The RPG King

[Wolf Kanno]

Okay, so only counting games released specifically for the system that have never been released on other platforms (so no backwards compatibility, emulation, or ports) what console or PC era is the King of RPGs? You have to make an argument on what games make it the king though.

[Spuuky]

So only games that have never been released or emulated on another platform? Well, that eliminates from contention any non-current-gen platform except the PC, so...

[Wolf Kanno]

So only games that have never been released or emulated on another platform? Well, that eliminates from contention any non-current-gen platform except the PC, so...

I mean basically you can say FFVI is worthy of making the SNES King, but you can't use it as evidence for the PS1 because it was also available for that system due to being ported for it. Basically, I'm trying to eliminate the idea that PC would likely win this argument if you counted the fact it can technically have every RPG on it with enough effort, or give the PlayStation a chance over the PS2 since it seems unfair the PS2 can claim the PS1's library as well due to backwards compatibility. Basically, the original release of a title counts for that system, but if it happens to be available on other platforms later on due to porting or emulation, it can't count for them. Multi-platform releases will still count though, unless the game was clearly released on one system first and later ported to another, though I'll let it slide if the "port" came like a month or two later. So yeah, the Switch can't count Skyrim but it's fine to let the X-Box have Morrowind since the release difference between the PC and their version is a little over a month apart.

I want people to focus on original IPs for the system and not simply the fact that such and such system has all these cool new IPs and can actually play everything released before it due to hardware features or because the developers made a quick buck by simply re-releasing their greatest hits catalogues for a new generation. If I didn't do it this way, we won't have a discussion cause everyone will simply say PC.

[Spuuky]

Very well. But it's still the PC by far as a platform goes. Not that there aren't plenty of good games on other ones, too, of course. The only way you can cause the PC to "lose" is just creating artificial divisions in it by era, but everyone's gonna disagree about what those eras are anyway...

Probably, you should just say "except the PC."

[Wolf Kanno]

Very well. But it's still the PC by far as a platform goes. Not that there aren't plenty of good games on other ones, too, of course. The only way you can cause the PC to "lose" is just creating artificial divisions in it by era, but everyone's gonna disagree about what those eras are anyway...

Probably, you should just say "except the PC."

Yeah, but then I get yelled at for not including the PC. I can't win either way. Even then, I would like it if people would justify their answer by which games make the system the RPG king.

[Fynn]

I mean, the PC is the obvious choice since not only does it have a huge share of RPGs that are unique to it, there are so many ports nowadays that you almost don’t need another console. The exclusives like all the infinity engine D&D RPGs, hybrids like Heroes of Might and Magic, aRPGs like Diablo, and the lost goes on. There’s also all the Witcher’s which, although made for multiple platforms, have been made primarily for PCs.

But I know, I know, the rules of the thread I guess the DS is my choice because I don’t think I’ve ever gotten more value for my money when it comes to consistently excellent RPGs on a single system. There’s the fourth and fifth generation of Pokémon, as well as Pokémon Conquest, SMT Strange Journey (excellent), Devil Survivor (less excellent), TWEWY, DQIX, Radiant Historia, FFTA2, KH 358/2 Days, and the list goes on. It also has what I consider the definitive version of FFIV, but that doesn’t count here apparently.

[Spuuky]

See the DS version of FFIV should really count, because it's really a full remake. But either way the DS is pretty good but too many of the good "DS" games for me were made only for the 3DS later. It'd definitely be high on the list of consoles but I'm not sure quite how high.

[Wolf Kanno]

A remake of FFIV's caliber will count as "new". See this is why we can't have these types of threads cause half of you nitpick the rules and the other half go for the "low hanging fruit on the tree" eliminating the point of discussion.

[Spuuky]

What do you want exactly? No one is going to argue that the Game Boy or the PS3 is the high point of RPGs or whatever.

[Mercen-X]

I don't know. I feel like I've played more RPGs on PlayStation/PS2 than any other system.

