Ranking: JRPGs

[Great Rumbler]

I was going to do a separate rankings for 2D and 3D JRPGs [like I did with WRPGs], but I quickly realized that there are lot that have an almost-equal mix of prerendered backgrounds and polygonal battles and overworlds. So I'll just do one.

1. Star Ocean: The Second Story [9.5]
2. Chrono Trigger [9.5]
3. Final Fantasy VII [9.5]
4. Xenogears [9.5]
5. Breath of Fire 3 [9.5]
6. Xenoblade [9.5]
7. Persona 4 [9.5]
8. Persona 3 [9.0]
9. Final Fantasy XII [9.0]
10. Final Fantasy IX [9.0]
11. Resonance of Fate [9.0]
12. Chrono Cross [9.0]
13. Legend of Mana [8.5]
14. Grandia [8.5]
15. Baten Kaitos [8.5]
16. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete [8.5]
17. Valkyrie Profile [8.5]
18. Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey [8.5]
19. Super Mario RPG [8.5]
20. Dragon Force [8.5]
21. Breath of Fire 4 [8.5]
22. Parasite Eve [8.5]
23. Vagrant Story [8.0]
24. Wild Arms [8.0]
25. NIER [8.0]
26. Metal Saga [8.0]
27. Metal Max Returns [8.0]
28. Dragon Warrior [8.0]
29. SaGa Frontier [8.0]
30. Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter [8.0]
31. Secret of Evermore [8.0]
32. Final Fantasy X [8.0]
33. Etrian Odyssey [8.0]
34. Mana Khemia [7.5]
35. Legend of Legaia [7.5]
36. Contact [7.5]
37. Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale [7.5]
38. Dark Cloud [7.0]
39. Arc the Lad [7.0]
40. Robotrek [7.0]
41. Phantasy Star II [7.0]
42. Atelier Annie [7.0]
43. Star Ocean: The Last Hope [6.5]
44. SaGa Frontier 2 [6.5]
45. Guardian's Crusade [6.5]
46. The Granstream Saga [6.0]
47. Quest 64 [6.0]
48. Sword of Vermilion [6.0]
49. Virtual Hydlide [3.5]

[A Black Falcon]

So you're just going by region the game is from, so Anachronox, Septerra Core, etc. are WRPGs I guess? I didn't put them in my lists maybe because I forgot about them but also because of their JRPG-style combat... Anachronox particularly is a very good game though. But of course I haven't really made a real 3d PC RPGs list yet, so when I do it'll have to be on it.

Anyway, yes, JRPG list, good idea. Which games would I count to include though, how much of a game should I have played before I count it for the list?

[Great Rumbler]

So you're just going by region the game is from, so Anachronox, Septerra Core, etc. are WRPGs I guess?

Country/region of origination is the one thing that everyone can agree on, if we start breaking it down into mechanics then it gets a lot more nebulous.

Which games would I count to include though, how much of a game should I have played before I count it for the list?

However much you think you need to feel comfortable about ranking it. I've got a few games that I've played for a couple hours that I don't feel comfortable listing and some games that I've played for twenty minutes and feel perfectly comfortable in listing [Virtual Hydlide].

[Great Rumbler]

Major update to ranking.

[A Black Falcon]

Oh, also, are you counting tactical games? Of course in my opinion tactical strategy games, aka 'strategy RPGs', aren't RPGs but are strategy games, but they often get listed with RPGs on the console side because the Japanese list their genres differently from how the West does. I'm not Japanese though, so things like Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem, Disgaea, etc., etc. aren't RPGs in my opinion. I don't think you have any in your list (unless Arc the Lad is? Not sure), so maybe you're keeping them separate too, or have you just never played any of those games?

Also Zelda is out as usual, evidently. I can see why (Zelda II excepted, you don't have levels or experience in Zelda), but there are a bunch of very Zeldalike RPGs that do get included as action-RPGs, like the Mana series. Oh well...

So yeah, no Zelda or strategy-RPGs in my list at least. I'm trying to rank every RPG I own, by platform, plus some I don't own too, mostly imports (the only import RPG I actually own, so far, is Grandia for the Saturn... I'm sure I will get something more at some point though.)

Maybe I'll try to add scores later, for titles that I think I've played enough to score. That definitely would not be all of these games.

Blank spaces in the middle of a system's list mean that I think there's a good sized quality or fun gap between the upper and lower titles.

