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Originally Posted by Megavolt
There are a lot of RPGs that I like, so it's tough, but I'll try in no particular order:
Final Fantasy VI
Chrono Trigger
Earthbound
Super Mario RPG
Final Fantasy Tactics
Ogre Battle 64
Star Ocean 2
Deus Ex
Legend of Mana
Valkyrie Profile
I grew up with the 16-bit era (started with 8-bit, but I didn't have much of an awareness of the RPG genre at the time), and even going back to play RPGs that I missed from that period, I still find myself enchanted by the older approach that leaves some room for imagination. I like the idea of going out to a mysterious dungeon and essentially making the story happen. Even today I get more immersed in games like Breath of Fire V and SMT Nocturne that essentially use gameplay to tell the story rather than inundating you in dialog. I can't say that I'm fond of the interactive movie approach of many RPGs today. Ironically it's what is likely my favorite RPG (Final Fantasy VI) that did something to push things in that direction, but that one had the right balance in my opinion. So it comes as no surprise to me that some folks from today who claim to play for story find themselves annoyed with the World of Ruin. For me the World of Ruin is essentially what propels the game to greatness with its more open ended approach. (not that the first half isn't awesome, but the freedom of the second half brings balance) Unfortunately it was only the first half that had far reaching effects in the genre. It should've been for the better but Final Fantasy VII (which I do personally think is a pretty good RPG regardless) has ensured that a perversion of the good things which now do more to take the player out of the game for the purpose of putting the story first have had the greater influence. For me to find myself immersed in an RPG, the game needs to find a way of letting me push the story foward here or there without making me feel like I'm just on rails with the only input being the clicks through waves of dialog and cutscenes. It can be as simple as a game having some fun skill systems to tinker with in the meantime, but although it's hard to pin down what I'll really like or won't care for, I know that I gravitate towards RPGs that use their stories to serve the gameplay and not the other way around. It's the interaction between the player and the game that makes gaming special, and RPGs should be at the forefront of this by using the set up of the story as an opportunity to create exciting gameplay and an immersive world.
I surely have a soft spot for the late NES to late 16-bit range of RPGs the same as you. So I do have this feeling that RPGs as a whole haven't been quite as good since. But there are still standouts from the generations that have come after that deserve mention as well. So I won't go as far as to say that RPGs are getting worse. Just that they seem to have to do more to keep my attention for some reason. I think it varies from person to person depending on which RPGs they played first and on their individual tastes. The same as I see many PS1 RPG fans claiming that PS2 RPGs have been disappointing, we'll likely see PS2 RPG fans at some point claiming that PS3 RPGs don't seem to measure up.
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I grown up around 16bit games, but didn't get very much RPG exposure until the early 21st century. For me 16bit RPGs have been an aquired taste, which Chrono Trigger has made easier to aquire.
There's nowhere I can't reach.
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