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Games like Pokemon

openrob

openrob

Member
And no, I don't mean a simple, pretty easy RPG for handhelds!

What I want to know is if there are any games that have a strong single player element where there is a metagame/multiplayer aspect tied so close with the campaign. I mean that was the best thing about Pokemon back in the day, that you shared it, played it together AND had an in game adventure to boot.

So now, with the hype of the Pokemon series back in the forefront of popular opinion it got me thinking about what other experiences are out there that say, me and a friend, could play alongside each other - progressing and interacting along the way...

...Or is Pokemon just that unique?

Please no MMOs
 
R

ReaperXL7

Member
Monster Rancher is not one to one but it is a pretty awesome series where you breed and battle monsters.

Wish they'd make a new entry.
 
woopWOOP

woopWOOP

Member
Robopon?
522428-575974_15801_front.jpg

Robopon%20-%20Sun%20Version.jpg


....
Probably should just go with Yokai Watch

(maybe Fossil Fighters, but I found the AI controlled team mates system to be pretty awful)
 
W

Wichu

Member
Pokémon is definitely king. I think most Pokémon-likes don't bother fleshing out the multiplayer aspect, unfortunately :(

My brother and I had a lot of fun with the Yu-Gi-Oh games on the DS. Most of them have a passable RPG story mode with good TCG gameplay; it's pretty fun to build up a collection and play against each other. Stay away from the 3DS game though; it lacks the collection aspect and has no multiplayer. World Championship 2010 and 2011 on the DS are both good (2010 has a better story mode, but 2011 has more cards). Make sure you get the same version though, as they're not cross-compatible.
 
Q

Qurupeke

Member
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth sounds exactly like what you describe. Well, not so much the interacting part, but you can still battle with your friend I guess, and there's a strong emphasis on single player.
 
C

Cosmo Clock 21

Banned
I don't think the multiplayer metagame of Pokemon is as tied into the single player campaign as you believe it to be. Many relevant features don't show up until postgame.

Games with "mingleplayer" features like Soulsborne, and to some extent Destiny are probably the closest modern equivalent.

GBA link cable RPGs like Crystal Chronicles or Four Swords Adventures would fit the bill as well.

Monster Hunter is sort of the inverse of what you want, with multiplayer being the main draw and the campaign being a separate and more casual introduction to the series.
 
smudge

smudge

Member
Custom Robo Arena
It's basically a pokemon clone but with real time fighting of "Custom Robos". I thought it was pretty fun on the DS

250px-RoboGamecover.jpg
 
Z

Zen_Arcade

Banned
You should try Yo-Kai Watch even though it doesn't have much of a multiplayer/post-game. It's a really fun game that differentiates itself enough to not feel too samey.
 
A

Aaronrules380

Member
Cosmo Clock 21 said:
I don't think the multiplayer metagame of Pokemon is as tied into the single player campaign as you believe it to be. Many relevant features don't show up until postgame.

Games with "mingleplayer" features like Soulsborne, and to some extent Destiny are probably the closest modern equivalent.

GBA link cable RPGs like Crystal Chronicles or Four Swords Adventures would fit the bill as well.

Monster Hunter is sort of the inverse of what you want, with multiplayer being the main draw and the campaign being a separate and more casual introduction to the series.
Click to expand...

I'd argue in some ways the same could be said for Pokemon, which was always intended to be a heavily social game, and where a lot of the real challenge and fun is playing with others if you're willing to give it a chance and invest time. Hence as you said, many relevant features not even appearing in the main single player campaign
 
Tizoc

Tizoc

Member
The one that started it all
fPPy730.jpg


Megami Tensei and its successor Shin Megami Tensei for the uninitiated.
 
A

Aters

Member
zoukka said:
Dragon Quest: Monsters is like a pokemon clone, but I don't remember any multiplayer sadly.
Click to expand...

Of course it has multiplayer. DQM Joker series is pretty heavy on multiplayer. Also, Pokemon borrowed some ideas from DQV (which might borrow some idea from Megami Tensei) so I won't call DQM a Pokemon clone.
 
A

Azuran

Banned
Nah and that's why Pokemon is the king. It's really accessible to play for everyone but there's a LOT of hidden depth and complexity for people looking for more.
 
N

Neoleo2143

Member
The closest would probably be Dragon Quest Monsters. Though when it comes to multiplayer depth, few if any touch pokemon.

I would also put in a recommendation for Cyber Sleuth, should scratch that single player Itch without being too cruel.
 
Gamble

Gamble

Member
ReaperXL7 said:
Monster Rancher is not one to one but it is a pretty awesome series where you breed and battle monsters.

Wish they'd make a new entry.
Click to expand...

You and me both friend.....wonder how they would handle the whole getting monsters from CD's thing if they ever did
 
1

18-Volt

Member
Only turn based RPG games with online multiplayer are Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 3 and Yo-Kai Watch 2. Yokai don't have deep metagame similar to pokémon but DQMJ does. In fact, most aspects of Pokémon was borrowed from monster catching mechanic of DQ5, which Satoshi Tajiri is a big fan of.
 
