Old/obscure/underrated JRPGs

[Ermm]

I will always have a soft spot for Vanguard Bandits. It has one of my favorite main themes in JRPG's. Damn youtube is only is distorting it quite a lot.

 

[Ermm]

Is Beyond the Beyond really such a bad game? I saw some gameplay vids, and it looks quite fun.

Also, about Treasure of Rudras, I would really like to play it, but I've read about magic system, and is it hard to master? Since even reading about it I am a bit confused.

 

[Damned Registrations]

It's really not. And mastery is hardly required anyways, the game was very easy ( or at least the part I played, but I don't see it getting much harder when I have even better spells and gear later on.)

 

[Murk]

Rasputin

Beyond the Beyond isn't outright terrible in the sense that offensively-bad games can be, but rather it is just really weak in nearly every department. The combat system is slow and simple, the characters are bland and uninteresting, the areas are bland and uninteresting, and while there are some puzzles none of it is worth really praising. A better game is Lufia 2 (and of comparable graphical quality, given that BtB is basically an SNES game). Lufia 2 tries some interesting things and has some very neat puzzles (reminescent of the zelda games) and also allows you to skip monster battles in dungeons (enemies move when you do similar to a rogue-like, and you can stun enemies to avoid combat altogether).

If you wanted a game that looks like Beyond the Beyond but is better, play Shining Force 1 or 2.

 

[SCO]

There is actually a Vandal Hearts prequel, except that ... well....

Spoiler

hope you like chibi

 

[Krraloth]

Shadow Madness.

 

[victim]

victim could you explain what you liked about Onimusha Tactics and The YuYu Hawk-a-Show? I just discovered these recently and was wondering how they were.

Well, they are both straightforward games without much complexity to worry about. I played them one semester when I was ill for a few weeks. From what I remember -- we're talking 10 years ago probably -- they are just light fun titles that don't wear out their welcome (vs, for me anyway, a game like Jeanne D'Arc which I still have backlogged in my "to finish" bin). Neither game is terribly difficult either but they both manage to keep you engaged enough to get through the game.

The battles don't work exactly the same in the two games but they are both reminiscent Shining Force/Fire Emblem, which is the kind of SRPG I like best. Also, you can realistically level all of the characters in both games. Personally I like to try out everybody and see how they grow which doesn't work as well when you get 50 units.

I also loved Rondo of Swords although it got a bit "innovative" with the combat. There is also a Bleach srpg that I played but didn't like as much.

 

[victim]

There is actually a Vandal Hearts prequel, except that ... well....

Spoiler

hope you like chibi

if you mean Flames of Judgment, its a pretty fun game. Next to no customization for your characters and quite linear, but I enjoyed it.

I didn't love it enough to grind for some of the side quests, but I beat the final game as is so none of the loot seemed too enticing.

As I remember, the art isn't that bad except in the cut scenes.

 

[J1M]

Lufia 2.

/end thread.

 

[Whisky]

Lufia 2.

/end thread.

I guess it's more obscure nowadays, since the series is dead, but back then it was fairly well-known for those in the JRPG scene, getting great coverage in Nintendo Power and shit. Plus most people who know about it regard it as a great SNES RPG, far better than Lufia 1.

It's really shocking how good it is compared to the other games. Lufia 1 is okay and the rest are boring and bad.

 

[Damned Registrations]

It's also shocking how badly tested it was. There's a mandatory part of the game that is totally fucked up in the english version. Like, you can't see where you're walking and have to blindly get around fucked up. No idea how they missed that. The bottom of the ancient cave is fucked up the same way, ad although that'd be a nightmare to get to normally, it's not like the testers can't cheat their way there, so...

Though based on stories I've heard it's just as likely that the testers found it, reported it, and some douchebag above them said to ship it anyways. It's certainly happened with worse bugs.

 

[Whisky]

It's also shocking how badly tested it was. There's a mandatory part of the game that is totally fucked up in the english version. Like, you can't see where you're walking and have to blindly get around fucked up. No idea how they missed that. The bottom of the ancient cave is fucked up the same way, ad although that'd be a nightmare to get to normally, it's not like the testers can't cheat their way there, so...

Though based on stories I've heard it's just as likely that the testers found it, reported it, and some douchebag above them said to ship it anyways. It's certainly happened with worse bugs.

Wait...okay, I never went to the bottom of Ancient Cave, but I always assumed the messed up graphics there were intentional.

 

[Damned Registrations]

It's also shocking how badly tested it was. There's a mandatory part of the game that is totally fucked up in the english version. Like, you can't see where you're walking and have to blindly get around fucked up. No idea how they missed that. The bottom of the ancient cave is fucked up the same way, ad although that'd be a nightmare to get to normally, it's not like the testers can't cheat their way there, so...

Though based on stories I've heard it's just as likely that the testers found it, reported it, and some douchebag above them said to ship it anyways. It's certainly happened with worse bugs.

