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[Drilbit777]

Definitely the PS2, it was the golden age of RPGs where Japanese devs were just putting everything on it and didn't have to worry so much about high costs. Not to mention it had the huge userbase.

 

[Durante]

nice thread, but its definitely based on the age of the player, mine for example is SNES era, but i know a lot of guys younger than me that would choose ps2 in a blink

I said this before, but I'm probably older than you and still chose PS2

It had the quality, the experimentation, and the quantity.

(Edit: though again, I should mention that this is obviously about the golden age for JRPGs. In fact, the later years of PS2 when some of its best JRPGs were released were also some of the worst for CRPGs)

 

[Dark_castle]

FF9 is so sloooooww. It would be improved massively by speeding up the battle startup/ending and animations by a factor of 10.

That's true. If one has an okay pc, I'll recommend using emulator with frame skipping instead.

 

[Morrigan Stark]

Man you owed it to yourself to give the game another shot one of these days. It's easily available now on PSN. Every classic JRPG fans need to play it. While I'm at it, I'd highly recommend you to try Grandia as well, if you've never played it before as well.

Yeah I'm sure I'd probably like it, or at least a lot more than FF8 lol. I am uncomfortable giving money to Squeenix lately though, plus, it's never discounted at a level I care for.

Edit: forgot about Grandia. I also rented that back in the day, got really turned off by the kiddie characters and barely played it. Maybe I should have given it more of a chance... I don't know. I did add Grandia II on my wishlist on Steam, though. It's supposed to be improved in every major aspect, right?

FF9 is so sloooooww. It would be improved massively by speeding up the battle startup/ending and animations by a factor of 10.

This also worries me. If it's slower than JRPGs of the same period, I might not have that patience anymore...

 

[ColdPizza]

Was SNES for me personally... FFIV, FFVI, Chrono Trigger

 

[autoduelist]

Golden era of RPGs? PC, clearly.

 

[Lothar]

Yeah I'm sure I'd probably like it, or at least a lot more than FF8 lol. I am uncomfortable giving money to Squeenix lately though, plus, it's never discounted at a level I care for.


This also worries me. If it's slower than JRPGs of the same period, I might not have that patience anymore...

It's not just slower, it's the slowest. I replayed it earlier this year. Others would disagree but I don't recommend it. It's not one of the better PS1 games I've played this year. I found both Suikodens and both of the Lunars on PS1 to be far more enjoyable.

Grandia was going good for awhile but the magic animations take a long time. Now close to the end of the game, I'm finding the random battles to be almost as annoying as they were in FF9. The story also in the second half is nowhere near as good as it was in the first half. (FF9 had the same problem. Both stories start to become too serious and become less about the fun character interaction as you go on)

 

[Sheriff_Battlesnake]

The golden era or my golden era? SNES games hold up best of all.

 

[Square2015]

OP how dare you!? That's what, 1/4th of the SNES list?
Thanks to repro carts and fan translations we get much of the remaining, the SNES shouldn't be compared against others until these greats are included:

Dragon Quest VI
Secret of Mana 2 / SD3
Romancing SaGa 3
Dragon Quest V
Shin Megami Tensei II
Final Fantasy V
Dragon Quest III Remix
Shin Megami Tensei I
Ys V
Treasure Hunter-G
Front Mission
Bahamut Lagoon
Live-A-Live
Romancing SaGa 1
BS Radical Dreamers
Fire Emblem: crusade lineage
Fire Emblem: mystery of the emblem
Fire Emblem 776
Terranigma
Robotrek
Metal Max Returns
Treasure of the Rudras
Arcana
Gun Hazard
BS Zelda: Ancient Stone Tablets
BS Legend of Zelda Remix
Megami Tensei I.II: old testament
Lennus 2
Lufia II
Dragon Quest I.II Remix
Star Ocean
Illusion of Gaia
Burning Heroes
Dual Orb II
Mystic Ark
Soul Blazer
Tactics Ogre
Ys IV
E.V.O.


yet to translate:
Romancing SaGa 2
Shin Megami Tensei if…
Tengai Makyou
Last Bible III
Traverse
Marvelous
Super Famicom Wars

 

[bakedpony]

