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{{Wikipedia}} {{Decadebox}} {{VG History}} ====Origins (early 1980s)==== [[File:YAMAYAMA.JPG|thumb|250px|[[Yamaha]] YIS503II [[MSX]] Personal Computer ]] While the Japanese [[video game industry]] has long been viewed as [[Video game console|console]]-centric in the Western world, due to the worldwide success of Japanese consoles beginning with the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], the country had in fact produced thousands of commercial [[personal computer game]]s from the late 1970s up until the mid-1990s, in addition to ''[[dōjin soft]]'' [[Independent video game development|independent games]]. The country's computer market was very fragmented at first; ''[[Lode Runner]]'', for example, reportedly required 34 conversions to different hardware platforms.<ref>{{Cite news | title=Titans of the Computer Gaming World / MicroProse | work=Computer Gaming World | date=November 1987 | author=Brooks, M. Evan | page=16}}</ref> The market eventually became dominated by the [[NEC PC-8801]] and [[NEC PC-9801|PC-9801]], though with some competition from the [[Sharp X1]] and [[Sharp X68000|X68000]]; [[FM-7]] and [[FM Towns]]; and [[MSX]] and [[MSX2]]. A key difference between Western and Japanese systems at the time was the latter's higher [[display resolution]]s (640x400) in order to accommodate [[Japanese writing system|Japanese text]] which in turn influenced game design. Japanese computers also employed Yamaha [[Frequency modulation synthesis|FM synthesis]] [[Sound card|sound boards]] since the early 1980s, allowing video game music composers such as [[Yuzo Koshiro]] to produce highly regarded [[chiptune]] music for RPG companies such as Nihon Falcom. Due to hardware differences, only a small portion of Japanese computer games were released in North America, as ports to either consoles (like the NES or [[Mega Drive|Genesis]]) or American PC platforms (like [[MS-DOS]]).<ref name="retro_computers">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers.htm|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier|author=John Szczepaniak|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-29}} Reprinted from {{Citation|title=Retro Gamer''|issue=67|year=2009|title-link=Retro Gamer}}</ref> The ''[[Wizardry]]'' series (translated by [[ASCII Entertainment]]) became popular and influential in Japan, even more so than at home.<ref name="maher20140625">{{Cite web | url=http://www.filfre.net/2014/06/of-wizards-and-bards/ | title=Of Wizards and Bards | work=The Digital Antiquarian | date=2014-06-25 | accessdate=11 July 2014 | author=Maher, Jimmy}}</ref> Early Japanese RPGs were also influenced by [[visual novel]] [[adventure game]]s, which were developed by companies such as [[Enix]], [[Square (video game company)|Square]], [[Nihon Falcom]] and [[Koei]] before they moved onto developing RPGs.<ref name="retro_computers"/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Extra Credits: Western & Japanese RPGs (Part 1)|url=http://extra-credits.net/episodes/western-japanese-rpgs-part-1/|work=[[Extra Credits]]|publisher=[[Penny Arcade]]|accessdate=5 April 2012|date=March 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120420162523/http://extra-credits.net/episodes/western-japanese-rpgs-part-1/|archivedate=20 April 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> In the 1980s, Japanese developers produced a diverse array of creative, experimental computer RPGs, prior to mainstream titles such as ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' eventually cementing genre tropes by the 1990s.<ref>John Szczepaniak, [http://www.kinephanos.ca/2015/history-of-japanese-video-games/ History of Japanese Video Games], ''Kinephanos'', ISSN 1916-985X</ref> Japan's earliest RPGs were released in 1982. The earliest was [[Koei]]'s ''Underground Exploration'', released in March 1982.<ref name="gamasutra">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/FelipePepe/20161010/282896/19821987__The_Birth_of_Japanese_RPGs_retold_in_15_Games.php|title=1982-1987 - The Birth of Japanese RPGs, re-told in 15 Games|website=www.gamasutra.com}}</ref> It was followed by [[Pony Canyon]]'s ''Spy Daisakusen'', released in April 1982; based on the ''[[Mission: Impossible (1966 TV series)|Mission: Impossible]]'' franchise, it replaced the traditional [[fantasy]] setting with a modern [[Stealth game|espionage]] setting.<ref name="gamasutra"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2013/04/dark-age-of-jrpgs-2-some-games-we.html|title=Hardcore Gaming 101 – Blog: Dark Age of JRPGs (2): Some games we cannot play|work=hardcoregaming101.net}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://fm-7.com/museum/softhouse/ponyca/540200300.html|title=Oh!FM-7:スパイ大作戦(ポニカ)|author=Laver|work=fm-7.com}}</ref> It was then followed by Koei's ''The Dragon and Princess'' (ドラゴン&プリンセス) for the [[PC-8000 Series|PC-8001]] in 1982; it featured [[adventure game]] elements and revolved around rescuing a kidnapped princess.<ref name="oh_fm7">{{Cite web|title=ランダム・アクセス・メモ|url=http://www.retropc.net/fm-7/random_access_memo/04.html|work=[[:jp:Oh!FM|Oh! FM-7]]|accessdate=19 September 2011|page=4|date=4 August 2001}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.retropc.net%2Ffm-7%2Frandom_access_memo%2F04.html&act=url Translation])</ref> Following a [[random encounter]], the game transitions from a [[text adventure]] interface to a separate, graphical, overhead battle screen, where a [[Tactical role-playing game|tactical]] [[Turn-based tactics|turn-based]] combat system is used.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2013/04/dark-age-of-jrpgs-dragon-princess-1982.html|title=Hardcore Gaming 101 – Blog: Dark Age of JRPGs (1): The Dragon & Princess (1982)|work=hardcoregaming101.net}}</ref> Also in 1982,<ref name="Pesimo"/> Koei released another early Japanese RPG, ''Danchizuma no Yuwaku''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Danchizuma no Yuuwaku|publisher=Legendra|url=http://www.legendra.com/rpg/fiche-rpg_id-3276-rpg-danchizuma_no_yuuwaku.html#fichesr_33_3276|accessdate=2011-03-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713195411/http://www.legendra.com/rpg/fiche-rpg_id-3276-rpg-danchizuma_no_yuuwaku.html#fichesr_33_3276|archive-date=13 July 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Danchi-zuma no Yuuwaku|website=[[GameSpot]]|url=http://www.gamespot.com/fm7/rpg/danchizumanoyuuwaku/index.html|accessdate=2011-03-16}}</ref> (''Seduction of the Condominium Wife''),<ref name="Pesimo"/> a PC-8001 title that also featured adventure game elements in addition to ''[[eroge]]'' [[Adult video game|adult content]].<ref name="Pesimo">{{Cite book|author=Pesimo, Rudyard Contretas|chapter='Asianizing' Animation in Asia: Digital Content Identity Construction Within the Animation Landscapes of Japan and Thailand|title=Reflections on the Human Condition: Change, Conflict and Modernity – The Work of the 2004/2005 API Fellows|year=2007|publisher=The Nippon Foundation|pages=124–160|chapterurl=http://www.apimal.org/blogcms/media/13/File/Pesimo.pdf}}</ref> These early experimental Japanese RPGs from 1982 are considered "proto-JRPGs" and predated the arrival of ''Wizardry'' and ''Ultima'' in Japan.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The forgotten origins of JRPGs on the PC|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-forgotten-origins-of-jrpgs-on-the-pc/|website=[[PC Gamer]]|date=April 15, 2017|language=en}}</ref> In June 1983, Koei released ''Sword & Sorcery'' (剣と魔法) for the PC-8001, and it also revolved around rescuing a princess in addition to killing a wizard.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sword & Sorcery|url=http://www.retropc.net/fm-7/museum/softhouse/koei/140001500.html|work=[[:jp:Oh!FM|Oh! FM-7]]|accessdate=20 September 2011}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.retropc.net%2Ffm-7%2Fmuseum%2Fsofthouse%2Fkoei%2F140001500.html&act=url Translation])</ref> That same year, Koei released ''Secrets of Khufu'' (クフ王の秘密), a [[dungeon crawl]] RPG that revolved around a search for the treasure of [[Khufu]].<ref name="oh_fm7"/> ASCII released its own RPG that year called ''Arfgaldt'' (アルフガルド), an FM-7 title also featuring adventure game elements.<ref name="oh_fm7"/> Also in 1983, [[Nihon Falcom]] released ''[[Panorama Toh]]'' (''Panorama Island'') for the [[PC-8801|PC-88]]. It was developed by Yoshio Kiya, who would go on to create the ''[[Dragon Slayer (series)|Dragon Slayer]]'' and ''[[Brandish (series)|Brandish]]'' series of action RPGs. While its RPG elements were limited, lacking traditional statistical or [[Experience level|leveling]] systems, the game featured [[Real-time game|real-time]] combat with a gun, bringing it close to the action RPG formula that Falcom would later be known for. The game's [[desert island]] [[overworld]] also featured a [[Persistent world|day-night cycle]], [[non-player character]]s the player could attack or [[Dialog tree|converse]] with, and the need to [[Survival horror|survive]] by finding and consuming rations to restore [[hit point]]s lost with each normal action.<ref>Sam Derboo (June 2, 2013), [http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2013/06/dark-age-of-jrpgs-6-panorama-toh-pc-88.html Dark Age of JRPGs (7): Panorama Toh ぱのらま島 – PC-88 (1983)], Hardcore Gaming 101</ref> [[File:Hydlide screenshot.png|right|thumb|250px|Screenshot of the original [[NEC PC-8801]] version of ''[[Hydlide]]'' (1984), an early [[open world]] [[action role-playing game]].]] The trend of combining role-playing elements with arcade-style action mechanics was popularized by ''[[The Tower of Druaga]]'',<ref name="1up_parish">{{Cite web|title=What Happened to the Action RPG? |author=Jeremy Parish |website=[[1UP.com|1UP]] |year=2012 |url=http://www.1up.com/features/what-happened-action-rpg.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150112012702/http://www.1up.com/features/what-happened-action-rpg.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-01-12 |accessdate=2015-01-14 }}</ref> an [[arcade game]] released by [[Namco]] in June 1984. While the RPG elements in ''Druaga'' were very subtle, its success in Japan inspired the near-simultaneous development of three early [[action role-playing game]]s, combining ''Druaga''{{'}}s real-time [[hack-and-slash]] gameplay with stronger RPG mechanics, all released in late 1984: ''[[Dragon Slayer (video game)|Dragon Slayer]]'', ''Courageous Perseus'', and ''[[Hydlide]]''. A rivalry developed between the three games, with ''Dragon Slayer'' and ''Hydlide'' continuing their rivalry through subsequent sequels.<ref>John Szczepaniak (2016), ''The Untold History Of Japanese Game Developers, Volume 2'', pages 38–49</ref> [[Nihon Falcom]]'s ''[[Dragon Slayer (video game)|Dragon Slayer]]'', released in 1984, is a historically significant title that helped lay the foundations for the Japanese role-playing game industry.<ref name="gtm_falcom">{{Cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM|Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|issue=111|pages=152–159 [153]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/32/yshistory02.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-07}} ([[cf.]] {{Cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=6 September 2011|date=8 July 2011}})</ref> It was a real-time hack & slash [[dungeon crawl]]er that is considered the first [[action role-playing game]].<ref name="4gamer_retro">{{Cite web|author=Kamada Shigeaki|url=http://www.4gamer.net/specials/retro/retro01.html|title=レトロゲーム配信サイトと配信タイトルのピックアップ紹介記事「懐かし (Retro)|work=4Gamer.net|year=2007|accessdate=2011-05-19}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.4gamer.net/specials/retro/retro01.html Translation])</ref><ref name="gamesetwatch_falcom">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2006/07/column_compilation_catalog_fal_1.php|title=Falcom Classics|publisher=GameSetWatch|date=12 July 2006|accessdate=2011-05-18}}</ref> ''Dragon Slayer'' was a major success in Japan,<ref name="kalata_xanadu"/> and contributed to the emergence of a distinct action role-playing game subgenre on Japanese computers during the mid-1980s, with Nihon Falcom at the forefront of this new subgenre.<ref name="1up_kat">{{Cite web|title=Hack and Slash: What Makes a Good Action RPG? |website=[[1UP.com]] |date=18 May 2010 |url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9030743 |accessdate=2011-03-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20110629035402/http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9030743 |archivedate=29 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> ''[[Hydlide]]'', an action RPG released for the PC-8801 in 1984 and the Famicom in 1986, was an early [[open world]] game,<ref name="kojima">{{Cite web|url=https://twitter.com/hideo_kojima_en/status/470783176634163200|title=Hideo Kojima Tweet|author=Hideo Kojima|publisher=[[Twitter]]|date=May 25, 2014|author-link=Hideo Kojima}}</ref> rewarding exploration in an open world environment.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Doke |first=Shunal |url=http://in.ign.com/india/82586/feature/ign-india-discusses-game-design-combat-in-open-world-games |title=IGN India discusses game design: Combat in open world games – IGNdia |publisher=In.ign.com |date=2015-11-03 |accessdate=2017-02-13}}</ref> It also added several innovations to the action RPG subgenre, including the ability to switch between attack mode and defense mode, quick [[Saved game|save]] and load options which can be done at any moment of the game through the use of [[Password (video games)|passwords]] as the primary back-up, and the introduction of a [[Health (gaming)#Recharging health|health regeneration]] mechanic where health and magic slowly regenerate when standing still, a feature also used in Falcom's ''Ys'' series from 1987 onwards.<ref name="kalata_hydlide">{{Cite web|title=Hydlide|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/hydlide/hydlide.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|last1=Kalata|first1=Kurt|last2=Greene|first2=Robert}}</ref> ''The Tower of Druaga'', ''Dragon Slayer'' and ''Hydlide'' were influential in Japan, where they laid the foundations for the action RPG genre, influencing titles such as ''[[Ys (series)|Ys]]'' and ''[[The Legend of Zelda]]''.<ref>John Szczepaniak (2016), ''The Untold History Of Japanese Game Developers, Volume 2'', page 38</ref><ref name="kalata_dragon_slayer">{{Cite web|last=Kalata |first=Kurt |title=Dragon Slayer |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dragonslayer/dragonslayer.htm |publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723142515/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dragonslayer/dragonslayer.htm |archivedate=23 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> Also in 1984, ''[[The Black Onyx]]'', developed by [[Blue Planet Software|Bullet-Proof Software]], led by [[Henk Rogers]], was released on the PC-8801 in Japan. It became one of the [[List of best-selling PC video games|best-selling computer games]] at the time and was voted [[Game of the Year]] by ''[[Enterbrain|Login]]'', the largest Japanese computer game magazine at the time. The game is thus credited for bringing wider attention to computer role-playing games in the country.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/making-japans-first-rpg |title=The Making Of... Japan's First RPG |publisher=Future Publishing Limited |work=Edge |date=6 March 2008 |accessdate=2 May 2011 |author=Edge Staff |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120125093639/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/making-japans-first-rpg |archivedate=25 January 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> In early 1984, ''Mugen no Shinzou'' (''Heart of Fantasy'') featured a large open world.<ref name="gamasutra"/> The [[cyberpunk]] RPG ''Psychic City'',<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/stargazer/stargazer.htm| title = Hoshi wo Miru Hito | author = Kurt Kalata | publisher = Hardcore Gaming 101| accessdate = 2009-08-10}}</ref> released by HOT・B for the FM-7<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/fm7/rpg/inthepsychiccity/index.html |website=[[GameSpot]] |title=In The Psychic City (FM7) |accessdate=2011-03-31 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110711132259/http://uk.gamespot.com/fm7/rpg/inthepsychiccity/index.html |archivedate=11 July 2011 }}</ref> and PC-8801 in 1984, departed from the [[fantasy]] theme common in other RPGs at the time (such as ''Hydlide'' and ''The Black Onyx'') in favour of a science fiction plot, set in a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] city devastated by [[World War III]] and where the protagonist fights using psychic/telepathic abilities. The game later served as the basis for the 1987 NES RPG ''Hoshi wo Miru Hito''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=プロジェクトEGG,「サイキックシティ」の販売を開始|work=4Gamer.net|date=4 October 2005 |url=http://www.4gamer.net/news/history/2005.10/20051004213658detail.html|accessdate=2011-03-31}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.4gamer.net/news/history/2005.10/20051004213658detail.html Translation])</ref> ''Dragon Slayer'''s success led to a 1985 sequel ''[[Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu]]'',<ref name="kalata_xanadu"/> which became the best-selling PC game in Japan.<ref name="falcom_xanadu"/> It was a full-fledged RPG with character stats and a large quest,<ref name="falcom_xanadu"/> with action-based combat setting it apart from other RPGs,<ref name="1up_kat"/> including both melee combat and projectile magic attacks,<ref name="kalata_xanadu"/> while incorporating a [[Side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] [[platform game]] view during exploration and an overhead view during battle.<ref name="kalata_xanadu">{{Cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Xanadu|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/xanadu/xanadu.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101}}</ref> ''Xanadu'' also featured innovative gameplay mechanics such as individual experience for equipped items,<ref name="falcom_xanadu">{{Cite web |url=http://www.falcom.co.jp/xanadu_next/xanadu/xanadu.html|title=Xanadu Next home page|accessdate=2008-09-08 }} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.falcom.co.jp%2Fxanadu_next%2Fxanadu%2Fxanadu.html Translation])</ref> and an early [[Karma]] morality system, where the [[player character]]'s Karma meter will rise if he commits sin which in turn affects the temple's reaction to him.<ref name="gamesetwatch_falcom"/><ref name="falcom_xanadu"/> It is also considered a "proto-[[Metroidvania]]" game,<ref name="1up_metroidvania">{{Cite web|author=Jeremy Parish|title=Metroidvania|work=GameSpite.net|url=http://www.gamespite.net/toastywiki/index.php/Games/Metroidvania|accessdate=2011-03-25}}</ref> due to being an "RPG turned on its side" that allowed players to run, jump, collect, and explore.<ref>{{Cite web|title=8-Bit Cafe: The Shadow Complex Origin Story |author=Jeremy Parish |date=18 August 2009 |website=[[1UP.com]] |url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9001783 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120620044739/http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=9001783 |url-status=dead |archive-date=20 June 2012 |accessdate=2011-03-25 }}</ref> The way the [[Dragon Slayer (series)|''Dragon Slayer'' series]] reworked the entire game system of each installment was an influence on ''Final Fantasy'', which would do the same for each of its installments.<ref name="gama_20ess_13">{{Harvnb|Harris|2009|p=13|Ref=gama_20ess}}</ref> According to ''[[GamesTM|Games<sup>TM</sup>]]'' and John Szczepaniak (of ''[[Retro Gamer]]'' and ''[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]''), [[Enix]]'s ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' was also influenced by ''Dragon Slayer'' and in turn defined many other RPGs.<ref name="gtm_falcom"/> Falcom would soon become one of the three most important Japanese role-playing game developers in the 1980s, alongside Enix and Square,<ref name="gtm_falcom"/> both of which were influenced by Falcom.<ref name="gtm_falcom"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4066/game_design_essentials_20_rpgs.php?page=13 |author=John Harris |title=Game Design Essentials: 20 RPGs – Dragon Slayer |website=[[Gamasutra]] |page=13 |date=2 July 2009 |accessdate=2011-03-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111012154920/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4066/game_design_essentials_20_rpgs.php?page=13 |archivedate=12 October 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> ''[[Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness]]'' in 1985 featured an early morality meter, where the player can be [[Alignment (role-playing games)|aligned]] with justice, normal, or evil, which is affected by whether the player kills evil monsters, good monsters, or humans, and in turn affects the reactions of the townsfolk towards the player.<ref name="kalata_hydlide"/> Magical Zoo's ''The Screamer'', released for the PC-8801 in 1985, was an early example of a real-time [[Role-playing shooters|shooter-based RPG]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} Set after [[World War III]], the game also featured elements of post-apocalyptic science fiction as well as cyberpunk and [[Survival horror|bio-horror]] themes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.4gamer.net/news/history/2006.12/20061226145948detail.html|title=The Screamer|work=4Gamer.net|date=26 December 2006|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.4gamer.net%2Fnews%2Fhistory%2F2006.12%2F20061226145948detail.html&sl=ja&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation])</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Screamer Fiche RPG|url=http://www.legendra.com/rpg/fiche-rpg_id-3174-rpg-the_screamer.html#fichesr_33_3174|publisher=Legendra.com|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> [[Square (video game company)|Square]] also released their first RPG that same year, which was an early futuristic sci-fi RPG for the PC-8801,<ref name="retro_3"/> ''Genesis: Beyond The Revelation'',<ref>{{Cite journal| journal = [[Retro Gamer]]| publisher = [[Imagine Publishing]]| title = Before They Were Famouos| issue = 35| page = 76|first = John| last = Szczepaniak | url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/595/before-they-were-famous?o=3#listing | accessdate=2011-03-16}}{{Dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}</ref> featuring a post-apocalyptic setting.<ref name="retro_3">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers3.htm|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier|page=3|author=John Szczepaniak|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-29}} Reprinted from {{Citation|title=Retro Gamer''|issue=67|year=2009|title-link=Retro Gamer}}</ref> Other sci-fi RPGs released in 1985 include ''[[The Earth Fighter Rayieza]]'' by [[Enix]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=Chikyuu Senshi Raīza |url=http://www.legendra.org/rpg/fiche-rpg_id-3204-supports_id-33-so-fiche.html |publisher=Legendra.org |accessdate=15 May 2011 }}{{Dead link|date=April 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and [[Kogado Studio]]'s [[MSX]] game ''[[Cosmic Soldier (MSX)|Cosmic Soldier]]'', which introduced an early [[Dialog tree|dialogue conversation]] system, where the player can recruit allies by talking to them, choose whether to kill or spare an enemy, and engage enemies in conversation, similar to the later more famous ''[[Megami Tensei]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Yamaarashi|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Psychic War|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/psychicwar/psychicwar.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> ====Golden Age (late 1980s–early 1990s)==== The late 1980s to early 1990s is considered the golden age of Japanese computer gaming, which would flourish until its decline around the mid-1990s, as consoles eventually dominated the Japanese market.<ref name="retro_3"/> A notable Japanese computer RPG from around this time was ''[[WiBArm]]'', the earliest known RPG to feature [[3D computer graphics|3D polygonal graphics]]. It was a 1986 role-playing shooter released by [[Arsys Software]] for the [[NEC PC-8801|PC-88]] in Japan and ported to [[MS-DOS]] for Western release by [[Brøderbund]]. In ''WiBArm'', the player controls a transformable [[mecha]] robot, switching between a [[2D computer graphics|2D]] [[Side-scrolling video game|side-scrolling]] view during outdoor exploration to a fully 3D polygonal [[Third-person (video games)|third-person]] perspective inside buildings, while bosses are fought in an arena-style 2D [[shoot 'em up]] battle. The game featured a variety of weapons and equipment as well as an [[automap]], and the player could upgrade equipment and earn experience to raise stats.<ref name=Retro>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers.htm|author=John Szczepaniak|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-07-28}} (Reprinted from ''[[Retro Gamer]]'', Issue 67, 2009)</ref><ref name="4gamer_wibarm">{{Cite web|url=http://www.4gamer.net/games/008/G000896/20080325040/|title=【リリース】プロジェクトEGGから3月25日に「ウィバーン」発売|publisher=4Gamer.net|accessdate=2011-03-05}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.4gamer.net/games/008/G000896/20080325040/ Translation])</ref> Unlike first-person RPGs at the time that were restricted to 90-degree movements, ''WiBArm's'' use of 3D polygons allowed full 360-degree movement.<ref name="4gamer_wibarm"/> Another 1986 release was Falcom's ''[[Xanadu Scenario II]]'', an early example of an [[expansion pack]].<ref name=Xanadu>{{Cite web|first=Kurt|last=Kalata |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/xanadu/xanadu.htm|title=Xanadu|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-09-07}}</ref> The game was [[Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]], allowing the eleven levels to be explored in any order.<ref name=Gifford>{{Cite web|first=Kevin |last=Gifford|title=Xanadu Scenario II|work=MagWeasel.com|date=3 June 2010|url=http://magweasel.com/2010/06/03/xanadu-scenario-ii-nihon-falcom-10186/|accessdate=2011-03-25}}</ref> ''[[Dragon Slayer Jr: Romancia]]'' simplified the RPG mechanics of ''Xanadu'', such as removing the character customization and simplifying the numerical statistics into icons, and emphasized faster-paced platform action, with a strict 30-minute time limit. The action took place entirely in a side-scrolling view rather than switching to a separate overhead combat screen like its predecessor. These changes ''Romancia'' more like a side-scrolling [[action-adventure game]].<ref name="gama_20ess_13"/><ref name="gsutra_20games"/><ref name=Romancia>Kurt Kalata, [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/romancia/romancia.htm Romancia], Hardcore Gaming 101</ref> Square's 1986 release, ''[[Cruise Chaser Blassty]]'', was a sci-fi RPG that had the player control a customizable [[mecha]] robot from a [[First-person (video games)|first-person]] view.