The Great Chronicle of Console RPGs Thread

[broadbandmink]

As promised, I've now had a look at the results of your votes (they weren't that many, but no matter) and among the genres listed console RPGs came out on top with the smallest possible margin.

EDIT: By request, here's a [URL="http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/9.857032-Poll-Thinking-about-starting-a-chronicle-thread#21233643" (title,target)]link[/URL] to the thread with the poll.

I will thus begin chronicling titles among console RPGs in this thread, hoping that it will garner some appreciation among the dwellers on this forum. As said in the previous thread, feel free to add mini-reviews and anecdotes regarding the games covered below.

But first things first. A short demarcation might be in order. Since this thread will be chronicling console RPGs I will first and foremost put focus on games that originated on gaming consoles. Thus games like Ultima, Diablo and The Elder Scrolls will not be featured here.

I realize that sooner or later I will have to make a decision on what to do with titles developed with multi-platform releases in mind, and the same goes for digitally distributed indie titles and such. But I'll get back to that at a later point.

Very well, without any further ado. Here's our first game:

Spoiler

Title: Dragonstomper
Developer: Starpath
Platform: Atari 2600
Release Date: 1982

Comment: Developed and published by Starpath, this was the first salvo fired in the role-playing game genre's invasion of home consoles.

In Dragonstomper you play as a dragon hunter who is pursuing a quest for a king to defeat a dragon and reclaim a stolen magical amulet. The game featured a large overworld which the player could explore freely. Enemies appear by random encounters and combat is turn-based. Once defeated, enemies drop items which can either be equipped or sold in villages in order to buy other useful objects. Interestingly, the game doesn't seem to incorporate an experience system. Instead stats (Strength and Dexterity) are raised or lowered by the various items one finds. Finally, the developers also apparently tried to include obstacles which could be overcome in multiple ways.

 

[broadbandmink]

Game No. 2

Spoiler

Title: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons: Treasure of Tarmin
Developer: APh Technological Consulting
Platform: Intellivision
Release Date: 1983

Comment: Published by Mattel Electronics, this was actually the second game in the series. However, the first game was an action-adventure game and thus lies beyond the scope of this thread. In Treasure of Tarmin you explore a multi-tiered dungeon, each level consisting of a maze and its surrounding hallway.

The goal of the game is to defeat a Minotaur who guards the titular treasure. The game is viewed from a first-person perspective and like the aforementioned Dragonstomper eschews an experience system in favor of a system where one gradually strengthens what's called "Spiritual" and "War" health. Battles are turn-based and loot consisting of new weapons, armor, magical items, and treasure is randomly placed throughout the maze.

 

[broadbandmink]

Game No. 3

Spoiler

Title: Dragon Quest / Dragon Warrior
Developer: Chunsoft
Platform: Famicom / NES
Release Date: May 27, 1986 (Japan)

Comment: This title hardly needs a presentation. Dragon Quest wasn't the first Japanese RPG; The Black Onyx is generally considered to bear that distinction. But that particular title was originally released for the NEC PC-8801, a home computer system, and thus lies beyond the scope of this thread. However, by drawing inspiration from, among others, Ultima and Wizardry with the intent of attracting a wide audience who were unfamiliar with RPGs or video games in general Chunsoft established in Dragon Quest what would, in hindsight, be widely considered to be the basic template for Japanese RPGs that followed in its wake.

The game gives the player control of a warrior who is tasked with saving the kingdom of Alefgard and rescuing its princess from the malevolent Dragonlord. Dragon Quest's story later became the second part in a trilogy that stretches across the first three games in the series.

The game is viewed from a top-down perspective and has the player explore an overworld with assorted towns and dungeons. Players are encouraged to talk to townspeople in order to gain clues on where to go next. There are no immediate physical restrictions on where one can go, but as players increase their distance to the starting area enemies gets significantly harder to combat. Battles occur through random encounters, are turn-based, feature one enemy at a time, and are shown through a dedicated battle screen from a first-person perspective which displays the current enemy above a command menu. The frequency of these encounters is dependent on what terrain one is currently traversing. The player has various weapons and armor as well as spells at his disposal. By fighting monsters one gathers experience points and gold. By obtaining experience points one will eventually raise a level and thus gain better stats and new spells. Gold can be used to replenish one's hit points and magic points by resting at inns and for buying new gear.

