JRPGs and so forth, where to start?

[UnravThreads]

Well, when I get a job, I plan to get started into JRPGs, especially ones like FF XIII, but I've no idea where to start.

I remember FF III DS, which was rather infuriating, so something to "ease me in" might be better. I don't own any consoles at the moment, but not against buying one so feel free to suggest them and games. My PC's able to run quite a few games, so again, PC suggestions are welcome.

Thanks!

 

[TheNumber1Zero]

well,try something simple,which a jrpg is not,so I guess you are boned.just jump into it,you will either sink or swim,otherwisetry reading another reply

 

[New Troll]

Are you asking for game recommendations?

Shining in the Darkness on Sega Genesis is a classic JRPG, easy to play, and focuses more on story than strategy.

Ogre Battle on Playstation is a good introduction to the more strategy-involved JRPGs.

 

[Joshimodo]

Start off with some of the FF series. They've maintained a high level of quality up until X-2. Worth getting a few, with favourites being FFVII, FFIV, FFIX, FFX, usually.

Lost Odyssey is a quality JRPG on the 360, as is Blue Dragon, though I don't like it.

Older classics include the amazing Chrono Trigger and my bane, The Secret of Mana (both SNES).


If you feel like losing a few years of your life, get straight to the heroine-esque Dragon Quest.

 

[ZeroMachine]

Chrono Trigger.

Definitely Chrono Trigger.

 

[Kuchinawa212]

Well when you done with Final Fantasy, but I really suggest Tales of Symphonia
Good fighting style in the game, not turn based combat. Worth a try if you have a cube or wii

 

[Silver Scribbler]

FFVIII, really hard to get a copy of but try get it; a PSX/PS2 and a PSX memory card and you will hopefully enjoy it as much as I did. Also if you get stuck there are lots of pretty decent walkthroughs online.
Or FFX on the PS2 is really good too.

 

[S-Unleashed]

Kingdom Hearts. all of them. for the PS2,DS and PSP.

 

[Socken]

FFVI (SNES/PSX or GBA), FFIX (PSX), or Chrono Trigger (SNES/DS)

Pure awesomeness.

 

[Heart of Darkness]

Chrono Trigger (SNES/DS), Earthbound (SNES), Mother 3 (GBA), FFIV (GBA/DS) or FFII for the SNES, Golden Sun (GBA) and Golden Sun: The Lost Age (GBA).

All of them are really good titles.

 

[Ultress]

Go for the remake of FF4-6 on the GBA and go from there.. An alternative if you're going to get into JRPGs then PS2 would be a great start with Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 maybe Wild Arms and a entry from the Tales series if you can snag them. Once you get into the genre start hitting the Shin Megami Tensei stuff though it may be harder to find it is worth it. Just suggestions hope it helps.

 

[Rodger]

Ease you in? Well, you could always try "Magical Starsign" for the DS.

...I'm sorry, don't take that one seriously. Its a fairly mediocre game overall, its most notable feature being that its played almost entirely with the stylus. Easy, quirky, but quickly gets repetitive.

I'm going to have to echo the Chrono Trigger suggestion. And if you want to try one of the Dragon Quest games, like someone suggested, be prepared to not play any other game for a while. Maybe DQIV just sucks, but I found the amount of grind to be insane and the random encounters (not just the frequency but the encounters themselves) to be incredibly tedious to get through. Which is too bad because the series seems to have interesting plots, characters, and settings. Not quite epic storytelling but there's interesting ideas and concepts in there.

 

[jeremiahkd]

Chrono Trigger (SNES/DS), Earthbound (SNES), Mother 3 (GBA), FFIV (GBA/DS) or FFII for the SNES, Golden Sun (GBA) and Golden Sun: The Lost Age (GBA).

All of them are really good titles.

^^^^^
He knows what hes talking bout

 

[Lord Beautiful]

Start with Chrono Trigger. Upon finishing that, play Chrono Cross. Those two are JRPGs I felt the desire to beat twice, which is funny because I hadn't the nerve to finish other JRPGs once. These two are JRPGs I'm confident anyone can get into, and after you finish playing them, if you feel that you have enough patience to go through loads more grinding than you did in either, proceed to play other JRPGs.

