JRPG Catch-All

ClockworkHouse wrote:

It really is. Especially on the handhelds.

Speaking of RPGs coming out this year: someone tell me about the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon games. I know they're roguelikes with Pokémon, but that's it. Are they fun? Are they difficult? I'm trying to get a sense of whether they're something I'd be interested in.

I played a few hours of one of the time/dark ones. It was enjoyable, but really slow moving in the way games intended for kids can be. Lots of NPC chatting and lessons in game mechanics that take a while to ramp up, before they let you completely loose. That said, the actual dungeon crawling gameplay and monster collecting was pretty fun, and some of the NPCs are really amusing. The dungeon crawling is broken up into small missions or zones with different themes, so it's not one long slog. It definitely doesn't have the item/environment interaction complexity of a real RL, so I think that makes it easier. I think I still have my copy and may get back into it one day. I did not find the early part very difficult, from what I remember, but I know that the games gives you the ability to choose the difficulty of the dungeon quests you want to tackle from a quest board type of mechanic. If you like other pokemon game's general tropes and light RL mechanics, you will probably enjoy it. I'm sure a little youtubing would help you, too.

That sounds really pleasant.

It is pleasant, actually. Almost too pleasant. Actually, just really slow moving in the beginning as it introduces all of the mechanics.

I might have been playing Shin Megami Tensei games for too long. The level of cuteness in Tales of the Abyss feels off the charts. Mieu! Mieu mieu mieu mieu mieuuu.

Is this normal for the Tales series?

ClockworkHouse wrote:

I might have been playing Shin Megami Tensei games for too long. The level of cuteness in Tales of the Abyss feels off the charts. Mieu! Mieu mieu mieu mieu mieuuu.

Is this normal for the Tales series?

I don't have too much experience with Tales games (I played and liked Phantasia and Destiny, but gave up on Abyss) but I think that thing is an anomaly. I actually like Luke's reaction to it quite a bit.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

Is this normal for the Tales series?

Yeah, if I remember right, the Tales games were pretty good at dolling out the cute.

Then again after any extended exposure to Shin Megami Tensei you're probably going to be a little more susceptible to happy things.

Abyss is meant to be the 4th best in the series. I didn't get far due to the slowdown on PS2. But it seems like a good choice.

So I've been falling back in love with JRPGS after a long hiatus. It started with a replay of FFT on psp and then I finally started FFXII after owning it for years without touching it. Having a blast playing both. Now I've gone ahead and picked up a few Persona games, Last Story, FFXIII, and Ni No Kuni. Gonna take me forever to get through those, but it should be a fun ride.

Radical Ans wrote:

So I've been falling back in love with JRPGS after a long hiatus. It started with a replay of FFT on psp and then I finally started FFXII after owning it for years without touching it. Having a blast playing both. Now I've gone ahead and picked up a few Persona games, Last Story, FFXIII, and Ni No Kuni. Gonna take me forever to get through those, but it should be a fun ride.

Me too! Actually, I'm falling in love with JRPGs for the first time. I really had only ever played the Zelda games. Starting with Persona 3, I've finished that and am working on FF XIII, Persona 4, and Ni No Kuni. I'm also about halfway through FF VII but haven't gone back to it for awhile.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:
Radical Ans wrote:

So I've been falling back in love with JRPGS after a long hiatus. It started with a replay of FFT on psp and then I finally started FFXII after owning it for years without touching it. Having a blast playing both. Now I've gone ahead and picked up a few Persona games, Last Story, FFXIII, and Ni No Kuni. Gonna take me forever to get through those, but it should be a fun ride.

Me too! Actually, I'm falling in love with JRPGs for the first time. I really had only ever played the Zelda games. Starting with Persona 3, I've finished that and am working on FF XIII, Persona 4, and Ni No Kuni. I'm also about halfway through FF VII but haven't gone back to it for awhile.

I think the only true JRPG I've ever finished is Pokemon Leaf Green. Oh, and I played FF1 on the GBA. Otherwise I generally don't do strict JRPGs. Or I should say that I don't finish them. But I'm almost finished with Persona 4 and toying around with finally playing P3P in earnest. Especially now that I understand the whole Persona thing. It should make that game more approachable. Either that or I'll be annoyed that Persona 3 isn't more like Persona 4 in terms of features they implemented to streamline gameplay.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:
Radical Ans wrote:

So I've been falling back in love with JRPGS after a long hiatus. It started with a replay of FFT on psp and then I finally started FFXII after owning it for years without touching it. Having a blast playing both. Now I've gone ahead and picked up a few Persona games, Last Story, FFXIII, and Ni No Kuni. Gonna take me forever to get through those, but it should be a fun ride.

