Quirky JRPGs you think everyone should play

[PiFace314]

Considering it was the subject of the latest issue of the Escapist, I feel like everyone should know at least ONE JRPG that they really liked. Me, I've got a lot, but eh, that's just me. So, c'mon! Talk about the ones you liked, the JRPGs that made you laugh, cry, and scream. The ones that really pulled you in. You know, really cool JRPGs.

Me, I have a lot to talk about.

The World Ends With You is definitely my favorite of all time. The battle system is interesting, although a little hard to use in the beginning, the story is really good, and all the characters are really interesting and cool. I'm pretty sure you guys know who my fave is, though, if you've played it.

The Kingdom Hearts series, I must confess, is not one that I have completed through and through. However, from what I've played of it I CAN say that it's unique, and brings a fresh new light into the worlds of Disney, Final Fantasy, and RPGs in general.

The Persona games are loads of fun. I'm currently playing through P3P right now, and I have to say that it's refreshingly fun, although it gets a bit difficult juggling real life studying with in game studies, heh.

Well, I've got a lot more I want to list, but I really don't want to bore you. So, come on! What JRPG do you like, and why do you think other people should play it? Post whatever you like below.

 

[Simalacrum]

Valkyria Chronicles is a fantastic JRPG - it's got a wonderful story, fantastic 'watercolour' like cel-shaded graphics, and a really quite fun turn-based RPG/strategy hybrid system

 

[DJDarque]

The Legend of Dragoon is my all time favorite JRPG. It's has a really interesting battle style that actually involves the player a little more than just choosing an action and I thought the story was just SO good. It may have had some cheesy dialogue, but I can easily forgive it. Plus its cutscenes were animated really well for the time.

Also, Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age. They are epic GBA JRPGs and I cannot wait for the new one at the end of the month.

I think the Kingdom Hearts series is awesome as well and I love it, but in my book it is a good series that could have been a billion times more awesome if it were planned out better from the start.

 

[moretimethansense]

Pretty much any SMT game obviously.
The Suikoden series.
And most definatly Recettear - An Item Shop's Tale.

 

[PiFace314]

Valkyria Chronicles is a fantastic JRPG - it's got a wonderful story, fantastic 'watercolour' like cel-shaded graphics, and a really quite fun turn-based RPG/strategy hybrid system

Oh my god, how did I forget to include this? Yeah, Valkyria Chronicles was great, although I never did get past that stupid tank in Chapter Seven...

The Legend of Dragoon is my all time favorite JRPG. It's has a really interesting battle style that actually involves the player a little more than just choosing an action and I thought the story was just SO good. It may have had some cheesy dialogue, but I can easily forgive it. Plus its cutscenes were animated really well for the time.

Also, Golden Sun and Golden Sun: The Lost Age. They are epic GBA JRPGs and I cannot wait for the new one at the end of the month.

I think the Kingdom Hearts series is awesome as well and I love it, but in my book it is a good series that could have been a billion times more awesome if it were planned out better from the start.

Well, I think that the problem was they weren't anticipating people to actually WANT a sequel, so they had no choice but to play it by ear for the next couple of games. Still, I hope that the much-awaited KH3 will turn out well.

 

[Chancie]

Resonance of Fate

Great characters, the best character to character interaction I've ever seen, a serious plot with many of silly moments, plenty of real humor, and a fun but kick-you-in-the-teeth-difficult battle system.

 

[SonicWaffle]

Talk about the ones you liked, the JRPGs that made you laugh, cry, and scream. The ones that really pulled you in. You know, really cool JRPGs.

Lost Odyssey is a very cool game. As far as gameplay goes, it's fairly standard JRPG fare, though the levelling system can get interesting - skills can be learned one at a time, depending on slots, immortal characters (roughly half your party) can learn new skills from mortal characters through a sort of leeching mechanism, etc. As far as the story goes, it wasn't exactly top-notch - but then what JRPG is? - but it was the stories-within-a-story that I enjoyed most. The main character, Kaim, is an immortal who has been wandering the world for a thousand years. At certain points in the game, or upon examining certain items, the focus will switch briefly to one of the "Thousand Years of Dreams". Each of these is a short story, written rather than animated, a snapshot from Kaim's previous life. Some are happy, some are sad, others are tragic, and they give you a great insight into how it would really feel to be immortal and have only brief glimpses of mortal life before moving on again. It added a lot of depth to an otherwise largely unremarkable character.

