100°

Where Did the JRPG Go?

GeekParty's Shelby Reiches writes: "Starting out in a JRPG always used to hit me with this tingling rush, my taste for adventure whet, my interest in the goings on piqued by writing that aimed to infuse its characters with strong, apparent personalities."

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geekparty.com
bicfitness3922d ago

To the portable and mobile space. More than a few stragglers on the PS3 - Atelier, Neptunia, Ni No Kuni, Xillia, etc - and "X" on the Wii U. That's about it for HD consoles.

Brucis3922d ago

Portables mainly, such as the PSP, DS, 3DS and Vita.

XboxFun3922d ago

There are a crap load for portables. I think a lot of JRPG developers got scared with the whole HD consoles and having to pretty up their games.

But lets hope this changes with the new consoles. Graphics aren't everything.

Lovable3922d ago

True. But seriously, would you pay $60 dollars for a PS2 graphics in HD when you can buy Western RPG games with top notch graphics?

XboxFun3922d ago

Yea, I can see where you are coming from. I probably wouldn't, but if it's a game like Earthbound or FF III(NA) I would gladly buy a crap ton digitally for a fair price.

Lovable3922d ago

I agree. But classics like that are rarity nowadays. You will probably see one in handhelds.

3922d ago
rainslacker3921d ago

I would. Depending on the quality of the game of course. That $60 would probably provide a lot more game play and content than most other $60 games that get released each month.

Graphics don't have to be amazing, and with JRPG anime graphics being simpler by default, there is no reason why these games can't release on the home console and still sell. People who like this kind of stuff don't need Advent Children quality CG visuals. just a strong story, fun game play, and likable characters. That's the reason they sell so well on portables...because there is a market for it. In the case of JRPG's, the market went to handhelds because that's where the games were that they wanted to play. No different than in the PS1 and PS2 days when people moved to Sony from Nintendo.

These past few years PS3 has been getting quite a few good JRPG's, mostly through the efforts of Atlus and NISA. I am very thankful for it because their absence was quite noticeable the first 3-4 years of the PS3's life. I hope and pray that the PS4 does not suffer this same problem, and would love a resurgence of the PS1/2 glory days of having to pick which one to get as opposed to waiting months for the next one to come out. This year though has been pretty good for them.

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specialguest3922d ago

Yeap. A lot of those jrpg devs don't have the square-enix budget to go HD console graphics standards. I'm hoping when next-gen is here, they should at least develop current gen level graphics games.

dcj05243922d ago

Its ironic because the VITA is HD so they kind of have to do it anyway.

Lord_Sloth3922d ago

You could have chosen a better picture.

JoshEngen3922d ago

Are you sure? That seems like an almost perfect picture.

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210°

Lost Odyssey Is Still One Of The Best Xbox RPGs Ever

17 years later, it still stands out.

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dualshockers.com
shinoff218364d ago

I liked blue dragon more. Lost odyssey is the shit though.

jznrpg64d ago

Two of the few games I still own for Xbox360 . I have Magna Carta 2 , Last Remnant but also have the PS4 version so I may have got rid of it and I have the DS version of Blue Dragon. I think and a few others but I forget what they are since I don’t dust them off. that’s about it.

shinoff218364d ago (Edited 64d ago )

Another one I still havent got to try is infinite undiscovery. I read it was pretty linear but I usually fk with tri ace(star oceans are great).

Really my only issue with lost odyssey was the level cap they hit you with throughout the game. I enjoy just relaxing and doing some grinding every once in awhile. Could've atleast given the option. Other then that. Excellent game.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. The 360 imo had atleast half or more that Gen of being the better jrpg system. I bought one earlier then I normally would have for some, and Alan wake. Japanese devs really got in their feelings that Gen and dropped the ball(thanks Phil phish, cocky ass ign, etc)

darthv7264d ago

You'd be better off playing Lost Odyssey on an XBO or Series X as no disc swapping and it looks and plays much better. Same with Blue Dragon. I still keep my 360 hooked up for games not on the bc list. for everything else, I use the series x now. Just last night I installed arkham origins as there is no 8th gen version like asylum/city.

I love having bc on xbox one/series hardware.

shinoff218364d ago

Darth

When I bought the the Xbox one off a couple worker. That was the first thing indid. Bought blue dragon and lost odyssey. Been waiting to catch infinite undiscovery on sale but I forget to check.

I used to own the 360 versions but I bought these digital. I'd like to track down the 360 ones again but no huge deal. I was actually playing through lost odyssey waiting for starfield to drop.

RaidenBlack64d ago

Is Lost Odyssey coming to PS, too?

cthulhucultist64d ago

The game was indeed amazing. Great characters, gameplay and story!

But the dream sequences penned by Shigematsu were sublime.

I still remember many of these stories and I have integrated in the past in my D&D campaign many years ago.

RpgSama64d ago

I'm not going to lie, I cried on more than on a couple of them

Dabigsiebowski64d ago

Microsoft should have just kept pumping money into these guys. Same with a lot of the other studios... the blundered hard.

Lost Odysee deserved a franchise even though development wasn't smooth

Michiel198964d ago

Am I the only one who doesn't wanna see every good game get sequel after sequel? It was a great game, but sometimes it's better to just make a one off and then create a new universe. Sadly that costs a lot more money and publishers don't wanna risk it, but I would definitely prefer it

shinoff218364d ago

I'm fine with sequels in jrpgs, even in the vain of ff sequels, all new stories and characters. It does get old in other genres though sometimes. For the most part I just game by game basis it all.