<ref name="retro_3"/> That same year also saw the arcade release of the sequel to ''The Tower of Druaga'', ''[[The Return of Ishtar]]'',<ref name=Ishtar>{{KLOV game|9302|The Return of Ishtar}}</ref> an early action RPG<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/fm7/956894-the-return-of-ishtar/data|title=The Return of Ishtar Release Information for FM-7 - GameFAQs|website=gamefaqs.gamespot.com}}</ref> to feature two-player [[cooperative gameplay]],<ref name=Ishtar/> [[Dual analog control|dual-stick control]] in single player, a female protagonist, the first heroic couple in gaming, and the first [[Password (video games)|password]] save system in an arcade game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager_offset=0&cId=3135870|title=Dru Hill: The Chronicle of Druaga|date=1 January 2013|website=archive.is}}{{Dead link|date=April 2019|bot=medic}}</ref> In 1987, ''[[Legacy of the Wizard|Dragon Slayer IV: Drasle Family]]'' (''Legacy of the Wizard'') returned to the deeper action-RPG mechanics of ''Xanadu'' while maintaining the fully side-scrolling view of ''Romancia''.<ref name=Romancia/> It also featured an [[open world]] and [[non-linear gameplay]] similar to "[[Metroidvania]]" platform-adventures, making ''Drasle Family'' an early example of a non-linear, open-world action RPG.<ref name="gsutra_20games">{{Cite web | last = Harris | first = John | title = Game Design Essentials: 20 Open World Games | website = [[Gamasutra]] |date=26 September 2007 | url = http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1902/game_design_essentials_20_open_.php?page=11 | accessdate = 2008-07-25}}</ref> Another "[[Metroidvania]]" style open-world action RPG released that year was [[System Sacom]]'s [[Sharp X1]] computer game ''Euphory'', which was possibly the only Metroidvania-style [[multiplayer]] action RPG produced, allowing two-player cooperative gameplay.<ref name=Retro/> The fifth ''Dragon Slayer'' title, ''[[Sorcerian]]'', was also released in 1987. It was a party-based action RPG, with the player controlling a party of four characters at the same time in a side-scrolling view. The game also featured character creation, highly customizable characters, class-based puzzles, and a new scenario system, allowing players to choose which of 15 scenarios, or [[Quest (video games)|quests]], to play through in the order of their choice. It was also an [[episodic video game]], with expansion disks released soon after offering more scenarios.<ref>{{Cite web|first=Kurt |last=Kalata |url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dragonslayer/dragonslayer.htm |title=Dragon Slayer |website=Hardcore Gaming 101 |accessdate=2011-03-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110723142515/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dragonslayer/dragonslayer.htm |archivedate=23 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name=GameCola>[http://gamecola.net/2010/10/sorcerian-pc/ Sorcerian (PC)], ''GameCola.net'', 30 October 2010</ref> Falcom also released the [[Ys|first instalment]] of its popular, long-running [[Ys (series)|''Ys'' series]] in 1987. Besides Falcom's own ''Dragon Slayer'' series, ''Ys'' was also influenced by ''Hydlide'', from which it borrowed certain mechanics such as health-regeneration when standing still, a mechanic that has since become common in video games today.<ref name="gtm_falcom"/><ref name="kalata_hydlide"/> ''Ys'' was also a precursor to RPGs that emphasize storytelling,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ys Series|url=http://www.falcom.com/licence/character/ys_e.html|publisher=[[Nihon Falcom]] |accessdate=23 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203034546/http://www.falcom.com/licence/character/ys_e.html|archive-date=3 December 2013|url-status=dead |df=dmy-all}}</ref> and it is known for its 'bump attack' system, where the protagonist Adol automatically attacks when running into enemies off-center, making the game more accessible and the usually tedious [[Grinding (video games)|level-grinding]] task more swift and enjoyable for audiences at the time.<ref name="gtm_falcom_154">{{Cite journal |last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM|Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|issue=111 |pages=152–159 [154]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/844/yshistory03.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-08}} ([[cf.]] {{Cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=8 September 2011|date=8 July 2011}})</ref> The game also had what is considered to be one of the best and most influential [[video game music]] soundtracks of all time, composed by [[Yuzo Koshiro]] and Mieko Ishikawa.<ref name="gtm_falcom_154"/><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Ys |url=http://hardcoregaming101.net/ys/ys.htm|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=27 August 2015|date=February 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Interview with Yuzo Koshiro|date=February 2011|publisher=Square Enix Music Online|author=Chris Greening & Don Kotowski|url=http://www.squareenixmusic.com/features/interviews/yuzokoshiro.shtml |accessdate=2011-06-20}}</ref> In terms of the number of game releases, ''Ys'' is second only to ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' as the largest Eastern role-playing game franchise.<ref name="gtm_falcom_154"/> ''[[Hydlide 3: The Space Memories]]'', released for the [[MSX]] in 1987 and for the [[Mega Drive]] as ''[[Super Hydlide]]'' in 1989, adopted the morality meter of its predecessor, expanded on its time option with the introduction of an in-game clock setting day-night cycles and a need to sleep and eat, and made other improvements such as [[cut scene]]s for the opening and ending, a combat system closer to ''The Legend of Zelda'', the choice between four distinct character classes, a wider variety of equipment and spells, and a weight system affecting the player's movement depending on the overall weight of the equipment carried.<ref name="kalata_hydlide"/> That same year, [[Kogado Studio]]'s sci-fi RPG ''[[Cosmic Soldier (MSX)|Cosmic Soldier: Psychic War]]'' featured a unique "[[tug of war]]" style real-time combat system, where battles are a clash of energy between the party and the enemy, with the player needing to push the energy towards the enemy to strike them, while being able to use a shield to block or a suction ability to absorb the opponent's power. It also featured a unique non-linear conversation system, where the player can recruit allies by talking to them, choose whether to kill or spare an enemy, and engage enemies in conversation, similar to ''[[Megami Tensei]]''.<ref>Yamaarashi, [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/psychicwar/psychicwar.htm Cosmic Soldier], Hardcore Gaming 101</ref> Also in 1987, the [[survival horror]] game ''[[Shiryou Sensen: War of the Dead]]'', an [[MSX2]] title developed by Fun Factory and published by [[Victor Entertainment|Victor Music Industries]], was the first true [[survival horror]] RPG.<ref name="Gifford-WOTD">Kevin Gifford, [http://magweasel.com/2009/11/10/i-love-the-pc-engine-shiryou-sensen-war-of-the-dead/ Shiryō Sensen: War of the Dead], ''Magweasel.com'', 10 November 2009</ref><ref name=Szczepaniak>John Szczepaniak, [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wotd/wotd.htm War of the Dead], Hardcore Gaming 101, 15 January 2011</ref> Designed by Katsuya Iwamoto, the game revolved around a female [[SWAT]] member Lila rescuing survivors in an isolated monster-infested town and bringing them to safety in a church. It was [[Open world|open-ended]] like ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' and had [[Real-time game|real-time]] side-view battles like ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|Zelda II]]''. Unlike other RPGs at the time, however, the game had a dark and creepy atmosphere expressed through the story, graphics, and music,<ref name="Gifford-WOTD"/> while the gameplay used shooter-based combat and gave limited ammunition for each weapon, forcing the player to search for ammo and often run away from monsters in order to conserve ammo.<ref name=Szczepaniak/> That same year saw the release of ''[[Laplace no Ma]]'', another hybrid of survival horror and RPG, though with more traditional RPG elements such as [[turn-based]] combat. It was mostly set in a mansion infested with [[undead]] creatures, and the player controlled a party of several characters with different professions, including a scientist who constructs tools and a journalist who takes pictures.<ref>{{MobyGames|laplace-no-ma|name=Laplace no Ma}}</ref> [[File:Star Cruiser screenshot.jpg|thumb|right|250px|''[[Star Cruiser]]'' (1988), an early [[role-playing shooters|role-playing shooter]], combined [[first-person shooter]] and role-playing game elements along with [[3D computer graphics|3D polygon]] graphics.]] In 1988, Arsys Software's ''[[Star Cruiser]]'' was an innovative action RPG released for the PC-8801.<ref name="4gamer_sc"/> It was notable for being an early example of an RPG with fully 3D polygonal graphics,<ref name="4gamer_sc">{{Cite web|url=http://www.4gamer.net/games/008/G000896/20080428044/|title=スタークルーザー|work=4Gamer.net|date=28 April 2008|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.4gamer.net%2Fgames%2F008%2FG000896%2F20080428044%2F translation])</ref> combined with [[first-person shooter]] gameplay,<ref name="allgame_star_cruiser"/> which would occasionally switch to [[Space flight simulator game|space flight simulator]] gameplay when exploring outer space with [[six degrees of freedom]]. All the backgrounds, objects and opponents in the game were rendered in 3D polygons, many years before they were widely adopted by the [[video game industry]].<ref name="4gamer_sc"/> The game also emphasized storytelling, with plot twists and extensive character dialogues,<ref name="4gamer_sc"/> taking place in a futuristic science fiction setting.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Star Cruiser (X68000)|url=http://www.amusement-center.com/project/egg/cgi/ecatalog-detail.cgi?contcode=7&product_id=969|work=Project EGG|publisher=Amusement Center|accessdate=31 August 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130310102047/http://www.amusement-center.com/project/egg/cgi/ecatalog-detail.cgi?contcode=7&product_id=969 |archivedate=10 March 2013|year=2011}} [https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=ja&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amusement-center.com%2Fproject%2Fegg%2Fcgi%2Fecatalog-detail.cgi%3Fcontcode%3D7%26product_id%3D969 Alt URL]</ref> It won the 1988 [[Game of the Year]] awards from the Japanese [[video game journalism|computer game magazines]] ''[[POPCOM]]'' and ''[[:jp:Oh!X|Oh!X]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Corporate profile |url=http://www.cyberhead.co.jp/info.htm |publisher=Cyberhead |accessdate=30 August 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20011024203406/http://www.cyberhead.co.jp/info.htm |archivedate=24 October 2001 |url-status=dead}}</ref> ''Star Cruiser'' was later ported to the [[Mega Drive]] console in 1990.<ref name="allgame_star_cruiser">{{AllGame|16126|Star Cruiser}}</ref> Another 1988 release, ''[[Last Armageddon]]'', produced for the PC-8801 and later ported to the [[PC Engine CD]] and NES consoles in 1990, featured a unique post-apocalyptic storyline set in a desolate future where humanity has become extinct and the protagonists are demon monsters waging war against an alien species.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.4gamer.net/games/008/G000896/20080501044/|title=Last Armageddon |work=4Gamer.net|date=2 May 2008|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.4gamer.net%2Fgames%2F008%2FG000896%2F20080501044%2F&sl=ja&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation])</ref> ''The Scheme'', released by [[Quest Corporation|Bothtec]] for the [[PC-8801]] in 1988, was an action RPG with a similar side-scrolling [[Open world|open-world]] gameplay to ''[[Metroid]]''.<ref name=Retro/> That same year, ''[[Ys II]]'' introduced the unique ability to transform into a monster, which allows the player to both scare human [[non-player character]]s for unique dialogues as well as interact with all the monsters. This is a recurring highlight in the series, offering the player insight into the enemies.<ref name="gtm_falcom_154"/> Also that same year, ''War of the Dead Part 2'' for the MSX2 and PC-88 abandoned certain RPG elements of its predecessor, such as [[random encounter]]s, and instead adopted more action-adventure elements from ''[[Metal Gear (video game)|Metal Gear]]'' while retaining the horror atmosphere of its predecessor.<ref name=Szczepaniak/> 1988 also saw the debut of [[Telenet Japan]]'s ''[[Exile]]'', a series of action-platform RPGs,<ref>[http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/12/column_might_have_been_telenet.php 'Might Have Been' – Telenet Japan], GameSetWatch, 17 December 2007</ref> beginning with ''XZR: Idols of Apostate''. The series was controversial for its plot, which revolves around a time-travelling [[Crusades]]-era Syrian [[Order of Assassins|Islamic Assassin]] who assassinates various religious/historical figures as well as modern-day political leaders,<ref name="szczepaniak_exile">{{Cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/exile/exile.htm|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Exile / XZR|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|date=11 April 2009|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2009-08-10}}</ref> with similarities to the present-day ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' action game series.<ref>Leo Chan, [http://www.neoseeker.com/news/12552-sunsoft-scores-telenet-japan-franchises/ Sunsoft scores Telenet Japan franchises], Neoseeker, 10 December 2009</ref> The gameplay of ''Exile'' included both overhead exploration and side-scrolling combat, featured a [[Electrocardiography|heart monitor]] to represent the player's Attack Power and Armour Class statistics, and another controversial aspect of the game involved taking drugs (instead of potions) that increase/decrease attributes but with side-effects such as affecting the heart-rate or causing death.<ref name="szczepaniak_exile"/> An early attempt at incorporating a [[point-and-click]] interface in a real-time overhead action RPG was ''Silver Ghost'',<ref name="Silver-Ghost"/> a 1988 [[NEC PC-8801]] game by [[Kure Software Koubou]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.kure.sakura.ne.jp/8_works/game/2_sg.html|title=Silber Ghost|website=www.kure.sakura.ne.jp}}</ref> It was an action-[[Tactical role-playing game|strategy RPG]] where characters could be controlled using a cursor.<ref name="Silver-Ghost">{{Cite web|author=Kurt Kalata|date=4 February 2010|title=So What the Heck is Silver Ghost|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2010/02/so-what-heck-is-silver-ghost.html|accessdate=2011-04-02}}</ref> It was cited by [[Camelot Software Planning]]'s Hiroyuki Takahashi as inspiration for the ''[[Shining (series)|Shining]]'' series of tactical RPGs. According to Takahashi, ''Silver Ghost'' was "a simulation action type of game where you had to direct, oversee and command multiple characters."<ref name=GamesTM>[http://www.gamestm.co.uk/retro/behind-the-scenes-shining-force/ Behind The Scenes – Shining Force], ''[[GamesTM]]''</ref> Unlike later tactical RPGs, however, ''Silver Ghost'' was not [[turn-based]], but instead used [[real-time strategy]] and [[action role-playing game]] elements.<ref name="Silver-Ghost"/> A similar game released by Kure Software Koubou that same year was ''[[First Queen]]'', a unique hybrid between a real-time strategy, action RPG, and strategy RPG. Like an RPG, the player can explore the world, purchase items, and level up, and like a [[strategy video game]], it focuses on recruiting soldiers and fighting against large armies rather than small parties. The game's "Gochyakyara" ("Multiple Characters") system let the player control one character at a time while the others are controlled by computer [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] that follow the leader, and where battles are large-scale with characters sometimes filling an entire screen.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Official Site|publisher=[[Kure Software Koubou]]|url=http://www.kuresoft.net|accessdate=2011-05-19}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.kuresoft.net Translation])</ref><ref>{{MobyGames|id=/first-queen|name=First Queen}}</ref> ''[[Dragon Slayer: The Legend of Heroes]]'' in 1989 departed from the action-oriented gameplay of previous ''Dragon Slayer'' titles, and instead used a more traditional [[turn-based]] combat system.<ref name="hg101_vantage">{{Cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Vantage Master|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/vantagemaster/vantagemaster.htm|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=6 September 2011}}</ref> In 1990, [[Data East]]'s ''[[Gate of Doom]]'' was an [[Arcade game|arcade]] action RPG that combined beat 'em up [[fighting game]]play with fantasy role-playing and introduced an [[Isometric graphics in video games|isometric perspective]].<ref>{{KLOV game|7921|Gate of Doom}}</ref> That same year, [[Enix]] released a unique [[Life simulation video games|biological simulation]] action RPG by [[Givro|Almanic]] that revolved around the theme of [[evolution]], ''[[46 Okunen Monogatari]]'', a revised version of which was released in 1992 as ''[[E.V.O.: Search for Eden]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/JPNcomputers/Japanesecomputers3.htm|author=John Szczepaniak|title=Retro Japanese Computers: Gaming's Final Frontier|page=3|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-18}} (Reprinted from ''[[Retro Gamer]]'', Issue 67, 2009)</ref> That same year, [[Alpha Denshi]]'s ''[[Crossed Swords (video game)|Crossed Swords]]'' for the [[Video arcade|arcades]] combined the first-person [[beat 'em up]] gameplay of [[SNK]]'s ''[[The Super Spy]]'' (released the same year) with RPG elements, while replacing the first-person shooting with hack & slash combat.<ref>{{AllGame|16995|Crossed Swords}}</ref> Also in 1990, [[Hideo Kojima]]'s ''[[SD Snatcher]]'', while turn-based, abandoned [[random encounter]]s and introduced an innovative first-person shooter-based battle system where firearm weapons (each with different abilities and target ranges) have limited ammunition and the player can aim at specific parts of the enemy's body with each part weakening the enemy in different ways; an auto-battle feature could also be enabled. Such a battle system has rarely been used since,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Snatcher|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/snatcher/snatcher.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011|first=Kurt|last=Kalata}}</ref> though similar battle systems based on targeting individual body parts can later be found in Square's ''[[Vagrant Story]]'' (2000),<ref name="1up_matsuno"/> [[Bethesda Softworks|Bethesda]]'s ''Fallout 3'' (2008), and [[Nippon Ichi]]'s ''[[Last Rebellion]]'' (2010).<ref name="Damien">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jeuxvideo.fr/date-europeenne-fixe-action-rpg-last-rebellion-actu-323102.html|title=Date européenne fixe pour l'action/RPG Last Rebellion|work=Jeuxvideo.com|date=18 January 2010|author=Damien|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeuxvideo.fr%2Fdate-europeenne-fixe-action-rpg-last-rebellion-actu-323102.html&sl=fr&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation])</ref> In 1991, Nihon Falcom's ''[[Brandish (video game)|Brandish]]'' was an early overhead action RPG to use mouse controls, where the player could move forward, backward, turn, strafe and attack by clicking on boxes surrounding the [[player character]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Brandish|author=Kurt Kalata|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 1010|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/brandish/brandish.htm|accessdate=2011-04-02}}</ref> The 1991 ''Dragon Slayer'' title ''[[Lord Monarch]]'' departed from the action RPG gameplay of its predecessors, instead using an early form of [[real-time strategy]] gameplay.<ref name="hg101_vantage"/> The [[Eroge|erotic]] [[Adult video game|adult]] RPG ''[[Knights of Xentar|Dragon Knight III]]'', released in 1991 for the PC-8801 and as ''Knights of Xentar'' for [[MS-DOS]], introduced a unique [[pausable real-time]] battle system,<ref name=MobyGames-Xentar>{{MobyGames|id=/knights-of-xentar|name=Knights of Xentar}}</ref><ref name=honestgamers/> where characters automatically attack based on a list of different [[Artificial intelligence|AI]] scripts,<ref name=honestgamers/> though this meant the player had no control over the characters during battle other than to give commands for spells, item use, and AI routines.<ref name=MobyGames-Xentar/> That same year, ''[[Arcus Odyssey]]'' by Wolf Team (now [[Namco Tales Studio]]) was an action RPG that featured an isometric perspective and co-operative multiplayer gameplay.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://retro.ign.com/articles/882/882363p1.html|title=Top 10 Renovation Games|last=Buchanan|first=Levi|date=17 June 2008|website=IGN.com|accessdate=2009-11-06}}</ref> The sequel to the first-person shooter role-playing game ''Star Cruiser'', simply called ''Star Cruiser 2'', was released in 1992,<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20040201144907/http://dengeki.jp/~roburi/cd.csv でんげき~別館~], ''[[Dengeki]]''</ref> for the [[NEC PC-9801|PC-9821]] and [[FM Towns]] computers.<ref>[http://www.dengeki.jp/~roburi/akiary/200406.html 日記(バックナンバー)] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110722102813/http://www.dengeki.jp/~roburi/akiary/200406.html |date=22 July 2011 }} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.dengeki.jp/~roburi/akiary/200406.html&ei=evdJTbGLAY314AaNtpyJDA&sa=X&oi=translate&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CCQQ7gEwAQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dsite:dengeki.jp%2B%2522%25E3%2582%25B9%25E3%2582%25BF%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2582%25AF%25E3%2583%25AB%25E3%2583%25BC%25E3%2582%25B6%25E3%2583%25BC%2B2%2522%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg.mozilla:en-GB:official%26prmd%3Divns Translation]), ''[[Dengeki]]''</ref> [[Technology and Entertainment Software|T&E Soft]] released the PC-98 game ''[[Sword World RPG#Video games|Sword World PC]]'' in 1992 and a console version ''[[Sword World SFC]]'' for the [[Super Famicom]] in 1993.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.groupsne.co.jp/products/sw/list/index.html|title=Sword World RPG: related work|publisher=[[Group SNE]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.groupsne.co.jp/products/sw/list/index.html Translation])</ref> It was officially based on ''[[Sword World RPG]]'', a popular [[Tabletop role-playing games in Japan|Japanese table-top role-playing game]]. The video game versions were [[Multiplayer video game|multiplayer]] titles and early attempts at recreating an open-ended, table-top role-playing experience on video game platforms, being set in the same world as ''Sword World'' and implementing the same rules and scenarios.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Kamada Shigeaki|year=2007|url=http://www.4gamer.net/specials/retro/retro01.html|title=レトロゲーム配信サイトと配信タイトルのピックアップ紹介記事「懐かし (Retro)|work=4Gamer.net|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.4gamer.net/specials/retro/retro01.html Translation])</ref> [[Wolf Team]]'s ''Dark Kingdom'', released for the PC-98 in 1992 and ported to the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]] console in 1994, featured a unique storyline that revolved around the players conquering the world as a villain instead of saving the world.<ref name="gamesetwatch_telenet"/> ====Decline and independent titles (late 1990s–2000s)==== {{See also|Dōjin soft|RPG Maker}} From the mid-1990s, the Japanese video game industry began declining. This was partly due to the death of the [[NEC PC-9801]] computer format, as the [[Sega Saturn]] and [[PlayStation (console)|Sony PlayStation]] became increasingly powerful in the console market while the computer market became increasingly dominated by the [[IBM Personal Computer]] and [[Windows 95|Microsoft Windows 95]]. This led to many Japanese PC manufacturers either continuing to develop for Windows 95 or moving over to the more lucrative console market. While most developers turned their attention to the console market, some developers dedicated to content unsuitable for consoles (such as [[eroge]] and complex military [[strategy game]]s) continued their focus on the PC market.<ref name="retro_computers"/> In 1996, ''[[Night Slave]]'' was a [[Role-playing shooters|shooter RPG]] released for the [[NEC PC-9801|PC-98]] that combined the [[Scrolling shooter|side-scrolling shooter]] gameplay of ''[[Cybernator|Assault Suits Valken]]'' and ''[[Gradius]]'', including an armaments system that employs recoil [[Game physics|physics]], with many RPG elements such as permanently levelling up the [[mecha]] and various weapons using power-orbs obtained from defeating enemies as well as storyline [[cut scene]]s. These cut scenes also occasionally [[LGBT themes in video games|contain lesbian]] [[Adult video game|adult content]].<ref name=Retro/> Lastly, in the late 1990s, a new Internet [[fad]] began, owing to simplistic [[software development kit]]s such as the Japanese [[RPG Maker]] series (1988 onwards). Influenced by console RPGs and based mostly on the [[gameplay]] and style of the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]] and [[Sega Genesis]] games, a large group of young [[programmer]]s and aficionados across the world began creating independent console-style computer RPGs and sharing them online.<ref>{{Cite web|last=English|first=Fox|title=The RPG Conundrum|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/FoxEnglish/20110325/6963/The_RPG_Conundrum.php |website=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=13 May 2011|date=25 March 2011}}</ref> An early successful example was ''[[Corpse Party]]'' (1996), a [[survival horror]] [[indie game]] created using the RPG Maker engine. Much like the survival horror [[adventure game]]s ''[[Clock Tower (series)|Clock Tower]]'' (1995 onwards) and later ''[[Haunting Ground]]'' (2005), the [[player character]]s in ''Corpse Party'' lack any means of defending themselves; the game also featured up to 20 [[multiple endings|possible endings]]. However, the game would not be released in Western markets until 2011.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Fahey|first=Mike |title=Paranoia, Madness, Suicide and Cannibalism; Who Says 16-Bit Can't Be Scary?|url=http://kotaku.com/5854847/paranoia-madness-suicide-and-canabalism-who-says-16-bit-cant-be-scary|website=Kotaku|accessdate=12 June 2012|date=31 October 2011}}</ref> In an interview with [[GameDaily]] in 2007, [[MTVN]]'s Dave Williams remarked that, "Games like this [user generated] have been sort of under the radar for something that could be the basis of a business. We have the resources and we can afford to invest more... I think it's going to be a great thing for the consumer."