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I'm looking for a good JRPG, preferably something non-Square Enix. If anyone could point me to some, that would be great. I have a DS, Wii, a PSP and a Playstation 3.

This post has been edited by Smash Genesis on 1st June 2010 01:07

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"When we think there's no hope left, we keep looking until we find some!" - Claire Farron

Hey smash,do you like american rpgs?

Oblivion is a pretty good game actually,i enjoyed stealing and being able to pay for the thieves gang and he pays some guys so that they stop chasing you and you can keep on stealing.

Dragon age origins is also pretty good(I am not sure if the playstation you has supports ps2 games or not,please leave some info.)

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We are stardust.Our bodies are made from the guts of exploding stars.

Neil Degrasse Tyson.

Off the top of my head, there's "Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor" and "The World Ends With You" for the NDS.

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"I fell off the mountain of words at around the 10,000ft mark. Tell my family...they owe me money." -Narratorway

"If you retort against this, so help me God I'll shove any part of your anatomy I can find into some other part. Figuratively, of course." - Josh

"We have more, can deliver tuesday." - Del S

Good old CoN

Valkyria Chronicles for the PS3 is pretty boss. And if you don't mind going a little old school Star Ocean: Second Evolution for the PSP is the best way to play a classic.

But if you haven't played Chrono Trigger yet, get it on the DS. Now.

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this is a blog mostly about comics and videogames
END SPOILER

Hm...'new games' are tougher for me, but Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 4 is, without hyperbole, the best game I've played since 1997. The setting might be a little offputting if you're more into epic RPGs, but man is it good. I dug Tales of Vesperia as well, and here's hoping Last Story will be great whenever it finally comes out.

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"If art doesn't risk upsetting expectations and challenging its audience, it can only stagnate."

demons souls is pretty fun, its on the ps 3

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Aujourdhui a commence avec toi.

I have a DS and Wii, so I'll give what advice I can.

For DS, all the following are great.

Square-Enix:
The World Ends with You
Dragon Quest IV and V (DQV is better, both worth playing). Dragon Quest IX is to be released in July
Final Fantasy IV DS
Dragon Quest Joker (Pokemonish RPG, but Dragon Quest has been doing it long before pokemon came along)

Non-SE:
Shin Megami Tensai: Strange Journey (A mix of dungeon exploration, RPG fighting, and recruiting demons to help you fight similar to a pokemon type game.)
Nostalga (Game just like it sounds, mainly a traditional JRPG. It is good, but not great.)
Suikoden Tierkries
Fire Emblem (JRPG/Strat game)
Rune Factory (JRPG/Farming Sim)

For Wii, there isn't much atm. However, there are several for Gamecube if you have a GC controler and a Memory Card.

Skies of Arcadia (GC)
Tales of Symphonia I (GC) and II (Wii)
Baiten Kaitos I and II (Both GC)
Paper Mario: Thousand Year Door
Super Paper Mario (JRPG mixed with Mario, still a fun game, Wii)
Monster Hunter Tri (Don't own it yet, but I plan on getting it, Wii)

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"And that, my liege, is how we know the Earth to be banana-shaped” -Sir Bedevere the Wise

Some non Square Enix RPGs I enjoyed:

Resonance of Fate
"Tales of.." Games
Xenosaga
.hack Series
Eternal Sonata

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"The answer is, of course, that it would be best to be both loved and feared. But since the two rarely come together, anyone compelled to choose will find greater security in being feared than in being loved."
- Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince

You can get a quartet of classic RPGs in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection in the Phantasy Star series, including all games from I to IV. If you're a bit pixel squeemish, this might not be so great of an idea since they're mostly 16-bit era games but you can't beat a 20 dollar pricepoint and while I haven't exactly gotten my copy yet, it sounds like you have the options to increase the aspect ratio and/or turn on smoothing if so desired.

Having played Phantasy Star IV on the Genesis myself I must say it's quite a good game. A bit of an early prototype for the modern RPG, you could say. You can duel wield shields, perform a small handful of mercenary missions and rig the attacking order to form a combined special if you so want. The overworld looks crummy even granting time adjusted leniency but the battle scenes appear relatively detailed and I find that thee pseudo comic panel styled cutscenes look really neat. There's even special vehicular combat during certain points of the game, albeit it's not very different from the traditional battles.

Phantasy Star III I've also tried, albeit in this game the walking speeds are simply too intolerable for me to give the rest of the game a chance. On the other hand, you might find a certain novelty in playing PS III on the PS3 and doubly so since it'd also be S. Genesis playing S. Genesis games. Perhaps this is not the greatest basis to judge purchases upon but it's a thought.

Also in the collection are three games from the Shining Force franchise which I hear is good, albeit I have no personal experience with it myself. There are a ton of other games too but they're not noteworthy for the cause as they're not RPGs. Still, at 20 bucks it's a lot cheaper than buying virtual console titles, even for just these seven.

This post has been edited by Tonepoet on 23rd June 2010 22:23

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Role reversal at its finest.

