Welcome to the inaugural meeting of the JRPG Club! For the next forty or so hours, we'll be playing
Ni no kuni, the newly released dream collaboration between Level-5 and Studio Ghibli. Care to join us?
What is the JRPG Club? Well, it's like a book club, and in fact almost
was a book club. See, my buddy and I want to pass a very difficult Japanese proficiency exam. To that end, I proposed we start a study group, but he suggested a book club instead. That's when it hit me. "How about an RPG club," I said, and the rest is awesome, awesome history.
We will be playing JRPGs and discussing them along the way. We'll help each other through parts that are difficult to understand. And hopefully, we'll all have a really awesome time and learn something.
The first game we'll be playing is Ni no kuni. We chose it because Ghibli in game form is a Japan-loving gamer's dream come true. It is directed at audiences young and old, which means they've made it accessible to people that cannot read Chinese characters,
kanji. Yes, that's right:
furigana. If you've studied any Japanese or tried reading manga in Japanese, then you know what that is, and know why it's so great.
Any rules? What should I do now? Get your hands on the game, start playing and come by with anything you'd like to talk about (or need help with). However, please, please use spoiler tags very liberally. Just preface your spoilers with a simple description of where you are in the game so people know whether or not they're safe for them to open.
Where can I get Ni no kuni? It shouldn't be terribly hard to import, and if you live in Japan, then just hit your local game store! And hurry up, because you'll get the ridiculously sweet spell book it came with.
Why use the Penny Arcade forums? I don't think we're alone in wanting to play
Ni no kuni as soon as possible, and the more minds we have working through it the better. So please feel free to join us! Plus, the ability to hide spoilers is a must considering that we'll all be going through the game at a different pace.
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@hoodiethirteen
I also have Mother 3 (but I beat the game back in 2008), Zelda 3 (already beat it, that One Piece for GBC (the last game to ever be compatible with the original GB, but it sucks), Rockman EXE Transmission (but it can't be read because I have an American Wii that lacks the a certain Japanese font it needs to display text).
I also have SoulSilver, which I'll be restarting soon.
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I really wish I could play tod directors cut and understand it.
This guy knows what's up.
So to really enjoy a game in a foreign language, not only do you need to know the language but you also need to be highly proficient at it unless you don't mind things taking forever.
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Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
I'm sorry to hear that you're interested in participating but are held back by funds. I looked up the game on play-asia and noticed that that it costs 113 bucks, so I can definitely understand. The four of us currently participating in this "RPG Club" are all based in Japan, so we were able to get the game for about 7000 yen on Amazon Japan (and we get paid in yen, so the currency conversion doesn't mean as much to us).
Hopefully, we won't always be chosing pricy new released, but will also go after some cheaper PSN/PSOne classic releases as well. PS3 will probably always be our system of choice, however. At least while it's still the only one we ALL own.
It's entirely possible we'll do a Tales game at some point. Honestly, Tales of Xillia looked pretty cool and my senses were bombarded with commercials for it about a month before and after it's release, but we had already decided on starting with Ni no kuni. We used the time until the Ni no kuni launch to finish up what we were playing. Incidentally, one girl was playing Tales of Graces, so it's very likely she'd be up for another Tales game. I'll be playing Tales of Innocence R in January, but I might be alone on that one.
We all live in Japan so we have easy and access to it. Also, we are playing it to improve our Japanese abilities, so playing the English version wouldn't do us much good. That being said, if we do ever decide to pick up a game that has an English release, we'd be more than happy to have people joining us for discussion.
Also, as I said, this game is really accessible, which is another reason we chose it. Ni no kuni is fully subtitled, and even those subtitles are "subtitled" (with characters written above the hard-to-read Chinese characters that tell you how to read them).
PSN: astronautcowboy 3DS: 5343-8146-1833
I have Sega, Nintendo and Xbox games and systems for sale. Please help me buy diapers.
This is the first series that I've seen that is released that way. The DS game had furigana as well. Yes, even those little screens could handle them.
I think for other games, it's a matter of development time and onscreen real estate versus necessity. Most games are targetted at people old enough to have studied all the kanji in the game and adding readings would be a waste. But this is Ghibli, so they want kids to play it too.
PSN: astronautcowboy 3DS: 5343-8146-1833
I have Sega, Nintendo and Xbox games and systems for sale. Please help me buy diapers.
Play the Ultimate PC JRPG for 2011.
18+ only.
kewl
you taking jlpt?
PSN: astronautcowboy 3DS: 5343-8146-1833
I have Sega, Nintendo and Xbox games and systems for sale. Please help me buy diapers.
forgotten most of the 512 already like a true baller
How about Ore no Shikabane wo Koete Yuke, either PS1 or PSP remake?
I learned english faster than my schoolmates by playing chrono trigger and the final fantasies, it is annoying but totally worth the pain for another language.
I'd guess the Kansai-ben is the hardest part for you, since you've only been here a few months. I've been here for 3 years, watch TV all the time, and the latern-nosed sidekick is still a challenge to understand sometimes. Heck, I only learned the word おかん (mother) about a month ago.
