The 10th Hour 11.13.09: Top Turn-Based RPGs
Posted by Adam Larck on 11.13.2009
From the Final Fantasy series and more, see what Adam Larck's top turn-based RPGs are inside.
Welcome back to another week of the 10th Hour. Let me start off on a quick update.
- Unlike everyone else right now, I am not playing Modern Warfare 2. It looks like a great game and I've been watching friends play, but due to other events going on right now I've been too busy to pick it up.
In the meantime, I've just been catching up on a few other games and working on my review over Dragon Age: Origins. Expect it up in a week or two.
Reader Feedback
Last week I did my top arcade games. I got quite a bit of feedback about it, including a lot of lists. So, this week I want to just post some of these lists here for people who might not have seen them to read them. So, in order, I give you Deathpool, stronelis, Phoenix and Bill21GigaWatts' lists.
"10. House of the Dead 2
9. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
8. Final Fight
7. Ultimate Mortal Kombat 3
6. Galaga
5. Darkstalkers
4. Simpsons
3. X-Men
2. 1943
1. Street Fighter 2 (Pick a version)"
"10. Jurassic Park
9. King of Fighters '97
8. Street Fighter 2
7. Mortal Kombat 3
6. X-men (once again don't remember exact tile, the beat'm'up)
5. Marvel vs Capcom
4. Tekken Tag Tournament
3. Simpsons Arcade Game
2. House of the Dead 2
1. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles"
"10) Wrestlemania: The Arcade Game
9) Darius Gaiden
8) GigaWing
7) Rage of the Dragons
6) Metal Slug X
5) Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike
4) Gauntlet: Dark Legacy
3) Marvel vs. Capcom 2
2) Alien vs. Predator (Capcom)
1) Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara"
"10. Metal Slug 2
9. Ninja Gaiden
8. DDR
7. Virtua Cop
6. Snow Brothers
5. TMNT2
4. Final Fight
3. Pacman
2. Street Fighter 2
1. Mortal KOMBAT 2"
Thanks for the lists everyone. I'll try to change the people up that get posted every week, so if yours didn't get posted today still make another one for this 10th Hour.
Finally, I had noticed a certain editor of the site posted some favorites as well. So Mr. Ramon, what do you have for us about arcade games?
" Killer Instinct, Mortal Kombat, WWF WrestleFest, WWF Superstars, Street Fighter II Championship Edition, Gauntlet, Punch-Out!!, Tugboat(lol)"
And now on to this week's list.
The 10th Hour – Top Turn-Base Role Playing Games
I originally had this being just RPGs in general, but after making a list I still had a lot of games that didn't make the list. So, I broke the list into two pieces. Next week will be all about action RPGs, but this week is all about turn-based ones. Read on to find out what made my list. 10. Golden Sun - I'm glad that this RPG is getting a DS game, as it went relatively overlooked on the GBA.
Golden Sun had a nice battle screen that wasn't just a side view of the two parties. The semi-over-the-shoulder look worked nice for the game. What really was fun for me though was the Psynergy use. Not only was it used in battle for traditional spells, but it could also be used out of battle to solve puzzles and open up new areas to explore. I'm looking forward to the newest game next year. 9. Chrono Cross - The spiritual sequel to Chrono Trigger was a good game, but not what many people wanted when they begged for a Chrono Trigger sequel.
The original characters weren't the controllable characters, but Serge and the rest of the cast were still interesting characters. The references to the past game were great for fans of both, and did help to tie the story together. Plus (*Spoiler ahead*), the switch half way through from controlling Serge to controlling Lynx was a great twist to go with the game. 8. Final Fantasy X - Out of the few Final Fantasies that landed on the PS2, I thought FF X added quite a bit new to the series.
While the Blitzball mini-game could have been left out and I wouldn't have missed it, the voice acting in a FF game was a good addition. Also, the Aeons were an interesting change as well, being able to be left out on the screen for attacks instead of just a one time summon. The new battle system and sphere grid were also fun to use and customize. Overall, the game had some great additions that Square-Enix has used in additional games since then. 7. Legend of Dragoon - I've always wondered what happened to this game. I liked it on PSX, but it was never heard from again.
