Favorite RPGs not called Final Fantasy

[Fudce]

It goes without saying that the Final Fantasy series is the most popular RPGs out there, but there are plenty of other RPGs that are good.
While I can't create a poll due to the high numbers, it wont stop me from asking the question:

What Five RPGs not from the Final Fantasy series would you rate as best? (include rankings if you really want to)

[ic14]

None of my favorite RPGs are called Final Fantasy.

So 5 eh? Only turn based, or do more action oriented ones count? I dont really "get" turn based ones much.

[Talyn]

I have a couple, sorry...

1) ShadowHearts
2) Kingdom Hearts

[Fudce]

None of my favorite RPGs are called Final Fantasy.

So 5 eh? Only turn based, or do more action oriented ones count? I dont really "get" turn based ones much.
whatever you want, I'm not gonna get nitpicky over details :D

[AbeChinchilla]

I have a couple, sorry...

1) ShadowHearts


OMG. Let's be friends.

[AbeChinchilla]

Haha. This will be easy, since Final Fantasy is very sucky.

1. Shadow Hearts II: Covenant
2. Shadow Hearts: From the New World
3. Shadow Hearts
4. .hack//G.U., Vol. 1 // Rebirth
5. Kingdom Hearts
6. Baten Kaitos
7. KOUDELKA
8. Rogue Galaxy
9. .hack//INFECTION, //MUTATION, //OUTBREAK, //QUARANTINE
10. Xenosaga: Episode I

[jejune]

Xenogears!

Suikoden series is pretty good too. If you count SRPG's then Front Mission is awesome.

[Johnny]

Dragon Quest VIII and Blue Dragon.

FF VII, VIII and X are the only entires in the series that interest me.

[AbeChinchilla]

FF VII, ... and X are the only entires in the series that interest me.

Right on, Johnny-boy!

[Kevinroc]

Super Mario RPG
Dragon Quest 8
Tales of Symphonia
Chrono Trigger
Valkyrie Profile 2

[Shale]

Easy.

Panzer Dragoon Saga. My favorite RPG ever. It's a shame I can't recommend the game more, just because even something I'd rate as the best console RPG of all time isn't worth the prices it goes for.

Xenogears. amazing scope, story, world and characters, brought down a bit by gameplay and translation issues, as well as responsibility for spawning the abomination that is Xenosaga.

Deus Ex. One of the first FPS/RPG hybrids, with an amazing array of options in storyline, character-building and gameplay. Fun story, too!

Planescape: Torment. The combat sucks, but everything else is #$!@ing divine. Story and characters, world, story, the sheer magnitude of dialogue options and ways to progress....man.

Shadow Hearts: Covenant. Best RPG on the PS2, FF or not. Interesting, inventive story that uses the WWI-Europe setting pretty well, excellent villain, awesome presentation, and Yuri's an all-time-great RPG protagonist.

[SpaceButler]

Heres my list:

1. ErathBound/Mother 1,2 and 3
2. Xenogears
3. Chrono Trigger/Cross
4. Secret of Mana
5. Dragon Quest series
6. Ys
7. Breath of Fire series
8. Lunar
9. SaGa series
10. Suikoden 1

Honorable mention:

*Lufia 1+2
*Star Ocean series
*Xenosaga
*Fire Emblem
*Pokemon

[ic14]

whatever you want, I'm not gonna get nitpicky over details :D
Well okay then :)

1> Zelda Ocarina of Time
2> Zelda Twilight Princess
3> Fable
4> Kingdom Hearts
5> Kingdom Hearts 2

Bubbiling under - Pokemon (any of the main series), Zelda A Link to the Past, Zelda Majora's Mask.

I guess you can say i prefer action RPGs, and love Zelda (the series) :sd:

[jojo_home]

1. Baldur's Gate 2 (along with Throne of BHaal)
2. Fallout 2
3. Fallout
4. Planescape Torment
5. Earthbound


So sue me, I'm a Black Isle fan.

[Sly05]

1) Baldur's Gate II
2) Skies of Arcadia
3) Fall Out 2
4) Morrowind
5) Phantasy Star IV

[ADC]

In order of how quickly I remember them:

• Dragon Warrior III NES – Very big game for its time, with good group customization, a surprisingly deep story, decent graphics. I want this one remade for the DS.
• Parasite Eve PS One – I remember people bitching because the game could be finished in five hours. They were five of the awesomest hours of gaming on any PS One game, so who cares?
• Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door GCN – Excellent look and mostly smooth gameplay, and the game was a total riot. Best non-FF in all of Generation 6.
• Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King PS2 – Almost the best non-FF of Generation 6, but that damn'd cleric kept dying all the time even though I spent many turns healing him. Yangus was supposed to be the cannon fodder!
• Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones GBA – Great battles, great hand-drawn graphics, an excellent story. I'd like to see the old FE games make it to the States, and for more of the non-ugly-3D games to be made for the DS.

Note that I do not consider the Zeldas part of the RPG genre, nor any Zelda-type game. Had I, Brave Fencer Musashi might have cracked the top five. Action-adventure with RPG elements is still action-adventure, not RPG.

[EmperorBrandon]

Seiken Densetsu 3
Chrono Trigger
Chrono Cross
Valkyrie Profile
Earthbound

And several others after that. FF is certainly not all I've played as far as RPG's go (though I have played more on the Square side of things).

[CrazyAsano]

1. Baldur's Gate 2 (along with Throne of BHaal)
2. Fallout 2
3. Fallout
4. Planescape Torment
5. Earthbound


So sue me, I'm a Black Isle fan.
1. Suikoden II
2. Planescape: Torment
3. Baldur's Gate 2
4. Fallout 2
5. Suikoden
Honorable mentions: Suikoden V, Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale 1 & 2.

Fallout doesn't work on my computer. :(

[SpaceButler]

5. Earthbound

Alright! Another Earthbound fan. *High five* :D

[Fudce]

I should really answer my own question, but I was holding off to let other people answer first. (not being one to hog the spotlight, etc)

1. Suikoden II - Before playing this, I was pretty much a Final Fantasy Drone, didn't look anywhere other than the series for good RPGs, dismissing other RPGs as pretenders. Then a friend let me play the first hour or so of Suikoden II. Needless to say, I am now a convert. I still like Final Fantasy games, but I'm not blinded by the name.

2. Suikoden - The second of three games from this series to be in my top five, Konami brought us a game with many plot twists, and so many characters that everyone has a favorite somewhere (Viki for me). The magic system was limitting, but adaptable. Another key factor was the bad guys, they were actually memorable - unlike so many mediocre RPGs.

3. Suikoden V - Three games, and three from the same series. It's no secret that I like the Suikoden series, but I am not blinded by it, in the way I was by Final Fantasy in the early days of my gaming life. Suikoden IV wouldn't even make my top 10, and Suikoden III would only just be into it. Suikoden V brought us back to the core of what we like about the series, and it showed in the quality. They were no longer interested in flaunting their stunning graphics, or following the latest fad for games, but instead they gave us a game where the setting and feel was familiar, but not too predictable. Favorite characters from the old Suikodens returned, and there were some instant fan-favorites amongst the new cast, including a heavily implied tactician, a melancholy bodyguard, and a cold lady in black.

