This is a no JRPG hate zone :P I see many people complain about the linearity or grinding of JRPGs but i myself find they give me hours and hours of fun. More so than any other form of game.

I only really play the FF series as they are what i know and i do not have much money to experiment with games but i also played chrono trigger which was the most advanced NES game ever. Honestly played more like a GBA game. I also love pokemon if they count.

The stories in JRPGs just seem to be superior and although the characters are cheesy and sometimes angsty i much prefer say a boy with an abusive father that is actually

So come say what you like about JRPGs and also recommend some great games (preferable on sony consoles as i own them)

The point of that feature in Western RPG's is that you're provided the freedom to create your -own- character rather than get stuck with a set one or group that you may not like.
That's not to say that a lot of JRPG's don't have good protagonists, but the focus here is more on that person's story than actually playing through the story of the world.
I guess, a WRPG's hero is generic, because more often than not it's up to the player to make them who they are hehe.

Say that's the difference between them isn't it?

JRPG: Character driven plot.

WRPG: World/Environment driven plot.

As for JRPGs, yup there's a lot of great stuff put there. Most recently I've been playing Eternal Sonata, cutesey as hell, but a joy to play, and the little infotainment sections on Chopin were actually quite interesting.

Beyond that...or behind maybe, I still count FF6 as my favorite, FF7 too, being the first FF I've played, so I still go back to it sometimes. VIII..meh...didn't even finish it. IX, I'm also fond off, although a lot of people seem to hate it *shrug* don't really know why.
X..way too hyped. Okay, not -that- great. Skk dream..wth. And crummy voice acting too.
As for *kaff* X2 *kaff* ER...I played it. That's all. *kaff* Nice costumes though. >.>
Haven't played enough of the latest to say what I feel about it, but, the map is awkward.

GothmogII:

That's not to say that a lot of JRPG's don't have good protagonists.

Well, I'd kinda say they tend not to. Tidus, Squall, Cloud, I'm looking at you. Why in god's name couldn't Auron have been X's lead? He was much cooler.

Still, I have a soft spot for Vyse, cookie cutter character he may be.

I'm one of the few JRPG proponents around here.

I've played and beaten every Final Fantasy, still like VI the best, but X and XII come close. I am least fond of X-2 and VIII, X-2 for crappy plot and VIII for too many samey characters and a bad battle system.

My PERSONAL favorites are the Suikoden and Shadow Hearts series's

I love Jrpgs as long as the plot's good. Final Fantasy X, despite having the best battle system of the series, is a downer in my book because I can't stand Tidus. He's probably the whiniest player character I've had the misfortune to spend about 50 hours with in a game. FF6 and 7 are ace, never played 8 or 9 though.

Also, Chrono Trigger DS has been announced by Square for the DS.

*Does a little dance of happiness*

It's very hard to stay appreciative of such a plot-heavy genre when, with some excellent exceptions, it mostly targets little kids.

I like JRPG game design as much as anyone, but whether it's due to shoddy translation or cookie-cutter characters...the stories rarely make them worth playing.

I grew up on RPGs from Dragon quest, FF1 to todays RPGS like FFX and XII. Personally I never understand why people bitch an complain about the "linearity" when the purpose of an RPG, the MAIN purpose is the tell a story. Stories have set paths, you can have some variation in it which can work but stories have a predetermined beginning and end set in mind. So I don't mind watching the story unfold because it is like a book or movie that you the player get to be involved with in some way. Many where very good at containing some deep themes that would make you think, and sometimes you might catch some other hidden meaning or allegory while replaying it when you are older. That is what i truly love about it, the story that you get to be a part of.

I also have never had much problem with their characters either because most of the time you find out WHY they are who they are. Heres a good example: Cloud, yes we all hear the allegations that he's an emo blah blah, but then I guess those people were not really paying much attention to the story, and all the stuff that happens to make him like that. I'l end it there.