C

Cosmo Clock 21

Banned
Aaronrules380 said:
I'd argue in some ways the same could be said for Pokemon, which was always intended to be a heavily social game, and where a lot of the real challenge and fun is playing with others if you're willing to give it a chance and invest time. Hence as you said, many relevant features not even appearing in the main single player campaign
Click to expand...
Point taken, but Pokemon is designed and marketed to have a very structured campaign and a very unstructured multiplayer. Compare with Monster Hunter, which structures both aspects similarly, or most MMOs, where the campaign IS the multiplayer complement.

Zen_Arcade said:
I think it's pretty obvious that wanting something like Pokemon includes some kind of collecting and monster hunting aspect.
Click to expand...
The "no MMOs" quote indicates otherwise
 
P

Psyfer

Member
ReaperXL7 said:
Monster Rancher is not one to one but it is a pretty awesome series where you breed and battle monsters.

Wish they'd make a new entry.
Click to expand...

Me and my brother keep saying how they should make the next one a mobile game. Take pictures of stuff using your smart phone or use QR codes to generate monsters. The game play side of the games was never very technical anyway, I'm sure fights, training, and exploration would work fine on modern smart phones.
 
M

Megalosaro

Banned
I remember a game on game boy called Revelations the demon slayer that looked like a cool game. Never got a chance to play it though.

Dragon Quest Monsters was the shit. The subseries dropped off in quality after DQ2 though. And I say that as a DIE HARD DQ fan.
 
A

Aaronrules380

Member
Cosmo Clock 21 said:
Point taken, but Pokemon is designed and marketed to have a very structured campaign and a very unstructured multiplayer. Compare with Monster Hunter, which structures both aspects similarly, or most MMOs, where the campaign IS the multiplayer complement.


The "no MMOs" quote indicates otherwise
Click to expand...
I'd argue "no MMOs" would be more about MMOs requiring cooperation to progress, and usually needing more than just 2 or 3 people at that. Plus you can't really play an mmo without any interaction with people you don't know, which might defeat the purpose of what this person is looking for
 
C

Cosmo Clock 21

Banned
Aaronrules380 said:
I'd argue "no MMOs" would be more about MMOs requiring cooperation to progress, and usually needing more than just 2 or 3 people at that. Plus you can't really play an mmo without any interaction with people you don't know, which might defeat the purpose of what this person is looking for
Click to expand...
Well I mean in the sense that if he were only looking for monster raising games the "no MMOs" comment would stick out like a sore thumb.
 
P

PsionBolt

Member
Reading what you're specifically looking for, OP, I suggest the Mega Man Battle Network series and the Mega Man Star Force series.

M1jeXDB.jpg
Click to expand...

You play through an adventure on your own, build up your character, collect new skills, and can then go head-to-head with your friends in battles that will be determined as much by your deck composition as by your skill. Like Pokemon, there's no "best" configuration, so you can enjoy battling friends long after you reach the end of the RPG progression.

I still return to the spinoff game Battle Chip Challenge to this day! Was playing it just last week, in fact. With friends to compete with, you never tire of the battle systems in these games.
 
N

Neoweee

Member
etking said:
Dragon Quest: Monsters is not a Pokemon clone, monster battling exists since Dragon Quest 5 which was released in 1992.
Click to expand...

It's a fucking pokemon clone. Getting a few monsters you can recruit into your party, optionally, is far different than it being the entirety of the game with ~100 monsters as you adventure around and catch new ones. I can't comprehend how somebody could play Pokemon & DQ5, then play DQM and say "This is clearly based on DQ5!"
 
D

Dimitri LH

Member
woopWOOP said:
Robopon?
522428-575974_15801_front.jpg

Robopon%20-%20Sun%20Version.jpg


....
Probably should just go with Yokai Watch

(maybe Fossil Fighters, but I found the AI controlled team mates system to be pretty awful)
Click to expand...

.......avoid the first Robopon and play the Sequel:

Robopon_2_Covers.jpg


This game was damn good and had a challenging difficulty curve. Nice Robo designs and evolutions (compared to the first game where evolution make em look worse....). The sequel is its own thing while Robopon 1 was clearly trying to copy Pokemon, heck I think some of the field sprites are rip-offs from the first pokemon games lol.

One of the coolest features was being able to change the color of your Robos, making them feel unique.

I want a new game so baaaaaad......... Atlus/SEGA please listen to this dudes plea! ;-;


EDIT: Another vote for Megaman Battle Network from me!
 
P

PreyingShark

Member
Yo-Kai Watch 2 (The first game doesn't have online multiplayer, its balancing is shit-tier anyways). <3 my Slimamander team, looking forward to recreating it in the English version coming out this fall.

Also Dragon Quest Monsters Joker 3 but that's only available in Japanese.
 
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