Codex Best jRPGs Ever Poll RESULTS

[Carpincho Pampeano]

My only hope is that people check out the rest of the Ogre Battle series and Battle Ogre: March of the black queen becomes more pupular. I would swap Strange Journey with Nocturne but it makes sense that Nocturne is up there because for most it was babies first SMT and half the Codex doesn't know how to emulate. Didn't vote so i won't complain much besides that.

At least it's a good list of games that people will know they can get a conversation going and the thread will not have only 3 replies.

 

[dacencora]

A Shin Megami Tensei or Dragon Quest title should probably be the definitive “best JRPG of all time” but I have to say that the results are thoroughly unsurprising.

 

[fork]

Dark Souls is considered to be JRPG.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_best-selling_Japanese_role-playing_game_franchises

Yes, by people who have no idea what they're talking about.

 

[Endemic]

For what it's worth, IIRC there was a Nintendo DS RPG list posted here some years back that had SMT: Strange Journey as #1. But it helps that the DS was chock full of good turn based RPGs in general.

 

[Roguey]

Dark Souls is not a JRPG.
Dragon's Dogma is not a JRPG.

Both these games adhere to the principles of jrpg design much like Ys and the Tales of series and Kingdom Hearts and Drakengard and Nier and so on. It's transparent that Dragon's Souls fans just think the aesthetic is what makes something a jrpg or not (and even then, both have a Japanese take on the European style)

 

[dacencora]

Dark Souls is not a JRPG.
Dragon's Dogma is not a JRPG.

Both these games adhere to the principles of jrpg design much like Ys and the Tales of series and Kingdom Hearts and Drakengard and Nier and so on. It's transparent that Dragon's Souls fans just think the aesthetic is what makes something a jrpg or not (and even then, both have a Japanese take on the European style)

So you’re saying that Codexers that hate JRPGs but love the Souls games are more concerned about aesthetics than gameplay? Why I never!

 

[Morenatsu.]

I mean to be fair most JRPGs are only concerned about aesthetics and story anyway...

 

[dacencora]

I mean to be fair most JRPGs are only concerned about aesthetics and story anyway...

I’m sure there are lots of examples of that, however, there are also lots of examples of JRPGs with excellent gameplay.

 

[Morenatsu.]

Codexers playing good JRPGs? That's funny.

 

[Zlaja]

Both these games adhere to the principles of jrpg design

And what bloody principles are those? I've played two of the Tales games and the first KH, and these games have very little in common with Dark Souls. Now don't get me wrong, there's certainly something "eastern" about both DD and DS, but that something isn't tied to the tradition of JRPGs in particular.

 

[Roguey]

Both these games adhere to the principles of jrpg design

And what bloody principles are those? I've played two of the Tales games and the first KH, and these games have very little in common with Dark Souls. Now don't get me wrong, there's certainly something "eastern" about both DD and DS, but that something isn't tied to the tradition of JRPGs in particular.

With Dark Souls, it's repeating sections over and over again to make up for a lack of skill. In exclusively-single player wrpgs, there's no such grinding. Dragon's Dogma can be completed well enough without ever repeating anything, but it does exist as an option, and it also sends you to locations you've previously visited, a cost-cutting measure intrinsic to jrpgs. Additionally, the only way you can interact with NPCs is to give them gifts.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

where's anachronox

 

[flyingjohn]

ith Dark Souls, it's repeating sections over and over again to make up for a lack of skill

How exactly does somebody beat dark souls by continuously dying in the same area?Or by not having the skill necessary to dodge?
You don't automatically hit/dodge stuff in action games.

In exclusively-single player wrpgs, there's no such grinding.

We are talking about jrpg's not wrpg's. Most Japanese games are based on repetition/grinding.
And even then you are wrong. Ultima and its clones had grinding.Wizardry and its clones had grinding.

 

[Zlaja]

it's repeating sections over and over again to make up for a lack of skill. In exclusively-single player wrpgs, there's no such grinding

Dude, the reason you repeat sections over and over again in DS is because you died to the boss and have to get to him again. Which is common trope in ACTION GAMES which DS ultimately is. Kind of like playing Castlevania. Also, speaking of grinding in single-player wrpgs:

and it also sends you to locations you've previously visited, a cost-cutting measure intrinsic to jrpgs

Most Jrpgs I ever played would usually have you traverse combat areas only once in between story locations. Only reason to revisit them is to grind xp. Which is always optionable.

