That moment when you knew RPG/JRPG's were made just for you?!

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7z7

Balamb Garden Freshman
Nov 17, 2013
32
3
South Africa
#1
Out of complete curiousity. Fill me in with your first RPG ever played where you became an instant RPG fan. In other words the first game that really took you by storm and filled you up with excitement to get your very next rpg! My rpg adventure definately began with Final Fantasy VIII, after spending countless hours infront of the screen and getting 3 - 4 hours sleep a night for school, I became an instant RPG fanatic. My very next games played was Grandia 1, Secret of Mana along with a few others which was nothing but an amazing gaming experience. I have been hooked ever since :):D
 
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Sioux

Yevonite
UFFSite Veteran
Oct 7, 2013
60
12
35
Rosebud, SD
#2
I think my first time playing an RPG was somewhere in the year 1996. I remember going to the video store with my parents and seeing Mario RPG on the shelf after it had been released here in the states and I was immediately curious . I thought I had played and enjoyed every Mario game up to that point(including Mario is Missing which I still like playing) but here was a game that was oddly new and it had the strangest cover with actual 3D versions of Mario, Bowser and Princess Toadstool(this was pre-Mario 64 so she wasn't Peach yet). So, we rented the newly found treasure.

Initially I was hesitant to try it out because the game seemed so involved from the back cover of the box at the store and I was still so young(I thought the Final Fantasy boxes were intimidating at the video store so I didn't play them until years later) but, after an hour of playing I loved everything about it. The art style, the character design, the humorous bouts of expositional levity, the creative way the in-game world fit together, and the characterization of the many Mario themed characters. This was also my first time ever playing an RPG so the battle system blew me away. I wasn't hopping on anything or flinging shells at goombas or having to get through a level or dying and having to start over...I was taking control of multiple characters and having miniature battles against Koopas and Goombas and what have you. I was hooked immediately on the crux of the idea of what an RPG was and is. There is something just delicious about having control of a motley team of characters all of them unique and yet still apart of a whole while you guide them towards a singular goal whether it be the end of a battle or through a linear cut J-RPG-esque storyline but, I knew it was something I liked and wanted more of even as a young child back in the summer of 96'.

I remember later that year I got into other RPGs and fully realized what an RPG was(what it stood for) and how those games work. I loved the concept of them and the style of gaming they brought to the table. It wasn't about controls and lives and speed runs and difficult stages anymore while you're destiny is tied to a clock in a neverending cycle of platformer adventures. No, these games were about characters and worlds and how they interacted in them and leveled up and how you equipped them and used them and fought with them. It made playing video games so much more fun and interesting to me.
 
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7z7

Balamb Garden Freshman
Nov 17, 2013
32
3
South Africa
#3
You could not have said it any better. I have not come across the Mario RPG so I had a look into it on the web and have to say I am somewhat surprised that I did not get my hands on it back then, looks somewhat entertaining and your description of the game seems enticing. Stangely enough, 1996 was probably the same year I got involved with RPG's and before that I too played games such as Croc and Crash Bandicoot which I enjoyed thoroughly but like you said and something I totally agree with, was the idea of having contol of multiple characters in an RPG, along with the story lines that great RPG titles have to offer. There is just so much to look forward to in a role playing game. That all being said, I am so used to having multiple characters in a cast and am somewhat sceptical about the idea of going solo in Lightning Returns. But I will remain open minded and hope for the best. Don't get me wrong, I am very excited to see how the story unfolds :D
 

Storm2356

Clan Centurio Member
Oct 4, 2013
136
62
World B
#4
One could say I started a bit late, being born in 1999 and all, and I'm not the kind of guy who's going to play any RPG. I'm more into action-RPGs than any other RPG, because it just feels like there's more going on, and I've never been a fan of RPGs with sprites, like the older FF games, just because I grew up on 3D games, and it just feels like you can't get the same effect out of a sprite's actions. Which you can't. That's not to say I won't watch someone play them, but I just can't get myself to do it. As for my first RPG, I believe it was Kingdom Hearts 1. There were Disney characters, the story was easy to follow, the Final Fantasy characters just seemed cool, and it was fun. Sadly, I never beat it because the disk was scratched up, and I don't have the cash to pick up 1.5. I've been addicted to RPGs (even though I'm a picky player), and probably video games in general, since then.
 