Quote (Tonepoet @ 22nd June 2010 19:09)

Also in the collection are three games from the Shining Force franchise which I hear is good, albeit I have no personal experience with it myself. There are a ton of other games too but they're not noteworthy for the cause as they're not RPGs. Still, at 20 bucks it's a lot cheaper than buying virtual console titles, even for just these seven.

I can certainly vouch for Shining Force, it being the first RPG I ever played, and the one that got me hooked. The series is dated at this point, but if you can look past that, I promise you you'll enjoy the simple joy that is Shining Force (particularly I and II, though I don't know which ones are in the collection).

Since you have a DS, and this hasn't been mentioned yet: the Golden Sun series.

They're GBA games, but those two games together tell one story, just split into two parts because it wouldn't fit on a single cart. They're among the best GBA games ever made.

Additionally, I think the DS is going to get a sequel as well.

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

I coudn't agree more, Golden sun is very good, the first rpg I played from the beggining to the end. The soundtrack is amazing!

Xenosaga, despite being a spiritual sequence of xenogears, is not square, so i guess that counts, right? This series is for ps2, and it is a nice sci-fi rpg experience, despite the development problems that led to the rushed ending...

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Live Long and Prosper!

Popping on again after some time to once again extol the Shin Megami Tensei series, now that I've played some more games I'm digging them as much as I did Square 15 years ago. Thus far I've played Nocturne, Strange Journey, Persona 3, Persona 4, and Raidou Kuzonoha 2 and I have yet to play a game in the series that isn't just good, but flat-out amazing, to the extent that it's really restored my faith in JRPGs in general. HIGHLY recommended to just about anyone, I would say.

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"If art doesn't risk upsetting expectations and challenging its audience, it can only stagnate."

I haven't played the Persona/SMT series, but I've generally heard that recommended as the JRPG for people who don't like JRPGs.

Also, since you have a Wii, I think Super Mario RPG is available on Virtual Console. That game is probably the funnest JRPG I've ever played--so entertaining that it's the only one I've ever finished twice. It's a great gateway drug game, but it's still fun even for RPG veterans.

This post has been edited by Glenn Magus Harvey on 4th August 2010 06:38

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

Can I also put in a request? I'd like a JRPG that works on the PS1 or the computer. Anything. Anything at all.

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Since I advertise CoN there I think it's only fair that I advertise The Wiki here.

PS1?
Thousand Arms comes to mind, Destiny and Eternia from the Tales series, Lunar: Silver Star Story, Parasite Eve, Vagrant story, Revelations: Persona and Persona 2.
Try those.

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"I fell off the mountain of words at around the 10,000ft mark. Tell my family...they owe me money." -Narratorway

"If you retort against this, so help me God I'll shove any part of your anatomy I can find into some other part. Figuratively, of course." - Josh

"We have more, can deliver tuesday." - Del S

Good old CoN

^^ Final Fantasy VII? Actually has both PC and PS1 versions.

I've lately been on a Fire Emblem craze. It combines things I like: brightly-colored interfaces, serious plots, very little fanservice, decent soundtracks, and sit-down, think-through gaming, all without causing me to resort to using pieces of paper to keep track of my characters (as I did for FFTA). Though I only have like 15 characters so far...and also, the overall plot is rather linear. But at least the character art is really nice.

I've heard good things about Shining Force, and a friend on TV Tropes (username Aondeug) has gotten me interested in the Lunar series.

This post has been edited by Glenn Magus Harvey on 14th September 2010 21:40

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

All I play is PSX RPGs. Ask anyone. To this day, it's still all I do. Here's some great non-SE stuff:
Grandia
Lunar: Silver Star Story

They're both really fantastic. Exactly what you would expect from an addicting, fun, charming RPG.

A few excellent non-FF SE RPGs that I feel obligated to mention (you know.. just in case):
Vagrant Story
Chrono Cross
Chrono Trigger
Xenogears
Parasite Eve

This post has been edited by Death Penalty on 15th September 2010 02:17

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

I've played Vagrant story (one of the best games I've ever played) , PE and Chrono trigger but I'll try Grandia since I've heard that Grandia 2 is just plain awesome

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Since I advertise CoN there I think it's only fair that I advertise The Wiki here.

Quote (R8.50 Mango @ 15th September 2010 11:52)

I've played Vagrant story (one of the best games I've ever played) , PE and Chrono trigger but I'll try Grandia since I've heard that Grandia 2 is just plain awesome

Yeah, Vagrant Story is just a fantastic game all around.

Personally, I didn't like Grandia 2 much at all. It didn't have the fun, exciting feel of the first one and it didn't really have much for a plot either. I know of plenty who disagree with that statement, though. Regardless, you can't go wrong with the original Grandia. It's just a really fun game.

Lunar really feels the same way, except that it's a bit older and a bit simpler.

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

How complex are the gameplay of Vagrant Story, Grandia, Lunar, and Shining Force?

Alternatively, how many mental steps do I have to go through to connect gameplay and plot?

