The Golden Era of JRPGs-Great JRPGs Recommendations

[SnakeTheLegend]

I have been a fan of JRPGs since I was a very young gamer and as of late, I am sort of having a resurgence of my love for them. Currently I am playing through Xenoblade Chronicles for the Wii and Xenogears for the PSX, both of which I find very refreshing after years of abandoning the genre. I grew up in the era in which I consider the golden days of JRPGs, 1990-2001. Some notable JRPGs I have played: all the Final Fantasy's up to 13, Chrono Cross, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Xenosaga 1 and 2 and Legend of Dragoon. I picked up Xenoblade Chronicles after hearing all the glowing reviews of it and I wanted to give my a Wii some great playing time, after the slight disappointment that was Skyward Sword. I picked up Xenogears as well on the PSN because of the reviews of it as well, and also because that it is considered one the best RPGs on the playstation system. I was just wondering if any of you have any recommendations for any JRPGs that are considered underrated or hidden gems. I just want to rekindle that old flame that I loved as a child, the great JRPG. Final Fantasy for me died after X, XII wasn't too bad, but I never finished it, and XIII was so ridden with character cliches and linear exploration that I just couldn't stand what Final Fantasy had become. I have been very jaded about the genre and I just want to give some time to some great RPGs that I have never played. Any recommendations?

 

[<RJMC>]

shin megami tensei: nocturne,is not a 1900-2001 game but is very good

 

[Vegeta897]

I heard Fire Emblem was good.

 

[Higlac]

Golden Sun and all of the sequels.

 

[ríomhaire]

I grew up in the era in which I consider the golden days of JRPGs

Everyone on the entire internet things that whatever time they grow up in was the golden days of [X].

 

[Acepilotf14]

Tactics Ogre, FF Tactics. Persona games are pretty good, but some people don't like the latent angstyness(which is really subverted in the last fourth of the game when it becomes really optimistic in 3 at least, ****ers).

Right now I'm playing through Tactics Ogre and the story is just so GOOD and this shit is so fun and long and branching storylines are awesome. **** Bioware this has REAL branching plotlines.

Ys games and all the 'Tales of x' are good too.

 

[SnakeTheLegend]

Tactics Ogre, FF Tactics. Persona games are pretty good, but some people don't like the latent angstyness(which is really subverted in the last fourth of the game when it becomes really optimistic in 3 at least, ****ers).

Right now I'm playing through Tactics Ogre and the story is just so GOOD and this shit is so fun and long and branching storylines are awesome. **** Bioware this has REAL branching plotlines.

Ys games and all the 'Tales of x' are good too.

Yeah I have heard a many great things about the persona series and Ogre tactics.

 

[SnakeTheLegend]

Everyone on the entire internet things that whatever time they grow up in was the golden days of [X].

I agree with your statement on a certain number of things such as music, movies, and culture, but I truly think that the gaming community will never see such a level of bursting creativity in the rpg genre in any other time period besides that decade.

 

[anomalosmaterial]

Dont see Parasite Eve on there. Its a little stupid but lets face it, most of them are. Also a lot of action to it

Vagrant Story was similar, Breath of Fire 3 and 4 might be what youre looking for though

 

[bobtheskull]

The Golden Sun and Breath of Fire series' were pretty good if older FF style games is what you're after. I have a few others from the SNES days in my attic that were good but I can't remember the names of (Terranigma comes to mind).

 

[Eejit]

Everyone on the entire internet things that whatever time they grow up in was the golden days of [X].

Makes more sense for games than for music or whatever. Gaming since the early-mid 90's till now is arguably all within the 'growing up' period of a lot of 20-something people.

Tetris and pacman were not the golden age

 

[Paulaner]

Everyone on the entire internet things that whatever time they grow up in was the golden days of [X].

Totally agreed. "They don't make games like they used to." "Modern games are dumbed down." and so on.
We are getting old.