The graphics looked great in the game, and the game's new feature of additions in the game (timed based button presses) were a nice touch to gain extra benefits. However, probably the best thing in the game for me was the Dragoon transformations. I always liked to see the various transforms the people did. Not only that, but the actual stat boost and Special mode that could be used were helpful as well. Sony had a great, innovative RPG here, but never tried to make a sequel for it. 6. Super Mario RPG - When Mario first tried the RPG genre, I was skeptical on how it would be. However, I was quickly relieved by how good it was.
SMRPG allowed for the traditional RPG gameplay, but also allowed for places to string together jumping attacks or critical with an accurate press of the button. The characters were great, and I'd still like to see a few of them come back in one form or another. While the DS games and Paper Mario have been good since then, a sequel to this would be nice to see. 5. Suikoden 2 - I actually liked the entire series, but Suikoden 2 has still stuck with me as my favorite.
I thought the 108-character idea has always been good, and I like going around and trying to recruit all of them. Plus, the front row/back row battle system works well to allow for quite a few different characters to be in a party at once. While the duels and massive battles never interested me, the game still had a lot of fun and a long length for people who wanted to complete everything. 4. Final Fantasy VII - I know this will get me some flack, but I like another FF better than VII.
Don't get me wrong; VII is a lot of fun. The graphics were great for the RPG genre at this time, and the Materia system was a great system that needed to be brought back. The story was good, and the characters were memorable. However, it just never could hold my interest like the next game on the list did. 3. Final Fantasy VIII - I put in at least a good 100 hours on this game, and still wanted to put more in.
The battle system was good. I especially liked the Guardian Forces and the boost system that came with them. In addition to this, the story held my interest, and I actually cared about going around and getting all the rare and hidden items. Also, the card game that came with it was hugely fun for me, and I ended up getting every card after spending weeks trying to win one or two certain cards. 2. Earthbound - The only game from the Mother series to actually make it stateside, Earthbound gathered a good following around it, and for good reason.
The characters were actually interesting and you wanted to find out what was going to happen next. Plus, the enemies were actually creative for once, with there being a lot of unique ones you wouldn't see in other games. What really got me in this game was the final boss though. The way you beat him to tie everyone in the game together was great. I still haven't been able to try Mother 3 yet, but it be nice to bring Ness and the crew back to finally go take care of Pokey. 1. Chrono Trigger - I've played through Chrono Trigger a lot, yet I still like coming back to it again and again to play more.
The combo attacks were a great idea to combine the party in unique ways. Plus, the time traveling in the game was a great way to add depth to the game and see what effects in the past could do to the future. The characters had good personality (well, except for the mute Crono), and the Lavos battle was tough and rewarding. The various endings were also interesting to be seen, especially the developers hidden ending. Overall, a great game deserving of the top spot
Well, that's all I have for this week. Like or hate what I said? Shoot me an email at adamant_l_87@yahoo.com or leave a comment below. Any feedback is appreciated.
Posted By: dogpound7382 (Guest) on November 12, 2009 at 11:18 PM
Trust me when I say, Mother 3 blows Earthbound out of the water.
Posted By: Big Lantern Ghost (Guest) on November 12, 2009 at 11:21 PM
No FFVI or FFIX on the list? For shame.
Posted By: Guest#8562 (Guest) on November 12, 2009 at 11:50 PM
I can't think of 10..but Final Fantasy 6 is number one for me.
Posted By: Kent Baker (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 12:01 AM
Chrono trigger is also my fav RPG ever
in fact my fav game of all time
My top 5 would be
Chrono trigger
FF 9
Suikoden 2
Super mario RPG
FF 7
Posted By: Rockman (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 12:26 AM
Blitzball was boss!
