As any fanboy could tell you (even if you didn’t ask), not all gaming platforms are created equal. With different media formats, different storage methods, different processing methods, and different feature sets, no two consoles are the same. However, what really separates consoles from each other in most gamers’ minds is just one thing, that rarely has anything to do with the console itself: the games.This award goes to the platforms that had the most and best RPGs released in 2009.
3rd: Nintendo WiiThough the Wii has received the stigma of a console for little kids and senior citizens, its respectable lineup of RPGs this year has proven that it is far from irrelevant for gamers. From sleeper hits like Rune Factory Frontier, to mainstream attention grabbers like Crystal Bearers, the Wii has done a lot to keep up with the best of them. Still, the abnormally long wait between Japanese and Western releases, and the delay of several titles we really should have seen this year (Fragile? Arc Rise Fantasia?) kept the console from moving higher on the list.
2nd: Nintendo DSStill the undisputed king of RPG exclusives, the DS seems not to be aware of any economic slowdown that other consoles have been feeling in 2009. With titles ranging from quirky to innovative to downright fun, the DS may be the ugliest duckling in the pond, but has plenty going on for it to keep it ahead of the pack.1st: PC
Though many PC gamers may have felt forgotten in years past, it is difficult to believe so this year. With superior (and less expensive) versions of the majority of big name RPGs this year, the PC proves it still has a lot to offer. Additionally, with the most accessible development tools in the industry, and an outlet for almost anyone to earn some spotlight, the PC also has plenty of original content to keep even the most obsessive RPG fan content.If there was ever a year to finally get around to upgrading that old graphics card, 2009 was it.
Like it or not, we are now fully entrenched in the 7th generation. Most developers have moved away from the relics of the previous generation and are knee-deep in developing for something bigger, better, or something else with motion controls. (;P) This award goes to the console (or handheld) that has proven its worth in RPG content during 2008.3rd: PlayStation 2Sony’s most successful second child refuses to bow out of the fray just yet, and though most developers have left the PS2 in favor of the future, solid releases like Persona 4, Mana Khemia, and the upcoming Ar Tonelico II prove that slower but slimmer older sister of the PS3 still has some fight left.2nd: Nintendo DSIf the PS2 was the industry standard of the 6th generation, then the Nintendo DS is the closest we’ll get to one this gen. Despite my own distaste for the machine, the sheer amount of content for the platform is staggering, and it’s rare for a week to go by without someone announcing a new DS RPG. Though the quality of many of the titles is questionable, there can be no denying that the DS is seated comfortably in the land of a million exclusives.1st: Xbox 360
…But if you’re looking for high quality RPGs, your best stop in 2008 is undeniably the Xbox 360. With hard-hitting Japanese exclusive RPGs like Tales of Vesperia, Lost Odyssey, and Infinite Undiscovery, timed-exclusives like The Last Remnant, or exclusive DLC for big named western RPGs like Fallout 3, and even niche titles like Operation Darkness, Culdcept Saga, and Spectral Force 3, the Xbox 360 is undoubtedly the console of choice for the RPG enthusiast of the 7th generation. It also doesn’t hurt that nearly every 3rd party title on the PS3 also tends to find its way to the 360, or that the new installation feature of the NXE allows your games to be played with virtually no load times, or that every big name RPG on the console finds its way to North America in less time than ever before. Truly, RPGamers can find a lot of things to like about the 360.
As any fanboy could tell you (even if you didn’t ask), not all gaming platforms are created equal. With different media formats, different storage methods, different processing methods, and different feature sets, no two consoles are the same. However, what really separates consoles from each other in most gamers’ minds is just one thing, that rarely has anything to do with the console itself: the games.
3rd: Nintendo Wii
2nd: Nintendo DS
Though many PC gamers may have felt forgotten in years past, it is difficult to believe so this year. With superior (and less expensive) versions of the majority of big name RPGs this year, the PC proves it still has a lot to offer. Additionally, with the most accessible development tools in the industry, and an outlet for almost anyone to earn some spotlight, the PC also has plenty of original content to keep even the most obsessive RPG fan content.
