History of Eastern role-playing video games: Difference between revisions
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'''Eastern role-playing video games''' are [[role-playing video game]]s developed in [[East Asia]], specifically [[Japan]], and, to a lesser extent, [[South Korea]] and [[China]]. For role-playing games developed in the [[Western world]], see [[History of Western role-playing video games]]. |
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==Early Japanese computers== |
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==Japanese computer RPGs== |
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{{see also|Action role-playing game|Tactical role-playing game}} |
{{see also|Action role-playing game|Tactical role-playing game}} |
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⚫ | While the Japanese [[video game industry]] has long been viewed as console-centric in the [[Western world]], due to the worldwide success of Japanese consoles beginning with the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], the country had in fact produced thousands of commercial [[personal computer game]]s from the late 1970s up until the mid-1990s, in addition to ''[[dōjin soft]]'' [[Independent video game development|independent games]]. The country's computer market was largely dominated by the [[NEC PC-8801]] & [[NEC PC-9801|PC-9801]], though with some competition from the [[Sharp X1]] & [[Sharp X68000|X68000]], [[FM-7]] & [[FM Towns]], and [[MSX]] & [[MSX2]]. A key difference between Western and Japanese systems at the time was the latter's higher [[display resolution]]s (640x400) in order to accommodate [[Japanese writing system|Japanese text]] which in turn had an impact on [[game design]]. Japanese computers also employed [[Yamaha]] [[Frequency modulation synthesis|FM synthesis]] [[Sound card|sound boards]] since the early 1980s, allowing [[video game music]] composers such as [[Yuzo Koshiro]] to produce highly regarded [[chiptune]] music for RPG companies such as Nihon Falcom. Due to hardware differences, only a small portion of Japanese computer games were released in North America, as ports to either consoles (like the NES or [[Mega Drive|Genesis]]) or American PC platforms (like [[MS-DOS]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers.htm|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier Retro Japanese Computers|author=John Szczepaniak|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-29}} Reprinted from {{citation|title=[[Retro Gamer]]''|issue=67|year=2009}}</ref> |
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===Early 1980s: Origins=== |
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⚫ | As early as 1982,<ref name="Pesimo"/> [[Koei]] released an early Japanese computer role-playing game, ''Danchizuma no Yuwaku'',<ref>{{cite web|title=Danchizuma no Yuuwaku|publisher=Legendra|url=http://www.legendra.com/rpg/fiche-rpg_id-3276-rpg-danchizuma_no_yuuwaku.html#fichesr_33_3276|accessdate=2011-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Danchi-zuma no Yuuwaku|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|url=http://www.gamespot.com/fm7/rpg/danchizumanoyuuwaku/index.html|accessdate=2011-03-16}}</ref> a [[PC-8000 Series|PC-8001]] title that featured [[adventure game]] elements and ''[[eroge]]'' [[Adult video game|adult content]].<ref name="Pesimo">{{cite book|author=Pesimo, Rudyard Contretas|chapter='Asianizing' Animation in Asia: Digital Content Identity Construction Within the Animation Landscapes of Japan and Thailand|title=Reflections on the Human Condition: Change, Conflict and Modernity - The Work of the 2004/2005 API Fellows|year=2007|publisher=The Nippon Foundation|pages=124–160|chapterurl=http://www.apimal.org/blogcms/media/13/File/Pesimo.pdf}}</ref> The following year saw the release of ''[[Bokosuka Wars]]'', originally released for the [[Sharp X1]] computer in 1983<ref name="gspot_bokosuka">{{cite web|title=Bokosuka Wars|url=http://www.gamespot.com/x1/strategy/bokosukawars/index.html|publisher=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> and later ported to the NES in 1985.<ref name="nintendo_bokosuka">{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_bw/index.html|title=Bokosuka Wars|work=[[Virtual Console]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendo.co.jp%2Fwii%2Fvc%2Fvc_bw%2Findex.html translation])</ref> The game's success in Japan was responsible for laying the foundations for the [[tactical role-playing game]] subgenre, or the "simulation RPG" as it is known in Japan, with its blend of role-playing and [[strategy video game]] elements. The game revolves around a leader who must lead his army against overwhelming enemy forces, while recruiting soldiers along the way and with each unit able to gain experience and [[level up]] through battle.<ref name="nintendo_bokosuka"/> The game is also considered to be an early example of a [[Real-time game|real-time]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Barnholt|first=Ray|title=Dru Hill: The Chronicle of Druaga|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3135870|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=October 25, 2004}}</ref> action RPG.<ref>{{allgame|14762|Bokosuka Wars}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Barnholt|first=Ray|title=Gems In The Rough: Yesterday's Concepts Mined For Today|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6251/gems_in_the_rough_yesterdays_.php|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=January 6, 2011}}</ref> |
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⚫ | |||
⚫ | While the Japanese [[video game industry]] has long been viewed as console-centric in the [[Western world]], due to the worldwide success of Japanese consoles beginning with the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], the country had in fact produced thousands of commercial [[personal computer game]]s from the late 1970s up until the mid-1990s, in addition to ''[[dōjin soft]]'' [[Independent video game development|independent games]]. The country's computer market was largely dominated by the [[NEC PC-8801]] & [[NEC PC-9801|PC-9801]], though with some competition from the [[Sharp X1]] & [[Sharp X68000|X68000]], [[FM-7]] & [[FM Towns]], and [[MSX]] & [[MSX2]]. A key difference between Western and Japanese systems at the time was the latter's higher [[display resolution]]s (640x400) in order to accommodate [[Japanese writing system|Japanese text]] which in turn had an impact on [[game design]]. Japanese computers also employed [[Yamaha]] [[Frequency modulation synthesis|FM synthesis]] [[Sound card|sound boards]] since the early 1980s, allowing [[video game music]] composers such as [[Yuzo Koshiro]] to produce highly regarded [[chiptune]] music for RPG companies such as Nihon Falcom. Due to hardware differences, only a small portion of Japanese computer games were released in North America, as ports to either consoles (like the NES or [[Mega Drive|Genesis]]) or American PC platforms (like [[MS-DOS]]).<ref name="retro_computers">{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers.htm|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier Retro Japanese Computers|author=John Szczepaniak|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-29}} Reprinted from {{citation|title=[[Retro Gamer]]''|issue=67|year=2009}}</ref> |
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⚫ | As early as 1982,<ref name="Pesimo"/> [[Koei]] released an early Japanese computer role-playing game, ''Danchizuma no Yuwaku'',<ref>{{cite web|title=Danchizuma no Yuuwaku|publisher=Legendra|url=http://www.legendra.com/rpg/fiche-rpg_id-3276-rpg-danchizuma_no_yuuwaku.html#fichesr_33_3276|accessdate=2011-03-16}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Danchi-zuma no Yuuwaku|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|url=http://www.gamespot.com/fm7/rpg/danchizumanoyuuwaku/index.html|accessdate=2011-03-16}}</ref> a [[PC-8000 Series|PC-8001]] title that featured [[adventure game]] elements and ''[[eroge]]'' [[Adult video game|adult content]].<ref name="Pesimo">{{cite book|author=Pesimo, Rudyard Contretas|chapter='Asianizing' Animation in Asia: Digital Content Identity Construction Within the Animation Landscapes of Japan and Thailand|title=Reflections on the Human Condition: Change, Conflict and Modernity - The Work of the 2004/2005 API Fellows|year=2007|publisher=The Nippon Foundation|pages=124–160|chapterurl=http://www.apimal.org/blogcms/media/13/File/Pesimo.pdf}}</ref> The following year saw the release of ''[[Bokosuka Wars]]'', originally released for the [[Sharp X1]] computer in 1983<ref name="gspot_bokosuka">{{cite web|title=Bokosuka Wars|url=http://www.gamespot.com/x1/strategy/bokosukawars/index.html|publisher=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> and later ported to the NES in 1985.<ref name="nintendo_bokosuka">{{cite web|url=http://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_bw/index.html|title=Bokosuka Wars|work=[[Virtual Console]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendo.co.jp%2Fwii%2Fvc%2Fvc_bw%2Findex.html translation])</ref> The game's success in Japan was responsible for laying the foundations for the [[tactical role-playing game]] subgenre, or the "simulation RPG" as it is known in Japan, with its blend of role-playing and [[strategy video game]] elements. The game revolves around a leader who must lead his army against overwhelming enemy forces, while recruiting soldiers along the way and with each unit able to gain experience and [[level up]] through battle.<ref name="nintendo_bokosuka"/> The game is also considered to be an early example of a [[Real-time game|real-time]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Barnholt|first=Ray|title=Dru Hill: The Chronicle of Druaga|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3135870|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=October 25, 2004}}</ref> action RPG.<ref>{{allgame|14762|Bokosuka Wars}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Barnholt|first=Ray|title=Gems In The Rough: Yesterday's Concepts Mined For Today|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6251/gems_in_the_rough_yesterdays_.php|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=January 6, 2011}}</ref> That same year also saw the release of Koei's ''[[Nobunaga's Ambition]]'' for Japanese computers in 1983. It was an early attempt at combining role-playing, turn-based [[Grand strategy wargame|grand strategy]] and [[Construction and management simulation|management simulation]] elements, setting the standard for future [[Simulation game|simulation]] RPGs. This trend continued with its sequels and other Koei games such as 1989's ''[[Bandit Kings of Ancient China]]'' as well as the [[Capcom]] game ''[[Destiny of an Emperor]]'' released that same year.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_e"/> |
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In 1984, [[Nihon Falcom]] released ''[[Dragon Slayer (video game)|Dragon Slayer]]'', a historically significant title that laid the foundations for the Japanese role-playing game industry.<ref name="gtm_falcom">{{cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM{{!}}Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|year=2011|month=July|issue=111|pages=152-159 [153]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/32/yshistory02.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-07}} ([[cf.]] {{cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=6 September 2011|date=July 8, 2011}})</ref> It was a real-time [[hack and slash]] [[dungeon crawl]]er that is considered the first [[action role-playing game]], a subgenre that it laid the foundations for,<ref name="4gamer_retro">{{cite web|author=Kamada Shigeaki|url=http://www.4gamer.net/specials/retro/retro01.html|title=レトロゲーム配信サイトと配信タイトルのピックアップ紹介記事「懐かし (Retro)|work=4Gamer.net|year=2007|accessdate=2011-05-19}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.4gamer.net/specials/retro/retro01.html Translation])</ref><ref name="gamesetwatch_falcom">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/07/column_compilation_catalog_fal_1.php|title=Falcom Classics|publisher=GameSetWatch|date=July 12, 2006|accessdate=2011-05-18}}</ref> alongside the [[arcade game]] ''[[The Tower of Druaga]]'' released the same year.<ref name="kalata_dragon_slayer">{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Dragon Slayer|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dragonslayer/dragonslayer.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101}}</ref> ''Dragon Slayer'' was a major success in Japan,<ref name="kalata_xanadu"/> and led to the emergence of a distinct action role-playing game subgenre on Japanese computers during the mid-1980s, with Nihon Falcom at the forefront of this new subgenre.<ref name="1up_kat">{{cite web|title=Hack and Slash: What Makes a Good Action RPG?|author=Kat Bailey|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|date=May 18, 2010|url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9030743|accessdate=2011-03-02}}</ref> ''Dragon Slayer'' as well as ''The Tower of Druaga'' laid the foundations for future action RPG series like ''Hydlide'', ''[[Ys (series)|Ys]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''.<ref name="kalata_dragon_slayer"/> ''[[Hydlide]]'', released for the PC-8801 in 1984 and the Famicom in 1986, added several innovations to the action RPG subgenre, including the ability to switch between attack mode and defense mode, quick [[Saved game|save]] and load options which can be done at any moment of the game through the use of [[Password (video games)|passwords]] as the primary back-up, and the introduction of a [[Health (gaming)#Recharging health|health regeneration]] mechanic where health and magic slowly regenerate when standing still, a feature also used in Falcom's ''Ys'' series from 1987 onwards.<ref name="kalata_hydlide">{{cite web|title=Hydlide|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/hydlide/hydlide.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|last2=Greene|first2=Robert}}</ref> |
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⚫ | Also in 1984, [[Henk Rogers]]' ''[[The Black Onyx]]'' was released on the PC-8801 in Japan, where it became one of the highest-selling computer games of that year and was considered the game of the year by ''[[Enterbrain|Login]]'', the largest Japanese computer game magazine at the time. The game is thus sometimes credited for bringing wider attention to computer role-playing games in the country.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/the-making-of-japans-first-rpg?page=0%2C1 | title=The Making Of... Japan's First RPG | publisher=Future Publishing Limited | work=Edge | date=March 6, 2008 | accessdate=May 2, 2011 | author=Edge Staff}}</ref> The [[cyberpunk]] RPG ''[[Hoshi wo Miru Hito|Psychic City]]'',<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/stargazer/stargazer.htm| title = Hoshi wo Miru Hito | author = Kurt Kalata | publisher = Hardcore Gaming 101| date = | accessdate = 2009-08-10}}</ref> released by [[HOT・B]] for the FM-7<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/fm7/rpg/inthepsychiccity/index.html|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|title=In The Psychic City (FM7)|accessdate=2011-03-31}}</ref> and PC-8801 in 1984, departed from the [[fantasy]] theme common in other RPGs at the time (such as ''Hydlide'' and ''The Black Onyx'') in favour of a [[science fiction]] plot, set in a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] city devastated by [[World War III]] and where the protagonist fights using psychic/telepathic abilities. The game later served as the basis for the 1987 NES RPG ''[[Hoshi wo Miru Hito]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=プロジェクトEGG,「サイキックシティ」の販売を開始|work=4Gamer.net|date=2005-10-04|url=http://www.4gamer.net/news/history/2005.10/20051004213658detail.html|accessdate=2011-03-31}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.4gamer.net/news/history/2005.10/20051004213658detail.html Translation])</ref> |
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''[[Hydlide]]'', released for the PC-8801 in 1984 and the Famicom in 1986, added several innovations to the action RPG subgenre, including the ability to switch between attack mode and defense mode, quick [[Saved game|save]] and load options which can be done at any moment of the game through the use of [[Password (video games)|passwords]] as the primary back-up, and the introduction of a [[Health (gaming)#Recharging health|health regeneration]] mechanic where health and magic slowly regenerate when standing still, a feature also used in Falcom's ''Ys'' series from 1987 onwards.<ref name="kalata_hydlide">{{cite web|title=Hydlide|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/hydlide/hydlide.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|last2=Greene|first2=Robert}}</ref> ''[[Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness]]'' in 1985 featured an early morality meter, where the player can be [[Alignment (role-playing games)|aligned]] with justice, normal, or evil, which is affected by whether the player kills evil monsters, good monsters, or humans, and in turn affects the reactions of the townsfolk towards the player.<ref name="kalata_hydlide"/> Magical Zoo's ''The Screamer'', released for the PC-8801 in 1985, was an early example of a real-time [[Role-playing shooters|shooter-based RPG]].{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} Set after [[World War III]], the game also featured elements of post-apocalyptic science fiction as well as cyberpunk and [[Survival horror|bio-horror]] themes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.4gamer.net/news/history/2006.12/20061226145948detail.html|title=The Screamer|work=4Gamer.net|date=2006-12-26|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.4gamer.net%2Fnews%2Fhistory%2F2006.12%2F20061226145948detail.html&sl=ja&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation])</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Screamer Fiche RPG|url=http://www.legendra.com/rpg/fiche-rpg_id-3174-rpg-the_screamer.html#fichesr_33_3174|publisher=Legendra.com|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> |
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''Dragon Slayer'''s success led to a 1985 sequel ''[[Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu]]'',<ref name="kalata_xanadu"/> which became the best-selling PC game in Japan.<ref name="falcom_xanadu"/> It was a full-fledged RPG with character stats and a large quest,<ref name="falcom_xanadu"/> with action-based combat setting it apart from other RPGs,<ref name="1up_kat"/> including both melee combat and projectile magic attacks,<ref name="kalata_xanadu"/> while incorporating a [[Side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] [[platform game]] view during exploration and an overhead view during battle.<ref name="kalata_xanadu">{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Xanadu|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/xanadu/xanadu.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101}}</ref> ''Xanadu'' also featured innovative gameplay mechanics such as individual experience for equipped items,<ref name="falcom_xanadu">{{cite web |url=http://www.falcom.co.jp/xanadu_next/xanadu/xanadu.html|title=Xanadu Next home page|accessdate=2008-09-08 }} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.falcom.co.jp%2Fxanadu_next%2Fxanadu%2Fxanadu.html Translation])</ref> and an early [[Karma]] morality system, where the [[player character]]'s Karma meter will rise if he commits sin which in turn affects the temple's reaction to him.<ref name="gamesetwatch_falcom"/><ref name="falcom_xanadu"/> It is also considered a "proto-[[Metroidvania]]" game,<ref name="1up_metroidvania">{{cite web|author=Jeremy Parish|title=Metroidvania|work=Metroidvania.com|work=GameSpite.net|url=http://www.gamespite.net/toastywiki/index.php/Games/Metroidvania|accessdate=2011-03-25}}</ref> due to being an "RPG turned on its side" that allowed players to run, jump, collect, and explore.<ref>{{cite web|title=8-Bit Cafe: The Shadow Complex Origin Story|author=Jeremy Parish|date=August 18, 2009|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9001783|accessdate=2011-03-25}}</ref> The way the [[Dragon Slayer (series)|''Dragon Slayer'' series]] reworked the entire game system of each installment was an influence on ''Final Fantasy'', which would do the same for each of its installments.<ref name="gama_20ess_13">{{Harvnb|Harris|2009|p=13|Ref=gama_20ess}}</ref> According to ''[[GamesTM|Games<sup>TM</sup>]]'' and John Szczepaniak (of ''[[Retro Gamer]]'' and ''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]''), [[Enix]]'s ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' was also influenced by ''Dragon Slayer'' and in turn defined many other RPGs.<ref name="gtm_falcom"/> Falcom would soon become one of the three most important Japanese role-playing game developers in the 1980s, alongside Enix and Square,<ref name="gtm_falcom"/> both of which were influenced by Falcom.<ref name="gtm_falcom"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4066/game_design_essentials_20_rpgs.php?page=13|author=John Harris|title=Game Design Essentials: 20 RPGs - Dragon Slayer|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|page=13|date=July 2, 2009|accessdate=2011-03-02}}</ref> |
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''[[Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness]]'' in 1985 featured an early morality meter, where the player can be [[Alignment (role-playing games)|aligned]] with justice, normal, or evil, which is affected by whether the player kills evil monsters, good monsters, or humans, and in turn affects the reactions of the townsfolk towards the player.<ref name="kalata_hydlide"/> Magical Zoo's ''The Screamer'', released for the PC-8801 in 1985, was an early example of a real-time [[Role-playing shooters|shooter-based RPG]].{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} Set after [[World War III]], the game also featured elements of post-apocalyptic science fiction as well as cyberpunk and [[Survival horror|bio-horror]] themes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.4gamer.net/news/history/2006.12/20061226145948detail.html|title=The Screamer|work=4Gamer.net|date=2006-12-26|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.4gamer.net%2Fnews%2Fhistory%2F2006.12%2F20061226145948detail.html&sl=ja&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation])</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Screamer Fiche RPG|url=http://www.legendra.com/rpg/fiche-rpg_id-3174-rpg-the_screamer.html#fichesr_33_3174|publisher=Legendra.com|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> [[Square (company)|Square]] also released their first RPG that same year, which was an early futuristic sci-fi RPG for the PC-8801,<ref name="retro_3"/> ''Genesis: Beyond The Revelation'',<ref name="rg_35">{{cite journal| journal = [[Retro Gamer]]| publisher = [[Imagine Publishing]]| title = Before They Were Famouos| issue = 35| page = 76|first = John| last = Szczepaniak | url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/595/before-they-were-famous?o=3#listing | accessdate=2011-03-16}}</ref> featuring a post-apocalyptic setting.<ref name="retro_3">{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers3.htm|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier Retro Japanese Computers|page=3|author=John Szczepaniak|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-29}} Reprinted from {{citation|title=[[Retro Gamer]]''|issue=67|year=2009}}</ref> Other sci-fi RPGs released in 1985 include ''[[The Earth Fighter Rayieza]]'' by [[Enix]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Chikyuu Senshi Raīza|url=http://www.legendra.org/rpg/fiche-rpg_id-3204-supports_id-33-so-fiche.html|publisher=Legendra.org|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> and [[Kogado Studio]]'s [[MSX]] game ''[[Cosmic Soldier (MSX)|Cosmic Soldier]]'', which introduced an early [[Dialog tree|dialogue conversation]] system, where the player can recruit allies by talking to them, choose whether to kill or spare an enemy, and engage enemies in conversation, similar to the later more famous ''[[Megami Tensei]]''.<ref>{{cite web|first=Yamaarashi|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Psychic War|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/psychicwar/psychicwar.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> |
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===Late 1980s–early 1990s: Golden Age=== |
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The late 1980s to early 1990s is considered the golden age of Japanese computer gaming, which would flourish until its decline around the mid-1990s, as consoles eventually dominated the Japanese market.<ref name="retro_3"/> A notable Japanese computer RPG from around this time was ''[[Role-playing shooters|WiBArm]]'', the earliest known RPG to feature [[3D computer graphics|3D polygonal graphics]]. It was a 1986 role-playing shooter released by [[:jp:サイバーヘッド (ゲームメーカー)|Arsys Software]] for the [[NEC PC-8801|PC-88]] in Japan and ported to [[MS-DOS]] for Western release by [[Brøderbund]]. In ''WiBArm'', the player controls a transformable [[mecha]] robot, switching between a [[2D computer graphics|2D]] [[Side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] view during outdoor exploration to a fully 3D polygonal [[Third person (video games)|third-person]] perspective inside buildings, while bosses are fought in an arena-style 2D [[shoot 'em up]] battle. The game featured a variety of weapons and equipment as well as an [[automap]], and the player could upgrade equipment and earn experience to raise stats.<ref name=Retro>{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers.htm|author=John Szczepaniak|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-07-28}} (Reprinted from ''[[Retro Gamer]]'', Issue 67, 2009)</ref><ref name="4gamer_wibarm">{{cite web|url=http://www.4gamer.net/games/008/G000896/20080325040/|title=【リリース】プロジェクトEGGから3月25日に「ウィバーン」発売|publisher=4Gamer.net|accessdate=2011-03-05}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.4gamer.net/games/008/G000896/20080325040/ Translation])</ref> Unlike first-person RPGs at the time that were restricted to 90-degree movements, ''WiBArm's'' use of 3D polygons allowed full 360-degree movement.<ref name="4gamer_wibarm"/> |
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Another 1986 release was Falcom's ''[[Xanadu Scenario II]]'', an early example of an [[expansion pack]].<ref name=Xanadu>{{cite web|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/xanadu/xanadu.htm|title=Xanadu|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-09-07}}</ref> The game was [[Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]], allowing the eleven levels to be explored in any order.<ref name=Gifford>{{cite web|author=Kevin Gifford|title=Xanadu Scenario II|work=MagWeasel.com|date=June 3, 2010|url=http://magweasel.com/2010/06/03/xanadu-scenario-ii-nihon-falcom-10186/|accessdate=2011-03-25}}</ref> ''[[Dragon Slayer Jr: Romancia]]'' simplified the RPG mechanics of ''Xanadu'', such as removing the character customization and simplifying the numerical statistics into icons, and emphasized faster-paced platform action, with a strict 30-minute time limit. The action took place entirely in a side-scrolling view rather than switching to a separate overhead combat screen like its predecessor. These changes ''Romancia'' more like a side-scrolling [[action-adventure game]].<ref name="gama_20ess_13"/><ref name="gsutra_20games"/><ref name=Romancia>Kurt Kalata, [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/romancia/romancia.htm Romancia], Hardcore Gaming 101</ref> Square's 1986 release, ''[[Cruise Chaser Blassty]]'', was a sci-fi RPG that had the player control a customizable [[mecha]] robot from a [[First person (video games)|first-person]] view.<ref name="retro_3"/> That same year also saw the arcade release of the sequel to ''The Tower of Druaga'', ''[[The Return of Ishtar]]'',<ref name=Ishtar>{{KLOV game|9302|The Return of Ishtar}}</ref> an early action RPG<ref>[http://www.gamefaqs.com/fm7/956894-the-return-of-ishtar/data The Return of Ishtar - Release Information], [[GameFAQs]]</ref> to feature two-player [[cooperative gameplay]],<ref name=Ishtar/> [[Dual analog control|dual-stick control]] in single player, a female protagonist, the first heroic couple in gaming, and the first [[Password (video games)|password]] save system in an arcade game.<ref>[http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=0&cId=3135870 Dru Hill: The Chronicle of Druaga], [[1UP]]</ref> |