Posted By: Guest#9506 (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 12:26 AM
FF8 is actually my least favorite game that I've played through... Mainly I just hated the characters and the story had too many moments that just made me roll my eyes. Here is my top ten for great and the adding of timed hits made battles more engaging. Howethe hell of it.
10. Super Mario RPG
9. Shadow Hearts
8. Chrono Cross
7. Golden Sun (either game)
6. Paper Mario 2
5. Final Fantasy 7
4. Final Fantasy X
3. Mario and Luigi (either the first or third. The second doesn't hold up as well.)
2. Pokemon (The story is incredibly basic but the battle system/multiplayer blow any other turn based RPG out of the water).
1. Skies of Arcadia
Posted By: Justin (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 12:32 AM
No love for Final Fantasy Tactics?
Posted By: Chris Dante (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 12:33 AM
FFVII and FFVIII are so close for me that I think the only reason FFVII would get the edge is because it kept me gaming. I was literally done with gaming and saw FFVII at my friends and just had to get a PSOne and that game. Chrono Trigger though...man, good number 1, that game stands the test of time.
Posted By: Butters4Prez (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 12:56 AM
So Suikoden 2 is your favorite, but your screenshot is form Suikoden 1? Smooth. At least get bonus points for putting earthbound so high on the list.
Posted By: Duncan (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 01:11 AM
Chrono Trigger has to be the most overrated RPG next to FF:VII
Posted By: The Dutch (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 01:27 AM
FF8 is awesome, but I guess you aren't a big PC fan as some of the best RPGs are on that including FO1, FO2, the GB games, and more.
As for splitting it into 2 sections, perhaps a 3rd for those RPGs thata ren't fully real time or turn base otherwise known as RT w/pause which is where games like DA, NWN, and BG would fit...
Posted By: Volourn (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 01:32 AM
Final Fantasy VIII was not that good. The card game was just bad, and drawing magic was more like torture.
Posted By: Travis (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 01:33 AM
Digital Devil Saga on PS2 should be played by all fans of the genre. I consider the story to be the best ever done and the combat, while not remarkably innovative, served its purpose well.
Posted By: Rick (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 01:47 AM
Excellent list... *thumbs up*
Posted By: David (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 02:22 AM
Where is Shadow Hearts Covenant?
Posted By: I Right Cena\'s Promos (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 02:29 AM
Dragon Warrior 7.
Posted By: Guest#6117 (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 02:32 AM
Pokemon?
Posted By: somebody (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 02:46 AM
A tradition that is awesome: 10th hour writers loving Earthbound.
Though I actually think Mother 3 is a touch better than EB. Given how much I love Earthbound, that is saying something. You really need to play it,
Posted By: Derek Robbins (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 03:34 AM
good list, but now i am depressed because shining force wasn't on
Posted By: puba516 (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 03:36 AM
no love for the super robot wars?
Posted By: miloytheman (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 04:07 AM
No Phantasy Star 2 or 4? No Persona 3 or 4? No Legend of Legaia? No Arc the Lad series? For shame indeed.
Posted By: jrpaper (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 04:07 AM
I agree with Justin on the inclusion of Skies (no game has EVER done more to reward exploration), and the exclusion of FF8 for the same reason. FF8 was supposed to be like high school all over again with conspiracies amidst the administration. Just silly.
I really wanted to see FF4 or 6 in the list, but oh well.
Chris Dante, FFT is classified as a Strategy RPG, even though it takes place in a turn-based environment.
Posted By: Phoenix10k (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 04:51 AM
Skies of Arcadia
As for the ones you mentioned, I would have hoped for higher from ChronoCross. Looking at that game objectively as opposed to just hoping that it would be a sequel and CT, it was a tremendous game. CT fanboys always want to put that game down because it didn't follow up/deserve the legacy, but it was a damn good game.
Besides the fact that Blitzball didn't alter much in the game (utlimate weapon aside), FF10 was a pretty decent game too. Glad it made the list.
Posted By: Guest#9662 (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 05:20 AM
Yeahhh someone else who loved Legend of Dragoon! Sucks that it was never a huge popular game but it was what got me truly into RPG games.
