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162-623: Pokémon Crystal Version is a role-playing video game developed by Game Freak and published by Nintendo for the Game Boy Color in Japan in 2000 and internationally in 2001. The game is an enhanced edition of the 1999 titles Pokémon Gold and Silver and the final of the second generation of games in the Pokémon franchise. Crystal featured several additions to the core gameplay of its predecessors, including additional story elements,

324-490: A party , and attain victory by completing a series of quests or reaching the conclusion of a central storyline. Players explore a game world, while solving puzzles and engaging in combat. A key feature of the genre is that characters grow in power and abilities, and characters are typically designed by the player. RPGs rarely challenge a player's physical coordination or reaction time, with the exception of action role-playing games . Role-playing video games typically rely on

486-489: A player character protagonist or set of protagonists, one or more rival characters, a hometown "Pokémon professor" who introduces the mechanics of the game, and a large selection of fellow Pokémon trainers, " Gym leaders ", and villainous teams to battle against. Characters that were introduced in the video games Pokémon Red , Green , Blue (1996), Yellow (1998), FireRed , LeafGreen (2004), and Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! (2018), which are set in

648-485: A battle; she later helps the group fight against Team Galactic. Cyrus (Akagi ( アカギ ) ) is the nihilistic Leader of the villainous Team Galactic and the main antagonist of the Sinnoh games. Although he seems to want to work with his team to create a new dimension, his true goal is to create a dimension solely for himself; devoid of emotions that he sees as weak and useless. " Looker " ("Handsome" ( ハンサム , Hansamu ) )

810-450: A big open world , and let you do whatever you like [which makes it] difficult to tell a compelling story." Hironobu Sakaguchi noted that "users like to categorise" WRPGs as "a sort of different style, born from first person shooters." In recent years, some have also criticized WRPGs for becoming less RPG-like, instead with further emphasis on action. Christian Nutt of GameSpy states that, in contrast to JRPGs, WRPGs' greater control over

972-586: A continuity with the previous stream. The stream experienced criticism due to the involvement of players attempting to imitate high-stakes moments in the first stream, such as the release of Pokémon using the PC, as well as the temporary introduction of features that were abandoned, including changes to the "Democracy" and "Anarchy" modes. The stream of Crystal was completed in 13 days and 2 hours. Role-playing video game A role-playing video game , role-playing game ( RPG ) or computer role-playing game ( CRPG )

1134-409: A finite number of points to the attributes of their choice. Gaining experience will also unlock new magic spells for characters that use magic. Some role-playing games also give the player specific skill points , which can be used to unlock a new skill or improve an existing one. This may sometimes be implemented as a skill tree. As with the technology trees seen in strategy video games , learning

1296-549: A gamemaster. Exploring the world is an important aspect of many RPGs. Players will walk through, talking to non-player characters , picking up objects, and avoiding traps. Some games such as NetHack , Diablo , and the FATE series randomize the structure of individual levels, increasing the game's variety and replay value. Role-playing games where players complete quests by exploring randomly generated dungeons and which include permadeath are called roguelikes , named after

1458-449: A greater degree in the early 1990s. As console RPGs became more heavily story-based than their computer counterparts, one of the major differences that emerged during this time was in the portrayal of the characters. Console RPGs often featured intricately related characters who had distinctive personalities and traits, with players assuming the roles of people who cared about each other, fell in love or even had families. Romance in particular

1620-743: A group of elite-level trainers at the end of the game, which is called the Elite Four. This team includes the Ice-themed Lorelei ( カンナ ), Fighting-themed Bruno ( シバ ), Ghost-themed Agatha ( キクコ ), and Dragon-themed Lance ( ワタル ). Giovanni (Sakaki ( サカキ ) ) is the Leader of the villainous Team Rocket. He runs the Viridian City Gym in Pokémon Red , Blue , Green , Yellow , and their remakes. He later disappears and

1782-498: A heavy rainfall that will flood the landmasses and expand the oceans. Characters that were introduced in the video games Pokémon Diamond , Pearl (2006), Platinum (2008), Brilliant Diamond , and Shining Pearl (2021), which are set in the fictional Sinnoh region. Lucas ( コウキ , Kōki ) and Dawn ( ヒカリ , Hikari ) are the male and female protagonists of Pokémon Diamond , Pearl , Platinum , Brilliant Diamond , and Shining Pearl . Barry ( ジュン , Jun )