4. Star Ocean: Till The End of Time - A game with a different setting. Not Science Fiction, but Science Fantasy. The game plays very much like a regular fantasy RPG, with swords, magic, and traditional items, but with a twist. The game combines a very good battle system with a lengthy storyline, likable characters (for the most part) and unexpected plot twists that change the very nature of the storyline. Overall a fantastic game.

5. Fire Emblem (7) - The first Fire Emblem to be released in America and Europe, and for me it was the best of the three we've got so far. When the game start, we are introduced to a good looking swordswoman, Lyn, who just happens to be taking care of you in her tent. She then gets tied up in a plot involving her true lineage, and ends up on a journey as the true heir to a kingdom. This could be the plot of many games, but for this one it's the Tutorial. The real story starts with Eliwood, and another deep dark plot involving dragons, fire, and emblems.

I'm getting tired of typing now :D

[Randall Flagg]

1> Zelda Ocarina of Time


Greatest game I've ever had the pleasure of playing. Loved that the Master Quest finally saw release in the US.

[pathos]

1. Shadowhearts - Covenant
2. Xenosaga 3
3. Baldur's Gate 2 + expansion
4. Daggerfall
5. Fallout 2
6. Shadowhearts
7. Baldur's Gate 1 + expansion
8. Planescape Torment
9. Arena

Wow, I could probably keep going on and on. But, I'll stop here

[Suwako Moriya]

I can't give you five specific RPGs because I'm quite indecisive. Plus to be honest part of me refuses to be that specific as a way to spite certain people. I can instead mention series other than Final Fantasy (which I obviously like) I'm a definite fan of.

Wild Arms: In the past I would be hesitant to mention this since I had really only completed 2nd Ignition. However having now completed 4th Detonator, Alter Code F, and Advanced 3rd along with the fact I'm actually looking forward to 5th Vanguard my view on this series has vastly improved.

Tales of: This is one of those series I turn to when I want a bit more action in my battles. I'm rather fond of how the characters develop. Even more so now that they've been leaving the skits in. Currently I've finished Destiny, Eternia, Symphonia, Legendia, and Abyss. In fact it was because we had gotten Eternia that I decided it was finally time to play Abyss.

Star Ocean: This is kind of hard to mention since I've really only played two of the games in the series. However both Second Story and End of Time were definitely on the fun side.

Seiken Densetsu: The Mana series in general has a certain charm to it. At the very least Secret of Mana is a classic. I was rather fond of the story of Legend of Mana. Children of Mana was quite fun once I got used to it. However I do have to admit Sword of Mana needed some fine tuning. I also need to actually play more of Seiken Densetsu 3.

SaGa: This has become over time my favorite series of them all. Yes it has its share of flaws. Ie the character development is terrible. However over all I enjoy playing the games in the series quite a bit and I'm rather fond of the growth system many of the games employ. Of course by SaGa I mean Legends, Romancing, Frontier, and Unlimited obviously. I still need to actually seriously complete Romancing SaGa 2, but that will have to wait.

[JCDenton]

1. Deus Ex- The first one blew my mind, the second is a huge dissapointment.
2. Fallout/Fallout 2- Classic RPG series.
3. Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magicks Obscura- A mix of the Industrial Revolution and Fantasy.
4. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines- Deep plot, great dialog, and the atmosphere is perfect.
5. Morrowind- Huge world, interesting backstory, and better than its succesor.

[CrazyAsano]

1. Deus Ex- The first one blew my mind, the second is a huge dissapointment.
2. Fallout/Fallout 2- Classic RPG series.
3. Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magicks Obscura- A mix of the Industrial Revolution and Fantasy.
4. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines- Deep plot, great dialog, and the atmosphere is perfect.
5. Morrowind- Huge world, interesting backstory, and better than its succesor.
Arcanum had such potential, but it was ruined by its combat, since the AI consisted of "every enemy sprint directly to main character and beat the shit out of him while his allies stand around ineffectually." The only way I (especially as a person who plays wimpy thief/diplomacy/technology characters) could play is to avoid combat altogether. I was pleasantly surprised at how much content there was in the game I could do without much fighting, but to advance in the main story was impossible because there was a lot of combat and my character would get beaten to death in seconds in any given fight. :(

[Kinomoto_Shinji]

Easy list, in no particular order.

Xenogears. Okay, I lied. Probably my favorite for plot, character development, and combat sytem. Plus the graphics were great for their time.

Disgaea 1/2 (Phantom Brave second to Disgaea). My second taste of "strategy" type RPG. I've gotten most endings. Really enjoyed the battle system plus awesome humor added to the plot.

Grandia. The classic will never die. The characters were all so rememberable, and the combat system was enjoyable. Gotta love the "coffee" translation. lol

Chrono Trigger. 'nuff said.

[Isuzu Inugami]

Top three, in no particular order:

Shadow Hearts: Covenant. Builds on the first one (which is also pretty good) beautifully, and has one of the most consistently enjoyable casts of playable characters in any RPG.

Suikoden (every single one of them except IV, and even that one's only horrible in comparison to the others!) Don't even ask me to try to pick one. Well, maybe II is the best, but we're quibbling with decimal points on the rating scale. A superabundance of playable characters and epic stories that don't (well, sometimes they do) come down to having to save the world yet again (yawn.)

Wild Arms 2. Well, I like the whole series, but this one has goth loli vampire girl, and "Hocus Pocus Fizzipocus", so it wins. They remade 1, so maybe there'll be a remake of 2 someday.

(Interestingly Suikoden and Wild Arms were the first two RPGs I bought for the Playstation; FFVII was the third.)

4.) Growlanser Generations. No, that's an SRPG, they don't count! :P

4.) Xenosaga III. Or maybe I. 3 brings things to an end, but 1 still has all the disturbing blood spatter.

5.) Star Ocean II. One word: Precis. No, two words: Precis and Celine. Wait, that's three words. Oh, never mind.

[CrazyAsano]

Top three, in no particular order:

Shadow Hearts: Covenant. Builds on the first one (which is also pretty good) beautifully, and has one of the most consistently enjoyable casts of playable characters in any RPG.

Suikoden (every single one of them except IV, and even that one's only horrible in comparison to the others!) Don't even ask me to try to pick one. Well, maybe II is the best, but we're quibbling with decimal points on the rating scale. A superabundance of playable characters and epic stories that don't (well, sometimes they do) come down to having to save the world yet again (yawn.)

Wild Arms 2. Well, I like the whole series, but this one has goth loli vampire girl, and "Hocus Pocus Fizzipocus", so it wins. They remade 1, so maybe there'll be a remake of 2 someday.

(Interestingly Suikoden and Wild Arms were the first two RPGs I bought for the Playstation; FFVII was the third.)