Posted By: NeoKuhn (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 06:30 AM
No Skies of Arcadia, no Xenogears? Fail.
Posted By: no sir jenkins (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 08:51 AM
I'm with you on liking Final Fantasy 8 more than 7, I had a lot of fun with that one; I think the awesome player's guide helped.
And a bit of a letdown for you: Mother 3 has no recurring characters from Mother 2, aka Earthbound. Earthbound was awesome, though!
Posted By: JaxHater (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 08:52 AM
Breath of Fire
Pokemon Yellow
Final Fantasy Tactics
Final Fantasy 4
Phantasy Star 4
Dragon Warrior
Final Fantasy 7
Earthbound
Chrono Trigger
Final Fantasy 6
Posted By: Tyg (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 09:02 AM
no pokemon? come on i know the show is kiddy but the games are great.
Posted By: stronelis (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 09:18 AM
I realize that everyone has their own opinions, so I'll throw in my two cents- FFVIII was one of the worst games I've ever played- really it's completely boring. FFVI should be near the top of this list. Suikoden II I would have put much higher. Otherwise I think its pretty decent list- Lufia II should def be here as well. Lastly, whoever above said Mother 3 completely destroys Earthbound is absolutely right, play this game if you are an Earthbound fan.
Posted By: Ultra Gepetto (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 09:24 AM
i'm sick of the constant lack of target terror in these lists. Last week you had the perfect chance to include the penultimate arcade game of all time, yet you didn't. Are you prejudiced against the goodness that is Target Terror, or are you afraid of the sheer amount of love you'd get for mentioning such a wonderful game?
Posted By: Guest#0808 (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 10:29 AM
Any list with FF VIII but not IV or VI loses every scrap of credibility it MIGHT have had. The sad thing is, you have a legit #1, and you were doing so well. Unfortunately, you're obviously on crack. Bad form.
Posted By: Guest#3283 (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 10:35 AM
The only games that I would have put that were not on the list were Personas 3 or 4 (No need to put them both), Skies of Arcadia, the Pokemon franchise, FF IX and Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne. (Mother 3 too, but you said you have not played it)
I liked your list though! Pretty easy to please me, a man who loooooves his turn-based RPGs. Definitely my favorite genre ever.
Posted By: Derek Robbins (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 10:53 AM
Truly eclectic. I like this.
Most reviews of Legend of Dragoon wrote it off as an FF7 ripoff - which is fair (disc 2, in which you chase a white haired guy in a black trenchcoat for revenge)- but probably drove off more potential gamers than it should have. Legend of Dragoon had interesting graphics, a few unique story elements, and an epic feel to it. Even if it was a sony cash grab for FF7 fans... who doesn't want more games exactly like FF7? It's good company.
Posted By: Bill21GigaWatts (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 11:12 AM
What about DOOM rpg for the cell phone?
Posted By: da juice (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 11:44 AM
God I fucking hate Final Fantasy 8...but it's your list so I'm not gonna bitch.
With the amount of Pokemon games out there I'm surprised none made the list.
Posted By: Bubba (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 12:25 PM
I don't know if one would consider this to be a turn-based RPG (I do), but Fallout and/or Fallout 2 are fantastic.
Posted By: Flyboy (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 12:25 PM
Where is Dragon Warrior for NES! That was the best game ever. I still play it today and have been doing so for 20 yrs, that a long ass time!
Posted By: hateman (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 12:33 PM
I am concerned about no FFIX or FF3 (US number)... they were great games and Kefka is one of the most downright f***ing evil characters ever. But you redeem yourself with Earthbound and SMRPG. Nice list.
Posted By: Ryan Bates (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 01:03 PM
Shining Force and Ogre Battle 64 would have to be on my list.
Posted By: Guest#9445 (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 01:11 PM
Chrono Trigger isn't turn based.
But nice FF8 love.
