The forgotten games of yore
- Thread starter Jimmith
- Start date
Nah... I would like to see Phantasy Star redone, not just a straight port.
Those lucky Japanese gamers got exactly that a few years ago on the PS2, but it was never translated to English.
http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/rpg/phantasystar/index.html
Jaz
Play nice.©
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I loathed computers as a gaming platform for a long time - I made a strict distinction: comps for work and consoles for gaming. cRPGs were even more loathsome in my mind… I was a dedicated pen & paper role player and had found little of the magic in the Amiga version of 'Hillsfar'. My then boyfriend (and now hubby) finally managed to convince me to buy a computer of my own (I mean one running DOS and not CP/M); it was solely because he had shown me a computer game I had instantly fallen in love with - Wolfenstein 3D. That was in '92. I instantly got all the shooters that existed, and then I got a nice present:
Lands of Lore. Bleh, I thought, a cRPG, and by Westwood at that, but I chucked it into the drive nevertheless… and was pleasantly surprised. Even though I got stuck in the room with the revolving tiles. It actually took me two weeks before I suddenly *knew* why I was stuck there (I still remember the moment - sitting on a bus). Went home later, tested if my idea was the right one (it was), and played on. LoL had made such a huge impression on me (the visuals! The story! Ak'shel's voice!) that I decided *not* to loathe cRPGs anymore.
I'm still not a cRPG-only fan. My taste in computer and console games is as eclectic as my taste in music. I discovered other favorite cRPGs over the years, mostly series (Elder Scrolls, System Shock, Final Fantasy), but if I had a gaming computer again
one day (one with Win98 I mean), the LoL games (yes, all three of them… I love Luther!) were the first cRPGs I'd replay*. They and Westwood hold a very special place in my heart
.
_______________
*The first game I'd replay, however, would be Realms of the Haunting.
Lands of Lore. Bleh, I thought, a cRPG, and by Westwood at that, but I chucked it into the drive nevertheless… and was pleasantly surprised. Even though I got stuck in the room with the revolving tiles. It actually took me two weeks before I suddenly *knew* why I was stuck there (I still remember the moment - sitting on a bus). Went home later, tested if my idea was the right one (it was), and played on. LoL had made such a huge impression on me (the visuals! The story! Ak'shel's voice!) that I decided *not* to loathe cRPGs anymore.
I'm still not a cRPG-only fan. My taste in computer and console games is as eclectic as my taste in music. I discovered other favorite cRPGs over the years, mostly series (Elder Scrolls, System Shock, Final Fantasy), but if I had a gaming computer again
one day (one with Win98 I mean), the LoL games (yes, all three of them… I love Luther!) were the first cRPGs I'd replay*. They and Westwood hold a very special place in my heart
. _______________
*The first game I'd replay, however, would be Realms of the Haunting.
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skavenhorde
Little BRO Rat
Lands of Lore wowed me as well. The first thing that was awesome was that the voice of the king was Patrick Stewart. I still remember seeing that box with his mug on the front. In the depths of my geeky little heart I jumped for joy.
That game turned out to be so much more than just his voice. Every character and creature that spoke had a voice. It was the most amazing thing I had ever heard. I believe it was the first game I played where everyone actually spoke their lines.
Voice acting aside the game was a ton of fun. An upgraded Eye of the Beholder. I didn't care too much for LOL 2 or even 3, but 1 will always have a special place in my heart.
That game turned out to be so much more than just his voice. Every character and creature that spoke had a voice. It was the most amazing thing I had ever heard. I believe it was the first game I played where everyone actually spoke their lines.
Voice acting aside the game was a ton of fun. An upgraded Eye of the Beholder. I didn't care too much for LOL 2 or even 3, but 1 will always have a special place in my heart.
HerrSchnuff
lolwut?
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The first RPGs I played were Y's, Phantasy Star and Ultima IV; all on the Sega Master System. Good times 
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Dark Savant
Keeper of the Watch
Lands of Lore was decent but still far beyond superb Eye of the Beholder II imho.