4.) Growlanser Generations. No, that's an SRPG, they don't count! :P

4.) Xenosaga III. Or maybe I. 3 brings things to an end, but 1 still has all the disturbing blood spatter.

5.) Star Ocean II. One word: Precis. No, two words: Precis and Celine. Wait, that's three words. Oh, never mind.
I'll see you on 5/26, Shima-babe. ;)

[ic14]

Note that I do not consider the Zeldas part of the RPG genre, nor any Zelda-type game. Had I, Brave Fencer Musashi might have cracked the top five. Action-adventure with RPG elements is still action-adventure, not RPG.
So its only an RPG if its a stats fest then?

Is Kingdom Hearts an RPG to you? Its more "Action-adventure with RPG elements" but it does have a load of stats, unlike Zelda.

How about Fable? That has a hell of a lot of stats, but again its more "Action-adventure with RPG elements".

Hmmm?

[Suwako Moriya]

Note that I do not consider the Zeldas part of the RPG genre, nor any Zelda-type gameSo its only an RPG if its a stats fest then?

And here I thought the whole "Is Zelda (and stuff along the same lines) an RPG?" fiasco was just limited to RPGs Everything Else at Gamefaqs. I guess the horror spreads even here. :sd: With people on both sides giving rather silly criteria on what is required of an RPG.

Hence forth my generic answer. If Zelda being considered an RPG pisses you off then yes it's an RPG. If Zelda not being counted as an RPG pisses you off then no it's not an RPG. That's right I prefer to smite both sides because I'm evil. :P

[Isuzu Inugami]

I'll see you on 5/26, Shima-babe. ;)

Wha? Huh? Dweh? Is there something I don't know that I should? :sd:

[Johnny]

And here I thought the whole "Is Zelda (and stuff along the same lines) an RPG?" fiasco was just limited to RPGs Everything Else at Gamefaqs. I guess the horror spreads even here. :sd: With people on both sides giving rather silly criteria on what is required of an RPG.


Ban request for the first, and any subsequent person(s) who brings up the "all games are RPGs because you're playing a role in all games" thing.

[Ty]

Fire Emblem and the Suikoden series are both great IMO. I also have fond memories of Lunar, Chrono Trigger, Lufia, and a couple of others but probably wouldn't have the patience to play them again today.

[jecca-neko]

I don't feel like ranking them so I won't.

Pokemon main series games
Xenogears
Star Wars Knights of the Old Republic
Super Mario RPG Legend of the Seven Stars
Phantasy Star IV

Top 5 honorable mentions:
Chrono Trigger
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue (yes, liked more than original)
Neverwinter Nights: Hordes of the Underdark
Shining Force 2

[CrazyAsano]

I'll see you on 5/26, Shima-babe. ;)

Wha? Huh? Dweh? Is there something I don't know that I should? :sd:
The answers you seek lie in Karen's forum gallery thread. You'd better wear sandals, though. And no running.

[ADC]

So its only an RPG if its a stats fest then?

Is Kingdom Hearts an RPG to you? Its more "Action-adventure with RPG elements" but it does have a load of stats, unlike Zelda.

How about Fable? That has a hell of a lot of stats, but again its more "Action-adventure with RPG elements".

Hmmm?
Answer #1: Stats don't make an RPG, the battle system does. Stats are part of every game to a degree, even if it's just Mario having 2 HP in Super Mario Bros when he has a Super Mushroom or Fire Flower. I would most definitely not call SMB an RPG. I draw the line at menu-based versus action. Parasite Eve, which I mentioned, has a menu-based battle system, even if it allows you to run around; Parasite Eve II is a piece of shit Resident Evil rip-off n action adventure game. Similarly, Final Fantasy XII is still menu-based, just with the menu automated and hidden most of the time.

Answer #2: Haven't played it yet, but if it's action-adventure, it's action-adventure.

Answer #3: Haven't played it and probably won't, but if it's action-adventure, it's action-adventure.

… Stats. I scoff at your stats. If that was the only discriminator for RPG versus not, Madden would be an RPG.
:P

[jecca-neko]

You know, technically any game can be an RPG if you think about it. You are being someone else most of the time. Like when you play Super Mario Bros you're being a fat plumber named Mario. :P

[Fudce]

The line between "Action Adventure" and "Action RPG" has blurred so much recently, with different companies giving their games RPG Elements (I hate that phrase btw) that you can't tell any more, so even though in my opinion Zelda isn't an RPG (KH is though), Any game that you consider to be an RPG is allowed. It's your lists, not ours.

[shynra]

hmm well...

Grandia (one)
Panza dragoon saga
Fire embulum (seven)
Shining force 3
Ogre Battle: Person of lordly calibur

[StudioZEL]

Well here are my favs

LUNAR (series): This, not Final Fantasy, was the reason I even got into RPGs in the first place. 1995 was a great year for me, as I discovered the greatest games I could have possibly found for my Sega CD, LUNAR: The Silver Star and LUNAR: Eternal Blue. These games (quite literally) changed my life forever. They got me back into gaming in a major way (I was leaning casual at the time), they got me into anime (I loved the artwork), and it was directly because of these games that I decided to pursue a career in art (for better or for worse :P ) Without a doubt, LUNAR is my favorite RPG series of all time.

GRANDIA I and II: More RPG greatnest from GameArts (the LUNAR guys). Even though GRANDIA III disappointed me greatly, the whole series still has (in my opinion) the greatest turn-based combat system ever! ^^ The first two GRANDIAs are still two of my fav RPGs ever.

Dragon Quest VIII: Quite possibly the closest thing to perfection in a traditional JRPG, Level 5 not only made one of the most amazing PS2 games ever, but one of the most amazing games ever for any system. A wonderfully simple story with solid game mechanics truly worthy of the rank of "Masterpiece".

Tales of Symphonia: When this little beaut came out on the Cube, I was really drawn to it's nice (though cliched) story, lovely artwork, and engaging battle system. Oddly though, I've not been able to get into the other Tales games... haven't figured this one out yet.

Sakura Taisen (series): I'm not sure if this completely fits the "RPG" label you're looking for, but you can affect the characters stats outside of battle by how you treat them and it does feature turn-based combat, so I'm counting it. ^^ This is one of my favorites. The Sakura Taisen series is so unique and awesome that it's an absolute crime these never came stateside (though Working Designs tried to bring 'em a couple times before eventually closing).

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past: If Dragon Quest VIII is the closest thing to perfection in a turn-based RPG, this earns that title for an Action RPG. This is one of the few games I've ever played where, I honestly can't think of any way they could have made the game better. Most games (including my favs like LUNAR and GRANDIA) I can think of at least a couple things I would have done differently that might have made it a slightly better game. This one though, I can't think of a single thing I'd change. At all. And that's sayin' something after 20+ years of gaming.

[Lovely]

I feel guilty voting for specific games with some series, so I'm going to list some series in this list.


