Gaming Long RPG's Without the Crappy Pokemon/Dragonball Anime

[XDel]

Demons are supposed to look more menacing and powerful than the protagonists. Heck, that's what allows you to relate to the protagonists at all. They are usually humans against mostly terrifying demons. If you were a demon...well, it wouldn't be much of a challenge if you were fighting against humans. If you were some superhero, the games wouldn't be engaging at all. It's like if you put Superman in a Saw movie, he'd just fly out of whatever predicament he was in and the movie would be over. They want you to feel inferior because...well, you are inferior. You are human. You are mortal. That is largely what makes the concepts behind the games so interesting, but...are you really judging these things based on looks alone? I mean, the Devil Survivor series is often lauded as one of the best, as well as one of the hardest SRPGs on the DS, and I'd have to agree. There is a ton of customization, the story is dark and believable, the characters are memorable and you will relate to their toils and hardships. You being human, being the "underdog", is a major part of the players engagement in the story. It's worth playing at the very least.

Alright, I can kind of see Dragon Ball esque anime in Akira, though Akira would by and large be a HEAVY evolution of that style. It would sort of be like comparing Hannah Barbera Cartoons with say Ren & Stimpy where as everything was based upon simple, well established drawing techniques, but given a whole new level of depth that makes it unique and of it's own. Akira made the old Dragon Ball anime look like He-Man and the Masters of the Universe by comparison. As for Vampire Hunter D, I see no comparison what so ever, at least not in the original. Now Bloodlust is another story all together as there is a bit of the spikey hair thing going on, but a great film none the less!

Anyhow, as for the bit of your's that I quoted, I get you here totally and utterly! While I am not a big fan of the Dragon Ball anime style, and I don't like the contrast in imagery in the Devil Survivor series, I do get where you are going at with this one.
Luke Skywalker would be a prime example of this. His character is not buff. He is not a lady's man, nor is he particularly well respected by anyone. To look at him, you'd think a sand storm would blow him over, and to look in his eyes, you'd never imagine he'd ever kill a man, let alone grow and mature into a Jedi Knight, trained by the spirits of the dead no less! I love the contract and duality there, and I love it even more by Empire where he looks torn, disenchanted, and sad. Then finally in Return of the Jedi, he is a man. No, more than a man, and on his way to at-one-ment with The Force.

The original Clash of the Titans had this, and the remake... well the remake lost the point.

As for a good way to present such themes in anime...

...stick to one style. I believe Elfen Lied pulled this off perfectly!!!!!

Look at Devil Survivor on the other hand, those drawing styles clash. In fact from the screen shots I have seen, it looks like three different anime styles were used in this game at the very least, so it looks like BubbleGum "to quote" anime versus some hard core late 80's early 90's Japanese anime. The anime style applied to the demons should have been applied to the heroes, they don't necessarily have to look evil them selves, just in the same style and less like babies, more like young adults at the very least, but that's just my taste generally, Dragon Quest being a major exception!

 

[Todderbert]

I'll +5 for Dark Spire. Huge fan.

 

[pokefloote]

Oh my god... Why so many copies, if I may ask? Just because it's awesome?

 

[Todderbert]

Oh my god... Why so many copies, if I may ask? Just because it's awesome?

Yes, I was picking them up for under $10 a piece last year. Figured it was a nice sleeper title to collect.

 

[Michael M]

I don't like very "realistic" looks. One of the many reasons I generally don't like US/Euro developed RPG's. That and the heavy hack n' slash, lack of much or any story, and lack of characterization which are so common. JRPG's tend to have at least decent, with many excellent, stories and are usually strong on characterization. And there are many Anime from before Vampire Hunter D and Akira which are quite "cartoony" and quite good. Mobile Suit Gundam, Kimagure Orange Road, Project A-ko, Akage no Anne, Marco, Vifam, Macross etc...

 

[Foxi4]

One of the many reasons I generally don't like US/Euro developed RPG's. That and the heavy hack n' slash, lack of much or any story, and lack of characterization which are so common. JRPG's tend to have at least decent, with many excellent, stories and are usually strong on characterization.

If by characterisation you mean stereotypical characters and by excellent/decent you mean predictible and bland, entirely agreed. You clearly haven't played too many WRPG's.

 

[DJ91990]

If you want a long RPG that's difficult, has some replay-ability, and love 3D dungeon crawlers check out the Etrian Odyssey series. I wish I had some money so that I could get Etrian Odyssey IV!

Etrian Odyssey I: The Yggdrasil Labyrinth (Unoffical sub-title)[DS]

*Sorry, couldn't find an English Trailer for this one! But the game was released in the USA.

Etrian Odyssey II: Heroes of Lagaard [DS]


Etrian Odyssey III:The Drowned City [DS]


and to get you excited: Here's is the trailer for Etrian Odyssey IV: Legends of the Titan [3DS]

OhmyfuckinggodIwannaplaythelivingshitouttathisfuckinggame!!!!

Also if the soundtracks of the game sound genesis-esque that's because the sound designer that composed the musical score for the games is Yuzo Koshiro, ya know, the guy that made the kick-ass soundtrack for Streets of Rage! He also worked on the soundtrack for 7th Dragon[DS] and 7th Dragon 2020[PSP].

Speaking of 7th Dragon...

The 8-bit music is unlockable when you beat the game I hear...I wish this game was translated in English as you'll become lost as of where to go next because of the language barrier. If you can understand intermediate Japanese then go at it! Can you kill all 666 "F.O.E.s" I know they arn't FOE's but not all 666 are dragons, just very powerful monsters. Oh and have fun with the evil flowers that you have to walk through on the overworld that drain your HP!

Is anyone actively working on an English Translation project for 7th Dragon? I'd bugtest the s**t outta that project!