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In 1987, ''[[Legacy of the Wizard|Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family]]'' (''Legacy of the Wizard'') returned to the deeper action-RPG mechanics of ''Xanadu'' while maintaining the fully side-scrolling view of ''Romancia''.<ref name=Romancia/> It also featured an [[open world]] and [[nonlinear gameplay]] similar to "[[Metroidvania]]" platform-adventures, making ''Drasle Family'' an early example of a non-linear, open-world action RPG.<ref name="gsutra_20games">{{cite web | last = Harris | first = John | title = Game Design Essentials: 20 Open World Games | publisher = [[Gamasutra]] | date = September 26, 2007 | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1902/game_design_essentials_20_open_.php?page=11 | accessdate = 2008-07-25}}</ref> Another "[[Metroidvania]]" style open-world action RPG released that year was [[System Sacom]]'s [[Sharp X1]] computer game ''[[System Sacom#For computer|Euphory]]'', which was possibly the only Metroidvania-style [[multiplayer]] action RPG produced, allowing two-player cooperative gameplay.<ref name=Retro/> The fifth ''Dragon Slayer'' title, ''[[Sorcerian]]'', was also released in 1987. It was a party-based action RPG, with the player controlling a party of four characters at the same time in a side-scrolling view. The game also featured character creation, highly customizable characters, class-based puzzles, and a new scenario system, allowing players to choose which of 15 scenarios, or [[Quest (video gaming)|quests]], to play through in the order of their choice. It was also an [[episodic video game]], with expansion disks released soon after offering more scenarios.<ref name=Dragon-Slayer>{{cite web|author=Kurt Kalata|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dragonslayer/dragonslayer.htm|title=Dragon Slayer|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-02}}</ref><ref name=GameCola>[http://gamecola.net/2010/10/sorcerian-pc/ Sorcerian (PC)], ''GameCola.net'', October 30, 2010</ref> Falcom also released the [[Ys (video game)|first installment]] of its popular, long-running ''[[Ys (series)|Ys]]'' series in 1987. Besides Falcom's own ''Dragon Slayer'' series, ''Ys'' was also influenced by ''Hydlide'', from which it borrowed certain mechanics such as health-regeneration when standing still, a mechanic that has since become common in video games today.<ref name="kalata_hydlide"/><ref name="gtm_falcom"/> ''Ys'' is also known for its 'bump attack' system, where the protagonist Adol automatically attacks when running into enemies off-center, making the game more accessible and the usually tedious [[Grinding (video gaming)|level-grinding]] task more swift and enjoyable for audiences at the time.<ref name="gtm_falcom_154">{{cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM{{!}}Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|year=2011|month=July|issue=111|pages=152-159 [154]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/844/yshistory03.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-08}} ([[cf.]] {{cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=8 September 2011|date=July 8, 2011}})</ref> The game also had what is considered to be one of the best and most influential [[video game music]] soundtracks of all time, composed by [[Yuzo Koshiro]] and Mieko Ishikawa.<ref name="gtm_falcom_154"/><ref name="kalata_ys">{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Ys|url=http://hardcoregaming101.net/ys/ys.htm|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=3 September 2011|date=11/27/10}}</ref><ref name="greening_kotowski">{{cite web|title=Interview with Yuzo Koshiro|date=February 2011|publisher=Square Enix Music Online|author=Chris Greening & Don Kotowski|url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/yuzokoshiro.shtml|accessdate=2011-06-20}}</ref> In terms of the number of game releases, ''Ys'' is second only to ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' as the largest Eastern role-playing game franchise.<ref name="gtm_falcom_154"/> |
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''[[Hydlide 3: The Space Memories]]'', released for the [[MSX]] in 1987 and for the [[Mega Drive]] as ''[[Super Hydlide]]'' in 1989, adopted the morality meter of its predecessor, expanded on its time option with the introduction of an in-game clock setting day-night cycles and a need to sleep and eat, and made other improvements such as [[cut scene]]s for the opening and ending, a combat system closer to ''The Legend of Zelda'', the choice between four distinct character classes, a wider variety of equipment and spells, and a weight system affecting the player's movement depending on the overall weight of the equipment carried.<ref name="kalata_hydlide"/> That same year, [[Kogado Studio]]'s sci-fi RPG ''[[Cosmic Soldier (MSX)|Cosmic Soldier: Psychic War]]'' featured a unique "[[tug of war]]" style real-time combat system, where battles are a clash of energy between the party and the enemy, with the player needing to push the energy towards the enemy to strike them, while being able to use a shield to block or a suction ability to absorb the opponent's power. It also featured a unique non-linear conversation system, where the player can recruit allies by talking to them, choose whether to kill or spare an enemy, and engage enemies in conversation, similar to ''[[Megami Tensei]]''.<ref name="Cosmic-Soldier">Yamaarashi, [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/psychicwar/psychicwar.htm Cosmic Soldier], Hardcore Gaming 101</ref> Also in 1987, ''[[Survival horror#Origins|Shiryou Sensen: War of the Dead]]'', an [[MSX2]] title developed by Fun Factory and published by [[Victor Entertainment|Victor Music Industries]], was the first true [[survival horror]] RPG.<ref name=Gifford>Kevin Gifford, [http://magweasel.com/2009/11/10/i-love-the-pc-engine-shiryou-sensen-war-of-the-dead/ Shiryō Sensen: War of the Dead], ''Magweasel.com'', November 10, 2009</ref><ref name=Szczepaniak>John Szczepaniak, [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wotd/wotd.htm War of the Dead], Hardcore Gaming 101, 15 January 2011</ref> Designed by Katsuya Iwamoto, the game revolved around a female [[SWAT]] member Lila rescuing survivors in an isolated monster-infested town and bringing them to safety in a church. It was [[Open world|open-ended]] like ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' and had [[Real-time game|real-time]] side-view battles like ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|Zelda II]]''. Unlike other RPGs at the time, however, the game had a dark and creepy atmosphere expressed through the story, graphics, and music,<ref name=Gifford/> while the gameplay used shooter-based combat and gave limited ammunition for each weapon, forcing the player to search for ammo and often run away from monsters in order to conserve ammo.<ref name=Szczepaniak/> |
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In 1988, Arsys Software's ''[[Role-playing shooters|Star Cruiser]]'' was an innovative action RPG released for the PC-8801.<ref name="4gamer_sc"/> It was notable for being an early example of an RPG with fully 3D polygonal graphics,<ref name="4gamer_sc">{{cite web|url=http://www.4gamer.net/games/008/G000896/20080428044/|title=スタークルーザー|work=4Gamer.net|date=2008-04-28|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.4gamer.net%2Fgames%2F008%2FG000896%2F20080428044%2F translation])</ref> combined with [[first-person shooter]] gameplay,<ref name="allgame_star_cruiser"/> which would occasionally switch to [[Space flight simulator game|space flight simulator]] gameplay when exploring outer space with [[six degrees of freedom]]. All the backgrounds, objects and opponents in the game were rendered in 3D polygons, many years before they were widely adopted by the gaming industry. The game also emphasized storytelling, with plot twists and extensive character dialogues.<ref name="4gamer_sc"/> ''Star Cruiser'' was later ported to the [[Mega Drive]] console in 1990.<ref name="allgame_star_cruiser">{{allgame|16126|Star Cruiser}}</ref> Another 1988 release, ''[[Last Armageddon]]'', produced for the PC-8801 and later ported to the [[PC Engine CD]] and NES consoles in 1990, featured a unique post-apocalyptic storyline set in a desolate future where humanity has become extinct and the protagonists are demon monsters waging war against an alien species.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.4gamer.net/games/008/G000896/20080501044/|title=Last Armageddon|work=4Gamer.net|date=2008-05-02|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.4gamer.net%2Fgames%2F008%2FG000896%2F20080501044%2F&sl=ja&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation])</ref> ''The Scheme'', released by [[Quest Corporation|Bothtec]] for the [[NEC PC-8801|PC-8801]] in 1988, was an action RPG with a similar side-scrolling [[Open world|open-world]] gameplay to ''[[Metroid]]''.<ref name=Retro/> That same year, ''[[Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter|Ys II]]'' introduced the unique ability to transform into a monster, which allows the player to both scare human [[non-player character]]s for unique dialogues as well as interact with all the monsters. This is a recurring highlight in the series, offering the player insight into the enemies, to an extent that very few other games allow to this day.<ref name="gtm_falcom_154"/> |
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1988 also saw the debut of [[Telenet Japan]]'s ''[[Exile (1988 video game series)|Exile]]'', a series of action-platform RPGs,<ref>[http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/12/column_might_have_been_telenet.php 'Might Have Been' - Telenet Japan], GameSetWatch, December 17, 2007</ref> beginning with ''XZR: Idols of Apostate''. The series was controversial for its plot, which revolves around a time-traveling [[Crusades]]-era Syrian [[Assassins|Islamic Assassin]] who assassinates various religious/historical figures as well as modern-day political leaders,<ref name=Exile>{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/exile/exile.htm|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Exile / XZR|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|coauthors=|date=2009-04-11|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2009-08-10}}</ref> with similarities to the present-day ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' action game series.<ref>Leo Chan, [http://www.neoseeker.com/news/12552-sunsoft-scores-telenet-japan-franchises/ Sunsoft scores Telenet Japan franchises], Neoseeker, December 10, 2009</ref> The gameplay of ''Exile'' included both overhead exploration and side-scrolling combat, featured a [[Electrocardiography|heart monitor]] to represent the player's Attack Power and Armour Class statistics, and another controversial aspect of the game involved taking drugs (instead of potions) that increase/decrease attributes but with side-effects such as affecting the heart-rate or causing death.<ref name=Exile/> An early attempt at incorporating a [[point-and-click]] interface in a real-time overhead action RPG was ''[[Kure Software Koubou#Silver Ghost|Silver Ghost]]'',<ref name="Silver-Ghost"/> a 1988 [[NEC PC-8801]] game by [[Kure Software Koubou]].<ref>[http://www.kure.sakura.ne.jp/8_works/game/2_sg.html Silver Ghost] ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.kure.sakura.ne.jp/8_works/game/2_sg.html&ei=-CcpTZGiN4KyhAfzpJzpAQ&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=10&ved=0CGgQ7gEwCQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3D%2522%25E3%2582%25B7%25E3%2583%25AB%25E3%2583%2590%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2582%25B4%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2582%25B9%25E3%2583%2588%2522%2B1988%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26biw%3D1280%26bih%3D767%26prmd%3Divns Translation]), [[Kure Software Koubou]]</ref> It was an action-[[Tactical role-playing game|strategy RPG]] where characters could be controlled using a cursor.<ref name="Silver-Ghost">{{cite web|author=Kurt Kalata|date=February 4, 2010|title=So What the Heck is Silver Ghost|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2010/02/so-what-heck-is-silver-ghost.html|accessdate=2011-04-02}}</ref> It was cited by [[Camelot Software Planning]]'s Hiroyuki Takahashi as inspiration for the ''[[Shining (series)|Shining]]'' series of tactical RPGs. According to Takahashi, ''Silver Ghost'' was "a simulation action type of game where you had to direct, oversee and command multiple characters."<ref name=GamesTM>[http://www.gamestm.co.uk/retro/behind-the-scenes-shining-force/ Behind The Scenes – Shining Force], ''[[GamesTM]]''</ref> Unlike later tactical RPGs, however, ''Silver Ghost'' was not [[turn-based]], but instead used [[real-time strategy]] and [[action role-playing game]] elements.<ref name="Silver-Ghost"/> A similar game released by Kure Software Koubou that same year was ''[[First Queen]]'', a unique hybrid between a real-time strategy, action RPG, and strategy RPG. Like an RPG, the player can explore the world, purchase items, and level up, and like a [[strategy video game]], it focuses on recruiting soldiers and fighting against large armies rather than small parties. The game's "Gochyakyara" ("Multiple Characters") system let the player control one character at a time while the others are controlled by computer [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] that follow the leader, and where battles are large-scale with characters sometimes filling an entire screen.<ref name="kuresoft">{{cite web|title=Official Site|publisher=[[Kure Software Koubou]]|url=http://www.kuresoft.net|accessdate=2011-05-19}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.kuresoft.net Translation])</ref><ref>{{MobyGames|id=/first-queen|name=First Queen}}</ref> |
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''[[Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes]]'' in 1989 departed from the action-oriented gameplay of previous ''Dragon Slayer'' titles, and instead used a more traditional [[turn-based]] combat system.<ref name="hg101_vantage">{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Vantage Master|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/vantagemaster/vantagemaster.htm|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=6 September 2011}}</ref> In 1990, [[Data East]]'s ''Gate of Doom'' was an [[Arcade game|arcade]] action RPG that combined beat 'em up [[fighting game]]play with fantasy role-playing and introduced an [[Isometric graphics in video games|isometric perspective]].<ref>{{KLOV game|7921|Gate of Doom}}</ref> That same year, [[Enix]] released a unique [[Life simulation#Biological simulations|biological simulation]] action RPG by [[Givro|Almanic]] that revolved around the theme of [[evolution]], ''46 Okunen Monogatari'', a revised version of which was released in 1992 as ''[[E.V.O.: Search for Eden]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers3.htm|author=John Szczepaniak|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier|page=3|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-18}} (Reprinted from ''[[Retro Gamer]]'', Issue 67, 2009)</ref> That same year, [[Alpha Denshi]]'s ''[[Crossed Swords (video game)|Crossed Swords]]'' for the [[Video arcade|arcades]] combined the first-person [[beat 'em up]] gameplay of [[SNK]]'s ''[[The Super Spy]]'' (released the same year) with RPG elements, while replacing the first-person shooting with hack & slash combat.<ref name="Crossed-Swords">{{allgame|16995|Crossed Swords}}</ref> Also in 1990, [[Hideo Kojima]]'s ''[[SD Snatcher]]'', while turn-based, introduced an innovative first-person shooter-based battle system where firearm weapons (each with different abilities and target ranges) have limited ammunition and the player can aim at specific parts of the enemy's body with each part weakening the enemy in different ways. Such a battle system has rarely been used since,<ref>Kurt Kalata, [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/snatcher/snatcher.htm Snatcher], Hardcore Gaming 101</ref> though similar battle systems based on targeting individual body parts can later be found in Square's ''[[Vagrant Story]]'' (2000), a [[Time-keeping systems in games#Pausable real-time|pausable real-time]] RPG<ref>{{cite web|title=Retronauts: Volume 4 - Yasumi Matsuno|author=Jeremy Parish|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|date=2006-03-18|url=http://www.1up.com/features/retronauts-yasumi-matsuno|accessdate=2011-04-09}}</ref> that uses both melee and bow & arrow weapons,<ref>{{cite web|title=Vagrant Story - Retroview|publisher=[[RPGamer]]|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/psx/vagrant/reviews/vagrantstrev2.html|accessdate=2011-04-09}}</ref> as well as [[Bethesda Softworks|Bethesda]]'s ''Fallout 3'' (2008) and [[Nippon Ichi]]'s ''[[Last Rebellion]]'' (2010).<ref>[http://www.jeuxvideo.fr/date-europeenne-fixe-action-rpg-last-rebellion-actu-323102.html European date fixed for the action / RPG Last Rebellion] ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeuxvideo.fr%2Fdate-europeenne-fixe-action-rpg-last-rebellion-actu-323102.html&sl=fr&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation]), Jeuxvideo.com</ref> |
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In 1991, Nihon Falcom's ''[[Brandish]]'' was an early overhead action RPG to use mouse controls, where the player could move forward, backward, turn, strafe and attack by clicking on boxes surrounding the [[player character]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Brandish|author=Kurt Kalata|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 1010|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/brandish/brandish.htm|accessdate=2011-04-02}}</ref> The 1991 ''Dragon Slayer'' title ''[[Lord Monarch]]'' departed from the action RPG gameplay of its predecessors, instead using an early form of [[real-time strategy]] gameplay.<ref name="hg101_vantage"/> The [[Eroge|erotic]] [[Adult video game|adult]] RPG ''[[Knights of Xentar|Dragon Knight III]]'', released in 1991 for the PC-8801 and as ''Knights of Xentar'' for [[MS-DOS]], introduced a unique [[Time-keeping systems in games#Pausable real-time|pausable real-time]] battle system,<ref name=MobyGames-Xentar>{{MobyGames|id=/knights-of-xentar|name=Knights of Xentar}}</ref><ref name=honestgamers/> where characters automatically attack based on a list of different [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] scripts,<ref name=honestgamers>[http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/6068.html Dragon Knight III: Staff Review], Honest Gamers</ref> though this meant the player had no control over the characters during battle other than to give commands for spells, item use, and AI routines.<ref name=MobyGames-Xentar/> That same year, ''[[Arcus Odyssey]]'' by Wolf Team (now [[Namco Tales Studio]]) was an action RPG that featured an isometric perspective and co-operative multiplayer gameplay.<ref name="levi">{{cite web|url=http://retro.ign.com/articles/882/882363p1.html|title=Top 10 Renovation Games|last=Buchanan|first=Levi|coauthors=|date=2008-06-17|publisher=IGN.com|accessdate=2009-11-06}}</ref> The sequel to the first-person shooter role-playing game ''Star Cruiser'', simply called ''Star Cruiser 2'', was released in 1992,<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20040201144907/http://dengeki.jp/~roburi/cd.csv でんげき~別館~] ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.co.uk%2Furl%3Fsa%3Dt%26source%3Dweb%26cd%3D1%26ved%3D0CBsQIDAA%26url%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fwebcache.googleusercontent.com%252Fsearch%253Fq%253Dcache%253AMVbKeE4duaEJ%253Awww.dengeki.jp%252F~roburi%252Fcd.csv%252Bsite%253Adengeki.jp%252B%252522%2525E3%252582%2525B9%2525E3%252582%2525BF%2525E3%252583%2525BC%2525E3%252582%2525AF%2525E3%252583%2525AB%2525E3%252583%2525BC%2525E3%252582%2525B6%2525E3%252583%2525BC2%252522%252B1993%2526cd%253D1%2526hl%253Den%2526ct%253Dclnk%2526gl%253Duk%2526client%253Dfirefox-a%2526source%253Dwww.google.co.uk%26ei%3DXfZJTavME6WL4gbJv42eDA%26usg%3DAFQjCNG3SsZ1R3MJQ4tRi789OyEi12aEUA%26sig2%3D-fvcCW3TfnJrZcxvVDvEAQ Translation]), ''[[Dengeki]]''</ref> for the [[NEC PC-9801|PC-9821]] and [[FM Towns]] computers.<ref>[http://www.dengeki.jp/~roburi/akiary/200406.html 日記(バックナンバー)] ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.dengeki.jp/~roburi/akiary/200406.html&ei=evdJTbGLAY314AaNtpyJDA&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCQQ7gEwAQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsite:dengeki.jp%2B%2522%25E3%2582%25B9%25E3%2582%25BF%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2582%25AF%25E3%2583%25AB%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2582%25B6%25E3%2583%25BC%2B2%2522%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26prmd%3Divns Translation]), ''[[Dengeki]]''</ref> |
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===Late 1990s–present: Independent titles=== |
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{{see also|Dōjin soft|RPG Maker}} |
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From the mid-1990s, the Japanese computer game industry began declining. This was partly due to the death of the [[NEC PC-9801]] computer format, as the [[Sega Saturn]] and [[PlayStation (console)|Sony PlayStation]] became increasingly powerful in the console market while the computer market became increasingly dominated by the [[IBM Personal Computer]] and [[Windows 95|Microsoft Windows 95]]. This led to many Japanese PC manufacturers either continuing to develop for Windows 95 or moving over to the more lucrative console market. While most developers turned their attention to the console market, some developers dedicated to content unsuitable for consoles (such as [[eroge]] and complex military [[strategy game]]s) continued their focus on the PC market.<ref name="retro_computers"/> |
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In 1996, ''[[Night Slave]]'' was a [[Role-playing shooters|shooter RPG]] released for the [[NEC PC-9801|PC-98]] that combined the [[Scrolling shooter|side-scrolling shooter]] gameplay of ''[[Cybernator|Assault Suits Valken]]'' and ''[[Gradius]]'', including an armaments system that employs recoil [[Game physics|physics]], with many RPG elements such as permanently levelling up the [[mecha]] and various weapons using power-orbs obtained from defeating enemies as well as storyline [[cut scene]]s. These cut scenes also occasionally contain lesbian [[Adult video game|adult content]].<ref name=Retro/> |
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⚫ | Lastly, towards the end of the 1990s, a new Internet [[fad]] began, owing to simplistic [[software development kit]]s such as the Japanese ''[[RPG Maker]]'' series (1988 onwards). Influenced by console RPGs and based mostly on the [[gameplay]] and style of the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] and [[Sega Genesis]] games, a large group of young [[programmer]]s and aficionados across the world began creating independent console-style computer RPGs and sharing them online.<ref name="gama_conund">{{cite web|last=English|first=Fox|title=The RPG Conundrum|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/FoxEnglish/20110325/6963/The_RPG_Conundrum.php|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=13 May 2011|date=March 25, 2011}}</ref> In an interview with [[GameDaily]], [[MTVN]]'s Dave Williams remarked that, "Games like this [user generated] have been sort of under the radar for something that could be the basis of a business. We have the resources and we can afford to invest more... I think it's going to be a great thing for the consumer."<ref name="gdaily_pcvgfeat">{{cite web|author=May 09, 2007 | first=David|last=Radd |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/addicted-to-user-generated-content/70394/?biz=1 |title=Video Game Features, PC Game Features |publisher=[[GameDaily]] |date=2007-05-09 |archiveurl=http://replay.web.archive.org/20081006201535/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/addicted-to-user-generated-content/70394/?biz=1|archivedate=2008-10-06 |accessdate=2010-09-05}}</ref> |
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==Japanese console RPGs== |
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{{see also|Action role-playing game|Tactical role-playing game}} |
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===1982–1986: Origins=== |
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==1982-1986: Console origins== |
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[[File:Dragon quest battle 2.png|250px|thumb|left|''[[Dragon Warrior|Dragon Quest]]<!--Non free file removed by DASHBot-->'' (1986), which combined the overhead exploration of ''Ultima'' with the first-person menu-driven combat of ''Wizardry'',<ref name="gama_primer20">{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=A Japanese RPG Primer: The Essential 20|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3581/a_japanese_rpg_primer_the_.php|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=14 May 2011|date=March 19, 2008}}</ref><ref name="gama_rpgreboot">{{cite web|last=Doucet|first=Lars|title=Rebooting the RPG|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/LarsDoucet/20110309/7182/Rebooting_the_RPG.php|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=12 May 2011|date=March 9, 2011}}</ref> created a streamlined gameplay format that made console RPGs accessible to a wider audience.<ref name="1up_dq"/> |alt=A black screen with two moth-like creatures in the center and three white-bordered boxes around it. The box above the moth-like creatures has "Hero", "Brin", "Math", and "Viro" on the top, each with an H and an M under each of them, with Hr under "Hero", Sr under "Brin", Wz under "Math", and Pr under "Viro". A number is next to the letters on the right. The bottom left box displays "Hero" on the top and the options "Fight", "Run", "Parry", and "Item". The bottom right box contains the text "Masked Moth 2".]] |
[[File:Dragon quest battle 2.png|250px|thumb|left|''[[Dragon Warrior|Dragon Quest]]<!--Non free file removed by DASHBot-->'' (1986), which combined the overhead exploration of ''Ultima'' with the first-person menu-driven combat of ''Wizardry'',<ref name="gama_primer20">{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=A Japanese RPG Primer: The Essential 20|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3581/a_japanese_rpg_primer_the_.php|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=14 May 2011|date=March 19, 2008}}</ref><ref name="gama_rpgreboot">{{cite web|last=Doucet|first=Lars|title=Rebooting the RPG|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/LarsDoucet/20110309/7182/Rebooting_the_RPG.php|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=12 May 2011|date=March 9, 2011}}</ref> created a streamlined gameplay format that made console RPGs accessible to a wider audience.<ref name="1up_dq"/> |alt=A black screen with two moth-like creatures in the center and three white-bordered boxes around it. The box above the moth-like creatures has "Hero", "Brin", "Math", and "Viro" on the top, each with an H and an M under each of them, with Hr under "Hero", Sr under "Brin", Wz under "Math", and Pr under "Viro". A number is next to the letters on the right. The bottom left box displays "Hero" on the top and the options "Fight", "Run", "Parry", and "Item". The bottom right box contains the text "Masked Moth 2".]] |
