How Is Your SNES Gaming Going?

[BoneSnapDeez]

It's not. The Japanese developers and publishers just have a broader definition of the term. Many fantasy games are labeled as RPGs even if the actual leveling and stat elements are extremely light or even nonexistent.

The genre is also reeeeally popular over there, so I'd bet that the "RPG" label could be used as a selling point. You see games that we'd call "beat 'em ups with RPG elements" and the like advertised as "RPGs" in Japan.

[Exhuminator]

Maybe it was a translation error?

I doubt it, he's claimed Zelda is an RPG multiple times through more than one translator. Pretty sure the man means it.

[Ziggy]

Not to hammer away at the old debate, but, I can see why so many people hate labeling Zelda as an RPG. At least, I see where they're coming from. It's not like a JRPG like Final Fantasy, etc. But would anyone argue if you called it an action-RPG? I wouldn't. Either way, it's semantics.

[Exhuminator]

Can we all agree that at least Zelda II is an action-RPG?

[prfsnl_gmr]

Can we all agree that at least Zelda II is an action-RPG?

Yes.

[MrPopo]

Can we all agree that at least Zelda II is an action-RPG?

Yes.

Definitely.

[strangenova]

It is funny to me that every time someone refers to a game as a "Zelda clone" it is an action rpg

[nightrnr]

I've always referred to Zelda as an Action-RPG.
I blame publications of the day, they started it.

...
But also, I like it for pretty much the same reasons as what is more generally accepted as Action-RPG (IMO, you can't call Crystalis and Secret of Mana ARPG's and not Zelda, for example).

I also think a "compound genre" can contain different characteristics than the 2 words describing them (I have no other examples at the moment).

Take my opinions with salt as needed though; I consider Super Smash Bros and Power Stone to be Fighting Games. I know that is a whole other controversy (and doesn't fit in the topic).

[BoneSnapDeez]

It is funny to me that every time someone refers to a game as a "Zelda clone" it is an action rpg

Haha, yeah.

I've gone balls-deep into the retro ARPG scene. There are actually way more "Ys clones" than "Zelda clones" though the vast majority stayed in Japan.

[ExedExes]

Thanks to Exhuminator's love for Assault Suits Valken, I was able to spot a very nice copy of Cybernator in the wild at the flea market today, at a very good price (well below VGPC average). I know the JP version is better but to have this game finally is nice too.