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Best RPGs of each generation?

HadjiQuestHadjiQuest Registered User regular
edited March 2007 in Games and Technology
I have a newfound love of RPGs, and I've been looking at my PSX collection and remembering how much of a boost the system gave to RPGs, and how many amazing experiences it provided (even though I never actually finished any of those amazing experiences).

Then, looking at the PS2, I see we've still got Rogue Galaxy coming soon, but it kind of feels like nothing on the system stands out as much as games like FFVII and Xenogears still do to this day. All the Final Fantasies past VII didn't seem to leave much of an impression, with XII having just been released and yet being extremely overshadowed by all the new consoles.

So I want to try and get a list going of RPGs for each console generation that will always kind of stick out in people's minds.

NES/Master System:
-Final Fantasy
-Dragon Quest
-Phantasy Star

SNES/Genesis:
-Secret of Mana
-Chrono Trigger
-Earthbound
-Super Mario RPG
-Final Fantasy VI
-Shining Force
-Lufia
-Phantasy Star IV

PSX/Saturn/N64:
-Xenogears
-Final Fantasy VII
-Lunar
-Final Fantasy Tactics

PS2/Xbox/Gamecube/Dreamcast:
-Skies of Arcadia
-KOTOR
-Tales of Symphonia
-Morrowind
-Kingdom Hearts
-Dragon Quest VIII
-Disgaea
-Phantasy Star Online

Gameboy/Color:
-Pokemon Red/Blue

GBA/DS:

HadjiQuest on
«134

Posts

  • EtericEteric Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    NES/Master System

    - Final Fantasy I
    - Final Fantasy II
    - Dragon Warrior I
    - Dragon Warrior II
    - Dragon Warrior III

    SNES

    - Final Fantasy III (VI in Japan, coming to GBA soon)
    - Chrono Trigger
    - Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
    - Earthbound

    All I can think of atm. :/

    Eteric on
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  • HadjiQuestHadjiQuest Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I don't much care to add every final fantasy, as it seems like a few stand out far more than the rest.

    Same with Dragon Quest/Warrior, although I'm not sure which Dragon Quest games are the more well-remembered ones.

    Dragon Quest VIII didn't sell very well (in the US, I mean), but I know that it did do extremely well in the hearts of the general hardcore gamer, so I'm considering adding it to the list. It seems like something we'll all still be making references to in a few years.

    I'm torn on Final Fantasy X. I'm not sure if it had the ripples of success that will always make it a classic the way FFVI and FFVII are to us, and yet it was arguably the first big JRPG for PS2.

    HadjiQuest on
  • DoronronDoronron Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Needs more PC love...

    286/386 - Ultima VI

    486 - Might & Magic IV & V: World of Xeen

    Pentium - Fallout

    Pentium II - Baldur's Gate II

    Doronron on
  • CrayonCrayon Sleeps in the wrong bed. TejasRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    So far "next gen" has Oblivion.

    GC/Xbox/Ps2/DC

    Skies of Arcadia

    Crayon on
  • CultistCultist Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    I never owned a PS2, and I know it had the largest amount of RPG's so I'm biased towards the other consoles, but there had better be room on that list for:

    KOTOR
    Morrowind
    Tales of Symphonia

    Cultist on
  • HadjiQuestHadjiQuest Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Cultist wrote:
    I never owned a PS2, and I know it had the largest amount of RPG's so I'm biased towards the other consoles, but there had better be room on that list for:

    KOTOR
    Morrowind
    Tales of Symphonia

    Yeah, there is. Those all seem big and memorable.

    Also, I don't want to do PC titles.....because they'd over shadow all the consoles.

    HadjiQuest on
  • XaquinXaquin Right behind you!Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    No Zelda for SNES?!

    Xaquin on
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  • HadjiQuestHadjiQuest Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Xaquin44 wrote:
    No Zelda for SNES?!

    That brings up the "Does Zelda really count as an RPG?" question.

    HadjiQuest on
  • DeVryGuyDeVryGuy Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    HadjiQuest wrote:
    Xaquin44 wrote:
    No Zelda for SNES?!

    That brings up the "Does Zelda really count as an RPG?" question.

    Yes.

    DeVryGuy on
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  • EtericEteric Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Well, get Final Fantasy VI (was III on the SNES).

    It's better than VII.

    Eteric on
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  • XagarathXagarath Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Your lists are severely lacking.

