Castlevania Dungeon Forums
The Castlevania Dungeon Forums => Hardcore Gaming 101 => Topic started by: crisis on May 16, 2012, 08:03:17 PM
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I've been on an RPG kick lately, and there are several games which I have heard good reviews over the past years yet have yet to play for myself. Therefor, I'd like some of you to give your current thoughts on these "classics:"
Chrono Trigger
I first played this game in the late 90's via ROM, but I was busy with school so I never got passed the first 20 minutes. I recently bought it for the DS, and I'm about to start a brand new game. A lot of people say this is one of the top RPGs ever, and I'd like to know why.
Xenogears
This is another game I heard highly praised for its "complex" story. I know there are several religious & philosphical themes involved, and there was a few sequels called Xenosaga. So what's the fuss over this PS-X game?
Suikoden
I don't know anything about this series, yet I've read time & again that it's great and "unique." plz explain
Final Fantasy VI
I must admit, I was a VII fanboy when it first came out. But ever since there's been a hell of a lot of people saying it's nothing compared to it's predecessor. I have still yet to touch this game, yet V is my favorite (i know it might seem underrated, but it has a charm to it that I like).
Grandia
A game I've only seen screenshots of, yet seemed intruiging. I'd like to try it.
Secret of Mana
Another game I've heard much about, yet have never played
Star Ocean
What is the intrigue about this game
are there any other underrated/excellent RPGs that I should be aware of?
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For me, my sucking at strategizing and hatred for level grinding has kept me away from the genre, but Chrono Trigger has been a whole lot of fun for me and I highly recommend it. It's easy enough for me to play, has some really great graphics and music, the story's intriguing thus far, and yeah it rocks I gotta get back to it.
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I've been on an RPG kick lately, and there are several games which I have heard good reviews over the past years yet have yet to play for myself. Therefor, I'd like some of you to give your current thoughts on these "classics:"
Chrono Trigger
I first played this game in the late 90's via ROM, but I was busy with school so I never got passed the first 20 minutes. I recently bought it for the DS, and I'm about to start a brand new game. A lot of people say this is one of the top RPGs ever, and I'd like to know why.
Xenogears
This is another game I heard highly praised for its "complex" story. I know there are several religious & philosphical themes involved, and there was a few sequels called Xenosaga. So what's the fuss over this PS-X game?
Suikoden
I don't know anything about this series, yet I've read time & again that it's great and "unique." plz explain
Final Fantasy VI
I must admit, I was a VII fanboy when it first came out. But ever since there's been a hell of a lot of people saying it's nothing compared to it's predecessor. I have still yet to touch this game, yet V is my favorite (i know it might seem underrated, but it has a charm to it that I like).
Grandia
A game I've only seen screenshots of, yet seemed intruiging. I'd like to try it.
Secret of Mana
Another game I've heard much about, yet have never played
Star Ocean
What is the intrigue about this game
are there any other underrated/excellent RPGs that I should be aware of?
Where do I start with this. I'll kick it off with chrono trigger.I have not finished it yet,but from what I played I would think that the world,the time travel aspect, and the characters is what pull players in not to mention the combat is very straight to the point.
Suikoden: Ok I have beaten part 1and2 almost beat III, IV(this was the game that got me into the series)/V is another story but it has been a while since I have played any of them, But from my experience I would say what pulled me into suikoden is the story. You are just a kid who somehow get's into something that is way bigger than him-self umm the true runes and such. And it's not like someone is trying to take over thw world or destroy it from my memory,but rather defending it from a stronger army. It's war that is all what it is from my memory no searching for crystals here. Gameplay wise you have so much characters to chose from after all the series is based of off the water margin this will make it much more easy to understand http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Margin. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Water_Margin.) In out of it's self story makes it self unique and the roster of character as well(but I cannot say much for their own individual stories with so much characters their own story can only go so far which is not much to praise about)
nothing to say about xenogears.
FFVI to me feels a whole lot better to me than V I just could not get into V the looks of the game felt bland(like the overworld and area's) to me I want to see something cool,but I feel that I will never get it with V heck VI to me had all of that. Now IV pulled me straight in with the intro and such and over and from the enemies and such has made me want to play not only that but there was one point in time that I believe that you can choose your own path to take character wise(you move your moogle to the character you want to play as) like the flames in suikoden III that shows an other part of what other characters were doing at that time. So to me VI just felt better to me.
Grandia I have yet to play, but it seems that I will need a guide for it since I plan on getting it for the saturn.
Secret of Mana I have never played it, I just have sword of mana,also was that final fantasy adventure or something for the game boy?
Star ocean have not played this I tried to download the first one but no go. So I cannot give much info on this.
As for other rpgs I recommend the tales of series I love this series it is not turn based,but rather action based almost fighting like and the music is awesome.
Y's series good action rpg if you have a psp you can get Y's book Iand II Y's oath in felghana, and Y's seven , or get it on the wii with the tg-16 version of Y's.
There is golden sun for the gba, xenosaga, dragon warrior, and a whole lot more that I cannot mention at the moment.