<ref>{{Cite web| first=David|last=Radd |url=http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/addicted-to-user-generated-content/70394/?biz=1 |title=Video Game Features, PC Game Features |publisher=[[GameDaily]] |date=9 May 2007 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081006201535/http://www.gamedaily.com/articles/features/addicted-to-user-generated-content/70394/?biz=1|archivedate=6 October 2008 |accessdate=2010-09-05}}</ref> ====Steam and resurgence (2010s)==== In the 2010s, Japanese RPGs have been experiencing a resurgence on PC, with a significant increase in the number of Japanese RPGs releasing for the [[Steam (service)|Steam]] platform. This began with the 2010 release of doujin/indie game ''[[Recettear]]'' (2007) for Steam,<ref name="pcgamer-japan">{{Cite web|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/how-japan-learned-to-love-pc-gaming-again/|title=How Japan learned to love PC gaming again|first=Wes|last=Fenlon|date=10 April 2017|publisher=}}</ref> selling over 500,000 units on the platform.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Recettear: An Item Shop's Tale|url=http://steamspy.com/app/70400|website=[[Steam Spy]]|accessdate=October 12, 2017}}</ref> This led to many Japanese doujin/indie games releasing on Steam in subsequent years.<ref name="pcgamer-japan"/> Beyond doujin/indie titles, 2012 was a breakthrough year, with the debut of [[Nihon Falcom]]'s ''[[Ys (series)|Ys]]'' series on Steam and then the Steam release of [[From Software]]'s ''[[Dark Souls]]'', which sold millions on the platform. Other Japanese RPGs were subsequently ported to Steam, such as the previously niche ''[[Valkyria Chronicles]]'' which became a million-seller on the platform, and other titles that sold hundreds of thousands on Steam, such as the 2014 localization of ''[[The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky]]'' (2014) and ports of numerous ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' games. Japanese developers have been increasingly considering Steam as a viable platform for the genre, with many Japanese RPGs available on the platform.<ref name="pcgamer-japan"/> By 2015, Japan had become the world's fourth largest [[PC game]] market, behind only [[China]], the [[United States]], and [[South Korea]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=PC games revenue to hit $42 billion in 2020 - DFC|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2016-08-02-pc-games-revenue-to-hit-usd42-billion-in-2020-dfc|website=[[GamesIndustry.biz]]|accessdate=August 2, 2016}}</ref> The Japanese game development engine [[RPG Maker]] has also gained popularity, with hundreds of games being created with it and released on Steam by the late 2010s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The surprising explosion of RPG Maker on Steam|url=https://www.pcgamer.com/the-surprising-explosion-of-rpg-maker-on-steam/|website=[[PC Gamer]]|date=April 12, 2017|language=en}}</ref> ===Japanese console role-playing games=== {{See also|Action role-playing game|Tactical role-playing game|Video gaming in Japan}} ====Origins (mid-1980s)==== The earliest [[role-playing video game]] on a console was ''[[Dragonstomper]]'' on the [[Atari 2600]] in 1982.<ref>{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="The First Console RPG"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}} "A devoted gamer could make a decent case for either of these Atari titles founding the RPG genre; nevertheless, there's no denying that Dragon Quest was the primary catalyst for the Japanese console RPG industry. And Japan is where the vast majority of console RPGs come from, to this day. Influenced by the popular PC RPGs of the day (most notably Ultima), both Excalibur and Dragon Quest "stripped down" the statistics while keeping features that can be found even in today's most technologically advanced titles. An RPG just wouldn't be complete, in many gamers' eyes, without a medieval setting, hit points, random enemy encounters, and endless supplies of gold. (...) The rise of the Japanese RPG as a dominant gaming genre and Nintendo's NES as the dominant console platform were closely intertwined."</ref> ''[[Bokosuka Wars]]'', originally released for the [[Sharp X1]] computer in 1983,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Bokosuka Wars|url=http://www.gamespot.com/x1/strategy/bokosukawars/index.html|website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> was ported to the [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] console in 1985, and was a commercial success in Japan, where it laid the foundations for the [[tactical role-playing game]] subgenre.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_bw/index.html|title=Bokosuka Wars|work=[[Virtual Console]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendo.co.jp%2Fwii%2Fvc%2Fvc_bw%2Findex.html translation])</ref> Other notable early console RPGs included ports of [[Namco]]'s 1984 [[Arcade game|arcade]] [[action role-playing game]]s: ''[[The Tower of Druaga]]'',<ref name="kalata_dragon_slayer"/> which was ported to the NES in 1985,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Druaga no Tou Release Information for NES|url=http://www.gamefaqs.com/nes/578244-druaga-no-tou/data|website=[[GameFAQs]]}}</ref> and ''[[Dragon Buster]]'',<ref>{{KLOV game|7641|Dragon Buster}}</ref> the first video game to feature a [[Health (gaming)#Display|life meter]] (called "Vitality" in-game),<ref name="gradar_evolutions4">{{Cite web|title=Gaming's most important evolutions|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-4|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=8 October 2010}}</ref> also ported to the NES in 1987.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dragon Buster for NES|url=http://www.gamespot.com/nes/rpg/dragonbuster/index.html|website=[[GameSpot]]}}</ref> [[File:Dragon quest battle 2.png|250px|thumb|right|''[[Dragon Warrior|Dragon Quest]]'' (1986), which combined the overhead exploration of ''Ultima'' with the first-person menu-driven combat of ''Wizardry'',<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=A Japanese RPG Primer: The Essential 20|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3581/a_japanese_rpg_primer_the_.php|website=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=14 May 2011|date=19 March 2008}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Doucet|first=Lars|title=Rebooting the RPG|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/LarsDoucet/20110309/7182/Rebooting_the_RPG.php |website=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=12 May 2011|date=9 March 2011}}</ref> created a streamlined gameplay format that made console RPGs accessible to a wider audience.<ref name="1up_dq"/> |alt=A black screen with two moth-like creatures in the center and three white-bordered boxes around it. The box above the moth-like creatures has "Hero", "Brin", "Math", and "Viro" on the top, each with an H and an M under each of them, with Hr under "Hero", Sr under "Brin", Wz under "Math", and Pr under "Viro". A number is next to the letters on the right. The bottom left box displays "Hero" on the top and the options "Fight", "Run", "Parry", and "Item". The bottom right box contains the text "Masked Moth 2".]] In 1985, [[Yuji Horii]] and his team at [[Chunsoft]] began production on ''[[Dragon Warrior|Dragon Quest]]'' (''Dragon Warrior'').<ref name="1up_dw">{{Cite web|last=Gifford |first=Kevin |title=The Essential 50 Part 20 – Dragon Warrior |url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-dragon-warrior |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130102043453/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-dragon-warrior |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 January 2013 |website=[[1UP.com]] |accessdate=15 May 2011 }}</ref> After [[Enix]] published the game in early 1986, it became the template for future console RPGs.<ref>{{Cite web|first=William |last=Cassidy |title=The GameSpy Hall of Fame: Dragon Warrior |website=[[GameSpy]] |url=http://www.gamespy.com/articles/492/492001p1.html |accessdate=2005-05-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20040616041901/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/492/492001p1.html |archivedate=16 June 2004 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The game was influenced by the first-person random battles in ''Wizardry'', the overhead movement in ''[[Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness]]'',<ref name="gamasutra_dq">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php |title=The History of Dragon Quest|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|publisher=[[Gamasutra]]|work=Features|accessdate=22 February 2011}}</ref> and the mystery storytelling in Horii's own 1983 [[visual novel]] game ''[[Portopia Renzoku Satsujin Jiken|Portopia Serial Murder Case]]''.<ref name="gotemba_iwamoto">{{Cite book|author=Goro Gotemba & Yoshiyuki Iwamoto|year=2006|title=Japan on the upswing: why the bubble burst and Japan's economic renewal|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eGA9qByeQH0C&pg=PA201&lpg=PA201|page=201|publisher=Algora Publishing|isbn=0-87586-462-7|accessdate=2011-05-06}}</ref> Horii's intention behind ''Dragon Quest'' was to create a RPG that appeals to a wider audience unfamiliar with the genre or video games in general. This required the creation of a new kind of RPG, that didn't rely on previous ''D&D'' experience, didn't require [[Grinding (video games)|hundreds of hours of rote fighting]], and that could appeal to any kind of gamer.<ref name="1up_dw"/> Compared to statistics-heavy computer RPGs, ''Dragon Quest'' was a more streamlined, faster-paced game based on exploration and combat, and featured a [[Top-down perspective|top-down view]] in dungeons, in contrast to the [[First-person perspective|first-person view]] used for dungeons in earlier computer RPGs.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} The streamlined gameplay of ''Dragon Quest'' thus made the game more accessible to a wider audience than previous computer RPGs.<ref name="1up_dq">{{Cite web|title=Solid Gold: The Best of NES|author=Jeremy Parish|date=27 October 2005|website=[[1UP.com]]|url=http://www.1up.com/features/solid-gold-nes|accessdate=2011-05-18|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019184211/http://www.1up.com/features/solid-gold-nes|archivedate=19 October 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The game also placed a greater emphasis on storytelling and emotional involvement,<ref>{{Cite book |editor=|title=Nintendo Power volume 221 |year=2007 |publisher=[[Future US]]|isbn=|pages=78–80|quote=At the time I first made ''Dragon Quest'', computer and video game RPGs were still very much in the realm of hardcore fans and not very accessible to other players. So I decided to create a system that was easy to understand and emotionally involving, and then placed my story within that framework.}}</ref> building on Horii's previous work ''Portopia Serial Murder Case'', but this time introducing a [[coming of age]] tale for ''Dragon Quest'' that audiences could relate to, making use of the RPG level-building gameplay as a way to represent this.<ref name="gotemba_iwamoto"/> It also featured elements still found in most console RPGs, like major quests interwoven with minor subquests, an incremental spell system,<ref name="gspot_consolehist_a">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Dragon Quest"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> the [[damsel-in-distress]] storyline that many RPGs follow,<ref>{{Cite web | year=2005 | title=15 Most Influential Games|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090610012514/http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/15influential/p11_01.html|archivedate=10 June 2009|url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/15influential/p11_01.html|website=GameSpot|accessdate=1 September 2009}}</ref> and a romance element that remains a staple of the genre,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Bailey |first=Kat |title=The Uncanny Valley of Love: The challenges and rewards of crafting a video game romance |url=http://www.1up.com/features/uncanny-valley-love |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120906135353/http://www.1up.com/features/uncanny-valley-love |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-09-06 |website=[[1UP.com]] |accessdate=12 September 2011 |date=February 2010 }}</ref> alongside [[anime]]-style art by [[Akira Toriyama]] and a [[Classical music|classical]] score by [[Koichi Sugiyama]] that was considered revolutionary for console [[video game music]].<ref name="1up_dw"/> The gameplay of ''Dragon Quest'' itself was [[Non-linear gameplay|non-linear]], with most of the game not blocked in any way other than by being infested with monsters that can easily kill an unprepared player. This was balanced by the use of bridges to signify a change in difficulty and a new level progression that departed from ''D&D'', where in the 1st and 2nd editions, players are given random initial stats and a constant growth rate. ''Dragon Quest'' instead gave the player some extra hit points at the start and a level progression where the effective rate of character growth decelerates over time, similar to how the more recent [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons|editions of ''D&D'']] have balanced the gameplay.<ref name="gama_20ess_08"/> ''Dragon Quest'' also gave players a clear objective from the start of the game and a series of smaller scenarios to build up the player's strength in order to achieve that objective.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://dqnine.com/#/iwata/|title=Dragon Quest: Sential of the Starry Skies|work=Iwata Asks|publisher=Square-Enix|at=The History of Dragon Quest|accessdate=2010-12-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815052448/http://dqnine.com/#/iwata/|archive-date=15 August 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The ending could also be altered depending on the moral dialogue choice of whether or not the protagonist should join the antagonist on his evil conquest towards the end of the game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=2 |title=The History of Dragon Quest|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|website=[[Gamasutra]]|page=2|accessdate=22 February 2011}}</ref> The game also had a limited inventory requiring item management,<ref name="gamasutra_dqii">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=3 |title=The History of Dragon Quest|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|website=[[Gamasutra]]|page=3|accessdate=22 February 2011}}</ref> while the caves were dark, requiring the use of a torch to display a field of vision around the character.<ref name="gamasutra_dq"/> With ''Dragon Quest'' becoming widely popular in Japan, such that local municipalities were forced to place restrictions on where and when the game could be sold,<ref name="gspot_consolehist_a" /> the [[Dragon Quest (series)|''Dragon Quest'' series]] is still considered a bellwether for the Japanese video game market.<ref>{{Cite web | last = Parish | first = Jeremy | title = Why the tiniest Dragon Quest is the biggest deal | website = [[1UP.com]] | date = 12 December 2006 | url = http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=7692573 | accessdate = 2010-10-06 | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20121019184632/http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=7692573 | archivedate = 19 October 2012 | df = dmy-all }}</ref> ''Dragon Quest'' did not reach North America until 1989, when it was released as ''Dragon Warrior'', the first NES RPG to be released in North America.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_a"/> The release of ''Dragon Quest'' was followed by NES remakes of the early ''Wizardry'' and ''Ultima'' titles over the next several years by [[Pony Canyon]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness (Pony Canyon) – overview|url=http://uk.pc.gamespy.com/pc/ultima-i-the-first-age-of-darkness-pony-canyon/|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> Other releases at the time were the action role-playing games ''[[Deadly Towers]]'' (1986) and ''[[Rygar (Nintendo Entertainment System)|Rygar]]'' (1987), which were notable as some of the first Japanese console RPGs to be released in North America, where they were well received for being a new kind of RPG that differed from both the console [[Action-adventure video games|action-adventures]] (such as ''[[Castlevania (1986 video game)|Castlevania]]'', ''[[Trojan]]'', and ''[[Wizards & Warriors]]'') and [[History of Western role-playing video games|American computer RPGs]] (such as ''Wizardry'', ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'', and ''[[Might & Magic]]'') that American gamers were previously more familiar with at the time. ''Deadly Towers'' and ''Rygar'' were particularly notable for their [[Experience point#Perks|permanent power-up]] mechanic, which at the time blurred the line between the [[power-up]]s used in action-adventures and the experience points used in RPGs.<ref>{{Citation|first=Roe R.|last=Adams|work=[[Computer Gaming World]]|date=November 1990|issue=76|pages=83–84|title=Westward Ho! (Toward Japan, That Is): An Overview of the Evolution of CRPGs on Dedicated Game Machines|quote=While America has been concentrating on yet another ''Wizardry'', ''Ultima'', or ''Might & Magic'', each bigger and more complex than the one before it, the Japanese have slowly carved out a completely new niche in the realm of CRPG. The first CRPG entries were ''Rygar'' and ''Deadly Towers'' on the NES. These differed considerably from the "action adventure" games that had drawn quite a following on the machines beforehand. Action adventures were basically arcade games done in a fantasy setting such as ''Castlevania'', ''Trojan'', and ''Wizards & Warriors''. The new CRPGs had some of the trappings of regular CRPGs. The character could get stronger over time and gain extras which were not merely a result of a short-term "Power-Up." There were specific items that could be acquired which boosted fighting or defense on a permanent basis. Primitive stores were introduced with the concept that a player could buy something to aid him on his journey.}}</ref> ====Evolution (late 1980s)==== In 1987, ''[[Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei]]'' by [[Atlus]] for the [[Famicom]] abandoned the common medieval fantasy setting and [[sword and sorcery]] theme in favour of a modern science-fiction setting and horror theme. It also introduced the [[Digital pet|monster-catching]] mechanic with its demon-summoning system, which allowed the player to recruit enemies into their party, through a conversation system that gives the player a choice of whether to kill or spare an enemy and allows them to engage any opponent in conversation.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Kurt Kalata & Christopher J. Snelgrove|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/megaten/megaten.htm|title=Megami Tensei|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=2011-03-06}}</ref> [[Sega]]'s [[Phantasy Star (video game)|original ''Phantasy Star'']] for the [[Master System]] established a number of genre conventions, with its "strong plot that involved quest for revenge and corruption by power, background stories for party members, individual spells that required magic points,"{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} and combined sci-fi & fantasy setting that set it apart from the ''D&D'' staple.<ref name="cvg_phantasy"/> It also featured pre-defined [[player character]]s with their own backstories, which would later become common in console RPGs.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Patterson|first=Eric L.|title=5 WAYS JAPANESE GAMING STILL RULES: CATHERINE|url=http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/egm-feature5-ways-japanese-gaming-still-rules-catherine/|work=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|accessdate=31 December 2011|date=30 December 2011|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/6FLIH8FjE?url=http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/egm-feature5-ways-japanese-gaming-still-rules-catherine/|archive-date=23 March 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was also one of the first games to feature a female protagonist and animated monster encounters,<ref name="cvg_phantasy">{{Cite web|title=Time Machine: Phantasy Star|url=http://www.computerandvideogames.com/281081/features/time-machine-phantasy-star/|publisher=[[ComputerAndVideoGames.com]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=2 January 2011}}</ref> and allowed inter-planetary travel between three planets.<ref>{{Cite web|last=John|first=McCarroll|title=RPGFan Previews – Phantasy Star Collection|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/previews/psc.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=20 August 2002}}</ref> ''[[Boys' Life]]'' magazine in 1988 predicted that ''Phantasy Star'' as well as the ''Zelda'' games may represent the future of home video games, combining the qualities of both [[Arcade game|arcade]] and [[PC game|computer games]].<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Video Games Are Back|journal=[[Boys' Life]]|date=November 1988|pages=24–27 [26]|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wWYEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA26|accessdate=29 January 2012|last1=Boy Scouts Of America|first1=Inc}}</ref> Another 1987 title ''[[Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord]]'' was a [[Third-person (video games)|third-person]] RPG that featured a wide [[open world]] and a [[mini-map]] on the corner of the screen.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Miracle Warriors: Seal of the Dark Lord / Haja no fuuin|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/miraclewarriors/miraclewarriors.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> The [[Dragon Slayer (series)|''Dragon Slayer'' series]] also made its debut on the NES console (and thus to American audiences) in 1987, with the port of ''[[Legacy of the Wizard]]'' (''Dragon Slayer IV''), a [[Non-linear gameplay|non-linear]] action RPG featuring a Metroidvania-style [[open world]],<ref name="gsutra_20games"/> and the release of ''[[Faxanadu]]'', a side-story to ''Xanadu''.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_e">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Other NES RPGs"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> ''[[Wonder Boy in Monster Land]]'' combined the [[Platform video games|platform gameplay]] of the original ''[[Wonder Boy]]'' with many RPG elements,<ref>Kurt Kalata, [http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/wonderboy/wonderboy.htm Wonder Boy], Hardcore Gaming 101</ref> which would inspire later action RPGs such as ''[[Popful Mail]]'' (1991).<ref name=IGN-Wonder>[http://uk.retro.ign.com/articles/930/930245p1.html The Legend of Wonder Boy], [[IGN]], 14 November 2008</ref> ''[[The Magic of Scheherazade]]'', released in 1987, was notable for several innovations, including a unique setting based on the ''[[Wikipedia:One Thousand and One Nights|Arabian Nights]]'', time travel between five different time periods, a unique combat system featuring both real-time solo action and [[turn-based]] team battles, and the introduction of team attacks where two party members could join forces to perform an extra-powerful attack.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_e"/> ''[[Castlevania II: Simon's Quest]]'' was an action RPG that combined the [[Platform game|platform-action]] mechanics of the original ''[[Castlevania (1986 video game)|Castlevania]]'' with the open world of an action-adventure and RPG mechanics such as [[experience point]]s.<ref>{{Cite web|title=25. Castlevania II: Simon's Quest – Top 100 NES Games – IGN|url=http://www.ign.com/top-100-nes-games/25.html|website=IGN|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> It also introduced a day-night cycle that affects when certain [[Non-player character|NPCs]] appear in certain locations and offered three possible [[multiple endings]] depending on the time it took to complete the game.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/history_castlevania/p4_01.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617080124/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/history_castlevania/p4_01.html |archivedate=17 June 2009 |title=The History of Castlevania – Castlevania II: Simon's Quest |website=[[GameSpot]] |author=Mike Whalen, Giancarlo Varanini |accessdate=2008-08-01}}</ref> [[Square (video game company)|Square]]'s ''[[Cleopatra no Mahō]]'' was an [[Adventure game|adventure]] RPG with a unique plot revolving around [[archeology]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.square-enix.com/jp/archive/kureopatora/|title=クレオパトラの魔宝|publisher=[[Square Enix]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.square-enix.com%2Fjp%2Farchive%2Fkureopatora%2F&sl=ja&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8 Translation])</ref> Square's [[Final Fantasy (video game)|original ''Final Fantasy'']] for the NES had a [[character creation]] system that allowed the player to create their own parties and assign different character classes to party members,{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} who in turn evolve through an early [[class change]] system later in the game.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Ranking the Final Fantasy Series |date=29 December 2009 |website=IGN |url=http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/105/1057633p1.html |accessdate=2011-05-18 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110831201433/http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/105/1057633p1.html |archivedate=31 August 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|year=1989|title=Final Fantasy Explorer's Handbook (instruction manual)|publisher=[[Square (video game company)|Square Co.]]|page=75}}</ref> It also featured concepts such as [[time travel]];<ref>{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998b|p="Final Fantasy"|Ref=gspot_finalfhist}}</ref> side-view battles, with the [[player character]]s on the right and the enemies on the left, which soon became the norm for numerous console RPGs;<ref>{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998b|p="Final Fantasy" (Part 2)|Ref=gspot_finalfhist}}</ref> and the use of transportation for travel, "by ship, canoe, and even flying airship."<ref>{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Final Fantasy"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> While creating ''Final Fantasy'', [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] took inspiration from certain elements in [[Hayao Miyazaki]]'s [[anime]] films, such as the [[Airships in the Final Fantasy franchise|airships]] being inspired by ''[[Castle in the Sky]]''.