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The earliest [[role-playing video game]] on a console was ''[[Dragonstomper]]'' on the [[Atari 2600]] in 1982.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_h">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="The First Console RPG"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}} "A devoted gamer could make a decent case for either of these Atari titles founding the RPG genre; nevertheless, there's no denying that Dragon Quest was the primary catalyst for the Japanese console RPG industry. And Japan is where the vast majority of console RPGs come from, to this day. Influenced by the popular PC RPGs of the day (most notably Ultima), both Excalibur and Dragon Quest "stripped down" the statistics while keeping features that can be found even in today's most technologically advanced titles. An RPG just wouldn't be complete, in many gamers' eyes, without a medieval setting, hit points, random enemy encounters, and endless supplies of gold. (...) The rise of the Japanese RPG as a dominant gaming genre and Nintendo's NES as the dominant console platform were closely intertwined."</ref> ''[[Bokosuka Wars]]'', originally released for the [[Sharp X1]] computer in 1983,<ref name="gspot_bokosuka"/> was ported to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] console in 1985, and was a commercial success in Japan, where it laid the foundations for the [[tactical role-playing game]] subgenre.<ref name="nintendo_bokosuka"/> Other notable early console RPGs included ports of [[Namco]]'s 1984 [[Arcade game|arcade]] [[action role-playing game]]s: ''[[The Tower of Druaga]]'',<ref name="kalata_dragon_slayer"/> which was ported to the NES in 1985,<ref>{{cite web|title=Druaga no Tou Release Information for NES|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/nes/578244-druaga-no-tou/data|publisher=[[GameFAQs]]}}</ref> and ''[[Dragon Buster]]'',<ref>{{KLOV game|7641|Dragon Buster}}</ref> the first video game to feature a [[Health (gaming)#Life bar|life meter]] (called "Vitality" in-game),<ref name="gradar_evolutions4">{{cite web|title=Gaming's most important evolutions|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-4|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=October 8, 2010}}</ref> also ported to the NES in 1987.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dragon Buster for NES|url=http://www.gamespot.com/nes/rpg/dragonbuster/index.html|publisher=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> |
The earliest [[role-playing video game]] on a console was ''[[Dragonstomper]]'' on the [[Atari 2600]] in 1982.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_h">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="The First Console RPG"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}} "A devoted gamer could make a decent case for either of these Atari titles founding the RPG genre; nevertheless, there's no denying that Dragon Quest was the primary catalyst for the Japanese console RPG industry. And Japan is where the vast majority of console RPGs come from, to this day. Influenced by the popular PC RPGs of the day (most notably Ultima), both Excalibur and Dragon Quest "stripped down" the statistics while keeping features that can be found even in today's most technologically advanced titles. An RPG just wouldn't be complete, in many gamers' eyes, without a medieval setting, hit points, random enemy encounters, and endless supplies of gold. (...) The rise of the Japanese RPG as a dominant gaming genre and Nintendo's NES as the dominant console platform were closely intertwined."</ref> ''[[Bokosuka Wars]]'', originally released for the [[Sharp X1]] computer in 1983,<ref name="gspot_bokosuka"/> was ported to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] console in 1985, and was a commercial success in Japan, where it laid the foundations for the [[tactical role-playing game]] subgenre.<ref name="nintendo_bokosuka"/> Other notable early console RPGs included ports of [[Namco]]'s 1984 [[Arcade game|arcade]] [[action role-playing game]]s: ''[[The Tower of Druaga]]'',<ref name="kalata_dragon_slayer"/> which was ported to the NES in 1985,<ref>{{cite web|title=Druaga no Tou Release Information for NES|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/nes/578244-druaga-no-tou/data|publisher=[[GameFAQs]]}}</ref> and ''[[Dragon Buster]]'',<ref>{{KLOV game|7641|Dragon Buster}}</ref> the first video game to feature a [[Health (gaming)#Life bar|life meter]] (called "Vitality" in-game),<ref name="gradar_evolutions4">{{cite web|title=Gaming's most important evolutions|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-4|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=October 8, 2010}}</ref> also ported to the NES in 1987.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dragon Buster for NES|url=http://www.gamespot.com/nes/rpg/dragonbuster/index.html|publisher=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> |
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In 1985, [[Yuji Horii]] and his team at [[Chunsoft]] began production on ''[[Dragon Warrior|Dragon Quest]]'' (''Dragon Warrior'').<ref name="1up_dw">{{cite web|last=Gifford|first=Kevin|title=The Essential 50 Part 20 |
In 1985, [[Yuji Horii]] and his team at [[Chunsoft]] began production on ''[[Dragon Warrior|Dragon Quest]]'' (''Dragon Warrior'').<ref name="1up_dw">{{cite web|last=Gifford|first=Kevin|title=The Essential 50 Part 20 - Dragon Warrior|url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-dragon-warrior|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> After [[Enix]] published the game in early 1986, it became the template for future console RPGs.<ref name="gspy_dwhof">{{cite web|first=William|last=Cassidy| title=The GameSpy Hall of Fame: Dragon Warrior | publisher=[[Gamespy]] | url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/492/492001p1.html | accessdate=2005-05-29}}</ref> The game was influenced by the first-person random battles in ''[[Wizardry]]'', the overhead movement in ''[[Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness|Ultima]]'',<ref name="gamasutra_dq">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php |title=The History of Dragon Quest|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|work=Features|accessdate=February 22, 2011}}</ref> and the mystery storytelling in Horii's own 1983 [[visual novel]] game ''[[Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken|Portopia Serial Murder Case]]''.<ref name="gotemba_iwamoto">{{cite book|author=Goro Gotemba & Yoshiyuki Iwamoto|year=2006|title=Japan on the upswing: why the bubble burst and Japan's economic renewal|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=eGA9qByeQH0C&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201|page=201|publisher=Algora Publishing|isbn=0875864627|accessdate=2011-05-06}}</ref> Horii's intention behind ''Dragon Quest'' was to create a RPG that appeals to a wider audience unfamiliar with the genre or video games in general. This required the creation of a new kind of RPG, that didn't rely on previous ''D&D'' experience, didn't require hundreds of hours of rote fighting, and that could appeal to any kind of gamer.<ref name="1up_dw"/> Compared to statistics-heavy computer RPGs, ''Dragon Quest'' was a more streamlined, faster-paced game based on exploration and combat, and featured a [[Top-down perspective|top-down view]] in dungeons, in contrast to the [[First person (video games)|first-person view]] used for dungeons in earlier computer RPGs.{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} The streamlined gameplay of ''Dragon Quest'' thus made the game more accessible to a wider audience than previous computer RPGs.<ref name="1up_dq">{{cite web|title=Solid Gold: The Best of NES|author=Jeremy Parish|date=2005-10-27|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|url=http://www.1up.com/features/solid-gold-nes|accessdate=2011-05-18}}</ref> The game also placed a greater emphasis on storytelling and emotional involvement,<ref name="npinterview">{{cite book |editor=|title=Nintendo Power volume 221 |year=2007 |publisher=[[Future US]]|isbn=|pages=78–80|quote=At the time I first made ''Dragon Quest'', computer and video game RPGs were still very much in the realm of hardcore fans and not very accessible to other players. So I decided to create a system that was easy to understand and emotionally involving, and then placed my story within that framework.}}</ref> building on Horii's previous work ''Portopia Serial Murder Case'', but this time introducing a [[coming of age]] tale for ''Dragon Quest'' that audiences could relate to, making use of the RPG level-building gameplay as a way to represent this.<ref name="gotemba_iwamoto"/> It also featured elements still found in most console RPGs, like major quests interwoven with minor subquests and an incremental spell system,<ref name="gspot_consolehist_a">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Dragon Quest"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> alongside [[anime]]-style art by [[Akira Toriyama]] and a classical score by [[Koichi Sugiyama]] that was considered revolutionary for console [[video game music]].<ref name="1up_dw"/> |
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The gameplay of ''Dragon Quest'' itself was [[Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]], with most of the game not blocked in any way other than by being infested with monsters that can easily kill an unprepared player. This was balanced by the use of bridges to signify a change in difficulty and a new level progression that departed from ''D&D'', where in the 1st and 2nd editions, players are given random initial stats and a constant growth rate. ''Dragon Quest'' instead gave the player some extra hit points at the start and a level progression where the effective rate of character growth decelerates over time, similar to how the more recent [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons|editions of ''D&D'']] have balanced the gameplay.<ref name="gama_20ess_08"/> ''Dragon Quest'' also gave players a clear objective from the start of the game and a series of smaller scenarios to build up the player's strength in order to achieve that objective.<ref name="iwata_asks_dq">{{cite web|url=http://dqnine.com/#/iwata/|title=Dragon Quest: Sential of the Starry Skies|work=Iwata Asks|publisher=Square-Enix|at=The History of Dragon Quest|accessdate=2010-12-05}}</ref> The ending could also be altered depending on the moral dialogue choice of whether or not the protagonist should join the antagonist on his evil conquest towards the end of the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=2 |title=The History of Dragon Quest|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|page=2|accessdate=February 22, 2011}}</ref> The game also had a limited inventory requiring item management,<ref name="gamasutra_dqii"/> while the caves were dark, requiring the use of a torch to display a field of vision around the character.<ref name="gamasutra_dq"/> With ''Dragon Quest'' becoming widely popular in Japan, such that local municipalities were forced to place restrictions on where and when the game could be sold,<ref name="gspot_consolehist_a" /> the [[Dragon Quest|''Dragon Quest'' series]] is still considered a bellwether for the Japanese video game market.<ref name="1up_dqbell">{{cite web | last = Parish | first = Jeremy | title = Why the tiniest Dragon Quest is the biggest deal | publisher = [[1UP.com]] | date = December 12, 2006 | url = http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=7692573 | accessdate = 2010-10-06}}</ref> ''Dragon Quest'' did not reach North America until 1989, when it was released as ''Dragon Warrior'', the first NES RPG to be released in North America.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_a"/> The release of ''Dragon Quest'' was followed by NES remakes of the early ''Wizardry'' and ''Ultima'' titles over the next several years by [[Pony Canyon]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (Pony Canyon) - overview|url=http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/ultima-i-the-first-age-of-darkness-pony-canyon/|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> |
The gameplay of ''Dragon Quest'' itself was [[Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]], with most of the game not blocked in any way other than by being infested with monsters that can easily kill an unprepared player. This was balanced by the use of bridges to signify a change in difficulty and a new level progression that departed from ''D&D'', where in the 1st and 2nd editions, players are given random initial stats and a constant growth rate. ''Dragon Quest'' instead gave the player some extra hit points at the start and a level progression where the effective rate of character growth decelerates over time, similar to how the more recent [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons|editions of ''D&D'']] have balanced the gameplay.<ref name="gama_20ess_08"/> ''Dragon Quest'' also gave players a clear objective from the start of the game and a series of smaller scenarios to build up the player's strength in order to achieve that objective.<ref name="iwata_asks_dq">{{cite web|url=http://dqnine.com/#/iwata/|title=Dragon Quest: Sential of the Starry Skies|work=Iwata Asks|publisher=Square-Enix|at=The History of Dragon Quest|accessdate=2010-12-05}}</ref> The ending could also be altered depending on the moral dialogue choice of whether or not the protagonist should join the antagonist on his evil conquest towards the end of the game.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=2 |title=The History of Dragon Quest|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|page=2|accessdate=February 22, 2011}}</ref> The game also had a limited inventory requiring item management,<ref name="gamasutra_dqii"/> while the caves were dark, requiring the use of a torch to display a field of vision around the character.<ref name="gamasutra_dq"/> With ''Dragon Quest'' becoming widely popular in Japan, such that local municipalities were forced to place restrictions on where and when the game could be sold,<ref name="gspot_consolehist_a" /> the [[Dragon Quest|''Dragon Quest'' series]] is still considered a bellwether for the Japanese video game market.<ref name="1up_dqbell">{{cite web | last = Parish | first = Jeremy | title = Why the tiniest Dragon Quest is the biggest deal | publisher = [[1UP.com]] | date = December 12, 2006 | url = http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=7692573 | accessdate = 2010-10-06}}</ref> ''Dragon Quest'' did not reach North America until 1989, when it was released as ''Dragon Warrior'', the first NES RPG to be released in North America.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_a"/> The release of ''Dragon Quest'' was followed by NES remakes of the early ''Wizardry'' and ''Ultima'' titles over the next several years by [[Pony Canyon]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (Pony Canyon) - overview|url=http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/ultima-i-the-first-age-of-darkness-pony-canyon/|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> |
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An important influence on the [[action role-playing game]] genre came from the 1986 [[action-adventure game]], ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'', which is |
An important influence on the [[action role-playing game]] genre came from the 1986 [[action-adventure game]], ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'', which is often not considered an action RPG since it lacked key RPG mechanics such as [[experience point]]s, but had many features in common with RPGs and served as the template for future action RPGs.<ref name="gspy_zelda_influence">{{cite web | title =GameSpy's 30 Most Influential People in Gaming | publisher =[[GameSpy]] | url =http://archive.gamespy.com/articles/march02/top30/61/index3.shtm | accessdate = 2007-04-01}}</ref> In contrast to previous action RPGs such as ''Dragon Slayer'' and ''Hydlide'' which required the player to bump into enemies in order to attack them, ''The Legend of Zelda'' featured an attack button that animates a sword swing or projectile attack on the screen.<ref name="kalata_dragon_slayer"/><ref name="kalata_hydlide"/> It was also an early example of non-linear [[open world]] gameplay, and introduced innovations like battery backup [[Saved game|saving]].<ref>{{cite web|title=15 Most Influential Games of All Time: The Legend of Zelda|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|date=|url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/15influential/p9_01.html|accessdate=2010-01-24}}</ref> When it was released in North America, ''Zelda'' was seen as a new kind of RPG with action-adventure elements, with Roe R. Adams (who worked on the ''[[Wizardry]]'' series) stating in 1990 that, although "it still had many action-adventure features, it was definitely a CRPG."<ref>{{citation|first=Roe R.|last=Adams|work=[[Computer Gaming World]]|year=1990|month=November|issue=76|pages=83-84 [83]|title=Westward Ho! (Toward Japan, That Is): An Overview of the Evolution of CRPGs on Dedicated Game Machines|quote=When ''The Legend of Zelda'' burst upon the scene in fall of 1988, it hit like a nova. Although it still had many action-adventure features, it was definitely a CRPG.}}</ref> It was largely responsible for the surge of action-oriented RPGs released since the late 1980s, both on consoles as well as computers; it was often cited as an influence on action-oriented computer RPGs, such as the 1988 [[Origin Systems]] game ''[[Times of Lore]]'', for example.<ref>{{Harvnb|Barton|2008|ref=barton_ddesktops|pp=182 & 212}}</ref> [[The Legend of Zelda|''The Legend of Zelda'' series]] would exert an influence on the transition of both console and computer RPGs from stat-heavy turn-based combat towards real-time action combat in the following decades.<ref>{{citation|title=Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time|first=Bill|last=Loguidice|first2=Matt|last2=Barton|publisher=[[Focal Press]]|year=2009|isbn=0-240-81146-1|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=M_bFdsP9L7oC|page=317}}</ref> Due to its similarities to action RPGs and its impact on the genre,<ref>{{Cite book|first=Matt|last=Barton|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=IMXu61GbTqMC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false |title=Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games |publisher=[[A K Peters, Ltd.]] |year=2008 |accessdate=2010-09-08 |isbn = 1-56881-411-9 | pages=216 & 385}}</ref> there continues to be much debate regarding whether or not ''The Legend of Zelda'' series should be considered action RPGs.<ref>{{Harvnb|Barton|2008|ref=barton_ddesktops|pp=209–10}}</ref> |
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===1987–1989: Evolution=== |
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In 1987, console RPGs came into their own with the release of various notable console RPGs distinguishing themselves from computer RPGs. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]'s ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]'' for the [[Family Computer Disk System|Famicom Disk System]] was an early action RPG, combining the [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]] framework of its predecessor ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' with the statistical elements of [[Role-playing battle systems|turn-based RPGs]].<ref name="gspot_consolehist_b">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Zelda II: The Adventure of Link"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> ''[[Dragon Warrior II|Dragon Quest II]]'' introduced a party system where, instead of beginning the game with an entire party like in previous computer RPGs, the player begins the game with only one character and gradually recruits more party members during the course of the game.<ref name="iwata_asks_dq"/> The game also introduced a sailing ship that could be landed anywhere, allowing the entire game world to be explored in an open-ended manner, and an expanded inventory management system giving each character an individual inventory that holds up to eight items, placing a greater emphasis on conservative item management between the characters.<ref name="gamasutra_dqii">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=3 |title=The History of Dragon Quest|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|page=3|accessdate=February 22, 2011}}</ref> ''[[Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei]]'' by [[Atlus]] for the NES abandoned the common medieval fantasy setting and [[sword and sorcery]] theme in favour of a modern science-fiction setting and horror theme. It also introduced the [[Digital pet|monster-catching]] mechanic with its demon-summoning system, which allowed the player to recruit enemies into their party, through a conversation system that gives the player a choice of whether to kill or spare an enemy and allows them to engage any opponent in conversation.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kurt Kalata & Christopher J. Snelgrove|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/megaten/megaten.htm|title=Megami Tensei|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-06}}</ref> [[Sega]]'s [[Phantasy Star (video game)|original ''Phantasy Star'']] for the [[Master System]] established a number of genre conventions, with its "strong plot that involved quest for revenge and corruption by power, background stories for party members, individual spells that required magic points,"{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} and combined sci-fi & fantasy setting that set it apart from the ''D&D'' staple. It was also one of the first games to feature a female protagonist and animated monster encounters,<ref name="cvg_phantasy">{{cite web|title=Time Machine: Phantasy Star|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/281081/features/time-machine-phantasy-star/|publisher=[[ComputerAndVideoGames.com]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=January 2, 2011}}</ref> and allowed inter-planetary travel between three planets.<ref>{{cite web|last=John|first=McCarroll|title=RPGFan Previews - Phantasy Star Collection|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/previews/psc.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=August 20, 2002}}</ref> ''[[Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord]]'' was a [[Third person (video games)|third-person]] RPG that featured a wide [[open world]] and a [[mini-map]] on the corner of the screen.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord / Haja no fuuin|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/miraclewarriors/miraclewarriors.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> |
In 1987, console RPGs came into their own with the release of various notable console RPGs distinguishing themselves from computer RPGs. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]'s ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]'' for the [[Family Computer Disk System|Famicom Disk System]] was an early action RPG, combining the [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]] framework of its predecessor ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' with the statistical elements of [[Role-playing battle systems|turn-based RPGs]].<ref name="gspot_consolehist_b">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Zelda II: The Adventure of Link"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> ''[[Dragon Warrior II|Dragon Quest II]]'' introduced a party system where, instead of beginning the game with an entire party like in previous computer RPGs, the player begins the game with only one character and gradually recruits more party members during the course of the game.<ref name="iwata_asks_dq"/> The game also introduced a sailing ship that could be landed anywhere, allowing the entire game world to be explored in an open-ended manner, and an expanded inventory management system giving each character an individual inventory that holds up to eight items, placing a greater emphasis on conservative item management between the characters.<ref name="gamasutra_dqii">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=3 |title=The History of Dragon Quest|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|page=3|accessdate=February 22, 2011}}</ref> ''[[Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei]]'' by [[Atlus]] for the NES abandoned the common medieval fantasy setting and [[sword and sorcery]] theme in favour of a modern science-fiction setting and horror theme. It also introduced the [[Digital pet|monster-catching]] mechanic with its demon-summoning system, which allowed the player to recruit enemies into their party, through a conversation system that gives the player a choice of whether to kill or spare an enemy and allows them to engage any opponent in conversation.<ref>{{cite web|author=Kurt Kalata & Christopher J. Snelgrove|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/megaten/megaten.htm|title=Megami Tensei|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-06}}</ref> [[Sega]]'s [[Phantasy Star (video game)|original ''Phantasy Star'']] for the [[Master System]] established a number of genre conventions, with its "strong plot that involved quest for revenge and corruption by power, background stories for party members, individual spells that required magic points,"{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} and combined sci-fi & fantasy setting that set it apart from the ''D&D'' staple. It was also one of the first games to feature a female protagonist and animated monster encounters,<ref name="cvg_phantasy">{{cite web|title=Time Machine: Phantasy Star|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/281081/features/time-machine-phantasy-star/|publisher=[[ComputerAndVideoGames.com]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=January 2, 2011}}</ref> and allowed inter-planetary travel between three planets.<ref>{{cite web|last=John|first=McCarroll|title=RPGFan Previews - Phantasy Star Collection|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/previews/psc.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=August 20, 2002}}</ref> ''[[Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord]]'' was a [[Third person (video games)|third-person]] RPG that featured a wide [[open world]] and a [[mini-map]] on the corner of the screen.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord / Haja no fuuin|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/miraclewarriors/miraclewarriors.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> The [[Dragon Slayer (series)|''Dragon Slayer'' series]] also made its debut on the NES console (and thus to American audiences) in 1987, with the release of ''[[Legacy of the Wizard]]'' (''Dragon Slayer IV''), a [[Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]] action RPG featuring a Metroidvania-style [[open world]],<ref name="gsutra_20games"/> and ''[[Faxanadu]]'', a side-story to ''Xanadu''.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_e">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Other NES RPGs"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> |
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''[[The Magic of Scheherazade]]'', released in 1987, was notable for several innovations, including a unique setting based on the ''[[One Thousand and One Nights|Arabian Nights]]'', time travel between five different time periods, a unique combat system featuring both real-time solo action and [[turn-based]] team battles, and the introduction of team attacks where two party members could join forces to perform an extra-powerful attack.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_e"/ |
