Intro to the Genre

[MrPopo]

I would recommend what was a lot of peoples first rpg and for shame for noone beating me to it.....Final Fantasy 7

No! Bad! We don't want him tainted like the others who had it as their first. He needs a good 2D RPG as his introduction.

[the7k]

Yeah, I also think that Mario RPG is possibly the best 'first RPG' you can get. It's great, fun and easy to learn. After that, I'd say another really easy to get into RPG would be Chrono Trigger. If Chrono Trigger doesn't get you into JRPGs, then I honestly think nothing will.

As much as I love the Shin Megami Tensei series, I just can't recommend it to someone who is just getting into the genre. It'd be like having a high-level Street Fighter III tourney be your intro to fighting games.

[Pingfa]

Final Fantasy VII

*runs*

Seriously, though, FFVII was my first RPG, and I thoroughly enjoyed it without having heard or read any hype about it. I don't know how well it would go down today, though.

Surely Chrono Trigger would be a great choice for a first RPG. Fourteen endings!

[Funk, E]

Now, there's a lot of fine gradations here, sir. You want turn-based or real-time? Party-based or hero-based? Japanese-style adventure-RPG or Western cRPG? The list goes on.

[RadarScope1]

Wow, a blank slate. With the hardware you own, you could play some of the best. But this is a tough decision without knowing a little more. If you haven't played them because the idea of picking options out of a menu doesn't appeal to you as gameplay, then I would think a game like Secret of Mana would be a great place to start. It plays like Zelda but with heavier RPG and story elements.

If you want to go for a great 2D RPG, I'd agree with FF5 on GBA as a suggestion. Chrono Trigger is great and all, but compared to today's standards the story is rather thin at first and I'm not sure it would hold your attention.

I also agree that Super Mario RPG is a great place to start. It's not as involved as some RPGs, it's light-hearted and it moves quickly. You could probably beat it inside of a week easily.

If you want to avoid the orcs and elves and magic, and go with some more sci-fi (and modern) then KOTOR 1 is probably the best choice.

[fox099]

Super Mario RPG is not only a fantastic starter, but also one of the best RPGs ever, period.

[blaix]

Yeah, I also think that Mario RPG is possibly the best 'first RPG' you can get. It's great, fun and easy to learn. After that, I'd say another really easy to get into RPG would be Chrono Trigger. If Chrono Trigger doesn't get you into JRPGs, then I honestly think nothing will.

As much as I love the Shin Megami Tensei series, I just can't recommend it to someone who is just getting into the genre. It'd be like having a high-level Street Fighter III tourney be your intro to fighting games.

Agreed on both counts. I think there is a danger of this turning into "what is your favorite rpg" instead of "what is the best introduction to the genre".

[dlmvii]

I think Lunar Silver Star Story for the PS1 would be a great introduction...it's simple, has a charming story, and is also AWESOME. If pirating isn't an option, it can be rather expensive, however.

[emwearz]

I oddly enough got a friend of mine into RPG's by first giving him Ratchet and Clank which he liked getting new gadgets and what not. Recently I got him hooked on Prototype by saying its similar in terms of getting upgrades. He just recently started playing FFVIII (My fav RPG) and he seems to be enjoying it.

I would say FFVIII, It has a simple leveling up system, its a pretty easy game that is very story driven and it set in a modern world. While its on the PS1 im pretty sure you should be able to emulate it. For Xbox KOTOR is well worth it, epicly great.

[MrPopo]

I think Lunar Silver Star Story for the PS1 would be a great introduction...it's simple, has a charming story, and is also AWESOME. If pirating isn't an option, it can be rather expensive, however.

I'm going to disagree. SSSC is good, but it can be brutal in the beginning. I would generally encourage people to try RPGs that don't kick their ass in the standard encounters.