I hate most JRPGs, particularly new ones, because with this generation of technology, we should be able to move past turn-based combat. We can go to fucking space for Christ's sake! However, there are a few exceptions to my hatred of JRPGs. The Pokémon series, Final Fantasy II, Chrono Trigger, and Earthbound. Oddly enough, all of these games had turn-based combat, but they do such smart things in other regards that I end up forgiving them for it. Pokémon's combat was fun because of the infinite number of ways that an encounter could be played out, due to the vast number of Pokémon and attacks that could be learned. Final Fantasy II boggles my mind as to why I enjoyed it. It's got the same combat that the first had, which I hated. It's a grindfest. I just don't get it, but for some reason I liked it. No idea why. Chrono Trigger never felt like turn-based because of the way battles were shown, and because of the pressure of time along with the recharging of your moves. you were always setting up your next attack, and you were never just waiting for your opponent's turn to be over. Earthbound is hilarious, especially to an American who isn't too crazy about America. Also, the fact that once you level high enough you can skip battles altogether was really nice to me. I started playing through Earthbound again today, and I decided to ask what your favorite old-school JRPG is. If it's not in the poll, you can write it in yourself, but please don't whine about it.
