My top 10 DS games

[Jon]

On top of that, I'm pretty sure I listen to a wider spectrum of music than you, and have better taste in almost all of it. I'm weak in some alternative rock and hip-hop. My favorite hip-hop artists are Tyler (the Creator)

[Rob]

Hmm...did you like it at all, or did you end up lumping it in with the rest? I'm enjoying it quite a bit myself, so I'm curious as to your thoughts...

Lumped. The hook for this game is its story, right? I didn't think it was interesting, so I didn't care about its twists and turns (especially when the branching paths are handled in such an awkward way - skipping through old text, abrupt and stupid endings).

[Jockel]

typical online dork's dilemma on which userid to choose from: Mageknight, Darkwolf, LordVader, Metallica, or some variation on those.

Dude, you forgot "Sephiroth93875"

[BulletMagnet]

Lumped. The hook for this game is its story, right? I didn't think it was interesting, so I didn't care about its twists and turns (especially when the branching paths are handled in such an awkward way - skipping through old text, abrupt and stupid endings).

Well, I wouldn't quite say the story itself is the star, but rather the way the characters are integrated into it, i.e. they're actually somewhat believable (for the most part) and not so screechingly "I'M THIS ARCHETYPE" to be irritating...the thing does take a slightly more cliched turn at the very end, though. I can understand why some might not like having to jump back and forth a bunch of times after suddenly hitting a "wrong" node (and the fact that you have to find them all to get the "true" ending), though I'd venture to say it was handled about as well as it could be within this structure, since old scenes can be skipped through so quickly and most battles can be avoided if you wish.

Guess it's just not to your tastes, which is fine, of course: I'm curious, what would you consider your "favorite" recent JRPG releases? I'm interested in which traits you most value in the genre...

Dude, you forgot "XxSephiroth93875xX"

Fixed.

[Rob]

what would you consider your "favorite" recent JRPG releases? I'm interested in which traits you most value in the genre...

Last year I really liked Resonance of Fate and Final Fantasy 13. Usually I'll play an RPG just for good atmosphere/music, but both of these also had some original and fast paced battle systems.

[BulletMagnet]

Final Fantasy 13.

Now that's an interesting one...having finished it semi-recently myself, I found myself rather liking its ideas, despite its MANY flaws, and am wondering how XIII-2 might turn out (for the record, I didn't think X-2 was too bad, which gets ME into arguments-a-plenty, heh). Only played a little of Resonance, and liked a lot of things about it, but a couple of battles with armored enemies a little ways in beat the living crap out of me...I'll have to go back to it at some point.

Anyways, getting a ways off topic here...

[Mischief Maker]

Well, I wouldn't quite say the story itself is the star, but rather the way the characters are integrated into it, i.e. they're actually somewhat believable (for the most part) and not so screechingly "I'M THIS ARCHETYPE" to be irritating...the thing does take a slightly more cliched turn at the very end, though.

Oh my God.

I know it wasn't your intention, but you have just obliterated any good feelings I had toward this game in one swift, decisive strike. IT'S SO TRUE! Stocke is appealing not because he's a particularly interesting character, but because he's not irritating or preachy like other JRPG protagonists. Is the combat appealing because it's really challening or interesting? No, but it's not drool-cup easy like most JRPG combat systems. Oh god, this is like waking up hung-over and finding Newt Gingrich sleeping next to you.

Why are we so forgiving of lousy plot, lousy gameplay, lousy graphics, pretty much lousy everything that would be a deal breaker in any other form of entertainment, videogame or otherwise, when it happens to be coming from a JRPG? Of all the games on my "Disappointing" list I'd have expected people to come to the defense of, it would have been Zelda or Viewtiful Joe, not Rape-Trek and Furry Tactics. But there's something about JRPGs that make people say insane things like "the plot to Infinite Space is just too mature for you!" (not so snooty now after gettin' raped by space pirates, are ya, Bishonen? *HONK*)

Why do we respond to the awfulness of JRPGs like the bruised and bloody wife on an episode of "COPS" saying, "He didn't do it, officer! I slipped and slammed my face into the pavement three times myself! He's passed out under the trailer with his dog "skeeter," he ain't hurtin' nobody! Don't take him away! I love him!!!"

[BulletMagnet]

Oh god, this is like waking up hung-over and finding Newt Gingrich sleeping next to you.

Going by ol' Newt's record that apparently happens to more people than you'd think.

On-topic (such as it is), I don't think it's necessary to write off RH's good points as just "not awful like everything else's" - in opposition to the types you reference in your post, I personally tend to be rather picky when it comes to JRPGs (I've played so many over the years that very few "do it for me" anymore...as I mentioned in a separate thread despite liking Falcom's stuff I couldn't bring myself to touch Trails in the Sky due to how generic it comes across) and I genuinely enjoyed RH, not because it was "revolutionary" (it wasn't) but because it did a lot of things well. Plenty of JRPGs do try to get by (and sometimes "succeed") just by being JRPGs, but that's no reason to take a skewed view of the ones that excel on their own merits.

Not to the point where you need to bring Gingrich into it, anyways.