top 10 list. If you must another Zelda II style game in there with Popful Mail, put in Ys III; not Faxanadu (you didn't even spell it correctly!!! It's just Famicom plus Xanadu...).

Also, if there is no Ys Book I & II in this list, then you fail.

[vandy160890]

I would like you to add the following games in the list:
The Battle of Olympus (NES)
Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis)
Phantasy Star (SMS)
Zelda: A Link To The Past (SNES)

[vandy160890]

I would like you to add the following games in the list:
The Battle of Olympus (NES)
Wonder Boy in Monster World (Genesis)
Phantasy Star (SMS)
Zelda: A Link To The Past (SNES)

[SebasC]

Shoot what about a REAL ADVENTURE game...

Kings Quest V for the NES... Of course PC version is better but console wise.. it's not too bad..

[Gentlegamer]

Shoot what about a REAL ADVENTURE game...

Kings Quest V for the NES... Of course PC version is better but console wise.. it's not too bad..

Yup, the King's Quest series (aside from Mask of Eternity) is pure Adventure (no Action).

I was proud of finishing King's Quest V on NES back in the day with no hints or cheats.