As a genre, I find myself moving away from RPG's when it comes to gaming and music. Anywho, I though it be interesting to see the contrast between everyone's first RPG and what their No.1 Seed is.

First RPG: Final Fantasy VII (PS1)
Not really a big surprise, like many people the PS1 and the release of FFVII was a definate turning point. Still, looking back I can't help think the attraction was somewhat superficial; don't get me wrong it's a great/important game but I don't ever feel the need to revist this one as the experience will be with me forever regardless.

Favorite RPG: Wild Arms (PS1)
Probably the third RPG I played (after FFVII and FFVI) is the closest to my heart. It didn't have the hype and flash of FFVII or many of the other games Square put out afterwards, but the characters really spoke to me to the point I can easily overlook the rather basic combat and primitive 3D graphics. Goes without saying Naruke's score was also a large part of the exprience as well.

As fanboy-ish as it seems Wild Arms 2 is my second runner up for this category. Again, the important factors (story, characters, music) outperforming that which was lackluster (combat and combat graphics.) Media.Vision has yet to top either of these IMO.

Sure, why not?

First RPG: Final Fantasy (NES)
Not necessarily a great game (especially on its original platform) but for an eight-year old, it was the most amazing thing I had ever played.

Favorite RPG: Final Fantasy VI (SNES)

This is a pretty safe answer but to be honest, no RPG since has really matched the emotional power (and music) of this game. I was 13/14 when I first played it and I remember the first five hours of gameplay like it was yesterday.

First RPG: Dragon Warrior (NES)

I found the game brutally challenging for NES at the time, and felt the gameplay to be unique and rewarding. I loved the way they talking in archaic olde english, but that didn't stop me from naming my character things like "Idiot" or "Butthole" (remember, I was, like, eight years old). Never did beat the damn game, though, although I hear subsequent titles in the Dragon Warrior series offered nothing but improvements.

Favorite RPG(s): Hard to choose just one, but it's a tie between FFVII, Xenogears, and Vagrant Story. Too many reasons to list for each one.

First: Dragon Warrior 1

Yay for free NES game from Nintendo Power! Very primitive nowadays, but I played it all the way through. Very different at the time and fun for what it was.

Favorite: Valkyrie Profile

Can go a number of different ways here...FFVI, CT, Star Ocean 2, Suikoden 1, 2 or 5, but VP just hit at exactly the right time and made Tri-Ace go from godly to legendary. Then Star Ocean 3 hit and they came back down to Earth...But really, any of those games, I could make a great case for as #1.

First: Dragon Warrior

I had no idea what an RPG was at the time, but this game came free with my first subscription to Nintendo Power, and I loved the hell out of it.  It's certainly a bit frustrating by today's standards, but back then I really enjoyed grinding and exploring for some reason.

Favorite: Final Fantasy IX

It's tough picking a favorite between this and Mario RPG, Chrono Trigger, and FFVI, but in terms of overall character development and a compelling story, Final Fantasy IX is tops for me.  I absolutely love the characters, and thought this game was the pinnacle of the series.  I just finished playing through it again on my PSP last week!

First RPG: Ultima IV on the old PC

Favorite RPGs: Ultima IV, V, VII, Might and Magic III, VI, Heroes of Might and Magic II (SRPG), Morrowind, Final Fantasy Tactics (SRPG), Baldur's Gate Saga, Fallout

Runner-Ups: Final Fantasy IV, Lunar (Silver Star + Blue), Arc the Lad II, Icewind Dale, Shining and the Darkness, Shining Force, Chrono Trigger

current favorite (although might not make the all-time list, will have to finish it first): Etrian Odyssey

there are a bunch of other great RPGs I haven't listed (Dragon Warrior, FFVI, etc), but those that I did list are my all-time favorites! There are also a bunch of critically-acclaimed RPGs I've yet to play... as for moving away from RPGs, no. I still love em' If you're getting tired of RPGs then perhaps you're playing to many JPRGs? Myself, I like both, although as you can tell by my list my favorite are typically American RPGs, probably because I could get into the story much more. Also, US RPGs tend to be less linear. If you have a DS, and are looking for a "new" RPG experience, I totally recommend Etrian Odyssey. It's a throwback to classic RPG games. Might not be for you, but it's one of the best games I've played in a long long time.

cheers,

-avatar!

