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Bioware’s RPGs have gotten a lot of love in the last few years, and understandably so. They’re well crafted and offer a lot of control over your character’s conversations and moral leanings. Yet JRPGs they are not. The RPGs we’ve loved on Nintendo consoles since the ’80s (again!) have a slightly different flavor, often allowing lots of exploration, continuously refreshed combat systems not based on D&D, and intricate stories– sometimes with oddball moments and twists, but cherished nevertheless.
Whether Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Shin Megami Tensei or some other famed series, there’s plenty to choose from, and while Square Enix may have recently noted that Western RPG developers do some things better, we’re hopeful that it and other Japanese role playing developers will continue to keep making RPGs the way they always have– the way we like them. That’s not to say they couldn’t be improved upon, either, so we’ll be sure to touch on that, too.
Enjoy,
Noah
Issue 15: Long Live the JRPG
The JRPG Vanguard by Andy Hoover
Most JRPGs are stuck in a rut, but a few are making strides toward the future.
Tidman’s Take: Wake Up, Crono! by Matthew Tidman
A lamentation for the lack of a new Chrono Trigger sequel.
Scaled Fury: Breath of Fire Retrospective by Aaron Roberts
This underdog series gets its due in our look back.
Fashion Forward: JRPGs by Adam Sorice
Cutting edge design is a key factor in nearly all JRPGs. And remember, every dungeon’s a runway!
Hot Air: Fightered! by Aaron Roberts
Dedicated to the other guys who still share that most powerful of classes.
Nester64x: I’d rather be LARPing by Nester64x
You don’t know what LARPing is? That’s because you’re a poser.
JRPG-101: Plot Writing for JRPGs by Andrew Hsieh
Magical crystals? Angsty swordsmen? Hair in designer colors? Your JRPG needs ’em!
Additional features in this issue…
Monday
- Nightly News Roundup by Andy Hoover
Tuesday
- Poll: Are you a grandma gamer? by M. Noah Ward
- Nightly News Roundup by Robert Thompson
Wednesday
- Dojo-Show-Go! Episode 108 by M. Noah Ward
- Nightly News Roundup by Carter Fagan
Thursday
- Nightly News Roundup by Abhinay Sawant
Friday
- Nightly News Roundup by Aaron Roberts
Coming Up Next Week…
Issue 16: Bluer Oceans
Nintendo blazed a trail for blue oceans, but they may not be endless. We get into what could be next.
