RPGs In English

[vestcoat]

The four FM listed are the only "true" turn-based RPGs.  I have a pretty damn loose interpretation of "RPG" that includes all the games everyone else listed as well as Loom.
Some of these games belong in other genres, but if you're an RPG lover, they'll satisfy you to some degree:

Beyond Shadowgate
Cosmic Fantasy 2 (too many battles)
Dragon Slayer
Dungeon Explorer 2
Dungeon Master
Dynastic Hero (more of an adventure game)
Exile (too easy)
Exile 2 (very hard)
Loom
Might and Magic 3
Shape Shifter (a lot like Cadash)
Ys 1-2
Ys 3

That's 13 games out of the 45 CDs, or 28% of the US releases that are Adventure/RPGs.  Even if you only count the four turn-based RPGs, that's still 8% of the library and probably on par with, or better than, other consoles for its time.  The TG-CD also has four mystery games (Sherlock 1+2, JB Harold, It Came from the Desert) and two strategy games (Vasteel, Lords ot Rising Sun) that may appeal to thoughtful, problem-solving gamers.

Now for a completely irrelevant rant...
Why the hell do games have to look like Chrono Trigger or take place in a medieval setting to be considered RPGs.  Take the original Metal Gear on the NES for example--totally an RPG.  Why doesn't anyone considered it an RPG?  Because it was created when RPGs were barely even a genre and because it doesn't look like stinkin' Final Fantasy-cutesy-village-crap.  Instead of a village you have rescued hostages and a radio; you collect keys (key cards), weapons, and healing potions (rations); explore dungeons (fortresses); and even gain levels (rank).  Heck, the stealthy box might as well be an invisibility spell.  It's an RPG, damnit.

[Joe Redifer]

My definition for RPG consists of the following:

-Fight
-Level up
-Fight
-Buy shit to equip and heal
-Fight
-Learn and use magic/techniques
-Fight
-Fight
-Walk...
-Fight
-Fight
-Talk to people
-Fight
-Fight
-Save and load your game
-Fight
-Fight

If a game has all of those things, it's an RPG to me.

[guyjin]

Define 'level up'. Ferinstance, if you count gaining heart containers and the color rings from the original Legend of Zelda, it's an RPG.

[nodtveidt]

I would probably consider Metal Gear an RPG of sorts, more of a hybrid genre type game. You can combine an RPG with just about any other genre or subgenre of game and come up with a nice hybrid (Final Lap Twin [driving RPG], Dark Savior [VS fighting RPG], Dark Wizard [nonstandard strategy RPG], etc).

[Joe Redifer]

Leveling up to me means after you've gotten in so many fights your strength and life increases.  In Zelda you just find a new heart in a treasure box if I recall (same with Monster World/Dragon's Curse) but your attack power and defense power do not raise simultaneously.

[FM-77]

Keranu: you're wrong. People often believe that's the case, but an RPG is not a game where you take the role of a character. It is a game based on old tabletop RPG mechanics, and therefore REQUIRE the following to happen, in order to be called an RPG.

-Fight
-Level up
-Fight
-Buy shit to equip and heal
-Fight
-Learn and use magic/techniques
-Fight
-Fight
-Walk...
-Fight
-Fight
-Talk to people
-Fight
-Fight
-Save and load your game
-Fight
-Fight

Again, FIFA is more like an RPG than Beyond Shadowgate and stuff that people mentioned in this thread.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Console_role-playing_game
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_role-playing_game

Vestcoat: Why are you using the RPG term loosely? Why not replace it with adventure? At least that would make sense.

Beyond Shadowgate - adventure
Dungeon Explorer 2 - adventure
Dynastic Hero (more of an adventure game) - adventure
Exile (too easy) - adventure
Exile 2 (very hard) - adventure
Shape Shifter (a lot like Cadash) - adventure

And what's up with that percentage nonsense? 8% RPGs is better than other systems? What system exactly? The Pippin? Let's say only one game got released for the TG and it was an RPG. 100% of its game library would consist of RPGs. Would that make it the best RPG console ever? No. More like the worst. For English RPGs, the TG is not a very good system, as pretty much any console (except the Pippin) offers many many more (and definitely better) RPGs.

