What Constitutes an RPG

[AppleQueso]

Adventure games:Zelda, Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Colossus, Beyond Good and Evil, Ico, Primal

RPGS:Final Fantasy, Grandia, Shin Megami Tensei series, Shadow Hearts, Legend of Dragoon

I see Zelda as having much more in common with Final Fantasy than with Tomb Raider or Prince of Persia.

...such as?

[MrPopo]

The question that I have - why do people care so much about defining the term? What's at stake here?

Have you forgotton? The internet is serious business.

[pepharytheworm]

I am glad someone else had the balls to say Zelda is an rpg to them besides myself, and not worry what others think of them.

To everyone else, could you please name every JRPG that came out before Zelda? Final Fantasy was December 18 1987, 1990 US and Dragon Warrior May 27 1986, 1989 US. I still can't believe people don't at least think Zelda inspired other RPGs

@Gamerforlife

RPGS:Final Fantasy, Grandia, Shin Megami Tensei series, Shadow Hearts, Legend of Dragoon

I noticed you didn't list any western style rpgs in your quick rpg list. Do you not consider them rpgs?

[pepharytheworm]

Adventure games:Zelda, Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Colossus, Beyond Good and Evil, Ico, Primal

RPGS:Final Fantasy, Grandia, Shin Megami Tensei series, Shadow Hearts, Legend of Dragoon

I see Zelda as having much more in common with Final Fantasy than with Tomb Raider or Prince of Persia.

...such as?

Read JT's funny list again which dsheinem already mentioned.

[Gamerforlife]

Adventure games:Zelda, Prince of Persia, Tomb Raider, Shadow of the Colossus, Beyond Good and Evil, Ico, Primal

RPGS:Final Fantasy, Grandia, Shin Megami Tensei series, Shadow Hearts, Legend of Dragoon

I see Zelda as having much more in common with Final Fantasy than with Tomb Raider or Prince of Persia.

...such as?

Right there with you

Ok, let's tackle this

Tomb Raider/Prince of persia/Primal/Ico-Puzzle solving mixed with some real time combat
Zelda-Puzzle solving mixed with some real time combat

Final Fantasy-Zero puzzling solving(I'm talking REAL puzzles here people, not find item and open door bullshit)
Final Fantasy-zero real time combat

Final Fantasy-stats and levelling
Zelda-zero stats and levelling

Final Fantasy-HOURS of dialogue and cutscenes
Zelda-Some pathetic barely there storyline that usually always amounts to Link saves Zelda and kills Ganon

Final Fantasy-3-4 character party
Zelda-One character

Do I really have to continue? Even a quick wikipedia search on all these games proves Zelda is NOT an rpg. You can google the topic and see extensive articles people have written PROVING Zelda is not an rpg. Look on Gamefaqs, Zelda is not even categorized as an rpg and you won't find Zelda games if you search under rpg.

Yes, Zelda DOES have some rpg elements, but that doesn't MAKE IT an rpg. Is Ratchet and Clank an rpg just because you can level up weapons? Is Devil May Cry an rpg because you can upgrade Dante? This is why I hate topics like this, because unless you make SPECIFIC criteria for every genre, you can basically just stick any game in any genre you want, which makes even HAVING genres pointless

[AppleQueso]

I am glad someone else had the balls to say Zelda is an rpg to them besides myself, and not worry what others think of them.

To everyone else, could you please name every JRPG that came out before Zelda? Final Fantasy was December 18 1987, 1990 US and Dragon Warrior May 27 1986, 1989 US. I still can't believe people don't at least think Zelda inspired other RPGs

Well if you could provide examples of rpgs which have drawn obvious inspiration from the Zelda series then maybe we'd actually get somewhere.

[MrPopo]

I am glad someone else had the balls to say Zelda is an rpg to them besides myself, and not worry what others think of them.

To everyone else, could you please name every JRPG that came out before Zelda? Final Fantasy was December 18 1987, 1990 US and Dragon Warrior May 27 1986, 1989 US. I still can't believe people don't at least think Zelda inspired other RPGs

Well if you could provide examples of rpgs which have drawn obvious inspiration from the Zelda series then maybe we'd actually get somewhere.

Seiken Densetsu series. That said, they took the Zelda action and added more RPG elements, like leveling, party members (even the first had a companion), and a stronger narrative.

[pepharytheworm]

Well if you could provide examples of rpgs which have drawn obvious inspiration from the Zelda series then maybe we'd actually get somewhere.

Ok I guess I have to assume you never played a Zelda game.

1 Quest is to long to not be able to save.
2. Top down View.
3. Fantasy/medievel setting
4. Dungeon exploring
5. Side quest
6. Visting peoples houses or towns.
8. Talking to said people.
7. Potions and equipment can be purchased or found.
9. Progressing through the game you become stronger (you could skip the hearts though)
10. Items hidden in objects ex: jars, grass, barrels, rocks
11. Money and items can be gotten from defeated enemies
12. Secret passages and entrances.
13. No jump button
14. Inventory screen
15. Humongus super powered boss fights. (I can't think of super large bosses before Zelda)
16. Puzzle solving to complete dungeon
17. No levels or stages to progress
18. Non-linear to an extent
19. Has magic power that drains with use.
20. Overworld
21. Must talk to people to figure out what to do next
22. Dungeons hide useful tools, that help to finish said dungeon
23. Second quest after finishing game
24. Naming your character
25. Quests for normal progression
26. Chests
27. Go into peoples houses uninvited
28. No one questions why you are in their house
29. You can steal peoples stuff in their house or break things
30. Healing and magic restoring items
31. Place you can go to heal (I don't rememeber if the first zelda had this but others did)
32. Quest progression screen

Alright, I haven't played the First game in a long time but thats all I remember. Now all you have to do is think of all the rpgs that came after and took some of these elements.

[AppleQueso]

I certainly hope you don't actually believe that Zelda pioneered all that.

[Lusit]

Well if you could provide examples of rpgs which have drawn obvious inspiration from the Zelda series then maybe we'd actually get somewhere.

Ok I guess I have to assume you never played a Zelda game.

1 Quest is to long to not be able to save.
2. Top down View.
3. Fantasy/medievel setting
4. Dungeon exploring
5. Side quest
6. Visting peoples houses or towns.
8. Talking to said people.
7. Potions and equipment can be purchased or found.
9. Progressing through the game you become stronger (you could skip the hearts though)
10. Items hidden in objects ex: jars, grass, barrels, rocks
11. Money and items can be gotten from defeated enemies
12. Secret passages and entrances.
13. No jump button
14. Inventory screen
15. Humongus super powered boss fights. (I can't think of super large bosses before Zelda)
16. Puzzle solving to complete dungeon
17. No levels or stages to progress
18. Non-linear to an extent
19. Has magic power that drains with use.
20. Overworld
21. Must talk to people to figure out what to do next
22. Dungeons hide useful tools, that help to finish said dungeon
23. Second quest after finishing game
24. Naming your character
25. Quests for normal progression
26. Chests
27. Go into peoples houses uninvited
28. No one questions why you are in their house
29. You can steal peoples stuff in their house or break things
30. Healing and magic restoring items
31. Place you can go to heal (I don't rememeber if the first zelda had this but others did)
32. Quest progression screen

Alright, I haven't played the First game in a long time but thats all I remember. Now all you have to do is think of all the rpgs that came after and took some of these elements.

Zelda did not inspire other RPGs. JRPGs were inspired by early western RPGs such as Ultima, Might and Magic, and Bard's Tale which were, in turn, inspired by table top RPGs such as Dungeons and Dragons.

I'd even go as far to say Zelda was inspired by early Western RPGs.