    80s:
    Ultima 4, Final fantasy 1-3, Dragon Quest 1-4

    90-95:
    Final Fantasy VI, Betrayal at Krondor, Ultima Underworld 1-2, Ultima 7, System Shock, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Arena, Tales of Phantasia

    95-00:
    Diablo, FFVII, FFVIII, Baldur's Gate, Planescape: Torment, Baldur's Gate 2: Shadows of Amn, Daggerfall, Diablo 2, Dragon Quest VII, Fallout 1-2

    00-Present:
    Anachronox, NWN, KOTOR, Morrowind, Oblivion, FFX, FFXII, Kingdom Hearts, Shadow Hearts, Deus Ex, System Shock 2, Dragon Quest VIII, Disgaea

    Xagarath on
  • BrueBrue Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Genesis:
    Shinging Force 1 & 2

    SNES:
    Lufia 1 & 2
    Ogre Battle

    Playstation:
    Final Fantasy Tactics
    Chrono Cross
    FFVII & FFIX
    Valkyrie Profile

    PS2:
    Disgaea 1&2 (All NIS games for that matter)
    FFX & FFXII

    XBox:
    Fable

    Theres a lot more, too early in the morning drawing blanks.

    Brue on
  • Mai-KeroMai-Kero Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Quest 64 m i rite

    Mai-Kero on
  • jclastjclast Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Here are my standouts from the PSX forward.
    PSX: Front Mission 3, Final Fantasy Tactics, Chrono Cross
    Dreamcast: Skies of Arcadia, Shenmue
    PS2: Disgaea: Hour of Darkness, Final Fantasy X, X-2, XII, Front Mission 4, Kingdom Hearts, Xenosaga Episode I: Der Wille zur Macht
    GCN: Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, Tales of Symphonia, X-Men Legends, Gladius
    XBOX: Knights of the Old Republic, Jade Empire, Fable

    jclast on
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  • PikaPuffPikaPuff Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Sega CD:
    Lunar: Silver Star
    Lunar: Eternal Blue

    <3

    PikaPuff on
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  • tehfalconertehfalconer moonrocks in my noseRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    A title for the PS2 that often gets overlooked is Star Ocean 3. Pretty cool combat system for a RPG and no random battles can be pretty nice.

    tehfalconer on
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  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    No Phantasy Star II/IV mentions? AT ALL?

    Fail fail F- see me after class.

    Shadowfire on
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  • GyralGyral Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    The severe lack of Shin Megami Tensei in this topic makes the baby Jesus weep himself to sleep.

    Gyral on
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  • Sunday_AssassinSunday_Assassin Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    SNES - Terranigma. You yanks really missed out on that one.

    Sunday_Assassin on
  • SilvanosSilvanos Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    SNES was fucking pristine:
    Bahamut Lagoon
    Final Fantasy IV
    Final Fantasy VI
    Lufia and the Fortress of Doom
    Secret of Mana
    Seiken Denetsu 3
    Super Mario RPG

    Silvanos on
  • LunkerLunker Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    HadjiQuest wrote:
    So I want to try and get a list going of RPGs for each console generation that will always kind of stick out in people's minds.
    It's just been said above me, but the Lufia games for the SNES was a great series. A bit too popular for cult classic but not widespread enough for a blockbuster. I actually never got a chance to play Lufia II, but I've heard nothing but great things about it; Fortress of Doom remains one of my favorites from that era. Very by-the-books, but it did everything it was supposed to do and did it really well.

    And you can't forget Dragon Quest 8 for PS2! Personally, I found DQ7 for the PS1 infinitely forgettable, but it's still the best-selling DQ in Japan, if I'm recalling it correctly.

    Lunker on
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  • RookRook Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    PC Wise:

    Planescape: Torment and sadly Vampire: Bloodlines still stick out as having the best RP elements of any PC game I've played.

    Rook on
  • WoodroezWoodroez Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Shadowfire wrote:
    No Phantasy Star II/IV mentions? AT ALL?

    Fail fail F- see me after class.

    Truthy. Seriously, if you have a PSP/PS2 (I think there's a ps2 version...), get the SEGA Collection. The PS series alone makes it a worthwhile purchase.

    Woodroez on
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  • HandkorHandkor Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Shadowfire wrote:
    No Phantasy Star II/IV mentions? AT ALL?

    Fail fail F- see me after class.

    Yes a good spanking is in order.

    Handkor on
    Twitter - Steam
  • Dr_KeenbeanDr_Keenbean Dumb as a butt Planet Express ShipRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Sunday_Assassin wrote:
    SNES - Terranigma. You yanks really missed out on that one.

    I actually got a chance to play this for a bit. Outstanding game.

    Dr_Keenbean on
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  • ThatOneYoYoGuyThatOneYoYoGuy Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Based on my personal Experiences:

    GCN -
    Tales of Symphonia
    Paper Mario - Thousand Year Door

    GBA -
    Mario and Luigi - Superstar Saga
    Poke Fire Red (and i'm guessing the other ones as well)

    ThatOneYoYoGuy on
  • DisruptorX2DisruptorX2 Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    The best RPGs are all for PC, no matter what the generation. There are some fun console ones out there, though only the final fantasy ones really stand the test of time.