Additionally, the only way you can interact with NPCs is to give them gifts

Most Jrpgs don't have this. And you usually interact with NPCs in Jrpgs by spamming the "skip textbox" button 6 gorillion times per conversation. Also, in Dragon's Dogma you only give gifts to pawns as a way to indirectly interact with other players who made that pawn (online feature).

 

[Nutmeg]

Maxie, the version of Mercs I voted for is the Megadrive port of 1991, specifically the exclusive "original" (here meaning, like "original idea", not "as the origin") mode. The arcade original 1990 has no RPG elements.

 

[Maxie]

Maxie, the version of Mercs I voted for is the Megadrive port of 1991, specifically the exclusive "original" (here meaning, like "original idea", not "as the origin") mode. The arcade original 1990 has no RPG elements.

I kneel

 

[dacencora]

Kind of like playing Castlevania

You mean Castlevania, the Japanese action game series with RPG elements? Hmmmm.

 

[Lucumo]

Persona 2: Tsumi/Innocent Sin should have at least 3 points.

2 from me https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/closed-codex-best-jrpgs-ever-poll.141867/page-5#post-7752171
1 from Pyreen https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/closed-codex-best-jrpgs-ever-poll.141867/page-5#post-7747449
and then there are 2 points from Duraframe300 who doesn't know that Persona 2 consists of two games https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/closed-codex-best-jrpgs-ever-poll.141867/page-4#post-7738497

 

[Zlaja]

Kind of like playing Castlevania

You mean Castlevania, the Japanese action game series with RPG elements? Hmmmm.

Yes, the japanese ACTION GAME. I consider neither Symphony of the Night or Dark Souls to be RPGs. That's my whole point. If no Castlevania game was on the list, then why should DS?

 

[Roguey]

How exactly does somebody beat dark souls by continuously dying in the same area?Or by not having the skill necessary to dodge?
You don't automatically hit/dodge stuff in action games.

You grind, you get your stats up, you buy better equipment, you win, you repeat the process.

And even then you are wrong. Ultima and its clones had grinding.Wizardry and its clones had grinding.

An aspect of design that was abandoned 30 years ago.

Dude, the reason you repeat sections over and over again in DS is because you died to the boss and have to get to him again. Which is common trope in ACTION GAMES which DS ultimately is. Kind of like playing Castlevania.

In an action game, you can only get through a brickwall by playing better. In a jrpg, you improve your character's statistics.

Most Jrpgs I ever played would usually have you traverse combat areas only once in between story locations. Only reason to revisit them is to grind xp. Which is always optionable.

Dragon Quest XI, the Final Fantasy 7 Remake, Nier, Nier Automata, Tales of Berseria, and Dragon's Dogma all had me revisit previous locations in sidequests or even in the main quest. A trend with so many examples means it's an intrinsic design element.

 

[dacencora]

A trend with so many examples means it's an intrinsic design element

Yeah this point makes me wonder how many JRPGs he’s played. I don’t think I’ve played a JRPG that didn’t have respawning enemies/random encounters through areas I had already traversed. Shin Megami Tensei IV, III, V, Strange Journey, literally every Pokémon, Persona 4, Persona 5, Dragon Quest I, Dragon Quest VII, Dragon Quest XI, Trials of Mana, Tales of Arise. It’s a staple of the genre. In fact I can’t think of a single example that isn’t an SRPG. Maybe SaGa Scarlet Grace? I can’t remember, but getting into a combat encounter was something you could see on the map, I just can’t remember if they respawned/forced you to fight again.

 

[flyingjohn]

It’s a staple of the genre

And who is denying that?

 

[jungl]

Dragon dogma very overrated game crawl on enemies shoulder them mma simulator. Dark souls too demon souls same shit but with more iconic scenery.

 

[dacencora]

And who is denying that?

Most Jrpgs I ever played would usually have you traverse combat areas only once in between story locations. Only reason to revisit them is to grind xp. Which is always optionable.

 

[Maxie]

Persona 2: Tsumi/Innocent Sin should have at least 3 points.

2 from me https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/closed-codex-best-jrpgs-ever-poll.141867/page-5#post-7752171
1 from Pyreen https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/closed-codex-best-jrpgs-ever-poll.141867/page-5#post-7747449
and then there are 2 points from Duraframe300 who doesn't know that Persona 2 consists of two games https://rpgcodex.net/forums/threads/closed-codex-best-jrpgs-ever-poll.141867/page-4#post-7738497

I admit that I may have miscalculated this, also I did not give points to anyone who says "Souls as a series - x points"
Please consider Persona 2: Original Sin #4 best jRPG