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What is the best 8-bit RPG?

Eusis

Member
PC Engine/Turbografx 16 actually has an 8-bit CPU.
That comes off more as a pedantic technicality than following the intent though (NES/Master System/MAYBE GameBoy/GameGear if you're following full technical capabilities rather than a specific era), it's like asking the best 32-bit FPS and answering with Halo or Half Life 2 because the Xbox CPU is actually 32-bit... nevermind if you factor in PC and 32-bit OSes then well shit.

Anyways... Probably either Phantasy Star, Dragon Quest III, or Dragon Quest IV. I only played through the remakes of the latter two though, and I kind of expect that when looking only at turn based games there's probably better options that never got localized, or maybe got a fan translation that's overlooked. I'd consider Mother as well but it sounds like that game has serious balance issues.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
That comes off more as a pedantic technicality

I'd say arguing it isn't an 8-bit machine comes off more as being ignorant to what defines 8-bit entirely. It's not pedantic, it's correct. You're using some extremely loose arbitrary definition of 8-bit if you exclude the PC Engine. What definition are you using? The time period? The PC Engine released 1 year after the Master System. Is it the graphics? Nothing about the NES or SMS's graphics are 8-bit.
 

Anjin M

Member
My pick would be either Dragon Warrior 3 or Phantasy Star. Phantasy Star at this point is much more bearable now that you can simply go to gamefaqs and find maps of all the dungeons. But back in 1990 when I played it? Dear god.

Phantasy Star was one of the few games that I bothered to draw maps. My brother would could squares and I would draw.
 

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
vIEDTNw.png

My pick as well
 

garath

Member
Is there a legit way of playing Phantasy Star 1 these days? I don't think it was every ported to my knowledge :(

I remember playing PS2 through 4 multiple times but outside of the original Master System itself, I've never replayed PS1.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
Is there a legit way of playing Phantasy Star 1 these days? I don't think it was every ported to my knowledge :(

I remember playing PS2 through 4 multiple times but outside of the original Master System itself, I've never replayed PS1.

it was ported to so many different systems. there is a Game Boy Advance as well as a ps2 and ps3 port.

The ps2 and ps3 ports have options to reduce enemy encounter rate as well as changing your travel speed to rebalance the game.
 

Shion

Member
Is there a legit way of playing Phantasy Star 1 these days? I don't think it was every ported to my knowledge :(

I remember playing PS2 through 4 multiple times but outside of the original Master System itself, I've never replayed PS1.

I'm pretty sure it was available on the VC.

It was also an unlockable game in the Ultimate Mega Drive / Genesis Collection.
 

SuomiDude

Member
I agree with this choice. I was only like 8 years old when we got it, but I still beat the damn game without even understanding English language. I was so proud of that achievement. The game had so different feel from many other games of that time, but I loved it.
 
Just sticking with stuff that actually got released in the US, I'd go with...

Best Overall - Dragon Warrior 4. Great gameplay & the chapter setup (where you play as 4 separate groups before coming together in the final chapter) was really cool at the time.

Best Replayability - Dragon Warrior 3. Long & the class system offers lots of fun options. Also, a fun game to challenge yourself with smaller party sizes since you gain XP faster.

Best at the Time - Phantasy Star 1. In the US, this was one of the first RPGs of the generation and it blows away stuff like DW1 & FF1.

Best B&W 8-bit RPG - Final Fantasy Adventure (Seiken Densetsu 1). Awesome chiptune soundtrack and a cool combination of Zelda style Action/Adventure with more traditional RPG stats & equipment.

Incidentally, I like the NES version of DW3&4 better than any of the remakes. All the remakes are noticeably easier than the originals and don't feel as tightly balanced.
 

Jucksalbe

Banned
Can we throw in Gameboy games? If so Final Fantasy Legend II was a hell of a game. I'm still bitter we never saw the DS remake translated.

There's a fan translation in case you didn't know. But of course an official release would have been a lot better.
 

jeremy1456

Junior Member
I love the original Phantasy Star, but Dragon Quest III beats it no contest. It's leagues better.