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1944-536: A highly developed story and setting, which is divided into a number of quests. Players control one or several characters by issuing commands, which are performed by the character at an effectiveness determined by that character's numeric attributes. Often these attributes increase each time a character gains a level , and a character's level goes up each time the player accumulates a certain amount of experience. Role-playing video games also typically attempt to offer more complex and dynamic character interaction than what

2106-647: A hold as they had in the West due to their cost; there was little market for Western-developed games and there were a few Japanese-developed games for personal computers during this time such as The Black Onyx (1984) which followed the Wizardry / Ultima format. With the release of the low-cost Famicom console (called the Nintendo Entertainment System overseas), a new opportunity arose to bring role-playing games to Japan. Dragon Quest (1986)

2268-815: A large number of Western indie games are modelled after JRPGs, especially those of the 16-bit era , partly due to the RPG Maker game development tools . Another oft-cited difference is the prominence or absence of kawaisa , or "cuteness", in Japanese culture, and different approaches with respect to character aesthetics. WRPGs tend to maintain a serious and gritty tone, whereas JRPG protagonists tend to be designed with an emphasis on aesthetic beauty, and even male characters are often young, androgynous , shōnen or bishōnen in appearance. JRPGs often have cute characters, juxtaposed with more mature themes and situations; and many modern JRPGs feature characters designed in

2430-641: A little box doesn't mean it belongs there." Nick Doerr of Joystiq criticizes the claim that JRPGs are "too linear", pointing out that non-linear JRPGs are not uncommon—for instance, the Romancing SaGa series. Likewise, Rowan Kaiser of Joystiq points out that linear WRPGs were common in the 1990s, and argues that many of the often mentioned differences between Eastern and Western games are stereotypes that are generally "not true" and "never was", pointing to classic examples like Lands of Lore and Betrayal at Krondor that were more narrative-focused than

2592-423: A major challenge in order to progress to the next area, and this structure can be compared to the boss characters at the end of levels in action games . The player typically must complete a linear sequence of certain quests in order to reach the end of the game's story. Many RPGs also often allow the player to seek out optional side-quests and character interactions. Quests of this sort can be found by talking to

2754-459: A mixed class, such as a fighter who can cast simple spells. Characters will also have a range of physical attributes such as dexterity and strength, which affect a player's performance in combat. Mental attributes such as intelligence may affect a player's ability to perform and learn spells, while social attributes such as charisma may limit the player's choices while conversing with non-player characters. These attribute systems often strongly resemble

2916-479: A new Battle Tower area, the option to play as a female character, animation of Pokémon sprites during battles, and other minor fixes and improvements. The Japanese version of the game also utilized the capabilities of the Mobile System GB, a peripheral that allowed players to trade and battle over cell phones and a paid subscription service. These enhancements were enabled by the improved capabilities of

3078-436: A new area, and a range of minor graphical enhancements to various locations in the game. It includes the ability to select one of two player characters, adding Kris, a female trainer, with a unique sprite. The game introduces a Battle Tower, a new stadium that allows players to battle a series of seven trainers with three Pokémon set at customizable maximum levels to win prizes. The Japanese release of Pokémon Crystal supported

3240-419: A non-player character, and there may be no penalty for abandoning or ignoring these quests other than a missed opportunity or reward. Players can find loot (such as clothing, weapons, and armor) throughout the game world and collect it. Players can trade items for currency and better equipment. Trade takes place while interacting with certain friendly non-player characters, such as shopkeepers, and often uses

3402-466: A number of user-configurable settings. Fallout Tactics: Brotherhood of Steel and Arcanum: Of Steamworks and Magick Obscura offered players the option to play in either turn-based or RTwP mode via a configuration setting. The latter also offered a "fast turn-based" mode, though all three of the game's modes were criticized for being poorly balanced and oversimplified. Early Ultima games featured timed turns: they were strictly turn-based, but if

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3564-449: A paid subscription with the service provider, incurring a monthly service fee for each feature between ¥ 10 to 100 (equivalent to ¥10.31 to 103 in 2019). The Mobile System GB was launched in Japan on 14 December 2000. However, Nintendo ultimately made the decision to not release the Mobile System GB in markets other than Japan. Journalists speculated reasons for this decision, including conflicts in international cell phone standards, and

3726-442: A particular action will increase. Many role-playing games allow players to play as an evil character. Although robbing and murdering indiscriminately may make it easier to get money, there are usually consequences in that other characters will become uncooperative or even hostile towards the player. Thus, these games allow players to make moral choices, but force players to live with the consequences of their actions. Games often let

