Poll of the Day > N64 only people. How did you cope with the lack of RPGs?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Quest 64 sucked.

Zelda's an RPG

One: What is up with N64 and RPG topics lately?
Two: I was a kid and really didn't care much at that time. Plus Gold and Silver just came out and that's alllll I ever needed as a kid. I still played the hell outta my 64 though, mostly collectathons and platformers. It's been nice to go back as an adult now and snag some more obscure games.

minervo posted...

Zelda's an RPG

No it isn't. I'll fight you endlessly on this one. In fact, I'll make a pre-emptive point.

Zelda has health ups and upgraded equipment.
So does Metroid: Zero Mission. That doesn't make it an RPG.

Zelda has an open world where some things can be done out of order
As does Grand Theft Auto, again, not an RPG.

But you PLAY a ROLE in the GAME
Just like every other game out there.

GanglyKhan posted...

As does Grand Theft Auto, again, not an RPG.

San Andreas has stats that you can level up, I think.

Played paper Mario on the system, and otherwise picked up reduced price SNES RPGs.
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minervo posted...

Zelda's an RPG

When do you role play in the game?
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GanglyKhan posted...

So does Metroid: Zero Mission. That doesn't make it an RPG.

If you're going to make a point like that, you have to also demonstrate that Metroid isn't an RPG.
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Cotton_Eye_Joe posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

As does Grand Theft Auto, again, not an RPG.

San Andreas has stats that you can level up, I think.

Doom 2017 does too.

An RPG requires all of the following in my mind to be considered as such: an exp system, displayed numerical damage, some sort of structured battle system, management of magic/skill bars, a heavy emphasis on story and narrative, focus on revolving door equipment, and in 99% of cases, a party of characters.

GanglyKhan posted...

Cotton_Eye_Joe posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

As does Grand Theft Auto, again, not an RPG.

San Andreas has stats that you can level up, I think.

Doom 2017 does too.

An RPG requires all of the following in my mind to be considered as such: an exp system, displayed numerical damage, some sort of structured battle system, management of magic/skill bars, a heavy emphasis on story and narrative, focus on revolving door equipment, and in 99% of cases, a party of characters.

I like how that entire list didn't include the term "role-playing" once.
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Quest 64 wasn't that bad. I at least had fun with it... Also, it was the only RPG. As a kid, or younger human, I didn't really care about game types. I would play a game as long as it was fun. I still do, but I'm also a little better with game types. The N64 had fun games and I played those.
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adjl posted...

I like how that entire list didn't include the term "role-playing" once

You can "role-play" in any game. Jumping up and down in my living room while shouting "bing bing whahoo!" doesn't turn Super Mario Odyssey into an RPG.

Role playing is making narrative based decisions as a character

Something like telltale games are actual RPGs

Most games that gamers consider RPGs are actually just strategy or adventure games
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LinkPizza posted...

Quest 64 wasn't that bad. I at least had fun with it... Also, it was the only RPG. As a kid, or younger human, I didn't really care about game types. I would play a game as long as it was fun. I still do, but I'm also a little better with game types. The N64 had fun games and I played those.

I was just really disappointed that I beat it in a weekend.

We need an expert...
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Cotton_Eye_Joe posted...

LinkPizza posted...

Quest 64 wasn't that bad. I at least had fun with it... Also, it was the only RPG. As a kid, or younger human, I didn't really care about game types. I would play a game as long as it was fun. I still do, but I'm also a little better with game types. The N64 had fun games and I played those.

I was just really disappointed that I beat it in a weekend.

I'm not saying it was the best game. But I still had fun playing it. And that was all that mattered to me when I was younger...
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I wasn't into the genre at all until I got a PS1 a year or two after getting an N64, so it was fine.
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aidyn chronicles my dude
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GanglyKhan posted...

Cotton_Eye_Joe posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

As does Grand Theft Auto, again, not an RPG.

San Andreas has stats that you can level up, I think.

Doom 2017 does too.

An RPG requires all of the following in my mind to be considered as such: an exp system, displayed numerical damage, some sort of structured battle system, management of magic/skill bars, a heavy emphasis on story and narrative, focus on revolving door equipment, and in 99% of cases, a party of characters.

I was shitting on you in my Alamo topic but if you think this then you are a smart man.

