Education in Gaming

This is how this little study group will work.

Each week we will have a different topic in gaming. This topic will be a Specific Genre of Video games during a specific Generation.

Example being -

Genre - RPGs
Generation - Current (PS3, XBox 360, Playstation 3)

That will NOT be the current topic, fyi.

We will discuss vital elements added into the Genre during that era, different games of the Genre, and our thoughts in general on the Genre.

To begin with, we shall start with the golden days of the NES and other systems. Since my knowledge of other systems at the time is limited, I will only be able to offer up what I know of the NES RPG section.

To my knowledge, this is when the RPG Genre really took off with games such as Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy.

Of course there were a few popular RPG titles that never made it out of Japan, such as Mother.

Final Fantasy would seem to be the most worthy title to mention during this topic. It managed to save a company, Square, from going under. It introduced an RPG system where you would select the classes of each character, buy their abilities and equipment, and upgrade them later.

For it's time, it had a very compelling storyline. The 4 Light warriors were to go on a quest involving 4 crystals, to defeat the Demon Lord Chaos.

That is all for now, the rest of you, start discussing the NES Era of RPGS or I'll hunt you down. ^_^

Edit: There will also be a list of games that fit written in. I'll update it each chance I get.

NES Era RPGS
Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy III
Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest II
Dragon Quest III
Dragon Quest IV
Mother
Legend of the Ghost Lion
Ultima III: Exodus

:rolleyes:

For my part, I didn't think much of the stories of either FF I, II or III, but I didn't actually play them in the NES era. I think you'd have to have played them back when to be able to fully appreciate them, because you'd appreciate them for what they were, compared to the games of their time, rather than what they are, compared to the games of these days. Because let's face it, most any RPG today have a much more multifaceted plot than those of the first three FFs.

From the other games on the list, I only recognise the Dragon Quest series, which I don't believe I have played (possibly apart from a brief period on emulator). Would anyone care to give a brief recapitulation?

I never played Legend of the Ghost Lion very long, but it had an interesting system.

You had the main Character, who didn't get experience from battles, and leveled by finding special items.

You could either attack, or use another item to summon an ally, ranging from casters to melee forces.

I believe you could have up to two allies summoned at a time.

I don't really recall much of that game other then that.

Mother was the first game in a series, Earthbound being the second, but the only one released in the US and maybe Europe, I'm not really sure.

You were a young boy named Ninten who possessed A natural Psycic power. After beating a mysterious Polterghiest in his house, he embarks on a journey. I forget how he learned of his purpose though. :p

His goal is to gather all the notes to recreate the melody once heard by the queen of MAgicant, and mysterious and strange magical land.

I can't remember much asside from that though.

OVerall I know very little of NES RPGs honestly.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by NeoCracker

Ultima I: Exodus

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*Ultima III: Exodus.

Whoops. Fixed. :p

I think one game that should never be forgotten is Crystalis. It had a great engine, being one of the first real-time RPGs. The world was also ingenious.

I didn't really play any RPGs back then, primarily because they were very rarely released in Britain. I don't recall ANY RPGs in that era, in fact - though it should be noted I had a Master System, not a NES. The breakout RPG over here was FFVII, though by that point others had definitely been released here. Eh, not totally on-topic, but probably close enough to be justified.