Apparently, critical reception to this game was noticeably cooler in North America than what it was in Japan. However, as the years passed, perceptions shifted in its favor and it is now commonly regarded as a historically significant title. Though initially a slow seller, it became a commercial breakthrough title for role-playing games in Japan, with sales eventually reaching a number of over half a million copies. Sales in North America evidently never picked up, but by bundling copies of the game with Nintendo Power magazine subscriptions Nintendo managed to improve the situation to some extent. According to Shigeru Miyamoto, the success of Dragon Quest marked a turning point in video game development in that scenario writers became regarded as increasingly important members of development teams.

 

[broadbandmink]

Game No. 4

Spoiler

Title: Deadly Towers
Developer: Lenar
Platform: NES
Release Date: December 15, 1986 (Japan)

Comment: Published by Irem in Japan and Brøderbund in North America, Deadly Towers was one of the earlier action role-playing games for the NES.

You play as Prince Myer, who has set out on a quest to prevent his kingdom, Willner, from becoming subjugated by a devil entity called Rubas. Rubas is planning to use seven bells situated atop the seven titular towers in order to summon an army of monstrosities. Prince Rubas must ascend the towers, burn the bells, and confront Rubas.

The game takes place in Rubas palace and features a one-point perspective. It's apparently mostly a side-scroller, but once you climb the towers it switches into a vertical-scroller. Battles play out in real-time and defeated enemies drop cash, which is used to buy new weapons, armour and other pieces of equipment. Shops are scattered throughout the dungeons at fixed locations, although with randomized selection of wares, and hidden in the towers are portals to a place called the Parallel Zone wherein the player can find superior equipment compared to what is sold in the shops.

Deadly Towers was well-received commercially in North America and was noted among critics for its gameplay, which was described as a fusion between titles such as Castlevania and Wizardry. Retrospective reviews have, however, been more severe, citing the size of the palace coupled with an absence of clues of where to go and what they perceived to be an unforgiving combat difficulty.

 

[broadbandmink]

Game No. 5

Spoiler

Title: Zelda II: The Adventure of Link
Developer: Nintendo R&D4
Platform: Famicom / NES
Release Date: January 14, 1987 (Japan)

Comment: There hasn't been any discussion yet in this thread, but if the mere inclusion of any game into this chronicle will spark a debate I guess this title could be considered a prime candidate. A subject of many a disputes throughout the years, the second game in Nintendo's long-running Zelda franchise is often regarded as a departure from its predecessor in the sense that several gameplay elements established in the first title became subjected to overhauls. Of focal interest to this thread, while the first installment in the series is widely considered to be an influential action-adventure game, The Adventure of Link incorporated gameplay elements more commonly associated with action role-playing games.

A direct sequel to the original Legend of Zelda, the series perennial protagonist, Link, is once again called upon to save the titular princess, who has fallen under a sleeping spell. The game is viewed from two perspectives: top-down when the player is exploring the overworld, and side-scrolling during random encounters and whilst visiting towns, caves and palaces. Introduced to the series in this particular entry are towns with assorted NPCs. Link can to talk to these inhabitants in order to gain clues on where to go next, receive assistance from healers, learn new sword techniques, and procure side-quests from wise men. These side-quests, once completed, provide Link with spells of various kinds. The arguably single most noted addition to gameplay in this installment, however, is probably experience levels. By fighting monsters Link can raise his health, magic, and fighting points; each attribute can be raised to a maximum level of eight. By raising these stats Link becomes more resistant to physical attacks, spells cost less to cast, and his attacks do more damage. Battles play out in real-time and occur through random encounters as well as in the cave/palace sections of the game. As per usual in this series, Link must also find various items in order to advance his quest.