Shadow Hearts series: Favorite=2, but I love 3 and 1 too. Dark, funny, dramatic, epic, heartbreaking, romantic. This series really has it all. Not to mention an almost modern day setting which is rather rare for rpg's.



Suikoden series: (except 4- which I hated)-
My favorite in the series is Suikoden 3, simply because I loved the story and the characters so much. But I love 1,2, and 5 a lot too. The series has a good overall story and each game (except 4) has good individual game stories. Also, there's a lot of focus on a good deal on characters. Which is almost crazy considering the large cast these games have.

Wild Arms series: (except 3 :p.) Likable characters and a fun dungeon/tool/puzzle system. Not to mention an interesting Wild West or "almost" Wild West setting. Then 4 came along and gave us an AMAZING battle system. I love this series~


.hack series:
Just a great story and large cast of interesting character that stretches into this grand mystery that you follow through manga, anime, games and books.
Sure, it's over-dramatic at times, but I eat it up like a crazy person :) .
Love, love, LOVE this series.

"Tales of" series:
Pretty much every game has had a likeable cast, and a fun environment. I don't know, something about this series I've always found charming. It soothes the soul :) .


Individual games:

Kingdom Hearts 2- Now don't get me wrong, I liked Kingdom Hearts 1 too, but KH2 just surprised the heck out of me with its story. I came into the game expecting a lighthearted romp, and I was pleasantly surprised to find a bittersweet and somewhat tragic tale.

Xenogears- Again, don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the Xenosaga series too, but.... Gears is special to me. For many, many, MANY years this game was my "all-time favorite." The story, the battle system, the characters, the setting. It was some amazing stuff.

[Shibi]

1. Panzer Dragoon Saga- worth buying a saturn for.
2. Chrono Trigger- the best non-FF 16 bit RPG
3. Earthbound- one of the most untraditional RPG settings, great dialogue
4. Mysteria/Blazing Heroes the translation is terrible, but the gameplay is fun as hell. I still hate carrying water around, I blame this game.
5.Disgaea: Hour of Darkness Great characters and parody aspect, loaded with tons of customization.

Honorable Mention
Dragon Force This game defies easy classification, so I'm going to include it anyway. A blast to play, ranks among the most fun games I've ever played.
Lunar: The Silver Star Story while the story was rather formulaic and mundane, the characters were fun.
Xenogears perhaps the most "epic" game story ever, great combat system, would be top 5 if the game were remade with the game finished.
Star Ocean: The Second Story and Star Ocean: Till the End of Time somewhat bland stories and characters, but battles are a blast.
Front Mission 3 sure its linear strat/rpg but its good fun.
Dragon Quest VIII I've been a big fan of DQ for a long time, but DQ VIII took it to a new level. The World Map in DQ VIII deserves an award for actually feeling like a real world. A case could also be made for Dragon Quest III for being so far ahead of its time. Other than Xenogears, this is the one Square-Enix game I'd love to see remade.

[StudioZEL]

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue (yes, liked more than original)

I whole-heartedly agree with you. LUNAR: Eternal Blue is my fav. ^^

[Isuzu Inugami]

I'll see you on 5/26, Shima-babe. ;)

Wha? Huh? Dweh? Is there something I don't know that I should? :sd:
The answers you seek lie in Karen's forum gallery thread. You'd better wear sandals, though. And no running.


....

HOLY CRAP!! What have I been up to? O.O :sd: :blush:

[LimePie]

1. Tales of Symphonia
2. Chrono Trigger
3. Xenogears
4. Tales of the Abyss
5. Dragon Quest VIII

[hub]

Too simple! I actually think that the majority of my fav. RPGs aren't from any of the FF games (sans FFTactics of course).

1. Suikoden 2 (PS1) - Ah, so many fond memories of this one. My fav. RPG from the 32-bit era, as well as all time.
2. Chrono Trigger (SNES) - This game is what made me a fan of RPGs ('nough said!).
3. Mario RPG (SNES) - This game is what got me interested in RPGs. I'm still proud of the fact that my friend and I found all the frog coins (though all you get is a lame thank you message...), as well as the fact that I once did 9999 damage w/ Geno. :D
4. Suikoden 5 (PS2) - The game that renewed my faith in a series sinking deeper into mediocrity. It brought back enough of what made S2 so memorable while adding some things of its own. I actually placed this second to S2 just b/c S2 wins out for nostalgia's sake. :P
5. Dragon Quest 8 (PS2) - My first entry into the DQ series, but man was it sweet. The game is bruttle at times (must've took me 4-5 tries just to clear the first dungeon!), but boy is it fun. I think this is one of the most immersive RPGs that I've ever played.

However there are a lot of other great RPGs as well that I haven't mentioned (Breath of Fire 2, Star Ocean 2, Shadow Hearts 2, etc.), but they would easily make my top 10.

[hub]

Heres my list:

1. ErathBound/Mother 1,2 and 3
2. Xenogears
3. Chrono Trigger/Cross
4. Secret of Mana
5. Dragon Quest series
6. Ys
7. Breath of Fire series
8. Lunar
9. SaGa series
10. Suikoden 1

Honorable mention:

*Lufia 1+2
*Star Ocean series
*Xenosaga
*Fire Emblem
*Pokemon


Man, I've heard so many good things about the Lunar series yet I've never had the chance to try one out (passed on it back during its re-release on the PS1). :(

[martod]

Tales of Eternia--Possibly my favorite RPG of all time. I loved the characters and the subtle romance, I loved the wide variety of gameplay, I loved the worlds, and I loved the wide variety of sidequests to do.

Grandia--For having the best romance I've ever seen in a game.

Shadow Hearts:Covenant--The rare direct sequel that blows the original out of the water. Nice amount of sidequests and exploration, unique setting(how often do you see a game that takes place during World War I?), and a great sense of humor. I can safely say it is the greatest game of all time containing a vampire superhero wrestler.

Suikoden 2--A lot of fun collecting all the characters, and it gives you a great sense of accomplishment to watch the Headquarters grow from a dilapidated village to one of the largest and most beautiful cities in the game. Kudos for having a huge amount of towns around the world--you don't get the feeling you're saving 5 tiny villages and a huge amount of caves and ruins.

Legaia 2: Dual Saga--The single most underrated game of all time. A great combination of the original Legend of Legaia and the Tales of series(with the use of cooking, titles, camp conversations and an utterly adorable heroine), with lots of collectibles and sidequests thrown in.

[Mateo_home]

How did I miss this topic? I also don't like FF so it's simple. Anyway:

FIRE EMBLEM-HANDS DOWN! I really don't know which one to call my favorite, but I'm going to say a tie between 9 or 10 because Ike and Micaiah were the best leads. Sure the 3D graphics were icky, but I liked it for the characters and uh...story. I have to stop playing this stupid Pokemon game and find time to play through 3 and 4. :)

Paper Mario-Again, between N64 and TTYD, I'm going to go with TTYD. Better graphics, characters, and bosses. Except for the train one. Oh great, now I have to find time to finish Super Paper Mario.