3888-483: A particular skill in the tree will unlock more powerful skills deeper in the tree. Three different systems of rewarding the player characters for solving the tasks in the game can be set apart: the experience system (also known as the "level-based" system), the training system (also known as the "skill-based" system) and the skill-point system (also known as "level-free" system) Older games often separated combat into its own mode of gameplay, distinct from exploring

4050-581: A positive-feedback cycle that is central to most role-playing games: The player grows in power, allowing them to overcome more difficult challenges, and gain even more power. This is part of the appeal of the genre, where players experience growing from an ordinary person into a superhero with amazing powers. Whereas other games give the player these powers immediately, the player in a role-playing game will choose their powers and skills as they gain experience. Role-playing games usually measure progress by counting experience points and character levels. Experience

4212-402: A result, Japanese-style role-playing games are held in disdain by some Western gamers, leading to the term "JRPG" being held in the pejorative. Some observers have also speculated that JRPGs are stagnating or declining in both quality and popularity, including remarks by BioWare co-founder Greg Zeschuk and writing director Daniel Erickson that JRPGs are stagnating—and that Final Fantasy XIII

4374-638: A sick Ampharos named Amphy that provides light for the city lighthouse . She challenges the player after they get Amphy proper medicine from Cianwood City. Jasmine reappears as a minor character in Pokémon Diamond , Pearl , Platinum , Brilliant Diamond , and Shining Pearl , giving HM07 Waterfall in Pokémon Diamond , Pearl , and Platinum , or TM99 Waterfall in Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl . She

4536-442: A side-scrolling view. Most notably since Ultima Underworld (1992), role-playing games started implementing true three-dimensional (3D) graphics, where players typically navigate the game world from a first or third-person perspective. However, an isometric or aerial top-down perspective is common in party-based RPGs, in order to give the player a clear view of their entire party and their surroundings. Role-playing games require

4698-494: A single paragraph) spread across 13 booklets, while the second contains 50,000 paragraphs spread across 14 booklets. Most of the games from this era are turn-based, although Dungeon Master and its imitators have real-time combat. Other classic titles from this era include The Bard's Tale (1985), Wasteland (1988), the start of the Might and Magic (1986–2014) series and the continuing Ultima (1981–1999) series. Later, in

4860-409: A smaller set of possible actions, since computers can't engage in imaginative acting comparable to a skilled human gamemaster. In exchange, the typical role-playing video game may have storyline branches, user interfaces, and stylized cutscenes and gameplay to offer a more direct storytelling mechanism. Characterization of non-player characters in video games is often handled using a dialog tree . Saying

5022-415: A specialized trading screen. Purchased items go into the player's inventory. Some games turn inventory management into a logistical challenge by limiting the size of the player's inventory, thus forcing the player to decide what they must carry at the time. This can be done by limiting the maximum weight that a player can carry, by employing a system of arranging items in a virtual space, or by simply limiting

Pokémon Crystal - Misplaced Pages Continue

5184-463: A spell, as ammunition is consumed by a gun, most games offer players a finite amount of mana which can be spent on any spell. Mana is restored by resting or by consuming potions. Characters can also gain other non-magical skills, which stay with the character for as long as the character lives. Role-playing games may have the player focus only on a single character throughout the game; the character may be joined by computer-controlled allies outside of

5346-472: A team of several Pokémon of similar type or theming. Particularly notable Gym leaders of the Kanto-based games are: In addition to Brock and Misty, the other gym leaders are Lt. Surge ( マチス ), Erika ( エリカ ), Sabrina ( ナツメ ）), Koga ( キキョウ ), Blaine ( カツラ ), and Giovanni ( サカキ ). Each main-series Pokémon game, aside from Pokémon Sword and Shield and Pokémon Legends Arceus , also includes

5508-463: A video game and on our very own Pokémon adventure." Clare McBride of SyFy Wire believed the game was impactful for women, stating "Instead of having to name a clearly male character our names and just roll with it, we got explicitly invited into the Pokémon space we’d already been inhabiting." Although the intent of the feature was to "appeal to cisgender girls", Anya Archer of Wired commented on

5670-560: A wild Pokémon and drops his bag, resulting in the player having to use one of his Pokémon to save him. In the anime, he gives May her Torchic. In the Pokémon Adventures manga, he is the father of Sapphire. Norman (Senri ( センリ ) ) is the Petalburg City Gym Leader and an expert on Normal-type Pokémon. In the games, Norman is the protagonist's father. In the anime, he is the father of May and Max . In

