"One to be born from a dragon..." -- Let's Play Final Fantasy II

It's an RPG if it's similar enough in at least a handful of ways to all these other games we call RPGs.

I believe you mean X.

On a related note, I'm suddenly tempted to open up my Dreamcast and 360 controllers and move some button caps around. Of course that would make for way too much added difficulty in the Shenmue games.

It's either this or hilarious Photoshops, and you cats done got lazy.

By the way, I'm already hard at work on the next update. I told you all I was good for it!

This is the definition I use.

Why are we focusing on these debates about FF vs DQ and grind vs no-grind!? We need to focus on more important topics - like the fact that you can get
Mindflayer Zoidberg summoning magic!

Speaking of talismans I think part of me wants to cast turn undead on this debate.

I feel the same about calling anime Japanimation.

I've always thought of RPGs as games where there is some kind of menu between you and hitting something.

Okay I posed the question as kind of a joke, to make mock of this silly argument the internet seems to have over and over again, the whole point being there is kind of no way to define the nebulous genre we call "RPGs".

But no, I think you've done it. I really think this is it.

Someone Photoshop this man a medal.

FFXIII on the 360 uses Y for the status menu, and X for the map screen.

I don't think I've played any RPGs that use X for the status menu. Enlighten me?

Hence why I want an official goddamn English (re)release.

DQ9, DQ6, Chrono Trigger--just to name a few of the DS games I have next to me here.

That's fine. I'm just missing the part where "buy an import copy, and then play the English patch on a flashcart" doesn't satisfy your needs, with the added benefit of being guaranteed to work (unlike waiting for an official English release). Do you have some kind of moral objection to flashcarts (and VCRs and CD burners and ...)?

I should really drop this, but there is just a huge gulf between your premises and your conclusions, and I want to know what (if anything) fits in the middle there.

Edit: Also, I can't believe how many of you/us fell into Brickroad's trap. Clearly this thread is a puzzle boss, and only on-topic conversation does any damage. Every thread derail just gives Brickroad time to heal up.

Also, in this metaphor Photoshopped screenshots are critical hits.

I seeeeee.

...Oh hey, the X button is the top for the DS? Woah. (Shows how much I pay attention to my controller configurations...)

We seriously need a name for the button positions on a controller. This whole "Triangle/Y/X to do this" nonsense feels outdated considering how long games have been around. I demand standards, dammit!

Well, unlike some people, we prefer to fight this boss the way the devs intended rather than resort to munchkin gamebreaking tactics.

I really don't get why it's offensive to refer to them as Japanese role-playing games. It's a style of game that by and large originated in Japan and is most popular to develop there. Why would referring to the country of origin be deemed offensive, exactly? Isn't that a bit like getting upset about referring to "American football" instead of just "football"?

I certainly hope it's not that old "Nippon/Nihon vs. Japan" debate again... Countries get called different things in different languages. Japan's hardly the only country that's gotten a re-name in English.

I'm also curious about this. I never even considered the idea that someone could find "JRPG" offensive. To me, that's very much like finding "Egyptian cotton" or "Canadian bacon" offensive.

Stupid, irrational morals. I know it's stupid, but if I don't adhere to my labyrinthine sense of honor I feel like a bad person.

Also, I don't know why Nintendo doesn't want my money, since I'd be happy to give it.

This definition falls apart unless you consider roguelikes to not be RPGs.

i dont consider roguelikes to be rpgs. they're action games.

I find "Canadian bacon" mildly offensive, mostly because I have no idea why the f*ck you guys started calling it that. Canadians eat the same bacon as Americans, generally (in my experience). It'd be like if we started calling burgers "American sandwiches". Yes, you guys have burgers in America, but you eat plenty of sammiches too?

canadian bacon is actually cut thicker than american bacon, and has some other properties which make it a distinct food item.

Yes, but I think the point is that bacon from Canada, which isn't exactly the same as bacon from America, is still not "Canadian Bacon" (i.e. ham).

It's like English muffins, which are pretty much unknown in England.

Or the French Horn, which is German.

This just in: language is full of historical oddities and stupidities! More at 11!

An "English muffin" is basically a poor replica of a crumpet. Pretty much the only place to prefer it over a crumpet is when making Eggs Benedict. Which, coincidentally enough, is the main place you'll encounter so-called "Canadian bacon" in the US.

If hollandaise sauce isn't from Holland I think we may have a trifecta.

French fries are Belgian.

ANYWAY

Hey Brickroad, are you going to get all of the optional summons?

Wrong french.

French - Verb
french (third-person singular simple present frenches, present participle frenching, simple past and past participle frenched)

1. (transitive) To prepare food by cutting it into strips. . . . did you miss the part where Rydia's dead, you heartless monster. Do you have to rub it in?

What about French bread?

And what about sauce vs. salsa?

(runs away)

I am totally going to start calling burgers "American sandwiches."

That depends.

Are you guys going to dump obscene amounts of money into my PayPal account?

Now to define action RPGs.

Hopefully Nintendo Power makes a walkthrough for this!

QFT

I think it also excludes Baldur's Gate &co, which are kind of hard to exclude from RPGness.