SMT 3 Nocturne
Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2
Devil Summoner Raidou 1 and 2
Persona 3 and 4
Dragon Quest VIII
Final Fantasy X X-2 XI XII
Dark Cloud 1 and 2
Suikoden 3 and 5 (4 sucks)
Suikoden Tierkreis
Wild Arms 3 4 5
YS VI
Drakengard 1 and 2
Mana Khemia
Ar Tonelico 1 and 2
Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories
Xenosaga 1 2 3
Star Ocean 3
Breath of Fire V
Tales of the Abyss, Legendia
.hack 1 2 3 4
Atelier Iris 1 2 3
Shadow Hearts 1 and 2 (3 sucks)

Then there's the obscure ones like
Dual Hearts
Steambot Chronicles
Okage
Megaman X Command Mission
Romancing Saga


JRPGS were on a roll on the ps2

 

[Square2015]

SMT 3 Nocturne
Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2
Devil Summoner Raidou 1 and 2
Persona 3 and 4
Dragon Quest VIII
Final Fantasy X X-2 XI XII
Dark Cloud 1 and 2
Suikoden 3 and 5 (4 sucks)
Suikoden Tierkreis
Wild Arms 3 4 5
YS VI
Drakengard 1 and 2
Mana Khemia
Ar Tonelico 1 and 2
Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2
Kingdom Hearts Chain of Memories
Xenosaga 1 2 3
Star Ocean 3
Breath of Fire V
Tales of the Abyss, Legendia
.hack 1 2 3 4
Atelier Iris 1 2 3
Shadow Hearts 1 and 2 (3 sucks)

Then there's the obscure ones like
Dual Hearts
Steambot Chronicles
Okage
Megaman X Command Mission
Romancing Saga


JRPGS were on a roll on the ps2

I actually missed out on many of these (excluding FF, DQ, Persona, SO3) and need to go back and try 'em, if you've played these can you rank / rate them?

 

[RPGam3r]

PS1 was the best years of JRPG for me by far. Games not even listed in the OP like Vagrant Story and Parasite Eve, along wonderful games like Xenogears, FF 7-9, FFT, BoF 3 & 4, Chrono Cross, Suikoden I & II and many more, just so good.

The SNES was great but many great titles never made it stateside so it automatically takes a hit for that. Only years later did I discover the gems that got lost in Japan.

The PS2 was really good too, albeit at the cost of so many of my favorites. Xenosaga never stood at the level of Xenogears for me. Dragon Quarter was fine but is hardly a BoF game. FF had great entries but also saw the weird inclusion of a MMO which still bugs me. SE essentially forgot how to make games that weren't FF, DQ, or KH at this time.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

PS1. Square was just on fire, and there was just a lot more to go around here in the states on the PS1 than what the SNES offered. Even Konami managed to get out one of the best games jrpgs, and games in general, ever.

 

[Sheroking]

I don't know. I kind of blend SNES and PS1 together as the Squaresoft heyday. They were untouchable from like 94-99.

I like a lot of PS2 RPGs, but if I were to list my favorite JRPGS of all time - I think I'd have like 10 games from the other two systems before I hit a single PS2 game.

 

[JimJamJones]

Gotta be PS2, then SNES.

Also, Zelda is an RPG now?

 

[encephalon]

When you reduce PS1 vs. PS2 to JRPG comparisons it becomes a harder choice. Maybe it'd be easier to break it down. I don't want to create a bloated lengthy post no one will read, but considering: VP1 vs. VP2, SO2 vs. SO3*, FM2 and 3 vs. FM4 and 5, FFVII, VIII and IX vs. X and XII, Xenogears vs. Xenosaga Ep's I, II and III, Suikoden II* vs. III, IV and V, P2 IS and EP vs. 3* and 4 as well as the existence of games that didn't receive follow ups ... I'm inclined to give it to PS1, but it's close. I gave Final Fantasy to PS1 and the Xeno pseudo-series to PS2.

*Haven't played other titles in the series or haven't completed a title.

 

[Grim Patron]

PS1 even though the PS2 has 3 of my favourite RPGs of all time (P4, P3, FFX)

 

[brettski2024]

N64 for me! I kid.

SNES has too many awesome memories for me all around. It was a magical time to be in elementary/middle school with SNES at its heyday.

Earthbound, Chrono Trigger, Mana, FF6 (3) are GOATs

PS1 would be second place for me but really only FF7, Grandia, Lunar SSSC, FF9 stand out. I bought more rpgs then but didn't enjoy them as much.. I still have unopened copies of Thousand Arms and Eternal Blue.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Almost nothing in the OP classifies as an actual RPG to me, but I'm also a snobby tabletop elitist. For JRPGs though PS1 is my more memorable console.

Spoiler

PC is the real system for closer to actual RPG.