Zelda francise-this one explains itself.

Suikoden V-Great story and characters. One of the deepest RPGs I've played.

Ar Tonelico-Beautiful music, characters, and story, until Phase III when Shurelia joins your party.

[CrazyAsano]

I'll see you on 5/26, Shima-babe. ;)

Wha? Huh? Dweh? Is there something I don't know that I should? :sd:
The answers you seek lie in Karen's forum gallery thread. You'd better wear sandals, though. And no running.


....

HOLY CRAP!! What have I been up to? O.O :sd: :blush:
Apparently stuff so crazy you never remember it afterwards.

[JCDenton]

1. Deus Ex- The first one blew my mind, the second is a huge dissapointment.
2. Fallout/Fallout 2- Classic RPG series.
3. Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magicks Obscura- A mix of the Industrial Revolution and Fantasy.
4. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines- Deep plot, great dialog, and the atmosphere is perfect.
5. Morrowind- Huge world, interesting backstory, and better than its succesor.
Arcanum had such potential, but it was ruined by its combat, since the AI consisted of "every enemy sprint directly to main character and beat the shit out of him while his allies stand around ineffectually." The only way I (especially as a person who plays wimpy thief/diplomacy/technology characters) could play is to avoid combat altogether. I was pleasantly surprised at how much content there was in the game I could do without much fighting, but to advance in the main story was impossible because there was a lot of combat and my character would get beaten to death in seconds in any given fight. :(

The combat in Arcanum was rough, even for a character focused on fighting. I still loathe the mountains where you have to find some dwarf. There were ungodly powerful wolves and traps everywhere. I found that a mage with harm worked the best.

[Noodle]

Tch, only 5 huh? This is tough. Since the prevailing opinion is that Zelda doesn't count, (damn there goes the top of my list...) here's mine, in no particular order (maybe):

Kingdom Hearts
Tales of Symphonia
Skies of Arcadia
Legend of Dragoon
Wild Arms (not sure which one... I don't know if I can pick)

Honorable mentions go to Ocarina of Time Chrono Trigger & Chrono Cross.

My list sometimes makes people go "huh?" (sometimes me, too) but I go by which games had more enjoyment over annoyance, music I liked, characters I had fun with, etc. Story is important but it's not always most important, especially since most RPGs are somewhat cliched anyway. And I think everyone but me totally dismisses Dragoon, but I really liked it? I loved it's look and the battle system at least made me pay attention.

Uh, I DO need to get XenoGears and XenoSaga out of my backlog, though. ShadowHearts, too. :sd:

[Fudce]

Tch, only 5 huh? This is tough. Since the prevailing opinion is that Zelda doesn't count, (damn there goes the top of my list...)

If you think it counts, it counts. It's your list, you make the rules!

[CrazyAsano]

1. Deus Ex- The first one blew my mind, the second is a huge dissapointment.
2. Fallout/Fallout 2- Classic RPG series.
3. Arcanum: of Steamworks and Magicks Obscura- A mix of the Industrial Revolution and Fantasy.
4. Vampire the Masquerade: Bloodlines- Deep plot, great dialog, and the atmosphere is perfect.
5. Morrowind- Huge world, interesting backstory, and better than its succesor.
Arcanum had such potential, but it was ruined by its combat, since the AI consisted of "every enemy sprint directly to main character and beat the shit out of him while his allies stand around ineffectually." The only way I (especially as a person who plays wimpy thief/diplomacy/technology characters) could play is to avoid combat altogether. I was pleasantly surprised at how much content there was in the game I could do without much fighting, but to advance in the main story was impossible because there was a lot of combat and my character would get beaten to death in seconds in any given fight. :(

The combat in Arcanum was rough, even for a character focused on fighting. I still loathe the mountains where you have to find some dwarf. There were ungodly powerful wolves and traps everywhere. I found that a mage with harm worked the best.

I found that too, but things still tend to beat the shit out of you. I think the most viable party in Arcanum would be a main character completely focused on armor and not dying and a party full of mages spamming harm. Then it might be possible to actually progress through the game. Too bad you can't really make such a party. :sd:

[Nosredna]

Chrono Trigger/Cross: I liked Trigger more than Cross, but I still thought Cross was a good game. I probably rate CC higher than most people around here.

Lunar 1,2,3: Yes I'm including 3, even though it wasn't any where near the level of the first two.

Tales of Symphonia: It's the only Tales game I've beaten, but hopefully Phantasia joins that list. I really liked ToS and played through it a lot a few summers ago.

.hack//: The original four games, I haven't played any of the new games, I think I'll wait until they are cheaper. Sure all four games were the same thing and way too expensive for all that, but I enjoyed the story and had fun playing through it.

[EmperorBrandon]

I'm of the mind that Chrono Trigger and Chrono Cross were both excellent games. Cross was pretty different from Trigger, but I liked it a lot for what it is and have played through Cross numerous times as with Trigger.

[AbeChinchilla]

.hack//: The original four games, I haven't played any of the new games, I think I'll wait until they are cheaper. Sure all four games were the same thing and way too expensive for all that, but I enjoyed the story and had fun playing through it.

You can get .hack//G.U., Vol. 1 // Rebirth for $29.99 now at most places. Trust me, the game's worth even the MSRP of $39.99. It's one of three, the gameplay time is much longer and there's so much to do. I cleared the game at 40 hours, and now I have 78 hours clocked doing all the sidequests and doing various quests and treasure-hunting for my guild shop.

[Collectonian]

My five would probably be

Lunar series (PS) - awesome story and characters even if the non-animated sequences are considered "dated;" also both games had amazing release packages
Legend of Dragoon (PS) - frequently trashed on but I absolutely loved this game; the game play, the story, the music, and all
Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars - totally fun and an unexpected edition to the Mario group at the time; wish I could still play it
Shadow Hearts series - another one with a just plain awesome story in both 1 & 2, and heck, Yuri freaking rocks; haven't finished two, but so far the game play is still good and the story has managed to throw in several of those lovely tragic twists the first two made so good
Parasite Eve series - sure it was short, but talk about memorable! Interesting story and my first entry into the "horror" type story

honorable mention: Galarians - also short, but heck...who can't love a game where you have to keep shooting up the character to keep him sane?

And I think everyone but me totally dismisses Dragoon, but I really liked it? I loved it's look and the battle system at least made me pay attention.

OMG, and here I was thinking I was the only one who remembered and loved Dragoon! :D :D

[Zorak]

Lunar 1 & 2: The games that really got me into RPG's.

.hack//Series: The story in this series really drew me in.

[NickFalzarano]

First off, I don't believe that the Fire Emblem series is an RPG series. Its strategy. Otherwise, it'd be at the top of my list.

So, the list:

1)Phantasy Star IV
2)Super Mario RPG: Legend of the 7 Stars
3)Grandia 2
4) Phantasy Star II
5)Phantasy Star

After Fire Emblem, Phantasy Star (the original series) is probably my top series of games. I wish they'd've continued it.