Replaying both titles few years ago I found LoL quite boring and was not motivated enough to finish the game. On the other hand Eye of the Beholder II is still enjoyable enough. I even played a well done EotBII mod for NWN.
Replaying both titles few years ago I found LoL quite boring and was not motivated enough to finish the game. On the other hand Eye of the Beholder II is still enjoyable enough. I even played a well done EotBII mod for NWN.
Melvil
Super Duper Super Sweet
Miracle Warriors for the Sega Master System, it came out around the same time that Phantasy Star did.
Ilmarin
Traveler
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Bard's Tale III on the C64 is the earliest one I can recall. I must have only been about 9 years old, and never got much further than Arboria if I recall correctly... but at that age, the scope of the game seemed massive. I used to drool over spells like Gotterdamerung, knowing full well I probably didn't have the patience to get that far in the game.
Battletech was another one I kept coming back to on the Amiga... even though a short game once you figured everything out, it always kept you in suspense, as though you were a part of some epic story. We could do with more RPGs set in the BattleTech universe... maybe even an MMORPG.
And lastly, Legend (a.k.a. The Four Crystals of Trazere)... my brother and I were smitten by the demo, and then had a hell of a time getting our hands on a working copy of the full game, but boy was it worth it. Sequel aside, it was a unique game from a golden era, and we'll probably never see another one like it.
Sometimes I wonder how today's youth see today's RPGs. Have RPGs really become any less epic and challenging, or have I just grown old and grumpy. Methinks it's a bit of both.
Battletech was another one I kept coming back to on the Amiga... even though a short game once you figured everything out, it always kept you in suspense, as though you were a part of some epic story. We could do with more RPGs set in the BattleTech universe... maybe even an MMORPG.
And lastly, Legend (a.k.a. The Four Crystals of Trazere)... my brother and I were smitten by the demo, and then had a hell of a time getting our hands on a working copy of the full game, but boy was it worth it. Sequel aside, it was a unique game from a golden era, and we'll probably never see another one like it.
Sometimes I wonder how today's youth see today's RPGs. Have RPGs really become any less epic and challenging, or have I just grown old and grumpy. Methinks it's a bit of both.
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azraelck
Angel of Cookies!
Another one that I believe is largely forgotten but was pretty good was a game called the Summoning. By Event Horizon & SSI IIRC.
The entire thing was done in a isometric view, and had real time combat and puzzle solving, with a emphasis on the latter. I still have not gotten past the teleport maze.
While simple, it was still very fun. The only real issue is that the levels were lightly populated, and once you killed things, they stayed dead. So it seemed very empty, relative to similar games like Ultima 6. It is the sequel to the game Dark Spyre, but it's not required that you ever played that to get this game.
The same engine was used from Dusk of the Gods (which I recently got but haven't played) and Veil of Darkness, which is a horror themed adventure more than an RPG. Veil has a great atmosphere, and great writing IMO, and doesn't suffer from the same faults mentioned against The Summoning.
The entire thing was done in a isometric view, and had real time combat and puzzle solving, with a emphasis on the latter. I still have not gotten past the teleport maze.
While simple, it was still very fun. The only real issue is that the levels were lightly populated, and once you killed things, they stayed dead. So it seemed very empty, relative to similar games like Ultima 6. It is the sequel to the game Dark Spyre, but it's not required that you ever played that to get this game.
The same engine was used from Dusk of the Gods (which I recently got but haven't played) and Veil of Darkness, which is a horror themed adventure more than an RPG. Veil has a great atmosphere, and great writing IMO, and doesn't suffer from the same faults mentioned against The Summoning.
I don't suppose the Atari 2600 "Adventure" game counts, does it?
The earliest computer RPGs I can recall playing were the Ultima series (I think, but am not sure, that I played 2 first), Wizardry 1, and Zork, if that counts, all on the Apple II+.
The earliest computer RPGs I can recall playing were the Ultima series (I think, but am not sure, that I played 2 first), Wizardry 1, and Zork, if that counts, all on the Apple II+.
