I’m sure all of you have fond memories of an RPG.  Games like Zelda, Final Fantasy, and Castlevania are all classics.  These games weren’t always as respected and adored as they are now though.  In the early 80’s, these games sat dejected on shelves being upstaged by the latest Sports or Arcade title, but now those genres have floated into oblivion and other “characters” have taken over.  Not anymore do you play the game to get to Level 45, but you play the game to collect all three pieces of the Triforce and save Zelda.  That’s what sets the RPG apart other game genres, the rich story line.  Today I’m going to tell about that genre that makes you feel like you “are” the story, and it’s own “story line” throughout history.  Let’s dive into the “World of the RPG!” 

Then came Final Fantasy.  It sold relatively well fringing on being a mega hit.  Final Fantasy provided a base for turn based RPGs and encouraged other game companies to follow suit.  After a while, more and more strong RPG games became to take shape (Crystallis, Mother, and sequels to Final Fantasy and Zelda all did well).  To add to this success, the Gameboy versions of Final Fantasy and Zelda matched their counterparts in sales futher boosting the market for these types of games. 

Now it was time for RPGs on the SNES to shine.  Since game companies had begun to realize that RPGs weren’t just a passing “fad”, heated competition arose to see who could dominate the RPG market.  The SNES was built for these types of games.  It was slower than it’s counterpart the Genesis, but it had better graphics and great sound.  This “slow but beautiful” platform was the perfect setting for more sequels to Nintendo’s Zelda, Enix’s Dragon Quest, and Square’s Final Fantasy.  This dynamic duo of games was nearly unstoppable in Japan especially, and it also helped other “new” RPGs on the block such as Earthbound, Chrono Trigger, and Lufia. 

Next was the Nintendo 64.  Playstation was beginning to gain ground and had already claimed Enix and Square as exclusive second party developers.  This was a major hit for Nintendo.  It would most likely take away half their sales.  As the Playstation flourished, Nintendo planned their next RPG hit.  This one would be called Zelda Ocarina of Time.  It had Link as an adult and as a boy pitted against the evil Gandorf and ever-sinister Ganon.   

This was a challenge for Shigeru Miamoto and the rest of the team at Nintendo.  They had to create a 3D RPG game that could give you the same feel as their 2D counterparts, and still be able to immerse you in that 3D environment and provide those rich graphics.  Using the C-pad, Nintendo devised an ingenious method of letting you have up to three items at your fingertips all at once.  This button method is now the standard for all N64 RPGs.                   
  
As far as the view, shops and houses conform to a 2D/3D blend, while in larger areas such as outside or in Temples, you could enjoy a second person environment.  But this wasn’t all.  By pressing C-up, you could totally immerse yourself in 3D getting a first person view of Hyrule.  It was awesome!  Most notably, I enjoyed listening to the music change as the sun rose and set.  Zelda 64 Ocarina of Time was truly a masterpiece, and was probably the best RPG to ever hit the shelves.   

-  Darklord007