[Nork22]

Top 5 that's not Final Fantasy huh? Here's my list:

1. Tales of the Abyss
2. Xenosaga Episode 1
3. Shadow Hearts II: Covenant
4. Grandia
5. Chrono Trigger

Other mentionables:

Chrono Cross, Star Ocean 3, Lunar 2, Suikoden 3, Rhapsody/Puppet Princess, Star Wars KOTOR, Wild ARMS 1.

[itsuka]

Mixing platforms here, and I don't look for the same criteria on a PC or a PS2, but:

1. Oblivion.

2. Dark Cloud 2 (Dark Chronicle).

3. Morrowind.

4. Baldur's Gate. I like all installments, but especially co-op play on the PS2 with Dark Alliance II and I are my favourite.

5. Dungeon Siege II

[The_Mahou]

1. Wild Arms (all of them)
2. Lunar (both Silver and Blue)
3. Suikoden (II and V being the top favorites)
4. Shadow Hearts (I and II being the best, but FTNW was fun, too)
5. .hack (all of them, including G.U.)

[ic14]

Tch, only 5 huh? This is tough. Since the prevailing opinion is that Zelda doesn't count, (damn there goes the top of my list...)
It counts damnit!

Screw the "prevailing" opinion, go with your own! If you think Zelda counts as an RPG, go for it!

[Nosredna]

.hack//: The original four games, I haven't played any of the new games, I think I'll wait until they are cheaper. Sure all four games were the same thing and way too expensive for all that, but I enjoyed the story and had fun playing through it.

You can get .hack//G.U., Vol. 1 // Rebirth for $29.99 now at most places. Trust me, the game's worth even the MSRP of $39.99. It's one of three, the gameplay time is much longer and there's so much to do. I cleared the game at 40 hours, and now I have 78 hours clocked doing all the sidequests and doing various quests and treasure-hunting for my guild shop.

Wow it's only $29.99 now? That's definitely something I'm going to look into picking up in the near future. Thanks!

[SilverLuz]

In no particular order...

Disgaea (I love grid-based tactical RPGs)
Shining Force series (I've always loved grid-based tactical RPGs)
Knights of the Old Republic
Dragon Quest VIII (I still haven't finished it, but it is a great game)

That's all that's coming to mind for me right now.

[Noodle]

Tch, only 5 huh? This is tough. Since the prevailing opinion is that Zelda doesn't count, (damn there goes the top of my list...)
It counts damnit!

Screw the "prevailing" opinion, go with your own! If you think Zelda counts as an RPG, go for it!

:D *laugh* No, actually, I don't think it counts. It was sort of a joke (only to me, I know), because if I'd counted Zelda, that would have BEEN my list. Well, maybe Zelda + Kingdom Hearts. :sd: :neko:

ps: Collectonian: YAY! I'm not alone! :D

[Raye]

Off the top of my head...

- Dragon Force (Sega Saturn)
- Chrono Trigger (SNES)
- Suikoden (PS1)
- Suikoden V (PS2)
- Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time (N64)
- Shenmue (Dreamcast)
- Secret of Mana (SNES)
- Super Mario RPG (SNES)
- Grandia II (Dreamcast)

[Dagger]

Not in any particular order

- Xenosaga I, II, II (I can count them all as one... right??)
- Xenogears (if it keeps being good)
- Chrono Trigger
- Kingdom Hearts I, II
- Vagrant Story

[pete5883]

Xenogears (which needs a remake bad) / the Xenosagas
Chrono Trigger/Cross
Digital Devil Saga: Avatar Tuners 1 & 2
Suikoden III (but oddly enough, not the rest of the series)
Tales of Symphonia
Dark Chronicle aka Dark Cloud 2

Kingdom Hearts used to be on this list, but 2 dissolved a lot of my love for the series. IMO Zelda is in no way an RPG, it's pretty much textbook Action Adventure.

[dejr8bud]

Xenogears
Suikoden 1 & 2. The new ones are god awful.
Secret of Mana
Wild Arms(the first one)
Chrono Trigger

[ape2020]

Off the top of my head...
- Dragon Force (Sega Saturn)


Definately agree here on this one. One of the few games I stayed up long into the night (and early morning) to play. Missed a day of school I think. :D :D :D

God I wish it would come to XBLA or remade with current gen.

-ape2020

1) Baten Kaitos
2) Secret of mana
3) Lunar
4) Chrono Cross
5) Earthbond

[joelgundam01]

My top five:

1.) The Legend of Dragoon (PS1)
2.) Xenosaga Episode 1 (PS2)
3.) Dragon Quest VIII (PS2)
4.) Chrono Cross (PS1)
5.) Kingdom Hearts (PS2)

[TiGrBaLm]

Valkyrie Profile
Vagrant Story
Granstream Saga
Grandia

Been a really long time since I played a video game let alone an RPG...


As an aside, anyone get into the whole genre by playing those RPGesque games from Sierra, like Kings Quest and Space Quest?

[Shale]

Off the top of my head...
- Dragon Force (Sega Saturn)


Definately agree here on this one. One of the few games I stayed up long into the night (and early morning) to play. Missed a day of school I think. :D :D :D

God I wish it would come to XBLA or remade with current gen.

-ape2020


There was a PS2 version. Don't know if it's a remake or a port, and it's Japan-only in any case. Damn shame, it's an awesome game.

[CrazyAsano]

Valkyrie Profile
Vagrant Story
Granstream Saga
Grandia

Been a really long time since I played a video game let alone an RPG...


As an aside, anyone get into the whole genre by playing those RPGesque games from Sierra, like Kings Quest and Space Quest?
Yeah, and especially the RPG/Adventure Quest for Glory, which was AWESOME. My second favorite was Space Quest, never really got into King's Quest.

[GetterBeam]

Hmm...my list would be mostly a smattering of obscures/unsung. Meh, what the hell eh? :)

-Shadowrun SEGA Genesis
-Diablo II LoD PC
-Record of Lodoss War DC(SNES one looked good too~
-Chronicles of the Radia War NES
-Wizardry 8
-Live-a-Live SNES
-Buraiden SEGA GENESIS (think Shining Force soaked in rich ninja/feudal badassery)
-Dark Wizard SEGA CD
-Aidyn Chronicles: The First Mage N64
-Hybrid Heaven N64
-Dicin' Knight NeoGeo PocketColor (find this fan trans/rom/emu people. Especially Zelda fans that find themselves wondering how Link would fare in a Roguelike)
-Skies of Arcadia Legends GCN
-Gladius GCN (I WILL find a copy of this on sale one day for cheap)
-Bahamut Lagoon SNES (Feed your dragon Porno FOR GREAT JUSTICE)

I'm sure there's a ton I'm forgetting...NeoGAF had an EPIC thread on RPG's awhile back that went for many pages filled with pics, info, and some vids.