Posted By: Armbarred (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 01:47 PM
RPGs have always been my cup of tea, so I greatly appreciate this column. My list is as follows:
10. Final Fantasy VII (I don't worship this game as much as others, however it's impact on the genre is undeniable. Combine that with a decent story and interesting characters and its inclusion is warranted.)
9. Tales of the Abyss (A lengthy game that has some of the best character development I've ever seen involving the evolution of the protagonist. Combine that with an awesome villain with a believable motivation and you have an awesome game.)
8. Chrono Trigger (Its legacy has already been explained better than I ever could. However, as good as it is, other game stories blow it out of the water, hence the relatively low placement.)
7. Legend of Dragoon (While the criticisms of the game are warranted, the excellent battle system and good storytelling make this game very special. Plus the story, for all of its faults, is actually quite good due to its use of in-game history.)
6. Final Fantasy X (Crappy protagonist aside, this game's story is quite epic with the concept of a weakened father-son bond eventually coming to terms. Also, the character development of Tidus and Yuna is entertaining to watch as well.)
5. Final Fantasy VIII (A very polarizing game, but I'm in the camp that loves it. Awesome character development with Squall, a very entertaining mini-game, and just an overall fun story.)
4. Final Fantasy VI (This game truly had it all. Amazing characters, detailed storytelling, a great villain, a fun battle system, etc. Definitely the most complete FF game in my opinion.)
3. Suikoden II (Luca Blight. Highland War. What else needs to be said?)
2. Shadow Hearts: Covenant (An amazing game that takes the original's battle system and improves it. Combine that with a great story outlining the heartache and sadness of human loss and you have a hell of a game.)
1. Xenogears (I know, big surprise coming from me. However, this game's story just pushes it over the top for me. A "question of humanity" drama weaving in aspects of psychology and religion, combined with a decent battle system makes this number one for me.)
I know there's a lot of Final Fantasy on here, however I focus more on storytelling than anything else. When examining that, Final Fantasy often provides some of the best.
Posted By: Adam B. (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 02:29 PM
no ogre battle, tactic ogre, or ogre battle 64? whats wrong with you?
Posted By: rufus (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 02:51 PM
I am shocked, SHOCKED I say, at the lack of any Shadow Hearts games on here.
And I'm a huge FF fan, I've played through them all several time (even II) with the exception of one. And that is VIII. I've tried FOUR times and barely persevered past the end of disc 1. It is an incredibly bad game with the horrible drawing system, boring characters and those stupid flashback bits.
Posted By: Steve B (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 03:27 PM
I'd add at least the first Lunar game. Never played it on Sega CD, but I remembered reading about it in an issue of GamePro or something years later when it was ported to Playstation. I loved it, the characters were great, great villain, and good twisting storyline. Since then I will always place it near the top of my own personal list. You should check it out.
Posted By: YepYep (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 04:02 PM
Yeah, Ness and the "crew" aren't in Mother 3...
Posted By: Citizen Payne (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 04:12 PM
Where's the Shining Force love?
Posted By: Jonberg (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 05:46 PM
Shadow Hearts: Covenant. End of story, best JRPG I've ever played.
Posted By: Chris (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 07:36 PM
This is your list and you are absolutely entitled to your own opinion...
But still, not having FFVI on it...for shame
Posted By: TRUTH (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 09:55 PM
FFS has anyone of the 411games crew played Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest?
Posted By: Guest#7643 (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 10:08 PM
Great list. Are you gonna do a separate list on strategy RPGs, cause if not, then you left out Valkyria Chronicles.
Posted By: Guest#2804 (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 10:49 PM
Final fantasy tactics is the ultimate best game ever made period.
Posted By: Guest#0643 (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 11:15 PM
Good to see someone mention LUNAR in the comments. That is definitely my all-time fav. I owned the Sega CD version and then when it came to PSX I went and got the nice collector's edition. If you're looking for it, the full name is LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete. However, good luck in finding a copy as it runs $200 new on Amazon :(
Posted By: King Tony (Guest) on November 13, 2009 at 11:32 PM
Not sure exactly what classifies as an rpg but i would put kings bounty, buck rogers doomsday and x-com down as 3 of my all time favourite turn based affairs.