Well, unfortunately I think I'll be on Ni no kuni for a while, but I totally recommend using this thread (or making your own) to recruit people to play that game along with you. The point is to get people playing games, hopefully together, in Japanese to learn Japanese, and help each other along the way.
Anyway, can you tell me what that game is all about? I actually downloaded the demo, but haven't found time to play it.
PSN: astronautcowboy 3DS: 5343-8146-1833
I have Sega, Nintendo and Xbox games and systems for sale. Please help me buy diapers.
I know the Japanese versions of the DS Zelda games have furigana, but it's not displayed by default. You tap on any kanji character to reveal the reading. It's great. It gives you an opportunity to try to read without help, but it's there if you need it.
Originally when I was first learning Japanese and playing JRPGs I didn't notice, but lately it's very obvious to me how utterly vapid the writing and storylines are. It's almost like reading it in a different language created a pair of goggles that made everything look look and sound more interesting than it actually was. Now what's strange is that sometimes the English subtitles or dubbing in anime for example removes some of that vapid tone that is almost there by purpose these days (especially for the moe games).
Summary: Maybe you don't want to become native fluent in Japanese
For $$$, learning Chinese will be much more profitable for you. I think maybe over 90% of foreigners who come to Japan get burnt out and leave (super high divorce rates too). It's not all fun and games here.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/gaspode_t TwitPic: http://twitpic.com/photos/gaspode_t
Also why is he wearing rubber cleats?
And I don't know. But it sticks out like a sore thumb.
That's a great idea. I'll start poking through my collection and see what has furigana.
Also, I'm pretty sure Shizuku (the lantern-nosed sidekick) is the best part of Ni No Kuni so far. Aside from the art. And the book that came with the preorder. Still, easily in the top three.
You're right about that. I was doing pretty well until lantern-nose showed up and started talking in rapid-fire kansai-ben. Instant dislike. But he's grown on me since.
PSN: astronautcowboy 3DS: 5343-8146-1833
I have Sega, Nintendo and Xbox games and systems for sale. Please help me buy diapers.
The people from Ordon (Toaru Mura) speak a very strange Japanese, I was amazed at how little I could understand.
The genre seems to be allergic to the 360.
"We have years of struggle ahead, mostly within ourselves." - Made in USA
You find a good few on the PS3, PSP, DS, 3DS and a few on the Wii.
Also, I would like to revise my earlier statement
I'm planning on playing Chrono Cross after the release the update to allow PS1 emulation on the Vita. I'll be getting a Vita when it releases in December, but I don't know how long that'll take Sony to implement. Was supposed to be in at launch, but now it's not.
Also, if you anyone is interested in playing any of the Valkyria Chronicles, I've played them all so can help out with whatever you need.
PSN: astronautcowboy 3DS: 5343-8146-1833
I have Sega, Nintendo and Xbox games and systems for sale. Please help me buy diapers.
Right now I'm playing Resonance of Fate, which turned out to be really good. I'm almost done with a first playthrough, I'm currently going through Neverland so...that's gonna take awhile. Sort of.
After that I'll be continuing my Xenosaga playthrough with Xenosaga III. I've heard some say it's the best of the three, so that's good. II was...well, not quite as bad as some people made it out to be, but that doesn't mean I thought it was good. Mainly just tedious.
Holy crap are there no good images of him. Man.
I'm willing to let it become whatever it wants to be, but the idea is to play JRPGs in Japanese and come here for help if you need it or discussion if there are others playing the same game as you.
PSN: astronautcowboy 3DS: 5343-8146-1833
I have Sega, Nintendo and Xbox games and systems for sale. Please help me buy diapers.
Persona 4 (easy to read except for the villains' motive rants)
Venus and Braves (somewhat difficult, a lot of poetic language)
7th Dragon (I missed out on a few sidequests here and there cos I didn't know what they wanted)
Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2 (easy to play, but I missed out a lot of the deeper plot and stuff)
The World Ends With You (a great experience)
Sands of Destruction (this game sucks. Enough said)
Front Mission 5 (Really hard to understand,. Doesn't help that the font's really cursive too)
Good luck, I passed it in July, mostly thanks to listening.
I'm looking forward to playing Persona 4 when it comes to the Vita.
As far as Ni no kuni goes, last night I managed to go through the three sidequests you get at the start, and oh man
and
But this game as a freakin' point card system; it doesn't really get more Japanese than that. I love it! I just wish the hotel chain had a point card system too, so I could stay for free after 10 visits.
PSN: astronautcowboy 3DS: 5343-8146-1833
I have Sega, Nintendo and Xbox games and systems for sale. Please help me buy diapers.
Machi (PS, SAT, PSP)
Kamaitachi no Yoru (SNES, PS, GBA)
Cross Tantei Monogatari (PS, SAT)
Silver Jiken (PS)
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (PC, PS2 (If playing PS2 make sure to get Kakera asobi)
Umineko no Naku Koro ni (PC, PS3)
I'm now learning Japanese and games are my most powerful tool again. Pokémon in particular has been useful because all moves are written in simple infinitive (well, 99% anyway). I'm glad I got my Japanese LG at an auction for a regular GBA and three other games. One of the those was Super Robot Taisen D, but there are too many kanji, even on the menus for me to even attempt to play it.