There was a time when turn-based RPGs ruled the world, and that time was the '90s and early 2000s. On the SNES and PS1, we couldn't get enough of both Japanese and Western games, with every month seemingly producing a new exciting title that could keep players grinding for a very long time. As turn-based RPGs are slightly harder to come by nowadays, this is the perfect time for us to spotlight underappreciated old-school gems that never quite got the attention they deserve.
While I'm sure some people played these RPGs when they originally came out, as I am one of them, all of them were commercial disappointments that struggled to find an audience. Unless you were a completionist who picked up every turn-based RPG you could find, you probably never got to play these games. If you have time, this might be the perfect opportunity to change that.
Even more so than the PS1 and SNES, the Nintendo DS arguably has the most underrated turn-based RPG library, and Nostalgia simply acts as one example. Developed by Matrix Software, a studio that mostly specialized in handheld games, Nostalgia is pretty much your classic turn-based JRPG, albeit with some fun additions that help set it apart from the crowd. Set in an alternate steampunk Earth, the world instantly brings a different vibe from most fantasy contemporaries, and it's cool to visit familiar cities given a unique flavor.
The story is fairly decent and works as a globe-trotting adventure, but it isn't really anything out of this world. The 5 playable characters carry most of the load, and they are accompanied by two combat systems. While on foot and exploring dungeons, you engage in traditional but still well-done turn-based combat; while in the air, you get to take part in airship battles that are reminiscent of Skies of Arcadia.
Nostalgia came out in October 2009 in North America, putting it within roughly a month of Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days, Mario & Luigi: Bowser's Inside Story, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Explorers of Sky. A niche game with little marketing had no chance.
Whenever I put together one of these "underrated/never played/forgotten" articles, a LucasArts game tends to always make the shortlist. This time around, Gladius makes the cut, and it is inarguably one of the developer's best RPGs. Admittedly, LucasArts isn't synonymous with role-playing games, but this 2003 release is an absolute triumph for its creator and the genre as a whole.
First things first, we have a gladiator-themed turn-based RPG. That already sets the game apart from almost every other release in the genre, though its combat also leans into tactical territory. You choose between two protagonists – a barbarian princess or the son of a gladiator – and set out to recruit, equip, and manage a stable of arena fighters. The story starts relatively small, but gradually adds an "everything has gone to hell" element.
Using a grid system, the turn-based combat has one particular feature that really sets it apart: the swing meter. Basically, whenever you commit an attack, you need to nail button inputs to determine your performance, which can be the difference between a complete fail and a critical hit that causes a status effect. Gladius backs its combat with a vast class system that even lets you recruit mythological beasts like Minotaurs.
سەرچاوەی فەرمی بە زمانی ئینگلیزی: https://gamerant.com/turn-based-rpgs-perfect-games-nobody-played/