SkynyrdRocker posted...

I was s***ting on you in my Alamo topic but if you think this then you are a smart man.

We're all intelligent and stupid in different things and we all see eye to eye but never will on other things, you know? I'm not gonna knock you for what you think.

Paper Mario held me over
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Cotton_Eye_Joe posted...

Quest 64 sucked.

Troll topic confirmed.

GanglyKhan posted...

One: What is up with N64 and RPG topics lately?

People be trolling, I guess.

adjl posted...

GanglyKhan posted...

So does Metroid: Zero Mission. That doesn't make it an RPG.

If you're going to make a point like that, you have to also demonstrate that Metroid isn't an RPG.

GanglyKhan posted...

An RPG requires all of the following in my mind to be considered as such: an exp system, displayed numerical damage, some sort of structured battle system, management of magic/skill bars, a heavy emphasis on story and narrative, focus on revolving door equipment, and in 99% of cases, a party of characters.

You're a lot more stringent about it than me. Honestly, adherence to all of those criteria seem like it would eliminate a good number of ARPGs.
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GanglyKhan posted...

adjl posted...

I like how that entire list didn't include the term "role-playing" once

You can "role-play" in any game. Jumping up and down in my living room while shouting "bing bing whahoo!" doesn't turn Super Mario Odyssey into an RPG.

While true, it's still pretty funny that defining "role-playing game" didn't include the concept of role playing at all. I feel like that should really make you question what you're prioritizing in putting that definition together.

The way I see it, RPG isn't a genre. There are a number of game mechanics and design elements that can be considered "RPG elements," including character (and/or party) customization, character progression, variable stats, and meaningful player influence on how the story plays out, but elements like those show up in so many wildly different games that trying to call RPG's a genre of their own is a futile exercise in drawing arbitrary highly-specific lines (numerical damage display? Seriously?). Many, many games include some degree of character progression and customization these days.

To that end, I prefer to look at it as a matter of how significant a game's RPG elements are. Zelda has RPG elements (namely equipment and stat progression, plus your choice of regularly-used items). However, those RPG elements are lighter than what you'd see in, say, Elder Scrolls, where you have a much greater degree of control over how your character develops, as well as a greater ability to choose how you want the world to unfold. Ergo, Zelda has light RPG elements, Elder Scrolls has heavy RPG elements.
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Zeus posted...

ARPGs

But what do you consider an ARPG? Some would say Monster Hunter, but I don't think so.

I had a game boy

Because I enjoyed what I did have, rather than complain about what I didnt.
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Aidyn chronicles was where it was at.
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GanglyKhan posted...

Zeus posted...

ARPGs

But what do you consider an ARPG? Some would say Monster Hunter, but I don't think so.

The archetypal ARPG would be Diablo.

Also, MH definitely qualifies as having heavy RPG elements, given that the entire game revolves around the idea of incremental upgrades and character customization. It's not story-heavy, but that's about the only thing that it's missing.
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I had an n64 but not many games for it, and around the same time or something I think I got my playstation. so it wasn't much of an issue. it's weird though. alot of people bought the snes for it's rpgs. and then the next console is devoid of them.

How did I cope? Most of my time on the N64 was playing Perfect Dark. That was the shooter all my friends were down to play til Halo came around.
The best RPGs to play were on SNES and ps2 for me.
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Doom 64 is the definitive Doom 3
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What does N64 only mean? I don't know a single person that only has a N64 as their gaming system. So I would say buy another system if you cared about RPGs...

Ogre Battle 64, which was and remains to be one of my favorite games of all time.

Also Paper Mario. I've played through both of these games several times and love them to pieces.
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xjayguyx posted...

What does N64 only mean? I don't know a single person that only has a N64 as their gaming system. So I would say buy another system if you cared about RPGs...

I am sure tons of little kids did. older people like teenagers probably had another console too. but I think many grade schoolers only had an n64 for that generation. maybe they also had a snes and a gameboy. but some parents trusted nintendo over sony and just bought the latest nintendo

By playing goldeneye and wcw/nwo, then buying a ps2
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adjl posted...

The way I see it, RPG isn't a genre.

idk, at that point the whole thing just gets convoluted and, in all honesty, not using the label doesn't particularly benefit anybody.

adjl posted...