<ref name="nextgen_rogers_ff"/> Some of these 1987 releases proved popular and went on to spawn their own RPG franchises, particularly the ''[[Megami Tensei]]'', ''[[Phantasy Star]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' series. In particular, the ''Final Fantasy'' and ''Dragon Quest'' series remain popular today, ''Final Fantasy'' more so in the West and ''Dragon Quest'' more so in Japan. In 1988, ''[[Dragon Quest III]]'' introduced a character progression system allowing the player to change the party's character classes during the course of the game,{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} and keep a character's stats and skills learned from previous classes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=4 |title=The History of Dragon Quest|first=Kurt|last=Kalata|website=[[Gamasutra]]|page=4|accessdate=22 February 2011}}</ref> This class-changing system shaped the gameplay of future console RPGs, especially the ''Final Fantasy'' series,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/dragon-quest-complete-series-guide |title=Dragon Quest: Ye Complete Dragonography |accessdate=2011-02-21 |author=Parish, Jeremy |publisher=[[1up.com|1up]] |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018042133/http://www.1up.com/features/dragon-quest-complete-series-guide |archivedate=18 October 2012}}</ref> While the earlier ''Dragon Quest'' games were also non-linear, ''Dragon Quest III'' was the most substantial example of open-world gameplay among the early ''Dragon Quest'' games. It also allowed the player to swap characters in and out of the party at will,<ref name="gama_20ess_08">{{Harvnb|Harris|2009|p=8|Ref=gama_20ess}}</ref> and another "major innovation was the introduction of day/night cycles; certain items, characters, and quests are only accessible at certain times of day."<ref>{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Dragon Quest III"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> ''[[Final Fantasy II]]'', is considered "the first true ''Final Fantasy'' game", introducing an "emotional story line, morally ambiguous characters, tragic events," and a story to be "emotionally experienced rather than concluded from gameplay and conversations." It also replaced traditional levels and experience points with an [[Experience point#Activity-based progression|activity-based progression]] system, where "the more you use a skill, the better you are with it,"<ref name="ign_ffii"/> a mechanic that later appeared in ''[[SaGa (series)|SaGa]]'',<ref name="rpgfan_romancing_saga"/> ''[[Grandia (series)|Grandia]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/162/162007p1.html |title=Grandia |website=IGN |author=Francesca Reyes |date=4 November 1999 |accessdate=2011-03-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713005014/http://psx.ign.com/articles/162/162007p1.html |archivedate=13 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> ''[[Final Fantasy XIV]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|last=Welsh|first=Oli|title=No experience, levelling in FFXIV|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/no-experience-levelling-in-ffxiv|website=[[Eurogamer]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=8 April 2009}}</ref> and ''[[The Elder Scrolls]]''.<ref name="ign_ffii"/> ''Final Fantasy II'' also featured open-ended exploration,<ref name="ign_ffii">{{Cite web|url=http://psp.ign.com/articles/808/808182p1.html |title=Final Fantasy II Review |website=IGN |date=26 July 2007 |author=Jeremy Dunham |accessdate=2011-03-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713005219/http://psp.ign.com/articles/808/808182p1.html |archivedate=13 July 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> and had a [[Dialog tree|dialogue system]] where keywords or phrases can be memorized and mentioned during conversations with NPCs,<ref name="gt_ffii">{{Cite web | title=Final Fantasy Retrospective: Part II | url=http://www.gametrailers.com/player/22650.html |date= 23 July 2007| publisher=[[GameTrailers]] | accessdate=2008-04-16}}</ref> the theme of an evil empire against a small band of rebels (similar to ''[[Star Wars]]''), and the iconic [[chocobo]], a fictional creature inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's ''[[Wikipedia:Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film)|Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]''.<ref name="nextgen_rogers_ff">{{Cite web|title=In Defense of Final Fantasy XII |url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/defense-final-fantasy-xii |work=[[Next Generation Magazine]] |accessdate=15 May 2011 |date=27 March 2006 |first=Tim |last=Rogers |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207185516/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/defense-final-fantasy-xii |archivedate=7 February 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> That same year, ''[[World Court (arcade game)|World Court Tennis]]'' for the [[TurboGrafx-16]] introduced a new form of gameplay: a unique tennis-themed [[Sports game|sports]] RPG mode.<ref name="egm_atelier">{{Cite web|last=Patterson|first=Eric L.|title=5 WAYS JAPANESE GAMING STILL RULES: ATELIER TOTORI|url=http://www.egmnow.com/articles/news/egm-feature5-ways-japanese-gaming-still-rules-atelier-totori/|work=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|accessdate=31 December 2011|date=27 December 2011}}</ref> [[File:Phantasystar2 top down.jpg|thumb|right|250px|[[SEGA]]'s ''[[Phantasy Star II]]'' (1989) was an important milestone in the genre, establishing conventions such as an [[epic (genre)|epic]], dramatic, character-driven storyline,<ref name="cvg_phantasy"/><ref name="gspot_phanstar2"/> and science fiction setting.<ref name="gamepro_psii"/>]] In 1989, ''[[Phantasy Star II]]'' for the [[Mega Drive|Genesis]] established many conventions of the genre, including an [[epic (genre)|epic]], dramatic, character-driven storyline dealing with serious themes and subject matter, and a strategy-based battle system.<ref name="cvg_phantasy"/><ref name="gspot_phanstar2"/> Its purely science fiction setting was also a major departure for RPGs, which had previously been largely restricted to [[fantasy]] or [[science fantasy]] settings.<ref name="gamepro_psii">{{Cite web|last=Kaiser|first=Rowan|title=RPG Pillars: Phantasy Star II|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/221338/rpg-pillars-phantasy-star-ii/|work=[[GamePro]]|accessdate=6 September 2011|date=22 July 2011|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725005927/http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/221338/rpg-pillars-phantasy-star-ii/|archivedate=25 July 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The game's science fiction story was also unique, reversing the common [[alien invasion]] scenario by instead presenting [[Earthling]]s as the invading antagonists rather than the defending protagonists.<ref name="cvg_phantasy"/><ref name="gspot_phanstar2">{{Cite web|first=Greg |last=Kasavin |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6129293/index.html |title=The Greatest Games of All Time: Phantasy Star II – Features at GameSpot |website=[[GameSpot]] |accessdate=2010-09-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050718001919/http://www.gamespot.com/features/6129293/index.html |archivedate=18 July 2005 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The game's strong characterization, and use of [[Journey of self-discovery|self-discovery]] as a motivating factor for the characters and the player, was a major departure from previous RPGs and had a major influence on subsequent RPGs such as the ''Final Fantasy'' series.<ref name="gamepro_psii"/> It also made a bold attempt at social commentary years before the ''Final Fantasy'' series started doing the same.<ref>{{Cite journal|title=Phantasy Star II|journal=[[Nintendo Power]]|year=2009|volume=246–249 |url=https://books.google.com/?id=94lYAAAAYAAJ&q=phantasy+star+ii|accessdate=28 January 2012|page=21|publisher=[[Nintendo of America]]}}</ref> [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Sweet Home (video game)|Sweet Home]]'' for the NES introduced a modern [[J-Horror|Japanese horror]] theme and laid the foundations for the [[survival horror]] genre, later serving as the main inspiration for ''[[Resident Evil]]'' (1996).<ref name=GameSpy>{{Cite web|title=GOTW: Sweet Home |first=Max |last=Bert |publisher=[[GameSpy]] |url=http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=27 |accessdate=2009-08-28 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100311021955/http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=27 |archivedate=11 March 2010 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|title=The Sweet Home of Resident Evil|first=Thomas Nowlin|last=Harrison|year=2006}}</ref> Like ''Resident Evil'', ''Sweet Home'' featured the use of scattered notes as a storytelling mechanic and a number of [[multiple endings]] depending on which characters survived to the end.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Foundation: Resident Evil and Sweet Home|website=Destructoid|date=13 July 2009|url=http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/Chooly/the-foundation-resident-evil-and-sweet-home-139633.phtml|accessdate=2009-08-27}}</ref> ''[[Tengai Makyo|Tengai Makyo: Ziria]]'' released for the [[PC Engine CD]] that same year was the first RPG released on [[CD-ROM]] and the first in the genre to feature animated [[cut scene]]s and voice acting. The game's plot was also unusual for its [[feudal Japan]] setting and its emphasis on humour; the plot and characters were inspired by the Japanese folk tale ''[[Jiraiya|Jiraiya Goketsu Monogatari]]''. The music for the game was also composed by noted musician [[Ryuichi Sakamoto]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Tengai Makyou: Ziria|url=http://hardcoregaming101.net/tengai/tengai.htm|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=7 September 2011}}</ref> Also in 1989, the early [[Video game remake|enhanced remake]] ''[[Ys I & II]]'' was one of the first games to use [[CD-ROM]], utilized to provide enhanced graphics, animated [[cut scenes]],<ref name="gtm_falcom_156">{{Cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM|Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|issue=111|pages=152–159 [156]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/35/yshistory05.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-08}} ([[cf.]] {{Cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=8 September 2011|date=8 July 2011}})</ref> a [[Red Book (audio CD standard)|Red Book CD]] soundtrack,<ref name="gtm_falcom_155">{{Cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM|Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|issue=111|pages=152–159 [155]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/35/yshistory04.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-08}} ([[cf.]] {{Cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=8 September 2011|date=8 July 2011}})</ref> and voice acting.<ref name="gtm_falcom_156"/><ref name="gtm_falcom_155"/> The game offered a "much larger, more colorful world, populated with lifelike characters who communicated with voice instead of text," heralding "the evolution of the standard role-playing game" according to RPGFan.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Harris|first=Stephen|title=Ys Books I & II|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/ys1&2/Ys_Book_1&2-2.html|website=RPGFan|accessdate=10 February 2012|date=15 August 2001}}</ref> Its [[Language localisation|English localization]] was also one of the first to use [[Dub localization|voice dubbing]]. ''Ys I & II'' went on to receive the [[Game of the Year]] award from ''OMNI Magazine'' in 1990, as well as many other prizes.<ref name="gtm_falcom_156"/> 1989 also saw the release of ''[[Dungeon Explorer]]'', developed by Atlus for the TurboGrafx-16, which is considered a pioneer title in the action RPG genre with its [[multiplayer]] [[cooperative gameplay]], allowing up to five players to play simultaneously.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Aihoshi|first=Richard|url=http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/844/844006p1.html|title=Dungeon Explorer: Warriors of Ancient Arts Interview - Hudson tells us about bringing back a classic property with two different versions for the PSP and DS platforms|work=[[RPG Vault]]|publisher=[[IGN]]|date=January 8, 2008|access-date=2020-02-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081206021708/http://rpgvault.ign.com/articles/844/844006p1.html|archive-date=December 6, 2008|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dungeon-explorer/|title=Dungeon Explorer|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|date=December 13, 2009|access-date=2020-02-13|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330225710/http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/dungeon-explorer/|archive-date=30 March 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> That year also saw the release of ''[[Super Hydlide]]'', the [[Mega Drive]] port of the 1987 [[MSX]] action RPG ''[[Hydlide 3: The Space Memories]]'', which adopted the morality meter of its 1985 predecessor ''[[Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness]]'' where the player's [[Alignment (role-playing games)|alignment]] changes depending on whether the player kills humans, good monsters, or evil monsters, and expanded its predecessor's time option, which speeds up or slows down the gameplay, with the introduction of an in-game clock setting day-night cycles and a need to sleep and eat. It also made other improvements such as [[cut scene]]s for the opening and ending, a combat system closer to ''The Legend of Zelda'', the choice between distinct character classes, and a weight system affecting the player's movement depending on the weight of carried equipment.<ref name="kalata_hydlide"/> ''[[The Final Fantasy Legend]]'', the first in the ''SaGa'' series, adopted ''Final Fantasy II's'' activity-based progression, expanding it with weapons that shatter with repeated use, and added new ideas such as a race of monsters that mutate depending on which fallen foes they consume.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8987032&publicUserId=5379721 |publisher=[[UGO Networks]] |work=[[1UP.com]] |accessdate=2009-11-17 |date=28 April 2009 |author=Parish, Jeremy |title=8-Bit Cafe: Game Boy Essentials, 1989 Edition}}</ref> The game also introduced the concept of [[memento mori]], with a theme revolving around death, while the plot consisted of loosely connected stories and [[sidequest]]s rather than an epic narrative.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Andrew Vanden Bossche|date=19 May 2010|title=Design Diversions: Memento Mori|publisher=GameSetWatch|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/05/columndesign_diversions_moment.php|accessdate=2011-03-12}}</ref> That same year, ''[[River City Ransom]]'' featured elements of both the [[beat 'em up]] and action RPG genres, combining brawler combat with many RPG elements, including an inventory, buying and selling items, learning new abilities and skills, needing to listen for clues, searching to find all the bosses, shopping in the malls, buying items to heal, and increasing stats.<ref>[http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=308 Game of The Week: ''River City Ransom''] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120116191729/http://classicgaming.gamespy.com/View.php?view=GameMuseum.Detail&id=308 |date=16 January 2012 }}, [[GameSpy]]</ref> It was also an early [[Open world|sandbox]] brawler reminiscent of ''[[Grand Theft Auto]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Parish |first=Jeremy |title=Retronauts Carjacks Grand Theft Auto |url=http://www.1up.com/news/retronauts-carjacks-gta |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120723234344/http://www.1up.com/news/retronauts-carjacks-gta |url-status=dead |archive-date=23 July 2012 |website=[[1UP.com]] |accessdate=23 January 2012 |date=29 April 2008 }}</ref> ====Golden Age (1990s–mid-2000s)==== The ‘golden age’ of console RPGs is often dated from the 1990s<ref name="gradar_jrpgs">{{Cite web|author=PSM3 UK|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/are-jrpgs-dead/a-20100219164128881050/p-2 |title=Are JRPGs dead? |publisher=[[GamesRadar]] |date=16 March 2010 |accessdate=2010-09-05}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Barton|2008|ref=barton_ddesktops|p=228}}</ref> to the early 2000s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Winterhalter|first=Ryan|title=Why the Golden Age of JRPGs is Over|url=http://www.1up.com/features/golden-age-jrpgs-xenoblade-pandora-tower-last-story-xseed|website=[[1UP.com]]|accessdate=30 December 2011|date=18 July 2011|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011032146/http://www.1up.com/features/golden-age-jrpgs-xenoblade-pandora-tower-last-story-xseed|archivedate=11 October 2011|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Console RPGs distinguished themselves from computer RPGs to a greater degree in the early 1990s. As console RPGs became more heavily story-based than their computer counterparts, one of the major differences that emerged during this time was in the portrayal of the characters, with most American computer RPGs at the time having characters devoid of personality or background as their purpose was to represent [[Avatar (computing)|avatars]] which the player uses to interact with the world, in contrast to Japanese console RPGs which depicted pre-defined characters who had distinctive personalities, traits, and relationships, such as ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' and ''[[Lufia]]'', with players assuming the roles of people who cared about each other, fell in love or even had families. Romance in particular was a theme that was common in most console RPGs but alien to most computer RPGs at the time.<ref name="hallford_xxiv">{{Citation|author=Neal Hallford & Jana Hallford|year=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GslPb621eXQC|title=Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role playing games|page=xxiv|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|isbn=0-7615-3299-4|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> Japanese console RPGs were also generally more faster-paced and [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]]-oriented than their American computer counterparts.<ref name="cgw76_84"/><ref name="joyq_evw">{{Cite web|last=Kaiser|first=Rowan|title=East Is West: How Two Classic RPGs Prove the Stereotypes False|url=http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/east-is-west-how-two-classic-rpgs-prove-the-stereotypes-false/|publisher=Joystiq|accessdate=19 February 2012|date=16 February 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150128182859/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/16/east-is-west-how-two-classic-rpgs-prove-the-stereotypes-false/|archive-date=28 January 2015|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The console RPG market became more profitable, which led to several American manufacturers releasing console ports of traditional computer RPGs such as ''Ultima'', though they received mixed reviews due to console gamers at the time considering them to be not "as exciting as the Japanese imports."<ref name="cgw76_84">{{Citation|first=Roe R.|last=Adams|work=[[Computer Gaming World]]|date=November 1990|issue=76|pages=83–84 [84]|title=Westward Ho! (Toward Japan, That Is): An Overview of the Evolution of CRPGs on Dedicated Game Machines|quote=Last year also saw the coattail effect of traditional bestselling CRPGs being ported over onto dedicated game machines as the new market of machines blossomed into money trees. Games like Ultima, Shadowgate, and Defender of the Crown appeared to mixed reviews. These stalwarts of computer fame were not perceived, by many of the players, to be as exciting as the Japanese imports.}}</ref> During the 1990s, console RPGs had become increasingly dominant.<ref>{{Harvnb|Barton|2007c|p=12|Ref=barton_1571}}</ref> Console RPGs had eclipsed computer RPGs for some time, though computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the decade.<ref>{{Citation|author=Neal Hallford & Jana Hallford|year=2001|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GslPb621eXQC|title=Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role playing games|pages=xxiv & xxv|publisher=[[Cengage Learning]]|isbn=0-7615-3299-4|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> =====Early 1990s===== In 1990, ''[[Dragon Quest IV: Chapters of the Chosen]]'' introduced a new method of storytelling: segmenting the plot into segregated chapters.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_f">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Dragon Quest IV"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> While this made the game more linear than its predecessor,<ref name="gama_20ess_08"/> it allowed for greater characterization, with each chapter dedicated to a particular character's background story.{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} The game also introduced an [[Artificial intelligence (video games)|AI]] system called "Tactics" which allowed the player to modify the strategies used by the allied party members while maintaining full control of the hero.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=5 |title=The History of Dragon Quest|accessdate=14 July 2011|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|date=4 February 2008|website=[[Gamasutra]]|page=5}}</ref> This "Tactics" system is seen as a precursor to ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'''s "[[Time-keeping systems in games#Pausable real-time|Gambits]]" system.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Reeves|first=Ben|title=A Warrior's Quest: A Retrospective of Square-Enix's Classic RPG Series|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2011/02/14/a-warrior-s-quest-a-retrospective-of-square-enix-s-classic-rpg-series.aspx|work=[[Game Informer]]|accessdate=28 December 2011|date=14 February 2011}}</ref> ''[[Final Fantasy III]]'' introduced the classic "[[job system]]", a character progression engine allowing the player to change the [[character class]]es, as well as acquire new and advanced classes and combine class abilities, during the course of the game.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://na.square-enix.com/ff3/ |title=Final Fantasy III |publisher=Na.square-enix.com |accessdate=2010-09-13 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625120148/http://na.square-enix.com/ff3/ |archivedate=25 June 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book|editor=Square Enix Co.|title=Final Fantasy Anthology North American instruction manual|airdate= |year=1999|publisher=Square Enix Co.|id=SLUS-00879GH|pages=17–18}}</ref> That same year also saw the release of [[Nintendo]]'s ''[[Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryu to Hikari no Tsurugi]]'', a game that set the template for the [[tactical role-playing game]] genre and was the first entry in the ''[[Fire Emblem]]'' series.<ref>{{Harvnb|Harris|2009|p=14|Ref=gama_20ess}}</ref> Another notable strategy RPG that year was [[Koei]]'s ''[[Bandit Kings of Ancient China]]'', which was successful in combining the strategy RPG and [[Construction and management simulation|management simulation]] genres, building on its own ''[[Nobunaga's Ambition]]'' series that began in 1983.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_f"/> Several early RPGs set in a [[Apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction|post-apocalyptic]] future were also released that year, including ''[[Digital Devil Story: Megami Tensei II]]'',{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} and ''[[Crystalis]]'',<ref name="gspot_consolehist_g">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998a|p="Crystalis"|Ref=gspot_consolehist}}</ref> which was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's ''[[Wikipedia:Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (film)|Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind]]''. ''Crystalis'' also made advances to the action role-playing game subgenre, being a true action RPG that combined the real-time [[Action-adventure game|action-adventure]] combat and [[open world]] of ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' with the level-building and spell-casting of traditional RPGs like ''Final Fantasy''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3133565 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130101222434/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3133565 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2013-01-01 |title=Console vs Handheld : Crystalis |publisher=1up.com |accessdate=2007-10-23 }}</ref> That year also saw the release of ''[[Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom]]'', which featured an innovative and original branching storyline, which spans three generations of characters and can be altered depending on which character the protagonist of each generation marries,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom Review|url=http://uk.wii.ign.com/articles/869/869255p1.html|website=IGN|date=25 April 2008}}</ref> leading to four possible endings.<ref name="cvg_phantasy"/> [[File:Ff4wiki.PNG|thumb|250px|right|''[[Final Fantasy IV]]'' (1991) helped popularize dramatic storytelling in RPGs (alongside the earlier ''[[Phantasy Star]]'' games) and introduced the hybrid "[[Active Time Battle]]" system.]] In 1991, ''[[Final Fantasy Adventure]]'', the first in the [[Mana (series)|''Mana'' series], featured the ability to kill townspeople.<ref name="gspot_consolehist_g"/> The most important RPG that year, however, was ''[[Final Fantasy IV]]'', one of the first role-playing games to feature a complex, involving plot,<ref>{{Cite web| title=Reviews–Final Fantasy II | url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/finalfantasy4/Final_Fantasy_2_US-4.html | author=Bahamut | publisher=RPGFan | accessdate=2006-03-06}}</ref> placing a much greater emphasis on character development, personal relationships, and dramatic storytelling.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kasavin |first=Greg |title=Final Fantasy IV Advance Review |date=12 December 2005 |url=http://www.gamespot.com/gba/rpg/finalfantasyiv/review.html |website=[[GameSpot]] |accessdate=2006-09-10 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110628234445/http://www.gamespot.com/gba/rpg/finalfantasyiv/review.html |archivedate=28 June 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> It also introduced a new [[Role-playing battle systems|battle system]]: the "[[Active Time Battle]]" system, developed by [[Hiroyuki Ito]],<ref>{{Cite web| url = http://www.gametrailers.com/video/part-xiii-final-fantasy/27455| title = Final Fantasy Retrospective Part XIII| publisher = [[GameTrailers]]| date = 2 November 2007| accessdate = 2009-03-30}}</ref> where the [[Time-keeping systems in games|time-keeping system]] does not stop.<ref name="gspot_finalfhist_c"/> In ''[[Final Fantasy IV]]'', the ATB system would be hidden to the player. However, starting with ''[[Final Fantasy V]]'', the meter would be visible to the player. On the battle screen, each character has an ATB meter that gradually fills, and the player is allowed to issue a command to that character once the meter is full.