''[[The Magic of Scheherazade]]'', released in 1987, was notable for several innovations, including a unique setting based on the ''[[One Thousand and One Nights|Arabian Nights]]'', time travel between five different time periods, a unique combat system featuring both real-time solo action and [[turn-based]] team battles, and the introduction of team attacks where two party members could join forces to perform an extra-powerful attack.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_e"/> ''[[Castlevania II: Simon's Quest]]'' was an action RPG that combined the [[Platform game|platform-action]] mechanics of the original ''[[Castlevania (video game)|Castlevania]]'' with the open world of an action-adventure and RPG mechanics such as [[experience point]]s.<ref>{{cite web|title=25. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest - Top 100 NES Games - IGN|url=http://www.ign.com/top-100-nes-games/25.html|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> It also introduced a day-night cycle that affects when certain [[Non-player character|NPCs]] appear in certain locations and offered three possible [[multiple endings]] depending on the time it took to complete the game.<ref name="gspot_cv2_history">{{cite web |url=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/history_castlevania/p4_01.html |title=The History of Castlevania - Castlevania II: Simon's Quest |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |author=Mike Whalen, Giancarlo Varanini |accessdate=2008-08-01}}</ref> [[Square (company)|Square]]'s ''[[:jp:クレオパトラの魔宝|Cleopatra no Mahou]]'' was an [[Adventure game|adventure]] RPG with a unique plot revolving around [[archeology]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.square-enix.com/jp/archive/kureopatora/|title=クレオパトラの魔宝|publisher=[[Square Enix]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.square-enix.com%2Fjp%2Farchive%2Fkureopatora%2F&sl=ja&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation])</ref> Square's [[Final Fantasy (video game)|original ''Final Fantasy'']] for the NES introduced an experimental [[character creation]] system that allowed the player to create their own parties and assign different character classes to party members,{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} who in turn evolve through an early [[class change]] system later in the game.<ref>{{cite web|title=Ranking the Final Fantasy Series|date=December 29, 2009|publisher=[[IGN]]|url=http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/105/1057633p1.html|accessdate=2011-05-18}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|year=1989|title=Final Fantasy Explorer's Handbook (instruction manual)|publisher=[[Square Co.]]|page=75}}</ref> It also featured unique concepts such as [[time travel]];<ref name="gspot_finalfhist_a">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998b|p="Final Fantasy"|Ref=gspot_finalfhist}}</ref> side-view battles, with the [[player character]]s on the right and the enemies on the left, which soon became the norm for numerous console RPGs;<ref name="gspot_finalfhist_b">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998b|p="Final Fantasy" (Part 2)|Ref=gspot_finalfhist}}</ref> and the use of transportation for travel, "by ship, canoe, and even flying airship."<ref name="gspot_consolehist_j">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Final Fantasy"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> While creating ''Final Fantasy'', [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] took inspiration from certain elements in [[Hayao Miyazaki]]'s [[anime]] films, such as the [[Airships in Final Fantasy|airships]] being inspired by ''[[Castle in the Sky]]''.<ref name="nextgen_rogers_ff"/> Some of these 1987 releases proved popular and went on to spawn their own RPG franchises, particularly the ''[[Megami Tensei]]'', ''[[Phantasy Star]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' series. In particular, the ''Final Fantasy'' and ''Dragon Quest'' series remain popular today, ''Final Fantasy'' more so in the [[Western world|West]] and ''Dragon Quest'' more so in [[Japan]]. |
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In 1988, ''[[Dragon Quest III]]'' introduced a character progression system allowing the player to change the party's character classes during the course of the game,{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} and keep a character's stats and skills learned from previous classes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=4 |title=The History of Dragon Quest|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|page=4|accessdate=February 22, 2011}}</ref> This class-changing system shaped the gameplay of future RPGs, especially the ''Final Fantasy'' series,<ref name="1up_dragonography">{{cite web | url=http://www.1up.com/features/dragon-quest-complete-series-guide | title=Dragon Quest: Ye Complete Dragonography | accessdate=2011-02-21 | author=Parish, Jeremy | publisher=[[1up.com|1up]]}}</ref> while a similar class-changing system later also appeared in ''[[Wizardry VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge|Wizardry VI]]'' and ''[[Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant|VII]]''.<ref name="gamasutra_kaiser">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6289/the_gestalt_effect_of_dragon_quest_.php?page=2|page=2|title=The Gestalt Effect of Dragon Quest IX, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Grind|author=Rowan Kaiser|date=February 17, 2011|accessdate=2011-03-01}}</ref> While the earlier ''Dragon Quest'' games were also non-linear, ''Dragon Quest III'' was the most substantial example of open-world gameplay among the early ''Dragon Quest'' games. It also allowed the player to swap characters in and out of the party at will,<ref name="gama_20ess_08">{{Harvnb|Harris|2009|p=8|Ref=gama_20ess}}</ref> and another "major innovation was the introduction of day/night cycles; certain items, characters, and quests are only accessible at certain times of day."<ref name="gspot_consolehist_d">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Dragon Quest III"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> ''[[Final Fantasy II]]'', is considered "the first true ''Final Fantasy'' game", introducing an "emotional story line, morally ambiguous characters, tragic events," and a story to be "emotionally experienced rather than concluded from gameplay and conversations." It also replaced traditional levels and experience points with a new [[Experience point#Activity-based progression|activity-based progression]] system that required "gradual development of individual statistics through continuous actions of the same kind,"{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} a mechanic that has been used in a number of later RPGs such as the ''[[SaGa (series)|SaGa]]''<ref name="rpgfan_romancing_saga"/> and ''[[Grandia (series)|Grandia]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/162/162007p1.html|title=Grandia|publisher=IGN|author=Francesca Reyes|date=November 4, 1999|accessdate=2011-03-02}}</ref> series, ''[[Final Fantasy XIV]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Welsh|first=Oli|title=No experience, levelling in FFXIV|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/no-experience-levelling-in-ffxiv|publisher=[[Eurogamer]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=April 8, 2009}}</ref> and ''[[The Elder Scrolls]]'' series. ''Final Fantasy II'' also featured open-ended exploration,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psp.ign.com/articles/808/808182p1.html|title=Final Fantasy II Review|publisher=IGN|date=July 26, 2007|author=Jeremy Dunham|accessdate=2011-03-02}}</ref> and introduced an innovative [[Dialog tree|dialogue system]] where keywords or phrases can be memorized and mentioned during conversations with NPCs,<ref name="gt_ffii">{{cite web | title=Final Fantasy Retrospective: Part II | url=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/22650.html |date= 2007-07-23| publisher=[[GameTrailers]] | accessdate=2008-04-16}}</ref> the theme of an evil empire against a small band of rebels (similar to ''[[Star Wars]]''), and the iconic [[chocobo]], a fictional creature inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's ''[[Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]''.<ref name="nextgen_rogers_ff">{{cite web|title=In Defense of Final Fantasy XII|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/in-defense-final-fantasy-xii?page=0,1|work=[[Next Generation Magazine]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=March 27, 2006|first=Tim|last=Rogers}}</ref> |
In 1988, ''[[Dragon Quest III]]'' introduced a character progression system allowing the player to change the party's character classes during the course of the game,{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} and keep a character's stats and skills learned from previous classes.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=4 |title=The History of Dragon Quest|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|page=4|accessdate=February 22, 2011}}</ref> This class-changing system shaped the gameplay of future RPGs, especially the ''Final Fantasy'' series,<ref name="1up_dragonography">{{cite web | url=http://www.1up.com/features/dragon-quest-complete-series-guide | title=Dragon Quest: Ye Complete Dragonography | accessdate=2011-02-21 | author=Parish, Jeremy | publisher=[[1up.com|1up]]}}</ref> while a similar class-changing system later also appeared in ''[[Wizardry VI: Bane of the Cosmic Forge|Wizardry VI]]'' and ''[[Wizardry VII: Crusaders of the Dark Savant|VII]]''.<ref name="gamasutra_kaiser">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6289/the_gestalt_effect_of_dragon_quest_.php?page=2|page=2|title=The Gestalt Effect of Dragon Quest IX, Or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Grind|author=Rowan Kaiser|date=February 17, 2011|accessdate=2011-03-01}}</ref> While the earlier ''Dragon Quest'' games were also non-linear, ''Dragon Quest III'' was the most substantial example of open-world gameplay among the early ''Dragon Quest'' games. It also allowed the player to swap characters in and out of the party at will,<ref name="gama_20ess_08">{{Harvnb|Harris|2009|p=8|Ref=gama_20ess}}</ref> and another "major innovation was the introduction of day/night cycles; certain items, characters, and quests are only accessible at certain times of day."<ref name="gspot_consolehist_d">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Dragon Quest III"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> ''[[Final Fantasy II]]'', is considered "the first true ''Final Fantasy'' game", introducing an "emotional story line, morally ambiguous characters, tragic events," and a story to be "emotionally experienced rather than concluded from gameplay and conversations." It also replaced traditional levels and experience points with a new [[Experience point#Activity-based progression|activity-based progression]] system that required "gradual development of individual statistics through continuous actions of the same kind,"{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} a mechanic that has been used in a number of later RPGs such as the ''[[SaGa (series)|SaGa]]''<ref name="rpgfan_romancing_saga"/> and ''[[Grandia (series)|Grandia]]''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/162/162007p1.html|title=Grandia|publisher=IGN|author=Francesca Reyes|date=November 4, 1999|accessdate=2011-03-02}}</ref> series, ''[[Final Fantasy XIV]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Welsh|first=Oli|title=No experience, levelling in FFXIV|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/no-experience-levelling-in-ffxiv|publisher=[[Eurogamer]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=April 8, 2009}}</ref> and ''[[The Elder Scrolls]]'' series. ''Final Fantasy II'' also featured open-ended exploration,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://psp.ign.com/articles/808/808182p1.html|title=Final Fantasy II Review|publisher=IGN|date=July 26, 2007|author=Jeremy Dunham|accessdate=2011-03-02}}</ref> and introduced an innovative [[Dialog tree|dialogue system]] where keywords or phrases can be memorized and mentioned during conversations with NPCs,<ref name="gt_ffii">{{cite web | title=Final Fantasy Retrospective: Part II | url=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/22650.html |date= 2007-07-23| publisher=[[GameTrailers]] | accessdate=2008-04-16}}</ref> the theme of an evil empire against a small band of rebels (similar to ''[[Star Wars]]''), and the iconic [[chocobo]], a fictional creature inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film)|Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]''.<ref name="nextgen_rogers_ff">{{cite web|title=In Defense of Final Fantasy XII|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/in-defense-final-fantasy-xii?page=0,1|work=[[Next Generation Magazine]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=March 27, 2006|first=Tim|last=Rogers}}</ref> |
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In 1989, ''[[Phantasy Star II]]'' for the [[Mega Drive|Genesis]] established many conventions of the genre, including an [[Epic (story)|epic]], dramatic, character-driven storyline dealing with serious themes and subject matter, and a strategy-based battle system. The game's science fiction story was unique, reversing the common [[alien invasion]] scenario by instead presenting [[Earthling]]s as the invading antagonists rather than the defending protagonists.<ref name="cvg_phantasy"/><ref name="gspot_phanstar2">{{cite web|first=Greg|last=Kasavin|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6129293/index.html |title=The Greatest Games of All Time: Phantasy Star II - Features at GameSpot |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |date= |accessdate=2010-09-13}}</ref> |
In 1989, ''[[Phantasy Star II]]'' for the [[Mega Drive|Genesis]] established many conventions of the genre, including an [[Epic (story)|epic]], dramatic, character-driven storyline dealing with serious themes and subject matter, and a strategy-based battle system.<ref name="cvg_phantasy"/><ref name="gspot_phanstar2"/> Its purely [[science fiction]] setting was also a major departure for RPGs, which had previously been largely restricted to [[fantasy]] or [[science fantasy]] settings.<ref name="gamepro_psii">{{cite web|last=Kaiser|first=Rowan|title=RPG Pillars: Phantasy Star II|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/221338/rpg-pillars-phantasy-star-ii/|work=[[GamePro]]|accessdate=6 September 2011|month=July 22|year=2011}}</ref> The game's science fiction story was also unique, reversing the common [[alien invasion]] scenario by instead presenting [[Earthling]]s as the invading antagonists rather than the defending protagonists.<ref name="cvg_phantasy"/><ref name="gspot_phanstar2">{{cite web|first=Greg|last=Kasavin|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6129293/index.html |title=The Greatest Games of All Time: Phantasy Star II - Features at GameSpot |publisher=[[GameSpot]] |date= |accessdate=2010-09-13}}</ref> The game's strong characterization, and use of [[Journey of self-discovery|self-discovery]] as a motivating factor for the characters and the player, was a major departure from previous RPGs and had a major influence on subsequent RPGs such as the ''Final Fantasy'' series.<ref name="gamepro_psii"/> [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Sweet Home (video game)|Sweet Home]]'' for the NES introduced a moden [[J-Horror|Japanese horror]] theme and laid the foundations for the [[survival horror]] genre, later serving as the main inspiration for ''[[Resident Evil]]'' (1996).<ref name=GameSpy>{{cite web|title=GOTW: Sweet Home|first=Max|last=Bert|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|url=http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=27|accessdate=2009-08-28}}</ref><ref name="gspy_resevil">{{Cite book|title=The Sweet Home of Resident Evil|first=Thomas Nowlin|last=Harrison|year=2006}}</ref> Like ''Resident Evil'', ''Sweet Home'' featured the use of scattered notes as a storytelling mechanic and a number of [[multiple endings]] depending on which characters survived to the end.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Foundation: Resident Evil and Sweet Home|publisher=Destructoid|date=2009-07-13|url=http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Chooly/the-foundation-resident-evil-and-sweet-home-139633.phtml|accessdate=2009-08-27}}</ref> ''[[Tengai Makyo|Tengai Makyo: Ziria]]'' released for the [[PC Engine CD]] that same year was the first RPG released on [[CD-ROM]] and the first in the genre to feature animated [[cut scene]]s and voice acting. The game's plot was also unusual for its [[feudal Japan]] setting and its emphasis on [[humour]]; the plot and characters were inspired by the Japanese folk tale ''[[Jiraiya|Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari]]''. The music for the game was also composed by noted musician [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]].<ref>{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Tengai Makyou: Ziria|url=http://hardcoregaming101.net/tengai/tengai.htm|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=7 September 2011}}</ref> Also in 1989, the early [[Video game remake|enhanced remake]] ''[[Ys I & II]]'' was one of the first games to use [[CD-ROM]], utilized to provide enhanced graphics, animated [[cut scenes]],<ref name="gtm_falcom_156">{{cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM{{!}}Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|year=2011|month=July|issue=111|pages=152-159 [156]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/35/yshistory05.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-08}} ([[cf.]] {{cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=8 September 2011|date=July 8, 2011}})</ref> a [[Red Book (audio CD standard)|Red Book CD]] soundtrack,<ref name="gtm_falcom_155">{{cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM{{!}}Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|year=2011|month=July|issue=111|pages=152-159 [155]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/35/yshistory04.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-08}} ([[cf.]] {{cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=8 September 2011|date=July 8, 2011}})</ref> and voice acting.<ref name="gtm_falcom_156"/><ref name="gtm_falcom_155"/> Its [[Language localisation|English localization]] was also one of the first to use [[Dub localization|voice dubbing]]. The game received the [[Game of the Year]] award from ''OMNI Magazine'' in 1990, as well as many other prizes.<ref name="gtm_falcom_156"/> |
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1989 also saw the release of ''[[Dungeon Explorer]]'', developed by Atlus for the [[TurboGrafx-16]], which is considered a pioneer title in the action RPG genre with its [[multiplayer]] [[cooperative gameplay]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts Interview|url=http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/844/844006p1.html|publisher=[[RPGVault]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=January 8, 2008}}</ref> allowing up to five players to play simultaneously.<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.museodelvideojuego.com/descargas/manuales/turbografx/Manual-Dungeon-Explorer-TurboGrafx.pdf|title=Dungeon Explorer Manual|year=1989|publisher=Museo del Videojuego|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> That year also saw the release of ''[[Super Hydlide]]'', the [[Mega Drive]] port of the 1987 [[MSX]] action RPG ''[[Hydlide 3: The Space Memories]]'', which adopted the morality meter of its 1985 predecessor ''[[Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness]]'' where the player's [[Alignment (role-playing games)|alignment]] changes depending on whether the player kills humans, good monsters, or evil monsters, and expanded its predecessor's time option, which speeds up or slows down the gameplay, with the introduction of an in-game clock setting day-night cycles and a need to sleep and eat. It also made other improvements such as [[cut scene]]s for the opening and ending, a combat system closer to ''The Legend of Zelda'', the choice between distinct character classes, and a weight system affecting the player's movement depending on the weight of carried equipment.<ref name="kalata_hydlide"/> ''[[The Final Fantasy Legend]]'', the first in the ''SaGa'' series, adopted ''Final Fantasy II's'' activity-based progression, expanding it with weapons that shatter with repeated use, and added new ideas such as a race of monsters that mutate depending on which fallen foes they consume.<ref name="parish2009a">{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8987032&publicUserId=5379721 |publisher=[[UGO Networks]] |work=[[1UP.com]] |accessdate=2009-11-17 |date=2009-04-28 |author=Parish, Jeremy |title=8-Bit Cafe: Game Boy Essentials, 1989 Edition}}</ref> The game also introduced the concept of [[memento mori]], with a theme revolving around death, while the plot consisted of loosely connected stories and [[sidequest]]s rather than an epic narrative.<ref>{{cite web|author=Andrew Vanden Bossche|date=May 19, 2010|title=Design Diversions: Memento Mori|publisher=GameSetWatch|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/05/columndesign_diversions_moment.php|accessdate=2011-03-12}}</ref> |
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⚫ | The 1990s is often considered the ‘golden age’ of console RPGs.<ref name="gradar_jrpgs">{{cite web|author=PSM3 UK|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/are-jrpgs-dead/a-20100219164128881050/p-2 |title=Are JRPGs dead? |publisher=[[GamesRadar]] |date=Mar 16, 2010 |accessdate=2010-09-05}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Barton|2008|ref=barton_ddesktops|p=228}}</ref> Console RPGs distinguished themselves from computer RPGs to a greater degree in the early 1990s. As console RPGs became more heavily story-based than their computer counterparts, one of the major differences that emerged during this time was in the portrayal of the characters, with most American computer RPGs at the time having characters devoid of personality or background as their purpose was to represent avatars which the player uses to interact with the world, in contrast to Japanese console RPGs which depicted intricately related characters who had distinctive personalities and traits, with many of them, such as ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' and ''[[Lufia]]'', seeming to offer more of the traditional [[role-playing]], with players assuming the roles of people who cared about each other, fell in love or even had families. Romance in particular was a theme that was common in most console RPGs but alien to most computer RPGs at the time.<ref name="hallford_xxiv">{{citation|title=Neal Hallford & Jana Hallford|year=2001|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GslPb621eXQC|title=Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role playing games|page=xxiv|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|isbn=0761532994|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> During the 1990s, console RPGs had become increasingly dominant, exerting a greater influence on computer RPGs than the other way around.<ref name="barton_1571_12h">{{Harvnb|Barton|2007c|p=12|Ref=barton_1571}}</ref> Console RPGs had eclipsed computer RPGs for some time, though computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the decade with interactive choice-filled adventures.<ref>{{citation|title=Neal Hallford & Jana Hallford|year=2001|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GslPb621eXQC|title=Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role playing games|pages=xxiv & xxv|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|isbn=0761532994|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In 1990, ''[[Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen|Dragon Quest IV]]'' introduced a new method of storytelling: segmenting the plot into segregated chapters.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_f">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Dragon Quest IV"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> While this made the game more linear than its predecessor,<ref name="gama_20ess_08"/> it allowed for greater characterization, with each chapter dedicated to a particular character's background story.{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} The game also introduced an [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] system called "Tactics" which allowed the player to modify the strategies used by the allied party members while maintaining full control of the hero.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=5|title=The History of Dragon Quest|accessdate=2009-30-20|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|date=2008-02-04|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|page=5}}</ref> ''[[Final Fantasy III]]'' introduced the classic "[[job system]]", a character progression engine allowing the player to change the [[character class]]es, as well as acquire new and advanced classes and combine class abilities, during the course of the game.<ref name="se_ff3">{{cite web|url=http://na.square-enix.com/ff3/ |title=Final Fantasy III |publisher=Na.square-enix.com |date= |accessdate=2010-09-13}}</ref><ref name="square_ffmanual">{{Cite book|editor=Square Enix Co.|title=Final Fantasy Anthology North American instruction manual|origdate= |year=1999|publisher=Square Enix Co.|id=SLUS-00879GH|pages=17–18}}</ref> That same year also saw the release of [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryu to Hikari no Tsurugi]]'', a game that set the template for the [[tactical role-playing game]] genre and was the first entry in the ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' series.<ref name="gama_20ess_14">{{Harvnb|Harris|2009|p=14|Ref=gama_20ess}}</ref> Another notable strategy RPG that year was [[Koei]]'s ''[[Bandit Kings of Ancient China]]'', which was successful in combining the strategy RPG and [[Construction and management simulation|management simulation]] genres, building on its own ''[[Nobunaga's Ambition]]'' series that began in 1983.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_f"/> Several early RPGs set in a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] future were also released that year, including ''[[Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II]]'',{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} and ''[[Crystalis]]'',<ref name="gspot_consolehist_g">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Crystalis"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> which was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's ''[[Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]''. ''Crystalis'' also made advances to the action role-playing game subgenre, being a true action RPG that combined the real-time [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]] combat and [[open world]] of ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' with the level-building and spell-casting of traditional RPGs like ''Final Fantasy''.<ref name="1up_console_vs_handheld">{{cite web | url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3133565 | title=Console vs Handheld : Crystalis | publisher=1up.com | accessdate=2007-10-23}}</ref> That year also saw the release of ''[[Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom]]'', which featured an innovative and original branching storyline, which spans three generations of characters and can be altered depending on which character the protagonist of each generation marries,<ref>{{cite web|title=Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom Review|url=http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/869/869255p1.html|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=April 25, 2008}}</ref> leading to four possible endings.<ref name="cvg_phantasy"/> [[Data East]]'s ''Gate of Doom'' was an action RPG that combined [[beat 'em up]] gameplay with fantasy role-playing and introduced an [[Isometric graphics in video games|isometric perspective]].<ref>{{KLOV game|7921|Gate of Doom}}</ref> [[Hideo Kojima]]'s ''[[SD Snatcher]]'' abandoned [[random encounter]]s and introduced an innovative first-person turn-based battle system where firearm weapons (each with different abilities and target ranges) have limited ammunition, the player can aim at specific parts of the enemy's body with each part weakening the enemy in different ways, and an auto-battle feature could be enabled. Such a battle system has rarely been used since,<ref>{{cite web|title=Hardcore Gaming 101 - Snatcher|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/snatcher/snatcher.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011|first=Kurt|last=Kalata}}</ref> though similar battle systems based on targetting individual body parts can later be found in Square's ''[[Vagrant Story]]'' (2000), Bethesda's ''[[Fallout 3]]'' (2008), and [[Nippon Ichi]]'s ''[[Last Rebellion]]'' (2010).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jeuxvideo.fr/date-europeenne-fixe-action-rpg-last-rebellion-actu-323102.html|title=Date européenne fixe pour l'action/RPG Last Rebellion|work=Jeuxvideo.com|date=18/01/2010 à 09:01|author=Damien|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeuxvideo.fr%2Fdate-europeenne-fixe-action-rpg-last-rebellion-actu-323102.html&sl=fr&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation])</ref> |