Upon release, The Adventure of Link was met with strong sales, with global figures exceeding 4 million copies sold. Critical reception outside of Japan, although apparently positive by the time of the game's original release, has declined in later years, often citing its substandard English translation as a hindrance when it comes to solving some of the more cryptic puzzles present in the game. Since the original Japanese version presumably does not suffer from language related issues I'm sort of curious as to how Japanese critics and players have come to regard this game in more recent years. By the next installment, A Link to the Past, experience points and spell systems would be scrapped in favour of gameplay features more akin to those found in the first title. Nevertheless, features such as the magic meter, different sword techniques, towns, and NPCs would become staples of future installments in this franchise.

 

[broadbandmink]

Game No. 6

Spoiler

Title: Dragon Quest II: Gods of the Evil Spirits / Dragon Warrior II
Developer: Chunsoft
Platform: Famicom / NES
Release Date: January 26, 1987 (Japan)

Comment: Released less than a year after its predecessor, Dragon Quest II came to expand upon virtually every gameplay element found in the first game.

Set 100 years after the events of the first game, Dragon Quest II's plot forms the third part in the first trilogy of games. The game's primary protagonist is the prince of Midenhall, who is tasked with stopping a destructive wizard named Hargon after he sacks Moonbrooke Castle. The prince is accompanied by his two cousins: the prince of Cannock and the princess of Moonbrooke.

The game is once again viewed from a top-down perspective and has the player explore a larger overworld, including the continent from the first game. Battles are once more turn-based and occur through random encounters, but this time they feature multiple enemies in consistency with the fact that players eventually control a party of three instead of a lone warrior. At a certain point in the game, the party gain access to a boat and is thus able to explore the oceans and reach other continents. The three man party system also came with an expanded inventory. Other new features include warp gates found at certain locations on the overworld map and a mini-game in the form of a lottery wherein players could win special items.

Dragon Quest II found commercial success in Japan where the original Famicom version shipped 2.4 million copies. Critics generally gave the game good reviews, commonly referring to it as an improvement over its predecessor. However, the end game has been criticized for what reviewers found to be a significant difficulty spike. Nevertheless, retrospective examinations, in Japanese as well as Western publications, have remained strong throughout the years.

 

[broadbandmink]

Game No. 7

Spoiler

Title: The Magic of Scheherazade
Developer: Culture Brain
Platform: Famicom / NES
Release Date: September 3, 1987 (Japan)

Comment: Developed and published by Culture Brain, The Magic of Scheherazade is an action role-playing game featuring a setting based on the stories and folk tales in One Thousand and One Nights.

You play as a male protagonist by the name of your choice who unsuccessfully attempted to defend Arabia from a villainous wizard called Sabaron and was sent back in time while his beloved, Princess Scheherazade, was captured. Suffering from amnesia, the protagonist must travel across five worlds to rescue Scheherazade's three sisters, her father, and finally Scheherazade herself.

The majority of the game is apparently viewed from a top-down perspective akin to installments in the Legend of Zelda series. In each world, the player must complete a series of tasks and recruit allies in the area. In order to fully explore a world one must travel between two epochs using a so called Time Gate found on a particular screen. Players have two weapons at their disposal: a blade and a magical rod. There are three classes in the game that put different emphasis on how one put these weapons to use: a Fighter, a Magician, and a Saint. Changing between classes may be done in mosques or by casting a spell and is required to complete certain quests and in order to gain particular party members. Battles occur in two ways: In real-time where the player fights enemies on one's own, and through random encounters, which may occur when one travels between screens, where combat is turn-based and the player may team up with two party members whilst battling groups of enemies. Certain ally pairings create formations, which enable the party to perform extra powerful attacks.

Regrettably, I haven't found much information on how this game fared post-release, save for a sequel that reportedly reached planning stages but which for unspecified reasons never entered development.

 

[verdant monkai]

Why has this list been made? Who asked for it? Why does it feature old JRPG's?

So confused.

 

[broadbandmink]

Why has this list been made? Who asked for it? Why does it feature old JRPG's?

So confused.

Well, I've created it based on the outcome of a poll which was featured in another thread. I guess the (admittedly few) people who participated in that particular poll was positive to this thread's creation.

It features a proportionally large amount of japanese role-playing games because back in the late 80s most western role-playing games that were released on consoles were ports of their computer based counterparts, whilst a fair amount of japanese developers decided to use consoles as their main platform for releasing original IPs in this genre.

