In Pictures: Tom's Top 50 RPGs

[Guest]

Today we take a journey spanning 40 years of role-playing games (RPGs). Exciting examples range from classics like the Ultima series to the modern blockbuster Skyrim. Old or new, the following 50 games left their mark on the genre.

In Pictures: Tom's Top 50 RPGs : Read more

 

[babernet_1]

Please don't use this format. I can only jump from the first to the second picture then it locks up.

EDIT

Okay, it was addblock plus. I disabled it for this site and now the presentation works.

Very clever, Toms Hardware.

 

[robertsmith52]

what about Path of Exile

 

[Grognak]

That's nearly every half-decent RPG in history here.

 

[zero messiah]

"The most notable titles are Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy IX. The former was the first game in the series to feature 3D graphics and sold approximately 10 million copies worldwide. The latter was the first MMORPG in the series, which is now being continued with Final Fantasy XIV."

Final fantasy IX is for Playstation 1 and is not an mmorpg. FF 11 is the first mmo for the series, and if you want to talk about the most notable, FF 7 and 6 are.

 

[synphul]

I agree, ff6 and 7 were pretty notable. The ff series came a long way since the first one on the nes. Loved that game, got me hooked. They had a few mediocre titles but most of them were pretty good.

 

[Super_Nova]

It's a real shame that The Phantasy Star series was left out. I also miss Shining Force in the list.

 

[bit_user]

[quotemsg=15347117,0,745156]Please don't use this format. I can only jump from the first to the second picture then it locks up.[/quotemsg]Maybe upgrade your browser, or at least use a HTML 5 compliant browser for this site? It doesn't seem fair that sites should have to cater to the lowest common denominator, like it's 1999 or something.

 

[bit_user]

[quotemsg=15347603,0,470434]It's a real shame that The Phantasy Star series was left out. I also miss Shining Force in the list.[/quotemsg]That's the problem with these articles. A few people will always be upset that some of their favorite games got left out.

I actually wonder how much of that is due to games that perhaps weren't that great, but the person either hasn't played a wide variety or maybe it was just during their younger years so it made a greater impression on them than it would now. I'm not saying that applies to either of the titles you mentioned, since I haven't played them.

It does seem a bit odd how various different subgenres were combined into a single list. Such as turn-based, realtime, and MMORPGs. I wonder if some of these titles mightn't have even qualified as adventure games.

 

[nukemaster]

[quotemsg=15348011,0,328798][quotemsg=15347117,0,745156]Please don't use this format. I can only jump from the first to the second picture then it locks up.[/quotemsg]Maybe upgrade your browser, or at least use a HTML 5 compliant browser for this site? It doesn't seem fair that sites should have to cater to the lowest common denominator, like it's 1999 or something.
[/quotemsg]
I highly doubt they are using a browser that can not support the site.

It is more likely they have Adblock or another plugin/addon installed that is messing with the page(I would also guess firefox as the web browser). It does have some negative side effects because the assets for the site can be hosted on various servers.

If the lowest common demonstrator was not main factor in webpages we would not be back to the 90's with animated gif's being more popular than videos online because cell phones/tablets do not always work with video sharing sites(flash limit, not that FLV playback would have caused any of these battery issues users claimed). An mp4 video actually takes less space than these gifs at the same frame rate and resolution(all without the 8-bit color limitation).

 

[salopar]

how can you forget Rogue ???

 

[Choong Keong]

How come there's no mentioned on Dugeon & Dragon? I think it's the mother of RPG

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Zelda is a pretty beast game, I had so much fun playing Twilight Princess. It took so long and I still never beat it yet!

 

[dstarr3]

No Super Mario RPG? Unsub.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

[quotemsg=15348773,0,1612573]No Super Mario RPG? Unsub.[/quotemsg]

I'd consider Mario platformer more than RPG. I think if any "Mario" game is RPG it is Luigi's Mansion.

 

[bdiddytampa]

I'd consider Mario platformer more than RPG. I think if any "Mario" game is RPG it is Luigi's Mansion.

Super Mario RPG actually IS and RPG... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Mario_RPG

 

[enewmen]

I was going to complain until I saw Dungeon Master, Ultima (all), and Wizardry (all) at the end - best for last. High-School after class was fun back in the late 70s-early 80s. There where other fun after class titles during that time, but they weren't RPGs.

 

[filippi]

Maybe its because i worked in Japan sometime but the first "oh my god! I cannot believe this is just a game!" that i had with videogames was Shenmue.

 

[dstarr3]

[quotemsg=15348786,0,1712875]I'd consider Mario platformer more than RPG. I think if any "Mario" game is RPG it is Luigi's Mansion.[/quotemsg]

Super Mario RPG = JRPG
JRPG = RPG
Super Mario RPG = RPG

 

[wiimonkey9]

And this list pretty much misses almost all JRPG's.

 

[Max_B]

no NWN and NWN2 ....... i spent some time with these games

 

[beoza]

For consoles I would ad the Star Ocean series, they're more of an JRPG though but still good games. Dragon Warrior/Quest I would add as well. On the PC front they did get a lot of the great games. I do love the BG, IWD, and NW series, great stories and they're set in classic DnD realms. It was nice in Baldur's Gate II to take your existing Baldur's Gate I character and import him/her into the new game, if I remember right you could also do that with IWD.

 

[alidan]

[quotemsg=15348048,0,328798][quotemsg=15347603,0,470434]It's a real shame that The Phantasy Star series was left out. I also miss Shining Force in the list.[/quotemsg]That's the problem with these articles. A few people will always be upset that some of their favorite games got left out.

I actually wonder how much of that is due to games that perhaps weren't that great, but the person either hasn't played a wide variety or maybe it was just during their younger years so it made a greater impression on them than it would now. I'm not saying that applies to either of the titles you mentioned, since I haven't played them.

It does seem a bit odd how various different subgenres were combined into a single list. Such as turn-based, realtime, and MMORPGs. I wonder if some of these titles mightn't have even qualified as adventure games.
[/quotemsg]

the only reason phantasy star isn't as known today as it was back than is mostly thanks to the internet. it basically did what final fantasy 7 did long before it.

also, shining force is a compelling reason to get the old consoles even if its just for those games.

[quotemsg=15349688,0,905267]And this list pretty much misses almost all JRPG's.[/quotemsg]

after a long stint where all i played was jrpgs... i would leave the majority of them off lists of rpgs for good reason. the only role playing aspect of them is what weapon or armor you use, and even that they try to mitigate out of the equation more often than not. you aren't so much playing a role as you are along for the ride, i know alot of rpgs are like this, but jrpgs are the ones that just feel it SO much more than others.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Oh and what about the Fire Emblem series?

 

[coolitic]

You forgot xenoblade chronicles.

Now you have made shulk upset =C