<ref>{{US patent reference| number = 5390937| y = 1995| m = 02| d = 21| inventor = Hironobu Sakaguchi and Hiroyuki Itou| title = Video game apparatus, method and device for controlling same}}</ref> The fact that enemies can attack or be attacked at any time is credited with injecting urgency and excitement into the combat system.<ref name="gspot_finalfhist_c">{{Harvnb|Vestal|1998b|p="Final Fantasy IV"|Ref=gspot_finalfhist}}</ref> The ATB combat system was considered revolutionary for being a hybrid between [[Turn-based game|turn-based]] and [[Real-time game|real-time]] combat, with its requirement of faster reactions from players appealing to those who were more used to [[action game]]s.<ref name="vintage_a"/> That same year, [[:Category:Crea-Tech games|Crea-Tech]]'s ''[[Metal Max]]'' was an early [[Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]], open-ended, post-apocalyptic, [[Vehicular combat game|vehicle combat]] RPG that lacked a predetermined story path and instead allowed the player to choose which [[Quest (video games)|missions]] to follow in whatever order while being able to visit any place in the game world.<ref name="vc_mm"/><ref name="createch_mm"/> The ending also can be determined by the player's actions, while they can continue playing the game even after the ending.<ref name="createch_mm">{{Cite web|url=http://www.crea-tech.net/GAMES/games_MM_gai01.html|title=Metal Max|publisher=[[:Category:Crea-Tech games|Crea-Tech]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.crea-tech.net%2FGAMES%2Fgames_MM_gai01.html Translation])</ref> The game also allowed the player to choose the character classes for each [[player character]] as well as create and modify the tanks used in battle.<ref name="vc_mm">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_mmx/index.html|title=Metal Max|work=[[Virtual Console]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendo.co.jp%2Fwii%2Fvc%2Fvc_mmx%2Findex.html Translation])</ref> The [[Metal Max (series)|''Metal Max'' series]] continued to allow tank customization and open-ended gameplay,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_mmx2/index.html|title=Metal Max 2|work=[[Virtual Console]]|publisher=[[Nintendo]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}} ([https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.nintendo.co.jp%2Fwii%2Fvc%2Fvc_mmx2%2Findex.html Translation])</ref> while also allowing the player to obtain an ending at almost any time, particularly ''[[Metal Saga]]'', which could be completed with an ending scenario just minutes into the game, making it the shortest possible RPG.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Willis|first=Tyler|title=Metal Saga – Impression|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/metal/metalsaga/metalsagaimp.html|publisher=RPGamer|accessdate=15 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715205423/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/metal/metalsaga/metalsagaimp.html|archive-date=15 July 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> [[Telenet Japan]] released a console remake of its 1988 action-platform RPG ''[[Exile (1988 video game series)|Exile]]'',<ref name="gamesetwatch_telenet">{{Cite web|last=Ciolek|first=Todd|title=Column: 'Might Have Been' – Telenet Japan|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2007/12/column_might_have_been_telenet.php|publisher=GameSetWatch|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=17 December 2007}}</ref> which was controversial, with a plot revolving around a time-traveling [[Crusades]]-era Syrian [[Order of Assassins|Islamic Assassin]] who assassinates various religious/historical figures as well as modern-day political leaders,<ref name="szczepaniak_exile"/> with similarities to the present-day ''[[Assassin's Creed]]'' action game series,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Chan|first=Leo|title=Sunsoft scores Telenet Japan franchises|url=http://www.neoseeker.com/news/12552-sunsoft-scores-telenet-japan-franchises/|work=Neoseeker|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=10 December 2009}}</ref> while the gameplay of ''Exile'' involved taking drugs that increase or decrease statistics and affect the player's heart-rate, displayed using a [[Electrocardiography|heart monitor]].<ref name="szczepaniak_exile"/> In 1992, ''[[Final Fantasy V]]'' improved on the ATB system by introducing a time gauge to indicate to the player which character's turn is next,<ref>{{Cite book |publisher=[[Nintendo]] |title=Final Fantasy V Advance: The Official Nintendo Player's Guide |pages=14–15 |isbn=1-59812-017-4 |author=Meyers, Andy |year=2006}}</ref> and it expanded the job system by offering more customization options with more than 22 job classes and giving each character greater flexibility by allowing them to learn secondary abilities from each job before changing classes.<ref name="vintage_a"/> The job and ATB systems continued to be used in later ''Final Fantasy'' titles,<ref name="vintage_a">{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=82|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> and helped differentiate the series from the character class systems and turn-based systems of traditional CRPGs.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Nguyen|first=Thierry|title=Final Fantasy V|journal=[[Computer Gaming World]]|date=July 1998|issue=168|pages=215–216 [216]}}</ref> 1992 also saw the release of ''[[Dragon Quest V]]'', a game that has been praised for its involving, emotional family-themed narrative divided by different periods of time, something that has appeared in very few video games before or since.<ref name="gamasutra_dq"/><ref>{{Cite web |first=Kurt |last=Kalata | year=2007 |title=Dragon Quest V | url=http://hardcoregaming101.net/dragonquest/dragonquest.htm | accessdate=29 January 2008}}</ref> It has also been credited as the first known video game to feature a playable pregnancy, a concept that has since appeared in later games such as ''[[Story of Seasons (series)|Story of Seasons]]'', ''[[The Sims 2]]'' and ''[[Fable II]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Glasser|first=AJ|title=Knocked Up: A Look At Pregnancy In Video Games|url=http://kotaku.com/5149307/knocked-up-a-look-at-pregnancy-in-video-games|website=Kotaku|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=9 February 2009}}</ref> ''Dragon Quest V's'' monster-collecting mechanic, where monsters can be defeated, captured, added to the party, and gain their own experience levels, also influenced many later franchises such as ''[[Pokémon]]'', ''[[Digimon]]'' and ''[[Dokapon]]''. In turn, the concept of collecting everything in a game, in the form of [[Achievement (video games)|achievements]] or similar rewards, has since become a common trend in video games.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gaming's most important evolutions|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/f/gamings-most-important-evolutions/a-20101008102331322035/p-6|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=10 October 2010}}</ref> ''Dragon Quest V'' also expanded the [[Artificial intelligence (video games)|AI]] "Tactics" system of its predecessor by allowing each ally's AI routines to be set individually.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Wilson|first=Glenn|title=Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride – Staff Review|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/dq/dq5ds/reviews/dq5dsstrev1.html|publisher=RPGamer|accessdate=15 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715205547/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/dq/dq5ds/reviews/dq5dsstrev1.html|archive-date=15 July 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> ''[[Shin Megami Tensei]]'', released in 1992 for the SNES, introduced an early moral [[Alignment (role-playing games)|alignment]] system that influences the direction and outcome of the storyline. It gave the player the freedom to choose between three different paths: Chaos, Law, and Neutral, none of which is portrayed as right or wrong. The deep personal choices the player makes throughout the game affects the protagonist's alignment, leading to different possible paths and [[multiple endings]]. This has since become a hallmark of the ''[[Megami Tensei]]'' series.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Megami Tensei / Shin Megami Tensei|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/megaten/megaten.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011|last1=Kalata|first1=Kurt|last2=Snelgrove|first2=Christopher}}</ref> Another non-linear RPG released that year was ''[[Romancing Saga]]'', an open-world RPG by Square that offered many choices and allowed players to complete [[Quest (video games)|quests]] in any order, with the decision of whether or not to participate in any particular quest affecting the outcome of the storyline. The game also allowed players to choose from eight different characters, each with their own stories that start in different places and offer different outcomes.<ref name="ign_romancing_saga">{{Cite web|last=Sullivan|first=Meghan|title=Romancing SaGa Review|url=http://ps2.ign.com/articles/799/799108p2.html|website=IGN|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=11 October 2005}}</ref> ''Romancing SaGa'' thus succeeded in providing a very different experience during each run through the game, something that later non-linear RPGs such as ''[[SaGa Frontier]]'' and ''[[Fable (video game series)|Fable]]'' had promised but were unable to live up to.<ref name="rpgfan_romancing_saga">{{Cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/romancingsagaminstrel/index.html |title=Romancing SaGa |author=Patrick Gann |publisher=RPGFan |accessdate=2011-03-02 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110813095843/http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/romancingsagaminstrel/index.html |archivedate=13 August 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The ''[[SaGa (series)|SaGa]]'' series has since become known for its open-ended gameplay.<ref name="ign_romancing_saga"/> The series is also known for having an activity-based progression system instead of experience levels, and since ''Romancing Saga'', a combo system where up to five party members can perform a combined special attack.<ref name="rpgfan_romancing_saga"/> Unlike other RPGs at the time, ''Romancing SaGa'' also required characters to pay mentors to teach them abilities, whether it was using certain weapons or certain proficiencies like opening a chest or dismantling a trap.<ref name="ign_romancing_saga"/> [[Data East]]'s ''[[Heracles no Eikō III]]'', written by [[Kazushige Nojima]], introduced the plot element of a nameless [[Immortality|immortal]] suffering from [[amnesia]], and Nojima would later revisit the amnesia theme in ''Final Fantasy VII'' and ''[[Glory of Heracles]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gann|first=Patrick|title=RPGFan Reviews – Glory of Heracles|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/gloryofheracles/index.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=6 February 2010}}</ref> [[Climax Entertainment]]'s ''[[Landstalker: The Treasures of King Nole]]'' was an early [[Isometric graphics in video games and pixel art|isometric]] RPG that combined the gameplay of an open-world action RPG with an [[Isometric adventure game|isometric platformer]], alongside an emphasis on varied [[Puzzle game|puzzle-solving]] as well as strong characterization and humorous conversations.<ref>[http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1902/game_design_essentials_20_open_.php?page=2 20 Open World Games: ''Landstalker''], [[Gamasutra]]</ref> The [[TurboGrafx-CD]] port of ''[[Dragon Knight II]]'' released that year was also notable for introducing [[Eroge|erotic]] [[Adult video game|adult]] content to consoles,<ref>{{Cite web|last=darkfact|title=HonestGamers – Dragon Knight II review|url=http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/3210/Dragon-Knight-II.html|publisher=HonestGamers|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=10 January 2005}}</ref>{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} though such content had often appeared in Japanese computer RPGs since the early 1980s.<ref name="retro_3"/> That same year, [[Game Arts]] began the [[Lunar (series)|''Lunar'' series]] on the [[Sega CD]] with ''[[Lunar: The Silver Star]]'', one of the first successful CD-ROM RPGs, featuring both voice and text, and considered one of the best RPGs in its time.<ref>{{Cite book |date=December 1993 | author=Skid | title=Lunar: The Silver Star | work=[[GameFan]] | volume=2 | issue=12 | pages= | publisher=DieHard Gamers Club |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050126093118/http://www.workingdesigns.com/museum/sega_cd/ourgames/lunar-tss/reviews/lun-gmfn.htm|archivedate=26 January 2005|url=http://www.workingdesigns.com/museum/sega_cd/ourgames/lunar-tss/reviews/lun-gmfn.htm|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> The game was praised for its soundtrack, emotionally engaging storyline, and strong characterization.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Sanachan|title=RPGFan Reviews – Lunar: The Silver Star|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/lunartss/Lunar_TSS-3.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> It also introduced an early form of level-scaling where the bosses would get stronger depending on the protagonist's level,<ref>{{Cite web|title=RPGFan Reviews – Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/lunarsssc/Lunar_SSSC-9.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> a mechanic that was later used in Enix's ''[[The 7th Saga]]''<ref>{{Cite web|author=jaraph|title=The 7th Saga – Review|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/snes/7saga/reviews/7sagardrev1.html|publisher=RPGamer|accessdate=15 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120328042422/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/snes/7saga/reviews/7sagardrev1.html|archive-date=28 March 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> and extended to normal enemies in Square's ''Romancing Saga 3'' and later ''Final Fantasy VIII''.<ref name="rpgfan_romancingsaga3"/> In 1993, Square's ''[[Secret of Mana]]'', the second in the ''Mana'' series, further advanced the [[Action role-playing video games|action RPG]] subgenre with its introduction of [[Cooperative gameplay|cooperative multiplayer]] into the genre. The game was created by a team previously responsible for the first three ''Final Fantasy'' titles: [[Nasir Gebelli]], [[Koichi Ishii]], and [[Hiromichi Tanaka]]. It was intended to be one of the first CD-ROM RPGs, as a launch title for the [[PlayStation (console)|SNES CD]] add-on, but had to be altered to fit onto a standard game cartridge after the SNES CD project was dropped.<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?cId=3113932 | title=Classics Column #1: Desperately Seeking Seiken | accessdate=26 July 2007 | first=Jeremy|last=Parish |author2=Frank Cifaldi |author3=Kevin Gifford |date=December 2003 | work=[[1UP.com]] | publisher=[[Ziff Davis]]}}</ref> The game received considerable acclaim,<ref name="eurog_mana"/> for its innovative [[Time-keeping systems in games#Pausable real-time|pausable real-time]] battle system,<ref>{{Cite web|author=Grand Rabite|title=RPGFan Reviews – Secret of Mana|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/secretofmana/Secret_of_Mana-2.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref><ref name="apple_mana"/> the "[[Radial menu|Ring Command]]" menu system,<ref name="apple_mana">{{Cite web|title=Secret of Mana for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad on the iTunes App Store|url=https://itunes.apple.com/nz/app/secret-of-mana/id407949800?mt=8|publisher=Apple.com}}</ref> its innovative cooperative [[multiplayer]] gameplay,<ref name="eurog_mana">{{Cite web|last=Dutton|first=Fred|title=Secret of Mana hits App Store this month|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-12-17-secret-of-mana-hits-app-store-this-month|website=[[Eurogamer]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=17 December 2010}}</ref> where the second or third players could drop in and out of the game at any time rather than players having to join the game at the same time,<ref name="nowgamer_dungeon_siege_iii"/> and the customizable AI settings for computer-controlled allies.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Karge|first=Anthony|title=Secret of Mana – SNES review at Thunderbolt Games|url=http://www.thunderboltgames.com/reviews/article/secret-of-mana-review-for-snes.html|publisher=Thunderbolt Games|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=27 May 2005}}</ref> The game has influenced a number of later action RPGs.<ref name="nowgamer_dungeon_siege_iii">{{Cite web|last=Mackenzie|first=Gavin|title=Dungeon Siege III Developer Interview|url=http://www.nowgamer.com/features/1127/dungeon-siege-iii-developer-interview|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110102110139/http://www.nowgamer.com/features/1127/dungeon-siege-iii-developer-interview|archivedate=2 January 2011|publisher=NowGamer|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=14 December 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Barton|2008|ref=barton_ddesktops|p=220}}</ref> That same year also saw the release of ''[[Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium]]'', which introduced the use of pre-programmable combat manoeuvers called 'macros', a means of setting up the player's party AI to deliver custom attack combos.<ref name="cvg_phantasy"/> ''[[Madou Monogatari]]'', a 1989 MSX and [[NEC PC-9801|PC-98]] computer RPG ported to the [[Game Gear]] handheld console in 1993, had several unique features, including magic-oriented turn-based combat that completely lacked physical attacks, and the replacement of numerical statistics with visual representations, where the protagonist's condition is represented by her facial expressions and [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprite]] graphics while experience is measured in jewels that encircle the screen, with the only visible numerical statistic being the collected gold.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hardcore Gaming 101 – Puyo Puyo|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/puyo/puyopuyo3.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011|first=Kurt|last=Kalata}}</ref> That year also saw the release of ''[[Romancing Saga 2]]'', which further expanded the non-linear gameplay of its predecessor. While in the original ''Romancing Saga'', scenarios were changed according to dialogue choices during conversations, ''Romancing Saga 2'' further expanded on this by having unique storylines for each character that can change depending on the player's actions, including who is chosen, what is said in conversation, what events have occurred, and who is present in the party.<ref>{{Cite web | author=IGN staff | date=18 February 1997 | title=Square, The Final Frontier | url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/062/062293p1.html | website=IGN | accessdate=2008-12-13}}</ref> ''[[PCGamesN]]'' credits ''Romancing SaGa 2'' for having laid the foundations for modern Japanese RPGs with its progressive, non-linear, [[open world]] design and subversive themes.<ref>{{Cite news|title=Romancing SaGa 2 doesn't get enough credit for helping shape modern JRPGs|url=https://www.pcgamesn.com/romancing-saga-2/romancing-saga-2-jrpg-steam|work=[[PCGamesN]]|date=January 29, 2018}}</ref> In 1994, ''[[Final Fantasy VI]]'' moved away from the [[Middle Ages|medieval]] setting of its predecessors, instead being set in a [[steampunk]] environment,.<ref>{{Cite video game|title=Final Fantasy III |developer=Square Co., Ltd. |publisher=Square Soft, Inc. |date=11 October 1994 |platform=Super Nintendo Entertainment System |quote='''(NPC in Jidoor)''' You like art? No? Philistines!}}</ref> The game received considerable acclaim, and is seen as one of the greatest RPGs of all time,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/lists/top-100-rpgs|title=Top 100 RPGs of All Time - IGN.com|publisher=|via=www.ign.com}}</ref> for improvements such as its broadened thematic scope,<ref>{{Cite book | title=Final Fantasy III | publisher=[[Nintendo Power]] 65, page 27 |date=October 1994}}</ref> plotlines, characters, multiple-choice scenarios,<ref>{{Cite journal |author=Scary Larry |date=November 1994 |title=Final Fantasy III |journal=GamePro |volume=64 |issue=11 |pages=192–194 |publisher=IDG Communications |id= |accessdate=}}</ref> and variation of play.<ref>{{Cite book| title=Now Playing | publisher=[[Nintendo Power]] 65, page 103|date=October 1994}}</ref> ''Final Fantasy VI'' dealt with mature themes such as suicide, war crimes, child abandonment, teen pregnancy, and coping with the deaths of loved ones.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://metro.co.uk/2014/10/26/a-love-letter-to-final-fantasy-vi-readers-feature-4920787/|title=A love letter to Final Fantasy VI - Reader's Feature|date=26 October 2014|publisher=}}</ref> Square's ''[[Live A Live]]'', released for the Super Famicom in Japan, featured eight different characters and stories, with the first seven unfolding in any order the player chooses, as well as four different endings.<ref name="gtell_bestsnes"/> The game's [[ninja]] chapter in particular was an early example of [[stealth video games|stealth game]] elements in an RPG, requiring the player to infiltrate a castle, rewarding the player if the entire chapter can be completed without engaging in combat.<ref name="gtell_bestsnes">{{Cite web|title=Important Importables: Best SNES role-playing games|first=Jenni|last=Lada|publisher=Gamer Tell|date=1 February 2008|url=http://www.gamertell.com/gaming/comment/important-importables-best-snes-rpgs|accessdate=2009-09-11}}</ref> Other chapters had similar innovations, such as Akira's chapter where the character uses telepathic powers to discover information.<ref name="gtell_bestsnes"/> That same year saw the release of the [[3DO Console|3DO]] console port of the 1991 PC RPG ''[[Knights of Xentar]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://cheats.gamespy.com/3do/dragon-knight-iii |title=Dragon Knight III |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120707135442/http://cheats.gamespy.com/3do/dragon-knight-iii |archivedate=7 July 2012 |publisher=[[GameSpy]] |accessdate=2011-05-16 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref> which had introduced a unique pausable real-time battle system,<ref name=honestgamers/>{{Citation needed|date=July 2011}} where characters automatically attack based on a list of different AI scripts chosen by the player.<ref name=honestgamers>{{Cite web|author=Sho|title=HonestGamers – Dragon Knight III review|url=http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/6068/Dragon-Knight-III.html|publisher=HonestGamers|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=2 August 2007}}</ref> [[FromSoftware]]'s first video game title, ''[[King's Field (video game)|King's Field]]'',<ref name="IGNhistory">{{Cite web|url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/16/the-history-of-from-software|title=The History of FromSoftware|author=Ciolek, Todd|website=IGN|date=2015-03-16|accessdate=2018-07-03|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150318103835/http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/03/16/the-history-of-from-software|archivedate=2015-03-18|url-status=live}}</ref> a first-person RPG, is noted for being one of the earliest known [[3D computer graphics|3D]] console role-playing games. In addition, the game is known for its difficulty and unconventional structure, and would go on to influence FromSoftware's future RPG titles including ''[[Shadow Tower]]''<ref name="IGNhistory"/> and ''[[Demon's Souls]]'', the latter described by its staff as a spiritual successor to ''King's Field''.<ref name="IGNhistory"/> ''[[Robotrek]]'' by [[Quintet]] and [[Ancient]] was a predecessor to ''Pokémon'' in the sense that the protagonist does not himself fight, but sends out his robots to do so. Like ''Pokémon'', ''Robotrek'' was designed to appeal to a younger audience, allowed team customization, and each robot was kept in a ball.<ref name="nextgen_kaiser">{{Cite web | author=Kaiser, Joe | date=8 July 2005 | title=Unsung Inventors | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=336&Itemid=2 | work=[[Next Generation Magazine|Next-Gen.biz]] | accessdate=2010-04-02 | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20051028224610/http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=336&Itemid=2 |archivedate = 28 October 2005}}</ref> =====Late 1990s===== During this period, comparatively few Eastern RPGs were released in Europe. The market for the genre was not as large as in Asia or North America, and the increasing amount of time and money required for translation as JRPGs became more text-heavy, in addition to the usual need to optimize the games for [[PAL]] systems, often made localizing the games to Europe a high-cost venture with little potential payoff.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=Nintendo Ultra 64: The Launch of the Decade?|magazine=Maximum: The Video Game Magazine|issue=2 |publisher=[[Emap International Limited]]|date=November 1995|pages=107–8}}</ref><ref name=SSM19>{{Cite magazine |title=Preview: Shining the Holy Ark|magazine=[[Sega Saturn Magazine]]|issue=19|publisher=[[Emap International Limited]] |date=May 1997|page=33}}</ref> As a result, JRPG releases in Europe were largely limited to games which had previously been localized for North America, thus reducing the amount of translation required.<ref name=SSM19/> In 1995, Square's ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' raised the standards for the genre, with certain aspects that were considered revolutionary in its time, including its [[nonlinear gameplay]], branching plot,<ref name="npreview1">{{Cite journal |date=July 1995 |volume=74 |journal=[[Nintendo Power]] |title=Epic Center: Chrono Trigger |pages=52–3 |url=http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Nintendo_Power_Coverage.html}}</ref> the "Active Time Event Logic" system,<ref>{{Cite web|author=blackoak|url=http://shmuplations.com/chronotrigger/|title=Chrono Trigger: 1994/1995 Developer Interviews|website=Shmuplations|date=1994|accessdate=February 14, 2017}}</ref> more than a dozen different endings,<ref>{{Cite book |title=Nintendo Power 250th issue! |year=2010 |publisher=[[Future US]] |location=[[South San Francisco, California]] |page=46 }}</ref> plot-related sidequests, a unique battle system with innovations such as combo attacks, and lack of random encounters.<ref name="npreview1"/> It also introduced the concept of [[New Game Plus|New Game+]],<ref>{{Cite web|title=A Japanese RPG Primer: The Essential 20|website=[[Gamasutra]]|author=Kurt Kalata|date=19 March 2008|page=5|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3581/a_japanese_rpg_primer_the_.php?page=5|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> though this [[game mode]] has its origins in the original ''[[Legend of Zelda]]''.