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⚫ | The 1990s is often considered the ‘golden age’ of console RPGs.<ref name="gradar_jrpgs">{{cite web|author=PSM3 UK|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/are-jrpgs-dead/a-20100219164128881050/p-2 |title=Are JRPGs dead? |publisher=[[GamesRadar]] |date=Mar 16, 2010 |accessdate=2010-09-05}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Barton|2008|ref=barton_ddesktops|p=228}}</ref> Console RPGs distinguished themselves from computer RPGs to a greater degree in the early 1990s. As console RPGs became more heavily story-based than their computer counterparts, one of the major differences that emerged during this time was in the portrayal of the characters, with most American computer RPGs at the time having characters devoid of personality or background as their purpose was to represent avatars which the player uses to interact with the world, in contrast to Japanese console RPGs which depicted intricately related characters who had distinctive personalities and traits, with many of them, such as ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' and ''[[Lufia]]'', seeming to offer more of the traditional [[role-playing]], with players assuming the roles of people who cared about each other, fell in love or even had families. Romance in particular was a theme that was common in most console RPGs but alien to most computer RPGs at the time.<ref name="hallford_xxiv">{{citation|title=Neal Hallford & Jana Hallford|year=2001|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GslPb621eXQC|title=Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role playing games|page=xxiv|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|isbn=0761532994|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> Japanese console RPGs were also generally more [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]]-oriented than their American computer counterparts. The console RPG market became more profitable, which led to several American manufacturers releasing console ports of traditional computer RPGs such as ''Ultima'', though they received mixed reviews due to console gamers at the time considering them to be not "as exciting as the Japanese imports."<ref>{{citation|first=Roe R.|last=Adams|work=[[Computer Gaming World]]|year=1990|month=November|issue=76|pages=83-84 [84]|title=Westward Ho! (Toward Japan, That Is): An Overview of the Evolution of CRPGs on Dedicated Game Machines|quote=Last year also saw the coattail effect of traditional bestselling CRPGs being ported over onto dedicated game machines as the new market of machines blossomed into money trees. Games like Ultima, Shadowgate, and Defender of the Crown appeared to mixed reviews. These stalwarts of computer fame were not perceived, by many of the players, to be as exciting as the Japanese imports.}}</ref> During the 1990s, console RPGs had become increasingly dominant, exerting a greater influence on computer RPGs than the other way around.<ref name="barton_1571_12h">{{Harvnb|Barton|2007c|p=12|Ref=barton_1571}}</ref> Console RPGs had eclipsed computer RPGs for some time, though computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the decade with interactive choice-filled adventures.<ref>{{citation|title=Neal Hallford & Jana Hallford|year=2001|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=GslPb621eXQC|title=Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role playing games|pages=xxiv & xxv|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|isbn=0761532994|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> |
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⚫ | In 1990, ''[[Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen|Dragon Quest IV]]'' introduced a new method of storytelling: segmenting the plot into segregated chapters.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_f">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Dragon Quest IV"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> While this made the game more linear than its predecessor,<ref name="gama_20ess_08"/> it allowed for greater characterization, with each chapter dedicated to a particular character's background story.{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} The game also introduced an [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] system called "Tactics" which allowed the player to modify the strategies used by the allied party members while maintaining full control of the hero.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=5|title=The History of Dragon Quest|accessdate=2009-30-20|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|date=2008-02-04|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|page=5}}</ref> ''[[Final Fantasy III]]'' introduced the classic "[[job system]]", a character progression engine allowing the player to change the [[character class]]es, as well as acquire new and advanced classes and combine class abilities, during the course of the game.<ref name="se_ff3">{{cite web|url=http://na.square-enix.com/ff3/ |title=Final Fantasy III |publisher=Na.square-enix.com |date= |accessdate=2010-09-13}}</ref><ref name="square_ffmanual">{{Cite book|editor=Square Enix Co.|title=Final Fantasy Anthology North American instruction manual|origdate= |year=1999|publisher=Square Enix Co.|id=SLUS-00879GH|pages=17–18}}</ref> That same year also saw the release of [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryu to Hikari no Tsurugi]]'', a game that set the template for the [[tactical role-playing game]] genre and was the first entry in the ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' series.<ref name="gama_20ess_14">{{Harvnb|Harris|2009|p=14|Ref=gama_20ess}}</ref> Another notable strategy RPG that year was [[Koei]]'s ''[[Bandit Kings of Ancient China]]'', which was successful in combining the strategy RPG and [[Construction and management simulation|management simulation]] genres, building on its own ''[[Nobunaga's Ambition]]'' series that began in 1983.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_f"/> Several early RPGs set in a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] future were also released that year, including ''[[Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II]]'',{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} and ''[[Crystalis]]'',<ref name="gspot_consolehist_g">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Crystalis"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> which was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's ''[[Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film)|Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]''. ''Crystalis'' also made advances to the action role-playing game subgenre, being a true action RPG that combined the real-time [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]] combat and [[open world]] of ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' with the level-building and spell-casting of traditional RPGs like ''Final Fantasy''.<ref name="1up_console_vs_handheld">{{cite web | url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3133565 | title=Console vs Handheld : Crystalis | publisher=1up.com | accessdate=2007-10-23}}</ref> That year also saw the release of ''[[Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom]]'', which featured an innovative and original branching storyline, which spans three generations of characters and can be altered depending on which character the protagonist of each generation marries,<ref>{{cite web|title=Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom Review|url=http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/869/869255p1.html|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=April 25, 2008}}</ref> leading to four possible endings.<ref name="cvg_phantasy"/> [[Data East]]'s ''Gate of Doom'' was an action RPG that combined [[beat 'em up]] gameplay with fantasy role-playing and introduced an [[Isometric graphics in video games|isometric perspective]].<ref>{{KLOV game|7921|Gate of Doom}}</ref> [[Hideo Kojima]]'s ''[[SD Snatcher]]'' abandoned [[random encounter]]s and introduced an innovative first-person turn-based battle system where firearm weapons (each with different abilities and target ranges) have limited ammunition, the player can aim at specific parts of the enemy's body with each part weakening the enemy in different ways, and an auto-battle feature could be enabled. Such a battle system has rarely been used since,<ref>{{cite web|title=Hardcore Gaming 101 - Snatcher|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/snatcher/snatcher.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011|first=Kurt|last=Kalata}}</ref> though similar battle systems based on targetting individual body parts can later be found in Square's ''[[Vagrant Story]]'' (2000), Bethesda's ''[[Fallout 3]]'' (2008), and [[Nippon Ichi]]'s ''[[Last Rebellion]]'' (2010).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jeuxvideo.fr/date-europeenne-fixe-action-rpg-last-rebellion-actu-323102.html|title=Date européenne fixe pour l'action/RPG Last Rebellion|work=Jeuxvideo.com|date=18/01/2010 à 09:01|author=Damien|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([http://translate.google.co.uk/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeuxvideo.fr%2Fdate-europeenne-fixe-action-rpg-last-rebellion-actu-323102.html&sl=fr&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation])</ref> |
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[[File:Final Fantasy 4re.png|thumb|250px|right|''[[Final Fantasy IV]]<!--Non free file removed by DASHBot-->'' (1991) was a pioneer of dramatic storytelling in RPGs (alongside the earlier ''[[Phantasy Star]]'' games) and introduced the hybrid "[[Active Time Battle]]" system.]] |
[[File:Final Fantasy 4re.png|thumb|250px|right|''[[Final Fantasy IV]]<!--Non free file removed by DASHBot-->'' (1991) was a pioneer of dramatic storytelling in RPGs (alongside the earlier ''[[Phantasy Star]]'' games) and introduced the hybrid "[[Active Time Battle]]" system.]] |
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In 1994, ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' moved away from the [[Middle Ages|medieval]] setting of its predecessors, instead being set in a [[steampunk]] environment,<ref name="NPC in Jidor">{{cite video game|title=Final Fantasy III |developer=Square Co., Ltd. |publisher=Square Soft, Inc. |date=1994-10-11 |platform=Super Nintendo Entertainment System |quote='''(NPC in Jidoor)''' You like art? No? Philistines!}}</ref> and dealing with post-apocalyptic themes. The game received considerable acclaim, for improvements such as its broadened thematic scope,<ref name="nintendopower2">{{cite book | title=Final Fantasy III | publisher=[[Nintendo Power]] 65, page 27 | month=October | year=1994}}</ref> plotlines, characters, multiple-choice scenarios,<ref name="Scary1994">{{cite journal |author=Scary Larry |year=1994 |month=November |title=Final Fantasy III |journal=GamePro |volume=64 |issue=11 |pages=192–194 |publisher=IDG Communications |id= |accessdate=}}</ref> and variation of play.<ref name="nintendopower3">{{cite book| title=Now Playing | publisher=[[Nintendo Power]] 65, page 103| month=October | year=1994}}</ref> Square's ''[[Live A Live]]'', released for the Super Famicom in Japan, featured eight different characters and stories, with the first seven unfolding in any order the player chooses, as well as four different endings.<ref name="gtell_bestsnes"/> The game's [[ninja]] chapter in particular was an early example of [[stealth game]] elements in an RPG, requiring the player to infiltrate a castle, rewarding the player if the entire chapter can be completed without engaging in combat.<ref name="gtell_bestsnes">{{cite web|title=Important Importables: Best SNES role-playing games|first=Jenni|last=Lada|publisher=Gamer Tell|date=February 1, 2008|url=http://www.gamertell.com/gaming/comment/important-importables-best-snes-rpgs|accessdate=2009-09-11}}</ref> Other chapters had similar innovations, such as Akira's chapter where the character uses telepathic powers to discover information.<ref name="gtell_bestsnes"/> That same year saw the release of the [[3DO]] console port of the 1991 PC RPG ''[[Knights of Xentar]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cheats.gamespy.com/3do/dragon-knight-iii|title=Dragon Knight III|archiveurl=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:MNP9_QqEy3YJ:cheats.gamespy.com/3do/dragon-knight-iii|archivedate=12 April 2011|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> which had introduced a unique pausable real-time battle system,<ref name=honestgamers/>{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} where characters automatically attack based on a list of different AI scripts chosen by the player.<ref name=honestgamers>{{cite web|first=Sho|title=HonestGamers - Dragon Knight III review|url=http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/6068/Dragon-Knight-III.html|publisher=HonestGamers|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=August 2, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Robotrek]]'' by [[Quintet (developer)|Quintet]] and [[Ancient (company)|Ancient]] was a predecessor to ''Pokémon'' in the sense that the protagonist does not himself fight, but sends out his robots to do so. Like ''Pokémon'', ''Robotrek'' was designed to appeal to a younger audience, allowed team customization, and each robot was kept in a ball.<ref name="nextgen_kaiser">{{cite web | author=Kaiser, Joe | date=July 8, 2005 | title=Unsung Inventors | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=336&Itemid=2 | work=[[Next Generation Magazine|Next-Gen.biz]] | accessdate=2010-04-02 | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20051028224610/http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=336&Itemid=2 |archivedate = 2005-10-28}}</ref> |
In 1994, ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' moved away from the [[Middle Ages|medieval]] setting of its predecessors, instead being set in a [[steampunk]] environment,<ref name="NPC in Jidor">{{cite video game|title=Final Fantasy III |developer=Square Co., Ltd. |publisher=Square Soft, Inc. |date=1994-10-11 |platform=Super Nintendo Entertainment System |quote='''(NPC in Jidoor)''' You like art? No? Philistines!}}</ref> and dealing with post-apocalyptic themes. The game received considerable acclaim, for improvements such as its broadened thematic scope,<ref name="nintendopower2">{{cite book | title=Final Fantasy III | publisher=[[Nintendo Power]] 65, page 27 | month=October | year=1994}}</ref> plotlines, characters, multiple-choice scenarios,<ref name="Scary1994">{{cite journal |author=Scary Larry |year=1994 |month=November |title=Final Fantasy III |journal=GamePro |volume=64 |issue=11 |pages=192–194 |publisher=IDG Communications |id= |accessdate=}}</ref> and variation of play.<ref name="nintendopower3">{{cite book| title=Now Playing | publisher=[[Nintendo Power]] 65, page 103| month=October | year=1994}}</ref> Square's ''[[Live A Live]]'', released for the Super Famicom in Japan, featured eight different characters and stories, with the first seven unfolding in any order the player chooses, as well as four different endings.<ref name="gtell_bestsnes"/> The game's [[ninja]] chapter in particular was an early example of [[stealth game]] elements in an RPG, requiring the player to infiltrate a castle, rewarding the player if the entire chapter can be completed without engaging in combat.<ref name="gtell_bestsnes">{{cite web|title=Important Importables: Best SNES role-playing games|first=Jenni|last=Lada|publisher=Gamer Tell|date=February 1, 2008|url=http://www.gamertell.com/gaming/comment/important-importables-best-snes-rpgs|accessdate=2009-09-11}}</ref> Other chapters had similar innovations, such as Akira's chapter where the character uses telepathic powers to discover information.<ref name="gtell_bestsnes"/> That same year saw the release of the [[3DO]] console port of the 1991 PC RPG ''[[Knights of Xentar]]'',<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cheats.gamespy.com/3do/dragon-knight-iii|title=Dragon Knight III|archiveurl=http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:MNP9_QqEy3YJ:cheats.gamespy.com/3do/dragon-knight-iii|archivedate=12 April 2011|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> which had introduced a unique pausable real-time battle system,<ref name=honestgamers/>{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} where characters automatically attack based on a list of different AI scripts chosen by the player.<ref name=honestgamers>{{cite web|first=Sho|title=HonestGamers - Dragon Knight III review|url=http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/6068/Dragon-Knight-III.html|publisher=HonestGamers|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=August 2, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Robotrek]]'' by [[Quintet (developer)|Quintet]] and [[Ancient (company)|Ancient]] was a predecessor to ''Pokémon'' in the sense that the protagonist does not himself fight, but sends out his robots to do so. Like ''Pokémon'', ''Robotrek'' was designed to appeal to a younger audience, allowed team customization, and each robot was kept in a ball.<ref name="nextgen_kaiser">{{cite web | author=Kaiser, Joe | date=July 8, 2005 | title=Unsung Inventors | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=336&Itemid=2 | work=[[Next Generation Magazine|Next-Gen.biz]] | accessdate=2010-04-02 | archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20051028224610/http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=336&Itemid=2 |archivedate = 2005-10-28}}</ref> |
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== |
===1995–1999: Late Golden Age=== |
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In 1995, Square's ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' raised the standards for the genre, with certain aspects that were considered revolutionary in its time, including its [[nonlinear gameplay]], branching plot, more than ten different endings, plot-related sidequests, a unique battle system with innovations such as combo attacks, and lack of random encounters.<ref name="npreview1">{{Cite journal |month=July | year=1995 |volume=74 |journal=[[Nintendo Power]] |title=Epic Center: Chrono Trigger |pages=52–3 |url=http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Nintendo_Power_Coverage.html}}</ref> It also introduced the concept of [[New Game Plus|New Game+]],<ref>{{cite web|title=A Japanese RPG Primer: The Essential 20|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|author=Kurt Kalata|date=March 19, 2008|page=5|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3581/a_japanese_rpg_primer_the_.php?page=5|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> though this [[game mode]] has its origins in the original ''[[Legend of Zelda]]''.<ref name="gi_newgameplus">{{cite web|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200906/N09.0629.1330.37782.htm |title=Mass Effect 2 Will Not Feature 'New Game Plus' |publisher=[[Game Informer]] |date=2009-06-29 |accessdate=2009-08-26}}{{Dead link|date=September 2010}}</ref> ''Chrono Trigger'' also re-introduced the concept of time travel in RPGs, which had rarely been dealt with in video games since the original ''Final Fantasy''. That same year, Square's ''[[Romancing Saga 3]]'' featured a storyline that could be told differently from the perspectives of up to eight different characters and introduced a level-scaling system where the enemies get stronger as the characters do,<ref name="rpgfan_romancingsaga3">{{cite web|title=RPGFan Reviews - Romancing SaGa 3|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/romancingsaga3/Romancing_SaGa_3.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011|first=Yazarc420}}</ref> a mechanic that was later used in ''Final Fantasy VIII''.<ref name="rpgamer_ffviii"/> Enix's ''[[Dragon Quest VI]]'' introduced an innovative scenario with a unique real world and dream world setting, which seems to have had an influence on the later [[Square (company)|Square]] role-playing games ''[[Chrono Cross]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy X]]''. ''Dragon Quest VI'' also improved on the inventory management of its predecessors with the addition of a bag to store extra items.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=The History of Dragon Quest|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=7|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=February 4, 2008}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Quintet (company)|Quintet]]'s ''[[Terranigma]]'' allowed players to shape the game world through [[City-building game|town-building]] [[Simulation game|simulation]] elements, expanding on its 1992 predecessor ''[[Soul Blazer]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=DeRienzo|first=David|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Quintet|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/quintet/quintet.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101}}</ref> while Square's ''[[Seiken Densetsu 3]]'' allowed a number of different possible storyline paths and endings depending on which combination of characters the player selected.<ref>{{cite web|first=WolfSamurai|title=RPGFan Reviews - Seiken Densetsu 3|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/seikendensetsu3/Seiken_Densetsu_3.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3113911&sec=REVIEWS| title=Reviews: Seiken Densetsu 3| accessdate=2007-06-15| date=2004-05-09| publisher=[[1UP.com]]}}</ref> |
In 1995, Square's ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' raised the standards for the genre, with certain aspects that were considered revolutionary in its time, including its [[nonlinear gameplay]], branching plot, more than ten different endings, plot-related sidequests, a unique battle system with innovations such as combo attacks, and lack of random encounters.<ref name="npreview1">{{Cite journal |month=July | year=1995 |volume=74 |journal=[[Nintendo Power]] |title=Epic Center: Chrono Trigger |pages=52–3 |url=http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Nintendo_Power_Coverage.html}}</ref> It also introduced the concept of [[New Game Plus|New Game+]],<ref>{{cite web|title=A Japanese RPG Primer: The Essential 20|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|author=Kurt Kalata|date=March 19, 2008|page=5|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3581/a_japanese_rpg_primer_the_.php?page=5|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> though this [[game mode]] has its origins in the original ''[[Legend of Zelda]]''.<ref name="gi_newgameplus">{{cite web|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200906/N09.0629.1330.37782.htm |title=Mass Effect 2 Will Not Feature 'New Game Plus' |publisher=[[Game Informer]] |date=2009-06-29 |accessdate=2009-08-26}}{{Dead link|date=September 2010}}</ref> ''Chrono Trigger'' also re-introduced the concept of time travel in RPGs, which had rarely been dealt with in video games since the original ''Final Fantasy''. That same year, Square's ''[[Romancing Saga 3]]'' featured a storyline that could be told differently from the perspectives of up to eight different characters and introduced a level-scaling system where the enemies get stronger as the characters do,<ref name="rpgfan_romancingsaga3">{{cite web|title=RPGFan Reviews - Romancing SaGa 3|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/romancingsaga3/Romancing_SaGa_3.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011|first=Yazarc420}}</ref> a mechanic that was later used in ''Final Fantasy VIII''.<ref name="rpgamer_ffviii"/> Enix's ''[[Dragon Quest VI]]'' introduced an innovative scenario with a unique real world and dream world setting, which seems to have had an influence on the later [[Square (company)|Square]] role-playing games ''[[Chrono Cross]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy X]]''. ''Dragon Quest VI'' also improved on the inventory management of its predecessors with the addition of a bag to store extra items.<ref>{{cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=The History of Dragon Quest|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=7|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=February 4, 2008}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Quintet (company)|Quintet]]'s ''[[Terranigma]]'' allowed players to shape the game world through [[City-building game|town-building]] [[Simulation game|simulation]] elements, expanding on its 1992 predecessor ''[[Soul Blazer]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=DeRienzo|first=David|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Quintet|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/quintet/quintet.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101}}</ref> while Square's ''[[Seiken Densetsu 3]]'' allowed a number of different possible storyline paths and endings depending on which combination of characters the player selected.<ref>{{cite web|first=WolfSamurai|title=RPGFan Reviews - Seiken Densetsu 3|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/seikendensetsu3/Seiken_Densetsu_3.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3113911&sec=REVIEWS| title=Reviews: Seiken Densetsu 3| accessdate=2007-06-15| date=2004-05-09| publisher=[[1UP.com]]}}</ref> |
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In 1998, Square's ''[[Xenogears]]'' was acclaimed for the ambitious scope of its storyline, which spanned millenia and explored themes rarely dealt with in video games, including topics such as religion and the origin of mankind,<ref name="gamasutra_storytelling"/> and social commentary dealing with racism, poverty, war, and human psychology, along with narrative references to the philosophies of [[Sigmund Freud]], [[Carl Jung]] and [[Friedrich Nietzsche]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/xenogears-psn/index.html|title=Xenogears|publisher=RPGFan|first=James Quentin|last=Clark|date=2008-07-30|accessdate=2008-09-02}}</ref> It is today considered one of the greatest examples of video game storytelling.<ref name="gamasutra_storytelling">{{cite web|title=The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards: Storytelling|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1788/the_gamasutra_quantum_leap_awards_.php?page=3|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=November 3, 2006|last=Boyer|first=Brandon|last2=Cifaldi|first2=Frank}}</ref> That year also saw the rise of [[Digital pet|monster-collecting]] RPGs which, although originating from ''Megami Tensei'', ''Dragon Quest V'', and ''Robotrek'', was further advanced and popularized by ''[[Pokémon]]'', which featured [[multiplayer]] gameplay and was released in North America that year.<ref name="nextgen_kaiser"/> ''Pokémon'' has since become the best-selling RPG franchise of all time.<ref name="kotaku_rpgs">{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Fahey|url=http://kotaku.com/5546807/a-visual-guide-to-the-role+playing-game |title=A Visual Guide To The Role-Playing Game |publisher=Kotaku |date=2010-05-25 |accessdate=2010-09-12}}</ref><ref name="ign_pokerecords">{{cite web|title=Pokemon Report: World Records Edition|first=Jack|last=DeVries|date=January 16, 2009|publisher=IGN|url=http://www.ds.ign.com/articles/946/946074p1.html|accessdate=2010-01-24}}</ref><ref name="nintendo_pokerecords">{{cite press release |url=http://nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/2010/pokmon_black_version_and_pokmon_white_version_for_nintendo_ds_coming_to_europe_in_spring_2011_17844.html |title=Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version for Nintendo DS coming to Europe in Spring 2011 |accessdate=2010-05-28 |date=2010-05-31 | publisher=[[Nintendo]]}}</ref> |
In 1998, Square's ''[[Xenogears]]'' was acclaimed for the ambitious scope of its storyline, which spanned millenia and explored themes rarely dealt with in video games, including topics such as religion and the origin of mankind,<ref name="gamasutra_storytelling"/> and social commentary dealing with racism, poverty, war, and human psychology, along with narrative references to the philosophies of [[Sigmund Freud]], [[Carl Jung]] and [[Friedrich Nietzsche]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/xenogears-psn/index.html|title=Xenogears|publisher=RPGFan|first=James Quentin|last=Clark|date=2008-07-30|accessdate=2008-09-02}}</ref> It is today considered one of the greatest examples of video game storytelling.<ref name="gamasutra_storytelling">{{cite web|title=The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards: Storytelling|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1788/the_gamasutra_quantum_leap_awards_.php?page=3|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=November 3, 2006|last=Boyer|first=Brandon|last2=Cifaldi|first2=Frank}}</ref> That year also saw the rise of [[Digital pet|monster-collecting]] RPGs which, although originating from ''Megami Tensei'', ''Dragon Quest V'', and ''Robotrek'', was further advanced and popularized by ''[[Pokémon]]'', which featured [[multiplayer]] gameplay and was released in North America that year.<ref name="nextgen_kaiser"/> ''Pokémon'' has since become the best-selling RPG franchise of all time.<ref name="kotaku_rpgs">{{cite web|first=Mike|last=Fahey|url=http://kotaku.com/5546807/a-visual-guide-to-the-role+playing-game |title=A Visual Guide To The Role-Playing Game |publisher=Kotaku |date=2010-05-25 |accessdate=2010-09-12}}</ref><ref name="ign_pokerecords">{{cite web|title=Pokemon Report: World Records Edition|first=Jack|last=DeVries|date=January 16, 2009|publisher=IGN|url=http://www.ds.ign.com/articles/946/946074p1.html|accessdate=2010-01-24}}</ref><ref name="nintendo_pokerecords">{{cite press release |url=http://nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/2010/pokmon_black_version_and_pokmon_white_version_for_nintendo_ds_coming_to_europe_in_spring_2011_17844.html |title=Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version for Nintendo DS coming to Europe in Spring 2011 |accessdate=2010-05-28 |date=2010-05-31 | publisher=[[Nintendo]]}}</ref> |