[reddrake]

1. Suikoden II
2. Xenogears
3. Skies of Arcadia
4. Final Fantasy Tactics (Does this REALLY count as FF?)
5. Ultima IV
6. Wasteland
7. Ultima VII
8. Xenosaga I
9. Chrono Trigger
10. Sukoden III

Final Fantasy Games In order: IV,VI,IX,VII,XII,X

[Suwako Moriya]

4. Final Fantasy Tactics (Does this REALLY count as FF?)

This is like asking if "Super Mario Land" should count as a Mario game... Its name is Final Fantasy Tactics. It clearly uses elements from the Final Fantasy series. It may not be part of the main series, but it's still a Final Fantasy game. Besides Ajora considers it an FF and we all know everything is guided by the will of Saint Ajora. I do mean everything.

[reddrake]

4. Final Fantasy Tactics (Does this REALLY count as FF?)

This is like asking if "Super Mario Land" should count as a Mario game... Its name is Final Fantasy Tactics. It clearly uses elements from the Final Fantasy series. It may not be part of the main series, but it's still a Final Fantasy game. Besides Ajora considers it an FF and we all know everything is guided by the will of Saint Ajora. I do mean everything.

Ah well.. I guess next on my list would be Jade Empires.

[SnowfairyX]

01.) Pokemon (All games)
02.) Dark Cloud 2
03.) Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain
04.) Harvest Moon: Back to Nature
05.) Grandia

[Dream]

SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI NOCTURNE (http://www.atlus.com/smt/main.html) owns all.

i cannot believe this hasn't been mentioned yet.

[pathos]

SHIN MEGAMI TENSEI NOCTURNE (http://www.atlus.com/smt/main.html) owns all.

i cannot believe this hasn't been mentioned yet.


I would have...but I only started playing 2 days ago. Love the game so far, but I've been so busy recruiting and fusing demons to advance the plot very far.

Also, I should have mentioned Suikoden 4 and 5 too. I do like 5 better than 4 though. The lead of the game actually had a small bit of personality in 5, where he was just taking up space in 4. But, I like 4 anyway, because its hard to not a game with Mitsuba in it. To bad she wasnt a returning character, like a couple others in the games.

[seca]

I'll probably just fill my slots with all the Suikoden games as it's really the only RPG series that I have gone through and replayed all the games of. The first Kingdom Hearts gets an honorable mention but my love for it doesn't hold a candle to my love for the Suikoden series.

[MKVarana]

Though I'm a big RPG fan, I've never really been that big of a Final Fantasy fan (I usually end up getting bored, to be honest), so my favorites never had Final Fantasy to begin with. Anyhow, my top 2 RPGs are Breath of Fire 2 and Chrono Trigger, in that order, and though not quite up to their level, I'm also a big fan of the .hack series.

[Isuzu Inugami]

But, I like 4 anyway, because its hard to not like a game with Mitsuba in it. To bad she wasnt a returning character, like a couple others in the games.

She shows up in Suikoden Tactics (although fairly late & as an optional character, IIRC) if you need more Mitsuba-love.

[pathos]

She shows up in Suikoden Tactics (although fairly late & as an optional character, IIRC) if you need more Mitsuba-love.


I've thought about picking that up, but havent yet. I havent even read exactly what it was. From the name, I assumed it focused more on the strategy side than the rpg side. Is that correct?

Although I don't mind the strategy part of the Suikoden series, to me its the weakest part of the games (not a big strategy buff, myself). Thats probably why I've been a bit leary of picking it up.

Hrm, thats also probably why I tend to like the battles from 4, better than 5. A couple of the tactical battles in 5 gave me fits. On the other hand, the naval battles of 4 were fairly easy

[Isuzu Inugami]

She shows up in Suikoden Tactics (although fairly late & as an optional character, IIRC) if you need more Mitsuba-love.


I've thought about picking that up, but havent yet. I havent even read exactly what it was. From the name, I assumed it focused more on the strategy side than the rpg side. Is that correct?

It's completely a strategy RPG, but it's intended to be that from the ground up (as opposed to the regular Suikoden series, which threw in strategy elements so that the epic army battles could have some kind of gameplay.) So the gameplay is actually pretty good. It's a turn based game in the style of Disgaia or FF Tactics. It keeps Suikoden elements like skill training and weapon sharpening... oh, and non-story characters can get permanently killed in battles, just like in Suikoden; only in Tactics it actually happens. A lot. (I'm sorry Rachel! Please don't haunt me!) So that can be frustrating/challenging depending on your outlook. It takes place a few years after IV, and explains where the rune cannons come from. I'm not a huge SRPG fan, but I liked it quite a bit. Things did get pretty hairy in some of the battles, though--it's not an easy SRPG.

[lordmagius]

My five:

1. Star Ocean 2, 3
2. Lunar 1, 2
3. Baldur's Gate
4. Thousand Arms
5. Wizardry, original trilogy

Other mentions:
Ultima, Gold box series, kingdom under fire (not sure if it counts but its a lot of fun), grandia 1, 2



Lord Magius

[Chloe]

Going to have to bookmark this thread, apparently. :sd: This is going to be great reference materiel guys & girls, thanx!

Uh, for me, I guess I would say... Zelda: Windwaker? (It's my list; it counts :P ) Ocarina of Time too, though that one gets second place to Windwaker because I was never able to finish it....yet. Also:

Fallout/Fallout 2- 2 expanded on 1 in lots of very good ways. One was just a really amazing experience, especially the first time through. I remember the time limit was very harsh. I walked into this town after having putzed around with other things...and every soul in town was dead. Butchered. Total WTF!? moment there. But it so fit the entire setting. Both of these were immaculate at bringing the setting to life.

Baldur's Gate - Another black Isle fan here I guess. Not as good as Fallout, but very well done.

Now I am really just getting back into console gaming, and I am pretty sure the pile of RPG/ action-adventure types are driving my interest, so in a year or two this list will probably be very different. ;)

[Noodle]

Ocarina of Time too, though that one gets second place to Windwaker because I was never able to finish it....yet. Also:

Nooooooooo! You must finish Ocarina!!! Ocarina is love.

Maybe I just love that game way too much? >_>

[MegsLeigh]

In no particular order...

1. Legend of Zelda franchise: I love all of the games here, even though I've yet to finish Ocarina of Time, Windwaker or Twilight Princess. I've loved Zelda from the time I was six years old and played the original on the NES. I'm now reliving my childhood via Virtual Console. :neko:

2. Lunar: Silver Star Story: I LOVED this game. The PSOne version of this will always hold a special place in my heart.

3. Ultima IV: Quest for the Avatar: The first RP other than Zelda I played and won. I still love this game as well and would love to see it come to VC.

4. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door: I'm enjoying Super Paper Mario, but I like this one better for now.

5. Sailormoon: Another Story: I played this via virtual ROM and thought that it really kept with the spirit of the original manga rather than the anime, which is an extra bonus. It was an enjoyable story to play and the entire cast is involved. I loved working with the Outer Senshi.

