i'm thinking about saying fuck it and actually trying a traditional jrpg for the first time, but i have no idea where to start. my only experience with anything resembling a jrpg is super mario rpg, and i haven't played the paper mario series or mario & luigi either, so it's incredibly limited.
i'd rather start with a retro game, preferably 16 bit. but where the fuck do i start? dragon quest series? final fantasy series? earthbound? or should i just say fuck it and play the simple mario rpg games?
for some reason i've been leaning towards the dragon quest series, but the question is where to start? what's the definitive version of each release? i could ask the same thing about final fantasy, really, which fucking release is worth the time?
>>2882435
What makes you want to try the genre? That will at least give an indication of what type to recommend.
Also what other games do you like?
>>2882435
Final Fantasy VI (released as FFIII in the US on the SNES) if you want to stay 16-bit or earlier.
Final Fantasy IX if you're willing to include 5th gen. FFIX was my first JRPG and I absolutely adored it. It kind of spoiled me though, because almost nothing since then has come close to it.
>>2882443
no reason to try the genre other than the fact that i have never really given it a fair shot. like i said, the only jrpg game i've played to completion was super mario rpg. although now that i think about it, i did play pokemon red and gold as well.
also the games i usually play seem fairly irrelevant but my preferred genres are fps, platformers and survival horror. i don't even play many wrpgs unless they're a blend of genres like deus ex or system shock
>>2882451
i'm willing to include the 5th gen. i guess the reason i said i would prefer 16 bit is because i feel as if the games from that gen aged a bit better and i wasn't a big fan of 3d gaming until sixth gen
>>2882451
>FFIX was my first JRPG and I absolutely adored it. It kind of spoiled me though, because almost nothing since then has come close to it.
I came from the opposite side but came to the same conclusion. Played tons of RPGs and JRPGs through the 8, 16 and into 32 bit era. FFIX was one of the last ones I ever played because it was such a great distillation of the genre that I felt satisfied stopping there.
>>2882457
I would recommend the Tales games preferable either Phantasia or Destiny since the battle systems are action based and will probably hold your attention better.
Another rout would be something in the Shin Megami Tensei line. Soul Hackers is my favorite, but Personas 1 and 2 are pretty good as well. Earlier games have some decent translations, but it might be a bit of a slog.
Final Fantasy VI or IX if you want a straight JRPG experience are good suggestions as well.
Dragon Quest III is IMO the quintessential JRPG.
I personally like the original NES version, mostly because of the music and because I find the simple 8 bit graphics nostalgic as fuck, but the SNES remake or the GBC version are probably the best way to play it now.
>>2882462
Soul Hackers is also amazing and also probably my favorite, but I think the SMT series wouldn't be the best place to get started.
>>2882435
Chrono Trigger.
>>2882529
My thinking recommending SMT is that they're mechanically complex so the gameplay is more interesting. Someone not into JRPGs could get bored with the slog of a normal one.
>>2882462
Love the Tales of games. You and I must be the only two fans of them on the /vr/ board, because they almost never get mentioned otherwise.
>>2882617
OP, sometimes the most common answer really is the correct one. I recommend this one as well.
>>2882729
I only actually like the first two. I think Eternia is garbage and the rest of the series wasn't great either. Though I haven't played the "real" ToD2. Phantasia and Tales were fantastic though.
>>2882759
You don't even like Symphonia? ;-;
>>2882765
I only ever played about half way through. Don't remember much of it, just that it didn't hold my attention.
>>2882813
>>2882820
I don't know if I got there. Honestly, by the end of the PS1 era I was pretty burnt out on RPGs. I tried a bunch of CG and PS2 ones and got bored with every one. Tried Vesperia and a couple of others but had the same experience.
The only RPG series that actually holds my attention anymore is Etrian Odyssey.
>>2882529
Good choice, mang. I really like 4 for the same reasons, plus the chapter thing was cool, and motherfucking Taloon.
I'm gonna toss Breath of Fire out there, the first one for SNES or even the 3rd for PS1/PSP (2 only if emulating, for the fan translation).
>>2882904
BoF is a solid recommendation, but if you're going to go with any of them IV is the best game in the series. One of the best RPGs on all PS1
All these suggestions and none of them are correct.