I personally never cared for the aesthetics of a lot of western RPG's to play them that seriously. In any case, for me, it's more a time issue and RPG's are probably the largest time-suckers in videogaming right now. Amazingly, I'd much sooner watch a movie nowadays, for the sole purpose that it's shorter (boy, I remember back when those roles were reversed for me...)

Since you seem to be a big FFIX nut I'll ask this question/challenge: can you explain to me why Kuja is a good villian, because he is honestly the one thing in this game I dislike. He seems very trite and stereotypical in my eyes.

You're right, I am pretty bored with the JRPG's - yet I don't think playing American RPG's is the answer I'm looking for either. Additionally, stuff like grinding for gold and waiting for drops in MMORPG isn't me either - I have the time to play I just don't want to get that wrapped up in a game like that.

First RPG: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (pen and paper; introduced to this by a kid at school when I was in second grade)

First computer RPG: Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord.  First game I remember having on the family's Apple //e.  This was probably around third or fourth grade.

First console RPG: Well, the line between adventure game and RPG is a little blurry.  I guess it would probably be Dragon Warrior.  I traded cartridges with a friend of a friend (I gave up A Boy and His Blob), and I never heard from him again.

Favorite RPGs:  If going by number of times played completely through, Ys I/II.  If going by most time on the play clock, Oblivion or Disgaea (over 400 hours on each).  If going by best overall feeling when playing, Skies of Arcadia.

First RPG: Phantasy Star on the Master System. A revelation, a game I could play for a whole day and have all those hours be progression, not restarts and replays. I still love it and think it's aged beautifully.

Favourite RPG: Dungeon Master - at the time on the Atari ST and Commodore Amiga. I think it's one of the most clever, intricately designed games ever made, while remaining fresh, fun and accessible. I still replay it a couple of times a year and I mess about a lot with the various remakes.

First - Final Fantasy IV (or II at the time)

My friend and I rented this on a whim, not even knowing what it was. I had never played anything like it before and I was completely taken by it. We would take character roles and read their dialogue in different voices. It was my first video game with a complex storyline (for its time); between the story, the aesthetics, and the gameplay system, it was a completely new experience for me and I was instantly hooked. I wish I could experience a feeling like that again, to be honest....

Favorite - Final Fantasy IV

My answer would probably change every time you asked me, because there are several strong contenders with one special draw that threatens to trump the others. But today--perhaps because I started off writing about it--I pick IV again. Sure, nostalgia has a lot to do with it, and yes, its story is a bit cliche, but above all else it, I just had so much fun playing through it again and again; even if I don't have specific reasons for making it stand above the others, today, it just does.

Ask me tomorrow, and it might be Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana, Dragon Quest VIII, Skies of Arcadia or even Diablo.

(And for those surprised that I didn't pick Pokémon, I tend to think of the series separately from everything else.)

I enjoyed Kuja as a villain.  Early in the game, he was portrayed as an elegant, calculating narcissist.  He enjoyed quoting literature and flaunting his superiority over those he manipulated.  He was created and sent to Gaia in an effort to disrupt the flow of souls on the planet, so that Garland could merge Gaia and Terra to preserve the latter, but once on Gaia, Kuja became power-hungry and sought to defy Garland's will.  Upon killing Garland and realizing that he didn't have long to live, Kuja went a bit mad and set out to destroy both Terra and Gaia, asserting "I won't let this world exist without me!"  In his insanity, I felt like he was a cross between Kefka and Sephiroth, but ultimately a deeper character.  In his early appearances in the game, he always had a presence about him, and it was fun to watch him manipulate Brahne into carrying out his own agenda.  Me likey Kuja.

Nice topic, I like it...

Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars

The first RPG I ever played... and by accident too!  I had no idea what an RPG was back in the time (I remember giving my cousin a fitting description of the game: "Well, you uh... talk to people and stuff" )  I remember renting it from Blockbuster when they were sold out of Super Mario All-Star copies, heh.  This game just has such a wonderful atmosphere, it puts a smile on my face almost immediately, and that smile is plastered on for the duration of the adventure.  Never getting the slightest bit dull or boring, and always surprising, even when I revisited it for a last summer for a low level run.  A fantastic game and to this day one of my favourite RPGs, SNES games, and videogames overall.

Now this other question, hmm...

Valkyrie Profile

I'm really cross with this question.  I absolutly devoured Chrono Trigger when I was younger, and I'm sure even today I would still love it.  But I simply just haven't played it in a long enough time... well over five years since I owned my own copy (maybe if finding a nice one on eBay wasn't so damn expensive.)  So I nominate a game that I had similar emotions to from my more recent days.  A friend loaned me it on a whim, and while I had heard of it, I knew nothing about it ("Oh yea, Vagrant Story?  Oh wait, no...")  I was just stunned by this game.  A totally inventive theme, gorgeous artwork, rock-hard music a la F-ZERO X, and a story that really intrigued me to no end.  Valkyrie Profile is definetly one of the best experiences I've had in this sort of game alongside Super Mario RPG, Chrono Cross, CT, FFTA, and Ark of Napishtim.  And it was tough too, since I didn't use that 'event experience' and was busy training warriors for Asgard as well as my core party, leading to some very intense boss fights - the lack of which in other games had been exactly what had turned me off RPGs for the longest time.  I'm sorry to type so much about it, but like others here, when you find a game that you really 'sync' with, its hard not to keep talking/writing about it!

EDIT:

Also, I'm pleased to see that a lot of us have a hard time deciding on that favourite RPG.  I abandoned the genre for a few years and even now my time with it is nowhere near as much as it was in my youth, but the masterpieces in the genre have the ability to amaze even a cynic like myself.  Long live the RPG, I say!

I really enjoyed FFVI and want to play it again, but I thought the story got a bit convoluted, although not NEARLY anything like FFVII (which I found dull). Who knows, maybe next time around it will be different. As for CT, that was great, but don't really have the desire to play it again. Haven't played SoM nor DQVIII (definitely want to play DQVIII). Skies of Arcadia = awesome! The one thing that keeps it from being on my all-time favorite list is the random battles. Fly for two seconds, then battle. Fly for two seconds, then battle. Fly for two seconds, then battle. Fly for two seconds, then battle... gets old very VERY quickly. As for Diablo, that is also awesome! I found it a little too short and easy, hence it's not on my all-time list, but definitely both Diablo and SoA are excellent and worth playing. Also, Diablo II is better than Diablo, although that too has its shortcomings. Good list.

cheers,

-avatar!

edit: I should also add that Fire Emblem for the GBA and GC are awesome! Not sure they would make my all-time favorite list, but definitely runner-up!

Well, how do you know American RPGs aren't the answer if you haven't tried them? They come in different flavors If you want something short and sweet you could try Diablo. If you want something long and majestic try Morrowind or Oblivion. If you want to play something great and "different", try Fallout. Of course, there are plenty of games in between to suite anyone's taste!

cheers,

-avatar!

You just had to bring up Diablo, didn't you? Well, you didn't but I've already put in my time with the Big D - spent two years playing Diablo II, was totally hooked on it. It was fun while it lasted - ah memories of bygone days, I will enjoy them. I'm rather hesitant of online games because I tend to overdo things like that.

I should mention while I've lost interest in RPGs and games I just find it hard to spend money on them. So a lot of this bitching is the result of something I'm unwilling to do anything about because of other interests. So, I'm really the boy who cried wolf if anything.

The only Western RPG I loved is indeed my absolute favorite game of all time. Ultima VI (SNES port). I still believe it's was incredible considering its release date (1993).

First RPG was FFII or Glory of HeraclesII.