Dragon Quest IV comes close but falls short

All three of the aforementioned games are incredible and you can't go wrong with any of them.

Dragon Quest III is just better.
 

Eusis

Member
I'd say arguing it isn't an 8-bit machine comes off more as being ignorant to what defines 8-bit entirely. It's not pedantic, it's correct. You're using some extremely loose arbitrary definition of 8-bit if you exclude the PC Engine. What definition are you using? The time period? The PC Engine released 1 year after the Master System. Is it the graphics? Nothing about the NES or SMS's graphics are 8-bit.
I'm saying it's pedantic because it's focusing on specific technical details (that the TG16 had an 8-bit CPU, though it does have a pair of 16-bit GPUs which for gaming hardware tend to matter far more anyway) rather than the seeming intent of the question (NES/SMS RPGs if not early RPGs in general.) If we were talking about earlier TG16 games there's something to be said because they'd likely be far closer to NES/SMS RPGs than SNES/Genesis ones anyway, and PC RPGs need something harder in lieu of discrete consoles... but The Legend of Xanadu games specifically came out in 1994 and 1995, not only knee deep in the 16-bit era and looking the part but in the years the PS1 and SS came out across the globe. And whatever you want to classify the TG16 as it's undeniably far ahead of the NES/SMS, doubly so with the CD attachment, so again it's like trying to boast Xbox released FPSes in response to "what is the best 32-bit FPS?" when the intent of such a question would typically be about what PS1/Saturn/maybe N64 FPS is best, even if the last one is a 64-bit system while PCs went with 32-bit processors and OSes for a long, long time that we're STILL not fully out of for some reason.

Actually now that I double check things the Dreamcast would probably be a far more fitting modern(-ish) analogy if it lasted as long as the TG16 did, it even came out about as far ahead of the PS2/GC/Xbox as the TG16 did its contemporaries. Though the TG16 had at least a few upgrades (CD and an upgrade to that) which actually caught on so that period in gaming was all kinds of weird anyway.
 

Krelian

Member
Is there a legit way of playing Phantasy Star 1 these days? I don't think it was every ported to my knowledge :(

I remember playing PS2 through 4 multiple times but outside of the original Master System itself, I've never replayed PS1.
There's the Phantasy Star Complete Collection on Japanese PSN. It's a bit tricky to buy it but it's possible. The mainline games in the collection have English text options.
 

Krejlooc

Banned
I'm saying it's pedantic because it's focusing on specific technical details (that the TG16 had an 8-bit CPU, though it does have a pair of 16-bit GPUs which for gaming hardware tend to matter far more anyway) rather than the seeming intent of the question (NES/SMS RPGs if not early RPGs in general.) If we were talking about earlier TG16 games there's something to be said because they'd likely be far closer to NES/SMS RPGs than SNES/Genesis ones anyway, and PC RPGs need something harder in lieu of discrete consoles... but The Legend of Xanadu games specifically came out in 1994 and 1995, not only knee deep in the 16-bit era and looking the part but in the years the PS1 and SS came out across the globe. And whatever you want to classify the TG16 as it's undeniably far ahead of the NES/SMS, doubly so with the CD attachment, so again it's like trying to boast Xbox released FPSes in response to "what is the best 32-bit FPS?" when the intent of such a question would typically be about what PS1/Saturn/maybe N64 FPS is best, even if the last one is a 64-bit system while PCs went with 32-bit processors and OSes for a long, long time that we're STILL not fully out of for some reason.

Actually now that I double check things the Dreamcast would probably be a far more fitting modern(-ish) analogy if it lasted as long as the TG16 did, it even came out about as far ahead of the PS2/GC/Xbox as the TG16 did its contemporaries. Though the TG16 had at least a few upgrades (CD and an upgrade to that) which actually caught on so that period in gaming was all kinds of weird anyway.

And yet, one of the most popular answers in this topic was released in 1992, just 2 years prior to the games you have contention with. Further, since you seem to define the 8-bit era as the SMS/NES era, what of, say, the C64 or Atari 8-bit?

