Together RPG - Action RPG - Crystalis 11/11-1/11/14

[Opa Opa]

I'll be playing on the Game Boy. I don't play NES games anymore.

And thank goodness Popful Mail didn't win! My Sega CD doesn't even work anymore.

[Raiiban]

Kinda disappointed Crystalis won, I've never even heard of it before this poll. I suppose I'll at least give it a shot on an emulator to see if it's any good.

[o.pwuaioc]

Kinda disappointed Crystalis won, I've never even heard of it before this poll. I suppose I'll at least give it a shot on an emulator to see if it's any good.

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/nintendo ... -nes-games

[MrPopo]

Kinda disappointed Crystalis won, I've never even heard of it before this poll. I suppose I'll at least give it a shot on an emulator to see if it's any good.

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/nintendo ... -nes-games

It's a criminally underlooked game that set the style for action RPGs.

[pierrot]

Fortunately, I've really been wanting to add Crystalis to my collection for a while. Unfortunately, I don't own it. If anyone has an extra NES copy that he'd be willing to let go of for $5-7 shipped, let me know.


Now that everything's decided, I need to complain a little more, though. I feel the wikipedia article on action-RPGs presents a misguided perception of the sub-genre. I would characterize an action RPG as typically involving a single, player controlled, main character (with potentially one or two AI controlled assistant characters) where adventure and battle sequences take place in the same free-roaming environments. As such, typically health and magic capacity (where applicable) are always visible, as the threat of potentially battling is almost never relieved.

I would characterize Valkyrie Profile, Tales, et al, as JRPGs with real-time, action battle sequences; not action-RPGs.

Key omissions I would have liked to see represented: Monster World Series, Thor/Oasis series, Seiken Densetsu/Mana series, Threads of Fate, Sylvan Tale, Centy, Vanillaware games (with some exceptions) etc.

Inevitably it's of little consequence, but maybe for next time, I'd like for these discrepancies to be considered a bit more.

[Jmustang1968]

Fortunately, I've really been wanting to add Crystalis to my collection for a while. Unfortunately, I don't own it. If anyone has an extra NES copy that he'd be willing to let go of for $5-7 shipped, let me know.


Now that everything's decided, I need to complain a little more, though. I feel the wikipedia article on action-RPGs presents a misguided perception of the sub-genre. I would characterize an action RPG as typically involving a single, player controlled, main character (with potentially one or two AI controlled assistant characters) where adventure and battle sequences take place in the same free-roaming environments. As such, typically health and magic capacity (where applicable) are always visible, as the threat of potentially battling is almost never relieved.

I would characterize Valkyrie Profile, Tales, et al, as JRPGs with real-time, action battle sequences; not action-RPGs.

Key omissions I would have liked to see represented: Monster World Series, Thor/Oasis series, Seiken Densetsu/Mana series, Threads of Fate, Sylvan Tale, Centy, Vanillaware games (with some exceptions) etc.

Inevitably it's of little consequence, but maybe for next time, I'd like for these discrepancies to be considered a bit more.

I think that is just a narrow look at the genre. I didn't base my opinion off wikipedia, but more so used it to back up my thought process which mostly agreed with my definition of the genre.

I find action rpgs to have action/real time combat. I think there are different flavors of it. I think of the menu battlers as being the traditional turn based.

Like secret of mana is an actiin jrpg.

But just like the zelda rpg debate, genre definitions aren't set in stone and vary from person to person. The point of sub dividing into these broad genres is to make sure we change it up so it doesn't get stale.

I would say if we had picked a Tales game, it wouldve offered a substantial difference from phantasy star or dragon quest to keep gameplay fresh. Succeeding in that would accomplish the goal.

I want these genres to be more broad so as we don't alienate games or get too specific. I also know being too specific will bring endless argument/discussion about what defines certain unofficial sub genres.

[Raiiban]

Kinda disappointed Crystalis won, I've never even heard of it before this poll. I suppose I'll at least give it a shot on an emulator to see if it's any good.

http://www.racketboy.com/retro/nintendo ... -nes-games

It's a criminally underlooked game that set the style for action RPGs.