For the most part I enjoy majority of JRPG's, bin playing them from the very beginning for i am more forgiving towards them than most other people. I really try to find each and every games shining point, the positive aspects of them that make me want to keep playing, that make me like it for what it is. Grant it I don't like every RPG, but thats due to too many things to dislike. Some of my favourites have always shined in both story AND game play which together can make an unforgettable experience. Some of my all time fav's have to be FF4,6,7, 10, Tactics, Crisis Core, Chrono Trigger, Golden Sun, Tactics ogre: Knight of Lodis, Legend of Dragoon, Legend of Legia, Star Ocean Games, and the Tales of Series. Enjoyed every one of them to play some many times over.

I for one will always enjoy them and will continue to play them till I die. I was never big on reading books but this I guess was a good substitute.

i very much dislike the term "JRPG". genrefication based on the nationality of the game developers seems like a scarry slippery slope as if an implication is being made about the mentality of Japanese people and the games that "they" make.

there really should be a term that accounts for the structural differences of these RPGs rather than lazily using an ethnic or national identifier, since i don't see the relevance of noting Japan when referencing these titles. i mean does this open the door for Black or African RPGs?

besides that tanget, i do enjoy playing Character driven RPGs however they do seem to be stuck in cliched game mechanics with little hope for innovation.

BallPtPenTheif:
i very much dislike the term "JRPG". genrefication based on the nationality of the game developers seems like a scarry slippery slope as if an implication is being made about the mentality of Japanese people and the games that "they" make.

there really should be a term that accounts for the structural differences of these RPGs rather than lazily using an ethnic or national identifier, since i don't see the relevance of noting Japan when referencing these titles. i mean does this open the door for Black or African RPGs?

Hear here. I'm sick of all this "There's only two kinds of RPGs: JRPGs and non-J RPGs" crap that gets spewed here every Wednesday afternoon.

GothmogII:
The point of that feature in Western RPG's is that you're provided the freedom to create your -own- character rather than get stuck with a set one or group that you may not like.

So, basically, it's like a P&P roleplay with most of the real options removed because we haven't yet invented a computer that can handle them?

Sylocat:
So, basically, it's like a P&P roleplay with most of the real options removed because we haven't yet invented a computer that can handle them?

Wouldn't that be the total golden egg? an open ended pen and paper styled RPG with enough tools to allow limitless quality user created content?

hell, why stop there? i'm sure there's people out there who would love to host a server as a DM and manage the enemy mobs against incoming players. the Pen & Paper styled RPGs should continue to push things foward in that regard.

I agree with the above posts, I'm not a fan of labeling these games 'JRPGs' since racism can be an easy thing to fall into. But since I can't really think of any other classification, I too am forced to classify RPG's as either Japanese or Western.

That said, I think that both kinds offer something different and I really don't see why there's as much hate as there is towards JRPG's when they are so effective at telling a story, and usually a good one. Recently WRPG's have been breaking a lot of ground, especially Bioware, while JRPG's have become stagnant when it comes to gameplay mechanics. Games like Golden Sun and Earthbound have shown to be exceptions to this, however, with the addicting little powers that can be used outside combat in Golden Sun or just the sheer genius that is Earthbound.

Prozoquel:
I agree with the above posts, I'm not a fan of labeling these games 'JRPGs' since racism can be an easy thing to fall into. But since I can't really think of any other classification, I too am forced to classify RPG's as either Japanese or Western.

That said, I think that both kinds offer something different and I really don't see why there's as much hate as there is towards JRPG's when they are so effective at telling a story, and usually a good one. Recently WRPG's have been breaking a lot of ground, especially Bioware, while JRPG's have become stagnant when it comes to gameplay mechanics. Games like Golden Sun and Earthbound have shown to be exceptions to this, however, with the addicting little powers that can be used outside combat in Golden Sun or just the sheer genius that is Earthbound.

Don't forget though that the Original Baldurs Gate drew HEAVY inspiration from the "Classic Made-In-Japan Console Style RPG", the bioware dudes looked at games LIKE Final Fantasy and said "There's no reason why we CAN'T mix classic Made-In-North America PC RPG sensibilities with Made-In-Japan Console RPG storytelling now is there."

My undying affection for Final Fantasy IX is pretty well known around here. I'm sorry, but when the Elder Scrolls get a backdrop even half as mesmerising as Memoria, then perhaps I'll pay more mind.