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Final Fantasy's VII and VI are almost opposites of each other in a sort of technological fashion. FF VII is along the lines of a Cyberpunk world where-as FF VI is Steampunk. I never got into FF VII eventhough I've given it a try several times. I think the reason why is because the blocky character designs were such a turn-off for me. Had they used highly detailed sprites then I think it would've looked much better. FF VI is essentially the last of the great 2D FF games ever to be made. It has a solid story, character evolution (considering how many characters are in the game!) and a good soundtrack to boot. I've played FF V but never finished it. Someday I'd like to just sit myself down and actually complete it.
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Final Fantasy VI is great strictly for how well it's written and how every character evolves over the course of the game. Everyone (other than the two "hidden" characters) gets these fantastic moments to shine throughout the game although some are harder to find and are hidden encounters. But it's probably close to the pinnacle of RPGs on the SNES just because it's easy to get into but difficult to master and it's just so well executed across the board. You really by the end (at least I did) feel like you have this large family of characters that you grow attached to and have a hand in creating, instead of the typical "magic users break the game so use lots of those" that is prevelant in some current games.
Xenogears is probably my favorite RPG ever and possibly my favorite game ever, yes I think it's that good. The combat can be tricky and the story can be very confusing at times but it's still a great RPG with some solid kick in the gut moments that come out of nowhere. The 2nd disc kind of falls apart as you can tell the developers had to rush to finish it and the narrative style completely changes but it doesn't take too much away from how good the game is.
Chrono Trigger is another game that is foundly remembered for a reason and is another that I'd say go out of your way to play it mostly for the great story and really cool time travel mechanics.
The other games on the list I either haven't played or have only played a few games in the series.
I'd add the following games though as they are the ones that are my favorites up through the PS2 library:
Shadow Hearts, the first game is great and probably would get bonus points from Castlevania fans for alot of the subject matter. But just a really solid rpg.
Shadowrun on either SNES or Genesis, avoid the 360 version as it's a fps and not an RPG. Both of the old games though are pretty awesome RPGs. THe SNES one is kind of point and click isometric adventure rpg, while the Genesis one is a more action adventure game with a ton of rpg elements thrown in.
I'd als recommend Super Mario RPG, and Earthbound as those are two others that are great early SNES era rpgs.
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Chrono Trigger is my love. I'll just go over why I like it. Very good story, fun and interesting characters, serious when needs be, funny when needs be, 13 different endings, awesome music, easy to play, lots of side quests, good graphics(for the time), cool time travel crap, and the art is by the guy who does DBZ(I know his name but can't spell it and don't want to look it up). I like it the most.
For the rest I've heard of them but never bothered playing them. I know my brother really liked Suikoden but I myself have never played it. However, he was the brother who introduced me to Chrono Trigger so I imagine it's good.
It's a strategy RPG but Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War is wonderful and I love it almost as much Chrono Trigger.
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>FFVI & Chrono Trigger
Depending on the kind of experience you want you can either play the original SNES versions or the handheld ports with extra content.
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Chrono Trigger
I first played this game in the late 90's via ROM, but I was busy with school so I never got passed the first 20 minutes. I recently bought it for the DS, and I'm about to start a brand new game. A lot of people say this is one of the top RPGs ever, and I'd like to know why.
For me, at the time, I was getting into anime(I mean, REALLY into anime, where as prior, I was fan of Voltron, Robotech and such, but it still seemed elusive because it didn't hit mainstream in the west). It was nice to see a game where Akira Toriyama designed the characters. Everything about the game just felt right. The score, the bright colorful world, the characters, and the melding of magic and science fiction. It felt like I was playing a cartoon. It had it's whimsical side, but wasn't afraid to tread into the dark(and there ARE some dark parts in CT). The magic, mystery and theme of saving the future from impending doom really felt epic in itself. It also felt like an intimate quest. Actually, it's almost the exact opposite of Chrono Cross.
Xenogears
This is another game I heard highly praised for its "complex" story. I know there are several religious & philosphical themes involved, and there was a few sequels called Xenosaga. So what's the fuss over this PS-X game?
In ways, it feels like the spiritual successor of Chrono Trigger. Lucca even appears as a cameo. There's also nods to FFVI(as Soraya Saga was one of the character designers of FFVI). Xenogears also blends fantasy with science fiction(but focuses more on science fiction). It's drenched with religious symbolism and philosophical stuff, and isn't afraid to go dark(one scene actually reminds me of one of the dark scenes in CT). The characters are all likable, and have valid reasons to fight on your side. The only downside was the ultra linear 2nd disc(and linear, meaning, text screen, dungeon, text screen, dungeon...).
Suikoden
I don't know anything about this series, yet I've read time & again that it's great and "unique." plz explain
The idea of Suikoden is unique. Create and army of 108 Stars of Destiny, and utilize their skills to aid you on your adventure. I've only played the first two Suikoden games, and I loved the ability to create your own castle as a base. Battles are pretty fast pace(you get 6 characters in your party). Also, gotta love one of the most awesomest villains in any game, Luca Blight!
Final Fantasy VI
I must admit, I was a VII fanboy when it first came out. But ever since there's been a hell of a lot of people saying it's nothing compared to it's predecessor. I have still yet to touch this game, yet V is my favorite (i know it might seem underrated, but it has a charm to it that I like).