5832-423: Is a role-playing video game where players navigate a fictional world by capturing, training, and battling with Pokémon. In addition, Crystal enhances aspects of Gold and Silver , providing cosmetic and gameplay improvements. The visual presentation of Crystal is enhanced through the animation of Pokémon sprites when first encountered in battle, the inclusion of signposts appearing on the screen when entering

5994-595: Is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immersed in some well-defined world, usually involving some form of character development by way of recording statistics. Many role-playing video games have origins in tabletop role-playing games and use much of the same terminology , settings , and game mechanics . Other major similarities with pen-and-paper games include developed story-telling and narrative elements, player character development, complexity, as well as replay value and immersion. The electronic medium removes

6156-518: Is a Pokémon Professor who studies Pokémon Trainers and the dreams of Pokémon. The player encounters her when Team Plasma abducts a Munna from her research facility to use its Dream Mist powers. She gives access to the games' wireless capabilities and online systems . Alder (Adeku ( アデク ) ) is the former Champion of the Unova Region, who helps the player battle Team Plasma throughout Unova. N successfully challenges him to battle and wins, forcing

6318-502: Is a Pokémon Researcher and the grandfather of Blue in the Kanto-based games. He is described as the leading Pokémon expert, specializing in Pokémon behavioral science. Alongside his research, he is also authorized by the Pokémon League to give new Pokémon Trainers one of the three starter Pokémon: Bulbasaur , Squirtle , or Charmander . In the anime, he gives Ash Ketchum his Pikachu after he arrives too late to receive one of

6480-695: Is a member of the Interpol who appears in Pokémon Platinum, where he is investigating Team Galactic. He appears again in Black and White , seeking the player's assistance in apprehending the seven sages of Team Plasma. In X and Y , he poses as a detective to investigate a Team Flare scientist. In Sun and Moon , he comes to Alola to assist the player with capturing the Ultra Beasts that were unleashed there. Characters that were introduced in

6642-515: Is defeated, he helps the group reform. He returns in Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon , helping the player character defeat Team Rainbow Rocket in the post-game story. He has a larger and more antagonistic role in the anime, as he builds a device that would allow Ghetsis to control Reshiram and takes control of various Pokémon, including Team Rocket's Meowth . Characters that were introduced in the video games Pokémon X and Y (2013), which are set in

Pokémon Crystal - Misplaced Pages Continue

6804-484: Is found in other video game genres. This usually involves additional focus on the artificial intelligence and scripted behavior of computer-controlled non-player characters . The premise of many role-playing games tasks the player with saving the world, or whichever level of society is threatened. There are often twists and turns as the story progresses, such as the surprise appearance of estranged relatives, or enemies who become friends or vice versa. The game world

6966-514: Is identified by Ho-Oh as being pure of heart. He is the son of Giovanni, with the Celebi event in HeartGold and SoulSilver showing their past. Professor Elm (Professor Utsugi ( ウツギ博士 , Utsugi-hakase ) ) is an absent-minded Pokémon Researcher and former student of Professor Oak. In Pokémon Gold , Silver , and Crystal , he is authorized by the Pokémon League to give new trainers one of

7128-496: Is largely predefined for the sake of telling a specific story, many role-playing games make use of a character creation screen. This allows players to choose their character's sex, their race or species, and their character class. Although many of these traits are cosmetic, there are functional aspects as well. Character classes will have different abilities and strengths. Common classes include fighters, spellcasters, thieves with stealth abilities, and clerics with healing abilities, or

7290-492: Is not even really an RPG; criticisms regarding seemingly nebulous justifications by some Japanese designers for newly changed (or, alternately, newly un-changed) features of recent titles; calls among some gaming journalists to "fix" JRPGs' problems; as well as claims that some recent titles such as Front Mission Evolved are beginning to attempt—and failing to—imitate Western titles. In an article for PSM3 , Brittany Vincent of RPGFan.com felt that "developers have mired

7452-500: Is not seen again, though Team Rocket attempts to locate him in Pokémon Gold , Silver , Crystal , and their remakes . He also appears as the main antagonist of Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon 's postgame story. Giovanni is a recurring character in the Pokémon anime series, where he is the boss of Team Rocket. Jessie (Musashi ( ムサシ ) ) and James (Kojirō ( コジロウ ) ) are a pair of Team Rocket grunts who originate from

