The 16-Bit Generation (SNES, Genesis, TurboGrafx, maybe more)

[Epic Fail Man]

J"RPG"s aren't actually RPGs.

I sort of agree with this at least when it comes to the old stuff(which was the best btw). They're mainly seen as RPGs because they have STATS! And no! You can't allocate the points when leveling up, it would be too RPG like to grow a character in a certain direction.
They're great games but there's a reason they're called jRPGs. Sort like how Finnish tango isn't just tango.

First Final Fantasy game was directly based on DnD. I know that later on companies like Bamco and and Square started making their rpgs more anime and less kings and queen's and dragons and that sort of stuff, which is why they call it a jrpg.

But even with the most anime Shonen styled game that has diverged from a traditional styled rpg, the core concepts and themes of ogres and goblins and a party of heroes setting out on an adventure to kill the big bad beast is still there.

 

[Captain Manning]

Just remembered one of the greatest series on the Sega Genesis saga: the Strike games. There is Desert Strike, Jungle Strike and Urban Strike. You play as an apache helicopter pilot and you have to destroy enemies on changing maps. Heck you can even blow up the White House (though I think that is Mission failure)

Those were all ported to the SNES too, but they weren't as good.

As a general rule, Electronic Arts games were always better on Genesis. Especially the sports titles.

As an even more general rule, Electronic Arts was a actually a really good developer back then. It's fun to tell young people "Yeah, once upon a time, EA wasn't shit and the butt of every joke."

 

[Jason Wynn]

I grew up with a Genesis, while my friend had an SNES. We were on opposing sides in the Console Wars that history tells of, but our friendship remained strong.

I remember feeling that we should have just traded systems back when we were kids, since the Genesis seemed to favor platformers and action games which my friend preferred, while the SNES had a wide variety of adventure and RPGs which I preferred.

There were some titles on the Genesis I really enjoyed though. Ristar is still one of my favorite platformers. Shining Force was my introduction to turn-based strategy RPGs, and Phantasy Star was really solid that didn't rely on the cliched fantasy trappings of most RPGs. Hell, we even had some good licensed games like Aladdin, The Lion King and Toy Story. Never was a big Sonic fan though, even in its heyday.

 

[Calandrino]

(I now own legal copies of all except the first one, which I'm aware is basically Adventure Island on the NES)

There's a kind of remake of the first Adventure Island/Wonder Boy on the TG16 called New Adventure Island. I like the style of WB1 but the difficulty towards the end gets pretty crazy by any standard.

Don't get me wrong because I liked the SNES and it had a lot of great games too. But I feel like the SNES is over praised.

I have a colossal backlog of Genesis games. If I go to prison, I want a Genesis in my cell. Actually, if I get to have a Genesis in my cell, I want to go to prison.

 

[Pissmaster]

there's a 100% guarantee someone else will name at least five of them before the end of page two.

Final Fagasy, and Super Fagio RPG and Fag Trigger

Three down, two to go!

 

[Mayor Cody Travers]

Dammit, Bruno said so much of what I could've. I'll just drop that Gunstar Heroes is an amazing run and gun platformer and it's as gorgeous as it is action-packed: which is to say, heavily.

 

[Celebrate Nite]

Dammit, Bruno said so much of what I could've. I'll just drop that Gunstar Heroes is an amazing run and gun platformer and it's as gorgeous as it is action-packed: which is to say, heavily.

Anything made by Treasure is amazing. Dynamite Headdy and even the McDonalds game is pure fun, although if you're going to play Headdy, play the Japanese version. The US version kicks the difficulty to 11 for whatever retarded reason. it also removes the dialogue regarding the story and censors some stuff.

 

[Tour of Italy]

There were some titles on the Genesis I really enjoyed though. Ristar is still one of my favorite platformers. Shining Force was my introduction to turn-based strategy RPGs, and Phantasy Star was really solid that didn't rely on the cliched fantasy trappings of most RPGs. Hell, we even had some good licensed games like Aladdin, The Lion King and Toy Story. Never was a big Sonic fan though, even in its heyday.