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Sir Markus
Keeper of the Watch
Speaking of clue books, does anybody remember 'Invisiclues' they were Infocom clue books that came with a magic marker?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InvisiClues
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/InvisiClues
skavenhorde
Little BRO Rat
I might have bought one of those. I definitely remember having a marker come with some cluebook.
The ones I bought the most of were those sierra cluebooks that had the answers covered with red dots and you had to use a clear red plastic sheet to see the answers.
The ones I bought the most of were those sierra cluebooks that had the answers covered with red dots and you had to use a clear red plastic sheet to see the answers.
JemyM
Okay, now roll sanity.
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Before Avernum, before Exile, I played a game known as Realmz. When I had an Amiga I ran a Macintosh Emulator and this is one of the games I played.
Realmz is a hardcore RPG that was released by fantasoft (that also originally released Exile that is now more known as a spiderweb software game). It features similar graphics and similar gameplay, featuring party and turnbased combat.
Realmz is a hardcore RPG that was released by fantasoft (that also originally released Exile that is now more known as a spiderweb software game). It features similar graphics and similar gameplay, featuring party and turnbased combat.
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azraelck
Angel of Cookies!
I think Sierra also used those red dot lens things for copy right protection. I know I've got a couple of old Sierra adventure games that I now can't play because I've lost the thing, and in one case, the manual too.
So I found a used copy of Phantasy Star Collection for the GBA for $5 and playing Phantasy Star for the first time in like 20 years!!!
Why can't they make games like this anymore where you could get your behind whooped right at the first battle?
Reminds me how sick I am of the difficulty level of most console RPGs these days (actually going back to most SNES RPGs but it really got silly with the PSone games).
Seems like battles are put in most games JUST for the sake of leveling. No chance of death at all. Or even really crippling status ailments either since there's always a ton of potions or money to buy them with.
Anyway, graphics still look as lush as I remember them - compared to the RPGs of its day (Dragon Warrior & Final Fantasy) this game is a work of art. So colorful and well detailed (love when you walk up to an NPC and it zooms to a FP perspective).
Sega needs to bring this series back!!!! Phantasy Star V where are you????
Why can't they make games like this anymore where you could get your behind whooped right at the first battle?
Reminds me how sick I am of the difficulty level of most console RPGs these days (actually going back to most SNES RPGs but it really got silly with the PSone games).
Seems like battles are put in most games JUST for the sake of leveling. No chance of death at all. Or even really crippling status ailments either since there's always a ton of potions or money to buy them with.
Anyway, graphics still look as lush as I remember them - compared to the RPGs of its day (Dragon Warrior & Final Fantasy) this game is a work of art. So colorful and well detailed (love when you walk up to an NPC and it zooms to a FP perspective).
Sega needs to bring this series back!!!! Phantasy Star V where are you????
azraelck
Angel of Cookies!
I'd be wary of SEGA doing anything with Phantasy Star again. Look at the bang up job the did with Sonic, their mascot. Or try, Shadow the Hedgehog: Halo 0.
Hmm... I guess I mention some old german relics:
Verlies (the only screenshots I was able to find):
http://www.c64games.de/phpseiten/spieledetail.php?filnummer=2146&screenshot=1
Die dunkle Dimension (The first RPG I finished)
http://www.die-dunkle-dimension.de/p-ddd64.htm
Verlies (the only screenshots I was able to find):
http://www.c64games.de/phpseiten/spieledetail.php?filnummer=2146&screenshot=1
Die dunkle Dimension (The first RPG I finished)
http://www.die-dunkle-dimension.de/p-ddd64.htm
Well, I wouldn't think they'd get the Sonic team to design a new Phantasy Star game.
The team that made Skies Of Arcadia did a great job on that game (lead Phantasy Star designer was on that team I believe) - they could get them.
Also, didn't Valkyria Chronicles get good reviews?
I've only played the first few hours of Skies Of Arcadia ( I have the Gamecube version), but I didn't think it compares to Phantasy Star at all. I would love to see a direct sequel to the old Phantasy Star series, but I'm not holding my breath.