<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200906/N09.0629.1330.37782.htm |title=Mass Effect 2 Will Not Feature 'New Game Plus' |magazine=[[Game Informer]] |date=29 June 2009 |accessdate=2009-08-26 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090706054224/http://www.gameinformer.com/News/Story/200906/N09.0629.1330.37782.htm |archivedate=6 July 2009 }}</ref> ''Chrono Trigger'' is frequently listed as one of the [[List of video games considered the best|greatest video games of all time]].<ref>{{Cite web | author=IGN staff | year=2006 | title=The Top 100 Games Ever | url=http://top100.ign.com/2006/001-010.html | website=IGN | accessdate=August 8, 2007 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150425073430/http://top100.ign.com/2006/001-010.html | archive-date=25 April 2015 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Game Informer's Top 100 Games of All Time (Circa Issue 100) |url=http://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2009/11/16/game-informer-s-top-100-games-of-all-time-circa-issue-100.aspx |work=[[Game Informer]] |last=Cork |first=Jeff |date=2009-11-16 |accessdate=2013-12-10}}</ref><ref name="gamespot-greatestgame">{{Cite web | date=2006-04-17 | editor=GameSpot editorial team | title=The Greatest Games of All Time | url=http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/index.html | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060616044830/http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/all/greatestgames/index.html | archivedate=2006-06-16| website=[[GameSpot]] | accessdate=May 6, 2006}}</ref><ref name="nextgen">{{Cite web | author=Campbell, Colin | date=March 3, 2006 | title=Japan Votes on All Time Top 100 | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/features/japan-votes-all-time-top-100 | publisher=Edge online | accessdate=October 2, 2008|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110224117/http://www.next-gen.biz/features/japan-votes-all-time-top-100|archivedate=January 10, 2012}}</ref> That same year, Square's ''[[Romancing Saga 3]]'' featured a storyline that could be told differently from the perspectives of up to eight different characters and introduced a level-scaling system where the enemies get stronger as the characters do,<ref name="rpgfan_romancingsaga3">{{Cite web|title=RPGFan Reviews – Romancing SaGa 3|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/romancingsaga3/Romancing_SaGa_3.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011|author=Yazarc420}}</ref> a mechanic that was later used in ''Final Fantasy VIII''.<ref name="rpgamer_ffviii"/> Enix's ''[[Dragon Quest VI]]'' introduced an innovative scenario with a unique real world and dream world setting, which seems to have had an influence on the later [[Square (video game company)|Square]] role-playing games ''[[Chrono Cross]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy X]]''. ''Dragon Quest VI'' also improved on the inventory management of its predecessors with the addition of a bag to store extra items.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=The History of Dragon Quest|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3520/the_history_of_dragon_quest.php?page=7|website=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=4 February 2008}}</ref> Meanwhile, [[Quintet (company)|Quintet]]'s ''[[Terranigma]]'' allowed players to shape the game world through [[City building video games|town-building]] [[Simulation game|simulation]] elements, expanding on its 1992 predecessor ''[[Soul Blazer]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|last=DeRienzo|first=David|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Quintet|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/quintet/quintet.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101}}</ref> while Square's ''[[Seiken Densetsu 3]]'' allowed a number of different possible storyline paths and endings depending on which combination of characters the player selected.<ref>{{Cite web|author=WolfSamurai|title=RPGFan Reviews – Seiken Densetsu 3|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/seikendensetsu3/Seiken_Densetsu_3.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3113911&sec=REVIEWS| title=Reviews: Seiken Densetsu 3| accessdate=2007-06-15| date=9 May 2004| website=[[1UP.com]]| url-status=dead| archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019165700/http://www.1up.com/reviews/seiken-densetsu-3| archivedate=19 October 2012| df=dmy-all}}</ref> ''[[Beyond the Beyond]]'' introduced a [[Turn-based strategy|turn-based]] battle system dubbed the "Active Playing System," which allows the player to increase the chances of landing an improved attack or defending from an attack by pressing the X button at the correct time during battle, similar to the timing-based attacks in the later game ''Final Fantasy VIII''.<ref name="gamespite_beyond">{{Citation|last=Nickel|first=Thomas|editor-first=Jeremy|editor-last=Parish|title=Beyond the Beyond: Beyond Redemption?|journal=GameSpite Quarterly|date=Summer 2011|issue=8|url=http://www.gamespite.net/toastywiki/index.php/Games/G8-BeyondTheBeyond|accessdate=12 September 2011}}</ref> In 1996, the tactical RPG ''[[Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu]]'' gave players the ability to affect the relationships between different characters, which in turn affected the storyline as these relationships led to different characters appearing in the second generation of the game's plot.<ref name="gtell_bestsnes"/> [[Enix]] released [[tri-Ace]]'s sci-fi action RPG ''[[Star Ocean]]'', which also gave players the ability to affect the relationships between different characters through its "private actions" social system, where the protagonist's relationship points with the other characters are affected by the player's choices, which in turn affects the storyline, leading to branching paths and multiple different endings.<ref name="gtell_bestsnes"/><ref>{{Cite web|first=Mista |last=Kefka|title=RPGFan Reviews – Star Ocean|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/starocean/Star_Ocean.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> [[Treasure]]'s ''[[Guardian Heroes]]'' allowed players to alter the storyline through their actions, such as choosing between a number of branching paths leading to multiple different endings and through the Karma meter which changes depending on whether the player kills civilians or shows mercy to enemies.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kalata|first=Kurt|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: Guardian Heroes|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/guardianheroes/guardianheroes.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=Top 20 Scrollers (Part 5) – No. 5, #4, #3|url=http://www.gameobserver.com/features/inside/all-platforms/top-20-scrollers-part-5--5-4-3-34/|publisher=GameObserver.com|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=8 August 2008}}</ref> Sega's ''[[Sakura Wars]]'' for the [[Sega Saturn|Saturn]] combined tactical RPG combat with [[dating sim]] and [[visual novel]] elements, introducing a [[Real-time game|real-time]] [[Nonlinear gameplay#Branching storylines|branching choice]] system where, during an event or conversation, the player must choose an action or [[Dialog tree|dialogue choice]] within a time limit, or not to respond at all within that time; the player's choice, or lack thereof, affects the [[player character]]'s relationship with other characters and in turn the characters' performance in battle, the direction of the storyline, and the ending. Later games in the series added several variations, including an action gauge that can be raised up or down depending on the situation, and a gauge that the player can manipulate using the [[analog stick]] depending on the situation.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sakura Wars ~So Long My Love~ Interview|publisher=RPGamer|year=2010|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/sakura/sakura5/sakura5int.html|accessdate=2011-03-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120511131711/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/sakura/sakura5/sakura5int.html|archive-date=11 May 2012|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> The success of ''Sakura Wars'' led to a wave of games that combine the RPG and dating sim genres, including ''[[Thousand Arms]]'' in 1998, ''[[Riviera: The Promised Land]]'' in 2002, and ''[[Luminous Arc]]'' in 2007.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sakura Wars Comes to America, But is it Too Late to Matter? |author=Jeremy Parish |date=8 May 2009 |website=[[1UP.com]] |url=http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8988084 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120718064655/http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8988084 |url-status=dead |archive-date=18 July 2012 |accessdate=2011-05-18 }}</ref> That same year, the [[Harvest Moon|first installment]] of the ''[[Story of Seasons (series)|Story of Seasons]]'' series introduced a new form of gameplay: a role-playing simulation centred around managing a farm. The series would later inspire popular [[social network game]]s such as ''[[FarmVille]]'' in the late 2000s.<ref name="egm_atelier"/> [[File:FFVIIbattlexample.jpg|thumb|250px|right|''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'' (1997), with its use of [[3D computer graphics|3D graphics]] and [[CD-ROM]] discs, was an important milestone that popularized the genre worldwide.]] The next major revolution came in the mid-to-late 1990s, which saw the rise of [[3D computer graphics]] and [[optical disc]]s in [[History of video game consoles (fifth generation)|fifth generation]] consoles. The implications for RPGs were enormous—longer, more involved quests, better audio, and [[full-motion video]]. This was clearly demonstrated in 1997 by the phenomenal success of ''[[Final Fantasy VII]]'', which is considered one of the most influential games of all time,<ref name="1up_ffvii"/><ref name="vintage_b"/> akin to that of ''[[Star Wars]]'' in the movie industry. With a record-breaking production budget of around $45 million,<ref name="1up_ffvii">{{Cite web|title=The Essential 50 Part 38: Final Fantasy VII from 1UP.com |url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-final-fantasy-vii |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721091308/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-final-fantasy-vii |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 July 2012 |website=[[1UP.com]] |accessdate=15 May 2011 }}</ref> the ambitious scope of ''Final Fantasy VII'' raised the possibilities for the genre, with its more expansive world to explore,<ref>{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=77|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> much longer quest, more numerous sidequests,<ref name="1up_ffvii"/> [[Minigames of the Final Fantasy franchise|dozens of minigames]], and much higher production values. The latter includes innovations such as the use of 3D characters on pre-rendered backgrounds,<ref name="vintage_78">{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=78|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> battles viewed from multiple different angles rather than a single angle, and for the first time full-motion [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] video seamlessly blended into the gameplay,<ref name="vintage_b">{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=84|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> effectively integrated throughout the game.<ref name="1up_ffvii"/> Gameplay innovations included the materia system, which allowed a considerable amount of customization and flexibility through materia that can be combined in many different ways and exchanged between characters at any time, and the limit breaks, special attacks that can be performed after a character's limit meter fills up by taking hits from opponents.<ref name="vintage_b"/> The materia system is similar to, but more sophisticated than, the slotted item system in ''[[Diablo II]]'' (2000).<ref>{{Harvnb|Barton|2008|ref=barton_ddesktops|p=387}}</ref> ''Final Fantasy VII'' continues to be listed among the [[List of video games considered the best|best games of all time]], for its highly polished gameplay, high playability, lavish production, well-developed characters, intricate storyline,<ref name="vintage_78"/> and an emotionally engaging narrative that is much darker and sophisticated than most other RPGs.<ref>{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=86|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> The game's storytelling and character development was considered a major narrative jump forward for video games and was often compared to films and novels at the time.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards: Storytelling|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1788/the_gamasutra_quantum_leap_awards_.php?page=5|website=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=3 November 2006|last1=Boyer|first1=Brandon|last2=Cifaldi|first2=Frank}}</ref> The explosion of ''Final Fantasy VII''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s sales and the ascendance of the [[PlayStation]] represented the dawning of a new era of RPGs. Backed by a clever multimillion-dollar marketing campaign,<ref>{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=91|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> ''Final Fantasy VII'' brought RPGs to a much wider console audience and played a key role in the success of the PlayStation gaming console.<ref>{{Cite web|first=David |last=Smith |date=October 2003 |url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zd1up/is_200310/ai_ziff109006 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20060815015200/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_zd1up/is_200310/ai_ziff109006 |url-status=dead |archive-date=15 August 2006 |title=Final Fantasy VII Advent Children |work=Find Articles |accessdate=10 August 2006 |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.usatoday.com/tech/gaming/2006-08-29-dirge-of-cerberus_x.htm|title='Dirge of Cerberus' defies expectations, for better and worse|last=Kraus|first=Alex|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|date=29 August 2006|accessdate=2006-08-30}}</ref> Following the success of ''Final Fantasy VII'', console RPGs, previously a niche genre outside Japan, skyrocketed in popularity across the world.<ref>{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|pp=91–92|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> The game was soon ported to the PC. The game was also responsible not only for popularizing RPGs on consoles, but its high production budget played a key role in the rising costs of video game development in general, and it led to Square's foray into films with ''[[Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within]]''.<ref name="1up_ffvii"/> Later in 1997, Square released ''[[SaGa Frontier]]'', which expands on the non-linear gameplay of its ''Romancing Saga'' predecessors. It has a setting that spans multiple planets and an overarching plot that becomes apparent after playing through each of the different characters' quests that tie together at certain places.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Hardcore Gaming 101: SaGa|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/saga/saga3.htm|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=15 May 2011|author=Rorshacma}}</ref> The characters have several different possible endings each,<ref>{{Cite web | author=Gann, Patrick | date=24 March 1998 | title=RPGFan Reviews – SaGa Frontier | url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/sagafrontier/SaGa_Frontier-3.html | publisher=RPGFan| accessdate=2008-12-13}}</ref> and there can be up to 15 characters in the party at the same time, organized into three groups of five characters.<ref>{{Cite web | author=Hindman, Heath | title=SaGa Frontier – Staff Review | url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/saga/sagaf/reviews/sagafstrev1.html | publisher=RPGamer | accessdate=2008-12-13 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715205444/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/saga/sagaf/reviews/sagafstrev1.html | archive-date=15 July 2011 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}</ref> The ambitious amount of freedom the game offered was a departure from most RPGs in its time, but this led to a mixed reception due to its lack of direction.<ref>{{Cite web | author=Boor, Jay | date=26 March 1998 | title=Saga Frontier Review | url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/152/152114p1.html | website=IGN| accessdate=2008-12-13}}</ref> Quintet's 1997 release ''[[The Granstream Saga]]'' was an early fully 3D action RPG that had a unique [[Third-person (video games)|third-person]] one-on-one combat system and a storyline that, while being mostly linear, offered a difficult moral choice towards the end of the game regarding which of two characters to save, each leading to a different ending.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Granstream Saga – Review|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/psx/gss/reviews/gssrdrev1.html|publisher=RPGamer|accessdate=15 May 2011|author=Radrisol|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816140916/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/psx/gss/reviews/gssrdrev1.html|archive-date=16 August 2016|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> ''LandStalker's'' 1997 spiritual successor ''[[Alundra]]''<ref>{{Cite web|title=Alundra|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/alundra/Alundra.html|work=RPGFan|accessdate=31 January 2012|author=Webber|date=2 March 1998}}</ref> is considered "one of the finest examples of action/RPG gaming," combining platforming elements and challenging puzzles with an innovative storyline revolving around entering people's dreams and dealing with mature themes.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Zimmerman|first=Conrad|title=An RPG Draws Near! Alundra|url=http://www.destructoid.com/an-rpg-draws-near-alundra-125565.phtml|website=[[Destructoid]]|accessdate=30 January 2012|date=20 March 2009}}</ref> In 1998, Square's ''[[Xenogears]]'' was acclaimed for the ambitious scope of its storyline, which spanned millennia and explored themes rarely dealt with in video games, including topics such as religion and the origin of mankind,<ref name="gamasutra_storytelling"/> and social commentary dealing with racism, poverty, war, and human psychology, along with narrative references to the philosophies of [[Sigmund Freud]], [[Carl Jung]] and [[Friedrich Nietzsche]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/xenogears-psn/index.html|title=Xenogears|publisher=RPGFan|first=James Quentin|last=Clark|date=30 July 2008|accessdate=2008-09-02}}</ref> It is today considered one of the greatest examples of video game storytelling.<ref name="gamasutra_storytelling">{{Cite web|title=The Gamasutra Quantum Leap Awards: Storytelling|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1788/the_gamasutra_quantum_leap_awards_.php?page=3|website=[[Gamasutra]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=3 November 2006|last1=Boyer|first1=Brandon|last2=Cifaldi|first2=Frank}}</ref> That year also saw the rise of [[Digital pet|monster-collecting]] RPGs which, although originating from ''Megami Tensei'', ''Dragon Quest V'', and ''Robotrek'', was further advanced and popularized by ''[[Pokémon]]'', which featured [[multiplayer]] gameplay and was released in North America that year.<ref name="nextgen_kaiser"/> ''Pokémon'' has since become the best-selling RPG franchise of all time.<ref name="kotaku_rpgs">{{Cite web |first=Mike |last=Fahey |url=http://kotaku.com/5546807/a-visual-guide-to-the-role+playing-game |title=A Visual Guide to the Role-Playing Game |website=Kotaku |date=25 May 2010 |accessdate=2010-09-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100619204055/http://kotaku.com/5546807/a-visual-guide-to-the-role%20playing-game |archive-date=19 June 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name="ign_pokerecords">{{Cite web|title=Pokemon Report: World Records Edition |first=Jack |last=DeVries |date=16 January 2009 |website=IGN |url=http://www.ds.ign.com/articles/946/946074p1.html |accessdate=2010-01-24 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090228193548/http://ds.ign.com/articles/946/946074p1.html |archivedate=28 February 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite press release |url=http://nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/news/2010/pokmon_black_version_and_pokmon_white_version_for_nintendo_ds_coming_to_europe_in_spring_2011_17844.html |title=Pokémon Black Version and Pokémon White Version for Nintendo DS coming to Europe in Spring 2011 |accessdate=2010-05-28 |date=31 May 2010 | publisher=[[Nintendo]]}}</ref> Another 1998 title, ''[[Suikoden II]]'', was acclaimed for its "winding, emotionally charged narrative" that involved recruiting an army and gave players the choice of whether to "redeem or kill" key characters.<ref name="ign_history">{{Cite web|last=Coleman|first=Matt|title=A History of Console RPGs|url=http://games.ign.com/articles/121/1210544p3.html|website=IGN|accessdate=28 April 2012|date=25 October 2011}}</ref> The same year also saw the release of ''[[The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time]]'', which was considered an action RPG at the time and was "poised to shape the action RPG genre for years to come."<ref name="IGN review">{{Cite web| last=Schneider |first=Peer | title=Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time review | website=IGN | date=25 November 1998 | url=http://ign64.ign.com/articles/150/150437p1.html | accessdate=29 January 2006}}</ref> While it is still considered one of the best games of all time, its status as an action RPG continues to be debated, much likes its predecessors.<ref name="ign_history"/> In 1999, the cinematic trend set by ''Final Fantasy VII'' continued with ''[[Final Fantasy VIII]]'', which introduced characters with a proportionately sized human appearance. The game also featured a level-scaling system where the enemies scale in level along with the player's party.<ref name="rpgamer_ffviii">{{Cite web|last=Cunningham|first=Michael |title=Final Fantasy VIII – Staff Retroview|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/ff/ff8/reviews/ff8strev5.html|publisher=RPGamer|accessdate=15 May 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110715205642/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/ff/ff8/reviews/ff8strev5.html|archive-date=15 July 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Similar level-scaling mechanics have been used in a number of later RPGs, including ''[[The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]'', ''[[Silverfall]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|last=Kelfonne|first=Shawn|title=Good Idea/Bad Idea: Level Scaling|url=http://www.destructoid.com/blogs/ShawnKelfonne/good-idea-bad-idea-level-scaling-69214.phtml|website=[[Destructoid]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=8 February 2008}}</ref> ''[[Dragon Age: Origins]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|last=Cullinane |first=James|title=Review: Dragon Age: Origins|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/games/3031783/Review-Dragon-Age-Origins|publisher=GAMEPLANET.CO.NZ|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=11 May 2009}}</ref> ''[[Fable II]]'',<ref>{{Cite web|author=Jennifer Tsao|date=20 February 2008|title=Preview: Fable 2|website=[[1UP.com]]|url=http://www.1up.com/previews/fable-2_4|accessdate=2011-03-30|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120709153441/http://www.1up.com/previews/fable-2_4|archivedate=9 July 2012|df=dmy-all}}</ref> ''[[Fallout 3]]'', and ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim|Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mike|first=Sharkey|title=First Major Details on Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim|url=http://uk.ps3.gamespy.com/playstation-3/elder-scrolls-v/1143299p1.html|publisher=[[GameSpy]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=10 January 2011}}</ref> Square also expanded on the non-linearity of ''SaGa Frontier'' with their 1999 action RPG ''[[Legend of Mana]]'',<ref name="rpgfan_lom"/> the most open-ended in the ''[[Mana (series)|Mana]]'' series,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Gann|first=Patrick|title=RPGFan Reviews – Sword of Mana|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/swordofmana/index.html|website=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=25 August 2004}}</ref> allowing the player to build the game world however they choose, complete any [[Quest (video games)|quests]] and subplots they choose in any order of their choice, and choose which storyline paths to follow,<ref name="rpgfan_lom">{{Cite web|author=Sensei Phoenix|title=RPGFan Reviews – Legend of Mana|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/legendofmana/Legend_of_Mana-5.html|website=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Mattich|first=Ryan|title=RPGFan Reviews – Legend of Mana|url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/legendofmana/Legend_of_Mana-3.html|publisher=RPGFan|accessdate=15 May 2011}}</ref> departing from most other action RPGs in its time.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Andrew Vestal |date=7 June 2000 |title=Legend of Mana (review) |url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/legendofmanathe/review.html |work=GameSpot.com |accessdate=2008-06-14 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20081212212405/http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/legendofmanathe/review.html |archivedate=12 December 2008 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> That same year, Square's [[survival horror]] RPG ''[[Parasite Eve II]]'' featured branching storylines and up to three different possible endings,<ref>{{Cite magazine|author=Tokyo Drifter|title=Parasite Eve II review|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/6923/parasite-eve-ii-review/|magazine=[[GamePro]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=3 October 2000|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080927210816/http://www.gamepro.com/article/reviews/6923/parasite-eve-ii-review/|archivedate=27 September 2008}}</ref> while the sci-fi RPG ''[[Star Ocean: The Second Story]]'' boasted as many as 86 different endings,<ref>{{Cite web|title=Gameplanet – Previews – Star Ocean: Till The End Of Time |url=http://old.gameplanet.co.nz/mag.dyn/Previews/4136.html |publisher=[[Gameplanet]] |accessdate=15 May 2011 |date=6 October 2004 }}{{Dead link|date=June 2016|bot=medic}}</ref> with each of the possible permutations to these endings numbering in the hundreds, setting a benchmark for the amount of outcomes possible for a video game. Using a relationship system inspired by [[dating sim]]s, each of the characters in ''Star Ocean'' had friendship points and relationship points with each of the other characters, allowing the player to pair together, or [[Shipping (fandom)|ship]], any couples (both romantic [[heterosexual]] relationships as well as friendships) of their choice, allowing a form of [[fan fiction]] to exist within the game itself. This type of social system was later extended to allow romantic lesbian relationships in [[BioWare]]'s 2007 sci-fi RPG ''[[Mass Effect]]''. However, the relationship system in ''Star Ocean'' not only affected the storyline, but also the gameplay, affecting the way the characters behave towards each other in battle.