I came here to post about Ristar.

It’s an incredibly beautiful game. Top tier sprite work. Plays great.

I love it as a little piece of gaming and my personal history, crystallized in time. There are no sequels, no dated 3D remake, just the triumphant musical swell that plays as you shoot through space to the next planet.

 

[byuu]

Real RPGs from the 16-bit gen (Amiga) had boozing as a skill and allowed you to hire hookers.

Realms of Arkania was so true to the tabletop it was based on (The Dark Eye) that I used to use the game manual and map as a reference for tabletop sessions.

 

[Balr0g]

There is also Contra or Probotector. The Genesis got it's own nifty version when Konami decided to do games for the Genesis. Hard as nails but a rocking soundtrack

Speaking of soundtracks there is Rock'n Roll Racing where you also could unlock one of the vikings from Blizzards viking puzzle game

 

[Stasi]

I'm going to mention a couple a lot of people probably haven't heard of.

Sunset Riders on the Mega Drive/Genesis is a really solid wild west themed run and gun shooter. There is a SNES version which I think is supposed to be closer to the arcade version and arguably superior but I prefer the Mega Drive game. Really good game, would recommend playing.

The other one is an obscure platformer for the SNES called B.O.B. (there is a Mega Drive version but I prefer the SNES one). It tries a bit too hard to be 90s kool kid, and the game itself isn't on the the level of some of the heavy hitters from the era, I wouldn't call it a hidden gem or anything like that. It is an interesting game through and has some interesting mechanics like using special items to traverse the levels and a variety of weapons to dispatch your enemies. Worth checking out IMO.

Also, Mega Drive didn't have many RPGs but Phantasy Star IV is better than anything on the SNES. Fite me nerds.

 

[I am Jack's dead arm]

I'm old so I bought the Genesis at launch and then a SNES later so I could play the Japanese version of Street Fighter II. I also had a TG16, mostly so I could play Splatterhouse. I was the dumbass that bought the Sega CD and 32X at launch. My favorite game of the era is Revenge of Shinobi, specifically the first release with all of the bootleg characters.

 

[Back me up!]

Just remembered one of the greatest series on the Sega Genesis: the Strike games. There is Desert Strike, Jungle Strike and Urban Strike. You play as an apache helicopter pilot and you have to destroy enemies on changing maps. Heck you can even blow up the White House (though I think that is Mission failure)

A game that really aped that style on the Genesis was the Battletech game. Basically same gameplay but this time you're walking around in a Madcat blow stuff up.

It had one of the more enjoyable and pretty interesting ways of doing two player in that era: Player 1 controlled the weapons (with completely 360 rotation) and Player 2 controlled the legs. Actually made the game doable since now with good coronation two people could completely circle strafe all the objectives and enemies.

 

[ducktales4gameboy]

One of the things I've really grown to appreciate regarding 16-bit era games is that most of them, even the JRPGs, can be 100% cleared in a sitting or two. I'll defend Chrono Trigger, Lufia 2, SMRPG and FF6 but honestly won't recommend them if you didn't grow up with them since they're nostalgia and all three have the sort of plots/structure that only hit right if you're a young teenager, especially if your friends are also playing them.

Earthbound can just fuck off entirely though. It's a massive slog and the only reason to play through it is if you somehow haven't been spoiled on what the final boss is or how that fight works.

it's not exactly an obscure game but terranigma was never released in the US so a lot of people never got the chance to play it.
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i very highly recommend it, it's easily one of the best rpgs on snes and that's really saying a lot. there's even an ntsc patch to make it run at 60fps.

Seconding this in a big way. A lot of people get mad because it's not Illusion of Gaia but I felt like it carried what was good about Gaia into a much stronger game overall. The only thing to be aware of is that the damage scaling sucks - DO NOT rush through areas, because two levels can mean the difference between doing 1 and 20 damage a hit to a boss. fucking bloody mary.