 

[cartman414]

Lack of The World Ends With You and Etrian Odyssey trilogy stands out like a sore thumb.

 

[RayearthRob]

SNES.

And there is:

Terranigma, sailor Moon Another Story, Rayearth...

Gotta be PS2, then SNES.

Also, Zelda is an RPG now?

Well, if Link can be a girl, why can't zelda be an RPG???

Spoiler

ahahah just kidding

 

[Raylan]

It is CLEARLY the PS1 era. So many classics..... unbelievable!

 

[manueldelalas]

If we include japanese only games, Snes (Tales of Phantasia, Star Ocean, Dragon Quest 5 and 6, etc).

In the west, the golden era is clearly the PS1, although I prefer the Snes games because they had all the filler cut out. Seems to me that with CDs, developers didn't feel the need to cut content in order to fill the disc, so there is A TON of crap in those games. You can see this clearly in games of the same series being 15-20 hours in Snes, and 40-100 hours on PS1 (eugh!).

 

[Saven]

PS1 for me. I never had a SNES so I missed out on a great load of RPGs and I'm still catching up to them. SNES had some great RPGs, but I'm more partial to the PS1 and 4 RPGs from that console (FFVII, Xenogears, FFIX, and LoD) are in my Top 10 Games of All Time list.

 

[leroidys]

Between the voice acting, gimmicks, tropes, loading times, and graphics, I'd have to say definitely not the PS1 era, unless you were there at the time. I find SNES JRPGs to be much more focused and well made, and PS2 RPGs to be much more successful at experimenting. Personally, I enjoyed PS2-era the most here, especially if we're counting other consoles, like the GC, DC, and GBA.

EDIT: guess I'll add some games to back up my choice. These are just games I've played, there's a ton still in my backlog from the era that look great.

PS2

Final Fantasy XII
Breath of Fire Dragon Quarter
Suikoden III
Suikoden V
SMT Nocturne
SMT DDS 1 & 2
Devil Summoner 2 & 3
Persona 3
Persona 4
Valkyrie Profile 2

GC
Baten Kaitos 1 & 2
Paper Mario TTYD
Fire Emblem PoR

DC
Skies of Arcadia
Grandia II
PSO

GBA
Mario & Luigi SSS
Boktai 1-3
Fire Emblem 6-8
The entire Mega Man Battle Network series
FFTA

 

[ROMhack]

PS1 for me. SNES RPGs feel a bit basic and the PS2 ended up ruining a lot with inclusion of crappy voice actors.

PS1 was like a perfect storm. Text dialogue, great music, and nice enough graphics.

 

[Digity]

Ps1 easy.

 

[johntown]

PS1 for me! IMO the generation that started it all. Sure SNES has a few good ones but the PS1 age is the best.

PS2 was good too but I still prefer PS1 classics over it.

 

[Spukc]

snes so much idiots in this thread dear lord

wtf is it today with necrobumps ?

 

[TGO]

There something special about the PSX era RPGs, so I have to say PSX follow by PS2 simply because Persona 3 & 4

oh and you missed a few ones on the PSX list like Parasite Eve (maybe not considered RPGs) don't know.

 

[ultrazilla]

Super Nintendo Super Famicom
Man I gotta go with the OG Super Nintendo RPGs. Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy III, Secret of Mana, Breath of Fire 1 and 2, Illusion of Gaia, Secret of Evermore, Actraiser and the many others...

 

[alabtrosMyster]

I vote for the Sega Master System because of Phantasy Star.

Nothing else is needed

I would give the PlayStation a strong second place, then the SNES... After the ps1 I could never care for JRPGs, and I never cared for wrpgs, so I have been sad for a long time now.

 

[Freedom Gate Co.]

Why are you guys bumping a Jrpg thread from 2015?

 

[ROMhack]

snes so much idiots in this thread dear lord

wtf is it today with necrobumps ?

Saw your comment about the necrobump in the other thread and wondered if I could lure you in.

Heh heh how does it feel to have entered my wicked web

 

[Lionel Richie]

SNES.

 

[TeddyShardik]

SNES, no question.

It's not even a hard choice to make.

 

[Sentenza]

It was the '90s on PC.
Fuck all this weeb shit.

 

[FMXVII]

If we go the whole "3DS×DS catalog" route, then:

Still SNES at the topic, edging it out for sheer innovation and nostalgia.

So if the SNES is a 10, then the 3DS+DS is a solid 9~9.5.