 

[Bara_no_Hime]

As promised, I've now had a look at the results of your votes (they weren't that many, but no matter) and among the genres listed console RPGs came out on top with the smallest possible margin.

Could you provide a link to the original thread in the OP (via editing)? For those of us late to the party, it might provide some much needed context.

OT: Interesting look back. I might have to look for some ROMs of a few of these.

 

[broadbandmink]

As promised, I've now had a look at the results of your votes (they weren't that many, but no matter) and among the genres listed console RPGs came out on top with the smallest possible margin.

Could you provide a link to the original thread in the OP (via editing)? For those of us late to the party, it might provide some much needed context.

OT: Interesting look back. I might have to look for some ROMs of a few of these.

That link you requested has now been added to the OP.

 

[Ratty]

The original Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest is still fun, or at least fascinating in a primitive way. I wanted to like The Magic of Scheherazade but could never get into it. Seemed more like the original Zelda. Have you been going to hardcoregaming 101? That's an excellent resource for information on titles like these.

 

[broadbandmink]

The original Dragon Warrior/Dragon Quest is still fun, or at least fascinating in a primitive way. I wanted to like The Magic of Scheherazade but could never get into it. Seemed more like the original Zelda. Have you been going to hardcoregaming 101? That's an excellent resource for information on titles like these.

Many thanks for the tip! I'll be sure to consult that site in case I run into other titles where information is otherwise scarce.

 

[verdant monkai]

Well, I've created it based on the outcome of a poll which was featured in another thread. I guess the (admittedly few) people who participated in that particular poll was positive to this thread's creation.

It features a proportionally large amount of japanese role-playing games because back in the late 80s most western role-playing games that were released on consoles were ports of their computer based counterparts, whilst a fair amount of japanese developers decided to use consoles as their main platform for releasing original IPs in this genre.

Oh ok! thanks man. Some of these look worth a play. Sadly I don't have the consoles and I can't be bothered emulating them. Consider giving the tales of series a look in? I'm pretty sure they are exclusively console games! even the more modern games were developed for the PS3.

What, it's not a real RPG if someone in Japan made it for some reason?

Here we go. Are you by any chance American? I bet you are.

Whatever I'll fuel your social justice fighter fantasy. YES Glorious Nippon cannot create actual RPG's! they can only create anime games which are obv for babies, Fantasy is only good if its game of thrones, Evangelion's Shinji is whiny for no reason, Cowboy Bebop is racist because spike has an afro and is a white man. Yep you figured me out mate.

 

[Michael Tabbut]

What, it's not a real RPG if someone in Japan made it for some reason?

Here we go. Are you by any chance American? I bet you are.

Whatever I'll fuel your social justice fighter fantasy. YES Glorious Nippon cannot create actual RPG's! they can only create anime games which are obv for babies, Fantasy is only good if its game of thrones, Evangelion's Shinji is whiny for no reason, Cowboy Bebop is racist because spike has an afro and is a white man. Yep you figured me out mate.

I don't think he meant it in that kind of way. It was a question not an opinion, please don't over react.

 

[Ratty]

Why has this list been made? Who asked for it? Why does it feature old JRPG's?

So confused.

What, it's not a real RPG if someone in Japan made it for some reason?

jRPGs are distinctly console-friendly, though the genre is descended from western computer RPGs like Ultima. There are western-style dungeon crawl RPGs on consoles but they're not as common and for the most part not as historically important[footnote]AS console games- many were ports of important games from PC.[/footnote] as the jRPGs on consoles. To the point that "cRPG" (c for computer) is synonymous with western RPGs while "console RPG" is synonymous with jRPG. Though since the Elder Scrolls has gained such popularity on consoles that has begun to wain somewhat.

Broadly speaking, jRPGs are set apart from cRPGs in a few ways. jRPGs tend to have pre-defined characters on a linear story, and the action is shown from above/3rd person. While cRPGs are more likely to be 1st person, with the ability to generate characters who explore a dungeon/world taking on various quests in a non-linear order.