First RPG:  Dragon Warrior
Like many others I got this with a Nintendo Power description and it introduced me to the genre.  I found the unconventional (for the time) gameplay intriguing but was not at a great loss when I traded it for Final Fantasy I (which interestingly I didn't put nearly as much time into... I think the first person battle perspective in DW appealed to me more).

Favorite RPG:  Final Fantasy VI
I too very clearly remember those first moments with the opening credits and Narshe and being completely taken.  This was the title that made me consider myself an RPG fan, and along with Ys I & II for Turbo CD is the only one I'm inclined to play through again in its original form.

Excellent but overshadowed by FFVI:
Ys Books I & II:  Aesthetically this was so much ahead of everything else in its time I couldn't help but be amazed.  Bonus points for the simple yet fun action.

Phantasy Star I:  I first played this a couple years after getting a Genesis on the 8-bit adapter and still it managed to hook me.

Chrono Trigger:  This played second-fiddle to FFVI throughout but the detailed and varied environments really drew you in and Frog's theme and the cliff-cleaving scene remain among my favorites of any RPG.

I also neglected to mention F.F.VI (well, Final Fantasy III as far as I'm concerned - I won't have considered myself playing VI until I buff up my Japanese considerably and find a SFC!)  In terms of a grand sense of scale not only in landscape but also in plot, no other RPG I've played mnages to do both at once and as well.  And it can't hurt being the game that led me to VGM in the first place

First: Secret of Mana / Final Fantasy VI

I say both because when I was younger I rented them both from a local video store for a weekend. The funny thing was at first I hated FF6. I got as far as Figaro Castle and then couldn't figure out how to progress the story further (I had trouble seeing the staircases leading to the outer grounds of the castle). So I wandered around the castle never getting anywhere. I never did play it the rest of that weekend, I got too absorbed into everything that is so good about Mana. SoM had to be played with 3 people to be fully enjoyed. I think we spent enough cash to buy the damn catridge just renting it to finish it off.

Favorite: Earthbound

Hands down. Take everything that makes Dragon Quest great and instead throw in a bunch of kids fighting aliens in a crazy modern setting. I think this is the one game I played the most times through of the SNES era.

How can you not love a game where a New Age Retro-Hippie brushes his teeth in the middle of battle and paralyzes you with the gleam off his sparkling chompers?!

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Or beating said hippie over the head with cracked bat until he "returns to normal"? It's like back-alley surgery!

First: Final Fantasy IV. Technically I played a bit of Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior on NES when they came out, but really didn't see the appeal (only played 2-3 hours of each). It wouldn’t be until a few years later that I’d stumble upon FFIV and absolutely love it. Since then, I’ve played most console rpgs and enjoying a lot of them.

Favorite: Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, Xenogears, Xenosaga 1-2-3. Yes, there seems to be a pattern here... I'm sure there are a couple more but I'll have to go through my collection and remember the ones I've sold and the one I rented during the 16bit era (too poor then to buy more than 1 game/year!) For example, I remember renting Secret of Mana more than half a dozen times during the following years it came out because I enjoyed it so much.

First: one of the NES Dragon Warriors.  It wasn't the first... maybe III or IV?  Regardless, I found it awful and boring and avoided anything in the RPG genre until I saw some of FF7.  At that point I didn't have a Playstation, so I got the PC port of the game and played through it that way.  That's kind of what finally got me hooked into the genre.

Favorite goes to Skies of Arcadia, which does basically everything I want in an RPG.  The Gamecube port just made it even sweeter (even if the music took a slight hit).  Others that are really really high on my list are Panzer Dragoon Saga, Shadow Hearts II, and FF6/7/10.  I also have an unnatural love for Chrono Cross despite its glaring faults.

First RPG: Dragon Warrior (NES)

I have no idea how I beat this when I was a kid. I still have nightmares of orange text and shaky screen. THOU ART DEAD. *shudders*

Favorite RPG: Final Fantasy III (SNES)

I don't have anything to say that hasn't already been said, but basically FFIII = perfect RPG experience for me. There were a couple of times where my game got erased (three cheers for cart batteries!) and I immediately just started right up again. I've probably spent upwards of 300 hours with this game or something ridiculous like that.