7614-492: Is notable for introducing automapping and in-game scrolls providing hints and background information. They also released Pool of Radiance in 1988, the first of several " Gold Box " CRPGs based on the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons rules . These games feature a first-person display for movement, combined with an overhead tactical display for combat. One common feature of RPGs from this era, which Matt Barton calls

7776-621: Is often rooted in speculative fiction (i.e. fantasy or science fiction ), which allows players to do things they cannot do in real life and helps players suspend their disbelief about the rapid character growth. To a lesser extent, settings closer to the present day or near future are possible. The story often provides much of the entertainment in the game. Because these games have strong storylines, they can often make effective use of recorded dialog and voiceover narration. Players of these games tend to appreciate long cutscenes more than players of faster action games . While most games advance

7938-629: Is one of the rival characters in Pokémon Black and White, and is one of the player's childhood friends. He is intelligent and trustworthy, often giving the player character advice and battling them to test his skills. Like the player, he aims to become Champion. Two years later, in Black 2 and White 2 , he becomes Aspertia City's Gym Leader. His name is derived from the Bulgarian word for black: черен ( cheren ). Bianca ( ベル , Bel )

8100-473: Is the Leader of Team Plasma. He is a mysterious Pokémon Trainer who shows up throughout the player's journey and believes that humans and Pokémon should be separated. He was forced to grow up with abused Pokémon, as a plot by his adoptive father Ghetsis, so that he would want to liberate Pokémon from humans. By following through with the plan, he befriends Zekrom in Black or Reshiram in White to help him alter

8262-542: Is the Pokémon Professor in the Pokémon Diamond and Pearl games, having returned to Sinnoh after four years of traveling abroad. He is a senior researcher to and old friend of Professor Oak, and is known for his research on Pokémon evolution. He is authorized to give trainers one of three Sinnoh starter Pokémon, Turtwig , Chimchar , or Piplup . In the anime, he gives Dawn her Piplup. He has an assistant, either Lucas or Dawn, depending on which player character

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8424-646: Is the adoptive father of N, Anthea, and Concordia, He initially appears as one of the Seven Sages devoted to Team Plasma's cause. During the climax of the first games, it is revealed he manipulated N and Team Plasma as part of his plan to rule over the world via N. He is arrested after being beaten by the player, but escapes thanks to the Shadow Triad. He returns in the sequels as the leader of Neo Team Plasma, wanting to use Kyurem to freeze and rule over Unova. He reveals himself after Colress' defeat and retreats to

8586-519: Is the grandson of Professor Oak and the player character's childhood friend. He is pushy and competitive, but generally a good Pokémon Trainer. He briefly precedes the player character as the Champion of the Kanto Region, waiting for the player to challenge him. Blue is the basis for Gary Oak in the anime. IGN listed Blue as the 98th best villain in video games, though they stressed that it

8748-486: Is the other rival in Pokémon Black and White , and alongside Cheren is one of the player's childhood friends. She is spontaneous and sometimes unreliable, but she develops over the course of the journey. She also has a strong side, which she shows when she goes on a Pokémon journey against her father's wishes. Her father wants her to stay at home, believing the world to be unsafe, until Elesa eventually convinces him to let keep Bianca go on her own journey. Two years later, in

8910-506: Is the rival character in Pokémon Diamond , Pearl and Platinum . He is often impatient and is determined to be the best Pokémon Trainer. He is best friends with the player, who he aids throughout their journey. His father, Palmer , owns the Battle Tower in Sinnoh. He tends to accidentally crash into people, and often tries to fine people for being too slow. Professor Rowan (Professor Nanakamado ( ナナカマド博士 , Nanakamado-hakase ) )

9072-630: Is the rival of the Johto-based games. He steals his first Pokémon from Professor Elm and tends to see Pokémon as tools to use and discard. Unlike Blue before him, Silver is depicted as a mediocre trainer, though the Sprout Tower sage and Lance see talent and great potential in him. He eventually realizes his wrongdoings and changes his ways by treating his Pokémon with respect. Silver also appears in Pokémon Masters EX , in which he

9234-406: Is usually divided so that each game location is an opportunity to reveal a new chapter in the story. Pen-and-paper role-playing games typically involve a player called the gamemaster (or GM for short) who can dynamically create the story, setting, and rules, and react to a player's choices. In role-playing video games, the computer performs the function of the gamemaster. This offers the player

9396-451: Is usually earned by defeating enemies in combat, with some games offering experience for completing certain quests or conversations. Experience becomes a form of score , and accumulating a certain amount of experience will cause the character's level to go up. This is called "levelling up", and gives the player an opportunity to raise their character(s)'s attributes. Many RPGs allow players to choose how to improve their character, by allocating