Posted By: Ste (Guest) on November 14, 2009 at 06:08 AM
No Pokemon...? I think it's an RPG, and the battle system in it is just something that you simply can't forget. It's super-effective! for crying out loud. :o
LoD probably gets no rep due to the fact that it's a huge bucketful of cliché. Alot of times the game consists of the guys walking forward until a new guy appears and one of the charas announces "OMG YOU THE MAN WHO KILLED MY FATHER I KILL U NOW VERY BAD MAN!!". Followed by a ghost ship and whatnot. ><
Well, here's mah top 10...
10. Paper Mario - Fun stuff, the battle system required some form of strategy towards the end, so it wasn't just GRINDGRINDGRIND until you'd one-hit the boss, but instead you were busy planning things ahead on what badges to use. And then go "awfuck" afterwards when you realized that in your grand plan you forgot the ice badge and now can't use any of your jumping attacks on that danged lava piranha. ><
9. FF8 - probably one of the first PS games I bought, but as much fun as it may have been, I didn't like the way the GF and junctioning magic made all your charas almost identical in-battle. By the end of it all, the only difference between Selphie and Zell was the attack animation and their limit breaks.
8. LoD - cliché as the game is, it's good. I recall that the difficulty took a huge leap around halfway of disc 2 when this chick with wings mauled your party by getting tow turns in a row and doing murderous ice-spells. And killed any dragoons in one hit if you used them. :(
7. FF5 - Job system was great, but other than that, the game itself was kinda "meh". Also, the charas suffer of the same thing that troubles me in FF8 - in-battle, there's really no diffence between one of them and the one.
6. FF9 - Eh, I liked it. It was just fun and cute. Although boss fights sucked because they consisted of nothing but Zidane trying to steal their items and failing at it for 20minutes. ><
5. Chrono Trigger - Doesn't go as high in my list, probably due to the fact that I always thought this game is too much of "this boss requires a party of average level ## in order for you to even stand a chance"... Charas have nice variety, and I do like the combos they can put together. And the game had oodles of content!
4. Pokemon! - What's that, Gary? Lvl 52 Alakazam? Go, Kadabra! Awwsnap~!! He's lvl 61?! Awwsnap~!! Alakazam already fainted!
3. FF6 - plenty of variety in charas, alot of abilities and equipment to use to customize your party... And plenties of stuff to do in-game.
2. Mario RPG - Too much fun in one game, alot to do, alot to fight, alot of ways to fight. Dropping Toadstool from your party was the way to increase the difficulty, imo. Her healings were just too hax.
1. Earthbound - A game that I simply must play through again every now and then. Nuff said.
Posted By: Arfduh (Guest) on November 14, 2009 at 06:18 AM
Legend of Dragoon! I remember playing a demo of that when I was younger and thinking "this is great, I need to find the full game" but I could never find it no matter how many stores I searched. I spent about a year trying to find it but never did. Then I just forgot about it totally until today. They really should release it on the Playstation Store or something...Great game that wasn't given nearly enough attention.
Posted By: Ben (Guest) on November 14, 2009 at 06:20 AM
I know there's a lot of people who consider FFVIII the worst in the franchise, but I say "boooo-urns" to them. It was my first FF experience, so I might be looking at it with rose tinted glasses, but I can definitely say I ended up caring about the characters a hell of a lot more than playing through FFVII. The experience was more cinematic, the card game wasn't bad, and ENTIRELEY optional, (unlike Blitzball), and most of all, at least Squall was able to get the girl... unlike FFVII where you were just begging Cloud to make up his bloody mind!!!
I'd have put in Defenders of Oasis on the Game Gear as it was my first turn based RPG experience, and still stands up as a great adventure in its own right (not to mention the first proper decent portable TBRPG until Pokemon and the GBA turned up much later). Anyone else remember that?
