MegaDrive RPG Favorites

[Honey_Ogre]

I know that SNES is known for having the lion's share of classic RPG titles, but I think the MD had some really strong RPG rep back in the day. I don't hear people mention it very often, but Sword of Vermilion is one of my all time favorites. The music was super moody and great and the boss monsters are fantastically disgusting.

 

[Sayo]

I would have to go with the Sega CD release of Lunar: The Silver Star, in spite of its awful localization its truly a fantastic game and no posterior releases come close to it for me. There's a certain je ne sais quoi to playing it on the good ol' Mega CD.

 

[Gorse]

I hate first-person dungeon-crawling RPGs, but even a miserable curmudgeon like me can't deny that Shining in the Darkness is excellent. The gameplay is fast and fluid, with battles only taking a few seconds each, the party size is perfect, with every character (even the main one!) getting a ton of entertaining characterization, and working through the in-game economy to juuuust squeeze enough for the best items is extremely addictive and fun.

But what really entices me is the presentation. Cutscenes are gorgeous, with huge, detailed sprites and unique bleeps and bloops for every character voice. They're animated fantastically, too, with loads of charming poses and designs, and I ADORE the way enemies enter battle. The game's script is also very funny (I say this as someone who never finds game dialogue funny), and the sound design is completely engrossing. It has that "cinematic" quality that Shining Force has – it feels like you're playing something special. Take it from this genre's #1 hater – Shining in the Darkness rules.

 

[Sayo]

I hate first-person dungeon-crawling RPGs, but even a miserable curmudgeon like me can't deny that Shining in the Darkness is excellent. The gameplay is fast and fluid, with battles only taking a few seconds each, the party size is perfect, with every character (even the main one!) getting a ton of entertaining characterization, and working through the in-game economy to juuuust squeeze enough for the best items is extremely addictive and fun.

But what really entices me is the presentation. Cutscenes are gorgeous, with huge, detailed sprites and unique bleeps and bloops for every character voice. They're animated fantastically, too, with loads of charming poses and designs, and I ADORE the way enemies enter battle. The game's script is also very funny (I say this as someone who never finds game dialogue funny), and the sound design is completely engrossing. It has that "cinematic" quality that Shining Force has – it feels like you're playing something special. Take it from this genre's #1 hater – Shining in the Darkness rules.

Dude this game is absolutely gorgeous, the visuals are quintessential Mega Drive era SEGA in all its dithered 64 color glory.

 

[Smiley Cat]

If we're just talking about Megadrive (not CD), then for me it will always be Shining Force 2.

And I know this is a bit controversial, but my second choice would be Phantasy Star III.

If we're including CD games, then Eternal Blue... As it's still one of the best oldschool RPG's ever made. And also one of the best sequels ever made, since it improves upon the (already great) original in pretty much every conceivable way.

 

[Ajderniz]

I'm gonna be the generic one, but Phantasy Star. Liked them. But it's been a while since I played them, so I don't remember the one that sucked.

 

[It's Thinking 2]

Shining Force.

 

[Don Patch]

*Me writing down all the suggestions

I hadn't played too many RPG games on the Sega.
I did, however, back in the mid-late 2000's have that Genesis/MD collection/emulator disc for the Dreamcast that was floating around the net (oh, DCISOZONE back in the day! ?) and played the crap outta' Phantasy Star IV on it.
I'm gonna go ahead and say that counts. It was still on Sega and it was still a MD game, lol

 

[Sayo]

I'm gonna be the generic one, but Phantasy Star. Liked them. But it's been a while since I played them, so I don't remember the one that sucked.

Phantasy Star 1 on SMS is great if you play it with a retranslation patch/japanese and FM audio. It truly feels like an early 16 bit game.

 

[purrpgoddpeebles]

I know that SNES is known for having the lion's share of classic RPG titles, but I think the MD had some really strong RPG rep back in the day. I don't hear people mention it very often, but Sword of Vermilion is one of my all time favorites. The music was super moody and great and the boss monsters are fantastically disgusting.
View attachment 1344View attachment 1345

im gonna say FF Shining Force And Dungeons and dragons

 

[Honey_Ogre]

If we're just talking about Megadrive (not CD), then for me it will always be Shining Force 2.

And I know this is a bit controversial, but my second choice would be Phantasy Star III.

If we're including CD games, then Eternal Blue... As it's still one of the best oldschool RPG's ever made. And also one of the best sequels ever made, since it improves upon the original in pretty much every conceivable way.