9558-634: The Pokémon Adventures manga, he is the father of Ruby and a close friend of Professor Birch. Wallace (Mikuri ( ミクリ ) ) is the Sootopolis City Gym Leader in Pokémon Ruby and Sapphire . He is an expert on Water-type Pokémon , a skilled artist and Pokémon Contest star. In Pokémon Emerald , Wallace becomes the Hoenn Pokémon League Champion, leaving the post of Gym Leader to his mentor, Juan . In

9720-584: The Dungeons & Dragons ruleset. Some role-playing games make use of magical powers , or equivalents such as psychic powers or advanced technology. These abilities are confined to specific characters such as mages, spellcasters, or magic-users. In games where the player controls multiple characters, these magic-users usually complement the physical strength of other classes. Magic can be used to attack, defend, or temporarily change an enemy or ally's attributes. While some games allow players to gradually consume

9882-543: The Nintendo DS have had more original and experimental Japanese RPGs released in recent years. Western RPGs have also received criticism in recent years. They remain less popular in Japan, where, until recently, Western games in general had a negative reputation. In Japan, where the vast majority of early console role-playing video games originate, Western RPGs remain largely unknown. The developer Motomu Toriyama criticized Western RPGs, stating that they "dump you in

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10044-607: The Pokémon anime series. They appear as antagonists in Yellow , Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! . Their English names are a reference to outlaw Jesse James . Their Japanese names are references to two famed swordsmen in Japanese history, Sasaki Kojirō and Miyamoto Musashi , who famously fought each other on the Island of Ganryū in 1612, resulting in Musashi's victory and Kojirō's death. Characters that were introduced in

10206-727: The Sharp X1 computer in 1983 and later ported to the MSX in 1984, the NES in 1985 and the Sharp X68000 as New Bokosuka Wars . The game laid the foundations for the tactical role-playing game genre, or "simulation RPG" genre as it is known in Japan. It was also an early example of a real-time , action role-playing game . In 1986, Chunsoft created the NES title Dragon Quest (called Dragon Warrior in North America until

10368-504: The Ultima series, employed duplicates of the miniatures combat system traditionally used in the early role-playing games . Representations of the player characters and monsters would move around an arena modeled after the surrounding terrain, attacking any enemies that are sufficiently close. Earlier role-playing video games used a two-dimensional top-down view or tile-based first-person view. Early action-based role-playing games often used

10530-500: The eighth game ), which drew inspiration from computer RPGs Ultima and Wizardry and is regarded as the template for future Japanese role-playing video games released since then. Also in 1986 The Legend of Zelda was released for the NES , while not generally considered an RPG itself did inspire many aspects of future action-RPGs. In 1987, the genre came into its own with the release of several highly influential console RPGs distinguishing themselves from computer RPGs, including

10692-436: The " Golden Age " of computer RPGs, is the use of numbered "paragraphs" printed in the manual or adjunct booklets, containing the game's lengthier texts; the player can be directed to read a certain paragraph, instead of being shown the text on screen. The ultimate exemplar of this approach is Sir-Tech 's Star Saga trilogy (of which only two games were released); the first game contains 888 "textlets" (usually much longer than

10854-416: The 1980 video game Rogue . The game's story is often mapped onto exploration, where each chapter of the story is mapped onto a different location. RPGs usually allow players to return to previously visited locations. Usually, there is nothing left to do there, although some locations change throughout the story and offer the player new things to do in response. Players must acquire enough power to overcome

11016-422: The 1990s, and became known for being more heavily story and character-based, American computer RPGs began to face criticism for having characters devoid of personality or background, due to representing avatars which the player uses to interact with the world, in contrast to Japanese console RPGs which depicted characters with distinctive personalities. American computer RPGs were thus criticized for lacking "more of

11178-490: The Battle Tower, finding the feature a "truly challenging" addition that would appeal to "hard-core fans". Kelly Starr of Nintendo Gamer found "enough little differences" to make the game a "worthwhile addition," directing praise at the ability to play as a female trainer, the inclusion of location signs, and the enhanced animations. Many critics considered the additions to Crystal insubstantial and difficult to distinguish from Gold and Silver . Craig Harris of IGN noted

11340-510: The Game Boy Advance Wireless Adapter and Nintendo DS . Some writers have also expressed that Crystal assisted the franchise to maintain appeal during a transitional period. Arana Judith of Well Played characterised Crystal as the end point of the original vision and design for the franchise due the end of the Game Boy Color life cycle and the increasing fatigue with Pokémon in popular culture. This fatigue