I just wish it had another act, the final boss reveal is very weirdly timed and it feels like there should be one more act before Revival of the Hero, but then again it's Quintet's thing that you never get to see the full arc of the societies you help resurrect/create.

I can't pull link it offhand but don't use the NTSC patch, use the J to E translation patch on the Japanese rom. There are a couple places in the game that involve events tied to timing and the 50 to 60hz patch screws them up.

This isn't some "hidden gem", but the Legend of Zelda - A Link to the Past randomizer is really something. https://alttpr.com/en

Also since Zelda randomizer got brought up I want to mention Soul Blazer has a good randomizer too and requires a lot less practice to be good at since you can trivially figure out what you're missing due to the game giving you uncleared lair counts for every area and there only being a handful of items that aren't tied to those requirements. Just run through it once clearing all the lairs and do the magic stones quest and you're good to go. Runs of SB rando can start and end in under 90 minutes.

 

[skykiii]

A game that really aped that style on the Genesis was the Battletech game. Basically same gameplay but this time you're walking around in a Madcat blow stuff up.

It had one of the more enjoyable and pretty interesting ways of doing two player in that era: Player 1 controlled the weapons (with completely 360 rotation) and Player 2 controlled the legs. Actually made the game doable since now with good coronation two people could completely circle strafe all the objectives and enemies.

Oh hell yes. Its amazIng how addictive that two-player mode is. The feeling of teamwork is palpable.

..........

Oh, I just saw the thing about mentioning five JRPGs before page two is over and how dude fagged-up three of them. Let me try:

Fagbound. Fagia and the Fortress of Doom. Lunar II: Eternal Fag. The Twisted Tales of Fag McFang (actually is that an RPG? I never played it). Might and Fagic III: Isles f Terra (despite millions of romsites insisting its "islands of Terror" because they can't read the fucking title). Breath of Fag. Fag of the Beholder.

and Shadowrun. Not fagging up that title--I would have to do it once for each console that had a Shadowrun game.

So are there any fag parody title opportunities I missed? (I mean there are... between the SNES and Genesis there are like tons of RPGs)..

.............

If I may stop being a fag for a minute.... honestly I understand some of the negativity about JRPGs. Thing is the 16-bit days were a point where they were telling decent enough stories while still realizing they had to be fun *as games*. A good 16-bit RPG usually had at least a simplistic layer of strategy or personal discretion.

I actually had a period once in my life where out of boredom, I went back and played NES RPGs like the original Dragon Warrior, Might and Magic, Wizardry and Ultima (though Ultima is better on PC). Funny thing is it wound up helping change and educate my standards,,, it also caused me to hate the Final Fantasy series which I now realized was a series by a group who had no fucking clue what they were doing (in general I don't like Square... Enix used to be fine though). Full stop, the only good FFs are Final Fantasy IV... and Mystic Quest. Yeah I said it. VII has its charms but I got bored last time I played.

But yeah after this "enlightenment" for awhile I found it hard to go back to certain SNES games.

But for me the JRPG genre only became truly irredeemable around the PS1. It was a lot of little things... like attack animations for a simple all-damage spell taking like five minutes to play out, You start to see the beauty of a simple "you casted Fireball, it did x damage!" text display after that. Plus how the stories began getting more blatantly pandering as if they were written by TV Tropes weebs. And I seriously can't stand modern anime art, in JRPGs or otherwise.

As much as I dislike FF6 now, the opera scene will always be something special. Modern JRPGs have nothing that even compares.

 

[std::string]

Realms of Arkania was so true to the tabletop it was based on (The Dark Eye) that I used to use the game manual and map as a reference for tabletop sessions.

Realms of Arkania was hilarious about how unforgiving it was, and it gave no shits.

Fuck that dwarf dungeon forever

 

[Mayor Cody Travers]

Oh hell yes. Its amazIng how addictive that two-player mode is. The feeling of teamwork is palpable.