FFVII actually owes a lot to FFVI. Out of all the FF games out there, those two share the most similarities. The both, interestingly enough, also feature similar plot themes. I love FFVI because it was the first FF game I actually pass. I was also kinda ignorant of RPGs at the time. The most deepest RPG experiences were really basic as far as plots and stories were concerned. This was like Shakespeare to me. There's some interesting themes addressed in FFVI that, oddly enough, haven't been addressed again in the FF series again. When I played this game, back in the day, it blew me away. The graphics, the spell effects, the sound effects, the story, the characters, the music(my favorite FF score of all time), everything. By the end of the game, that massive long ending, I can honestly say, prior to that, every game I've played have been JUST games, but FFVI was the first game I would call an "experience".
Grandia
A game I've only seen screenshots of, yet seemed intruiging. I'd like to try it.
Grandia is a fun RPG. Everybody who loves Grandia almost says the same thing, the best aspect of it is the strategic battle system. It's turn-based, but you can also move your characters around to evade area spells and attacks. It's very fast paced. The story, itself, isn't anything special. It's pretty standard JRPG.
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To add to what DragonSlayer81 said:
Xenogears feels like a spiritual successor to Chrono Trigger.
Baten Kaitos (for Gamecube) feels like s spiritual successor to Chrono Cross, which is a sequel to Chrono Trigger but too different in so omany ways that only some story links 'em. Both are awesome games.
Speaking of Xenogears, have you tried Xenoblade Chronicles for Wii, Crisis? Though it's not at all a 'classic', it's definitely a good classic JRPG 'crack' type of game. It feels like a really really beautiful PS2 game. Though not really part of the Xeno games, it was created by mostly the same team as Xenogears and Xenosaga (citation needed), and in terms of the timeline (it you really wanted to string the titles together, which most people say is not true), it'd be a distant title set in the far future of the timeline.
I can talk volumes upon volumes about Final Fantasy VI and Chrono Trigger. If you haven't, try playing the DS version, as it does have some extra content and nothing really has been lost in terms of the quality of the SNES game (except a tiny bit in terms of resolution, which is made up for with the character dashboard shrinking). With Final Fantasy VI, you want to play either the SNES version, or if you want extra content, play the GBA version (though it can be argued that the GBA version has lost some quality in the music/sampling department... though not too much).
And yes, VI is totally Steampunk (the technology used is cool, in a Wild Wild West sort of way), whilst VII is Cyberpunk. In VI you still got carrier pigeons as the main method of delivering mail (and couriers), clockwork-driven mecha, and 'magic' at first is thought of as just some mumbo jumbo nonsense. Like in our real world during WWII, the Emperor in FFVI is a fanatic of the occult and finds out the source of 'magic' and has his soldiers go and find it (like that dude from WWII with the chaplin mustache and slick hair, y'know... that guy).
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Really though, the actual merit point of the SNES versions is the more memorable translations by Woolsey.
Son of a submariner, you'll pay for this!
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It's funny 'cuz the Woolsey-isms were so fun that most were kept for the later versions (and some are even referenced in other titles, like Dissidia).
Dissidia
" 'Step aside' he says. Do we look like side-steppers? "
which is from his FFVI
" 'Wait' he says. Do I look like a waiter? "
Ah, Woolsey.
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And let's not forget that it was Woolsey who turned Kefka into the nihilistic goofball we all know and love in the first place. From what I've heard, Kefka's characterization was more like an average villain's with much less goofiness in the original JP version.
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I have Grandia 2 or 3 as an ISO, but I have Grandia 1 for the Saturn. So I will say what I can about Grandia.
First off, considering I was playing it on the Saturn and had even my own "negative" conceptions about the Saturn, when the intro for Grandia started up, I nearly came. The opening credits were visually nice (remember, this was on the Saturn) and the opening them IS FUCKING AWESOME. I have an MP3 of the theme on a CD somewhere. The rest of the music is pretty good but nothing all that special. Although I will say, the love theme is goooood. It's so fucking beautiful. I like it more than most of the music from Final Fantasy (of which I think VI had the greatest soundtrack of the series).
The combat system is pretty good. It's an ATB system, although unlike Final Fantasy you can actually track when an enemy or your party is about to attack. This actually adds to the strategy. You watch the ATB bar. Feena's turn comes up. You look notice an enemy will become active before Feena can attack and in all likelihood that enemy will attack Feena, hindering her attack. Do you A) Have Feena run to another place on the field, attenpting to lure the enemy into a pointless goose chase, B) try to attack the enemy and hope Feena goes active just in time to counter the enemy's attack, or C) cast a spell at the risk of the enemy attacking her and cancelling it?
The spells are pretty neat too. Each party member can equip various weapons. Some members excel with certain weapons. Fighting with a weapon gives it experience. When weapons reach certain levels, you learn physical skills for those weapons. Some skills require multiple weapon proficiencies, such as proficiency with the Bow and proficiency with the Sword (I think this is a knife-throwing skill, if I remember right). There are also elemental spells. Casting an elemental spell will raise proficiency with that element. Just like the weapons, the higher the proficiency, the more spells you can cast and some spells require two or even three elements mastered. Some of skills/spells require proficiency in both weapons and elements together.