Me too! Actually, I'm falling in love with JRPGs for the first time. I really had only ever played the Zelda games. Starting with Persona 3, I've finished that and am working on FF XIII, Persona 4, and Ni No Kuni. I'm also about halfway through FF VII but haven't gone back to it for awhile.

Although not technically pure JRPG, also Nier, right? Right? Eh?

Minarchist wrote:

Although not technically pure JRPG, also Nier, right? Right? Eh? ;)

Yeah, I considered including that, but I suppose I didn't want to make things confusing. I still have the last 2 endings to complete, too. I'm saving them for a rainy day at this point, I think.

Spoiler:

It rains a lot in Oregon.

tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Yeah, I considered including that, but I suppose I didn't want to make things confusing.

So you instead referred to Zelda as a JRPG? Talk about not confusing the issue.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Yeah, I considered including that, but I suppose I didn't want to make things confusing.

So you instead referred to Zelda as a JRPG? Talk about not confusing the issue. ;)

That's like Darksiders, right?

It's kind of a kiddie version of Darksiders, yeah.

By saying I had played the Zelda games, I meant that that was the closest thing I had ever played to a JRPG. I think of a JRPG as a traditional battle JRPG and an AJRPG like Zelda or Nier as more of just an RPG.

I know you are all just playin with me, but I figured I should clarify.

Tyrian wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:
tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Yeah, I considered including that, but I suppose I didn't want to make things confusing.

So you instead referred to Zelda as a JRPG? Talk about not confusing the issue. ;)

That's like Darksiders, right?

I'm not sure what's worse: opening the door for Darksiders discussion, or opening the door for a Zelda is/is not an RPG debate

ClockworkHouse wrote:

It's kind of a kiddie version of Darksiders, yeah.

This will never cease to bring a smile to my face.

shoptroll wrote:
Tyrian wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:
tuffalobuffalo wrote:

Yeah, I considered including that, but I suppose I didn't want to make things confusing.

So you instead referred to Zelda as a JRPG? Talk about not confusing the issue. ;)

That's like Darksiders, right?

I'm not sure what's worse: opening the door for Darksiders discussion, or opening the door for a Zelda is/is not an RPG debate :(

Yeah, I had a huge internal debate over whether it was REALLY worth it to potentially drag the thread down that path (at least 30 whole seconds).

Apologies to all involved! I promise not to do it again!

Tyrian wrote:

Apologies to all involved! I promise not to do it again!

We will forgo the usual summoning of the fierce assault pugs... this time.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

It's kind of a kiddie version of Darksiders, yeah.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

It's kind of a kiddie version of Darksiders, yeah.

37% more childish...clocked!

Full list from Xseed:

We have a lot of new things to share today! KILLER IS DEAD (PS3/360), Rune Factory 4 (3DS), Valhalla Knights 3 (Vita), Ys: Memories of Celceta (Vita) and Ys I&II Chronicles+ (Steam) will all be coming to the West.

What is KILLER IS DEAD?

SixteenBlue wrote:

What is KILLER IS DEAD?

Suda-51's new game!

Not a JRPG.

I see Xseed likes money.

ccesarano wrote:

I see Xseed likes money.

They're certainly quite enamored of mine.

Blind_Evil wrote:

Suda-51's new game!

Not a JRPG.

I really really really need to get around to No More Heroes. *sigh*

shoptroll wrote:
Blind_Evil wrote:

Suda-51's new game!

Not a JRPG.

I really really really need to get around to No More Heroes. *sigh*

Yes, really.

Finally started playing Monster Hunter Freedom Unite after months of trying to track down a physical copy, then finally letting my collector's OCD waver and downloaded it from PSN. (For a third of the price I was going to pay for a physical specimen.)

No one told me this game was insane. It's like the cute version of Dark Souls. Where DS wants to beat you down and rebuild you in their image, Monster Hunter likes to beat you down and make you smile while they do it. It's just...so odd.