Good RPGs for Gamecube/DS/PS2?

Title should be fairly self-explanatory. I've been playing a lot of them with a friend, and I'm interested in finding my own. If I can't find anything else, I'll probably buy/borrow one of her games, but I'd like to find a new one. I'm looking most for something for Gamecube, Nintendo DS, or GBA, but I could go with a Playstation 2 game too (technically the system is my brother's so it would be nice if it was for one of the other systems).

Stuff that I like:
+ Dragon Age: Origins (xbox 360)
+ Champions of Norrath (ps2)
+ Lost Kingdoms (gamecube)
+ Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles (gamecube)
+ Drakengard (ps2)
+ Runescape

Dragon Age, Champions of Norrath, and Drakengard I don't actually own, so I haven't played them much. I like them though, so I might consider finding one of these (except not Dragon Age because I don't have an xbox 360).

What I've been considering trying to find:
+ Eternal Darkness: Sanity's Requiem (gamecube)
+ Tales of Symphonia (gamecube)
+ Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (gamecube) - I know there's a bunch of Fire Emblem games, so I don't know if this is the best one to invest in. I'm hesitant to choose this one though because I don't really want to get caught up in a long series of games.
+ Final Fantasy (playstation 2) - I haven't played any of these other than Crystal Chronicles, and I'd like to, but again I'm hesitant to get caught up in a long game series.
+ Riviera: The Promised Land (gameboy advanced)
+ Wizardry: Tales of the Forsaken Land

Does anyone know anything about any of those games, or have any other suggestions? Thanks =3

If you like old school RPG's, try out Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Light. It's strategic and semi difficult, so that's pretty fun. It's for the DS.

Final Fantasy XII is, in my opinion, the superior of the PS2 Final Fantasy games. There's a lot of optional stuff, the story is pretty interesting, and the gameplay is pretty fun. And it has a skip scene option which is VERY lovely. Since each game in the Final Fantasy series is typically entirely different from the previous title (aside from a few gameplay similarities) it wouldn't be too bad to start playing 12.

Although, if you can somehow get your hands on a copy of Final Fantasy IX, play that, it is very fun.


ALSO try out Kingdom Hearts. They are different from typical JRPG's, but they're really fun.

Sandstone-Shadow said:

+ Tales of Symphonia (gamecube)

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obligatory "fuck yes this"

And if you have access to a PS2 you may also want to look at Tales of the Abyss and Tales of Legendia; I haven't played either one yet, but my brother has played both like twenty times each and everyone generally has good things to say about Abyss in particular, so...!

+ Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (gamecube) - I know there's a bunch of Fire Emblem games, so I don't know if this is the best one to invest in. I'm hesitant to choose this one though because I don't really want to get caught up in a long series of games.

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The FE games are like the Tales of and Final Fantasy games in that they're just grouped together by similar gameplay and some common elements, not because they're all one continuous story, so you can jump in pretty much anywhere and not miss anything. PoR is a good starting point IMO, and if you have a GBA or your DS is a phat/lite then you may also like The Sacred Stones for GBA. Fire Emblem (the first American release) is okay, but probably not as easy to jump into for someone new to the series because it doesn't have some of the affordances that PoR and TSS have (easier leveling for underleveled/new units, etc.). Shadow Dragon for DS should be avoided like the plague because while it was technically the first game and it's entertaining enough as far as strategy goes, story-wise and character-wise it is absolutely awful and is really not a good introduction to the series.

I don't know any other good fantasy-based series to recommend off the top of my head because my current library is a little narrow (I'm assuming you're looking for fantasy-themed based on what you already have in your list, correct?), but there's also The World Ends With You (DS) if you haven't already tried that. That game is so wtfawesome it's not even funny.

Hope that helps!

EDIT: oooooh wait shit dammit Blaziking's name change (which I do not approve of, by the way, sir >| ) reminded me. Golden Sun. Try it. The first two games are for GBA and might be a little difficult to find (and should be played in order--if you try Dark Dawn (the new DS game) first you will probably be hopelessly confused), but they will be totally worth it if you do. Amazing series.

This topic reminds me I need to play more Tales of Symphonia

Seconding that and the Kingdom Hearts series. I personally don't like either of the PS2 Final Fantasies; I'm about ten minutes into both of them and I'm bored as hell of X and confused as hell by XII, but I hear a lot of people really like them so maybe I'm just wrong :v IX on the PS1 is brilliant, however.

As for the DS, I strongly recommend The World Ends With You and Chrono Trigger. Also Final Fantasies 4 through 6 on the GBA, though from experience I know it's very hard to find one that will actually hold on to your save file.

WHY DID I NOT THINK OF GOLDEN SUN/CHRONO TRIGGER.

Yeah, Golden Sun is insanely awesome and seriously cheap too. I got the first for $5, and the second game was going for $10. Both are insanely fun. I haven't tried Dark Dawn yet because I've heard it's very easy and I don't want to spend $35 on an easy game, but the first two I know for a fact are brilliant.