Wait...okay, I never went to the bottom of Ancient Cave, but I always assumed the messed up graphics there were intentional.

Nope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVnybhFCh8E

Skip to 9:10.

 

[Whisky]

It's also shocking how badly tested it was. There's a mandatory part of the game that is totally fucked up in the english version. Like, you can't see where you're walking and have to blindly get around fucked up. No idea how they missed that. The bottom of the ancient cave is fucked up the same way, ad although that'd be a nightmare to get to normally, it's not like the testers can't cheat their way there, so...

Though based on stories I've heard it's just as likely that the testers found it, reported it, and some douchebag above them said to ship it anyways. It's certainly happened with worse bugs.

Wait...okay, I never went to the bottom of Ancient Cave, but I always assumed the messed up graphics there were intentional.

Nope.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fVnybhFCh8E

Skip to 9:10.

Heh, I think I stopped playing it right before the Dual Blade shrine way back when.

 

[victim]

Anybody mention Blue Dragon? I just discovered this game. Biggesst thing is that I played the demo which gives you ALL of the skills. Honestly, that may ruin the game for me because half the fun is pushing ahead to get new jobs/skills and experiment with them.

 

[Abu Antar]

Gameplay is great. Almost a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy V. You should expect a hilariously bad story, though.

 

[victim]

Gameplay is great. Almost a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy V. You should expect a hilariously bad story, though.

You just made me realize that I haven't even taken Bravely Default out of the shrink wrap as it is also billed as a spritual successor to FFV. I want to, but I'm not sure I'm ready to get that involved in a game right now.

I am torn between really getting into BD or downloading the GBC Wizardry fan translation or a PS1 tactics game I just got off PSN network, Saiyuki: Journey West.

How were the BD sequels? First glance, they're not that appealing to me.

 

[Ermm]

Well, Final Fantasy V had a BAD story, but in a hilariously bad way, it was just BAD!!! Even the simplistic stories of FF1 and 3 were more enjoyable.

 

[Abu Antar]

Gameplay is great. Almost a spiritual successor to Final Fantasy V. You should expect a hilariously bad story, though.

You just made me realize that I haven't even taken Bravely Default out of the shrink wrap as it is also billed as a spritual successor to FFV. I want to, but I'm not sure I'm ready to get that involved in a game right now.

I am torn between really getting into BD or downloading the GBC Wizardry fan translation or a PS1 tactics game I just got off PSN network, Saiyuki: Journey West.

How were the BD sequels? First glance, they're not that appealing to me.

I stayed away from the Blue Dragon sequels. They didn't seem like games I would enjoy. Bravely Default is great but will most probably piss you off, but I can't tell you why because it is plot related.. The job system in Bravely default is great, even better than FFVs in my opinion. What it also does, is try to streamline the genre in every right way possible. Difficulty selection, adjust random encounter rate or turn them off completely and speed up battles. The last chapters also have some of the best fights in the game. Bravely Default is a spiritual successor to the 4 Heroes of Light, but I never played that either.

 

[Vanagandr]

Although not old, Atelier series is hugely misunderstood and underappreciated thanks to the derpy journalism. If there is any developer that deserves the success, it's Gust that has been around since PSX days.

 

[Keldryn]

Is Skies of Arcadia obscure enough?

It was originally on the Dreamcast, and then later ported to the Gamecube with a few enhancements. It might also have had a PS2 port in Japan.

I mostly played it on the Gamecube, and it remains one of my favorite JRPGs. It's got a huge world to explore, ship-to-ship battles, non-angsty characters, and lots of secrets to discover. You can also miss out on some of those discoveries if you take too long.

 

[taxalot]

Skies of Arcadia was the first console game I played since the Super NES. I had taken a long console break and had bought a cheap used Dreamcast with that game to play on a 14 inch CRT TV. I absolutely loved it. I remember it has some pretty long-ass battles. I think I remember one against that Ramirez that took me near 30 minutes of cranking up the same commands at each turn for him to go down.

 

[Ermm]

ZWEI II, an PC exclusive action-rpg is actually p. sweet.



Usually I don't like PC exclusive jrpgs, because for me they usually seem mediocre in every aspect, but this one, in my opinion, is halfway decent.

 

[Krraloth]

I guess it's more obscure nowadays, since the series is dead, but back then it was fairly well-known for those in the JRPG scene, getting great coverage in Nintendo Power and shit. Plus most people who know about it regard it as a great SNES RPG, far better than Lufia 1.

The series is not dead, there was Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals for NDS, sort of a reboot kinda. Arguably it was better left dead.

 

[Malpercio]

Been in a nostalgia mood recently, and I decided to revisit some of my favorite games... finally got to Terranigma.

So good. That atmosphere. That OST. I can't believe SE completely forgot about this game, not even a virtual console release...

It also has like the COOLEST OVERWORLD EVER

Also the coolest looking first town in any jrpg. BUBBLES IN THE SKY BITCHES.