Just me then.
Posted By: RawShark (Guest) on November 14, 2009 at 08:35 AM
Wow, another mypoic Squenix fanboy loveletter column. How original. Try Phantasy Star II, and watch how SquareSoft plagarized an entire game.
Posted By: Jed (Guest) on November 14, 2009 at 08:36 AM
I agree with some of those, but you did leave one out that baffles me!
my list:
10. Super Mario RPG (agreed..insanely fun)
9. Suikoden
8. FF X
7. FF 3
6. Wild Arms
5. Albert's Odyssey (yeah I said it!)
4. Lunar (classic)
3. FF 7
2. Chrono Trigger
1. Xenogears - this is the one I couldn't believe was left out..such a vast plot, DEEP storyline metaphorical and literal wise..amazing.
Posted By: Ikarimal (Guest) on November 14, 2009 at 01:12 PM
Hey, fanboys, you listed the same game 5 times...
oh wait, those are all different versions of the same Final Fantasy haha
Where's Fallout 1 and 2? Arcanum? Might and Magic?
Posted By: Guest#2217 (Guest) on November 14, 2009 at 02:53 PM
final fantasy 6 nuff sed
Posted By: gooched (Guest) on November 14, 2009 at 03:11 PM
You have redeemed my hope in gaming culture, by putting FF8 on your list, and NOT 9. Christ, I swear people are idiots.
The card game in 9 sucked to levels I can't even talk about, the characters WERE CHILDREN. There's nothing engaging about how they utterly ruined the concept of the black mage .. and .. whatever they did to the blue mage that just made me cry. Oh, and lest we forget the robot thing that ends up being the "final boss" that you've never heard of ever in the game up to that point and was horribly retarded. Yeah. Great game .. if you're 8 years old.
FF8 however was beautiful. The story was engaging, and honestly .. most of the people I've met who hate it, didn't finish it to truly understand the whole story. The card game, as you pointed out .. was boss. I spent hours in that space station getting that card up there .. and by the time I finished, had them all. I really wished that when FFXI came out, that the card game from 8 would have been the one that came with it, not Tetra Master. I'd have actually played.
Boo for hating on Blitzball. I loved that game. In fact, if they'd released a game that was JUST Blitzball, I'd have bought it. I finished FFX in 120 hours .. easily 80 of that was nothing but Blitzball. I was pleasantly surprised when I ended up winning Wakka's final weapon for playing .. and then getting Wakka on my team, it just made everything right. :D
Posted By: Nyte (Guest) on November 14, 2009 at 08:38 PM
I keep seeing people talk about FFIX, which happens to be my favorite FF game. However, it uses an active time battle system and not a turn based one, so not sure why it's being discussed. It would be like saying FFXII was a turn based system, which was simply just an enhanced version of FFIX's system.
I loved Fallout 2, which was a turn-based battle system that allowed you to target parts of the body during your turn.
Posted By: RavenTazECW (Registered) on November 15, 2009 at 10:37 AM
I completely forgot this one, and I'm not sure it fits in to the Trun Based category, but seeing as the battle wasn't exactly Real-Time and certainly no less turn-based than Chrono Trigger...
Panzer Dragoon Saga.
That would have been my instant number 1. Still, I like the debates this article has given rise to - it's been a great excuse to go down memory lane. Kudos.
Posted By: RawShark (Guest) on November 15, 2009 at 10:46 AM
10. SMT Persona IV
9. Final Fantasy VII
8. Suikoden
7. Phantasy Star IV
6. Dragon Quest VII
5. Final Fantasy IV
4. Xenogears
3. Lunar The Silver Star (SEGA CD)
2. Earthbound
1. Final Fantasy VI
Posted By: Bill21GigaWatts (Registered) on November 15, 2009 at 11:12 AM
POKEMON & KINGDOM HEARTS!