Game Boy
--
1. Final Fantasy Adventure

2. Rolan's Curse

3. Pokemon Red


Game Boy Color
--
1. Dragon Warrior III

(I can't count Survival Kids, I don't think it has levels)

Game Boy Advance
--
1. Riviera: The Promised Land
2. Summon Night: Swordcraft Story
3. Golden Sun
4. Lunar Legend
5. Golden Sun: The Lost Age
6. Summon Night: Swordcraft Story 2

7. Sword of Mana

8. Boktai (stupid worthless light sensor!)


DS
--
1. Etrian Odyssey
2. Etrian Odyssey III: The Drowned City

3. Summon Night: Twin Age
4. Children of Mana
5. Lunar: Dragon Song
6. Magical Starsign


PC
--
1. Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst


NES (not sure which of these count)
--
1. StarTropics
2. Faxanadu
3. Dark Lord (Import, has translation patch, played in emulation)
4. StarTropics 2: Zoda's Revenge
5. Crystalis
6. Zelda II: The Adventure of Link (counting because of the levels)
7. Willow

Shmup/adventure/RPG/platformer hybrids: The Guardian Legend, Xexyz


TurboGrafx-16/PC Engine
--
1. Dungeon Explorer (Gauntlet style)


Genesis
--
1. LandStalker
2. Crusader of Centy
3. Legend of Oasis
4. Phantasy Star IV
5. Phantasy Star II
6. Light Crusader
7. Sword of Vermillion


TurboGrafx CD/PCE CD (all played in emulation)
--
1. Xak III: The Eternal Recurrence (Import, has fan translation)
2. Dungeon Explorer II
3. Ys IV (Import, has fan translation)
4. Ys I & II
5. Efera & Jiliora: The Emblem of Darkness (Import)
6. Exile
7. Exile II: Wicked Phenomenon

Shmup/RPG mix: Fray in Magical Adventure: Xak Gaiden (Import)


SNES
--
1. Illusion of Gaia
2. Chrono Trigger (only played in emulation)
3. Secret of Mana
4. Final Fantasy VI (only played in emulation)
5. Breath of Fire
6. Robotrek
7. Ys III: Wanderers from Ys
8. The Twisted Tales of Spike McFang

Drakkhen is a Japanese port of a European original. Not sure how you'd categorize that.

Emulation (Japanese titles with fan translations): there are so many translated SNES games they deserve their own list... not that I've played most of them, I haven't. I'll expand this category once I go back and look at what I have actually played some of.
1. Seiken Densetsu 3
2. Dark Law: Meaning of Death]
3. Treasure Hunter G


Sega CD
--
1. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue
2. Lunar: The Silver Star
3. Popful Mail

4. Dungeon Explorer (Sega CD)
5. Vay


PSX
--
1. Threads of Fate (platformer-RPG)
2. Star Ocean: The Second Story
3. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
4. Grandia

5. SaGa Frontier
6. The Granstream Saga
7. Brave Fencer Musashi
8. Final Fantasy IX (if I was ranking what little I've played of them FFVII and VIII would probably be even lower than this one)
9. Persona 2: Eternal Punishment
10. Koudelka
11. Jade Cocoon: Story of the Tamamayu

12. Alundra 2
13. King's Field

Have but haven't played yet: Legend of Dragoon


Saturn
--
1. Grandia (import) (I do own this one)
2. Magical School Lunar! (import, only played in emulation)
3. Magic Knight Rayearth (only played in emulation, I'd like to get it but the price is very high)


N64
--
1. Paper Mario

2. Hybrid Heaven


Dreamcast
--
1. Skies of Arcadia
2. Grandia 2
3. Phantasy Star Online
4. E.G.G.: Elemental Gimmick Gear
5. TimeStalkers
6. Evolution 2: Far Off Promise


PS2
--
1. Final Fantasy XII
2. Valkyrie Profile 2: Silmeria
3. Tales of the Abyss
4. Final Fantasy X-2
5. Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
6. Unlimited SaGa
7. Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
8. Ar tonelico: Melody of Elemia
9. Kingdom Hearts 2

10. Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
11. Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter
12. Dark Cloud
13. Dark Cloud 2

14. .hack//INFECTION
15. Radiata Stories

Have but haven't played yet: Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Summoner: Raidou Kuzunoha vs. the Soulless Army


Gamecube
--
1. Skies of Arcadia: Legends
2. Tales of Symphonia
3. Phantasy Star Online Episodes I & II Plus
4. Lost Kingdoms
5. Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution
6. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles

7. Baten Kaitos: Eternal Wings and the Lost Ocean


Wii
--
1. Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of the New World


Overall favorite JRPG: Skies of Arcadia/Skies of Arcadia Legends


Strategy-RPG (for a separate thread, and yes, they are roughly in order of how much I like them.)