11502-630: The Game Boy Color, consequently it was the first game in the series to not be compatible with the Game Boy . Released following the commercial success of Pokémon Gold and Silver , Crystal experienced similar commercial and critical acclaim, with the combined titles forming the best-selling game for the Game Boy Color and the third-best-selling game for the Game Boy family of handheld consoles. Critics praised Crystal for its additional features and improvements, whilst noting that many of

11664-549: The Giant Chasm with Kyurem. After his attempt to freeze the protagonist is interrupted by N and his legendary Pokémon, he uses the DNA Splicers he armed Kyurem with to merge them both. After beating it and Ghetsis, he snaps completely and is transported away by the Shadow Triad. Colress (Achroma ( アクロマ , Akuroma ) ) is an independent Pokémon Researcher and a proxy Leader of Neo Team Plasma, who works to learn about

11826-422: The Mobile System GB, an adapter and paid online service connecting a Game Boy Color unit to cellular phones for wireless networking between devices. The Mobile System GB enabled players to battle and trade with players online, read news, take quizzes, play minigames, and connect the game to a Nintendo 64 using a 64 GB Pack to play battles using the data from Pokémon Stadium 2 . Features were dependent on

11988-451: The PCs enter these locations or perform certain actions. Combat options typically involve positioning characters, selecting which enemy to attack, and exercising special skills such as casting spells. In a classical turn-based system, only one character may act at a time; all other characters remain still, with a few exceptions that may involve the use of special abilities. The order in which

12150-625: The Ravager and Menzoberranzan , transferred the AD&;D license to several different developers, and eventually gave it to BioWare , who used it in Baldur's Gate (1998) and several later games. By the 2000s, 3D engines had become dominant. The earliest RPG on a console was Dragonstomper on the Atari 2600 in 1982. Another early RPG on a console was Bokosuka Wars , originally released for

12312-514: The Unown. Crystal was developed by Game Freak in 1999 following the release of Pokémon Gold and Silver . Crystal was the first Pokémon game to feature Junichi Masuda as a lead director, who had previously been a composer for the Pokémon franchise and sub-director for Gold and Silver . Nintendo initially announced development of Crystal and the Mobile System GB in December 1999, with

12474-589: The ability to pause the game and issue orders to all characters under his/her control; when the game is unpaused, all characters follow the orders they were given. This "real-time with pause" system ( RTwP ) has been particularly popular in games designed by BioWare . The most famous RTwP engine is the Infinity Engine . Other names for "real-time with pause" include "active pause" and "semi real-time". Tactical RPG maker Apeiron named their system Smart Pause Mode (SPM) because it would automatically pause based on

12636-419: The additions "don't alter the game-playing experience at all," suggesting the changes should have been part of the original game. Chris Thompson of Pocket Games conceded that the game was an "excellent" introduction for new players, but its additions were insufficient to justify a repeat purchase. Although not as comparatively successful as Pokémon Gold and Silver and successive Pokémon releases, Crystal

12798-437: The ambitious scope of Final Fantasy VII raised the possibilities for the genre, with its dozens of minigames and much higher production values. The latter includes innovations such as the use of 3D characters on pre-rendered backgrounds, battles viewed from multiple different angles rather than a single angle, and for the first time full-motion CGI video seamlessly blended into the gameplay, effectively integrated throughout

12960-695: The anime, he does not appear until the Pokémon: Diamond and Pearl anime series , where he is a Contest Master from the Hoenn region who holds a Contest called the Wallace Cup. Steven Stone (Daigo Tsuwabuki ( ツワブキ・ダイゴ , Tsuwabuki Daigo ) ) is the Champion of the Hoenn Region in Ruby , Sapphire , Omega Ruby , and Alpha Sapphire . He is the son of the president of Devon Corporation and aids

13122-430: The appeal to transgender audiences of being able to play as a character whose gender does not reflect the one assigned at birth. On March 2, 2014, Crystal was played by Twitch Plays Pokémon , an interactive experience allowing users of the video game live streaming service Twitch to influence the play of the game through input commands in the chat box. The game featured the same protagonist and Pokémon to develop

13284-648: The best way to get people to understand the new genre of games that use mobile phones." Nintendo first previewed Crystal and the Mobile System GB at Space World in August 2000. Crystal was released in Japan on 27 January 2001, following delays to ensure the game could be bundled with the Mobile Adapter GB. Nintendo previewed the release of Crystal for North America at E3 in May 2001, and released