[Randall Flagg]

Ocarina of Time too, though that one gets second place to Windwaker because I was never able to finish it....yet. Also:

Nooooooooo! You must finish Ocarina!!! Ocarina is love.

Maybe I just love that game way too much? >_>

There is no such thing as loving that game too much.

[ADC]

4. Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door: I'm enjoying Super Paper Mario, but I like this one better for now.
I'd agree with that. Glad as I am to see Nintelligent try something new, I do hope for more of the traditional Paper Mario goodness.

[EmperorBrandon]

5. Sailormoon: Another Story: I played this via virtual ROM and thought that it really kept with the spirit of the original manga rather than the anime, which is an extra bonus. It was an enjoyable story to play and the entire cast is involved. I loved working with the Outer Senshi.

The game is pretty straightforward as far as RPG's go, but I definitely love that game and played through it several times. It's fun playing an RPG with the Sailor Senshi. Sailor Saturn is quite overpowered (extremely high defense, and a low-cost but deadly attack), but that's how it should be I guess. :D

As far as manga and anime goes, it combines elements from both. It has some anime-only stuff in it, too, like Yuichiro and Urawa for instance.

[dunno001]

Ocarina of Time too, though that one gets second place to Windwaker because I was never able to finish it....yet. Also:

Nooooooooo! You must finish Ocarina!!! Ocarina is love.

Maybe I just love that game way too much? >_>

Possibly? It's prolly the old-timer in me, but I didn't care for that game. Part of the fun I had in Zelda was finding the stuff, and always wondering what I was missing. Ocarina left that feeling empty, as all I was missing by the end was 6 skulltulla. Doing that without a book or rumble pack was sorely disappointing. I still think that LttP was the best Zelda, and that I never would have found every piece of heart without a book.

Anyway, topic at hand. My favorite series, hands down, is Dragon Quest. (And yes, I put it above FF.) It did have its poor game (7... hmm... I see a pattern here...), but overall, I just love it much more.

After that, hmm... there's a lot, so these won't be in any order-
-Parasite Eve 1 (not 2)
-Breath of Fire 1-2 (not 3+)
-Secret of Mana/Evermore (despite a critical glitch in Evermore...)
-Robotrek
-SNES Shadowrun (never played the Genesis version)
-Tales series
-Skies of Arcadia
-Chrono Trigger (not Cross)
-Grandia series
-Lunar series
-Lufia series
-Alundra
-Arc the Lad PSX release
-Saiyuki
-Suikoden series
-Wild Arms 1-2 (3+ just weren't that good...)
-Fire Emblem series (This slowly took my soul, and just makes Tactics pale even more in comparison.)

[Noodle]

Maybe I just love that game way too much? >_>

Possibly? It's prolly the old-timer in me, but I didn't care for that game. Part of the fun I had in Zelda was finding the stuff, and always wondering what I was missing. Ocarina left that feeling empty, as all I was missing by the end was 6 skulltulla. Doing that without a book or rumble pack was sorely disappointing. I still think that LttP was the best Zelda, and that I never would have found every piece of heart without a book.

I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry at your use of "old timer" in a response to me. :P I've known a few other zelda players to say they didn't care for it much, but for me, Ocarina made me love Zelda all over again, after a time away. It's actually the game that makes me want to replay all the old Zeldas more than anything else. I can see what you're saying about it being easier to find things in the game than it had been in the past, but... I think the same can be said for many, many other games/franchises of this ilk - hell, certainly all of the zeldas since have been pretty cake in comparison. (Twilight Princess was certainly no real stretch there, let's face it..)

Funny you should mention LttP though - I've been replaying it all this past week.

[ADC]

(Twilight Princess was certainly no real stretch there, let's face it..)
(I think that, next time I play it, I'm going to deliberately avoid collecting Heart Pieces and see if I can finish it with the 11 I get as part of the story. Twilight Princess was a lot of fun, but it's terribly easy.)

[dunno001]

(Twilight Princess was certainly no real stretch there, let's face it..)
(I think that, next time I play it, I'm going to deliberately avoid collecting Heart Pieces and see if I can finish it with the 11 I get as part of the story. Twilight Princess was a lot of fun, but it's terribly easy.)

Thanks for reminding me of my LttP challenge- I've beaten that game with only 13 hearts (no pieces or Sanctuary HC), green armor, and no bottles. Now that was a challenge...

Oh, and I never said the ones after Ocarina were better, since I got rather disgusted with them rather early in. Those are what made me not look forward to any more Zelda games.

[ADC]

Thanks for reminding me of my LttP challenge- I've beaten that game with only 13 hearts (no pieces or Sanctuary HC), green armor, and no bottles. Now that was a challenge...
I love those little artificial challenges we give ourselves with the video games. I once made a guy give up Megaman games after I beat Crash Man (MM2) with the Arm Cannon on Hard. Without taking a hit. Not joking. Still, Link to the Past with only 13 Hearts … that's a yikes in my book. Some of the bosses in that game were frickin' hard!

I tried to beat FF7 without HP Plus or MP Plus materia, but I got stonewalled at the submarine dock. I couldn't survive long enough to get any of my people back after the mecha picked them up and, therefore, removed them from battle.

[hub]

If you want a real challenge, try beating the final boss of Atelier Iris 2 w/o abusing the synthesizing system...damn thing is impossible w/o building yourself a couple of uber accessories first. And even then it's still tough. :(

[Chloe]

Thanks for reminding me of my LttP challenge- I've beaten that game with only 13 hearts (no pieces or Sanctuary HC), green armor, and no bottles. Now that was a challenge...
I love those little artificial challenges we give ourselves with the video games. I once made a guy give up Megaman games after I beat Crash Man (MM2) with the Arm Cannon on Hard. Without taking a hit. Not joking. Still, Link to the Past with only 13 Hearts … that's a yikes in my book. Some of the bosses in that game were frickin' hard!

I tried to beat FF7 without HP Plus or MP Plus materia, but I got stonewalled at the submarine dock. I couldn't survive long enough to get any of my people back after the mecha picked them up and, therefore, removed them from battle.

With all due respect to you guys(and Hub, next post too), so long as those games are able to be beaten by clumsy types like me as well I have no problem with them. I'm not trying to say you are wrong for playing it your way, I just the game to be able to be beaten by mere mortals too. Let's face it, any game that I can finish is defintely accessible to the masses. :roll: That's one of the things I was so impresed with in Zelda, that it catered to both types of gamers. If I needed twenty hearts to beat a boss, I could more or less get them. Superb! :D

Though I can definitely play that, I can whup such-and-such game with one hand tied behind my back" game with the turn based ones at least.

[jojo_home]

I liked DQ 7. A bit better in some ways than DQ 8 even.

[ADC]

Though I can definitely play that, I can whup such-and-such game with one hand tied behind my back" game with the turn based ones at least.
Well, sure. You only need one hand anywhere on the controller for turn-based! :P (Once upon a time, I played a game of no-hands chess. All moves were called — pawn to d4, knight to f3, that sort of thing. Someone else moved the chessmen.)