Posted By: KillaSham (Guest) on November 15, 2009 at 11:31 AM
Shining Force , Phantasy Star, Pokemon
Skies of Arcadia, Lunar, Dragon Warrior,
Lufia, Persona, Xenogears, other FF games
Tales of games, Not sure bout about PC RPG's never played any. But i could make a Top 10 List from games you didnt even mention. And there's a bunch more that deserve mention that i or others didnt even bring up.
Posted By: Lost RPGs (Guest) on November 15, 2009 at 11:52 AM
no disagreement over the top two. but you were obviously a snes fanboy because you left out 'shining force'
Posted By: dkmo (Guest) on November 15, 2009 at 12:39 PM
Nice to see some love for the Suikoden series.. although Suikoden 1 owns all. That game is one of my favorite five games of all time...
Posted By: Blackbird 13 (Guest) on November 15, 2009 at 03:42 PM
Wow, lots of overlooked titles.
Persona 3 & 4 are some of THE greatest RPGs of all time. Amazing stories, excellently written dialogue, great voice acting, phenomenal soundtracks, AND great combat system with a great difficulty level.
That aside, Final Fantasy IV and VI were much better games than FF VII & VIII.
Sure, FFVII has it's place in history since it pretty much redefined the RPG genre and also laid the foundations for today's big production/large budget, multi-media extravaganzas. But that's exactly what I think the genre and gaming in general is suffering from these days: lots of flash, lack of actual gameplay - or rather, lack of any MEANINGFUL gameplay. FFVII's story was convoluted, FFVIII's extremely dull.
Gameplay wise, the mini games in FFVII were fun diversions but the core gameplay was just too easy and cumbersome (unskippable and long summons animations).
And FFVIII didn't have ANY redeemable gameplay value.
THe PS era FFs are overrated. FFIX was a much better game overall than FF VII and FF VIII but it was still weak compared to the SNES games (IV, V, VI) and the PS2 games (FFX & FFXII).
Posted By: Relayer71 (Guest) on November 15, 2009 at 05:21 PM
Oh, and the Phantasy Star games were SOOOO ahead of their time and anything with "Dragon" or "Final" in the title. I'm SHOCKED none of them are on your list. For shame.
Phantasy Star IV is an underrated gem.
What about Skies Of Arcadia, Dragon QUest VIII, Dragon Warrior 3? Lunar? All great games.
I'm glad and surprised you mentioned Golden Sun and Chrono Cross though. Those were great games.
Not so surprised to see Chrono Trigger as # 1, hehe.
Posted By: Relayer71 (Guest) on November 15, 2009 at 05:26 PM
Paper Mario says Hello.
Posted By: mlsq42 (Registered) on November 15, 2009 at 07:25 PM
I think I played blitzball more than I played the story of FFX. FFVIII I spent a lot of time on, though I never beat the final boss. Looking back it was an awesome game. It had an incredible ambience.
Also, Pokemon definately deserved a place on this list. I would have left FFX off for it, but it is your list. So who's to say? And, even though I have only played VIII, Dragon Quest at least deserved an honorable mention. It is a big genre though, so maybe you should have made it One game from a franchise or something?
Posted By: Undefeated at Blitzball (Guest) on November 15, 2009 at 09:06 PM
Disagree with your FF choices, but screw it, I'm just happy Suikoden got a nod.
Posted By: Vordeo (Guest) on November 15, 2009 at 10:26 PM
yeah no way in hell is VII not #1 (at least in terms of dollars & fanbase), but interesting look at your opinion
Posted By: Guest#7184 (Guest) on November 16, 2009 at 03:17 PM
10- Albert Odyssey (Saturn = W00T!)
9- Final Fantasy IV
8- Phantasy Star II
7- Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrels
6- Chrono Cross
5- Phantasy Star III
4- Final Fantasy X
3- Chrono Trigger
2- Phantasy Star IV
1- Final Fantasy VII
Posted By: M:-X (Guest) on November 16, 2009 at 03:20 PM
What, not one game from Phantasy Star?!
Posted By: Guest#5128 (Guest) on November 16, 2009 at 03:20 PM