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In 1999, the cinematic trend set by ''Final Fantasy VII'' continued with ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]'', which introduced characters with a proportionately sized human appearance. The game also featured a level-scaling system where the enemies scale in level along with the player's party |
In 1999, the cinematic trend set by ''Final Fantasy VII'' continued with ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]'', which introduced characters with a proportionately sized human appearance. The game also featured a level-scaling system where the enemies scale in level along with the player's party.<ref name="rpgamer_ffviii">{{cite web|last=Cunningham|first=Michael|title=Final Fantasy VIII - Staff Retroview|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/ff/ff8/reviews/ff8strev5.html|publisher=[[RPGamer]]|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> Similar level-scaling mechanics have been used in a number of later RPGs, including ''[[The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]'', ''[[Silverfall]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Kelfonne|first=Shawn|title=Good Idea/Bad Idea: Level Scaling|url=http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/ShawnKelfonne/good-idea-bad-idea-level-scaling-69214.phtml|publisher=[[Destructoid]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=February 8, 2008}}</ref> ''[[Dragon Age: Origins]]'',<ref>{{cite web|last=CULLINANE|first=JAMES|title=Review: Dragon Age: Origins|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/games/3031783/Review-Dragon-Age-Origins|publisher=GAMEPLANET.CO.NZ|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=May 11, 2009}}</ref> ''[[Fable II]]'',<ref>{{cite web|author=Jennifer Tsao|date=2008-02-20|title=Preview: Fable 2|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|url=http://www.1up.com/previews/fable-2_4|accessdate=2011-03-30}}</ref> ''[[Fallout 3]]'', and the upcoming ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim|Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Mike|first=Sharkey|title=First Major Details on Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim|url=http://uk.ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/elder-scrolls-v/1143299p1.html|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=January 10, 2011}}</ref> Square also expanded on the non-linearity of ''SaGa Frontier'' with their 1999 action RPG ''[[Legend of Mana]]'',<ref name="rpgfan_lom"/> the most open-ended in the ''[[Mana (series)|Mana]]'' series,<ref>{{cite web|last=Gann|first=Patrick|title=RPGFan Reviews - Sword of Mana|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/swordofmana/index.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=August 25, 2004}}</ref> allowing the player to build the game world however they choose, complete any [[Quest (gaming)|quests]] and subplots they choose in any order of their choice, and choose which storyline paths to follow,<ref name="rpgfan_lom">{{cite web|first=Sensei Phoenix|title=RPGFan Reviews - Legend of Mana|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/legendofmana/Legend_of_Mana-5.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Mattich|first=Ryan|title=RPGFan Reviews - Legend of Mana|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/legendofmana/Legend_of_Mana-3.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> departing from most other action RPGs in its time.<ref name="gspot_lom">{{cite web | author=Andrew Vestal| date=June 7, 2000 | title=Legend of Mana (review) | url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/legendofmanathe/review.html | work=GameSpot.com | accessdate=2008-06-14}}</ref> That same year, Square's [[survival horror]] RPG ''[[Parasite Eve II]]'' featured branching storylines and up to three different possible endings,<ref>{{cite web|first=Tokyo Drifter|title=Parasite Eve II review|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/6923/parasite-eve-ii-review/|publisher=[[GamePro]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=October 3, 2000}}</ref> while the sci-fi RPG ''[[Star Ocean: The Second Story]]'' boasted as many as 86 different endings,<ref>{{cite web|title=Gameplanet - Previews - Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time|url=http://old.gameplanet.co.nz/mag.dyn/Previews/4136.html|publisher=[[Gameplanet]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=October 6, 2004}}</ref> with each of the possible permutations to these endings numbering in the hundreds, setting a benchmark for the amount of outcomes possible for a video game. Using a relationship system inspired by [[dating sim]]s, each of the characters in ''Star Ocean'' had friendship points and relationship points with each of the other characters, allowing the player to pair together, or [[Shipping (fandom)|ship]], any couples (both romantic [[Heterosexuality|heterosexual]] relationships as well as friendships) of their choice, allowing a form of [[fan fiction]] to exist within the game itself. This type of social system was later extended to allow romantic [[lesbian]] relationships in [[BioWare]]'s 2007 sci-fi RPG ''[[Mass Effect]]''. However, the relationship system in ''Star Ocean'' not only affected the storyline, but also the gameplay, affecting the way the characters behave towards each other in battle.<ref>{{cite web|last=Main|first=Brendan|title=Hooking Up in Hyperspace|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_249/7410-Hooking-Up-in-Hyperspace|publisher=The Escapist|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=April 13, 2010}}</ref> Another 1999 RPG, ''[[Persona 2]]'', also featured dating elements, including the option to engage in a [[Homosexuality|homosexual]] relationship.<ref>{{cite web|date=September 18, 2010|title=Opinion: Sex and The Male Psychology - Catherine|author=Colette Bennett & Simon Carless|publisher=GameSetWatch|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/09/opinion_sex_and_the_male_psych.php|accessdate=2011-04-02}}</ref> |
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===2000–present: Handheld titles=== |
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==2000s== |
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[[Nintendo handhelds]]—in particular the [[Nintendo DS]]—have featured a number of innovative RPGs during the 2000s.<ref>{{cite web|last=James|first=Newton|title=Talking Point: Is the DS Dead at Retail?|url=http://ds.nintendolife.com/news/2011/01/talking_point_is_the_ds_dead_at_retail|publisher=NintendoLife.com|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=January 30, 2011}}</ref> [[Konami]]'s ''[[Boktai]]'' (2003) had a unique [[Stealth game|stealth-based]] action gameplay that made use of a [[solar energy|solar-power]] sensor.<ref>{{cite web|last=David|first=Chen|title=Retro/Active: Metal Gear|url=http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?pager.offset=1&cId=3146356|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=December 14, 2005}}</ref> [[Square Enix]]'s ''[[The World Ends With You]]'' (2007) featured a unique [[Multi-monitor|dual-screen]] action combat system that involves controlling two characters at the same time.<ref>{{cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Dave|title=The World Ends With You UK Review|url=http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/865/865109p1.html|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=April 8, 2008}}</ref> [[Level-5]]'s ''[[Inazuma Eleven]]'' (2008) introduced unique [[Association football|soccer football]] RPG gameplay incorporating [[sports game]] elements.<ref>{{cite web|first=Spencer|title=Hands On Inazuma Eleven’s Random Soccer Battles|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2008/09/23/hands-on-inazuma-elevens-random-soccer-battles/|publisher=Siliconera|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=September 23, 2008}}</ref> The [[Atlus]] title ''[[Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor]]'' (2009)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamedaily.com/games/shin-megami-tensei-devil-survivor/ds/game-main/list/|title=Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor|publisher=[[GameDaily]]|archiveurl=http://replay.web.archive.org/20090313101638/http://www.gamedaily.com/games/shin-megami-tensei-devil-survivor/ds/game-main/list/8313/0/|archivedate=2009-03-13|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> blends together both traditional and [[Tactical role-playing game|tactical RPG]] gameplay along with non-linear [[adventure game]] elements<ref>{{cite web|title=Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor - NDS - Review|url=http://nds.gamezone.com/reviews/item/shin_megami_tensei_devil_survivor_nds_review/|publisher=[[GameZone]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=June 22, 2009}}</ref> as well as an innovative demon auction system and a death clock system where each character has a specified time of death<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ds.ign.com/objects/142/14294464.html |title=IGN: SMT: Devil Survivor review, IGN|publisher=IGN |date= |accessdate=2010-05-18}}</ref> and the player's actions has consequences on who lives and dies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2009/05/27/devil-survivor-and-the-countdown-clock-to-death/|title=Devil Survivor And The Countdown Clock To Death|publisher=Siliconera|author=Spencer|date=May 27, 2009|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> |
[[Nintendo handhelds]]—in particular the [[Nintendo DS]]—have featured a number of innovative RPGs during the 2000s.<ref>{{cite web|last=James|first=Newton|title=Talking Point: Is the DS Dead at Retail?|url=http://ds.nintendolife.com/news/2011/01/talking_point_is_the_ds_dead_at_retail|publisher=NintendoLife.com|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=January 30, 2011}}</ref> [[Konami]]'s ''[[Boktai]]'' (2003) had a unique [[Stealth game|stealth-based]] action gameplay that made use of a [[solar energy|solar-power]] sensor.<ref>{{cite web|last=David|first=Chen|title=Retro/Active: Metal Gear|url=http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?pager.offset=1&cId=3146356|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=December 14, 2005}}</ref> [[Square Enix]]'s ''[[The World Ends With You]]'' (2007) featured a unique [[Multi-monitor|dual-screen]] action combat system that involves controlling two characters at the same time.<ref>{{cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Dave|title=The World Ends With You UK Review|url=http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/865/865109p1.html|publisher=[[IGN]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=April 8, 2008}}</ref> [[Level-5]]'s ''[[Inazuma Eleven]]'' (2008) introduced unique [[Association football|soccer football]] RPG gameplay incorporating [[sports game]] elements.<ref>{{cite web|first=Spencer|title=Hands On Inazuma Eleven’s Random Soccer Battles|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2008/09/23/hands-on-inazuma-elevens-random-soccer-battles/|publisher=Siliconera|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=September 23, 2008}}</ref> The [[Atlus]] title ''[[Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor]]'' (2009)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamedaily.com/games/shin-megami-tensei-devil-survivor/ds/game-main/list/|title=Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor|publisher=[[GameDaily]]|archiveurl=http://replay.web.archive.org/20090313101638/http://www.gamedaily.com/games/shin-megami-tensei-devil-survivor/ds/game-main/list/8313/0/|archivedate=2009-03-13|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> blends together both traditional and [[Tactical role-playing game|tactical RPG]] gameplay along with non-linear [[adventure game]] elements<ref>{{cite web|title=Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor - NDS - Review|url=http://nds.gamezone.com/reviews/item/shin_megami_tensei_devil_survivor_nds_review/|publisher=[[GameZone]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=June 22, 2009}}</ref> as well as an innovative demon auction system and a death clock system where each character has a specified time of death<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ds.ign.com/objects/142/14294464.html |title=IGN: SMT: Devil Survivor review, IGN|publisher=IGN |date= |accessdate=2010-05-18}}</ref> and the player's actions has consequences on who lives and dies.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2009/05/27/devil-survivor-and-the-countdown-clock-to-death/|title=Devil Survivor And The Countdown Clock To Death|publisher=Siliconera|author=Spencer|date=May 27, 2009|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> On the [[PlayStation Portable]] (PSP), ''[[Half-Minute Hero]]'' (2009) is a [[Role-playing shooters|role-playing shooter]] featuring self-referential humour and a 30-second time limit for each level and boss encounter.<ref>{{cite web|title=2D Forever: the fall and rise of hardcore Japanese game design|work=[[The Guardian]]|author=Keith Stuart|date=4 March 2011|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/gamesblog/2011/mar/04/2d-forever-japanese-game-design|accessdate=2011-03-23}}</ref> |
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The 2010 Atlus title ''[[Radiant Historia]]'' introduced unique take on the concept of [[Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]] branching storylines that gives the player the freedom to alter the course of history through [[time travel]] across two [[Parallel universe (fiction)|parallel timelines]].<ref name="1UP_Radiant_Historia">{{cite web|last=Parish|first=Jeremy|title=Radiant Historia Gives Off a Distinct Chrono Trigger Vibe|url=http://www.1up.com/previews/radiant-historia-distinct-chrono-trigger|publisher=[[1UP.com]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=November 11, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=North|first=Dale|title=Review: Radiant Historia|url=http://www.destructoid.com/review-radiant-historia-193077.phtml|publisher=[[Destructoid]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=February 2, 2002}}</ref> The 2010 [[PlayStation Portable|PSP]] version of ''[[Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together|Tactics Ogre]]'' features a similar "World" system that allows players to revisit key plot points and make different choices to see how the story unfolds differently.<ref>{{cite web|last=Grayson|first=Nathan|title=Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/psp/tactics-ogre-let-us-cling-together/review/tactics-ogre-let-us-cling-together-review/a-2011021515943267079/g-20100722113014352012|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=February 15, 2011}}</ref> [[Imageepoch]]'s upcoming ''Saigo no Yakusoku no Monogatari'' (''Final Promise Story'') for the PSP has a strategic command-based battle system where enemies learn from previous skirmishes and where characters can die permanently during gameplay which in turn has an impact on the game's storyline.<ref>{{cite web|author=Tom Goldman|date=24 November 2010|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105615-Imageepoch-Unveils-New-Wave-of-JRPGs|title=Imageepoch Unveils New Wave of JRPGs|work=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> |
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⚫ | Lastly, towards the end of the 1990s, a new Internet [[fad]] began, owing to simplistic [[software development kit]]s such as the Japanese ''[[RPG Maker]]'' series (1988 onwards). Influenced by console RPGs and based mostly on the [[gameplay]] and style of the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] and [[Sega Genesis]] games, a large group of young [[programmer]]s and aficionados began creating independent console-style computer RPGs and sharing them online.<ref name="gama_conund">{{cite web|last=English|first=Fox|title=The RPG Conundrum|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/FoxEnglish/20110325/6963/The_RPG_Conundrum.php|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=13 May 2011|date=March 25, 2011}}</ref> In an interview with [[GameDaily]], [[MTVN]]'s Dave Williams remarked that, "Games like this [user generated] have been sort of under the radar for something that could be the basis of a business. We have the resources and we can afford to invest more... I think it's going to be a great thing for the consumer."<ref name="gdaily_pcvgfeat">{{cite web|author=May 09, 2007 | first=David|last=Radd |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/addicted-to-user-generated-content/70394/?biz=1 |title=Video Game Features, PC Game Features |publisher=[[GameDaily]] |date=2007-05-09 |archiveurl=http://replay.web.archive.org/20081006201535/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/addicted-to-user-generated-content/70394/?biz=1|archivedate=2008-10-06 |accessdate=2010-09-05}}</ref> |
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==South Korean RPGs== |
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{{main|Video gaming in South Korea}} |
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{{see also|:Category:Video games developed in South Korea|l1=Video games developed in South Korea|History of massively multiplayer online games}} |
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===1980s–1990s=== |
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[[South Korea]]'s RPG industry began with translations of RPGs imported from Japan and the United States. The first fully-translated Japanese RPG in Korea was ''[[Phantasy Star (video game)|Phantasy Star]]'' (1987) for the [[Sega Master System]], which was licensed by [[Samsung]] and released as the Samsung Gam*Boy in South Korea, on April 1989. The country's first fully-fledged computer RPG was ''Sin'geom-ui Jeonseol'', also known as ''Legend of the Sword'', released for the [[Apple II]] computer platform in 1987. It was programmed by Nam In-Hwan and distributed by Aproman, and was primarily influenced by the ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'' series. In the late 1980s, the Korean company Topia began producing [[action role-playing game]]s, one of which was ''Pungnyu Hyeopgaek'' for the [[MS-DOS]] in 1989. It was the first Korean title published for [[IBM PC compatible]]s and is set in [[ancient China]]. Another action RPG released by Topia that same year was ''Mirae Sonyeon Conan'', a video game adaptation of [[Hayao Miyazaki]]'s Japanese 1978 [[anime]] series ''[[Future Boy Conan]]'', for the [[MSX2]] platform.<ref>{{cite web|title=Part 1: First steps and emancipation (1976-1993)|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/korea/part1/korea1.htm|work=A History of Korean Gaming|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=6 September 2011|author=Derboo|date=06/07/2010}}</ref> |
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1994 saw the release of two major Korean RPGs: ''[[Astonishia Story]]'', and an [[MS-DOS]] [[Video game remake|enhanced remake]] ''[[Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter|Ys II Special]]'', developed by Mantra. The latter was a mash-up of [[Nihon Falcom]]'s game ''Ys II'' (1988) with the [[anime]] ''[[Ys (anime)|Ys II: Castle in the Heavens]]'' (1992) along with a large amount of new content, including more secrets than any other version of ''Ys II''. Both games were a success in Korea, ''Astonishia Story'' more so.<ref name="gtm_falcom_157">{{cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM{{!}}Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|year=2011|month=July|issue=111|pages=152-159 [157]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/718/yshistory06.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-09}} ([[cf.]] {{cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=9 September 2011|date=July 8, 2011}})</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM{{!}}Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|year=2011|month=July|issue=111|pages=152-159 [158]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/841/yshistory07.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-10}} ([[cf.]] {{cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=10 September 2011|date=July 8, 2011}})</ref> |
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Commercial [[online gaming]] became very popular in [[South Korea]] from the mid-1990s. ''[[Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds]]'', designed by [[Jake Song]], was commercially released in 1996 and eventually gained over one million subscribers. It was one of the earliest [[massively multiplayer online role-playing game]]s. Song's next game, ''[[Lineage (computer game)|Lineage]]'' (1998), enjoyed even greater success gaining millions of subscribers in Korea and [[Taiwan]]. This helped to secure developer [[NCsoft]]'s dominance in the global MMORPG market for several years.<!--This would be a good place to throw 1 or 2 sentences listing NCSoft's other MMORPG achievements and the years they went live--> |
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===2000s–present=== |
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In 2002, the [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]]-based ''[[Ragnarok Online]]'', produced by Korean company [[Gravity Corp]], was released. Though unknown to many Western players, the game took Asia by storm as ''Lineage'' had done. The publisher has claimed in excess of 25 million subscribers of the game, although this number is based upon a quantity of registered users (rather than active subscribers).<ref>Michael Kanellos (2004), "Gaming their Way to Growth," [http://news.com.com/Consumers+Gaming+their+way+to+growth+-+Part+3+of+South+Koreas+Digital+Dynasty/2009-1040_3-5239555.html CNET News]</ref> 2002 also saw the release of ''[[MapleStory]]'', another sprite-based title, which was completely [[free-to-play]] - instead of charging a monthly fee, it generated revenue by selling in-game "enhancements". ''MapleStory'' would go on to become a major player in the new market for free-to-play MMORPGs (generating huge numbers of registered accounts across its many versions), if it did not introduce the market by itself. |
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In October 2003, ''[[Lineage II]]'' (NCsoft's sequel to ''Lineage'') became the latest MMORPG to achieve huge success across Asia. It received the Presidential Award at the 2003 Korean Game awards, and is now the second most popular MMORPG in the world. As of the first half of 2005 ''Lineage II'' counted over 2.25 million subscribers worldwide, with servers in Japan, China, North America, Taiwan, and Europe, once the popularity of the game had surged in the West. |
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==Chinese computer RPGs== |
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{{see also|Video gaming in the People's Republic of China|:Category:Video games developed in the People's Republic of China|l2=Video games developed in the People's Republic of China|:Category:Chinese-language video games|l3=Chinese-language video games}} |
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''[[Heroes of Jin Yong]]'' (1996), a [[Taiwan]]ese [[tactical role-playing game]] based on the popular historical novels by [[Jin Yong]], featured a number of melee and ranged [[kung fu]] skills to train and develop, as well as a grid-based movement system. |
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==See also== |
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*[[Action role-playing game]] |
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*[[Dating sim]] |
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*[[History of Western role-playing video games]] |
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*[[Role-playing video game]] |
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*[[Tactical role-playing game]] |
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*[[Visual novel]] |
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Eastern role-playing video games are role-playing video games developed in East Asia, specifically Japan, and, to a lesser extent, South Korea and China. For role-playing games developed in the Western world, see History of Western role-playing video games.
Japanese computer RPGs
Early 1980s: Origins
While the Japanese video game industry has long been viewed as console-centric in the Western world, due to the worldwide success of Japanese consoles beginning with the NES, the country had in fact produced thousands of commercial personal computer games from the late 1970s up until the mid-1990s, in addition to dōjin soft independent games. The country's computer market was largely dominated by the NEC PC-8801 & PC-9801, though with some competition from the Sharp X1 & X68000, FM-7 & FM Towns, and MSX & MSX2. A key difference between Western and Japanese systems at the time was the latter's higher display resolutions (640x400) in order to accommodate Japanese text which in turn had an impact on game design. Japanese computers also employed Yamaha FM synthesis sound boards since the early 1980s, allowing video game music composers such as Yuzo Koshiro to produce highly regarded chiptune music for RPG companies such as Nihon Falcom. Due to hardware differences, only a small portion of Japanese computer games were released in North America, as ports to either consoles (like the NES or Genesis) or American PC platforms (like MS-DOS).[1]
As early as 1982,[2] Koei released an early Japanese computer role-playing game, Danchizuma no Yuwaku,[3][4] a PC-8001 title that featured adventure game elements and eroge adult content.[2] The following year saw the release of Bokosuka Wars, originally released for the Sharp X1 computer in 1983[5] and later ported to the NES in 1985.[6] The game's success in Japan was responsible for laying the foundations for the tactical role-playing game subgenre, or the "simulation RPG" as it is known in Japan, with its blend of role-playing and strategy video game elements. The game revolves around a leader who must lead his army against overwhelming enemy forces, while recruiting soldiers along the way and with each unit able to gain experience and level up through battle.[6] The game is also considered to be an early example of a real-time,[7] action RPG.[8][9] That same year also saw the release of Koei's Nobunaga's Ambition for Japanese computers in 1983. It was an early attempt at combining role-playing, turn-based grand strategy and management simulation elements, setting the standard for future simulation RPGs. This trend continued with its sequels and other Koei games such as 1989's Bandit Kings of Ancient China as well as the Capcom game Destiny of an Emperor released that same year.[10]
In 1984, Nihon Falcom released Dragon Slayer, a historically significant title that laid the foundations for the Japanese role-playing game industry.[11] It was a real-time hack and slash dungeon crawler that is considered the first action role-playing game, a subgenre that it laid the foundations for,[12][13] alongside the arcade game The Tower of Druaga released the same year.[14] Dragon Slayer was a major success in Japan,[15] and led to the emergence of a distinct action role-playing game subgenre on Japanese computers during the mid-1980s, with Nihon Falcom at the forefront of this new subgenre.[16] Dragon Slayer as well as The Tower of Druaga laid the foundations for future action RPG series like Hydlide, Ys and The Legend of Zelda.[14] Hydlide, released for the PC-8801 in 1984 and the Famicom in 1986, added several innovations to the action RPG subgenre, including the ability to switch between attack mode and defense mode, quick save and load options which can be done at any moment of the game through the use of passwords as the primary back-up, and the introduction of a health regeneration mechanic where health and magic slowly regenerate when standing still, a feature also used in Falcom's Ys series from 1987 onwards.[17]