Sioux

Yevonite
UFFSite Veteran
Oct 7, 2013
60
12
35
Rosebud, SD
#5
...well, I would try to be excited for it but, I haven't played a Final Fantasy game in years now. I stopped after I bought FF XII. I love the crap out of that game for a variety of reasons most of which has to do with the fact it has numerous ties to Final Fantasy Tactics which is my favorite FF out of the series. I do plan on playing Final Fantasy XIII someday but not now.

I do advise you find a way to play some Mario RPG one of these days. It is a whole lot of fun not to mention it was made back in the days when Squeenix was Squaresoft and Nintendo had yet to have the pissy in-fighting with them that has caused such tenuous relations between the two giant companies.
 

Storm2356

Clan Centurio Member
Oct 4, 2013
136
62
World B
#6
...well, I would try to be excited for it but, I haven't played a Final Fantasy game in years now. I stopped after I bought FF XII. I love the crap out of that game for a variety of reasons most of which has to do with the fact it has numerous ties to Final Fantasy Tactics which is my favorite FF out of the series. I do plan on playing Final Fantasy XIII someday but not now.
I'd recommend that you do when you have the chance, but, just as a warning, if you don't go into it expecting what you're going to get, it'll be a worse experience. Not that you wouldn't know what you're getting into. :p
 

7z7

Balamb Garden Freshman
Nov 17, 2013
32
3
South Africa
#7
Yeah, definitely nothing like the squaresoft days, although square enix seem to becoming to grips as of late and the future may be a bright one for rpg fans especially after having a look at the ff xv trailer which looks really sick!! :) @ sioux you should really get yourself back into the ff series asap, think ff xiii may suprise you a little;) the game really grew on me anyway..and I gta agree that ff tactics had a nice touch to it and I enjoyed it but I had more fun with tactics ogre: The Knight of lodis.. u shud give that a try if you haven't yet.. sure you will enjoy it..
 

7z7

Balamb Garden Freshman
Nov 17, 2013
32
3
South Africa
#8
I tried kingdom hearts but for some reason I just could not find myself growing a liking to the game.. perhaps I should give it another try sometime with the 1.5 version thats been released..afterall I cant recall if I finished the game or not so maybe it deserves another go considering all the hype around it

One could say I started a bit late, being born in 1999 and all, and I'm not the kind of guy who's going to play any RPG. I'm more into action-RPGs than any other RPG, because it just feels like there's more going on, and I've never been a fan of RPGs with sprites, like the older FF games, just because I grew up on 3D games, and it just feels like you can't get the same effect out of a sprite's actions. Which you can't. That's not to say I won't watch someone play them, but I just can't get myself to do it. As for my first RPG, I believe it was Kingdom Hearts 1. There were Disney characters, the story was easy to follow, the Final Fantasy characters just seemed cool, and it was fun. Sadly, I never beat it because the disk was scratched up, and I don't have the cash to pick up 1.5. I've been addicted to RPGs (even though I'm a picky player), and probably video games in general, since then.
 

Joshua

Sphere Hunter
Oct 7, 2013
231
47
43
California
#11
The game was Final Fantasy VI. Of course I had no idea there were video game genres at the time - I played "games" and had no idea what JRPGs or Platformers, or Action-Adventure games were.

Specifically within Final Fantasy VI, it was probably the moment when I came across The Returners and I knew I was not experiencing a normal video game story as I had known before.
 

gaiages

:<
Moderator
Site Staff
Sep 26, 2013
110
29
35
Florida
#12
Let's see, my first RPG was Pokemon Red, but that's not the game that drew me in. Being on a monster catching game craze, I bought and gave Dragon Warrior Monsters a try, and while I enjoyed that well enough, it still wasn't the game that "clicked". But, when I saw and playing Dragon Warrior I+II for the GBC, that was when I really started becoming interested in RPGs. I really don't know what it was about that and Dragon Warrior III for the GBC that worked so well with me, but after that I was hooked.
 

7z7

Balamb Garden Freshman
Nov 17, 2013
32
3
South Africa
#13
Haha awesome! Funny enough, I am currently playing this game on my android phone at this very moment and even now, I am having a good time. Alot of the sound tracks are reminding me of viii (one of my all time greats) :D

The game was Final Fantasy VI. Of course I had no idea there were video game genres at the time - I played "games" and had no idea what JRPGs or Platformers, or Action-Adventure games were.

Specifically within Final Fantasy VI, it was probably the moment when I came across The Returners and I knew I was not experiencing a normal video game story as I had known before.
 