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Main|first=Brendan|title=Hooking Up in Hyperspace|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/articles/view/issues/issue_249/7410-Hooking-Up-in-Hyperspace|publisher=The Escapist|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=13 April 2010}}</ref> Another 1999 RPG, ''[[Persona 2: Innocent Sin|Persona 2]]'', also featured dating elements, including the option to engage in a homosexual relationship.<ref>{{Cite web|date=18 September 2010|title=Opinion: Sex and The Male Psychology – Catherine|author=Colette Bennett & Simon Carless|publisher=GameSetWatch|url=http://www.gamesetwatch.com/2010/09/opinion_sex_and_the_male_psych.php|accessdate=2011-04-02}}</ref> That same year saw the release of ''[[Chrono Cross]]'', which became the third game to receive a perfect score from [[GameSpot]], after ''The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time'' and ''[[Soulcalibur (video game)|Soulcalibur]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=6 January 2000| first=Andrew|last=Vestal|title=GameSpot: Chrono Cross Review|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/chronocross/review.html|website=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=2006-07-24}}</ref> The game featured two major [[parallel universe (fiction)|parallel dimensions]], where the player must go back and forth between the worlds to recruit party members, obtain items, and advance the plot, with events in one dimension influencing the other.<ref name="ignreview">{{Cite web|date=15 August 2000|first=David|last=Zdyrko|title= Chrono Cross Review|url=http://psx.ign.com/articles/162/162503p1.html|website=IGN|accessdate=2006-07-24}}</ref> Like its predecessor ''Chrono Trigger'', ''Chrono Cross'' featured a [[New Game Plus|New Game+]] option and multiple endings, with at least a dozen possible endings based on the player's actions.<ref>{{Cite web|year=2005|title=Chrono Cross Endings|url=http://www.chronocompendium.com/Term/Endings_(Chrono_Cross).html|work=Chrono Compendium|accessdate=2006-07-24}}</ref> =====Early 2000s===== In 2000, ''[[Phantasy Star Online]]'' on the [[Dreamcast]] introduced online gaming to consoles and was responsible for pushing console gamers "to dial up with the Dreamcast to play online and to experience a new style of play."<ref>{{Cite web|last=Furfari |first=Paul |title=15 Games Ahead of Their Time |url=http://www.1up.com/features/15-games-time?pager.offset=2 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724012314/http://www.1up.com/features/15-games-time?pager.offset=2 |url-status=dead |archive-date=24 July 2012 |website=[[1UP.com]] |accessdate=26 September 2011 |page=2 }}</ref> It resulted in taking "consoles online" and defining "small-scale multiplayer RPGs," paving the way for larger-scale [[Massively multiplayer online role-playing game|MMORPG]] efforts such as ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'', setting the template for small-scale online RPGs such as [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Monster Hunter]]'' series and some of the later ''Dragon Quest'' and ''Final Fantasy'' games, and giving rise to "an entire pantheon of multiplayer [[dungeon crawl]]ers that continue to dominate the Japanese sales charts." More generally, ''Phantasy Star Online'' made "both online gaming and the concept of fee-based services a reality for consoles," paving the way for the online gaming services later provided by all three of the [[History of video game consoles (seventh generation)|seventh-generation consoles]].<ref name="1up_essential_pso">{{Cite web|last=Parish |first=Jeremy |title=Phantasy Star Online |work=The Decade That Was: Essential Newcomers – We close our look back at the (sic) the past 10 years with five revolutionary new games |url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3178082 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020055941/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3178082 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-10-20 |page=2 |publisher=[[1UP.com]] |accessdate=23 September 2011 |date=February 2010 }}</ref> That same year, ''[[Vagrant Story]]'' introduced a [[Time-keeping systems in games#Pausable real-time|pausable real-time]] battle system based on targeting individual body parts,<ref name="1up_matsuno">{{Cite web|title=Retronauts: Volume 4 – Yasumi Matsuno |author=Jeremy Parish |website=[[1UP.com]] |date=18 March 2006 |url=http://www.1up.com/features/retronauts-yasumi-matsuno |accessdate=2011-04-09 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160531022509/http://www.1up.com/features/retronauts-yasumi-matsuno |archivedate=31 May 2016 }}</ref> using both melee and bow & arrow weapons;<ref>{{Cite web|title=Vagrant Story – Retroview|publisher=RPGamer|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/psx/vagrant/reviews/vagrantstrev2.html|accessdate=2011-04-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130115091108/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/psx/vagrant/reviews/vagrantstrev2.html|archive-date=15 January 2013|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> similar body-targeting battle systems were later used in [[Bethesda Softworks|Bethesda]]'s ''[[Fallout 3]]'' (2008) and [[Nippon Ichi]]'s ''[[Last Rebellion]]'' (2010).<ref name="Damien"/> That year also saw the release of the [[PlayStation 2]], which would become the [[List of best-selling game consoles|best-selling game console]] of all time, due in large part to its large variety of Japanese RPGs (including franchises such as ''Final Fantasy'', ''[[Grandia (series)|Grandia]]'', and ''[[Tales (series)|Tales]]'') that established its dominance over the RPG market.<ref name="ign_history"/> In 2001, ''[[Final Fantasy X]]'' made advancements in portraying realistic emotions through voice-overs and detailed facial expressions, which have since become a staple of the series, with ''[[Final Fantasy X-2]]'' and other subsequent titles (such as ''[[Dirge of Cerberus -Final Fantasy VII-]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'') also featuring this development. It also replaced an [[overworld]] map with the traversing of real-time 3D environments, which has also become a standard of the series, as demonstrated in ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'' and ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]''.<ref name="GT-FFRetrospectiveVII">{{Cite web|url=http://www.gametrailers.com/video/part-vii-final-fantasy/24248 |title=Final Fantasy Retrospective Part VII |publisher=[[GameTrailers]] |date=28 August 2007 |accessdate=6 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090525090957/http://www.gametrailers.com/video/part-vii-final-fantasy/24248 |archivedate=25 May 2009 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> The game introduced several other gameplay elements to the series, such as its [[Conditional Turn-Based Battle System]] and Overdrive [[Limit Break]]s. It became a major worldwide success, largely due to its "dynamic" presentation, "movie-quality CGI" [[cutscene]]s, and "well-scripted, well-acted dialogue," that helped it become a major success, helping to establish the PlayStation 2 as "the console of choice for gamers looking for a cinematic experience and narrative polish" that had been lacking in most previous RPGs. Around the same time, the [[Shadow Hearts|first entry]] in the ''[[Shadow Hearts (series)|Shadow Hearts]]'' series was released. The series would later be acclaimed for its darker [[Lovecraftian horror]] narrative revolving around "an emotional journey through the reluctant [[Antihero|anti-hero]]'s quest toward redemption."<ref name="ign_history"/> Much like the ''Chrono'' series, the ''Shadow Hearts'' games offer multiple endings.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Koehler|first=Paul|title=Shadow Hearts – Review: PS2 RPGs Come of Age|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/koudelka/shearts/reviews/sheartsstrev1.html|publisher=RPGamer|year=2001|accessdate=28 April 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018135559/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/koudelka/shearts/reviews/sheartsstrev1.html|archive-date=18 October 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> In 2002, ''[[Final Fantasy XI]]'' for the PlayStation 2 (and later the [[IBM PC compatible|PC]] and [[Xbox 360]]) introduced the [[massively multiplayer online role-playing game]] genre to consoles. In 2003, ''[[Final Fantasy X-2]]'' for the PlayStation 2 followed the "stylish narrative formula" established by ''Final Fantasy X'', though with a more "''[[Charlie's Angels]]''-esque" approach. That same year saw the release of the more experimental ''[[Shin Megami Tensei: Nocturne|Shin Megami Tensei III: Nocturne]]'', the third main entry in the ''[[Megami Tensei|Shin Megami Tensei]]'' series. Much like its predecessors, it was "psychologically challenging" and featured a branching narrative with multiple endings. ''Nocturne'' "carved out a toehold for the series in America with its post-apocalyptic adventure set in a bombed-out Japan" where instead of "trying to stop the apocalypse," the "demonic main character's end goal is to assert his will on the new world."<ref name="ign_history"/> The same year, [[Konami]]'s [[Game Boy Advance]] [[handheld video game]] ''[[Boktai]]'' had a unique [[Stealth game|stealth-based]] action gameplay that made use of a [[solar energy|solar-power]] sensor.<ref>{{Cite web|last=David |first=Chen |title=Retro/Active: Metal Gear |url=http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?pager.offset=1&cId=3146356 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130110130919/http://www.1up.com/do/minisite?pager.offset=1&cId=3146356 |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 January 2013 |accessdate=15 May 2011 |date=14 December 2005 }}</ref> =====Mid 2000s===== In 2004, ''[[Dragon Quest VIII]]'' was released and became the first game in the [[Dragon Quest (series)|''Dragon Quest'' series]] to have 3D graphics and voice acting. [[Capcom]] released ''[[Monster Hunter]]'', the first title of the franchise, for the [[PlayStation 2]]. The game introduced up-to 8 players team based online hunting gameplay-style. On handheld consoles, ''[[Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories]]'', ''[[Dragon Quest V: Hand of the Heavenly Bride]]'', and ''[[Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones]]'' were released. In 2005, ''[[Kingdom Hearts II]]'' was released, which solidified the ''[[Kingdom Hearts]]'' series as the new JRPG series. ''[[Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance]]'', developed by [[Intelligent Systems]] and published by [[Nintendo]], was released for the [[GameCube]]. Other notable releases include ''[[Drakengard 2]],'' ''[[Xenosaga Episode II: Jenseits von Gut und Böse]],'' ''[[Radiata Stories]], [[Romancing SaGa -Minstrel Song-]]'', ''[[Tales of the Abyss]], and [[Tales of Legendia]],'' On handhelds ''[[Pokémon Mystery Dungeon]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy IV Advance]]'' and ''[[Metal Gear Acid]] were released.'' In 2006, ''[[Final Fantasy XII]]'' was released. It was the first ''[[Final Fantasy]]'' game to have enemies on the field, seamless battle transitions, an [[open world]], a controllable camera and customizable AI. When it was released it became the first ''Final Fantasy'' game to get a perfect score from ''[[Famitsu Weekly]]'' magazine. Other notable releases are ''[[Suikoden V]], [[Xenosaga Episode III: Also sprach Zarathustra]]'', and ''[[.hack//G.U. vol.3//Redemption]].'' ====Relative decline (late 2000s)==== With the arrival of the [[Xbox 360]] and [[PlayStation 3]], mainstream interest in Japanese console role-playing games has steadily begun to decline. {{Citation needed|date=July 2019}}The first indication of this decline began with the revival of WRPGs on home consoles that started with the release of ''[[The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion]]'' on the Xbox 360 in 2006. Western console role-playing games have since become far more popular in the West than Japanese console role-playing games on home consoles.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}} Though, JRPGs have continued to be released, their sales in North America and Europe have greatly fallen compared to WRPGs. Subsequent games like ''[[Fallout 3]]'', ''[[Fable II]]'' and ''[[Mass Effect]]'' received far more attention on consoles, especially in the Western media.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}} Also, Western critics have generally considered most newer JRPGs to be either average or subpar.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}} Mainstream JRPG series such as ''[[Final Fantasy XIII]]'' and its ''[[Final Fantasy XIII-2|sequel]]'', other games such as ''[[Star Ocean: The Last Hope]]'' and ''[[Nier (video game)|Nier]]'' have been seen as only decent, not great.{{Citation needed|date=July 2019}} In 2006, ''[[Persona 3]]'', dveloped by [[Atlus]] for the PlayStation 2, was released. Other notable releases are ''[[Wild ARMs 5]], [[Eternal Sonata]], [[Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King]]'' and ''[[Tales of Symphonia: Knight of Ratatosk]].'' In 2008, ''[[Lost Odyssey]],'' developed by [[Mistwalker]] and [[Feelplus]] for the [[Xbox 360]], was released. Other notable releases are ''[[Persona 4]], [[Tales of Vesperia]], [[Disgaea 3: Absence of Justice]],'' and ''[[Valkyria Chronicles]].'' In 2009, ''[[Demon's Souls]]'', developed by [[FromSoftware]] for the [[PlayStation 3]], was released. The game received notable awards by video game media including GameSpot's Game of the Year, GameTrailers' Best RPG, IGN's Best RPG for the PS3, and [[PC World (magazine)|PC World]]'s Game of the Year. [[Handheld game console]]s, however, particularly [[Nintendo handhelds]] such as the [[Nintendo DS]], have featured a number of innovative RPGs during the late 2000s.<ref>{{Cite web|last=James|first=Newton|title=Talking Point: Is the DS Dead at Retail?|url=http://ds.nintendolife.com/news/2011/01/talking_point_is_the_ds_dead_at_retail|publisher=NintendoLife.com|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=30 January 2011}}</ref> [[Square Enix]]'s ''[[The World Ends with You]]'' (2007) featured a unique [[Multi-monitor|dual-screen]] action combat system that involves controlling two characters at the same time.<ref>{{Cite web|last=McCarthy|first=Dave|title=The World Ends With You UK Review|url=http://uk.ds.ign.com/articles/865/865109p1.html|website=IGN|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=8 April 2008}}</ref> [[Level-5 (company)|Level-5]]'s ''[[Inazuma Eleven]]'' (2008) introduced unique [[Association football|soccer football]] RPG gameplay incorporating [[sports game]] elements.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Spencer|title=Hands on Inazuma Eleven's Random Soccer Battles|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2008/09/23/hands-on-inazuma-elevens-random-soccer-battles/|publisher=Siliconera|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=23 September 2008}}</ref> The [[Atlus]] title ''[[Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor]]'' (2009)<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.gamedaily.com/games/shin-megami-tensei-devil-survivor/ds/game-main/list/|title=Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor|publisher=[[GameDaily]]|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090313101638/http://www.gamedaily.com/games/shin-megami-tensei-devil-survivor/ds/game-main/list/8313/0/|archivedate=13 March 2009|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> blends together both traditional and [[Tactical role-playing game|tactical RPG]] gameplay along with non-linear [[adventure game]] elements<ref>{{Cite web|title=Shin Megami Tensei: Devil Survivor – NDS – Review |url=http://nds.gamezone.com/reviews/item/shin_megami_tensei_devil_survivor_nds_review/ |publisher=GameZone |accessdate=15 May 2011 |date=22 June 2009 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110812012841/http://nds.gamezone.com/reviews/item/shin_megami_tensei_devil_survivor_nds_review |archivedate=12 August 2011 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> as well as an innovative demon auction system and a death clock system where each character has a specified time of death<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://ds.ign.com/objects/142/14294464.html |title=IGN: SMT: Devil Survivor review, IGN|website=IGN |accessdate=2010-05-18}}</ref> and the player's actions has consequences on who lives and dies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.siliconera.com/2009/05/27/devil-survivor-and-the-countdown-clock-to-death/|title=Devil Survivor and the Countdown Clock To Death|publisher=Siliconera|author=Spencer|date=27 May 2009|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> On the [[PlayStation Portable]] (PSP), ''[[Half-Minute Hero]]'' (2009) is a [[Role-playing shooters|role-playing shooter]] featuring self-referential humour and a 30-second time limit for each level and boss encounter.<ref>{{Cite web|title=2D Forever: the fall and rise of hardcore Japanese game design|work=[[The Guardian]]|author=Keith Stuart|date=4 March 2011|url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2011/mar/04/2d-forever-japanese-game-design|accessdate=2011-03-23}}</ref> ''[[Infinite Space]]'' (2009) by [[PlatinumGames]] is a hybrid of [[tactical role-playing game]], [[real-time strategy]] and [[Space flight simulator game|space simulator]] elements,<ref name="n-europe_space">{{Cite web|url=http://n-europe.com/news.php?nid=13865 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110714145320/http://n-europe.com/news.php?nid=13865 |url-status=dead |archive-date=14 July 2011 |publisher=N-Europe |title=News: Infinite Space Dated For Europe |author=Aaron Clegg |date=15 February 2010 |accessdate=2010-03-03 }}</ref> and features a [[nonlinear gameplay|non-linear branching narrative]] with numerous choices that can have dramatic consequences,<ref>{{Cite web|last=Moehnke|first=Mike|title=Infinite Space – Staff Review|url=http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/nds/infiniteline/reviews/infinitelinestrev1.html|publisher=RPGamer|accessdate=2 May 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111119042525/http://www.rpgamer.com/games/other/nds/infiniteline/reviews/infinitelinestrev1.html|archive-date=19 November 2011|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> and an epic scale spanning hundreds of planets.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Castle|first=Matthew|title=Infinite Space|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/infinite-space/|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|accessdate=2 May 2012|date=16 March 2010}}</ref> ====Aftermath (early 2010s)==== In the early 2010s, new intellectual properties such as ''[[Xenoblade Chronicles (video game)|Xenoblade Chronicles]]'' from [[Monolith Soft]] and ''[[The Last Story]]'' from [[Mistwalker]] found a home on Nintendo's [[Wii]] console late in its lifespan, gaining unanimously solid reviews. Many reviewers claimed the games revitalized the genre, keeping its best traits while modernizing other gameplay elements which could appeal to a wide audience. ''Xenoblade'', in particular, revitalized the genre with an extremely expansive [[open world]] compared to the size of the [[Japanese archipelago]]. However, [[Nintendo of America]] announced its decision to not localize the games, not having enough faith in their commercial appeal to American audiences. In response, a widespread internet campaign known as "[[Operation Rainfall]]" petitioned the release of ''Xenoblade''', ''The Last Story'', and ''[[Pandora's Tower]]'' in America, with participants flooding Nintendo's official Facebook page with requests and sending mail to NOA's headquarters. The former two games were released in America in 2012, with ''Xenoblade'' debuting at the top of [[GameStop]]'s best seller list the week of its release. However, despite this, the sales of both games were far less than those of console WRPGs such as ''[[Mass Effect 2]]'' and ''Fallout 3''. On handhelds, the 2010 Atlus title ''[[Radiant Historia]]'' introduced a unique take on the concept of [[Nonlinear gameplay|non-linear]] branching storylines that gives the player the freedom to alter the course of history through [[time travel]] across two [[Parallel universe (fiction)|parallel timelines]].<ref name="1UP_Radiant_Historia">{{Cite web|last=Parish |first=Jeremy |title=Radiant Historia Gives Off a Distinct Chrono Trigger Vibe |url=http://www.1up.com/previews/radiant-historia-distinct-chrono-trigger |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121210102047/http://www.1up.com/previews/radiant-historia-distinct-chrono-trigger |url-status=dead |archive-date=10 December 2012 |website=[[1UP.com]] |accessdate=15 May 2011 |date=11 November 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=North|first=Dale|title=Review: Radiant Historia|url=http://www.destructoid.com/review-radiant-historia-193077.phtml|website=[[Destructoid]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=2 February 2002}}</ref> The 2010 [[PlayStation Portable|PSP]] version of ''[[Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together|Tactics Ogre]]'' features a similar "World" system that allows players to revisit key plot points and make different choices to see how the story unfolds differently.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Grayson|first=Nathan|title=Tactics Ogre: Let Us Cling Together|url=http://www.gamesradar.com/psp/tactics-ogre-let-us-cling-together/review/tactics-ogre-let-us-cling-together-review/a-2011021515943267079/g-20100722113014352012|publisher=[[GamesRadar]]|accessdate=15 May 2011|date=15 February 2011}}</ref> [[Imageepoch]]'s 2011 title ''Saigo no Yakusoku no Monogatari'' (''Final Promise Story'') for the PSP has a strategic command-based battle system where enemies learn from previous skirmishes and where characters can die permanently during gameplay which in turn affects the game's storyline.<ref>{{Cite web|author=Tom Goldman|date=24 November 2010|url=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/105615-Imageepoch-Unveils-New-Wave-of-JRPGs|title=Imageepoch Unveils New Wave of JRPGs|work=[[The Escapist (magazine)|The Escapist]]|accessdate=2011-05-16}}</ref> In 2011, Nintendo made a conscious effort to revitalize the Pokémon brand with the [[Pokémon Black and White|''Pokémon Black'' & ''White'']] duology, which streamlined the battle system and introduced an entirely new lineup of characters in a new region based on New York City. These games were followed up with a [[Pokémon Black 2 and White 2|direct numbered sequel]] in 2012, a first for the main series. 2012 also saw the release of ''[[Pokémon Conquest]]'', a crossover with the ''[[Nobunaga's Ambition]]'' series of strategy role-playing games.<ref name=releasedate>{{Cite news |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2011-12-16/pokemon+nobunaga-ambition-game-revealed |title=Pokémon + Nobunaga's Ambition Game Revealed |work=[[Anime News Network]] |date=16 December 2011}}</ref> In 2012 and onwards, a surge in new JRPGs such as ''[[Xenoblade Chronicles]]'', ''[[Persona 4 Golden]]'', ''[[Fire Emblem: Awakening]]'', ''[[Shin Megami Tensei 4]]'', ''[[Tales of Graces]]'', ''[[Kingdom Hearts 3D: Dream Drop Distance]]'', ''[[Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan]]'', ''[[Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch]]'' and ''[[Tales of Xillia]]'' are generally well received by fans of the genre and some critics while a number of popular WRPGs such as ''[[Mass Effect 3]]'' and the PC version of ''[[Diablo III]]'' suffered from poor feedback by non-critic reviewers, especially on [[Metacritic]]. However, JRPG installments from mainstream franchises such as ''[[Paper Mario: Sticker Star]]'' performed well below expectations, continuing the decline of mainstream JRPG franchises except Pokémon. With the exception of Pokémon games, individual JRPG sales continue to pale in comparison against individual WRPGs such as ''[[The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim]]''<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-12-16-valve-skyrim-fastest-selling-game-in-steam-history|title=Valve: Skyrim fastest-selling game in Steam history • News • Eurogamer.net|date={{Date|2011-12-16|mdy}}|accessdate={{Date|2011-12-16|mdy}}|website=Eurogamer}}</ref> and ''[[Guild Wars 2]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Matt|first=Peckham|title=Guild Wars 2 nabs fastest selling MMO crown|url=http://techland.time.com/2013/08/16/guild-wars-2-nabs-fastest-selling-western-mmo-crown-looks-east-for-more-records|publisher= [[Time Inc.|Time]]|accessdate=21 October 2013|date=16 August 2013}}</ref> However, JRPGs released by Nintendo continue to prosper, with Dragon Quest IX,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.siliconera.com/2011/01/27/heres-how-much-dragon-quest-ix-sold-overseas/|title=Here's How Much Dragon Quest IX Sold Overseas|date=27 January 2011|publisher=}}</ref> Fire Emblem: Awakening{{Citation needed|date=December 2014}}, and Bravely Default<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/bravely-defaults-strong-sales-continue-reach-1-mil/1100-6421345/|title=Bravely Default's Strong Sales Continue, Reach 1 Million Worldwide|first=Chris|last=Pereira|date=29 July 2014|publisher=}}</ref> selling well above expectations for the genre, and Final Fantasy XIV has reported such a strong revenue that Square Enix, its publisher, had expected turning a profit,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2014/02/05/square-enix-financials-cast-final-fantasy-14-as-saviour|title=Square Enix Financials Cast Final Fantasy 14 as Saviour|first=Luke|last=Karmali|date=5 February 2014|publisher=}}</ref> so while certain games may still be ill-received, others are performing fairly well. ====New directions and renaissance (2010s)==== Hunting RPGs are a type of action RPG subgenre featuring the player and an optional team of up to three other players hunting down larger monsters with a set amount of time, using weapons crafted from the materials extracted from the map and/or from the monsters themselves. Unlike most RPG genres, the monsters have no health bars or hit points, but have stronger attack and defense stats, forcing the players to use survival items and coordinated strategies to eliminate a specific monster. First appeared in [[Capcom]]'s ''[[Monster Hunter]]'' franchise, these games later expanded the hunting RPG genre into other games as well, such as [[Bandai Namco Entertainment]]'s ''[[God Eater (series)|God Eater]]'' franchise. Soulslike games are a relatively new genre born due to popularity of the [[Souls (series)|''Souls'' series]].