There are plenty of titles I didn't try/never got a taste for, but those that did play, I felt were really good.
Final Fantasy (VII/VIII/IX), Legend of Legaia, Legend of Dragoon, Chrono Cross, Guardian's Crusade, Saga Frontier, Vagrant Story, Lunar, Valkyrie Profile, Parasite Eve (& 2), Breath of Fire III, Tales of Destiny, Wild Arms 2, Threads of Fate, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Shadow Madness
Kingdom Hearts, .hack, Suikoden IV, Dual Hearts, Xenosaga, Shadow Hearts, Dragon Quest VIII, Star Ocean Till, Rogue Galaxy, Dark Cloud, Radiata Stories, Ephemeral Fantasia, Grandia III, Arc the Lad, Front Mission 4, Metal Saga

Those are all the games on RPG lists I can remember playing (and enjoying).

[Raistlin]

PS1 for JRPGs: Suikoden I and II (these are different games, WK!), Lunar: SSSC (it counts because it actually changed the entire story, and even for the better), FFT, Breath of Fire III. Basically, it has all-time great JRPGs that remain some of my favorite games to this day. To me, it was the peak era of JRPG story-telling.

For non-JRPGs, I'd say early 2000s PC: Baldur's Gate II, Morrowind, Diablo 2. This is not my main type of RPG gaming, but these games immediately leap to my mind and were instant classics. Starting at the end of the '90s, this was an ambitious, even ground-breaking era for WRPGs that saw a lot of successes. I was also enjoying a lot of Ultima Online in this era.

[Wolf Kanno]

What do you want exactly? No one is going to argue that the Game Boy or the PS3 is the high point of RPGs or whatever.

Except that's what I want.

[Kibbs Kibbard]

I say for me it's an actual toss up between Playstation 1/2 and GB, I do recall playing more RPG like games on the Playstation 1 and 2 and a few on GB (Original release of Final Fantasy's obviously, but Chrono Cross and Legend of Dragoon come to mind for Playstation; and of course Pokemon, FF Mystic Quest and Dragon Warrior all come to mind for the GB)

To pick one though I would go with Playstation.

[Laddy]

97-02. No contest.

Fallout 1 & 2, Diablo 1 & 2, FF 7-10 and Tactics, Arx Fatalis, Dragon Quest VII, Grandia I & II, System Shock 2, Xenogears & Xenosaga, Geneforge, Baldur's Gate I & II, Shadow Hearts, Anachronox, Daggerfall & Morrowind, Skies of Arcadia, Breath of Fire III - V, Icewind Dale I & II, Jagged Alliance, Deus Ex, Planescape: Torment, Might & Magic VI-IX, Chrono Cross, Parasite Eve, Legend of Dragoon, Dark Cloud 1 & 2, Wizardry 8, Suikoden I-II, Lunar 2, Front Mission 3, Gorky 17, Everquest, Paper Mario, Vagrant Story, Okage, Avernum 1-2, Gothic 1 & 2, .hack 1-3, Freedom Force, Golden Sun 1 & 2.

Hard to beat.

[WarZidane]

I would say PC, but for the sake of keeping things interesting and avoiding the whole "how do you define a PC era" thing, I'm going to go with a more provocative answer...the PS3!

Now, this is the part where you probably do a double take, but bear with me here, I'm going to just spout a bunch of titles in defense of this answer. Naturally you won't like them all. I will say that while I don't think they're all great, I liked all of them, one of them is even my number 1 RPG (spoiler: It's Trails of Cold Steel 2). No scraping the bottom of the barrel here with games I actually didn't like. I did include multiplatform titles, as well as Japan-only releases. Some of them, you'll think "But those are PS4 games, not PS3", to which I say they were released on PS3 in Japan

That said...

Demon's Souls, Dark Souls 1 + 2, Tales of Graces f, Tales of Xillia 1+2, Tales of Zestiria, Tales of Berseria, Tales of Vesperia, Persona 5, Ni No Kuni, Final Fantasy XIV, Ar nosurge, Ar Tonelico 3, Atelier Rorona/Totori/Meruru/Ayesha/Escha+Logy/Shallie/Sophie, Resonance of Fate, Eternal Sonata, Deus Ex: Human Revolution, Mass Effect 2+3, Trails of Cold Steel 1 + 2, Fairy Fencer F, Nier, Final Fantasy XIII trilogy, Oblivion, Skyrim, Fallout 3 & New Vegas, Hyperdimension Neptunia 1, mk2 & Victory, Valkyria Chronicles, Dragon Age Origins + 2 + Inquisition, 2nd Super Robot Wars: Original Generation, South Park: The Stick of Truth.

And I didn't even include remasters, I figured I'd leave them out in case they don't count.