 

[Vegeta897]

Totally agreed. "They don't make games like they used to." "Modern games are dumbed down." and so on.

Except like, for the most part that actually is true. Games released these days actually have to be called hardcore or oldschool so people know what to expect compared to most modern games.

This is not a matter of skewed perception. Do you really thing gaming hasn't changed in 20 years? Don't be foolish.

 

[bobtheskull]

Totally agreed. "They don't make games like they used to." "Modern games are dumbed down." and so on.

I remember a discussion lately (not sure if it was here or not) where it was argued that the difficulty of some games are null and void now that multiple saves, and the ability to save at any point are in practically every game now. I still remember having to spent 6+ hours infront of a game, unable to save, and if you died the game ENDED. You had to start over. The only game recently that I know of that does that is The Binding of Isaac.

I think the rash of Indie titles appearing these days that are grounded in old style games is trying to remedy this. Either that or they're cashing in on the 'fashionably retro' revival.

I feel old now... Damn....

 

[Warbie]

There is a disturbing lack of Secret of Mana in this thread. If this isn't an accidental omission you must make this your first port of call, Snake. It is the greatest JRPG

I'm enjoying Ys: The Oath of Felghana on steam at the mo btw - worth checking out.

 

[bobtheskull]

There is a disturbing lack of Secret of Mana in this thread.

Ah.... the Mana series... another good one. Shame on me for forgetting that one

 

[Paulaner]

Do you really thing gaming hasn't changed in 20 years? Don't be foolish.

Gaming has changed, but if you keep telling that past games were always better than modern ones, you sound like my grandparents when they remember old movies, old actors, old tunes and so on.

 

[ríomhaire]

Gaming has changed, but if you keep telling that past games were always better than modern ones, you sound like my grandparents when they remember old movies, old actors, old tunes and so on.

I agree. Great new games are always coming out. STALKER, Company of Heroes and Arkham Asylum are some of my favourite of all time and I would put Sonic Generations on a level with the Mega Drive Sonics.

 

[Vegeta897]

but if you keep telling that past games were always better than modern ones

Um, when did I say this? My favorite game is ARMA II and that is likely going to change to ARMA III when it comes out. Many of my other favorite games are modern too.

Re-read what I said, and what I was replying to.

 

[Bad^Hat]

Also worth pointing out that Rim was originally replying to someone saying the 90s were the golden age of JRPGs specifically, which they kind of were. There are still some gooduns but they're much fewer and far between.

 

[ríomhaire]

I know shit all about JRPGs anyway. I was just being ratty.

 

[SnakeTheLegend]

There is a disturbing lack of Secret of Mana in this thread. If this isn't an accidental omission you must make this your first port of call, Snake. It is the greatest JRPG

I'm enjoying Ys: The Oath of Felghana on steam at the mo btw - worth checking out.

I totally forgot that I own Secret of Mana. I own it, but I haven't played it yet. Shame on me =( haha. Warbie, have you ever played Legend of Mana?

 

[Warbie]

Yeah - I thought it was ok. Everything felt like a side quest and it didn't really draw me in, though. Seiken Densetsu 3 was better, but still not a patch on SoM. It's a shame that Squaresoft never really settled on a formula with the Mana games, especially after getting it so right with SoM. With all the tinkering the series never got an indentity in the way Final Fantasy did and is pretty much overlooked these days.

 

[Bad^Hat]

SD3 is great, if repetitive. The character and class system is so awesome and immense, I remember obsessing feverishly over my party make-up and which paths I wanted to take. I managed to make an amazing party (was basically invulnerable by the end, final boss was a push-over) but I didn't notice I'd picked 3 characters from separate "groups" so missed out on those extra story bits.

Also the seeds. Oh god, the seeds.

On the topic of fan translated SNES games - Tales of Phantasia is pretty awesome, but again drags on a bit long (never quite finished this one). The side scrolling combat is great, much prefer it to the 3D version from more recent Tales games.