Fire Emblem (GBA)
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (GBA)
Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Wii)
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (GC)
Knights in the Nightmare (DS)
Disgaea (PS2)
Dark Wizard (SCD)
Mystic Warriors (GG)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA)
Vandal Hearts (PS)
Final Fantasy Tactics (PS)
Kartia: The Blade of Fate (PS)
Yggdra Union (GBA)
Phantom Brave (PS2)
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (DS)

[Great Rumbler]

Oh, also, are you counting tactical games? Of course in my opinion tactical strategy games, aka 'strategy RPGs', aren't RPGs but are strategy games, but they often get listed with RPGs on the console side because the Japanese list their genres differently from how the West does. I'm not Japanese though, so things like Final Fantasy Tactics, Fire Emblem, Disgaea, etc., etc. aren't RPGs in my opinion. I don't think you have any in your list (unless Arc the Lad is? Not sure), so maybe you're keeping them separate too, or have you just never played any of those games?

I'll just put them here. This is the only thread I'm going to make for Japanese RPGs.

[A Black Falcon]

They aren't RPGs. :)

People wouldn't put Disciples and Wizardry in the same genre list, why would there be a different standard for Fire Emblem and Final Fantasy?

[Great Rumbler]

Because this is my thread and I make rules capriciously for no reason.

[A Black Falcon]

That doesn't make you right. :)

Also, making an overall list is really difficult. Comparing games on a single platform isn't hard, but across all of them is... that's why I don't have one, beyond my overall favorite.

[Great Rumbler]

Started playing some Chrono Cross this weekend since it's been a while since I last played it [and never did get around to finishing it then]. I really like it, it's got pretty much everything that made PS1 RPGs so good. I really love the music, one of the best OSTs from that generation I think.

[Dark Jaguar]

Chrono Cross was underrated at the time but these days it's really getting the attention it deserves.

I think part of the disappointment was that, coming from the SNES era, people expected a much bigger world, and coming from Chrono Trigger, I think people expected more than just two alternate realities. However I think it's clear it had to be scaled back what with all the work going into just making two alternate versions of just that small island chain with "modern" visuals. Considering what we had to look forward to, the total lack of a vast overworld of any sort for example, I think people are actually looking back fondly on it now.

That soundtrack really is amazing. Better enjoy that battle music, because you'll be hearing it the whole game.

That's one thing to say about the Mother/Earthbound series, they put so many different battle tunes in there, all over the place right down to specific kinds of random enemies.

Oh, speaking of game music... Koji Kondo and a bunch of other peeps are in the latest Nintendo interview thingy at Nintendo's web site. It's very interesting reading about how they went about writing music. Koji Kondo apparently made it a personal mission to make absolutely sure that every song he wrote never got old, to the point that he'd play every song he wrote for hours on end in a constant loop, and if he got tired of it, he knew something was wrong with it.

Sorry to go off topic, but you two have been locked up in this thread for days! I've been posting stuff and no one's responding!

[Great Rumbler]

Resonance of Fate

Got this in the mail today from Amazon and put a few hours into it already. So far, I really like what I'm seeing here. The world is interesting and unique, the combat a neat mix of real-time and turn-based with some cool twists and some depth, and the characters seem like they might be bearable for 30-40 hours. Of course, I was pretty high on Star Ocean 4 after the first 10-12 hours, but it quickly tailed off after that and I ended up hating it, so we'll so how tri-Ace's latest holds up over time.

I'll put it in the rankings somewhere after I play it some more.

[Great Rumbler]

Added Resonance of Fate to the ranking.

[Great Rumbler]

I've been playing some FFXIII, but the first impressions aren't so hot.

[Great Rumbler]

Updated the list with NIER.

[A Black Falcon]

I've read about Nier's story, and it sounds like just about the most depressing JRPG storyline ever, or one of them...

[Great Rumbler]

Updated with Xenoblade.