Breath of Fire III is also fantastic. Not as graphically splendiferous as FFIX, but it has some of the best paced storytelling I've seen in a game. And the dragon-gene system is just genius. Absolute genius. Shame they nerfed it for BOFIV.

Prozoquel:
I agree with the above posts, I'm not a fan of labeling these games 'JRPGs' since racism can be an easy thing to fall into. But since I can't really think of any other classification, I too am forced to classify RPG's as either Japanese or Western.

To be fair, it's not exactly racist, is it? Due to cultural differences, games like FF are nearly always made in Japan, games like Morrowind in America, England or any other western country. Hence JRPG and WRPG. It's no different to calling a Honda a Japanese car, and a Chevvy an American one.

If you called the FF series 'those games made by the squinty yellow skins', then you would rightly be called a racist.

j-e-f-f-e-r-s:

Prozoquel:
I agree with the above posts, I'm not a fan of labeling these games 'JRPGs' since racism can be an easy thing to fall into. But since I can't really think of any other classification, I too am forced to classify RPG's as either Japanese or Western.

To be fair, it's not exactly racist, is it? Due to cultural differences, games like FF are nearly always made in Japan, games like Morrowind in America, England or any other western country. Hence JRPG and WRPG. It's no different to calling a Honda a Japanese car, and a Chevvy an American one.

If you called the FF series 'those games made by the squinty yellow skins', then you would rightly be called a racist.

Haha, true, calling JRPG's that would be just a tad racist. But I didn't mean that calling them 'JRPG's' automatically makes you a racist. It's just that the way people say is often in a really derogatory way now, and I know it probably won't lead to racism, I'm just saying that the potential is there.

Prozoquel:

Haha, true, calling JRPG's that would be just a tad racist. But I didn't mean that calling them 'JRPG's' automatically makes you a racist. It's just that the way people say is often in a really derogatory way now, and I know it probably won't lead to racism, I'm just saying that the potential is there.

but JRPG doesn't JUST mean "Japanese RPG" or even "An RPG developed in Japan", it means an RPG made in the "Style of a Classic Console RPG, the design conventions of which originated among Japanese Developers" as games developed in North America can still be called a "Japanese Style RPG", Septerra Core or Secret of Evermore for example.

Prozoquel:

Haha, true, calling JRPG's that would be just a tad racist. But I didn't mean that calling them 'JRPG's' automatically makes you a racist. It's just that the way people say is often in a really derogatory way now, and I know it probably won't lead to racism, I'm just saying that the potential is there.

Really? I know people sometimes like to gripe and moan about JRPGs, but I've never heard the actual term used in a derogative way. Not in a "This game sucks like a JRPG!" sort of way. They're far too popular for that to happen any time soon.

PedroSteckecilo:

but JRPG doesn't JUST mean "Japanese RPG" or even "An RPG developed in Japan", it means an RPG made in the "Style of a Classic Console RPG, the design conventions of which originated among Japanese Developers" as games developed in North America can still be called a "Japanese Style RPG", Septerra Core or Secret of Evermore for example.

Exactly the perefect example would be FFXI dispite that fact that it was made in japan i would deffinatly call it a western rpg.

Mr Wednesday:

GothmogII:

That's not to say that a lot of JRPG's don't have good protagonists.

Well, I'd kinda say they tend not to. Tidus, Squall, Cloud, I'm looking at you. Why in god's name couldn't Auron have been X's lead? He was much cooler.

I thought Tidus was a pretty good lead and an ideal choice given the story. It made great sense to have the player and the protagonist thrown into a new world together at the same time and learning as they go. Usually it's just "This is a world/galaxy I've grown up in, but remind me how this works again, and of events that I already know about." Although I agree, Auron was the coolest character by far.

Prozoquel:
Haha, true, calling JRPG's that would be just a tad racist. But I didn't mean that calling them 'JRPG's' automatically makes you a racist. It's just that the way people say is often in a really derogatory way now, and I know it probably won't lead to racism, I'm just saying that the potential is there.

Is that meant as racism though, bashing them for where they're from? Or is it just because JRPG is a convenient label for a sub-section of RPGs that share traits and that the J is relevant not because of what it stands for, but because it gives a different name to said sub-section? I'd prefer to think the latter.

