CHALLENGE: JRPG Master List

[ValentineUK]

@Ashannon Blackthorn

I was not aware that there were that many Dragon Warrior/Final Fantasy games for the NES. Were they released in North America? If so, could you reply with any subtitles if there are any?

 

[Lunar Templar]

not much to add, but

SNES:
Seiken Densetsu 3
EVO

PS1:
Lunar 1 and 2
Digimon World 3
Koudelka

PS2:
SMT: Digital Devil Saga 1 and 2

stuff added

 

[hazabaza1]

Why would you do this to yourself.
Why.

Anyway...
Go get Nier for the 360/PS3 and the Drakengard games for the PS2.

 

[JasonKaotic]

Magna Carta: Tears of Blood - PS2
Magna Carta II - X360

These are Korean

Edit: I wouldn't call Demon's Souls and Dark Souls JRPGs at all though. They're more 'WRPGs from Japan'.

Um. They are made in Japan, thus they are JRPGs.

Nowadays JRPG is more of its own genre than just a description of where it's from. If Final Fantasy was developed in America it'd still be a JRPG, because it doesn't fit any other genre.

 

[JasonKaotic]

Magna Carta: Tears of Blood - PS2
Magna Carta II - X360

These are Korean

Edit: I wouldn't call Demon's Souls and Dark Souls JRPGs at all though. They're more 'WRPGs from Japan'.

Um. They are made in Japan, thus they are JRPGs.

Nowadays JRPG is more of its own genre than just a description of where it's from. If Final Fantasy was released in America it'd still be a JRPG, because it doesn't fit any other genre.

Sorry that's not correct. I've seen others use that one lately but it's not correctr. It's goal post shifting for those who want to make the argument that JRPGs are stagnant. By moving the goal posts, their statement becomes more correct.

JRPG = RPG made in Japan

Well, that's how I class them. I find it easier because it means if I say 'I like JRPGs' people know exactly what I'm talking about. But I suppose I can see your point with the whole stagnant argument thing.

Edit: Not that they seem stagnant at all to me. 'Typical' JRPGs are diverse in their own ways. Mostly.

 

[Ryan Hughes]

I do not really agree with putting games like Secret of Mana or Soul Blazer on the list, as I do not consider them to be RPGs, if you do, you might as well add the Zelda games. In any event:

-Act Raiser (SNES) though not Act Raiser 2, as that was more an action game.
-Suikoden games should always be referred to by their Roman numerals, not their Arabic numerals.

 

[drisky]

All Game Cube additions
Bation Kaitos: Origins
Evolution Worlds
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance
Mega Man X: Command Mission
Lost Kingdoms 1 & 2 if they count

 

[Inconspicuous Trenchcoat]

Star Ocean 2 should be Star Ocean: The Second Story
Star Ocean 3 should be Star Ocean: Till the End of Time
Star Ocean 4 should be Star Ocean: The Last Hope

Don't know if you mind not having the proper subtitles.

 

[Quaidis]

I can't think beyond what color the wall is right now, but:

Wildarms 3, 4, and 5 were released for the PS2. Yes, there was a fourth and fifth WA game.

Also, WildArms Alter Code F for PS2 (it's a remake of 1)

Breath of Fire 3 and 4 are PS1, BoF DragonQuarter on PS2

YS and Ys 2 should be on Sega Master System (may also be on nes). Ys2 was more of a side-scroller I believe...

Grandia 1 for PS1, 2 and 3 for PS2

Grandia XTreme for Ps2

Ys: Arc of Napishtim for PS2

Growlanser Generations. PS2


... My brain stopped working. Get back to you on more.

 

[Launcelot111]

At this point, most of my thoughts have been mentioned.

What's left:

Xenogears (PS1)
Rhapsody: A Musical Adventure (PS1)
Grandia 3 (PS2)
Baten Kaitos Origins (GC)

 

[Ryan Hughes]

Secret of Mana = RPG
Zelda = Action Adventure
Zelda II: The Adventure of Link = RPG

The difference is subtle - but it is in the way one grows more powerful (Zelda traditionally uses items, not XP). Zelda II, the series black sheep, is also the only RPG in the lot.

I dont' think there was levels in Actraiser. It was an action game with sim elements (city building = was that TBS or RTS, I don't recall). Either way, Actraiser is not an RPG.

Yes, there were levels in Actraiser -the first one. Also there were items to collect and trade between the different nations. Most people do not know, but Soul Blazer, Act Raiser, and Illusion of Gaia are actually a trilogy, the Soul Blazer Trilogy.

This does raise the deeper question though: what is a genre? At best, a genre is something like a summery of a game, but at worst it is deceiving. In fact, the existence of genre itself is something that is often questioned in literary circles. As the ideas of genre that we place onto artwork often inhibits creativity.

There is simply no way to objectively value how much anything conforms to an in tangible idea like genre, so, just let the poster decide, because there is no way we can decide for them.

 

[BathorysGraveland]

So, ah, are there actually any good JRPGs that are made for a PC at all?

 

[flying_whimsy]

Couple I didn't see on the list:

Wii:
Fragile Dreams: Farewell Ruins of the Moon

PC:
Fortune Summoners (not actually sure if this one counts as I don't actually know where it was developed, but it sure plays like a jrpg)

I'm glad to see some of my favorite obscure titles (like Steambot Chronicles, Rogue Galaxy, and Illusion of Gaia) already on the list; I was worried that I was the only one that ever played them.

 

[Aurora Firestorm]

I can't believe there isn't a Wikipedia page yet: List of Japanese RPGs in America or something.

So, ah, are there actually any good JRPGs that are made for a PC at all?

No; JRPGs have always been console-based, as far as I can tell. They first mostly went with Nintendo and then drifted to Sony's consoles later, and there they stay. You don't need the PC's capability to play JRPGs; Western RPGs have been more of a PC thing. Notice how the old Big Two are from Japan, also the third party folk who are now dead (i.e. Sega). PC games were an American thing; console games were a Japanese thing.