And then there's the scene where Sue is kicked out of the party...
Fuck Aeris! Sue getting kicked out is much sadder! For starters, she's actually USEFUL.
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I have Grandia 2 or 3 as an ISO, but I have Grandia 1 for the Saturn. So I will say what I can about Grandia.
First off, considering I was playing it on the Saturn and had even my own "negative" conceptions about the Saturn, when the intro for Grandia started up, I nearly came. The opening credits were visually nice (remember, this was on the Saturn) and the opening them IS FUCKING AWESOME. I have an MP3 of the theme on a CD somewhere. The rest of the music is pretty good but nothing all that special. Although I will say, the love theme is goooood. It's so fucking beautiful. I like it more than most of the music from Final Fantasy (of which I think VI had the greatest soundtrack of the series).
The combat system is pretty good. It's an ATB system, although unlike Final Fantasy you can actually track when an enemy or your party is about to attack. This actually adds to the strategy. You watch the ATB bar. Feena's turn comes up. You look notice an enemy will become active before Feena can attack and in all likelihood that enemy will attack Feena, hindering her attack. Do you A) Have Feena run to another place on the field, attenpting to lure the enemy into a pointless goose chase, B) try to attack the enemy and hope Feena goes active just in time to counter the enemy's attack, or C) cast a spell at the risk of the enemy attacking her and cancelling it?
The spells are pretty neat too. Each party member can equip various weapons. Some members excel with certain weapons. Fighting with a weapon gives it experience. When weapons reach certain levels, you learn physical skills for those weapons. Some skills require multiple weapon proficiencies, such as proficiency with the Bow and proficiency with the Sword (I think this is a knife-throwing skill, if I remember right). There are also elemental spells. Casting an elemental spell will raise proficiency with that element. Just like the weapons, the higher the proficiency, the more spells you can cast and some spells require two or even three elements mastered. Some of skills/spells require proficiency in both weapons and elements together.
And then there's the scene where Sue is kicked out of the party...
Fuck Aeris! Sue getting kicked out is much sadder! For starters, she's actually USEFUL.
I have to get it now goes on to see some yt videos
Also crisis if you have a saturn check out the "working design" titles but use a rom if you cannot afford them :-X
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On that list of the best imo that i've played and beaten every which way to sunday i'll say Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana are very neck in neck in terms of awesome rpg's. Secret of Mana is one of if not thee first action rpg which means you control the player like link in zelda yet much of the rest of the game is like an rpg. HP/HP MP/MP stats level ups, items you equip. Plus you can find and use 2 other players. Depending on the path you take to get them you'll face some potentially harder or easier terrain. After a short time when you get them all( dont' know if you can avoid getting them like in cv3) and continue the quest. It is a long game. And very difficult depending on your level and your weapons level. I don't remember everything but the ending is crazy. Play through you'll see. This game sorta adds an old school world(ancient times knights,villages etc) mixed with ships in the sky and crazy stuff like that. It also introduces something similar to pangia at one point. Yeah ti's a great game and can get very tough at times.
Chrono trigger's a straight up rpg and is totally awesome with many endings depending on what you do. I don't know how far you got so i better stop before i ruin it for you. But the game is totally awesome from start too finish.I used to have the snes game. I recommend the psx version from what i hear has really nice cutscenes.
Another couple rpgs' too mention i totally lover beating all the way through are breath of fire and lunar the silver star.
Breath of Fire i dont' remmeber fully, but i do remember this creature that could transform into what appear to be a pufferfish that kicked ass sorta like rasetz in CofD.
And lunar the silver star is a fantastic game aswell. I just remember playing the game(every 5 minutes though the girls yells your name...."Alex" oh "Alex") and that was about the only bad thing about it. Dont' wanna ruin it but you start out with a band of friends or friend( i can't remember)and after a while he gets scarred and dont wanna continue the quest. As you go along you meet several key people who become friends and join your quest. As it goes on i think you lose some of them but pick them back up again cause they do certian things if memoery serves me correctly. At one point you'll be allied with your arc nemesis in the game and not know it. That was the awesome part of the game. It's like people aren't who they seen to be in that game. They only tell you partial truths or keep it hiddden untile a certain period of time. That's what was so kick ass about it. One cool thing to note is the fact that all these games have a floating land mass, usually a city or something. Very cool concept! Plus the bgm's kick ass!Well i've been informative enough. Have fun with you game play!
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>Chrono Trigger PSX ver.
Play the DS version instead if you want anime cutscenes, the PSX version has horrid loading times.
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Sweet home famicom see this
Sweet Home (NES) review PART 1 by Happy Video Game Nerd (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw06V-fcjfA#ws)
Sweet Home (NES) review PART 2 by Happy Video Game Nerd (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNz93wC7W68#ws)
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To add to what DragonSlayer81 said:
Xenogears feels like a spiritual successor to Chrono Trigger.
Baten Kaitos (for Gamecube) feels like s spiritual successor to Chrono Cross, which is a sequel to Chrono Trigger but too different in so omany ways that only some story links 'em. Both are awesome games.