Chrono Trigger is by far and away one of the best RPG's I've ever played. There's an awesome combat system that's simple yet fun, there are a ton of sidequests, and the New Game + and multiple endings make the game last forever. Plus battles can be difficult and strategic too, which is a plus.

Um, before I go off on a tangent, I want to ask, do you mind old school PSX RPGs? Pretty much any PS2 is backwards-compatible, and as long as you have a PSX memory card, you're good to go. I could totally hook you up with some of the best RPGs of all time, seeing how most of them were released on the PSX. The only problem would be finding them at a reasonable price; Amazon/eBay usually has me covered, but sometimes the prices can be ridiculously high.

Well, the DS and PS1/2 RPG library certainly put the Gamecube's 6 or 7 RPGs to shame.

First of all, I'm glad to know that I don't have to drill Symphonia or Fire Emblem 9 into anyone's head this time. Second of all, the few RPGs that WERE on the 'Cube, I can recommend with confidence; Evolution Worlds was fun. Give that a try if you can find it. But then, if you find Skies of Arcadia Legends, take that over Evolution any day. Skies is awesome. Phantasy Star Online Eps 1&2 is pretty good, but the online has been discontinued, and you'd be better off playing on SCHTHACK private servers; still very lively around there.

If you don't OWN Drakengard, certainly pick that up; if you like that and/or are a fan of Dynasty/Samurai Warriors or Sengoku BASARA, definitely check that out. Still haven't played the sequel yet myself, so I can't say anything on that.

For PS2... Well, first of all, I'm going to assume you've played the basics on the PS2; Dark Cloud. Good shit right there. If you played that, or its sequel, and liked them, then you'll certainly enjoy Rogue Galaxy. Then of course, for something just as big, if not bigger, look into Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. I also say you should take a look at the Onimusha series too; the first game is a survival horror, essentially Resident Evil but with swords, but the series diverts and becomes sort of an action/RPG with the second game. And Onimusha Tactics is a mighty fine strategy game for the GBA, I might add.

Certainly take a look into the Shadow Hearts series as well. The first two go hand in hand with each other, while From the New World is its own standalone title, although still in the same timeline. The games are hilarious (The man festival, lol) and offer a uhh... *unique* cast of characters, and some pretty good stories. Unlimited SaGa was pretty good too, but your mileage may vary on that; it's a love it or hate it game, and more than likely you won't like the way it plays, but I figured I'd give it a shout here.

I also certainly can't forget Mana-Khemia, or any of the Shin Megami Tensei games. Persona 3 and 4 were great, but I personally say Nocturne and both Digital Devil Sagas were the better ones released on the system.

And since I can recommend PS1 games, I don't think I'll stop here. First of all, Square released more RPGs than just Final Fantasy. Much more. But if I might recommend a Final Fantasy, I'll tell you to play Final Fantasy Tactics and Vagrant Story. Vagrant Story, while not a Final Fantasy in name, it's part of the Tactics timeline, taking place in Ivalice's future. Parasite Eve is also an excellent horror/RPG game. Both it and the sequel.

Also, because we have people recommending Chrono Trigger, I'll say to look into Chrono Cross as well. Excellent sequel; has one of the best damned stories in any RPG ever. Wild ARMs 2 is also something to look into, and then... It's really hard for me NOT to recommend Tales of Destiny and Tales of Destiny II. The two are actually separate games. Look into'em. They're good. Really really good.

Legend of Mana was also really good. Nice addition to the Seiken Densetsu series. And then of course both SaGa Frontier games are awesome. The sequel is by far the better of the two, but the first is definitely worth looking into.

And uhh. There's a ton I can recommend for the DS. But I'll sit here and tell you to get Golden Sun Dark Dawn, along with both GBA games, Dragon Quest IX and VI (VI comes out in a couple of weeks), and uhh... Well, while not a straight RPG in heart, Lufia: Curse of the Sinistrals is a pretty good action RPG, not to mention a pretty good retelling of Lufia 2 for the SNES.

And uhh. It'd be a sin for me to not recommend Knights in the Nightmare.

EDIT: shit, I forgot some other important RPGs. Ys: The Ark of Napishtim is an amusing action RPG, but if you have access to the rest of the series, it's better to look into them instead. Especially after Ys Seven.

Then of course, Star Ocean the Second Story and Valkyrie Profile for the PSX are a must. And they've considerably gone down in price since the release of their PSP versions. And uhh. Front Mission 3? PLAY IT. Front Mission 4 on the PS2, and Front Mission 1st for the DS were also very good, for that matter.

Oh, and the most important? Yeah, I know I don't consider Zelda an RPG, but since I feel inclined to recommend it, Alundra. Not the sequel, the original. Best damned Zelda clone ever made. Fuck, it does Zelda better than Zelda.