7z7

Balamb Garden Freshman
Nov 17, 2013
32
3
South Africa
#14
Now, Dragon warrior is a game I am completely unfamiliar with :oops: I am assuming however since Pokemon did not draw you in which was pretty amazing, Dragon Warriors must have been pretty epic..

Let's see, my first RPG was Pokemon Red, but that's not the game that drew me in. Being on a monster catching game craze, I bought and gave Dragon Warrior Monsters a try, and while I enjoyed that well enough, it still wasn't the game that "clicked". But, when I saw and playing Dragon Warrior I+II for the GBC, that was when I really started becoming interested in RPGs. I really don't know what it was about that and Dragon Warrior III for the GBC that worked so well with me, but after that I was hooked.
 

gaiages

:<
Moderator
Site Staff
Sep 26, 2013
110
29
35
Florida
#15
Now, Dragon warrior is a game I am completely unfamiliar with :oops: I am assuming however since Pokemon did not draw you in which was pretty amazing, Dragon Warriors must have been pretty epic..
Well, to clarify, Pokemon is what got me into games in general, but at that time I didn't have an interest in any RPGs yet.

As for the Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest series, I really do enjoy them, but they have been quite archaic in terms of gameplay until Dragon Quest IX/X. It's basically all turn-based old-school grind-tastic RPGs all the way, with some individual entries having more engaging plots than others. IX introduced playing with other people to the series (which was kinda hard to do unless you had a bunch of DQ fans living nearby, as it was local multiplayer online only), and DQX is a full on MMO. They're still turn-based, though... at least, I think X is.

But yeah, if you like old-school RPGs, I'd suggest giving a couple of them a whirl. :D
 
Likes: 7z7
Sep 26, 2013
1,612
626
#16
Not sure if I've ever had that moment. All I know is that I liked my first four RPGs a lot. (Earthbound, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI and Super Mario RPG)
 

7z7

Balamb Garden Freshman
Nov 17, 2013
32
3
South Africa
#17
These are some typical old school games which means your rpg adventure started way way back. Good to see ;) Interesting that the Mario RPG is again mentioned in this thread. Must of been quite the game back then. Hope I didn't miss out on too much by giving this game a blind eye.

Not sure if I've ever had that moment. All I know is that I liked my first four RPGs a lot. (Earthbound, Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI and Super Mario RPG)
 
#18
It took me a few games before I really got into the JRPG scene.

I began with FFX-2 back in 2004 of all games. At the time, I had no conceptual idea of what an RPG is, and I was puzzled as to which character I was controlling, why I couldn't freely move any of the characters in battle, and how you even win the fight. It was unlike anything I had ever played before, and my mind was blown. I wasn't sure if I liked it, but admittedly, it was the Charlie's Angels and the pop song of FFX-2 that enticed me to pick the game up in the first place.

A couple more Final Fantasies followed (FFVI and FFVII, didn't get X until I returned to X-2 a couple of years later to finally play through it and appreciate it), then Level-5's PS2 RPGs, Dragon Quest VIII and even Disgaea followed. The stories easily captivated and enchanted me, and even though I have grown very critical of much of JRPG storytelling in recent years, I will always remember the genre for the years of narrative inspiration it gave to me as a young teenager growing up and becoming very fascinated with the idea of fantastical worlds awash with imagination, as a form of escapism. I was inspired to come up with fantasy ideas of my own, and I do have fond memories of after-school writing clubs when I was the one to whip out fantasy stories as my peers produced comparatively very dry content.

Dragon Quest VIII and FFXII would make me truly appreciate their own worlds' size and scope, and the contents of their respective worlds. I think the former left a greater impression on me, because having that large a world scaled properly made me realise how much I needn't miss the world map. Running around a fantasy world, discovering things, coming across vast, unique and alien landscapes, with hopefully a charming narrative to go with it - that's when I truly understood what I wanted out of the genre, and why I harked for it so much. And FFXII's fantastic localisation work did wonders for my vocabulary. My 14-year old self would otherwise not have trotted out "I do not ask for your fealty, nor do I expect farcical parades of servitude" in a weird role-reversal Romeo & Juliet reconstructive poetry piece in an English class.