I agree. Chrono Cross isn't a bad game. I love it, love the music, characters, Nobuteru Yuuki's artistic style and reimagining of the Chrono World, but it's a stark contrast to Chrono Trigger, which I think turned some people off. A lot of it's style IS like the Baten Kaitos games. I think both drip from Yasuyuki Honne's unique art direction. His "worlds" have that "look" to them.
Interestingly enough, I forgot to mention that Chrono Trigger was also a Dream Team affair. It was basically the love child of Yuji Horii(Dragon Quest), Akira Toriyama(Dragon Ball) and Hironobu Sakaguchi(Final Fantasy). Masato Kato came in and did good deal of the story. Mitsuda did the majority of the soundtrack, with a few notable tracks being composed by Uematsu, main art by Toriyama, with Honne contributing, as well as Yusuke Naora(FFVII, Chaos Rings), Tetsuya Takahashi(Xenogears, Xenosaga, Xenoblade Chronicles), and Tetsuya Nomura(FFVII, Kingdom Hearts). Takashi Tokita(FFIV) and Yoshinori Kitase(FFVI, FFVII, FFVIII) were directors. It was a CRAZY ASS collaboration.
Speaking of Xenogears, have you tried Xenoblade Chronicles for Wii, Crisis? Though it's not at all a 'classic', it's definitely a good classic JRPG 'crack' type of game. It feels like a really really beautiful PS2 game. Though not really part of the Xeno games, it was created by mostly the same team as Xenogears and Xenosaga (citation needed), and in terms of the timeline (it you really wanted to string the titles together, which most people say is not true), it'd be a distant title set in the far future of the timeline.
I have to recommend Xenoblade Chronicles, as well. I'm not even finished with it, but it's one of the most enjoyable RPG experiences I've had in a LONG while. Where it fits in with the Xeno series, it's debatable. Takahashi has said that it's far different than Gears and Saga. But, it DOES use some religious/philosophical stuff here and there, and there is the theme of robots present(actually, if there was any dominant theme in all the Xeno games, it would be giant robots).
And yes, VI is totally Steampunk (the technology used is cool, in a Wild Wild West sort of way), whilst VII is Cyberpunk. In VI you still got carrier pigeons as the main method of delivering mail (and couriers), clockwork-driven mecha, and 'magic' at first is thought of as just some mumbo jumbo nonsense. Like in our real world during WWII, the Emperor in FFVI is a fanatic of the occult and finds out the source of 'magic' and has his soldiers go and find it (like that dude from WWII with the chaplin mustache and slick hair, y'know... that guy).
There was definitely some WWII vibes I got from FFVI. For one, in the Imperial Base, the cafe the soldiers are hanging out at is playing this little rockabilly-type piano music(Uematsu named it "Johnny C Bad", a play on Chuck Berry's "Johnny B Good"). There's also this giant red banners hanging all over the place with the black Imperial symbol on the center of them. It's interesting, the setting, because the technology is steampunk. The style of clothing seen throughout the majority of the world harkens to the 18th century, with powdered wigs and colonial style attire, but there IS also that WWII feel.
Sweet home famicom see this
Sweet Home (NES) review PART 1 by Happy Video Game Nerd (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fw06V-fcjfA#ws)
LOL about Sweet Home. Interesting that it's proposed remake on the PS1 ended up becoming the first Resident Evil. I actually saw the movie, and it wasn't that bad. Actually had Dick Smith working on the SFX. It's basically an abridged version of the game(final boss appears too, and looks pretty cool).
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Sweet home famicom see this
Also if you like horror films track down the movie if you can. It's a very thought provoking film for the genre. Pondering what it means to be a parent (a mother particularly) and the destructive power of loss juxtaposed with the healing power of love and forgiveness. Also people melt, but it's a very good genre movie.
As for the main topic of discussion well... I've not gotten around to playing most of these games. But I must say that I count FFVI one of the greatest I have ever played; FFVII on the other hand is one of the most insufferably worst, 50 hours of torture. I could (and have) go on at length about the problems in the latter title but I'll hold my tongue on that as I don't wish to provoke or upset any of the many fans I know it still has.
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I'm on a hunt myself, but i have played 70% of rpg games that they have come out and i can't find any new rpg to satisfy me, but if you haven't tried yet, you could try Koudelka for psx or the hack series for ps2. Total underated rpg games, for what they really are. Koudelka is considered as prequel to the shadow heart series.
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>.hack// series
The original quadrology requires quite a bit of micromanaging. The G.U. trilogy can get piss-easy, especially if you accidentally overlevel.
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>Chrono Trigger PSX ver.
Play the DS version instead if you want anime cutscenes, the PSX version has horrid loading times.
And I believe the DS version even added more cutscenes and got a better translation didn't it? The only area where it's inferior (so I'm told) is the sound.
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And I believe the DS version even added more cutscenes and got a better translation didn't it? The only area where it's inferior (so I'm told) is the sound.
I own the DS version of Chrono Trigger and I've yet to hear of any poor sound quality since I have also played the PSX and SNES versions.
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i highly recommend shin megami tensei. even persona 4, which gets headache-inducing with its scenes, is fantastic. pick up nocturne. dante guest appearance, smooth and quick battle system, demon negotiation and fusion, otherworldly aesthetic, curious/cautious pacing.