FinalFantasyFanatic64d ago

They could have done it like Final Fantasy, kept the title name and just start with a new world/characters, it's not like the creator isn't familar with that.

Concertoine64d ago

Idk, Japan never bit for Xbox despite their best efforts around this era. Mistwalker never exploded either, despite future partnerships with Nintendo whichhad a much better chance at success

BrainSyphoned64d ago

It's not like it has had any competition since 2007. Would really like to own the short stories from it in book form.

PapaBop64d ago

360 had some amazing JRPGs in it's early days, Blue Dragon, Eternal Sonata, Tales of Vesperia off the top of my head were all amazing games.

jznrpg64d ago (Edited 64d ago )

The problem with most MS games on 360 was they didn’t make the games they paid for them and that makes you less money in the long run and isn’t something you can continue to do especially with declining sales of consoles. MS should have been starting and growing studios from the beginning but they went for paid games and it leaves them without the knowledge and culture of making games.

shinoff218364d ago

Good points. Never thought of that like that back then.

Sgt_Slaughter64d ago

Not to mention killing the Japanese market that had all sorts of crazy and fun releases up until 2009-2010. They could have gained momentum on Nintendo and kept that going into the Xbox One era, but decided to "unify" efforts and that all but ended their presents in the country. Now, PS4's outsell the Xbox Series S three years into the new system's life cycle, and the 2/3DS at one point was doing the same.

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150°

A Look Through the Absolute Best PS2 Games of All Time

Take it down the memory lane with this ultimate list of the best PlayStation 2 games of all time. Just the best of the best right here.

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altarofgaming.com
isarai194d ago

It's so disappointing that to this day, I have not seen a game match what BLACK offers in an FPS.

ApocalypseShadow194d ago

Shame isn't it. I thought we'd be at a point of destructible backgrounds, objects, pyrotechnics etc in shooters. I sold many a copy in the demo unit when I managed a franchise Game Crazy back then. But I stopped playing shooters because they didn't evolve. Heavy weapon. Shoot a wall or glass. Nothing happens. Lol. Except for Killzone 2. I enjoyed that.

But then I woke and remembered it's EA. EA didn't care really. They just wanted to kill competition from Criterion and Burnout. And own Renderware to profit from as many developers used that engine. Only thing was that developers ran as fast as they could away from EA to Unreal Engine and its pop in and Vaseline graphics. Shame on EA. And then they bought Dice for Frostbite. Evil busters.

Anyway, too many PS2 games to count. Some of my personal faves being DMC, Genji, Bujingai, Blood Will Tell, Onimusha, Way of the Samurai, Japanese Berserk, Japanese Macross game that blew away the US Robotech game, RAD, Castlevania Lament of Innocence.... there's just too many. Let me stop. Lol

Cacabunga193d ago

Code Veronica
Dead or Alive 2 Hardcore
The Getaway
Time Crisis 3
Killzone
Mark of Kri
SSX

are some of my all times favorites missing on that list

shinoff2183193d ago

I've always Saud I'm not a fan of fps much , there's been some I really like and thought were really dope. Black falls into that category.

CoNn3rB193d ago

I would love nothing more than a remaster of the Jak series, including Jak X

Flawlessmic193d ago (Edited 193d ago )

The greatest console of all time !!!!

The last console from when gaming was pure, games didn't take 5 years to release, no online only, no half finished games, no mtx.

Ps2 was just banger after banger after banger.

It will always be my favourite.

sagapo193d ago

No Timesplitters in the list??

FinalFantasyFanatic192d ago

This is a really good list, pretty happy with the choices here.

160°

I Used To Hate This Xbox 360 Exclusive JRPG, But Boy Was I Wrong

I had it all wrong...Blue Dragon is awesome!

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dualshockers.com
M0chit0226d ago

One of the best of that era. Great game, great adventure!

Kurisu226d ago

I bought this game a couple of days ago, along with Lost Odyssey, while they're on sale in the Xbox Store. I never had a 360 back in the day so I missed out on these games, so I'm glad that I'll finally be able to try them out soon on my Series S.

raWfodog225d ago

Yep, Blue Dragon, Lost Odyssey, and Gears of War were my favorite 360 games back when they first released.

Seraphim225d ago

no doubt. To this day it baffles me when this game gets hate. Sure it wasn't as epic as Lost Odyssey, but in it's own right it was a great game.

MrNinosan226d ago

Lost Odyssey is one of the best jrpgs of that era but got killed because it was bought up and released on the "wrong" console.

repsahj225d ago

Is there a chance that Lost Odyssey will be released on PS5? I really want to play it and Blue Dragon, too.

autobotdan225d ago

Both games are owned by Microsoft

andy85226d ago

Great game. The 360 had some really good turn based games back in the day. Absolutely loved Lost Odyssey too. I think they are both Sakaguchi creations.

ZwVw225d ago

Correction. Both Blue Dragon & Lost Odyssey (as well as Infinite Undiscovery) started off as in-house developed projects that went third party after MS killed off their Japanese development studios.

andy85225d ago

Doesn't really have anything to do with what I said though 😂 Sakaguchi wrote them both

Hofstaderman225d ago

This game together with Lost Odyssey, The Last Remenant and Tales of Vesperia convinced me to buy a 360. This game made my 2007 which ended off with mass effect.

CrimsonWing69225d ago

Honestly, a fantastic game, especially if you were a fan of old-school JRPGs. I hate that this genre rarely can come back to these roots.

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