I'm so glad someone mentioned Phantasy Star III - that game gets so much flack but is really a great installment to the series!

Phantasy Star 1 on SMS is great if you play it with a retranslation patch/japanese and FM audio. It truly feels like an early 16 bit game.

One of my first ever mods to a console was putting an FM sound expansion chip into my American Master System - you wouldn't believe my disappointment when I found out that the NA release of Phantasy Star just altogether took out all the FM audio to make room for the big English text files lol - But the FM version of Wonder Boy III was awesome, so I was able to experience that at least lol

Also, for everyone who mentioned the "Shining" franchise - I see you and appreciate you. I absolutely loved Hiroshi Kajiyama's take on European style fantasy - it was absolutely classic

 

[It's Thinking 2]

Also, for everyone who mentioned the "Shining" franchise - I see you and appreciate you. I absolutely loved Hiroshi Kajiyama's take on European style fantasy - it was absolutely classic

it's like a 90s anime we never got to see.

 

[Waffles's iconWaffles]

Lunar: Eternal Blue for me.

There's so much to like about that one... it's incredible.

 

[Ajderniz]

Phantasy Star 1 on SMS is great if you play it with a retranslation patch/japanese and FM audio. It truly feels like an early 16 bit game.

Nah, I actually liked 1 the best, for some reason. Stands out among the rest. It's, I think 2 that I really could not care about.

 

[Sayo]

Nah, I actually liked 1 the best, for some reason. Stands out among the rest. It's, I think 2 that I really could not care about.

I agree, I just believe it's better enjoyed with its best possible audio and a proper translation or the original script.

 

[Smiley Cat]

I haven't played Madou Monogatari yet. But it's on my list of Megadrive RPG's to try.

I'm a little put-off by the weird combat system, but it otherwise looks like a fun dungeon-crawler RPG.

 

[stealthRUSH]

I'm going with Langrisser (Warsong) although I only played a handful of RPG's on the system.

 

[MajesticSiN]

This one right here is one of my favorite rpgs on the system.

 

[Octopus]

I think I may be the only person who remembers this game, but I played a good bit of Warriors of the Eternal Sun back in the day.

It was a D&D licensed dungeon crawler, and I wouldn't say it stands out for anything more than the fact that it was on the Genesis. It's brutally hard, mainly due to apparently a strange and arbitrary nerfing of player attack rolls in the game code that a modder discovered.

For something actually good, I also greatly enjoy Beyond Oasis.

It's a really sick action RPG type thing, plays a lot like an isometric Zelda with sort of an Arabian vibe going on with it. Highly recommend it, the sprite work is top tier.

 

[ugly chuckie duckie]

I'm going with Langrisser (Warsong) although I only played a handful of RPG's on the system.

Do give Langrisser II a try too if you liked Warsong. It's a big improvement over the original in every way.

 

[Strategist's iconStrategist]

I'll second Phantasy Star IV, Warsong/Der Langrisser and Lunar 2.

Surprised no one mentioned Shining Force 2.

 

[Smiley Cat]

Surprised no one mentioned Shining Force 2.

I did!

 

[Adrastia]

The Phantasy Star and Shining Force games. Phantasy Star 4 is my all time favorite game.

 

[SuperSampleStar]

View attachment 1382
Shining Force.

The only thing I don't like about the 1st game is that their level system is crap.

It's not like other RPGs where you get a specific number of experience but rather an RNG guessing game whether or not you'll have certain stats upgrade more or less than the others. For example, you can level up Tao to 2 and she'll get Magic and Speed up, but if you reset the game and level her up to 2 again for whatever reason she'll get attack up only.

At least in the 2nd game it's fairly consistant, and I like how if you give the healers different outfits (like the monk ones) they look like that in battle too, whereas you give Tao and Anri their sexy outfits they revert back to their default ones in battle. Kinda lame.

 

[It's Thinking 2]

The only thing I don't like about the 1st game is that their level system is crap.

It's not like other RPGs where you get a specific number of experience but rather an RNG guessing game whether or not you'll have certain stats upgrade more or less than the others. For example, you can level up Tao to 2 and she'll get Magic and Speed up, but if you reset the game and level her up to 2 again for whatever reason she'll get attack up only.

At least in the 2nd game it's fairly consistant, and I like how if you give the healers different outfits (like the monk ones) they look like that in battle too, whereas you give Tao and Anri their sexy outfits they revert back to their default ones in battle. Kinda lame.

There's items that boost stats. I just save them in case someone needs it.