The PS2 gets the nod for 3rd place... 8~8.5.

The PS1 doesn't even get to claim Lunar. So it has what - FFT, and SotN, and FF9 with all its technical issues, and the two worst FFs not dubbed 13? Yeah.

PS1 is last place, with a 4.5~5.

 

[Rean no Kiseki]

PS2>PS1>PSP=NDS/3DS>SNES.
PS2 when the genre was on fire and every console had to have a killer JRPG to compete, personally i cant go back to SNES JRPGs i get bored of them quickly.
On a final note Chrono Cross> Chrono Trigger.
See Ya don't @ me.

 

[Garnox]

PS1

 

[Berserking Guts]

For me it was the PS1. Games like FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, Xenogears, Suikoden 2, Chrono Cross, and Parasite Eve made that genre my favorite for years. The SNES is a close close second though with games like Chrono Trigger, FFVI, Terranigma, Mario RPG, and Zelda.

PS2 was for FFX. I didn't play any other RPGs on it.

 

[synchronicity]

PS1 for me. SNES RPGs feel a bit basic and the PS2 ended up ruining a lot with inclusion of crappy voice actors.

PS1 was like a perfect storm. Text dialogue, great music, and nice enough graphics.

I'm so sensitive to voice acting that in almost all cases I feel games are better without voice work. There are a few exceptions, and I'm able to tolerate it in other instances, but it almost always detracts rather than adds to the experience for me.

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

SNES, without question, because it is a slice of RPG history to which we will never return. Most of my favorite PS2 RPGs have already gotten superior sequels on subsequent systems (lol) but SNES is a snapshot of when 16-bit RPGs were a AAA affair, not some indie retro-inspired thing. The music, the quirks and nuances, the weirdness... You could tell they were trying to be trendsetters, whereas modern RPGs keep attempting (usually in vain) to recapture what the SNES RPGs were doing. Their simplicity was their strength, before the genre became overburdened by too-realistic gameplay mechanics and overly-complicated stories.

 

[cireza]

RPGs and Aventure games were on Sega consoles as far as I am concerned. I live in Europe, and Sega showed a very strong support for the genre here during the MegaDrive era, while Nintendo, Square-Soft and Enix were extremely lacking.

So the reality here is that you actually had as much (or even more ?) adventure/RPG games on MegaDrive, and some pretty great ones were translated in several languages as well.

Then the Saturn felt like the normal continuation of this trend, with again some pretty great games released in Europe. However everything remained in English.

Here is a quick list of games I grew up with :

MegaDrive :
Phantasy 2/3/4
Shining Force 1/2
Landstalker (French)
Soleil (French)
Light Crusader (French)
Légende de Thor (French)

Saturn :
Mystaria
Dark Savior
Dragon Force
Shining the Holy Ark
Panzer Dragoon Saga
Shining Force III

Discovered later that the Sega CD was pretty great as well :
Lunar
Lunar Eternal Blue
Shining Force CD
Dark Wizard
Snatcher
Dune

Not citing less obvious games, but there were many, although they were not as good as these ones.

Because I grew up with Sega RPGs, Square-Enix games never really resonated with me. They were actually made very differently than Sega's games. In Sega's games everything is well balanced and never goes to stupid heights or absurdly unfair levels. Square-Enix games however are filled with difficulty spikes and enemies that can instant kill your characters or team, and this is absolutely not fun to me. Also on SNES, the way they made their backgrounds is extremely difficult to read and often you don't even see that there are doors or a passageway somewhere. Always hated the look of these.

I still enjoyed quite a lot Secret of Mana, Seiken 3, Final Fantasy V and Chrono Trigger.

 

[anthraticus]

Obviously computers had the best, but at least the pre PS era had some more cRPGs and not just weeb shit.

 

[Closer]

SNES>DS=PS1>PS2 for me. You can't go wrong with any of those platforms, but that's how I feel. (The ones with Chrono Trigger are the first ones lol)

 

[ROMhack]

I'm so sensitive to voice acting that in almost all cases I feel games are better without voice work. There are a few exceptions, and I'm able to tolerate it in other instances, but it almost always detracts rather than adds to the experience for me.

Same. It's harder for me to enjoy RPGs when it feels too much like a shonen anime.

Looking at you Tales Of... games.

 

[Z..]

There's no break in between these eras... all 3 of them together are the "golden era".

 

[10000]

PS1 and its no contest

 

[Gargus]

I'd say SNES and genesis era had the best RPGs on the whole.