There was a point in my life when I thought, a JRPG were dumb. How could anyone enjoy waiting for their turn to attack or do something? My view changed around the time one Super Nintendo title was being played at our rental shops. Since then, I have only been playing this genre for a decade.
That Super Nintendo JRPG Involving Dragons
Receiving just a single video game during the early ’90s was a major event. It was one of the few ways you could play a different game on your Family Computer, Genesis, or Super Nintendo. Another way is to swap it with friends or classmates, that is, if they are interested in your game at all.
The only way to play most of the Super Nintendo titles back then was in rental shops. Fortunately for a grade schooler of QC, there were many of them around our neighborhood. One of the shops I frequent often has people playing Breath of Fire 2, the first game that got me interested in JRPGs.
I gave the game a go for three hours, and it started off as an hour of confusion. I was going around and around the flashback village trying to find Ryu’s sister. When I finally got to the present day and in search of the “pet.” I was not having fun. I did not know how to restore my HP or beating more than three enemies without waking up in front of the Dragon Statue.
The harpies also left me frustrated as they sent me way back to town. Luckily, someone saw me playing the game and told me how to realy “play a JRPG.” You level up. He pointed out the spring at the entrance of the first cave where I can heal after each battle. This is where I should spend my time until I am strong enough to beat the first mid-boss.
A switch has clicked in my mind. I loved the idea of levelling up and getting strong to beat the boss. My love for JRPG has been set thanks to the guy who taught me how to level up.
Leveling Up: What Makes JRPG Appealing
Of course, roleplaying progression has been around for a long time. Even before the first edition of Dungeons & Dragons came out. But that is for a different article. JRPG still made this progression its own.
Leveling up in JRPGs makes characters stronger in a way that feels deeply rewarding. You start out struggling with the first set of enemies. As you defeat monsters, you earn experience points that let your party members learn new skills and boost their stats.
There is that dopamine rush when your character gets stronger with each new level. It is a sense of accomplishment or progress as you keep playing the game. Unlike platformers or action games that offer power-ups to make the player stronger, your progress stays with you throughout your playthrough. As you continue levelling up, you get access to powerful and interesting magic or skills that liven up the game.
Reaching higher levels is how you normally progress in a JRPG title. It is how you can finally meet and recruit new characters to your party. Levelling them will also give you access to their powerful abilities. Discovering every part of the game is the fun part of JRPGs, which is another added dopamine rush.
Who wouldn’t be excited to see the next set of magic or skills among all characters?
Note that I am talking about linear JRPGs with fixed characters and set abilities. Even with the lack of customization, people loved titles like Breath of Fire, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy.
Anime and JRPGs During the 90s.
While Japanese animation has been known since the 70s, including Tokusatsu shows like Gorenger and Ultraman, the 90s were the time Anime became incredibly popular. Even before the sketch “Ang Dating Doon” use of the Voltes V theme, anime was a popular elementary school niche. Kids were talking about Dragon Ball Z and Ranma at that time.
It was due to the popularity of Akira Toriyama’s show that Chrono Trigger was the hottest game around Quezon City. Nearly every Super Nintendo rental shop will have two to three people at the Black Omen or in the End of Time.
Anime’s growing niche also sparked the popularity of licensed Super Nintendo titles. Yu Yu Hakusho Final and Yu Yu Hakusho Tokubetsu Hen were a popular choice among rental shops. Even the LGBT groups of the school I am in were playing Sailor Moon Super S for the Super Nintendo at the time.
As the shops transitioned to become PlayStation rentals, licensed anime games remain the most popular. People were lining up for Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 despite the unbalanced gameplay. Gradually, anime titles Ultimate Battle 22 and Idainaru Dragon Ball Densetsu were forgotten.
JRPGs before 1997 were extremely niche among rental shops. No one was playing the first Suikoden or Alundra. However, there is still a strong appetite for JRPG. 1996 saw many people playing Wild Arms in these shops, but no other titles from the genre.
When Final Fantasy 7 hit the scene, JRPG exploded in popularity. PlayStation shops in most malls across Metro Manila, especially Virramall, have the likes of Breath of Fire 3, Tales of Destiny, Grandia, Lunar, and SaGa Frontier playing across four TVs. High school students open up group talks about the JRPGs they played at home or at nearby rentals. As we entered 2000s, people are still bringing up games like Breath of Fire 4, XenoGears, Thousands Arms, Final Fantasy 9, and Suikoden 2.
While Squaresoft’s success with Final Fantasy 7 is one of the major factor to the popularity of JRPGs, it is also the anime factor that contributed to the interest in the genre. Tetsuya Nomura’s work here shows his anime and manga inspiration. Cloud’s hair already looks like that of Akira Toriyama’s popular Saiyans. Naturally, those who loved Chrono Trigger are lured into Final Fantasy because of the gameplay and character design.
The Anime boom of the late 90s contributed to the popularity of JRGPs. People want to play the characters who resemble those from the We Are Anime TV programming block on Channel 7.
The JRPGs of 90s Quezon City
Progression or levelling up in JRPGs made the genre popular in Quezon City and among the wide Metro Manila geekdom. There was incredible joy to beating a boss after grinding your levels and discovering a new weapon or party member. Anime designs were also a factor to the popularity of JRPGs thanks to the boom of Japanese Animation.
This is just my side of the story in Quezon City. If you have your own JRPG story around the Philippines or in your part of the globe, please share them in the comments below. I’ll post your stories in my X timeline. Check out my gaming page for more content or news.
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