Tis the season. Enterbrain has finally translated RPG Maker XP and put it out on www.download.com. Or if PC RPG Makers aren't your thing, then they also have a new PS2 RPG Maker out, RPG Maker 3. I wouldn't recommend it though, because it just seems so much cooler when you can insert PC files into your RPG instead of being restricted to what is on the PS2 disc.

I've been fiddling around with RPG Maker XP since Thursday, and I really do appreciate the accessibility of it. I'm pretty much hooked on it. So much fun creating these sort of things.

Really, go ahead and give it a shot. The price is a little steep at $60 for the download, but if you really enjoy video games, and want to create one, you'll find that it's more than a fair price for such an incredible program. You could also try downloading the 30 day trial at the same place. To continue using it after 30 days you'd have to register it, so it's a pretty could idea to more or less see if it is a system you'd want to be getting in to.

If you do download the game, I recommend getting some ripped 16-32 bit graphics for it. Because it usually takes so many people for the graphical design, it's probably better that way. We all end up using them.

This site is a very good place to find character sprites, backgrounds, battle sprites, monsters, and backdrops.

Check out this program if you have the time, love rpgs, or both.