/vr/ - Retro Games

[Anonymous No.4250439]

/vr/ I fucking love old RPGs where you simply pick a team of random guys only represented by their job classes and then simply go on a fucking adventure where the emphasis is on exploring the game's world in non-linearish manner instead of the focus being on 2deep4u storylines, endless cutscenes or unbearably bad romance subplots.

I have already played and enjoyed the following:
100 World Story
AD&D Pool of Radiance
Chaos World
Dragon Quest III
Final Fantasy 1, 3 and 5
Sugoro Quest
Swords and Serpents
Ultima III
Ultima IV
Wizardry 1, 2, 3, 5

I'm sure I'm forgetting some games but you should get the idea of what kind of games I'm looking for with these. While I like dungeon crawlers that are based on this concept what I'd really like to find is a new, "normal RPG" that is like Final Fantasy 1 or Dragon Quest 3.

One more thing: I have mostly played these (and other games) on NES, SNES and PC all my live but I have also been looking for Sega's offerings lately and have found many games I have missed on before. Do any RPGs on Sega's side play like the aforementioned games?

[Anonymous No.4250461]

>>4250439
Shadowrun for the Genesis seems to be the closest to what you're looking for. It's non linear, exploration focused, most of its content is optional in some firm, and you do gather a team of people based mostly on their classes, although they do have backstories if you ask them about it. Definitely worth a go.

[Anonymous No.4250483]

>>4250439
SaGa 1 and 2

The Romancing SaGa and Frontier games have no character creation or classes (Frontier has races), but they also fit the "simply go on a fucking adventure where the emphasis is on exploring the game's world in non-linearish manner instead of the focus being on 2deep4u storylines, endless cutscenes or unbearably bad romance subplots." part.

[Anonymous No.4250615]

If you want more Wizardry the Wizardry Gaiden series may be for you.

[Anonymous No.4251521]

>>4250439
If you like that style of game but aren't married to only old titles, Etrian Odyssey series is fantastic and balls to the wall.

[Anonymous No.4251542]

>>4251521
Came here to suggest this. It may not be retro but it's damn good.

[Anonymous No.4251779]

>>4250439
Romancing saga you can pick who will join your party and customize characters (skills, equipment, magics)

[Anonymous No.4251901]

>>4250439
I'd suggest Might&Magic, and start with 1 or 3. You could give Darklands a go, too.

Old Sega consoles suffer from an RPG drought. Besides >>4250461 and the mediocre Warriors of the Eternal Sun, I can't think of exclusive games with party creation.
Still, the first two Phantasy Star are very light on story and allow exploration.

[Anonymous No.4252293]

>>4251542
The one bad thing about it is that every other rpg I've tried is now boring by comparison. Even SMT: Strange Journey and IV felt so easy I dropped them mid way. It's really a shame because as much as I love the gameplay, the moe character designs aren't really my thing. I'd love a similar game in a different setting again.

[Anonymous No.4252302]

>>4250439
>skipping wizardry 4

Lad...

[Anonymous No.4252354]

Sorcerian is an interesting take on this.

[Anonymous No.4252385]

>where the emphasis is on exploring the game's world in non-linearish manner instead of the focus being on 2deep4u storylines, endless cutscenes or unbearably bad romance subplots.
This, the jrpg genre died when they started shoving a shitty story down the players throat. Japs can't write.

[Anonymous No.4252387]

>>4251521
>starts the first etrian
>my party gets slaughtered
>have no money to rest at the inn
>somehow I'm in this unwinnable situation where I can't even rest or kill anything because I can't heal

I don't want to shit on the game, I'd really rather think there was something wrong in my time but... one thing is being hard and the other is not wanting people to play your game.

I didn't hate it tho, I was just bummered.

[Anonymous No.4252389]

>>4252387
>time
I meant team

[Anonymous No.4252396]

for NES there are also STED, Sweet Home, Radia Senki, Mahjong Taisen (similar to Sugoro Quest, but more like an RPG and an addictive battle system - still not translated), Sansara Naga, Megami Tensei, Last Armageddon, Silva Saga
give FFII a shot as well

[Anonymous No.4252434]

>>4252387
You probably tried to delve too far into the dungeon on your first go. It's the sort of game where you have to go in, fight a little bit and then retreat to heal. But you hopefully gained a little XP or found an item or some money, the next time you go in you can push a little further.

It is very easy to die, but to me that's the fun. There are actually stakes, and I have to think about every battle I get into, not just have everyone attack. Then just as you've figured out how to deal with one type of craziness like an enemy that hits you with poison so strong it will kill a party member in a round or two, you run into something even nastier. Like an enemy that hits your whole party for that much poison etc.

I get they're not for everyone, but it's exactly what I want out of one of these games. I don't play them for character, story or anything like that, it's all about the game aspect.

[Anonymous No.4252698]

>>4252387
you can recruit new people at any time if your main party is too fucked and you're broke
shit, I remember doing dumb shit like recruiting people, taking all their basic gear, selling it off, and then firing them at one point

[Anonymous No.4253020]

>>4252354
I thought about bringing up Sorcerian, but I think everything in OP's list is turn-based

[Anonymous No.4253375]

>>4250439
>Do any RPGs on Sega's side play like the aforementioned games?
Try Phantasy Star 1 (retranslation). The party is preset but god damn is it an adventure like no other. 3 non-linear planets to explore, full of dungeons like this. For context, this game came out about a week before Final Fantasy 1 and looks better than any other 8-bit RPG and quite a few 16-bit ones. You're doing yourself a disservice by not having played it!

Here's the patch for the retranslation with FM sound. This is the version you want to play, not the rubbish original release with the removed FM sound.
>http://www.smspower.org/Translations/PhantasyStar-SMS-EN

[Anonymous No.4253485]

>>4253375
Seconding this with gusto! It's an amazing game. Original is worth it too.

[Anonymous No.4253642]

been looking for games like these as well so hope this thread helps us
>>4250439
If you love the pre-6 Wiz with all it's goofiness and insane difficulty but need a good aethetic change, i'd wholeheartedly recommend The Dark Spire. it's not really /vr/ but it does the job so much better than most that try that it even got down it's nuances nigh correctly. There is even a wireframe option complete with 8-bit chiptunes if the gameplay does not feel old enough for you

[Anonymous No.4253748]

>>4250439
Dude, grab a game boy and Final Fantasy Legend 1 & 2. 1 especially.

My current party is two humans, a mutant, and a monster. The humans only increase stats and hp by buying and drinking potions, the mutant just gains and loses powers at random, and the monster eats other monsters then changes into a different type of monster. You can get monsters into the max tier fairly early on if you follow a guide, but overall it's just a fun game.

>>4250483
yeah, this.

[Anonymous No.4253765]

>>4250439
Darksun 1 and 2 for DOS

[Anonymous No.4254445]

>>4253748
>>4250483
Seconded. Just started a new playthrough of this as well. Going with 1 mutant and 3 monsters for a bit if a pokefeel this time.

[Anonymous No.4256372]

>>4253642
>i'd wholeheartedly recommend The Dark Spire
Wholeheartedly seconded