 

[FinalHeart95]

Lost Odyssey is a good game, and was my first real turn-based JRPG (Kingdom Hearts was my first JRPG). The first two bosses are challenging, but after that, the game isn't all that difficult.

Pretty much everything everyone else said is good too. FFIV (or II, whatever) is pretty easy, so it may be a good game to start off with.

 

[DarkRyter]

Want to start with something that grasps the concept of RPG's, in a way that's addicting, easy to learn, and also possesing deeper complexity, just like the best JRPG's.

So, first game? Pokemon.

Yep, pokemon. A little odd, but the concepts of the jrpg modus operandi are all there. Create a party with a variety of character types and battling styles. Fun turn based combat, including items, random encounters, and boss battles.

 

[improbable]

The best ones are probably Final Fantasies 4 and 6, Dragon Quests 3 and 4, Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, and Tales Of Phantasia. So obviously you shouldn't start there, no one wants to be completely disappointed in a genre after the first ten games. Start with something average but easy to pick up. What game is that? It's a mystery to me too.

 

[Sethran]

The best game to ease into the genre would be one of the Shin Megami Tensei series [Specifically, Persona 4]. The reason for this being, they're fairly easy to grasp control-scheme wise [The only real complication being the relationships, but if you've played a dating sim before you've got it down], and they have stories good enough to drag you through the heavy cutscene-to-gameplay ratio which is the cornerstone of all JRPGs [Not as heavy as MGS, though].

After situating yourself with the completely different genre [For there is really no other genre like it], I'd suggest going with either Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, not both at the same time. The reason for this is: Kingdom Hearts' story is far more lenient than any other JRPG series you can care to name, and each Final Fantasy game has a self-contained story [It doesn't carry over to the next, or come from the last] with the sole exception of direct sequels like X-2 [Which I liked, by the way], meaning you don't have to do any backstory research if you want to jump in the middle.

That should settle you in, and once you've got that you can go to other games such as the Dragon Quest series, the Breath of Fire series, the Tales series, and the Suikoden series. Steer clear of things such as Star Ocean and Xenosaga until you've gotten used to the genre, because Xenosaga is just as if not more wordy than MGS4, and there are three of them. Star Ocean isn't as wordy, but it's got more twists than a crazy straw.

Each JRPG series is different, some relying more on story than combat, some taking new stances with combat than story. Lost Odyssey is a fantastic example of current-gen RPGs, with a neo-classic control scheme [New take on an old thing], and a fantastic story. I found myself looking more for pieces of Kaim's past than for items or treasures, and pushing onward prematurely to get to the next bit of story to find out what happens next.

And the most important thing to keep in mind is that most JRPGs are very emotional experiences. If you're a jaded narcissist, probably not the genre for you. JRPGs demand that you invest yourself into the story, and they'll tug your heartstrings more than once. If you're not a bit of a romantic, you'll get turned off fast.

 

[ChromeAlchemist]

-snip-

You have a DS? Then you're in luck, there are a huge amount of RPGs for it.

For one to ease you in?

Want to start with something that grasps the concept of RPG's, in a way that's addicting, easy to learn, and also possesing deeper complexity, just like the best JRPG's.

So, first game? Pokemon.

Yep, pokemon. A little odd, but the concepts of the jrpg modus operandi are all there. Create a party with a variety of character types and battling styles. Fun turn based combat, including items, random encounters, and boss battles.

Ryter's right. After that, you could go for one of the most popular of them all, Chrono Trigger. It's one of the best, and you probably won't be disappointed in it, ask anyone. But me personally?

Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor. It's got an interesting story behind it. You are led by the nose somewhat, as there is no real overworld, but come on, how can you not like a story about a city lockdown in Japan with the promise that everyone is going to die in 7 days, some earlier and demons spouting all over the place? It's good stuff, and shouldn't be too hard at all. It's got a demon system that is somewhat similar to Pokemon in a way as well.

And definitely get The World Ends With You. It only bears some elements that are a bit similar to Devil Survivor, though I should say it's the other way round, as this one came first. However the stories are completely different. Highly recommended, one of the best on the DS.

Check those out and see which one takes your fancy.