Also in 1984, Henk Rogers' The Black Onyx was released on the PC-8801 in Japan, where it became one of the highest-selling computer games of that year and was considered the game of the year by Login, the largest Japanese computer game magazine at the time. The game is thus sometimes credited for bringing wider attention to computer role-playing games in the country.[18] The cyberpunk RPG Psychic City,[19] released by HOT・B for the FM-7[20] and PC-8801 in 1984, departed from the fantasy theme common in other RPGs at the time (such as Hydlide and The Black Onyx) in favour of a science fiction plot, set in a post-apocalyptic city devastated by World War III and where the protagonist fights using psychic/telepathic abilities. The game later served as the basis for the 1987 NES RPG Hoshi wo Miru Hito.[21]
Dragon Slayer's success led to a 1985 sequel Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu,[15] which became the best-selling PC game in Japan.[22] It was a full-fledged RPG with character stats and a large quest,[22] with action-based combat setting it apart from other RPGs,[16] including both melee combat and projectile magic attacks,[15] while incorporating a side-scrolling platform game view during exploration and an overhead view during battle.[15] Xanadu also featured innovative gameplay mechanics such as individual experience for equipped items,[22] and an early Karma morality system, where the player character's Karma meter will rise if he commits sin which in turn affects the temple's reaction to him.[13][22] It is also considered a "proto-Metroidvania" game,[23] due to being an "RPG turned on its side" that allowed players to run, jump, collect, and explore.[24] The way the Dragon Slayer series reworked the entire game system of each installment was an influence on Final Fantasy, which would do the same for each of its installments.[25] According to GamesTM and John Szczepaniak (of Retro Gamer and The Escapist), Enix's Dragon Quest was also influenced by Dragon Slayer and in turn defined many other RPGs.[11] Falcom would soon become one of the three most important Japanese role-playing game developers in the 1980s, alongside Enix and Square,[11] both of which were influenced by Falcom.[11][26]
Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness in 1985 featured an early morality meter, where the player can be aligned with justice, normal, or evil, which is affected by whether the player kills evil monsters, good monsters, or humans, and in turn affects the reactions of the townsfolk towards the player.[17] Magical Zoo's The Screamer, released for the PC-8801 in 1985, was an early example of a real-time shooter-based RPG.[citation needed] Set after World War III, the game also featured elements of post-apocalyptic science fiction as well as cyberpunk and bio-horror themes.[27][28] Square also released their first RPG that same year, which was an early futuristic sci-fi RPG for the PC-8801,[29] Genesis: Beyond The Revelation,[30] featuring a post-apocalyptic setting.[29] Other sci-fi RPGs released in 1985 include The Earth Fighter Rayieza by Enix,[31] and Kogado Studio's MSX game Cosmic Soldier, which introduced an early dialogue conversation system, where the player can recruit allies by talking to them, choose whether to kill or spare an enemy, and engage enemies in conversation, similar to the later more famous Megami Tensei.[32]
Late 1980s–early 1990s: Golden Age
The late 1980s to early 1990s is considered the golden age of Japanese computer gaming, which would flourish until its decline around the mid-1990s, as consoles eventually dominated the Japanese market.[29] A notable Japanese computer RPG from around this time was WiBArm, the earliest known RPG to feature 3D polygonal graphics. It was a 1986 role-playing shooter released by Arsys Software for the PC-88 in Japan and ported to MS-DOS for Western release by Brøderbund. In WiBArm, the player controls a transformable mecha robot, switching between a 2D side-scrolling view during outdoor exploration to a fully 3D polygonal third-person perspective inside buildings, while bosses are fought in an arena-style 2D shoot 'em up battle. The game featured a variety of weapons and equipment as well as an automap, and the player could upgrade equipment and earn experience to raise stats.[33][34] Unlike first-person RPGs at the time that were restricted to 90-degree movements, WiBArm's use of 3D polygons allowed full 360-degree movement.[34]
Another 1986 release was Falcom's Xanadu Scenario II, an early example of an expansion pack.[35] The game was non-linear, allowing the eleven levels to be explored in any order.[36] Dragon Slayer Jr: Romancia simplified the RPG mechanics of Xanadu, such as removing the character customization and simplifying the numerical statistics into icons, and emphasized faster-paced platform action, with a strict 30-minute time limit. The action took place entirely in a side-scrolling view rather than switching to a separate overhead combat screen like its predecessor. These changes Romancia more like a side-scrolling action-adventure game.[25][37][38] Square's 1986 release, Cruise Chaser Blassty, was a sci-fi RPG that had the player control a customizable mecha robot from a first-person view.[29] That same year also saw the arcade release of the sequel to The Tower of Druaga, The Return of Ishtar,[39] an early action RPG[40] to feature two-player cooperative gameplay,[39] dual-stick control in single player, a female protagonist, the first heroic couple in gaming, and the first password save system in an arcade game.[41]
In 1987, Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family (Legacy of the Wizard) returned to the deeper action-RPG mechanics of Xanadu while maintaining the fully side-scrolling view of Romancia.[38] It also featured an open world and nonlinear gameplay similar to "Metroidvania" platform-adventures, making Drasle Family an early example of a non-linear, open-world action RPG.[37] Another "Metroidvania" style open-world action RPG released that year was System Sacom's Sharp X1 computer game Euphory, which was possibly the only Metroidvania-style multiplayer action RPG produced, allowing two-player cooperative gameplay.[33] The fifth Dragon Slayer title, Sorcerian, was also released in 1987. It was a party-based action RPG, with the player controlling a party of four characters at the same time in a side-scrolling view. The game also featured character creation, highly customizable characters, class-based puzzles, and a new scenario system, allowing players to choose which of 15 scenarios, or quests, to play through in the order of their choice. It was also an episodic video game, with expansion disks released soon after offering more scenarios.[42][43] Falcom also released the first installment of its popular, long-running Ys series in 1987. Besides Falcom's own Dragon Slayer series, Ys was also influenced by Hydlide, from which it borrowed certain mechanics such as health-regeneration when standing still, a mechanic that has since become common in video games today.[17][11] Ys is also known for its 'bump attack' system, where the protagonist Adol automatically attacks when running into enemies off-center, making the game more accessible and the usually tedious level-grinding task more swift and enjoyable for audiences at the time.[44] The game also had what is considered to be one of the best and most influential video game music soundtracks of all time, composed by Yuzo Koshiro and Mieko Ishikawa.[44][45][46] In terms of the number of game releases, Ys is second only to Final Fantasy as the largest Eastern role-playing game franchise.[44]
Hydlide 3: The Space Memories, released for the MSX in 1987 and for the Mega Drive as Super Hydlide in 1989, adopted the morality meter of its predecessor, expanded on its time option with the introduction of an in-game clock setting day-night cycles and a need to sleep and eat, and made other improvements such as cut scenes for the opening and ending, a combat system closer to The Legend of Zelda, the choice between four distinct character classes, a wider variety of equipment and spells, and a weight system affecting the player's movement depending on the overall weight of the equipment carried.[17] That same year, Kogado Studio's sci-fi RPG Cosmic Soldier: Psychic War featured a unique "tug of war" style real-time combat system, where battles are a clash of energy between the party and the enemy, with the player needing to push the energy towards the enemy to strike them, while being able to use a shield to block or a suction ability to absorb the opponent's power. It also featured a unique non-linear conversation system, where the player can recruit allies by talking to them, choose whether to kill or spare an enemy, and engage enemies in conversation, similar to Megami Tensei.[47] Also in 1987, Shiryou Sensen: War of the Dead, an MSX2 title developed by Fun Factory and published by Victor Music Industries, was the first true survival horror RPG.[36][48] Designed by Katsuya Iwamoto, the game revolved around a female SWAT member Lila rescuing survivors in an isolated monster-infested town and bringing them to safety in a church. It was open-ended like Dragon Quest and had real-time side-view battles like Zelda II. Unlike other RPGs at the time, however, the game had a dark and creepy atmosphere expressed through the story, graphics, and music,[36] while the gameplay used shooter-based combat and gave limited ammunition for each weapon, forcing the player to search for ammo and often run away from monsters in order to conserve ammo.[48]
In 1988, Arsys Software's Star Cruiser was an innovative action RPG released for the PC-8801.[49] It was notable for being an early example of an RPG with fully 3D polygonal graphics,[49] combined with first-person shooter gameplay,[50] which would occasionally switch to space flight simulator gameplay when exploring outer space with six degrees of freedom. All the backgrounds, objects and opponents in the game were rendered in 3D polygons, many years before they were widely adopted by the gaming industry. The game also emphasized storytelling, with plot twists and extensive character dialogues.[49] Star Cruiser was later ported to the Mega Drive console in 1990.[50] Another 1988 release, Last Armageddon, produced for the PC-8801 and later ported to the PC Engine CD and NES consoles in 1990, featured a unique post-apocalyptic storyline set in a desolate future where humanity has become extinct and the protagonists are demon monsters waging war against an alien species.[51] The Scheme, released by Bothtec for the PC-8801 in 1988, was an action RPG with a similar side-scrolling open-world gameplay to Metroid.[33] That same year, Ys II introduced the unique ability to transform into a monster, which allows the player to both scare human non-player characters for unique dialogues as well as interact with all the monsters. This is a recurring highlight in the series, offering the player insight into the enemies, to an extent that very few other games allow to this day.[44]
1988 also saw the debut of Telenet Japan's Exile, a series of action-platform RPGs,[52] beginning with XZR: Idols of Apostate. The series was controversial for its plot, which revolves around a time-traveling Crusades-era Syrian Islamic Assassin who assassinates various religious/historical figures as well as modern-day political leaders,[53] with similarities to the present-day Assassin's Creed action game series.[54] The gameplay of Exile included both overhead exploration and side-scrolling combat, featured a heart monitor to represent the player's Attack Power and Armour Class statistics, and another controversial aspect of the game involved taking drugs (instead of potions) that increase/decrease attributes but with side-effects such as affecting the heart-rate or causing death.[53] An early attempt at incorporating a point-and-click interface in a real-time overhead action RPG was Silver Ghost,[55] a 1988 NEC PC-8801 game by Kure Software Koubou.[56] It was an action-strategy RPG where characters could be controlled using a cursor.[55] It was cited by Camelot Software Planning's Hiroyuki Takahashi as inspiration for the Shining series of tactical RPGs. According to Takahashi, Silver Ghost was "a simulation action type of game where you had to direct, oversee and command multiple characters."[57] Unlike later tactical RPGs, however, Silver Ghost was not turn-based, but instead used real-time strategy and action role-playing game elements.[55] A similar game released by Kure Software Koubou that same year was First Queen, a unique hybrid between a real-time strategy, action RPG, and strategy RPG. Like an RPG, the player can explore the world, purchase items, and level up, and like a strategy video game, it focuses on recruiting soldiers and fighting against large armies rather than small parties. The game's "Gochyakyara" ("Multiple Characters") system let the player control one character at a time while the others are controlled by computer AI that follow the leader, and where battles are large-scale with characters sometimes filling an entire screen.[58][59]
Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes in 1989 departed from the action-oriented gameplay of previous Dragon Slayer titles, and instead used a more traditional turn-based combat system.[60] In 1990, Data East's Gate of Doom was an arcade action RPG that combined beat 'em up fighting gameplay with fantasy role-playing and introduced an isometric perspective.[61] That same year, Enix released a unique biological simulation action RPG by Almanic that revolved around the theme of evolution, 46 Okunen Monogatari, a revised version of which was released in 1992 as E.V.O.: Search for Eden.[62] That same year, Alpha Denshi's Crossed Swords for the arcades combined the first-person beat 'em up gameplay of SNK's The Super Spy (released the same year) with RPG elements, while replacing the first-person shooting with hack & slash combat.[63] Also in 1990, Hideo Kojima's SD Snatcher, while turn-based, introduced an innovative first-person shooter-based battle system where firearm weapons (each with different abilities and target ranges) have limited ammunition and the player can aim at specific parts of the enemy's body with each part weakening the enemy in different ways. Such a battle system has rarely been used since,[64] though similar battle systems based on targeting individual body parts can later be found in Square's Vagrant Story (2000), a pausable real-time RPG[65] that uses both melee and bow & arrow weapons,[66] as well as Bethesda's Fallout 3 (2008) and Nippon Ichi's Last Rebellion (2010).[67]
In 1991, Nihon Falcom's Brandish was an early overhead action RPG to use mouse controls, where the player could move forward, backward, turn, strafe and attack by clicking on boxes surrounding the player character.[68] The 1991 Dragon Slayer title Lord Monarch departed from the action RPG gameplay of its predecessors, instead using an early form of real-time strategy gameplay.[60] The erotic adult RPG Dragon Knight III, released in 1991 for the PC-8801 and as Knights of Xentar for MS-DOS, introduced a unique pausable real-time battle system,[69][70] where characters automatically attack based on a list of different AI scripts,[70] though this meant the player had no control over the characters during battle other than to give commands for spells, item use, and AI routines.[69] That same year, Arcus Odyssey by Wolf Team (now Namco Tales Studio) was an action RPG that featured an isometric perspective and co-operative multiplayer gameplay.[71] The sequel to the first-person shooter role-playing game Star Cruiser, simply called Star Cruiser 2, was released in 1992,[72] for the PC-9821 and FM Towns computers.[73]
Late 1990s–present: Independent titles
From the mid-1990s, the Japanese computer game industry began declining. This was partly due to the death of the NEC PC-9801 computer format, as the Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation became increasingly powerful in the console market while the computer market became increasingly dominated by the IBM Personal Computer and Microsoft Windows 95. This led to many Japanese PC manufacturers either continuing to develop for Windows 95 or moving over to the more lucrative console market. While most developers turned their attention to the console market, some developers dedicated to content unsuitable for consoles (such as eroge and complex military strategy games) continued their focus on the PC market.[1]
In 1996, Night Slave was a shooter RPG released for the PC-98 that combined the side-scrolling shooter gameplay of Assault Suits Valken and Gradius, including an armaments system that employs recoil physics, with many RPG elements such as permanently levelling up the mecha and various weapons using power-orbs obtained from defeating enemies as well as storyline cut scenes. These cut scenes also occasionally contain lesbian adult content.[33]
Lastly, towards the end of the 1990s, a new Internet fad began, owing to simplistic software development kits such as the Japanese RPG Maker series (1988 onwards). Influenced by console RPGs and based mostly on the gameplay and style of the SNES and Sega Genesis games, a large group of young programmers and aficionados across the world began creating independent console-style computer RPGs and sharing them online.[74] In an interview with GameDaily, MTVN's Dave Williams remarked that, "Games like this [user generated] have been sort of under the radar for something that could be the basis of a business. We have the resources and we can afford to invest more... I think it's going to be a great thing for the consumer."[75]
Japanese console RPGs
1982–1986: Origins
![A black screen with two moth-like creatures in the center and three white-bordered boxes around it. The box above the moth-like creatures has "Hero", "Brin", "Math", and "Viro" on the top, each with an H and an M under each of them, with Hr under "Hero", Sr under "Brin", Wz under "Math", and Pr under "Viro". A number is next to the letters on the right. The bottom left box displays "Hero" on the top and the options "Fight", "Run", "Parry", and "Item". The bottom right box contains the text "Masked Moth 2".](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/7/70/Dragon_quest_battle_2.png/250px-Dragon_quest_battle_2.png)
The earliest role-playing video game on a console was Dragonstomper on the Atari 2600 in 1982.[79] Bokosuka Wars, originally released for the Sharp X1 computer in 1983,[5] was ported to the NES console in 1985, and was a commercial success in Japan, where it laid the foundations for the tactical role-playing game subgenre.[6] Other notable early console RPGs included ports of Namco's 1984 arcade action role-playing games: The Tower of Druaga,[14] which was ported to the NES in 1985,[80] and Dragon Buster,[81] the first video game to feature a life meter (called "Vitality" in-game),[82] also ported to the NES in 1987.[83]
In 1985, Yuji Horii and his team at Chunsoft began production on Dragon Quest (Dragon Warrior).[84] After Enix published the game in early 1986, it became the template for future console RPGs.[85] The game was influenced by the first-person random battles in Wizardry, the overhead movement in Ultima,[86] and the mystery storytelling in Horii's own 1983 visual novel game Portopia Serial Murder Case.[87] Horii's intention behind Dragon Quest was to create a RPG that appeals to a wider audience unfamiliar with the genre or video games in general. This required the creation of a new kind of RPG, that didn't rely on previous D&D experience, didn't require hundreds of hours of rote fighting, and that could appeal to any kind of gamer.[84] Compared to statistics-heavy computer RPGs, Dragon Quest was a more streamlined, faster-paced game based on exploration and combat, and featured a top-down view in dungeons, in contrast to the first-person view used for dungeons in earlier computer RPGs.[citation needed] The streamlined gameplay of Dragon Quest thus made the game more accessible to a wider audience than previous computer RPGs.[78] The game also placed a greater emphasis on storytelling and emotional involvement,[88] building on Horii's previous work Portopia Serial Murder Case, but this time introducing a coming of age tale for Dragon Quest that audiences could relate to, making use of the RPG level-building gameplay as a way to represent this.[87] It also featured elements still found in most console RPGs, like major quests interwoven with minor subquests and an incremental spell system,[89] alongside anime-style art by Akira Toriyama and a classical score by Koichi Sugiyama that was considered revolutionary for console video game music.[84]
The gameplay of Dragon Quest itself was non-linear, with most of the game not blocked in any way other than by being infested with monsters that can easily kill an unprepared player. This was balanced by the use of bridges to signify a change in difficulty and a new level progression that departed from D&D, where in the 1st and 2nd editions, players are given random initial stats and a constant growth rate. Dragon Quest instead gave the player some extra hit points at the start and a level progression where the effective rate of character growth decelerates over time, similar to how the more recent editions of D&D have balanced the gameplay.[90] Dragon Quest also gave players a clear objective from the start of the game and a series of smaller scenarios to build up the player's strength in order to achieve that objective.[91] The ending could also be altered depending on the moral dialogue choice of whether or not the protagonist should join the antagonist on his evil conquest towards the end of the game.[92] The game also had a limited inventory requiring item management,[93] while the caves were dark, requiring the use of a torch to display a field of vision around the character.[86] With Dragon Quest becoming widely popular in Japan, such that local municipalities were forced to place restrictions on where and when the game could be sold,[89] the Dragon Quest series is still considered a bellwether for the Japanese video game market.[94] Dragon Quest did not reach North America until 1989, when it was released as Dragon Warrior, the first NES RPG to be released in North America.[89] The release of Dragon Quest was followed by NES remakes of the early Wizardry and Ultima titles over the next several years by Pony Canyon.[95]
An important influence on the action role-playing game genre came from the 1986 action-adventure game, The Legend of Zelda, which is often not considered an action RPG since it lacked key RPG mechanics such as experience points, but had many features in common with RPGs and served as the template for future action RPGs.[96] In contrast to previous action RPGs such as Dragon Slayer and Hydlide which required the player to bump into enemies in order to attack them, The Legend of Zelda featured an attack button that animates a sword swing or projectile attack on the screen.[14][17] It was also an early example of non-linear open world gameplay, and introduced innovations like battery backup saving.[97] When it was released in North America, Zelda was seen as a new kind of RPG with action-adventure elements, with Roe R. Adams (who worked on the Wizardry series) stating in 1990 that, although "it still had many action-adventure features, it was definitely a CRPG."[98] It was largely responsible for the surge of action-oriented RPGs released since the late 1980s, both on consoles as well as computers; it was often cited as an influence on action-oriented computer RPGs, such as the 1988 Origin Systems game Times of Lore, for example.[99] The Legend of Zelda series would exert an influence on the transition of both console and computer RPGs from stat-heavy turn-based combat towards real-time action combat in the following decades.[100] Due to its similarities to action RPGs and its impact on the genre,[101] there continues to be much debate regarding whether or not The Legend of Zelda series should be considered action RPGs.[102]
1987–1989: Evolution
In 1987, console RPGs came into their own with the release of various notable console RPGs distinguishing themselves from computer RPGs. Shigeru Miyamoto's Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for the Famicom Disk System was an early action RPG, combining the action-adventure framework of its predecessor The Legend of Zelda with the statistical elements of turn-based RPGs.[103] Dragon Quest II introduced a party system where, instead of beginning the game with an entire party like in previous computer RPGs, the player begins the game with only one character and gradually recruits more party members during the course of the game.[91] The game also introduced a sailing ship that could be landed anywhere, allowing the entire game world to be explored in an open-ended manner, and an expanded inventory management system giving each character an individual inventory that holds up to eight items, placing a greater emphasis on conservative item management between the characters.[93] Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei by Atlus for the NES abandoned the common medieval fantasy setting and sword and sorcery theme in favour of a modern science-fiction setting and horror theme. It also introduced the monster-catching mechanic with its demon-summoning system, which allowed the player to recruit enemies into their party, through a conversation system that gives the player a choice of whether to kill or spare an enemy and allows them to engage any opponent in conversation.[104] Sega's original Phantasy Star for the Master System established a number of genre conventions, with its "strong plot that involved quest for revenge and corruption by power, background stories for party members, individual spells that required magic points,"[citation needed] and combined sci-fi & fantasy setting that set it apart from the D&D staple. It was also one of the first games to feature a female protagonist and animated monster encounters,[105] and allowed inter-planetary travel between three planets.[106] Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord was a third-person RPG that featured a wide open world and a mini-map on the corner of the screen.[107] The Dragon Slayer series also made its debut on the NES console (and thus to American audiences) in 1987, with the release of Legacy of the Wizard (Dragon Slayer IV), a non-linear action RPG featuring a Metroidvania-style open world,[37] and Faxanadu, a side-story to Xanadu.[10]
The Magic of Scheherazade, released in 1987, was notable for several innovations, including a unique setting based on the Arabian Nights, time travel between five different time periods, a unique combat system featuring both real-time solo action and turn-based team battles, and the introduction of team attacks where two party members could join forces to perform an extra-powerful attack.[10] Castlevania II: Simon's Quest was an action RPG that combined the platform-action mechanics of the original Castlevania with the open world of an action-adventure and RPG mechanics such as experience points.[108] It also introduced a day-night cycle that affects when certain NPCs appear in certain locations and offered three possible multiple endings depending on the time it took to complete the game.[109] Square's Cleopatra no Mahou was an adventure RPG with a unique plot revolving around archeology.[110] Square's original Final Fantasy for the NES introduced an experimental character creation system that allowed the player to create their own parties and assign different character classes to party members,[citation needed] who in turn evolve through an early class change system later in the game.[111][112] It also featured unique concepts such as time travel;[113] side-view battles, with the player characters on the right and the enemies on the left, which soon became the norm for numerous console RPGs;[114] and the use of transportation for travel, "by ship, canoe, and even flying airship."[115] While creating Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi took inspiration from certain elements in Hayao Miyazaki's anime films, such as the airships being inspired by Castle in the Sky.[116] Some of these 1987 releases proved popular and went on to spawn their own RPG franchises, particularly the Megami Tensei, Phantasy Star and Final Fantasy series. In particular, the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest series remain popular today, Final Fantasy more so in the West and Dragon Quest more so in Japan.