Personally I'd say it's only really racism if it's said with racist intent. For example you get a lot of trash talkers calling someone "homo" or "fag". While I don't like it, partly because I'm bi, and partly because sexual orientation is just a stupid premise for a derogatory term, it doesn't hugely offend me unless it's said because the guy's homophobic. Although that's almost impossible to know on somewhere like Xbox Live or something.

I'm not too keen on Final Fantasy (too much BS fiction/lore & couldn't get into), but I love the Shadow Hearts series, especially SH: Covenant, since everything in is based on real human mythology & small grains of truth.

I love the real world history & occult references in those games, e.g. King Solomons key & the Biblical demons associated with that, Rasputin being in a soul pact with Asmodeus etc. Almost everything you see in Shadow Hearts can be cross referenced with history & mythology.

I fully recommend Shadow Hearts Covenant to anyone who like good fiction/mythology/theology even if you're not a fan of JRPG's.

I like Final Fantasy just fine, but I wish they would go back to the more manly characters. Seriously, I am only at the part where you are about to board Balthier's ship for the first time, and holy FUCK is that fool getting annoying... I haven't played in months because of it... Chrono Trigger, my favorite RPG ever, had a REAL character. He had three different girls in love with him, all who bent time-space to keep him alive, and did bad ass things like building a sword and armor out of the Rainbow shell... Plus escaping PRISON! Sounds a hell of a lot more free than any other JRPG because it was... Hell, there were times when I did things BEFORE I was supposed to. You didn't have a set series of events once you got the airship. It was very WRPG after that... That is what made KOTOR a better RPG than FFXII (Jallil is going to kill me for saying this...) If I wanted to go to Korriban and become a Sith Lord as my First stop, I could. If I wanted to go Super Light Sider and save Korriban for last, I could. Ad any other variation was possible as well... Western RPGs just have more freedom, in a good way, and that is what makes them better in my opinion... But I don't HATE JRPGs, just dislike some of the linearity... And a few of the characters...

Storyline. I like to watch it unfold in front of me~
Plus sometimes they are generally amazing.
Read: Persona 3.

Humm...even if they did originate from a singular form...they're still distinct enough these days to warrant separate classification aren't they?

Okay, if not that, than Eastern and Western RPGs maybe? From what I've seen, although there are exceptions, in 'general' Eastern style RPG's tend towards flashy visuals and heavy characterisation (such as it is in -some- of them)with regards to their main protaganists/allies. Western examples tend towards...I guess you could say the mundane?
Where Eastern style RPG's are often bombastic, bright and free with their use of color, Western RPGs tend to go more with 'real' or muted colors, or to be more specific, take Oblivion, that's actually quite a colorful game, but it's tones still go together more naturally as to emulate a kind of real word aesthetic. Now, take an Eastern style like Eternal Sonata, or any of the Final Fantasy's from 9 and up. Bright, bold, stand out colors.
But, that's not to say that -all- Eastern style RPG's are bright bubblegum colors and -all- Western style RPG's are -all- muck grey n' green. There are exceptions as always. And, I'm still rather fond of Eternal Sonata's bright and cheery palette, and enjoy the everpresent brown grit and grime that almost envelops games like Fallout and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

As for characterisation. With Eastern, characters in the main I guess, have a generally layed out script that they will with few exceptions follow. Some games do offer choice when playing through the story, but that often consists of simple yes or no actions, although I've seen one or two that go into a little more detail.
Western RPG's tend to leave the main char as something of a blank slate, oh, he may have a history, friends and family etc. like the Eastern style char, but he is essentially faceless, or rather, it's up to the player to fill in the rest. In this, it is also in the player's interactions that the player's char is defined. This, seems most often to take the form of the almost ubiquitous 'chat box' style of conversation trees. Something akin to a choose your own adventure book I guess. In this regard however, the Eastern sytle RPGs can sometimes be better at holding a structure for it's plot, rather then risk losing the plot completely and having the player go off doing something they find more interesting in the game. Which, considering games like Baldur's Gate or Neverwinter Nights I was wont to do myself, and actually wonder if they would have been so good with -only- the main storyline holding them up.