As for what made WRPGs tick for me? The answer is probably less profound. I'll make one thing clear though: I have yet to properly play a D&D-inspired RPG. I mean the old CRPGs of Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment. I intend to at some point in time, but my WRPG experiences so far have been two chapters of The Witcher thus far, KOTOR, Mass Effect, Dragon Age (though technically, DA: Origins was designed to be a spiritual successors to the CRPGs of yore), Fallout, the first Fable game, bits of Morrowind and Skyrim, and Jade Empire. Mass Effect stands out for the glorious space opera vistas and the fantastic range of characters. But what I think makes WRPGs particularly enjoyable is the ability to choose to be a bad 'un. I love being a villain. I enjoyed playing through the KOTOR games as a heartless Dark Jedi. Nothing makes me more giddy than earning the trust of an NPC, only to betray them two minutes later because I feel like it, and because it could be worth looting them.

It's pretty appropriate I think for me to say there were various games and stages before I truly appreciated the RPG genre, given that it's just so huge, diverse and encompassing compared to other genres of games. It's a genre that I have the most hope for next (current?) gen aside from open-world action-adventures. Here's to another glorious decade of the RPG. Whether they're made in Japan, Korea, America, Britain or Poland.
 

7z7

Balamb Garden Freshman
Nov 17, 2013
32
3
South Africa
#19
Haha a very interesting piece of writing Fleur.. I enjoyed reading it and have found an even further interest in the Dragon Quest saga thanks to this thread.. So I have taken the time to look into Dragon Quest and by scouting some images of the game along with a few reviews, I am very excited to try it out.. Some of the images I have come across such as the open fields and scenery of the game, remind me somewhat of Grandia :D and that means..... well Grandia fans will know what I am talking about :p
But yes!! I too, have high hopes for the RPG genre for next (current?) gen gaming so yes! here's to exciting times ahead miss villian Fleur!! :eek:



It took me a few games before I really got into the JRPG scene.

I began with FFX-2 back in 2004 of all games. At the time, I had no conceptual idea of what an RPG is, and I was puzzled as to which character I was controlling, why I couldn't freely move any of the characters in battle, and how you even win the fight. It was unlike anything I had ever played before, and my mind was blown. I wasn't sure if I liked it, but admittedly, it was the Charlie's Angels and the pop song of FFX-2 that enticed me to pick the game up in the first place.
Dragon Quest VIII and FFXII would make me truly appreciate their own worlds' size and scope, and the contents of their respective worlds. I think the former left a greater impression on me, because having that large a world scaled properly made me realise how much I needn't miss the world map. Running around a fantasy world, discovering things, coming across vast, unique and alien landscapes, with hopefully a charming narrative to go with it - that's when I truly understood what I wanted out of the genre, and why I harked for it so much. And FFXII's fantastic localisation work did wonders for my vocabulary. My 14-year old self would otherwise not have trotted out "I do not ask for your fealty, nor do I expect farcical parades of servitude" in a weird role-reversal Romeo & Juliet reconstructive poetry piece in an English class.
As for what made WRPGs tick for me? The answer is probably less profound. I'll make one thing clear though: I have yet to properly play a D&D-inspired RPG. I mean the old CRPGs of Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale and Planescape: Torment. I intend to at some point in time, but my WRPG experiences so far have been two chapters of The Witcher thus far, KOTOR, Mass Effect, Dragon Age (though technically, DA: Origins was designed to be a spiritual successors to the CRPGs of yore), Fallout, the first Fable game, bits of Morrowind and Skyrim, and Jade Empire. Mass Effect stands out for the glorious space opera vistas and the fantastic range of characters. But what I think makes WRPGs particularly enjoyable is the ability to choose to be a bad 'un. I love being a villain. I enjoyed playing through the KOTOR games as a heartless Dark Jedi. Nothing makes me more giddy than earning the trust of an NPC, only to betray them two minutes later because I feel like it, and because it could be worth looting them.
It's pretty appropriate I think for me to say there were various games and stages before I truly appreciated the RPG genre, given that it's just so huge, diverse and encompassing compared to other genres of games. It's a genre that I have the most hope for next (current?) gen aside from open-world action-adventures. Here's to another glorious decade of the RPG. Whether they're made in Japan, Korea, America, Britain or Poland.
 

yeah_93

Warrior of Light
Sep 27, 2013
1,512
570
Venezuela
#20
The first JRPG I played was FFVI, back in 2010. I had always longed for deep stories in game and always came out disappointed, but then this game arrived. It was so rich for being a 16 year old game, the music was awesome, the game was so involving. It was great.