Featured Game: Crystalis
“SNK’s action RPG classic, Crystalis, basically takes everything that made the original Legend of Zelda for the NES so good, and makes it exponentially better.

Stopped reading there, looking forward to it now. Maybe I'll try and grab a cartridge of it for the challenge instead of emulating since they seem to go for 10 and under.

[pierrot]

I think that is just a narrow look at the genre. I didn't base my opinion off wikipedia, but more so used it to back up my thought process which mostly agreed with my definition of the genre.

I find action rpgs to have action/real time combat. I think there are different flavors of it. I think of the menu battlers as being the traditional turn based.

I don't understand how it's narrow. I'm not saying that games like the Tales series, or Valkyrie Profile are genre-less, I'm saying there's a better place for them.

To me, there's little to no difference between RPGs with ATB systems, and RPGs like the Tales/Star Ocean series. They're standard RPG/JRPG formulas that tell a story, have the player assemble a party, and take the player into a separate screen for battles, sometimes with different character sprites. I don't see menu-battles as a good distinction between standard RPG and action RPG, as half of the Tales series' battle mechanics (Item use, party member special attacks/magic) are input through paused-screen menus.

I'll be a little bit more specific in where i think the lines are: If Chrono Trigger had real-time attack input, I might call it an action RPG; If the Tales series didn't cut to a separate screen for battles, I would call them action RPGs; If Secret of Mana cut from the dungeon to a separate battle field for battles, I would call it a standard RPG/JRPG.

Other things to consider: random encounter; distinctly separate aesthetic between over-world map and dungeons/towns. The presence of these in most of the Tales series, I would say, further codifies them as standard RPGs/JRPGs.

To flip something around a bit that you mentioned, why not broaden the JRPG selection with nominees like Crystalis, Threads of Fate, or Legend of Oasis, since they're all Japanese games with RPG elements?

[Jmustang1968]

I think that is just a narrow look at the genre. I didn't base my opinion off wikipedia, but more so used it to back up my thought process which mostly agreed with my definition of the genre.

I find action rpgs to have action/real time combat. I think there are different flavors of it. I think of the menu battlers as being the traditional turn based.

I don't understand how it's narrow. I'm not saying that games like the Tales series, or Valkyrie Profile are genre-less, I'm saying there's a better place for them.

To me, there's little to no difference between RPGs with ATB systems, and RPGs like the Tales/Star Ocean series. They're standard RPG/JRPG formulas that tell a story, have the player assemble a party, and take the player into a separate screen for battles, sometimes with different character sprites. I don't see menu-battles as a good distinction between standard RPG and action RPG, as half of the Tales series' battle mechanics (Item use, party member special attacks/magic) are input through paused-screen menus.

I'll be a little bit more specific in where i think the lines are: If Chrono Trigger had real-time attack input, I might call it an action RPG; If the Tales series didn't cut to a separate screen for battles, I would call them action RPGs; If Secret of Mana cut from the dungeon to a separate battle field for battles, I would call it a standard RPG/JRPG.

Other things to consider: random encounter; distinctly separate aesthetic between over-world map and dungeons/towns. The presence of these in most of the Tales series, I would say, further codifies them as standard RPGs/JRPGs.

To flip something around a bit that you mentioned, why not broaden the JRPG selection with nominees like Crystalis, Threads of Fate, or Legend of Oasis, since they're all Japanese games with RPG elements?

I would consider them under jrpg as well... I think Tales was under both arpg and jrpg.

I also say there are wester action rpgs like shadowrun and elder scrolls that feel different than the others.

Your definition seems to hinge on a separate battle screen. Whereas mine focuses on battle mechanics.

[MulishaSoldier929]

"Stopped reading there, looking forward to it now. Maybe I'll try and grab a cartridge of it for the challenge instead of emulating since they seem to go for 10 and under."


From just the little bit I have played so far I can tell you that it is super impressive for an NES game. Highly doubt I will be able to wait until November to play with you guys.