[greedostick]

Dynastic Hero and Dragons Curse are action rpg's. There is also a y's 4 translation. Although that game was not released in english. The game however is fully translated.

[malducci]

Dynastic Hero and Dragons Curse are action rpg's. There is also a y's 4 translation. Although that game was not released in english. The game however is fully translated.

If you're counting Ys4, then add Xak III as it's been fully translated by the same guys.

[guyjin]

And what's up with that percentage nonsense? 8% RPGs is better than other systems? What system exactly? The Pippin? Let's say only one game got released for the TG and it was an RPG. 100% of its game library would consist of RPGs. Would that make it the best RPG console ever? No. More like the worst. For English RPGs, the TG is not a very good system, as pretty much any console (except the Pippin) offers many many more (and definitely better) RPGs.

I would put CF2 up against anything on the SNES.

[jimid2]

I would put CF2 up against anything on the SNES.

...and it would be soundly trounced by Final Fantasy II/IV and FF III/VI - especially Final Fantasy VI. 

[nodtveidt]

Exile and Exile II are platform/RPG hybrid games. All the standard elements of the classic RPG are present.

[Necromancer]

Keranu: you're wrong. People often believe that's the case, but an RPG is not a game where you take the role of a character. It is a game based on old tabletop RPG mechanics....

If you're gonna get that strict with your RPG definition, then I submit that there are no video game RPGs.  If you ain't rollin' a thirty eight sided die, it ain't a Role Playing Game. 

Now don't get all worked up - I actually agree with most of your assessment, except why don't the Exile pair qualify as RPGs (like Nod noted)?  I distinctly remember doing all of the following while playing.

-Fight
-Level up
-Fight
-Buy shit to equip and heal
-Fight
-Learn and use magic/techniques
-Fight
-Fight
-Walk...
-Fight
-Fight
-Talk to people
-Fight
-Fight
-Save and load your game
-Fight
-Fight

I would put CF2 up against anything on the SNES.

...and it would be soundly trounced by Final Fantasy II/IV and FF III/VI - especially Final Fantasy VI. 

The story line of CF2 is equal to any of Final Fantasy, but everything else is a little worse.

I prefer an altogether different type of RPG when the neighbors get a little out of hand.  A well aimed AT4 shuts 'em up quite nicely.  :-"

[nodtveidt]

The storyline of CF2 easily trounces virtually anything Squaresoft made on their own. I was hoping for an improvement in storyline capability with the acquisition of the RPG storyline masters, Enix, but it didn't happen. Oh well.

[runinruder]

The story and characters in CF2 absolutely annihilate anything that can be found in the SNES "masterpieces."  I also think CF2 has great enemy art and I really dig its music, though I wish it had more tunes. 

The only thing that some SNES RPGs have over it are better or more interesting battle systems.  But those battle systems feel outdated at this point, considering what came later in PSX and PS2 RPGs.  On the other hand, CF2's strengths, its story and characters, still hold their own to this day. 

[nodtveidt]

The story and characters in CF2 absolutely annihilate anything that can be found in the SNES "masterpieces."  I also think CF2 has great enemy art and I really dig its music, though I wish it had more tunes. 

The only thing that some SNES RPGs have over it are better or more interesting battle systems.  But those battle systems feel outdated at this point, considering what came later in PSX and PS2 RPGs.  On the other hand, CF2's strengths, its story and characters, still hold their own to this day. 

CF2 and Illusion Of Gaia are pretty on-par in terms of storyline power and cohesion. IOG lacks in character development though, giving CF2 the easy win in the storyline department, but IOG has some really memorable musical moments. The rest of the SNES RPGs don't hold a candle to CF2 in the storyline or character department. CF2's music is really nice, but the track selection is so limited because all of the game's normal soundtracks are kept in one track to minimize reseek time, and the disc itself is positively stuffed with audio and data. I don't think there was room for any more music.

A remake of the entire Cosmic Fantasy series on the PC would be excellent. I'd take on such a project.