As someone who grew up with a brother and a Genesis, good two-player games at the time were worth their weight in gold. A bunch of the beat-em-ups as mentioned, Gunstar as I said, Sonic was good if you had a particularly younger sibling or one just wanted to fuck around without consequences as Tails... X-Men Genesis was also really good and lasted the test of time, even though anyone with sense always played Wolverine and Nightcrawler to get around fast and slash enemies up to get through some of the bullshit parts. Always was funny getting to Mojo's level, though. My own Genesis's reset button was broken so I could never actually "restart the computer" as the game asked you to do so you could progress. Welp.

I suppose I'm obligated to shill Final Fight - the SNES port obviously wasn't the best but FF CD was the obvious winner of the time and its soundtrack's always good to get you pumped up. Battle in Westside against the elder Andore family remains a favorite to this very day.

 

[Cloaca Rimjob]

Anything made by Treasure is amazing. Dynamite Headdy and even the McDonalds game is pure fun, although if you're going to play Headdy, play the Japanese version. The US version kicks the difficulty to 11 for whatever retarded reason. it also removes the dialogue regarding the story and censors some stuff.

Theres a translated version on cdromance. It's a good site if you cant be bothered patching roms yourself.
Lots of SNES and genesis games on there which never made it to western shores. Was playing die hard for the pc engine which was japan only. Strange how some western IPs never made it out of Japan

 

[Celebrate Nite]

Theres a translated version on cdromance. It's a good site if you cant be bothered patching roms yourself.
Lots of SNES and genesis games on there which never made it to western shores. Was playing die hard for the pc engine which was japan only. Strange how some western IPs never made it out of Japan

I've played the translated version of Headdy. The guy that made it is called M.I.J.E.T.

Dude has his own website where he has all of his rom translations including Battle Mania, Pulseman, and some other Japan-only stuff

Old Stuff

 

[Grub]

I was lucky enough to have both a SNES and a Genesis growing up. My favourite SNES game, actually one of my favourites period, is super metroid. I didn't actually own it, my cousin did, and we played through it together as kids. We'd take turns playing through sections.until one of us died then we'd switch. We didn't really know anything about the story or anything so we just made it all up as we played. We'd freak ourselves out every time we'd go into a nee area or anything. I think we managed to beat the game in 13 or 14 hours or something between the two of us. Super metroid's also got a pretty large and active romhacking community with a bunch of great hacks out there.

Also used to play a lot of megaman x, super mario world, donkey Kong, gradius 3(that game was fucking hard), super smash TV, and the final fantasy with objectively the best music mystic quest.

I've played a lot of jrpgs on the SNES. To be honest, I don't really like most of them. They get really boring. The only ones I really liked were final fantasy 5 because the job system was pretty fun and Lufia 2 because it has Zelda style dungeons with puzzles and shit.

We didn't actually have a ton of Genesis games, but I remember having a lot of fun playing sonic 2 and 3. James pond 3 was a trippy really long but pretty fun platformer with one of the worst password systems ever devised. It had something like 4 colours and 10 different symbols and a total of like 30 characters that made up the password. We had sheets of paper scattered everywhere with shit like rcheese bmoon ggun written all over them.

There was also Mutant league hockey which is hands down the best hockey video game ever created. It was always awesome winning a game because you hacked up all your opponents with a fucking chainsaw.

Cyborg justice was a kind of cool fighting game where you could customize your robot fighters with different weapons and heads and body parts and you could rip your opponents arms off and steal them and shit like that.

We also had Prince.of Persia, which is pretty fun, but, it's got an hour time limit and the one time we actually got to the end of the game there was only like 2 minutes left on the timer and I never was able to beat the final boss in time.

I'm sure there was more games I liked from both systems but I can't really remember. After emulators came out, I spent a lot of time downloading shit tons of ROMs and playing games from both systems.

I'd still rather go back though and play old 16 bit games over most current year games. Most new games are too much effort. I just can't be bothered. I'd rather just fire up a game, push start and be immediately playing a game that's not going to take the same amount of time as a full time job to play through.