Thread 11972025

I hear people talking about JRPGs and I always feel like I'm missing out. I never enjoyed them in the past and now it feels kinda daunting getting into one, but I feel like I judge them unfairly because I've only played 2 or 3 JRPGs years ago.

Games I remember playing many years ago:
>Final Fantasy 6 - quit after a couple of hours, just didn't get into it
>Chrono Trigger - mistakenly played the PS1 version and the loading times were unbearable, dropped after a couple of hours

Am I just not supposed to be into this genre?
What am I doing wrong and what games should I start with, anons?

i grew up with them and im honestly not sure if i would enjoy them if i only played them later in life as an adult. suikoden might be a good one to try in that its a fairly short, fast-paced one with plenty of optional content if you want it. after trying one or two more and they still dont resonate you might want to try action rpgs or something

>>11972025 (OP)
Start with Pokemon, if you don't like it don't bother with anything else

Never played them growing up and just got into them the last year. Here are some i really liked

FFX
Radiata Stories
Skies of Arcadia
Paper mario thousand year door
Wild arms 3

>>11972038
OP here, I do like Pokemon! I've played all gens before Black and White. I didn't even consider Pokemon as the "traditional" JRPGs, because those games I could get into... It's everything else I have an issue with.

>>11972025 (OP)
Try Phantasy Star 4. It is the most perfectly balanced and perfectly paced classic 16-bit JRPG there is. You don't need to grind, but the game doesn't feel too easy either. It has good characters whose banter keeps the "press A to win" gameplay bearable, a good villain and a good plot that'll hook you from the start and keep you interested. You don't have to play the other 3 games to enjoy it

Honestly? I'm not really into JRPGs but I feel like Dragon Quest 1+2 SNES translation is a good place to start. As much as I want to recommend the original DQ1/DW1 it's probably too grindy for you

>>11972057
Try starting with Shin Megami Tensei 3 or SMT SJ

>>11972025 (OP)

I'll recommend starting with Earthbound. There were a few kids at my elementary school who beat it, and they were normies who weren't into rpgs. Very unconventional RPG in the sense of how weird it is.

Second recommendation is original FF7. It's a good game, pretty much everyone loves it, and it's discussed a lot so you'll understand the characters and shit whenever somebody posts about it.

>>11972025 (OP)
I told you before, play FF7. It'll all come together.

>>11972096
>There were a few kids at my elementary school who beat it
Impressive, I still think that even Earthbound is harder than the vast majority of popular 5th gen JRPGs. FF7 and Xenogears are just visual novels by comparison but I don't mean it disparagingly, never cared much about the difficulty in this genre

Earthbound is a good pick because its a pretty linear focused experience with a preset party and a unique setting. Most Mario RPG's have a level of whimsical dialogue and interactive combat that might resonate with you more than classic turnbased.
Tales of Symphonia or Tales of the Abyss are action-based rpg which might be more your thing

I just beat all of Mother 1, 2, and 3 this week alone. They're not that long.

seiken densetsu 3 on snes9x in 2001 with keyboard

>>11972025 (OP)
Phantasy Star IV

The greatest J-RPG are on PS1 op

FF7-8-9
Valkyrie Profile
Xenogears
Chrono cross
Grandia
Suikoden 2
...

>>11972025 (OP)
>Chrono Trigger - mistakenly played the PS1 version and the loading times were unbearable,

This is 50% of your JRPG experience and you're asking what you're doing wrong? The answer is right there in your image, at lower-right. You still might not like it, but it won't repel you in that specific way.

>>11972025 (OP)
What are some of your favorite games? Maybe that will help in recommending something to you. Is it fantasy, scifi, mature, horror, etc.

>>11972025 (OP)
>Chrono Trigger - mistakenly played the PS1 version and the loading times were unbearable, dropped after a couple of hours
alright
wut?
so you played chrono CROSS?
thats a different game entirely

you didnt even play trigger
go play trigger, its not even that long
if you dont like trigger, theres nothing in jarpigs that will change your mind

bizarre
had no clue this existed

at any rate, always avoid PS1 ports of SNES JRPGs
the disc-loading time (even on opening menus sometimes) is ridiculous. the games were made for carts. NOT shitty early CD readers

>>11972025 (OP)
Start with Wizardry of fuck off

>>11972076
I would play the holy quattro-trinity b-b-but I don't know which unholy ROMHACKS to use!

>>11972430
FFIV is a surprisingly good port, which makes you wonder WTF happened with FFV-FFVI & CT. Only the initial load is a little annoying. Did they fit the whole game in RAM?

>>11972430
Funny I’ve only played this version of trigger and never noticed the loading times. At least, no more than any other psx game.

>>11972025 (OP)
Play them on a handheld. I have the first 10 final fantasies on my vita as well as chrono cross/trigger, suidoken, tactics ogre etc and many of these I had for ps1 but never played them completely until I got my vita. They are really nice games of convenience

>>11972025 (OP)
Super Mario RPG is a great beginners RPG.
Also, give a different version of Chrono Trigger a chance.

>>11972025 (OP)
Please do not get into JRPGs. I'm telling you right now, JRPGs are a fucking dogshit genre. They're not even RPGs. The main core of what JRPGs have to offer is that they're moviegames with anime writing. Unless you like anime tropes and childish melodrama, steer clear of the genre.

Do not play the "starter pack" JRPGs, look for the outliers and the exceptions. That's how you're going to find the few actually good ones.

Try games like FFVI and Chrono Trigger again, but also try some different feeling RPGs like SaGa Frontier or Phantasy Star IV. There's a lot of variety with RPGs, you might just need to find the type that clicks with you to get you into the genre. Doesn't need to be an easy or beginner oriented game.