Another game, made by the same people (Mistwalker IIRC), is Blue Dragon. A much more childish, simple game, it's still fun. Once again, it has a very interesting level system that allows you to switch the class of a character so they can gain experience in new skills. Unfortunately the story is terrible and reads like it was written for five year olds, and certain characters are so annoying you want to hurl your controller at the TV screen. A few other interesting concepts - on the world map, monsters appear wandering around rather than appearing as random encounters, making it possible to draw several different groups into a single battle for added EXP, as well as a chance to see certain monster types battle each other - can't save it from my pile of 'games to complete one day when I've got nothing better to do'...

 

[Gigaguy64]

Aside from Golden Sun 1&2, Fire Emblem, and the Mario RPGs.

I will suggest Super Robot Taisen OG Saga:Endless Frontier.

One of the most fun JRPGs iv played in a while.

Great Story, awesome Characters, beautiful Art style, Fun Combat, excellent Music, good Length.

An awesome game all around.

 

[Eponet]

Everyone should play Final Fantasy 8, 12 and X-2.

 

[Tjoubou]

Well, the final fantasy series has a number of great games. And Chrono Trigger is amazing

 

[PiFace314]

Everyone should play Final Fantasy 8, 12 and X-2.

THANK GOD you didn't mention FF 7. Not that I hate it or anything, but I was afraid someone would come in fanboying about how "it's the only JRPG worth playing". Anywho, I quite liked 8 (actually played this one on my old PC before getting my new laptop), but I've never played 12. X-2, however, was AMAZING. And the graphics actually left me genuinely stunned.

 

[Eponet]

Everyone should play Final Fantasy 8, 12 and X-2.

THANK GOD you didn't mention FF 7. Not that I hate it or anything, but I was afraid someone would come in fanboying about how "it's the only JRPG worth playing". Anywho, I quite liked 8 (actually played this one on my old PC before getting my new laptop), but I've never played 12. X-2, however, was AMAZING. And the graphics actually left me genuinely stunned.

7 is my least liked of the ones I've played. Granted, I've only played 7 and higher.

My actual list:

IX
X
VIII
X-2
XIII (Blame Snow for it winding up above 12)
XII
VII

 

[CAPTCHA]

Haven't really played any modern JRPG's so my suggestion will have to come from the PS1 days: Breath of Fire 3.

 

[PiFace314]

Haven't really played any modern JRPG's so my suggestion will have to come from the PS1 days: Breath of Fire 3.

Well, I never got a chance to play any games on the PS1, but I hear that a load of the old-school RPGs were really good. I'll try and get an emulator, probably.

 

[Carbonic Penguin]

Quirky? Then, as with the article, Earthbound! Also, I love the sequel even more... there's a reason it's been said to 'be the closest games have come to literature'

 

[Ramare]

*snip*

Disgaea, dood.. If you haven't played it, you haven't played a good JRPG, in my opinion, dood. If you have played it, more power to you, dood; it isn't anywhere near as popular as it should be, dood.

I know, I know, it isn't so much an RPG as it is a strategy game, but it's still similar, dood!

And I don't mean to sound like a fanboy with the above statement, dood. It's just that, short of the fist couple Final Fantasys, I haven't really played any good JRPGs, and it really is my favorite series, dood. Only own one, and played a bit of two at a friends house, though, dood.

 

[EmzOLV]

Aside from Final Fantasy, which I've played, I've been looking for new JRPGs so this thread is excellent for me, given me some good new games to obtain and play

Just don't play Star Ocean - I was really let down by just sheer amount of cheese, I couldn't get my head around it to see anything else!

OT: Don't suppose anyone knows the easiest way to obtain JRPGs such as those listed because my usual haunts of GAME /Gamestation / CEX don't usually get them in. Any recommendations as to place of purchase would be sweet.

 

[PiFace314]

*snip*

Disgaea, dood.. If you haven't played it, you haven't played a good JRPG, in my opinion, dood. If you have played it, more power to you, dood; it isn't anywhere near as popular as it should be, dood.

I know, I know, it isn't so much an RPG as it is a strategy game, but it's still similar, dood!

And I don't mean to sound like a fanboy with the above statement, dood. It's just that, short of the fist couple Final Fantasys, I haven't really played any good JRPGs, and it really is my favorite series, dood. Only own one, and played a bit of two at a friends house, though, dood.

Ya, totally love Disgaea, dood. But I've only played the first, dood. Still, the story is awesome, and the characters are CLASSIC, dood.

 

[Nexus4]

Final Fantasy 8
Valkyria Chronicles 1, 2 and 3 (soon)
Valkyrie Profile
Disgaea (any of them)
Persona (particularly 3 and 4)

 

[The DSM]

Tales of Vesperia and Persona 4.

I dont think P4 counts as quirky though, some bosses are fucked up...