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Let's see...I'm going to try and not repeat what others have said too much. Everyone else has covered anything I could have said for Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy VI. The other game series I have either barely played, or don't know enough to give you an opinion. So I'll be covering Star Ocean, since no one else really covered it that well and then giving you recommendations for other RPG series to check out.
Star Ocean
I have never played the first or fourth one, but I have played the second and third.
Star Ocean 2 lets you choose between 2 different characters to play as, Rena or Claude. While you cover the same storyline with either character, you get different scenes and options depending on which character you chose. You also find out about which character's you chose background more in detail, so you get more information about whatever one you chose. Another neat thing is that depending on which character you chose, you get a different party member at a certain story point. Otherwise, all the characters (optional or storyline important) you can get with either character. There is also so many different choices you can make in this game! Like not being able to recruit certain characters if you recruit other characters, and you can even influence the ending. There are a ton of different endings in this game, based on which character is closest to you. So you can pair yourself with any character. As for the battle system in Star Ocean 2, if you have ever played any of the games from the Tales series, it plays a lot like them. You run around the battle field to attack your enemies. Oh, you also do not have to stick with playing as the character you chose for battles. You can swap and use any character you want to play as in battle.
Star Ocean 3 (Or Star Ocean Til the End of Time) is pretty much it's own storyline, and you do not need to play Star Ocean 2 at all to understand it. Like Star Ocean 2, you have the option to recruit many different characters and make all kinds of choices. Like Star Ocean 2, there are many different endings based whatever character you decide to pair yourself with. The battle system is still the running around to attack your enemies. Really, you could go for either this or Star Ocean 2. Both have good stories.
Other Recommendations
Someone mentioned the first Lunar. I second this, but I would recommend the Lunar series as a whole (except for Dragon Song on the DS, stay away from that). I preferred the second game, Lunar 2 Eternal Blue, but I love both the first and the second game. The first game in the series is a lot easier to get a hold of since it has been remade a million times. The original was released on the Sega CD (Lunar the Silver Star), but later it was remade for the PSX (Lunar Silver Star Story Complete). Then it was remade for the GBA (Lunar Legends), and then recently, it was remade for the PSP (Lunar Silver Star Harmony). As you can see, the first game changes its name with every remake, lol. I liked the original Sega CD versions of Lunar 1 and 2, but the best versions are usually argued to be the PSX versions. Lunar 2 was only released for the Sega CD and PSX (remake). The characters and story are pretty good in this series. Plus, Lunar was one of the first RPGs to use animated cutscenes (1992). The battle system plays like a traditional turn based RPG.
Someone also recommended the Shin Megami Tensei series. I also recommend this. Usually people play the Persona games in this series, which the 3rd and 4th games are amazing. You play as a silent protagonist in Persona 3 and Persona 4, which give you room to make any kind of choice you want. However, if you choose the wrong choices, you can mess up relationships, which are an important part of powering up your character. So while you can have fun with relationships in this game, you also need those relationships. The SMT series has a whole is turn based. However, it is turned based with a twist. In Persona 3 and Persona 4, element type is REALLY important. If you hit an enemy's weakness, you can go extra turns and defeat the enemies faster. This also goes for the enemies, however. So you have to be careful. In Persona 3 and 4, you gain the ability to basically summon "the power within you" which takes the forms of all kinds of demons. The cool thing about the SMT series is that it has so many mythological references to demons. Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne is also an amazing game. Unlike the Persona games, you do not use your "own powers". Instead, you can recruit demons to join your party, leaving limitless possibilities. Also, Dante from Devil May Cry makes a cameo, who can be recruited as well, which is awesome. Elemental weakness are even MORE so important in this game that Persona 3 and 4. If you want a challenging, but really fun RPG, get Shin Megami Tensei Nocturne.
Okay, I'm done now. This post has gotten too long. :-[
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I myself haven't played a whole lot of Star Ocean either. I've got Star Oceans' 1 & 2 for the PSP. The games remind me very much of Star Trek. It's like crossing Star Trek with an RPG and you get Star Ocean. I first noticed this the very instant the game introduced the Earth people via transporter beam. I was not expecting it at all so it was a pleasant surprise. I've also got Lunar for the PSP as well. Also a very nice classic RPG.
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Chrono Trigger DS is the best version of the game yet. The extras are all good except for the Lost Sanctum, that place has the worst back tracking I have ever seen in a game. Prepare to climb the same mountain about 20 times over with forced encounters. Luckily though it is an optional dungeon and the Dimensional Vortex the other extra dungeon is quite good. I never got into Chrono Cross as it seemed to different to me and I was offended that it even shares the same namesake as Chrono Trigger.
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I like Chrono Cross's nifty Stamina/Element system. Plus the game is really beautiful (especially on ePSXe with High Res... you can tell they put a lot of work into those textures, wow!).
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i highly recommend shin megami tensei. even persona 4, which gets headache-inducing with its scenes, is fantastic. pick up nocturne. dante guest appearance, smooth and quick battle system, demon negotiation and fusion, otherworldly aesthetic, curious/cautious pacing.
Goddang it what the hell is that kingu!!?
Meanwhile has anyone mention phantasy star yet or lagrange point for the famicom yet?