Zelda has RPG elements (namely equipment and stat progression, plus your choice of regularly-used items).

Most games have equipment, so I don't really consider it an "RPG element." Plus the Zelda games predate the codification of video game RPGs anyway. It's always struck me as an action-adventure title, like any number of other action-adventure titles at the time. I guess in theory if somebody started with OoT and already had the RPG background they might look at it differently or something, but still...

GanglyKhan posted...

Zeus posted...

ARPGs

But what do you consider an ARPG? Some would say Monster Hunter, but I don't think so.

One of the most obvious examples would be the previously mentioned Elder Scrolls titles. Oblivion and Skyrim both lack visible numerical damage and they doesn't really have a "structured battle system" (granted, "structured battle system" is a little vague anyway and almost implies something turn-based).
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I played Quest 64, OoT, Majora's Mask, and some chronicles game, but mainly I coped by actually getting into FPS games for the first time. I played loads of Golden Eye and Perfect Dark. When Banjo-Kazooie (sp?) came out, I played that and Donkey Kong. Oh, and smash came out, too.
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zelda is an action rpg
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Zerothma posted...

Ogre Battle 64, which was and remains to be one of my favorite games of all time.

Also Paper Mario. I've played through both of these games several times and love them to pieces.

This. Ogre Battle 64 is one of the most underappreciated games of all time. A real shame.

Rpgs are overrated by nerds trying to pretend they have superior taste. I like rpgs but they aren't the holy grail of gaming just because they have the term rpg slapped on them

I didn't yearn for the genre. And the other big titles (Goldeneye, Mario Kart 64, Zelda: OoT, F-Zero X, DK64, and so on) offered me plenty of gaming enjoyment.
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Ogre Battle had some RPG elements.

I really enjoyed Hybrid Heaven when it come out. Most people probably think it's trash, though.

Same goes for Aidyn Chronicles.

Same, I suppose, for Quest 64.

Paper Mario was amazing and sort of started the franchise, unless you count Super Mario RPG.

That was about it on the system. You can say Megaman Legends is kind of an RPG.
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most RPGs from the N64/PSX era sucked anyways, other than maybe FF7
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OhhhJa posted...

Rpgs are overrated by nerds trying to pretend they have superior taste. I like rpgs but they aren't the holy grail of gaming just because they have the term rpg slapped on them

Or maybe different people have *Gasp* different tastes

ECW_Originals12 posted...

OhhhJa posted...

Rpgs are overrated by nerds trying to pretend they have superior taste. I like rpgs but they aren't the holy grail of gaming just because they have the term rpg slapped on them

Or maybe different people have *Gasp* different tastes

I always say that, too. That people have different taste. But I think what he's trying to say is that people sometimes think that they have superior taste because they like RPGs. Like he knows they like different things, but thinks what they like is better. The other people, not him. Whether or not that's true, I believe that's what he's trying to say. Meaning that he knows they have different taste...
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LinkPizza posted...

ECW_Originals12 posted...

OhhhJa posted...

Rpgs are overrated by nerds trying to pretend they have superior taste. I like rpgs but they aren't the holy grail of gaming just because they have the term rpg slapped on them

Or maybe different people have *Gasp* different tastes

I always say that, too. That people have different taste. But I think what he's trying to say is that people sometimes think that they have superior taste because they like RPGs. Like he knows they like different things, but thinks what they like is better. The other people, not him. Whether or not that's true, I believe that's what he's trying to say. Meaning that he knows they have different taste...

This. But people in this site seem to have a tendency to be willfully dense about the point you're making so they can be outraged

Wasn't into them yet. That's how. Pokemon was my first rpg games and was the exception until I got golden sun on the GBA which led me to trying out final fantasy games
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I bought a ps1 too
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playstation was whack
couldn't do 3d games propery with the dpad
and there were loading screens everywhere
more like how we dealt with the lack of side scrollers

RoboXgp89 posted...

playstation was whack
couldn't do 3d games propery with the dpad
and there were loading screens everywhere
more like how we dealt with the lack of side scrollers

yeah I never owned a play station just played one at a friends house once in awhile. only game I remember wishing I could play back then was GTA 3. later I discovered metal gear solid 1, but that was way later.
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