>>11972057
>I didn't even consider Pokemon as the "traditional" JRPGs, because those games I could get into...
That's legitimately because Pokemon are better designed than 99% of JRPGs and just give you way more stuff you can just fuck around with without shoehorning you into a linear story. The bulk of the rest of the genre is genuinely not worth 'getting into', as it's mostly way more tedious and with barely as much depth at the most (don't be tricked by this false idea you might have that these other games might have richer and more complex mechanics, they don't are mostly just offer elaborate means of grinding).

>>11972025 (OP)
Just try ffvii, it's more engaging in the beginning than most other jrpgs and if you like it, the unfolding will be fun to experience. Ithe characters and story just distorted enough from the usually jrpg/ff stuff. Though it does keep a similar formula, it's definitely got a 90s edge to the dialogue that I really enjoy and the story is actually quite good for a jrpg.

>>11974223
Are distorted enough from the usual*

The problem is in the west JRPG at one point almost universally meant Final Fantasy 6-10 and Chrono Trigger and nothing else. There is so much more out there.

I cannot for the life of me get into Final Fantasy 6 and 7. I've tried like 5 times. Those games are like a list of chores you have to do. You read dialogue, you watch cutscenes and barely ever have control over your character, then when you do have control over your character it's all mini games that are about as fun as algebra homework or railroaded turn based combat that gives you very little control over your character or party build. They aren't JRPGs because they aren't RPGs and they're barely even games if you ask me.

Meanwhile Dragon Quest just drops you in a town and let's you figure everything out for yourself. I didn't think I liked JRPGs until I tried Dragon Quest III. Highly recommend it. Also give Chrono Trigger another go, emulate it on the SNES. The party synchronization/combo system is a lot of fun and I for one actually liked the combat in that game.

>>11974332
>FF7
>turn based combat that gives you very little control over your character or party build

what are you talking about ?
FF7 is huge in termes of customization

>>11974332
Other than Materia what is there? I haven’t got past the first 5 hours of the game, and the whole time it always feels like work. Wrestling with the dogshit UI (seriously they had it locked down in 5 and 6 and they just fucked it up beyond belief), janky cameras and controls and boring combat encounters. Is it one of those games that “gets good” after 5 hours of playing? Either way this game had aged like dogshit even when I first played it back in 2000 and it still plays like shit. The remake is better unironically, not that that says much it also sucks but at least it’s playable.

>>11974332
> I didn't think I liked JRPGs until I tried Dragon Quest III
Dragon Quest made me think
>woah I actually like turn-based JRPGs
but then when I kept trying the other ones I came to the conclusion that I only like Dragon Quest and not the genre itself. I get why it's so popular in Japan, even Final Fantasy is way harder to get into

>>11976498
If you like Dragon Quest combat, check out Shining the Holy Ark

Damn i didn't know there was a thread for this already. I'll just repost

What are some highly innovative jrpgs in the retro community? Something that added something new to the mix to make it more interesting, but still does the underlying jrpg genre well?

Same with tactics/strategy. Other than tactics ogre, final fantasy, fire emblem and advanced wars, i cant think of any that stick out that arent just cheap imitations of these.

>>11976498
and Mother, of course, if you haven't

>>11976502
I want to give the entire series a go, also Golden Sun, another Camelot franchise. Thanks for the rec anyway

>>11976504
Oh yeah I like Mother, especially the first one. Because it plays like Dragon Quest 2 essentialy. I'm also a fan of Phantasy Star 1 but I got filter'd by virtually every other JRPG I tried, even Final Fantasy 7. Like the world, characters, music, etc is all top notch to me but I just can't stand playing it. I've heard FF4 is similar to classic non-job system DQ (my favorite type of JRPG even though I love DQ3), I even played it for a bit, I plan on going back to it

>>11976507
Shining in the Darkness is okay but Shining The Holy Ark was really great imo, considering our taste is similar (loving DQ2) I think you'll like it

DQ8 is also my 2nd favourite DQ after 2

>>11976527
Anon I like DQ2 but it's not my favorite actually, 4 is. But DQ8 is my second favorite though. I'll definitely try the Shining series, my autism makes me want to try Shining in the Darkness before Holy Ark since it's the first game and I do this shit with every series I want to check out. I've actually beaten FF1 on the NES too but the other ones filtered me. While we are at it, I tried to be as open minded as possible when trying FF2 but I just noped the fuck out during the ice dungeon, when the bald guy joins your party

>>11976543
The bald guy dies at the end of the ice dungeon

>>11976549
Well he didn't stick around for too long...

>>11972414
Retard. He said the PS1 version Chrono Trigger, he meant it, why do you think it's Cross? Also, I'm pretty sure there's some emulator trickery to speed up loading times on that version but even if not, I also played that version and didn't mind the loading times at all. Instead, the game being too easy was the biggest issue. Still fun though, just overrated.

>>11974207
>That's legitimately because Pokemon are better designed than 99% of JRPGs
Bait or mental retardation?

>>11974332
>thinks FF is a list of chores
>likes DQ

exact fucking opposite for me. oh boy, another podunk town with macguffin #46 I must acquire by solving their trivial issue, how thrilling.

>>11974332
>>11976361

oh nevermind youre just plain brain damaged.

>>11976503
>Something that added something new to the mix to make it more interesting
In a really odd sense, Dragon Quest unironically. What >>11974332 says is right, Dragon Quest, despite being the originator, is highly distinct and can feel very 'fresh' compared to most off the genre that largely rips off FF specifically, while ignoring what DQ actually did.

>fire emblem and advanced wars
These are the best. There genuinely isn't anything that bests these series. Advance Wars is particular is grossly overlooked by people popularity wise despite how high quality it is, even though people who actually play it appreciate how good it is.

>>11976657
that doesn't mean much here

>>11976527
I need to look into that