<ref>{{Cite web|author=Giuseppe Nelva |url=http://www.dualshockers.com/2016/04/26/is-niohs-the-consecration-of-from-softwares-darkdemons-souls-as-a-rpg-sub-genre-of-its-own/ |title=Is NiOh the Consecration of From Software's Dark/Demon's Souls as a RPG Sub-Genre of its Own? |publisher=Dualshockers.com |date=2016-04-26 |accessdate=2017-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author=Matthew Byrd |url=http://www.denofgeek.com/us/games/dark-souls/254500/how-dark-souls-became-its-own-genre |title=How Dark Souls Became Its Own Genre |publisher=Den of Geek |date=2016-05-02 |accessdate=2017-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://geektyrant.com/news/5-games-series-that-have-defined-a-genre |title=5 Games Series That Have Defined a Genre — GeekTyrant |publisher=Geektyrant.com |date= |accessdate=2017-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://whatculture.com/gaming/10-upcoming-souls-like-games-to-play-after-dark-souls-3 |title=10 Upcoming 'Souls Like' Games To Play After Dark Souls 3 |publisher=Whatculture.com |date=2016-05-04 |accessdate=2017-03-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|author= |url=http://www.cubedgamers.com/2017/01/27/nioh-naysayers-and-the-manifestation-of-the-soulslike/ |title=Nioh Naysayers and the Manifestation of the Soulslike |publisher=Cubed Gamers |date=2017-01-27 |accessdate=2017-03-07}}</ref> Those games generally have common elements like high difficulty, high-risk combat with hard-hitting enemies, sparse checkpoints, and enemies dropping souls (or some other resource used for upgrading stats and/or weapons that is lost upon death), but the player has one chance to regain the dropped souls if they can reach the place of their death without dying again. Examples of this type of game are: ''[[Dragon's Dogma]]'', ''[[Lords of the Fallen]]'', ''[[Bound by Flame]]'', ''[[Bloodborne]]'', ''[[DarkMaus]]'', ''[[Nioh]]'', ''[[The Surge (video game)|The Surge]]'', ''[[Ashen (2018 video game)|Ashen]]''. Since 2016, Japanese RPGs have been experiencing a resurgence,<ref name="gamerevolution2016">{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/features/13902-2017-the-year-japanese-rpgs-caught-up-to-western-rpgs|title=2017: The Year Japanese RPGs Caught Up To Western RPGs|date=27 March 2017|website=GameRevolution}}</ref><ref name="usgamer2016">{{Cite web|url=https://www.usgamer.net/articles/the-jrpg-is-doing-just-fine-thanks|title=The JRPG is Doing Just Fine, Thanks|first=Jeremy|last=Parish|date=21 December 2016|publisher=}}</ref><ref name="technobuffalo2016">{{Cite web|url=https://www.technobuffalo.com/2016/12/27/did-2016-truly-hold-up-as-a-comeback-year-for-the-jrpg-genre/|title=Did 2016 truly hold up as a comeback year for the JRPG genre?|date=27 December 2016|publisher=}}</ref> as part of a renaissance for the Japanese video game industry.<ref name="verge2016">{{Cite web|url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/6/30/15894404/japan-video-game-comeback-zelda-resident-evil-e3-2017|title=How Japanese video games made a comeback in 2017|first=Andrew|last=Webster|date=30 June 2017|website=The Verge}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Pinnell |first=James |url=https://www.pcauthority.com.au/feature/yakuza-nioh-and-the-new-japan-renaissance-453105 |title=PC & Tech Authority | TechRadar |publisher=Pcauthority.com.au |date=2014-09-11 |accessdate=2019-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171026105505/https://www.pcauthority.com.au/feature/yakuza-nioh-and-the-new-japan-renaissance-453105 |archive-date=26 October 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2016, the global success of ''[[Pokémon Go]]'' helped ''[[Pokémon Sun and Moon]]'' set sales records around the world.<ref name="usgamer2016"/> ''[[Final Fantasy XV]]'' was also a major success, selling millions. There were also other Japanese RPGs that earned commercial success and/or critical acclaim that year, including ''[[Dragon Quest VII: Fragments of the Forgotten Past]]'', ''[[Shin Megami Tensei IV: Apocalypse]]'', ''[[Bravely Second]]'', ''[[Fire Emblem Fates]]'', ''[[Dragon Quest Builders]]'', ''[[World of Final Fantasy]]'', ''[[Exist Archive: The Other Side of the Sky]]'' and ''[[I Am Setsuna]]''.<ref name="technobuffalo2016"/> In 2017, Japanese RPGs gained further commercial success and greater critical acclaim.<ref name="gamerevolution2016"/><ref name="verge2016"/> The year started strong with ''[[Gravity Rush 2]]'',<ref name="verge2016"/> followed by ''[[Yakuza 0]]'', which some critics consider the best in the ''[[Yakuza (series)|Yakuza]]'' series, ''[[Nioh]]'' which is considered to have one of the [[Eighth generation of video game consoles|eighth-generation]]'s best RPG combat systems, and then ''[[Nier Automata]]'' which has gameplay and storytelling thought to be some of the best in recent years.<ref name="gamerevolution2016"/> ''[[Persona 5]]'' won the Best Role Playing Game award at [[The Game Awards 2017]].<ref>{{Cite web|title=Awards|url=http://thegameawards.com/awards/|website=[[The Game Awards]]|accessdate=December 16, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180226060713/http://thegameawards.com/awards/|archive-date=26 February 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> Some Japanese RPGs that were previously considered niche became mainstream million-sellers in 2017, including ''Persona 5'', ''Nier: Automata'',<ref name="verge2016"/> ''Nioh'',<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/10/02/nioh-complete-edition-coming-to-pc|title=Nioh: Complete Edition Coming to PC|first=Alex|last=Gilyadov|date=2 October 2017|publisher=}}</ref> and ''[[Xenoblade Chronicles 2]]'' on the [[Nintendo Switch]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2018-01-31-nintendos-revenue-rockets-as-switch-nears-15m-sold |title=Nintendo's revenue rockets as Switch nears 15m sold |work=GamesIndustry.biz |first=Matthew |last=Handrahan |date=January 31, 2018 |accessdate=January 31, 2018}}</ref> 2017 was considered a strong year for Japanese RPGs, with other notable releases including ''[[Dragon Quest VIII]]'' on the [[Nintendo 3DS]], ''[[Tales of Berseria]]'', ''[[Valkyria Revolution]]'', ''[[Ever Oasis]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age]]'', ''[[Ys VIII]]'', ''[[Etrian Odyssey V]]'', ''[[Dragon Quest Heroes II]]'', ''[[The Legend of Heroes: Trails in the Sky the 3rd]]'', ''[[Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia]]'', ''[[Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood]]'', and ''[[Tokyo Xanadu]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Schreier|first=Jason|title=The Year In JRPGs, 2017|url=https://kotaku.com/the-year-in-jrpgs-2017-1821535533|website=[[Kotaku]]|date=December 25, 2017}}</ref> 2018's ''[[Monster Hunter: World]]'' sold over 10 million copies,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2018/08/14/monster-hunter-world-sales-10-million/|title=Monster Hunter World Sales Reach At Least 10 Million|date=14 August 2018|website=PlayStation LifeStyle}}</ref> becoming [[Capcom]]'s best-selling single software title.<ref>{{Cite web | url = https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/315203/Monster_Hunter_World_is_now_the_bestselling_title_in_Capcom_history.php | title = Monster Hunter: World is now the best-selling title in Capcom history | first = Chris | last = Kerr | date = March 5, 2018 | accessdate = March 5, 2018 | work = [[Gamasutra]] }}</ref> [[Square Enix]]'s ''[[Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age]]'' sold over four million copies. Its launch was the franchise's best in North America.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2018/11/07/dragon-quest-11-sales-numbers-4-million/|title=Dragon Quest 11 Sales Numbers Reach 4 Million Worldwide|date=2018-11-07|website=PlayStation LifeStyle|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref> A retro-inspired turn-based JRPG ''[[Octopath Traveler]]'' sold over 1 million units exclusively on the Nintendo Switch.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kent |first=Emma |title=Octopath Traveler sells 1m copies worldwide |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2018-08-03-octopath-traveller-sells-1-million-units-worldwide |website=Eurogamer |accessdate=August 3, 2018}}</ref> Dragon Quest spin-off sandbox action RPG ''[[Dragon Quest Builders]]'' debuted in the west. ''[[Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom]]'' earned critical acclaims and sold over a million copies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamerevolution.com/news/391027-ni-no-kuni-2-sales-reach-almost-a-million-units-soundtrack-releasing-soon|title=Ni No Kuni 2 Sales Reach Almost a Million Units, Soundtrack Releasing Soon|date=2018-05-25|website=GameRevolution|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref> The first main game on a home console ''[[Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee!]]'' sold 10 million units.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://gamnesia.nintendoenthusiast.com/pokemon-lets-go-has-sold-10-million-copies/|title=Pokémon: Let's Go Has Sold 10 Million Copies|date=2019-01-31|website=Gamnesia|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref> [[Sega|SEGA]]'s [[Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio|Ryu ga Gotoku Stadio]] released ''[[Yakuza 6: The Song of Life]], [[Yakuza Kiwami 2]]'' and ''[[Fist of the North Star: Lost Paradise]].'' 2018 saw a decent amount of JRPG remasters from the past generations including ''[[Dark Souls Remastered]], [[Shining Resonance Refrain]], [[The World Ends with You: Final Remix]], [[The Last Remnant|The Last Remnant: Remastered]], [[Secret of Mana]]'', ''[[Dragon's Crown Pro]]'' and ''[[Shenmue I & II]].'' On handhelds, [[Atlus]] released ''[[The Alliance Alive]], [[Radiant Historia|Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology]]'', and ''[[Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux]]''. Other notable games include ''[[The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel II]]'', ''[[Lost Sphear]]'', ''[[Valkyria Chronicles 4]]'', ''[[Monster Hunter Generations|Monster Hunter Generations Ultimate]]'', and ''[[Xenoblade Chronicles 2: Torna – The Golden Country]]''. In 2019, [[Square Enix]] released ''[[Kingdom Hearts III]]'' selling over 5 million copies in the first month.<ref>{{Citation|title=Kingdom Hearts 3 Has Shipped Over 5 Million Copies - IGN|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/02/05/kingdom-hearts-3-has-shipped-over-5-million-copies|language=en|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref> ''[[Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice]]'' earned both critical and commercial success reaching nearly 4 million sales.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/sekiro-shadows-die-twice-sales-reach-almost-4-mill/1100-6468995/|title=Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Sales Reach Almost 4 Million|website=GameSpot|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref> With the release of a large expansion ''[[Final Fantasy XIV: Shadowbringers]],'' the game marked over a million active players.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.famitsu.com/news/201909/06182746.html|title=『FF14』吉田氏&織田氏インタビュー。野村哲也氏が描く"ガイア"は次回レイドで大暴れ!【gamescom 2019】|website=ファミ通.com|language=ja|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref> Nintendo's tactical role-playing game ''[[Fire Emblem: Three Houses]]'' earned critical acclaims.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/game/switch/fire-emblem-three-houses|title=Fire Emblem: Three Houses|website=Metacritic|language=en|access-date=2019-10-07}}</ref> Capcom released ''[[Monster Hunter: World|Monster Hunter World: Iceborne]]. Square Enix released [[Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition]] for the Nintendo Switch.'' There are notable remasters released in 2019 including ''[[Tales of Vesperia|Tales of Vesperia: Definitive Edition]]'', [[Final Fantasy VIII Remastered]]'', and ''[[Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch|Ni no Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch Remastered]]''. On handhelds, ''[[Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story + Bowser Jr.'s Journey]]'' and ''[[Persona Q2: New Cinema Labyrinth]]'' both for the [[3DS]] were released. Other notable JRPGs include ''[[God Eater 3]]'', ''[[Dragon Quest Builders 2]]'', ''[[Oninaki]]'', and ''[[Code Vein]]''. ==South Korean role-playing games== {{Main|Video gaming in South Korea}} {{See also|:Category:Video games developed in South Korea|l1=Video games developed in South Korea|History of massively multiplayer online games}} ===1980s–1990s=== South Korea's RPG industry began with translations of RPGs imported from Japan and the United States. The first fully translated Japanese RPG in Korea was ''[[Phantasy Star (video game)|Phantasy Star]]'' (1987) for the [[Sega Master System]], which was licensed by [[Samsung]] and released as the Samsung Gam*Boy in South Korea, on April 1989. The country's first fully-fledged computer RPG was ''Sin'geom-ui Jeonseol'', also known as ''Legend of the Sword'', released for the [[Apple II]] computer platform in 1987. It was programmed by Nam In-Hwan and distributed by Aproman, and was primarily influenced by the ''[[Ultima (series)|Ultima]]'' series. In the late 1980s, the Korean company Topia began producing [[action role-playing game]]s, one of which was ''Pungnyu Hyeopgaek'' for the [[MS-DOS]] in 1989. It was the first Korean title published for [[IBM PC compatible]]s and is set in [[ancient China]]. Another action RPG released by Topia that same year was ''Mirae Sonyeon Conan'', a video game adaptation of [[Hayao Miyazaki]]'s Japanese 1978 [[anime]] series ''[[Future Boy Conan]]'', for the [[MSX2]] platform.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Part 1: First steps and emancipation (1976–1993)|url=http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/korea/part1/korea1.htm|work=A History of Korean Gaming|publisher=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=6 September 2011|author=Derboo|date=13 July 2010}}</ref> 1994 saw the release of two major Korean RPGs: ''[[Astonishia Story]]'', and an [[MS-DOS]] [[Video game remake|enhanced remake]] ''[[Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter|Ys II Special]]'', developed by Mantra. The latter was a mash-up of [[Nihon Falcom]]'s game ''Ys II'' (1988) with the [[anime]] ''[[Ys (anime)|Ys II: Castle in the Heavens]]'' (1992) along with a large amount of new content, including more secrets than any other version of ''Ys II''. Both games were a success in Korea, ''Astonishia Story'' more so.<ref name="gtm_falcom_157">{{Cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM|Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|issue=111|pages=152–159 [157]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/718/yshistory06.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-09}} ([[cf.]] {{Cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=9 September 2011|date=8 July 2011}})</ref><ref>{{Cite journal|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=Falcom: Legacy of Ys|journal=[[GamesTM|Games<sup>TM</sup>]]|date=7 July 2011|issue=111|pages=152–159 [158]|url=http://imageshack.us/f/841/yshistory07.jpg/|accessdate=2011-09-10}} ([[cf.]] {{Cite web|last=Szczepaniak|first=John|title=History of Ys interviews|url=http://blog.hardcoregaming101.net/2011/07/history-of-ys-interviews-by-john.html|work=Hardcore Gaming 101|accessdate=10 September 2011|date=8 July 2011}})</ref> Commercial [[online game|online gaming]] became very popular in South Korea from the mid-1990s. ''[[Nexus: The Kingdom of the Winds]]'', designed by [[Jake Song]], was commercially released in 1996 and eventually gained over one million subscribers. It was one of the earliest [[massively multiplayer online role-playing game]]s. Song's next game, ''[[Lineage (video game)|Lineage]]'' (1998), enjoyed even greater success gaining millions of subscribers in Korea and Taiwan. This helped to secure developer [[NCsoft]]'s dominance in the global MMORPG market for several years.<!--This would be a good place to throw 1 or 2 sentences listing NCSoft's other MMORPG achievements and the years they went live--> ===2000s–present=== In 2002, the [[sprite]]-based ''[[Ragnarok Online]]'', produced by Korean company [[Gravity Corp]], was released. Though unknown to many Western players, the game took Asia by storm as ''Lineage'' had done. The publisher has claimed in excess of 25 million subscribers of the game, although this number is based upon a quantity of registered users (rather than active subscribers).<ref>Michael Kanellos (2004), "Gaming their Way to Growth," [http://news.cnet.com/Consumers+Gaming+their+way+to+growth+-+Part+3+of+South+Koreas+Digital+Dynasty/2009-1040_3-5239555.html CNET News]</ref> 2002 also saw the release of ''[[MapleStory]]'', another sprite-based title, which was completely [[free-to-play]]—instead of charging a monthly fee, it generated revenue by selling in-game "enhancements". ''MapleStory'' would go on to become a major player in the new market for free-to-play MMORPGs (generating huge numbers of registered accounts across its many versions), if it did not introduce the market by itself. In October 2003, ''[[Lineage II]]'' (NCsoft's sequel to ''Lineage'') became the latest MMORPG to achieve huge success across Asia. It received the Presidential Award at the 2003 Korean Game awards, and is now the second most popular MMORPG in the world. As of the first half of 2005 ''Lineage II'' counted over 2.25 million subscribers worldwide, with servers in Japan, China, North America, Taiwan, and Europe, once the popularity of the game had surged in the West. To date, the ''Lineage'' franchise has attracted 43 million players.<ref>{{Cite magazine | url=https://www.forbes.com/2006/08/02/bestselling-video-games-cx_de_0802mario.html | title=The Best-Selling Videogame Franchises | accessdate=2009-03-21 | date=2 August 2006 | author=David M. Ewalt | magazine=[[Forbes]]}}</ref> ==Chinese role-playing games== {{See also|Video games in China|Video games developed in Taiwan|Video games developed in Hong Kong|Chinese-language-only video games}} ''[[Heroes of Jin Yong]]'' (1996), a [[Taiwan|Taiwanese]] [[tactical role-playing game]] based on the popular historical novels by [[Jin Yong]], featured a number of melee and ranged [[kung fu]] skills to train and develop, as well as a grid-based movement system. China has a number of domestically produced games. These include ''[[Westward Journey]]'', ''[[Perfect World]]'', and ''[[The Incorruptible Warrior]]''. There are a large number of domestically-produced [[Massively multi-player online role-playing video games|MMORPGs]] in China, although many generally remain unheard of outside the country.<ref name=chinageeks>{{Cite web | last=Custer | first=Charlie | title=Chinese Video Games in America | date=24 January 2010 | publisher=ChinaGeeks | url=http://chinageeks.org/2010/01/chinese-video-games-in-america/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120063030/http://chinageeks.org/2010/01/chinese-video-games-in-america/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=20 January 2016 | accessdate=20 January 2016}}</ref> ==See also== * [[List of best-selling Japanese role-playing game franchises]] * [[Cultural differences in role-playing video games]] * [[Dating simulation video games]] * [[Visual novel video games]] ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==Further reading== {{Refbegin|30em}} * {{Cite web|first=Matt|last=Barton|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/3623/the_history_of_computer_.php |title=The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 1: The Early Years (1980–1983) |website=[[Gamasutra]] |date=23 February 2007 |accessdate=2010-09-05 | ref=barton_3623}} * {{Cite web|first=Matt|last=Barton|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1706/the_history_of_computer_.php |title=The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part 2: The Golden Age (1985–1993) |website=[[Gamasutra]] |date=23 February 2007 |accessdate=2010-09-12 | ref=barton_1706}} * {{Cite web|first=Matt|last=Barton|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1571/the_history_of_computer_.php |title=The History of Computer Role-Playing Games Part III: The Platinum and Modern Ages (1994–2004) |website=[[Gamasutra]] |date=11 April 2007 |accessdate=2010-09-05 | ref=barton_1571}} * {{Citation|title=Vintage Games: An Insider Look at the History of Grand Theft Auto, Super Mario, and the Most Influential Games of All Time|first1=Bill|last1=Loguidice|first2=Matt|last2=Barton|publisher=[[Focal Press]]|year=2009|isbn=978-0-240-81146-8|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=M_bFdsP9L7oC| ref=vintage_log}} * {{Cite web|first=Andrew|last=Vestal|title=The History of Console RPGs|website=[[GameSpot]]|date=2 November 1998|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/index.html|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090802000558/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/index.html|archivedate=2 August 2009|url-status=dead|accessdate=2009-09-10 | ref=gspot_consolehist}} * {{Cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/finalfantasy_hs/sec1.html |title=The History of Final Fantasy |first=Andrew |last=Vestal |website=[[GameSpot]] |date=2 November 1998 |accessdate=2009-09-11 |ref=gspot_finalfhist |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120708141802/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/finalfantasy_hs/sec1.html |archivedate=8 July 2012 |df=dmy-all }} * {{Cite book|first=Matt|last=Barton|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IMXu61GbTqMC |title=Dungeons & Desktops: The History of Computer Role-Playing Games |publisher=[[A K Peters, Ltd.]] |year=2008 |accessdate=2010-09-08 |isbn = 978-1-56881-411-7 | ref=barton_ddesktops}} * {{Cite book|first1=Brad|last1=King|first2=John M.|last2=Borland|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CvxOAAAAMAAJ |title=Dungeons and Dreamers: The Rise of Computer Game Culture from Geek to Chic |publisher=[[McGraw-Hill|McGraw-Hill/Osborne]] |year=2003 |accessdate=2010-09-25 |isbn = 0-07-222888-1 | ref=borlanddd}} * {{Cite web|last=Harris|first=John|title=Game Design Essentials: 20 RPGs|url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/4066/game_design_essentials_20_rpgs.php|website=[[Gamasutra]]|date=2 July 2009|ref=gama_20ess}} {{Refend}} ==External Links== * {{Cite web|first=Oleg|last= Roschin|title=The World of Asian RPGs|publisher=[[MobyGames]]|url=http://www.mobygames.com/featured_article/feature,25|date=26 March 2006|accessdate=2009-09-10|ref=mobyoleg}} {{History of video gaming}} [[Category:History of role-playing video games]] [[Category:History of video games]] [[Category:Role-playing video games]]
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Template:Cite web
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Template:Collapsible list
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Template:Date
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Template:Dead link
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Template:Decadebox
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Template:Delink
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Template:Fix
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Template:Fix/category
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Template:Harvard citation/core
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Template:Harvard citation no brackets
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Template:Harvnb
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Template:Hatnote
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Template:Hide in print
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Template:History of video gaming
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Template:KLOV game
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Template:MOTG
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Template:Main
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Template:Main other
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Template:MobyGames
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Template:Navbar
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Template:Navbox
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Template:Only in print
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Template:Refbegin
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Template:Refend
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Template:Reflist
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Template:Rellink
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Template:See also
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Template:Sidebar
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Template:Sidebar with collapsible lists
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Template:Transclude
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Template:US patent reference
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Template:VG History
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Template:Webarchive
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Template:Wikipedia
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Template:·
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Template:·w
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Template:•
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Module:Arguments
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Module:Category handler
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Module:Category handler/blacklist
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Module:Category handler/config
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Module:Category handler/data
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Module:Category handler/shared
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Module:Check for unknown parameters
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Module:Delink
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Module:Message box
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Module:Message box/configuration
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Module:Namespace detect/config
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Module:Namespace detect/data
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Module:Navbar
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Module:Navbox
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Module:No globals
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Module:Unsubst
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Module:Yesno
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