ラグランジュポイント Lagrange Point (Famicom, 1991) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MRQAG_jODy0#)
It's music is unrivaled
VIDEO GAME: Lagrange Point (MUSIC) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W015Wlpgy1E#)
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Wow, this thread turned out better than I thought. Thanks for the suggesterations, guys. +1 for every contribution :D
I'm currently played Chrono Trigger DS & I'm loving it. I agree with everything that was said, the music is superb, great artstyle/graphics, etc. I can't wait to see which ending I get.
(only thing that bugs me is the fact that Crono is a silent hero. Although I did hear that in one of the endings he DOES speak. kinda weird, huh?)
by the way, do you guys suggest I play Radical Dreamers? I heard it's a "sort of" sequel or prequel, I'm curious about it.
Definately gonna check out each game that has been mentioned. Xenoblade Chronicles, Persona, etc. I'm considering playing 2 RPGs at a time, so I don't get too confused lol. I've played & beat Lunar SSSC when it was first released (I even purchased the limited edition box set. I'm still kicking myself to this day for selling it >_<), good game. Played Breath of Fire 1, I enjoyed it but I didn't get too involved, and I need to change that.
I think my favorite FF is the original Tactics for PS-X. I haven't tried the updated versions/sequel, though. Are they any good?
keep the suggesterations coming!!
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by the way, do you guys suggest I play Radical Dreamers? I heard it's a "sort of" sequel or prequel, I'm curious about it.
All evidence I've seen about Radical Dreamers points to being the sequel of Chrono Trigger. It was out for the Super Famicom so finding a rom shouldn't be a hassle.
Meanwhile has anyone mention phantasy star yet or lagrange point for the famicom yet?
Oh yes! The Phantasy Star series is another good one. I've never finished any of them but i still play it occasionally. Lagrange Point I've never heard about till now. It's interesting to note that the stylisation of the music reminds me of Captain Bucky 'O' Hair. Also a Konami title. So I'm wondering if it too was making use of that sound chip.
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I think my favorite FF is the original Tactics for PS-X. I haven't tried the updated versions/sequel, though. Are they any good?
The PSP version (War of the Lions) suffers slowdown when certain skills are used, but I suppose the extra content makes up for it. YMMV on the new translation.
As for other FFT games, I'd recommend A2. It's a major improvement in many aspects compared to Advance, although the game's rather easy to break sideways quite early.
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Final Fantasy 12 is also set in the same world as Final Fantasy Tactics/Vagrant Story but it's not a direct sequel. Also I've heard a lot of people don't like the MMO-like battle system.
I've heard Phantasy Star really gets good with the second entry so you might want to start there. I usually start at the beginning though so I bought Phantasy Star 1 but right after that the AC adapter to my Sega Master System broke lol. And I only recently got a replacement.
If you want to play the original Final Fantasy (and/or Final Fantasy 2, which has more of an actual story) I recommend Final Fantasy Origins for the PS1. Apparently it is a more complete/proper port (from the wonderswan color, a Japan-only handheld) and less an emulation so it doesn't suffer from the same loadtime problems many of the other PS1 FF compilations did. It also fixes some of the problems with the arcane controls of the original. i.e. in the Origins version if you're set to attack a monster and it dies you attack the next monster over rather than wasting your turn. Also dig that high-quality midi music.
The Music of Video Games [500] Final Fantasy Origins (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3-dZKECOeQ#)
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Goddang it what the hell is that kingu!!?
Shin Megami Tensei, aka Devil Summoner, is a famous RPG series that plays like a mix of dungeon crawler and Pokemon. Rather than capturing cute critters and raising them into ugly beasts, you capture cute demons and fuse them with other cute demons to make ugly archdemons and radiant gods.
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devil summoner is a sub-series. the raidou kuzunoha games in it actually feature a real-time battle system.
fun fact: megami tensei predates pokemon
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devil summoner is a sub-series. the raidou kuzunoha games in it actually feature a real-time battle system.
fun fact: megami tensei predates pokemon
That's not what I am thinking when I look at that :-[
And yeah megami tensei goes back to what the famicom right?
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Made this a few days ago. Figured I'd share:
Opening Theme - Chrono Trigger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z23prsKAps0#)
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Made this a few days ago. Figured I'd share:
Opening Theme - Chrono Trigger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z23prsKAps0#)
I have a question Jorge. Have you ever made some tales of remixes? If not what songs would you do fom that series?
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Fighting of the Spirit!!!!!!
I have the OST of Tales of Symphonia but I don't think I can top what they did. Maybe I can do some Tales of Phantasia stuff but to be honest, from that entire series I've only played Symphonia, Dawn of the New World, and a little of Eternia. At one point in the past I got somewhat far in Phantasia but then I suddenly stopped playing and now I cannot find my save file.
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Fighting of the Spirit!!!!!!
I have the OST of Tales of Symphonia but I don't think I can top what they did. Maybe I can do some Tales of Phantasia stuff but to be honest, from that entire series I've only played Symphonia, Dawn of the New World, and a little of Eternia. At one point in the past I got somewhat far in Phantasia but then I suddenly stopped playing and now I cannot find my save file.