In 1988, Dragon Quest III introduced a character progression system allowing the player to change the party's character classes during the course of the game,[citation needed] and keep a character's stats and skills learned from previous classes.[117] This class-changing system shaped the gameplay of future RPGs, especially the Final Fantasy series,[118] while a similar class-changing system later also appeared in Wizardry VI and VII.[119] While the earlier Dragon Quest games were also non-linear, Dragon Quest III was the most substantial example of open-world gameplay among the early Dragon Quest games. It also allowed the player to swap characters in and out of the party at will,[90] and another "major innovation was the introduction of day/night cycles; certain items, characters, and quests are only accessible at certain times of day."[120] Final Fantasy II, is considered "the first true Final Fantasy game", introducing an "emotional story line, morally ambiguous characters, tragic events," and a story to be "emotionally experienced rather than concluded from gameplay and conversations." It also replaced traditional levels and experience points with a new activity-based progression system that required "gradual development of individual statistics through continuous actions of the same kind,"[citation needed] a mechanic that has been used in a number of later RPGs such as the SaGa[121] and Grandia[122] series, Final Fantasy XIV,[123] and The Elder Scrolls series. Final Fantasy II also featured open-ended exploration,[124] and introduced an innovative dialogue system where keywords or phrases can be memorized and mentioned during conversations with NPCs,[125] the theme of an evil empire against a small band of rebels (similar to Star Wars), and the iconic chocobo, a fictional creature inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.[116]
In 1989, Phantasy Star II for the Genesis established many conventions of the genre, including an epic, dramatic, character-driven storyline dealing with serious themes and subject matter, and a strategy-based battle system.[105][126] Its purely science fiction setting was also a major departure for RPGs, which had previously been largely restricted to fantasy or science fantasy settings.[127] The game's science fiction story was also unique, reversing the common alien invasion scenario by instead presenting Earthlings as the invading antagonists rather than the defending protagonists.[105][126] The game's strong characterization, and use of self-discovery as a motivating factor for the characters and the player, was a major departure from previous RPGs and had a major influence on subsequent RPGs such as the Final Fantasy series.[127] Capcom's Sweet Home for the NES introduced a moden Japanese horror theme and laid the foundations for the survival horror genre, later serving as the main inspiration for Resident Evil (1996).[128][129] Like Resident Evil, Sweet Home featured the use of scattered notes as a storytelling mechanic and a number of multiple endings depending on which characters survived to the end.[130] Tengai Makyo: Ziria released for the PC Engine CD that same year was the first RPG released on CD-ROM and the first in the genre to feature animated cut scenes and voice acting. The game's plot was also unusual for its feudal Japan setting and its emphasis on humour; the plot and characters were inspired by the Japanese folk tale Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari. The music for the game was also composed by noted musician Ryuichi Sakamoto.[131] Also in 1989, the early enhanced remake Ys I & II was one of the first games to use CD-ROM, utilized to provide enhanced graphics, animated cut scenes,[132] a Red Book CD soundtrack,[133] and voice acting.[132][133] Its English localization was also one of the first to use voice dubbing. The game received the Game of the Year award from OMNI Magazine in 1990, as well as many other prizes.[132]
1989 also saw the release of Dungeon Explorer, developed by Atlus for the TurboGrafx-16, which is considered a pioneer title in the action RPG genre with its multiplayer cooperative gameplay,[134] allowing up to five players to play simultaneously.[135] That year also saw the release of Super Hydlide, the Mega Drive port of the 1987 MSX action RPG Hydlide 3: The Space Memories, which adopted the morality meter of its 1985 predecessor Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness where the player's alignment changes depending on whether the player kills humans, good monsters, or evil monsters, and expanded its predecessor's time option, which speeds up or slows down the gameplay, with the introduction of an in-game clock setting day-night cycles and a need to sleep and eat. It also made other improvements such as cut scenes for the opening and ending, a combat system closer to The Legend of Zelda, the choice between distinct character classes, and a weight system affecting the player's movement depending on the weight of carried equipment.[17] The Final Fantasy Legend, the first in the SaGa series, adopted Final Fantasy II's activity-based progression, expanding it with weapons that shatter with repeated use, and added new ideas such as a race of monsters that mutate depending on which fallen foes they consume.[136] The game also introduced the concept of memento mori, with a theme revolving around death, while the plot consisted of loosely connected stories and sidequests rather than an epic narrative.[137]
1990–1994: Early Golden Age
The 1990s is often considered the ‘golden age’ of console RPGs.[138][139] Console RPGs distinguished themselves from computer RPGs to a greater degree in the early 1990s. As console RPGs became more heavily story-based than their computer counterparts, one of the major differences that emerged during this time was in the portrayal of the characters, with most American computer RPGs at the time having characters devoid of personality or background as their purpose was to represent avatars which the player uses to interact with the world, in contrast to Japanese console RPGs which depicted intricately related characters who had distinctive personalities and traits, with many of them, such as Final Fantasy and Lufia, seeming to offer more of the traditional role-playing, with players assuming the roles of people who cared about each other, fell in love or even had families. Romance in particular was a theme that was common in most console RPGs but alien to most computer RPGs at the time.[140] Japanese console RPGs were also generally more action-adventure-oriented than their American computer counterparts. The console RPG market became more profitable, which led to several American manufacturers releasing console ports of traditional computer RPGs such as Ultima, though they received mixed reviews due to console gamers at the time considering them to be not "as exciting as the Japanese imports."[141] During the 1990s, console RPGs had become increasingly dominant, exerting a greater influence on computer RPGs than the other way around.[142] Console RPGs had eclipsed computer RPGs for some time, though computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the decade with interactive choice-filled adventures.[143]
In 1990, Dragon Quest IV introduced a new method of storytelling: segmenting the plot into segregated chapters.[144] While this made the game more linear than its predecessor,[90] it allowed for greater characterization, with each chapter dedicated to a particular character's background story.[citation needed] The game also introduced an AI system called "Tactics" which allowed the player to modify the strategies used by the allied party members while maintaining full control of the hero.[145] Final Fantasy III introduced the classic "job system", a character progression engine allowing the player to change the character classes, as well as acquire new and advanced classes and combine class abilities, during the course of the game.[146][147] That same year also saw the release of Nintendo's Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryu to Hikari no Tsurugi, a game that set the template for the tactical role-playing game genre and was the first entry in the Fire Emblem series.[148] Another notable strategy RPG that year was Koei's Bandit Kings of Ancient China, which was successful in combining the strategy RPG and management simulation genres, building on its own Nobunaga's Ambition series that began in 1983.[144] Several early RPGs set in a post-apocalyptic future were also released that year, including Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II,[citation needed] and Crystalis,[149] which was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind. Crystalis also made advances to the action role-playing game subgenre, being a true action RPG that combined the real-time action-adventure combat and open world of The Legend of Zelda with the level-building and spell-casting of traditional RPGs like Final Fantasy.[150] That year also saw the release of Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom, which featured an innovative and original branching storyline, which spans three generations of characters and can be altered depending on which character the protagonist of each generation marries,[151] leading to four possible endings.[105] Data East's Gate of Doom was an action RPG that combined beat 'em up gameplay with fantasy role-playing and introduced an isometric perspective.[152] Hideo Kojima's SD Snatcher abandoned random encounters and introduced an innovative first-person turn-based battle system where firearm weapons (each with different abilities and target ranges) have limited ammunition, the player can aim at specific parts of the enemy's body with each part weakening the enemy in different ways, and an auto-battle feature could be enabled. Such a battle system has rarely been used since,[153] though similar battle systems based on targetting individual body parts can later be found in Square's Vagrant Story (2000), Bethesda's Fallout 3 (2008), and Nippon Ichi's Last Rebellion (2010).[154]
In 1991, Final Fantasy Adventure, the first in the Mana series, introduced the ability to kill townspeople, something that most RPGs still lack today.[149] The most important RPG that year, however, was Final Fantasy IV, one of the first role-playing games to feature a complex, involving plot,[155] placing a much greater emphasis on character development and personal relationships, and pioneering "the whole concept of dramatic storytelling in an RPG."[156] It also introduced a new battle system: the "Active Time Battle" system, developed by Hiroyuki Ito,[157] where the time-keeping system does not stop.[158] On the battle screen, each character has an ATB meter that gradually fills, and the player is allowed to issue a command to that character once the meter is full.[159] The fact that enemies can attack or be attacked at any time is credited with injecting urgency and excitement into the combat system.[158] The ATB combat system was considered revolutionary for being a hybrid between turn-based and real-time combat, with its requirement of faster reactions from players appealing to those who were more used to action games.[160] That same year, Crea-Tech's Metal Max was an early non-linear, open-ended, post-apocalyptic, vehicle combat RPG that lacked a predetermined story path and instead allowed the player to choose which missions to follow in whatever order while being able to visit any place in the game world.[161][162] The ending also can be determined by the player's actions, while they can continue playing the game even after the ending.[162] The game also allowed the player to choose the character classes for each player character as well as create and modify the tanks used in battle.[161] The Metal Max series continued to allow tank customization and open-ended gameplay,[163] while also allowing the player to obtain an ending at almost any time, particularly Metal Saga, which could be completed with an ending scenario just minutes into the game, making it the shortest possible RPG.[164] Telenet Japan released a console remake of its 1988 action-platform RPG Exile,[165] which was controversial, with a plot revolving around a time-traveling Crusades-era Syrian Islamic Assassin who assassinates various religious/historical figures as well as modern-day political leaders,[166] with similarities to the present-day Assassin's Creed action game series,[167] while the gameplay of Exile involved taking drugs that increase or decrease statistics and affect the player's heart-rate, displayed using a heart monitor.[166]
In 1992, Final Fantasy V improved on the ATB system by introducing a time gauge to indicate to the player which character's turn is next,[168] and it expanded the job system by offering more customization options with more than 22 job classes and giving each character greater flexibility by allowing them to learn secondary abilities from each job before changing classes. The job and ATB systems continued to be used in later Final Fantasy titles.[160] 1992 also saw the release of Dragon Quest V, a game that has been praised for its involving, emotional family-themed narrative divided by different periods of time, something that has appeared in very few video games before or since.[86][169] It has also been credited as the first known video game to feature a playable pregnancy, a concept that has since appeared in later games such as Harvest Moon, The Sims 2 and Fable II.[170] Dragon Quest V's monster-collecting mechanic, where monsters can be defeated, captured, added to the party, and gain their own experience levels, also influenced many later franchises such as Pokémon, Digimon and Dokapon. In turn, the concept of collecting everything in a game, in the form of achievements or similar rewards, has since become a common trend in video games.[171] Dragon Quest V also expanded the AI "Tactics" system of its predecessor by allowing each ally's AI routines to be set individually.[172] Shin Megami Tensei, released in 1992 for the SNES, introduced an early moral alignment system that has an impact on the direction and outcome of the storyline. It gave the player the freedom to choose between three different paths: Chaos, Law, and Neutral, none of which is portrayed as right or wrong. The deep personal choices the player makes throughout the game affects the protagonist's alignment, leading to different possible paths and multiple endings. This has since become a hallmark of the Megami Tensei series.[173] Another non-linear RPG released that year was Romancing Saga, an open-world RPG by Square that offered many choices and allowed players to complete quests in any order, with the decision of whether or not to participate in any particular quest affecting the outcome of the storyline. The game also allowed players to choose from eight different characters, each with their own stories that start in different places and offer different outcomes.[174] Romancing SaGa thus succeeded in providing a very different experience during each run through the game, something that later non-linear RPGs such as SaGa Frontier and Fable had promised but were unable to live up to.[121] The SaGa series has since become known for its open-ended gameplay.[174] The series is also known for having an activity-based progression system instead of experience levels, and since Romancing Saga, a combo system where up to five party members can perform a combined special attack.[121] Unlike other RPGs at the time, Romancing SaGa also required characters to pay mentors to teach them abilities, whether it's using certain weapons or certain proficiencies like opening a chest or dismantling a trap.[174] Data East's Heracles no Eikō III, written by Kazushige Nojima, introduced the plot element of a nameless immortal suffering from amnesia, and Nojima would later revisit the amnesia theme in Final Fantasy VII and Glory of Heracles.[175] The TurboGrafx-CD port of Dragon Knight II released that year was also notable for introducing erotic adult content to consoles,[176][citation needed] though such content had often appeared in Japanese computer RPGs since the early 1980s.[29] That same year, Game Arts began the Lunar series on the Sega CD with Lunar: The Silver Star, one of the first successful CD-ROM RPGs, featuring both voice and text, and considered one of the best RPGs in its time.[177] The game was praised for its soundtrack, emotionally engaging storyline, and strong characterization.[178] It also introduced an early form of level-scaling where the bosses would get stronger depending on the protagonist's level,[179] a mechanic that was later used in Enix's The 7th Saga[180] and extended to normal enemies in Square's Romancing Saga 3.[181]
In 1993, Square's Secret of Mana, the second in the Mana series, further advanced the action RPG subgenre with its introduction of cooperative multiplayer into the genre. The game was created by a team previously responsible for the first three Final Fantasy titles: Nasir Gebelli, Koichi Ishii, and Hiromichi Tanaka. It was intended to be one of the first CD-ROM RPGs, as a launch title for the SNES CD add-on, but had to be altered to fit onto a standard game cartridge after the SNES CD project was dropped.[182] The game received considerable acclaim,[183] for its innovative pausable real-time battle system,[184][185] the "Ring Command" menu system,[185] its innovative cooperative multiplayer gameplay,[183] where the second or third players could drop in and out of the game at any time rather than players having to join the game at the same time,[186] and the customizable AI settings for computer-controlled allies.[187] The game has influenced a number of later action RPGs.[186][188] That same year also saw the release of Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium, which introduced the use of pre-programmable combat manoeuvers called 'macros', a means of setting up the player's party to deliver custom attack combos.[105] Madou Monogatari, a 1989 MSX and PC-98 computer RPG ported to the Game Gear handheld console in 1993, had several unique features, including magic-oriented turn-based combat that completely lacked physical attacks, and the replacement of numerical statistics with visual representations, where the protagonist's condition is represented by her facial expressions and sprite graphics while experience is measured in jewels that encircle the screen, with the only visible numerical statistic being the collected gold.[189] That same year, T&E Soft released Sword World SFC, the Super Famicom version of the PC-98 game Sword World PC released a year earlier.[190] It was officially based on Sword World RPG, a popular Japanese table-top role-playing game. The video game versions were multiplayer titles and early attempts at recreating an open-ended, table-top role-playing experience on video game platforms, being set in the same world as Sword World and implementing the same rules and scenarios.[191] That year also saw the release of Romancing Saga 2, which further expanded the non-linear gameplay of its predecessor. While in the original Romancing Saga, scenarios were changed according to dialogue choices during conversations, Romancing Saga 2 further expanded on this by having unique storylines for each character that can change depending on the player's actions, including who is chosen, what is said in conversation, what events have occurred, and who is present in the party.[192]
In 1994, Final Fantasy VI moved away from the medieval setting of its predecessors, instead being set in a steampunk environment,[193] and dealing with post-apocalyptic themes. The game received considerable acclaim, for improvements such as its broadened thematic scope,[194] plotlines, characters, multiple-choice scenarios,[195] and variation of play.[196] Square's Live A Live, released for the Super Famicom in Japan, featured eight different characters and stories, with the first seven unfolding in any order the player chooses, as well as four different endings.[197] The game's ninja chapter in particular was an early example of stealth game elements in an RPG, requiring the player to infiltrate a castle, rewarding the player if the entire chapter can be completed without engaging in combat.[197] Other chapters had similar innovations, such as Akira's chapter where the character uses telepathic powers to discover information.[197] That same year saw the release of the 3DO console port of the 1991 PC RPG Knights of Xentar,[198] which had introduced a unique pausable real-time battle system,[70][citation needed] where characters automatically attack based on a list of different AI scripts chosen by the player.[70] Robotrek by Quintet and Ancient was a predecessor to Pokémon in the sense that the protagonist does not himself fight, but sends out his robots to do so. Like Pokémon, Robotrek was designed to appeal to a younger audience, allowed team customization, and each robot was kept in a ball.[199]
1995–1999: Late Golden Age
In 1995, Square's Chrono Trigger raised the standards for the genre, with certain aspects that were considered revolutionary in its time, including its nonlinear gameplay, branching plot, more than ten different endings, plot-related sidequests, a unique battle system with innovations such as combo attacks, and lack of random encounters.[200] It also introduced the concept of New Game+,[201] though this game mode has its origins in the original Legend of Zelda.[202] Chrono Trigger also re-introduced the concept of time travel in RPGs, which had rarely been dealt with in video games since the original Final Fantasy. That same year, Square's Romancing Saga 3 featured a storyline that could be told differently from the perspectives of up to eight different characters and introduced a level-scaling system where the enemies get stronger as the characters do,[181] a mechanic that was later used in Final Fantasy VIII.[203] Enix's Dragon Quest VI introduced an innovative scenario with a unique real world and dream world setting, which seems to have had an influence on the later Square role-playing games Chrono Cross and Final Fantasy X. Dragon Quest VI also improved on the inventory management of its predecessors with the addition of a bag to store extra items.[204] Meanwhile, Quintet's Terranigma allowed players to shape the game world through town-building simulation elements, expanding on its 1992 predecessor Soul Blazer,[205] while Square's Seiken Densetsu 3 allowed a number of different possible storyline paths and endings depending on which combination of characters the player selected.[206][207]
In 1996, the tactical RPG Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu gave players the ability to affect the relationships between different characters, which in turn affected the storyline as these relationships led to different characters appearing in the second generation of the game's plot.[197] Enix released tri-Ace's sci-fi action RPG Star Ocean, which also gave players the ability to affect the relationships between different characters through its "private actions" social system, where the protagonist's relationship points with the other characters are affected by the player's choices, which in turn affects the storyline, leading to branching paths and multiple different endings.[197][208] Treasure's Guardian Heroes allowed players to alter the storyline through their actions, such as choosing between a number of branching paths leading to multiple different endings and through the Karma meter which changes depending on whether the player kills civilians or shows mercy to enemies.[209][210] Sega's Sakura Wars for the Saturn combined tactical RPG combat with dating sim and visual novel elements, introducing a real-time branching choice system where, during an event or conversation, the player must choose an action or dialogue choice within a time limit, or not to respond at all within that time; the player's choice, or lack thereof, affects the player character's relationship with other characters and in turn the characters' performance in battle, the direction of the storyline, and the ending. Later games in the series added several variations, including an action gauge that can be raised up or down depending on the situation, and a gauge that the player can manipulate using the analog stick depending on the situation.[211] The success of Sakura Wars led to a wave of games that combine the RPG and dating sim genres, including Thousand Arms in 1998, Riviera: The Promised Land in 2002, and Luminous Arc in 2007.[212]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4f/FFVIIbattlexample.jpg/250px-FFVIIbattlexample.jpg)
The next major revolution came in the late 1990s, which saw the rise of optical disks in fifth generation consoles. The implications for RPGs were enormous—longer, more involved quests, better audio, and full-motion video. This was first clearly demonstrated in 1997 by the phenomenal success of Final Fantasy VII, which is considered one of the most influential games of all time,[213][214] akin to that of Star Wars in the movie industry. With a record-breaking production budget of around $45 million,[213] the ambitious scope of Final Fantasy VII raised the possibilities for the genre, with its more expansive world to explore,[215] much longer quest, more numerous sidequests,[213] dozens of minigames, and much higher production values. The latter includes innovations such as the use of 3D characters on pre-rendered backgrounds,[216] battles viewed from multiple different angles rather than a single angle, and for the first time full-motion CGI video seamlessly blended into the gameplay,[214] effectively integrated throughout the game.[213] The extensive use of cinematics has since become one of the genre's trademarks.[citation needed] Gameplay innovations included the materia system, which allowed a considerable amount of customization and flexibility through materia that can be combined in many different ways and exchanged between characters at any time, and the limit breaks, special attacks that can be performed after a character's limit meter fills up by taking hits from opponents.[214] Final Fantasy VII continues to be listed among the best games of all time, for its highly polished gameplay, high playability, lavish production, well-developed characters, intricate storyline,[216] and an emotionally engaging narrative that is much darker and sophisticated than most other RPGs.[217] The game's storytelling and character development was considered a major narrative jump forward for video games and was often compared to films and novels at the time.[218]
The explosion of Final Fantasy VII's sales and the ascendance of the PlayStation represented the dawning of a new era of RPGs. Backed by a clever multi-million dollar marketing campaign,[219] Final Fantasy VII brought the first taste of CRPGs to a much wider audience and played a key role in the success of the PlayStation gaming console.[220][221] Following the success of Final Fantasy VII, console RPGs, previously a niche genre outside of Japan, skyrocketed in popularity across the world.[222] The game was soon ported to the PC and gained much success there as well, as did several other originally console RPGs, blurring the line between the console and computer platforms.[142] The game was also responsible not only for popularizing RPGs outside of Japan, but its high production budget played a key role in the rising costs of video game development in general, and it led to Square's foray into films with Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within.[213]
Later in 1997, Square released SaGa Frontier, which expands on the non-linear gameplay of its Romancing Saga predecessors. It has a setting that spans multiple planets and an overarching plot that becomes apparent after playing through each of the different characters' quests that tie together at certain places.[223] The characters have several different possible endings each,[224] and there can be up to 15 characters in the party at the same time, organized into three groups of five characters.[225] The ambitious amount of freedom the game offered was a departure from most RPGs in its time, but this led to a mixed reception due to its lack of direction.[226] Quintet's 1997 release The Granstream Saga was an early fully 3D action RPG that had a unique third-person one-on-one combat system and a storyline that, while being mostly linear, offered a difficult moral choice towards the end of the game regarding which of two characters to save, each leading to a different ending.[227]
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/5/5e/Pok%C3%A9mon_Emerald_screenshot.png/250px-Pok%C3%A9mon_Emerald_screenshot.png)
In 1998, Square's Xenogears was acclaimed for the ambitious scope of its storyline, which spanned millenia and explored themes rarely dealt with in video games, including topics such as religion and the origin of mankind,[228] and social commentary dealing with racism, poverty, war, and human psychology, along with narrative references to the philosophies of Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung and Friedrich Nietzsche.[229] It is today considered one of the greatest examples of video game storytelling.[228] That year also saw the rise of monster-collecting RPGs which, although originating from Megami Tensei, Dragon Quest V, and Robotrek, was further advanced and popularized by Pokémon, which featured multiplayer gameplay and was released in North America that year.[199] Pokémon has since become the best-selling RPG franchise of all time.[230][231][232]
In 1999, the cinematic trend set by Final Fantasy VII continued with Final Fantasy VIII, which introduced characters with a proportionately sized human appearance. The game also featured a level-scaling system where the enemies scale in level along with the player's party.[203] Similar level-scaling mechanics have been used in a number of later RPGs, including The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Silverfall,[233] Dragon Age: Origins,[234] Fable II,[235] Fallout 3, and the upcoming Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.[236] Square also expanded on the non-linearity of SaGa Frontier with their 1999 action RPG Legend of Mana,[237] the most open-ended in the Mana series,[238] allowing the player to build the game world however they choose, complete any quests and subplots they choose in any order of their choice, and choose which storyline paths to follow,[237][239] departing from most other action RPGs in its time.[240] That same year, Square's survival horror RPG Parasite Eve II featured branching storylines and up to three different possible endings,[241] while the sci-fi RPG Star Ocean: The Second Story boasted as many as 86 different endings,[242] with each of the possible permutations to these endings numbering in the hundreds, setting a benchmark for the amount of outcomes possible for a video game. Using a relationship system inspired by dating sims, each of the characters in Star Ocean had friendship points and relationship points with each of the other characters, allowing the player to pair together, or ship, any couples (both romantic heterosexual relationships as well as friendships) of their choice, allowing a form of fan fiction to exist within the game itself. This type of social system was later extended to allow romantic lesbian relationships in BioWare's 2007 sci-fi RPG Mass Effect. However, the relationship system in Star Ocean not only affected the storyline, but also the gameplay, affecting the way the characters behave towards each other in battle.[243] Another 1999 RPG, Persona 2, also featured dating elements, including the option to engage in a homosexual relationship.[244]
2000–present: Handheld titles
Nintendo handhelds—in particular the Nintendo DS—have featured a number of innovative RPGs during the 2000s.[245] Konami's Boktai (2003) had a unique stealth-based action gameplay that made use of a solar-power sensor.[246] Square Enix's The World Ends With You (2007) featured a unique dual-screen action combat system that involves controlling two characters at the same time.[247] Level-5's Inazuma Eleven (2008) introduced unique soccer football RPG gameplay incorporating sports game elements.[248] The Atlus title Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor (2009)[249] blends together both traditional and tactical RPG gameplay along with non-linear adventure game elements[250] as well as an innovative demon auction system and a death clock system where each character has a specified time of death[251] and the player's actions has consequences on who lives and dies.[252] On the PlayStation Portable (PSP), Half-Minute Hero (2009) is a role-playing shooter featuring self-referential humour and a 30-second time limit for each level and boss encounter.[253]
The 2010 Atlus title Radiant Historia introduced unique take on the concept of non-linear branching storylines that gives the player the freedom to alter the course of history through time travel across two parallel timelines.[254][255] The 2010 PSP version of Tactics Ogre features a similar "World" system that allows players to revisit key plot points and make different choices to see how the story unfolds differently.[256] Imageepoch's upcoming Saigo no Yakusoku no Monogatari (Final Promise Story) for the PSP has a strategic command-based battle system where enemies learn from previous skirmishes and where characters can die permanently during gameplay which in turn has an impact on the game's storyline.[257]
South Korean RPGs
1980s–1990s
South Korea's RPG industry began with translations of RPGs imported from Japan and the United States. The first fully-translated Japanese RPG in Korea was Phantasy Star (1987) for the Sega Master System, which was licensed by Samsung and released as the Samsung Gam*Boy in South Korea, on April 1989. The country's first fully-fledged computer RPG was Sin'geom-ui Jeonseol, also known as Legend of the Sword, released for the Apple II computer platform in 1987. It was programmed by Nam In-Hwan and distributed by Aproman, and was primarily influenced by the Ultima series. In the late 1980s, the Korean company Topia began producing action role-playing games, one of which was Pungnyu Hyeopgaek for the MS-DOS in 1989. It was the first Korean title published for IBM PC compatibles and is set in ancient China. Another action RPG released by Topia that same year was Mirae Sonyeon Conan, a video game adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki's Japanese 1978 anime series Future Boy Conan, for the MSX2 platform.[258]
1994 saw the release of two major Korean RPGs: Astonishia Story, and an MS-DOS enhanced remake Ys II Special, developed by Mantra. The latter was a mash-up of Nihon Falcom's game Ys II (1988) with the anime Ys II: Castle in the Heavens (1992) along with a large amount of new content, including more secrets than any other version of Ys II. Both games were a success in Korea, Astonishia Story more so.[259][260]
Commercial online gaming became very popular in South Korea from the mid-1990s. Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds, designed by Jake Song, was commercially released in 1996 and eventually gained over one million subscribers. It was one of the earliest massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Song's next game, Lineage (1998), enjoyed even greater success gaining millions of subscribers in Korea and Taiwan. This helped to secure developer NCsoft's dominance in the global MMORPG market for several years.
2000s–present
In 2002, the sprite-based Ragnarok Online, produced by Korean company Gravity Corp, was released. Though unknown to many Western players, the game took Asia by storm as Lineage had done. The publisher has claimed in excess of 25 million subscribers of the game, although this number is based upon a quantity of registered users (rather than active subscribers).[261] 2002 also saw the release of MapleStory, another sprite-based title, which was completely free-to-play - instead of charging a monthly fee, it generated revenue by selling in-game "enhancements". MapleStory would go on to become a major player in the new market for free-to-play MMORPGs (generating huge numbers of registered accounts across its many versions), if it did not introduce the market by itself.
In October 2003, Lineage II (NCsoft's sequel to Lineage) became the latest MMORPG to achieve huge success across Asia. It received the Presidential Award at the 2003 Korean Game awards, and is now the second most popular MMORPG in the world. As of the first half of 2005 Lineage II counted over 2.25 million subscribers worldwide, with servers in Japan, China, North America, Taiwan, and Europe, once the popularity of the game had surged in the West.
Chinese computer RPGs
Heroes of Jin Yong (1996), a Taiwanese tactical role-playing game based on the popular historical novels by Jin Yong, featured a number of melee and ranged kung fu skills to train and develop, as well as a grid-based movement system.
See also
- Action role-playing game
- Dating sim
- History of Western role-playing video games
- Role-playing video game
- Tactical role-playing game
- Visual novel
References
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{{cite journal}}
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- ^ "The Screamer". 4Gamer.net. 2006-12-26. Retrieved 2011-05-16. (Translation)
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- ^ a b c d e John Szczepaniak. "Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier Retro Japanese Computers". Hardcore Gaming 101. p. 3. Retrieved 2011-03-29. Reprinted from Retro Gamer, 2009
- ^ Szczepaniak, John. "Before They Were Famouos". Retro Gamer (35). Imagine Publishing: 76. Retrieved 2011-03-16.
- ^ "Chikyuu Senshi Raīza". Legendra.org. Retrieved 15 May 2011.
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{{cite web}}
:|first=
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At the time I first made Dragon Quest, computer and video game RPGs were still very much in the realm of hardcore fans and not very accessible to other players. So I decided to create a system that was easy to understand and emotionally involving, and then placed my story within that framework.
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Last year also saw the coattail effect of traditional bestselling CRPGs being ported over onto dedicated game machines as the new market of machines blossomed into money trees. Games like Ultima, Shadowgate, and Defender of the Crown appeared to mixed reviews. These stalwarts of computer fame were not perceived, by many of the players, to be as exciting as the Japanese imports.
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{{cite web}}
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(help) - ^ Szczepaniak, John (7 July 2011). "Falcom: Legacy of Ys". GamesTM (111): 152-159 [157]. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
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ignored (help)CS1 maint: date and year (link) (cf. Szczepaniak, John (July 8, 2011). "History of Ys interviews". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 10 September 2011.) - ^ Michael Kanellos (2004), "Gaming their Way to Growth," CNET News
External links
- Roschin, Oleg (March 26, 2006). "The World of Asian RPGs". MobyGames. Retrieved 2009-09-10.