This post has been edited by Glenn Magus Harvey on 17th September 2010 00:50

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

Hey! EarthBound isn't Square Enix, is it? You can't get any better than that.

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Praise Be To Helix!

Quote (Glenn Magus Harvey @ 17th September 2010 00:50)

How complex are the gameplay of Vagrant Story, Grandia, Lunar, and Shining Force?

Alternatively, how many mental steps do I have to go through to connect gameplay and plot?

Lunar and Grandia aren't all that complex. Basically, it's your generic, bare-bones turn based system, plus a range attribute that will require you to use a turn to move closer to the target enemy if you're too far away to strike it. Neither have a terribly complex plot (though Grandia's is a bit more than Lunar), and they both start off real simple/innocent. The result is a completely different feel from something like FFVI or FFVII, which are more epic in nature. It's innocent, laid back, straightforward. Real easy, all over the place.

Vagrant Story has a pretty cool battle system. The game is essentially a dungeon crawler, plus one of the greatest plots in a videogame, IMO. It's quite mysterious throughout, and you really don't know how the story is going to unfold until the very end. In which case you're left on a bit of a cliff hanger as to what will happen next. Thanks Square for not making a sequel. But, the battle system requires you hit a button at the proper time in order to build chain attacks. This'll require a bit of getting used to (to get the timing down), but once you've mastered it it's really second nature. The more interesting part about this is that VS has the best weapon customization of its time period.

The plot is quite deep, so that would entail more thought/attention. If you don't pay attention to all the cut scenes, for example, you'll definitely be missing something, as each is quite important. Just FYI, on the opening menu screen, let it continue to play through: there are two different dialogue scenes. It's a game where you'll see new stuff on the second and third playthroughs, which is ok because it's a pretty short game to beat. Totally worth it though because, like I said, it's definitely one of the best three plots I've ever played.

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

Well, now I'm adding more things to the list of games I plan on trying out. Thanks!

(Not to mention that I'm aware of Luna's boat song. One of the best insert songs ever.)

Does anyone know of a better place than Backloggery, where I can actually show the games I plan on playing?

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

For all you PC users out there, I've a free JRPG inspired game for you made with the wonders of the RPG Maker franchise.

Hero's Realm

I downloaded a couple of weeks ago and have been really digging it. It'll be abundantly clear as soon as you look at the game's opening/any screenshots that it's heavily FF inspired. All the game's graphics are from FFIV/V/VI, though with modifications. However, the gameplay, classes, and story are fairly well thought out for a bunch of guys who formed a team to make an RPG Maker game.

Give it a shot. I mean, it's free. What've you really got to lose?

I'm about halfway through the second chapter and still eager to keep going. It definitely brings up a healthy amount of nostalgia, while also being new in many ways.

Aside from many of the awesome classics mentioned about, from Chrono Trigger, to Lufia to Earthbound, another cool 'new' game I tried out was 'Breath of Death VII' on XBox Live Arcade. It's a retro JRPG that's also a big silly and makes fun of some of the JRPG stereotypes found over the years. Check it out. It's 80 points only, I believe, which is a dollar or something.

And that's my two cents at the moment! Enjoy!

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Games on the Go
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy: Four Warriors of Light
Baldur's Gate

Too much to play, so little time!

Greg

Quote

(Not to mention that I'm aware of Luna's boat song. One of the best insert songs ever.)

Forget about the boat song, how about the opening song!? Twwooooo brilliantly shiiiiinneeee aaaaaaassss oooonnnnnnnneeee!

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Currently Playing : Final Fantasy V
Most Recently Beat : Elder Scrolls: Skyrim
Favorite Game : Final Fantasy X

The newest CoNcast is up! Have a listen!

*changes class to White Mage, casts Revive on thread*

Shining Soul II for GBA.
It's more of a dungeon crawler than a JRPG, but it's still fun nonetheless. Adorable character design, great customization ability, multiplayer mode, and eight different classes to choose from (with, conveniently enough, eight save files on the cartridge).
I've never played the original Shining Soul, but I haven't heard any good things about it.

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EGG TOSS
YOU CARRY
EAT A BAG
LEMON-DY
HEAD SAUCE
JIM CARREY
IN A BEAR
HEAVEN PEE
DAFFY-ROTH
- brentalfloss

Just started playing Sword of Mana, for the GBA. Another good one, with some nice Secret of Mana nostalgia throw in!

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Games on the Go
Final Fantasy VII
Final Fantasy: Four Warriors of Light
Baldur's Gate

Too much to play, so little time!

Greg

suikoden series is pretty good.

Its strategy based and its what started me off on strategy based rpgs.

Hmm i actually ended up liking a turn based jrpg named:kartia word of fate.

I don't know if you like turn based games but its pretty interesting.

You summon creatures and summon armor and get ingredients to summon the items from special missions after the chapter is over.


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We are stardust.Our bodies are made from the guts of exploding stars.

Neil Degrasse Tyson.

I definitely recommend Suikoden, in fact, the whole series. I made a topic not long ago; they're selling the first game real cheap on the PSN. Check it out.

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We make games. Period.