    DisruptorX2 on
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  • bongibongi regular
    edited January 2007
    Where does Baldur's Gate II fit into all this?

    bongi on
  • SamphisSamphis Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Paper Mario 1 for 64 is the best, and as far as I know, only turn-based RPG on the system.

    Samphis on
  • TerrorbyteTerrorbyte __BANNED USERS regular
    edited January 2007
    DisruptorX2 wrote:
    The best RPGs are all for PC, no matter what the generation. There are some fun console ones out there, though only the final fantasy ones really stand the test of time.

    Reading this gave me brain cancer.

    Terrorbyte on
  • ReignerReigner Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    NES
    Final Fantasy
    Dragon Quest

    SNES/Genesis
    Chrono Trigger
    Final Fantasy VI
    Phantasy Star
    Shining Force

    PSX
    Final Fantasy VII
    Final Fantasy Tactics
    Lunar

    PS2
    Kingdom Hearts
    Dragon Quest 8

    Everything else was pretty much forgettable, or rather, will be when this topic comes back in 10 years

    XBox
    everything on the XBox that's memerable is out for PC...so umm yeah.

    This list shouldn't be as big as people are trying to make it.

    Reigner on
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  • ShadowfireShadowfire Vermont, in the middle of nowhereRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Add Panzer Dragoon Saga, or there is more fail.

    Shadowfire on
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  • Mai-KeroMai-Kero Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Planescape: Torment is the best RPG of any generation. Hell, I'd say it's the best game ever made.

    Mai-Kero on
  • Future BluesFuture Blues Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Reigner wrote:
    NES
    Final Fantasy
    Dragon Quest

    SNES/Genesis
    Chrono Trigger
    Final Fantasy VI
    Phantasy Star
    Shining Force

    PSX
    Final Fantasy VII
    Final Fantasy Tactics
    Lunar

    PS2
    Kingdom Hearts
    Dragon Quest 8

    Everything else was pretty much forgettable, or rather, will be when this topic comes back in 10 years

    XBox
    everything on the XBox that's memerable is out for PC...so umm yeah.

    This list shouldn't be as big as people are trying to make it.

    You include FFVII but not Xenogears in the PSX era? Holy shit... what are you on?

    Future Blues on
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  • DisruptorX2DisruptorX2 Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Terrorbyte wrote:
    DisruptorX2 wrote:
    The best RPGs are all for PC, no matter what the generation. There are some fun console ones out there, though only the final fantasy ones really stand the test of time.

    Reading this gave me brain cancer.

    Haven't played stuff like Lufia recently, then? Its aged abysmally.

    DisruptorX2 on
    1208768734831.jpg
  • Raijin QuickfootRaijin Quickfoot I'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2007
    DisruptorX2 wrote:
    Terrorbyte wrote:
    DisruptorX2 wrote:
    The best RPGs are all for PC, no matter what the generation. There are some fun console ones out there, though only the final fantasy ones really stand the test of time.

    Reading this gave me brain cancer.

    Haven't played stuff like Lufia recently, then? Its aged abysmally.

    When deciding on the best games of their time I think it is only fair to judge them based on the other games of their time. It does not matter how it has aged, it is all about the memories.

    Raijin Quickfoot on
  • LunkerLunker Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    DisruptorX2 wrote:
    Terrorbyte wrote:
    DisruptorX2 wrote:
    The best RPGs are all for PC, no matter what the generation. There are some fun console ones out there, though only the final fantasy ones really stand the test of time.

    Reading this gave me brain cancer.

    Haven't played stuff like Lufia recently, then? Its aged abysmally.
    Legions of Dragon Quest IV fans would beg to differ.

    Lunker on
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  • tehmarkentehmarken BrooklynRegistered User regular
    edited January 2007
    No love for Fire Emblem? Although only a handful of the games have come out in the States, they were the first big strategy RPGs.

    Also, BoF2 should be on there for the SNES. It made a strong breakthrough in what a plot can be, instead of the typical "oh noes, save the world" thing it brought into the mix the "whose really good or evil?"

    And for the question of where should Baldur's Gate II be on this list?

    Right at the top.

    tehmarken on
  • Raijin QuickfootRaijin Quickfoot I'm your Huckleberry YOU'RE NO DAISYRegistered User, ClubPA regular
    edited January 2007
    Anyone who says Lufia is a bad game can take a slap in the mouth from me.

    Raijin Quickfoot on
  • drhazarddrhazard Registered User regular
    edited January 2007
    Mai-Kero wrote:
    Planescape: Torment is the best RPG of any generation. Hell, I'd say it's the best game ever made.
    I'm pretty sure he'd like to just list console RPGs from here on out, considering his posts. And Lord knows we wouldn't want to dredge up the inevitable conversation your line of thinking (as agreeable as I am to it :P) would lead to.

    drhazard on
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