Got about half way in symphonia,abyss,and vesperia, not that far into phantasia. For some reason I thought to my self that you might have done a remix based on this song
The end of a thought (Kratos Aurion) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruKaBubVPsc#)
or this one
Tales of Destiny OST - Lion, Irony of Fate, the PS1 original (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krzN_z3hL6w#)
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That's not what I am thinking when I look at that :-[
And yeah megami tensei goes back to what the famicom right?
it does. what are you thinking?
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it does. what are you thinking?
Something very perverted :-[
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Something very perverted :-[
http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Mara (http://megamitensei.wikia.com/wiki/Mara)
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Made this a few days ago. Figured I'd share:
Opening Theme - Chrono Trigger (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z23prsKAps0#)
Great job on such an epic piece!
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Final Fantasy 12 is also set in the same world as Final Fantasy Tactics/Vagrant Story but it's not a direct sequel. Also I've heard a lot of people don't like the MMO-like battle system.
This is just a horrid lie. It's just a money grab.
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All three are indeed set in Ivalice, just in distant time periods.
...So says the Word of God. :-X
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All evidence I've seen about Radical Dreamers points to being the sequel of Chrono Trigger. It was out for the Super Famicom so finding a rom shouldn't be a hassle.
Radical Dreamers is a text-based adventure. If you don't mind playing a video game "choose your own adventure", you might like it. Based on your choices, there are different outcomes and endings. The scenarios differ considerably. Some are related to Chrono Trigger, others are just crazy random stuff. Chrono Cross is basically based off of some ideas from Radical Dreamers, and uses most of the songs(it's interesting to hear the RD versions), but the majority of CC is different. It kinda seemed like, they realized that they couldn't make RD into a full game, so they took some creative liberties to expand the story, which is what CC became. Interestingly enough, RD takes place in a different part of the CT world than CC, a region many think is located between Dorino and Porre, in the forest area where Frog's dwelling was once located(in 600ad). The general art direction and the way you play reminds me of a lot of PC games from that time. I did like the atmosphere a lot. It's really dark(lol, REALLY).
All three are indeed set in Ivalice, just in distant time periods.
...So says the Word of God. :-X
I actually don't mind that. Ivalice is like the Final Fantasy's take on the Suikoden world. You never fully explore the world in it's ENTIRETY in any of the games, just regions, and the history of Ivalice is so rich and LONG, you can basically set new titles in centuries apart, in lands unexplored, and it wouldn't conflict with the general history. It's also one of the few, if anything, the ONLY Final Fantasy world where you get to experience the world through different time periods. FFXII takes place in the "Ancient Civlization of High Technology" which is a period many FF games reference in their pasts, but in the game's present, it's considered a time of lost wonders and the world regressed since then(FFV had the Lonkans, FFVIII had the Sentra, FFX had Zanarkand and such). FFT takes place in the post-Fall of the Ancient High Tech Civilization where the world has become more of an Medieval-set place where there is lore of the ancient technology and people are excavating airships and robots here and there. FFTA and FFTA2 are set(initially) in the most modern period of Ivalice, where magic pretty much disappeared(and has become a thing of lore) and the world is in a contemporary state(basically like our OWN world today). I always liked that broad show of history.
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Actually, Tactics Advance is set in a Dream Ivalice created by Mewt through the power of the Gran Grimoire.
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But Dream Ivalice is equivalent to the other Ivalice.
In essence, the 'real world' is where Newt and Co. (and Luso) come from, and the dream is the Ivalice world we know.
Who's to say they are not one and the same?
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The reason I say that the Ivalice in Tactics Advance is a mere dream world is because it depends on everyone's (i.e. Mewt & co.) desire for it to exist. That, and from a technical aspect the Dream Ivalice is geographically different from the Real Ivalice. To elaborate, the locations in the Dream Ivalice is variable according to the player's choices, whereas the locations in the Real Ivalice are already predetermined.
Oh, and Luso got transported to the Real Ivalice through the power of the Grimoire of the Rift; not the same thing as the Gran Grimoire.
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All great titles, but no Parasite Eve, Legend of Dragoon, or Vangrant Story on the list?
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Vagrant Story is a great game, but it's not something I'd recommend to everyone due to its difficulty.
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The reason I say that the Ivalice in Tactics Advance is a mere dream world is because it depends on everyone's (i.e. Mewt & co.) desire for it to exist. That, and from a technical aspect the Dream Ivalice is geographically different from the Real Ivalice. To elaborate, the locations in the Dream Ivalice is variable according to the player's choices, whereas the locations in the Real Ivalice are already predetermined.
Oh, and Luso got transported to the Real Ivalice through the power of the Grimoire of the Rift; not the same thing as the Gran Grimoire.
Except Mewt is the librarian of the library where Luso reads the book, from what I recall. Also, Montblanc is in both games.
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I don't think Mewt being the librarian in Luso's school has anything to do with the Grimoire being either one and the same or two different (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Gran_Grimoire) things. (http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Grimoire_of_the_Rift) Also, there's an interesting fan theory regarding Montblanc's appearance in the Dream Ivalice. (http://kuzlalala.deviantart.com/art/Montblanc-s-Monologue-Pg-1-149749678) That, and during the reading FMV, several illustrations appear as if the Grimoire was also describing people, which might also explain Ezel's appearance in both games.