Since this thread is concentrating on games from the NES era and before so far, here are some of the cRPGs that made it onto the NES

http://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/swords-and-serpents

http://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/tales-of-the-unknown-volume-i-the-bards-tale

http://www.mobygames.com/game/nes/exodus-ultima-iii

Of course there are some asses who will argue that "Japanese RPGs aren't really RPGs" because they're linear and have predefined characters, but that's just getting into semantics.

 

[broadbandmink]

Well, I've created it based on the outcome of a poll which was featured in another thread. I guess the (admittedly few) people who participated in that particular poll was positive to this thread's creation.

It features a proportionally large amount of japanese role-playing games because back in the late 80s most western role-playing games that were released on consoles were ports of their computer based counterparts, whilst a fair amount of japanese developers decided to use consoles as their main platform for releasing original IPs in this genre.

Oh ok! thanks man. Some of these look worth a play. Sadly I don't have the consoles and I can't be bothered emulating them. Consider giving the tales of series a look in? I'm pretty sure they are exclusively console games! even the more modern games were developed for the PS3.

Oh, don't worry. We'll touch upon the Tales of-series at a later point. But since I intend to try to maintain a decent chronological order that might take a while.

With that said, if you're interested in these kinda games on a more general level I'd say you could always stay tuned, since there might be other titles featured here worthy of your attention.

 

[broadbandmink]

Game No. 8

Spoiler

Title: Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei
Developer: Atlus
Platform: Famicom
Release Date: September 11, 1987 (Japan)

Comment: The first installment in the seventh most commercially viable role-playing game series in Japan, Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei puts its focus on dungeon crawling and is thematically revolving around demons. It is based on the horror novel Digital Devil Story by Aya Nishitani.

You play as Akemi Nakajima, a Japanese high school student with an affinity for computers, who creates a program that can summon demons into the real world. However, it turns out Akemi has been tricked into summoning a demon named Loki with his program, whereas an American computer mastermind named Isma Feed has summoned the demon Set in order to use its power. With the aid of his friend Yumiko Shirasagi, Akemi sets out to correct his mistake.

The game takes place exclusively in a labyrinth complex built by a so called demon king known as Lucifer. At the start of the game, the two main characters are given 15 ability points each, which the player must distribute among five character attributes:

-Strength: Influences physical endurance to enemy attacks.

-Intelligence: Influences the availability and effectiveness of magic spells, and the success rate when attempting to convert demons into allies.

-Attack: Affects the efficiency of physical attacks.

-Dexterity: Influences the order of attacks during battles, and reflexes when defending from physical attacks.

-Luck: Influences the probability of a preemptive attack from the enemy, the success rate when attempting to escape, etc.

The labyrinth is presented from a first-person perspective. The player can equip the protagonists with various weapons and armors. Both of them have limited hit points. Additionally, Yumiko can cast spells and has limited magic points, whereas Akemi can collect items and use his computer to gather and summon demons. These demons can then be used to fight at the side of the protagonists at a cost. In addition to gathering such demons, they can also be fused into a new, different demon. By exploring the labyrinth the protagonists meet various NPCs providing hints on what needs to be done and assorted quests, some of which are mandatory to progress further in the game. Scattered throughout the labyrinth are treasure chests containing monetary units and/or jewels, which can be used to fully replenish hit points of a single character. Some areas work according to special rules, such as dark zones, where the map is of no use and walls cannot be seen, and damage zones, where each step taken by the characters deprives them of one hit point. Weapon and armor shops are also present, along with health springs, where both hit points and magic points can be restored against payment, and rag shops, where special items can be obtained in exchange for amethysts, which lie scattered throughout the labyrinth. Battles are turn-based, with random encounters taking place while exploring the labyrinth. After successful fights experience points and monetary units are gained. In addition, magnetite (a substance used to summon demons) and/or jewels can also be obtained through battles. Experience points are gained collectively, and once the protagonists have gained sufficient points for a level-up each character receives one ability point each, which can then be assigned to the desired attribute.

Once more, post-release information is fairly scarce. Nevertheless, gameplay elements such as demon catching and fusing became staples in future installments, and the game was noted for eschewing the otherwise omnipresent high fantasy settings of other RPGs at the time.