Best RPG for starting out

[SirPsycho]

I haven't read through all of the replies but has anybody recommended the Quintet trilogy?

Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia, Terranigma. I would say Illusion would be your best bet for starting out, you don't have to worry too much about stats and its completely grind free. You gain stat boosts by killing every single enemy on any given screen and even a couple for finding Red Jewels and giving them to Jem the Jeweler. Its very linear and has many dungeons and areas based on places on Earth. And Soul Blazer and Illusion are quite inexpensive games for the SNES, they should be around $10 each. If you're from the US don't hold your breath on getting Terranigma, its excellent and my favorite of the 3 but never came out in the states.

[Hazerd]

Im going to recommend Dual Orb 2 on the SFC, or get the translated rom and play that, its really traditional rpg with nothing new to offer but a fun rpg.

[Zing]

Soul Blazer and Illusion are quite inexpensive games for the SNES, they should be around $10 each.

Soul Blazer has been going for $30+ for at least a year.

My first console RPG was Dragon Warrior. Before that it would have been Pool of Radiance on the PC.

I don't think I would ever recommend Chrono Trigger to someone as their first. It is a relatively long game with a complex story. I'd recommend something simpler such as Breath of Fire, or something with more hand-holding, such as Mario RPG.

[ninjainspandex]

i think golden sun for the gba is what got me interested in rpgs

[Valkyrie-Favor]

My first RPG was Mario and Luigi: Superstar Saga so my vote goes to that. Someone here has in in their BST for around $10. Really excellent game! I guess FFVII is my first "serious" RPG and it's also very good. Kind of expensive now though.

Jeanne D'Arc on PSP is a really cool tactics RPG. Very easy compared to Tactics Ogre or FFT but still has enough challenge to make you think. It also has nice music, an interesting story and rocking awesome anime cutscenes. Although it's a good RPG it's focused more on battles than class or item management. You won't spend hours in the menu or have to crunch a lot of numbers - it's mostly turn-based sweetness.

[MrNash]

I'd suggest some Genesis stuff since not much seems to have been mentioned. You can't go wrong with Phantasy Star II. Simple mechanics, a nice story, and it's sci-fi, which is a nice break from all the fantasy stuff out there. Phantasy Star II and IV are the best of the Genesis games in the series. PSIII is generally considered pretty meh. It's not the end of the world if you play them out of order. They do share a mythology, but the stories aren't strictly connected. Installments take place centuries or millenia apart.

Sword of Vermillion is decent too. It's an interesting mix of first person exploration with overhead action RPG combat (towns are overhead view too). Trasyia is a fun, traditional fantasy RPG that may be worth looking into as well.

[MrPopo]

I'd suggest some Genesis stuff since not much seems to have been mentioned. You can't go wrong with Phantasy Star II.

For beginners? Phantasy Star II is brutal and has a huge grind requirement, not to mention a downright arcane interface.

[MrNash]

I'd suggest some Genesis stuff since not much seems to have been mentioned. You can't go wrong with Phantasy Star II.

For beginners? Phantasy Star II is brutal and has a huge grind requirement, not to mention a downright arcane interface.

I'll grant that it can be a tad grindy, but I'd hardly call it brutal. Maybe learning what the spells do? Foi, Zan, etc aren't exactly intuitive I'll admit, but I'd wouldn't call the game difficult. The battle system is very simple, there's a lot of exploring, and the story is alright. I still think it's a decent one for beginners. It's not like its Planescape: Torment, or Radiant Historia, or some other far meatier / daunting RPG.

Edited for using the word "hardly" too many times in the same paragraph. :p

[sgt.flanders]

I think Golden Sun: Dark Dawn would be an excellent RPG to start out with. It's not terribly hard, and doesn't require much grinding.

[MrPopo]

I'd suggest some Genesis stuff since not much seems to have been mentioned. You can't go wrong with Phantasy Star II.

For beginners? Phantasy Star II is brutal and has a huge grind requirement, not to mention a downright arcane interface.

I'll grant that it can be a tad grindy, but I'd hardly call it brutal. Maybe learning what the spells do? Foi, Zan, etc aren't exactly intuitive I'll admit, but I'd wouldn't call the game difficult. The battle system is very simple, there's a lot of exploring, and the story is alright. I still think it's a decent one for beginners. It's not like its Planescape: Torment, or Radiant Historia, or some other far meatier / daunting RPG.

Edited for using the word "hardly" too many times in the same paragraph. :p

Incredibly high encounter rate in maze-like dungeons and an overlay that makes seeing where you're going difficult.