The OP defined the perimeters of the discussion, people have abided by them. Your sound like you're upset that people are listing consoles that you personally didn't consider, when they are perfectly valid responses.
 
Alternate Reality: The City (8-bit Atari version). It was largely based on random encounters, which made it hard as you never knew what was just around the corner, but the various monsters/enemies had a lot of character and encounters were always memorable. It was kind of an adaptation of 3D maze games. Iconic stats selection at the start, incredible music throughout along with bar songs, and a fascinating world. Originally intended to the first part of a series of interconnecting games, but only the first two were ever completed. There are areas which lead to the unreleased games and ask you to insert the disk for them.
 

kunonabi

Member
Phantasy Star for me. I might have actually loved rpgs prior to the SNES had I played it instead of Final Fantasy and Ultima which soured me on the genre for the entire 8-bit era.
 
Best from back in the day (B&W): Final Fantasy Adventure (Seiken Denstetsu 1) I love this game. it is probably the reason why I still have a GBA, just so I can play it. If square starts releasing their GB back catalog on 3DS VC I am all about it.

Best from back in the day (Color): Crystalis. SO GOOD! I still have fun with it, and the remake on Gameboy color is not the same at all (especially since the end dungeons are backwards and the ending is completely changed and the GBC music is terrible). I will admit October 1, 1997. I was only 12 but I had stuff ready if the end of the world happened.
 
pPn9a3V.jpg


This is Chrono Trigger before Chrono Trigger was Chrono Trigger. It did most of the gameplay mechanics in 8 bit. Also has mechanics no other RPG has.
 

Zekes!

Member
Confession time: Phantasy Star Online is like a top 5 game to me, but as a kid I never liked the original Phantasy Star games. I've tried to go back to them as an adult, but still can't get in to them
 

sörine

Banned
And yet, one of the most popular answers in this topic was released in 1992, just 2 years prior to the games you have contention with. Further, since you seem to define the 8-bit era as the SMS/NES era, what of, say, the C64 or Atari 8-bit?

The OP defined the perimeters of the discussion, people have abided by them. Your sound like you're upset that people are listing consoles that you personally didn't consider, when they are perfectly valid responses.
I feel like the lens also distorts for western versus eastern viewpoints in this case. In America TG16 was seen squarely as a competitor to Genesis and SNES but back in Japan the PCE was a rival to chiefly the Famicom.
 

Vandole

Member
pPn9a3V.jpg


This is Chrono Trigger before Chrono Trigger was Chrono Trigger. It did most of the gameplay mechanics in 8 bit. Also has mechanics no other RPG has.

Winner! Time travel, class changes, a dozen team members, and a terrible translation make this the ultimatel 8 bit RPG.
 
dragon quest 3 easily, at least from the gameplay pov. The GBC remake is fantastic.

also, if it counts, Sweet Home.

otherwise, mother & Ys I & II. Phantasy Star dungeons were annoying even back in the day, the only phantasy star that i liked at the time was IV.
 

fester

Banned
I'm glad to see the NES version of Ultima IV being mentioned because it really surprised me back at the time. Ultima diehards may complain, but I really prefer it to the original PC version.
 

Sojiro

Member
The NES version of Ultima 4 is pretty great as was the NES port of Might & Magic 1.

But presumably since this is GAF you want a JRPG, which on is undeniably Dragon Quest 4.

My man! I loved the first M&M on the NES, really solid game. Best one overall, I would lean toward Dragon Quest III, but M&M isn't too far off imo. Phantasy Star I admit was pretty damn ahead of its time, but I think starting with IV (first time I ever got in the series) it was way to hard for me to get into the older ones. I didn't think III was too bad, but really had a hard time getting into I and II, making maps definitely was a turn off for me when I last tried the first one. Maybe one of these days I should give it a second chance, but I don't know if I would honestly have a better impression.
 

chemicals

Member
I absolutely LOVE the first Final Fantasy! Can't even imagine how many times I've played through it on various consoles. The GBA version is my personal fave.
 
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