Still...

My childhood is FF VII, VII and IX. These games have had a massive impact on me. I wouldn't be the same without them.

WRPGs don't work yet, as the technology isn't there to give true freedom, so all you get is a façade. JRPGs don't bother with all this freedom nonsense - they just emotionally engage you with a fantastic story, the likes of which no other medium can manage.

To be honest, if I played 7, 8 or 9 now, with no previous contact, I probably wouldn't be that impressed. but then, I'd be a different person. It's a philosophical conundrum all right!

OurGloriousLeader:
JRPGs don't bother with all this freedom nonsense - they just emotionally engage you with a fantastic story, the likes of which no other medium can manage.

THANK YOU. When people complain about the "lack of freedom" in JRPG's they obviously forget that one most important aspect of them. If I wanted total freedom I will play an MMO. JRPG's are the same as books, and movies, that's how they are supposed to work. It's why I love them so much.

Well, I enjoy JRPG's, as long as the characters are good and somewhat relatable, and the story can drag me in by the [Insert body part here].

FFVII, FFVII:CC, FFIX & the Tales of XXX series would be my favorites, since they each have a really good story, a nice rounded assortment of characters which you can relate to on some level, and they allow you to immerse youself in the game without a second thought.

FFVIII, FFX & FFX-2 are on my DO NOT PLAY list, since the characters "quirks" distract you too much from the gaming experience and the story.

So all in all, JRPG's, they are as good the game your playing. And if you are one of those genre loving people who think that only their genre is great and everyelse is crap, here is some advice from me to you:

"No genre is perfect. each one has their good bits and bad bits. So just play the best from each area and you'll never get bored of games, never complain about games, and never waste money on games which you'll most likely hate anyway but fool youself into thinking that you like it because it's from you genre of choice."

I am not a JRPG lover but I will concede The Paper Mario games Are among the best games I have ever played. (64 version only)

shatnershaman:
I am not a JRPG lover but I will concede The Paper Mario games Are among the best games I have ever played. (64 version only)

....why have I still not played paper mario or mario RPG.....I keep meaning to play them but forget seconds later... I feel bad

I had a very meh experience with Final Fantasy. Most of them, I've never been able to finish. The first FF I ever played was Mystic Quest; that redheaded stepchild of the series fans generally pretend didn't exist. I didn't finish it, because my rental time ran out.

II (IV in Japan) suffered from severe Ending Fatigue. Somewhere around the dungeon with all the doors that turn into monsters that can one hit kill you, I just stopped caring. The game was too long, the dungeons too repetitive, and the story was not compelling enough to keep my attention.

-SPOILERS-
III (VI in Japan) started getting old in the World of Ruin, there was almost nothing to do besides look for the missing party members. To the game's credit, you dont HAVE to look for all of them, but I'm pretty sure you'd be severely under-leveled come time to fight the final boss. But that's not the reason I didn't finish. No, the reason I didn't finish was because the game crapped out on me right in the Final Dungeon, and the cartridge got corrupted. I was so pissed. Maybe I'll finish it on an emulator some day.

VII was hands down my favorite. Not only did I actually finish it, I played though the whole game at least 15 times since. It was paced excellently, and I never really felt like the game was dragging. The story was okay, if convoluted. I still don't think I understand all of it. Also, A lot of the late 2nd Disc seems tacked on, but it didn't kill the game. And a lot of the Summon magic is just ridiculous. The final boss has a summon that, after a 6 minutes long cutscene, blows up the sun...and he can do it more than once in the same battle.

VIII was just terrible. The main character killed the game for me. After about 5 hours, I couldn't take his Wangst anymore, and never touched the game again.

Other than FF7, the only Eastern RPGs I've been favorable to was Super Mario RPG (One of the greatest Mario titles, EVER), and The Legend of Zelda series, but I'm not sure if that counts.

Oh, and Pokemon. But only Red, Blue, and Yellow. Back before they ran the franchise into the ground. I don't care what anyone says, there's only 151 pokemon...(and Pluto is still a planet...and Han shot first, etc.).

:)