EDIT2OMFG: forgot Steal Princess and Devil Survivor for the DS. Granted, Devil Survivor Overclocked on the 3DS will make it obsolete, it's still an awesome game, and worth looking into.

tl;dr there's a shit ton of RPGs here. These ones are some of the best.

Let us not forget Dragon Quest 8 and Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door

Also, completely forgot to mention; Wild ARMs 3 and 5 for the PS2.

And the Xenosaga trilogy.

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys! I have a lot to choose from it seems. =) Tales of Symphonia and Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance definitely seem like good choices now. Random: is Tales of Symphonia multiplayer? It seems to be from what I've read; that would be an amazing plus because I've been looking for a fun multiplayer game as well.

Erif said:

Um, before I go off on a tangent, I want to ask, do you mind old school PSX RPGs? Pretty much any PS2 is backwards-compatible, and as long as you have a PSX memory card, you're good to go. I could totally hook you up with some of the best RPGs of all time, seeing how most of them were released on the PSX. The only problem would be finding them at a reasonable price; Amazon/eBay usually has me covered, but sometimes the prices can be ridiculously high.

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I don't mind old games, but I do mind prices; I'm hoping to find something for less than 20 dollars. I'm also hoping to be able to find a copy of one of these games used at Gamestop because that's fairly convenient for me. Not really sure what that means about the type of game, other than it'll probably have to be a little newer than that. But if you have any suggestions that's cool. =D

Astral Fencer Aqua said:

For PS2... Well, first of all, I'm going to assume you've played the basics on the PS2; Dark Cloud.

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I haven't; the system isn't technically mine so all I've played are pieces of games when I'm with friends that have it. I have played Dark Cloud once with a friend, and it seemed pretty cool. I'll probably check that out.

Sandstone-Shadow said:

Random: is Tales of Symphonia multiplayer? It seems to be from what I've read; that would be an amazing plus because I've been looking for a fun multiplayer game as well.

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The lovely thing about every single Tales of game I've ever seen is that they're multiplayer.

Flower Doll said:

The lovely thing about every single Tales of game I've ever seen is that they're multiplayer.

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Excellent. =)

Seconding Tales of Symphonia, Shadow Hearts, the Final Fantasies (I like IX and X, personally), Chrono Trigger, Dragon Quest and adding suggestions for Final Fantasy Tactics and the Disgaea series to the list.

Flower Doll said:

The lovely thing about every single Tales of game I've ever seen is that they're multiplayer.

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Except for Legendia, and a majority of the handheld titles. Innocence was the only one to be on a handheld and use Wireless communications for co-op.

I found and bought Tales of Symphonia. =3 It looks really, really promising and I'm eager to start playing it. Thanks for your feedback! =)

Be sure to give yourself time to properly get into it - my friend had to basically tie me down and force me to play it, because I found the beginning pretty dull, but then plot and excitement happened and it was the best game ever.

Dannichu said:

Be sure to give yourself time to properly get into it - my friend had to basically tie me down and force me to play it, because I found the beginning pretty dull, but then plot and excitement happened and it was the best game ever.

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For some reason I thought the beginning was fun the first time, and now whenever I play it the beginning is boring... :s I guess because I already know better stuff happens later but anyway it's my favorite game of all ever.

Kratos mentioned PS2's Abyss.. I recommend that also. I'm actually helping my little sister through it now :P I couldn't really get into Legendia, have had it for 2 years or something, still not done..

I'd definitely recommend Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3 FES/Persona 4 for the PS2, too; they're turn-based combat with a visual novel-esque leaning, but they're very addictive and fun to play! I would however say you should play 4 first; they're not 'sequels' and I think that 4 is easier to get into than 3 since 3 is extremely slow at the beginning.

Kratos Aurion said:

And if you have access to a PS2 you may also want to look at Tales of the Abyss and Tales of Legendia; I haven't played either one yet, but my brother has played both like twenty times each and everyone generally has good things to say about Abyss in particular, so...!

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Ehhhh, Legendia has amazing music and pretty much nothing else going for it.

Seconding Tales of Symphonia and Tales of the Abyss, though. And FFIX; it's on the PS1, though, so even though the PS2 will be able to play it, it might be harder to find. I also liked Baten Kaitos and Baten Kaitos Origins for the Gamecube, though I haven't played them in years and I have a sneaking suspicion that I'd find the original BK hilariously bad, just judging by a few scenes I watched while my brother played it a few months ago. They're probably good if you don't approach them too seriously, and the battle systems are interesting, especially BKO's. And they're pretty.

I am just going to drop in the obligatory vote for Final Fantasy IX. It is my favourite game.

Other than that, I've been quite enjoying FFIV on the DS, even though the monsters in the last dungeon get slightly riddiculous and on a couple of floors you can run into random encounter boss battles, which you are unable to flee from! Oh well.

Unfortunately I don't really play that many games!