13446-544: The category," pointing to Chrono Trigger (which he also worked on) and the Mana games. He further noted that there have been "other games similar to the style of Chrono Trigger ," but that "it's probably because the games weren't localised and didn't reach the Western audience." Xeno series director Tetsuya Takahashi , in reference to Xenoblade Chronicles , stated that "I don't know when exactly people started using

13608-643: The characters act is usually dependent on their attributes, such as speed or agility. This system rewards strategic planning more than quickness. It also points to the fact that realism in games is a means to the end of immersion in the game world, not an end in itself. A turn-based system makes it possible, for example, to run within range of an opponent and kill them before they get a chance to act, or duck out from behind hard cover, fire, and retreat back without an opponent being able to fire, which are of course both impossibilities. However, tactical possibilities have been created by this unreality that did not exist before;

13770-460: The characters within a tile-based graphics system . Dragon Quest was highly successful in Japan, leading to further entries in the series and other titles such as Final Fantasy that followed the same simplifications made in RPGs for Dragon Quest . Because of these differences, the role-playing genre began to be classified into two fairly distinct styles: computer RPG and console RPG . By

13932-408: The development and customization of playable characters has come at the expense of plot and gameplay, resulting in what he felt was generic dialogue, lack of character development within the narrative and weaker battle systems. He also states that WRPGs tend to focus more on the underlying rules governing the battle system rather than on the experience itself. Tom Battey of Edge Magazine noted that

14094-520: The earliest role-playing video games on a microcomputer was Dungeon n Dragons , written by Peter Trefonas and published by CLOAD (1980). This early game, published for a TRS-80 Model 1, is just 16K long and includes a limited word parser command line, character generation, a store to purchase equipment, combat, traps to solve, and a dungeon to explore. Other contemporaneous CRPGs (Computer Role Playing Games) were Temple of Apshai , Odyssey: The Compleat Apventure and Akalabeth: World of Doom ,

14256-437: The early 2000s, the distinction between platforms became less pronounced as the same games appeared on both console and computer, but stylistic differences between Western role-playing games (WRPGs) and Japanese role-playing games (JRPGs) remained, rooted in the earlier distinctions. Though sharing fundamental premises, WRPGs tend to feature darker graphics, older characters, and a greater focus on roaming freedom, realism, and

14418-511: The events of Black 2 and White 2 , she becomes an assistant to Professor Juniper and gives the player their starter Pokémon. Her English name is derived from the Italian word for white, while her Japanese name "Bel" is derived from the Russian word for white: бел ( bel ). Hugh ( ヒュウ , Hue ) is the sole rival in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 . He is from Aspertia City and one of

14580-463: The features in the non-Japanese version of the game, which lacked the Mobile System GB, were minor in nature. Retrospective assessment of Crystal has been highly positive, with several critics noting the game's introduction of a range of features that would become commonplace in later iterations of the Pokémon franchise, and its role in maintaining interest during a waning period for the franchise. Similar to Pokémon Gold and Silver , Pokémon Crystal

14742-443: The fictional Kalos region. Calem ( カルム , Karumu ) and Serena ( セレナ , Serena ) are the male and female protagonists of Pokémon X and Y . Shauna ( サナ , Sana ) is one of the rivals/friends of the player character in Pokémon X and Y . She is energetic and curious, but is searching for a goal in life. She gives the player character a nickname at the outset of their journey. Tierno ( ティエルノ , Tierno )

14904-688: The fictional Kanto region. Many of these characters recur throughout the Pokémon franchise. Red ( レッド , Red ) is the protagonist of Pokémon Red , Green , Blue and Yellow and the male protagonist of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen . Red later appears in Pokémon Gold , Silver , and Crystal as a secret boss fight on Mt. Silver, and also appears in Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 , Pokémon Sun and Moon , and Pokémon Ultra Sun and Ultra Moon , as well as in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver , reprising his role from

15066-613: The game as one of the best titles in the Pokémon franchise. Darryn Bonthuys of GameSpot stated Crystal was "the definitive Pokémon game of the Game Boy era" and one of the best Game Boy Color titles, highlighting its "revolutionary" animations and story. Chris Tapsell of Eurogamer praised Crystal as "the best Pokémon game" due to its "peerless artistry", the and "quaint, restricted painterly presentation" of its animations. Arjun Joshi of Nintendo Life remarked that Crystal "(added) even more life to an already vibrant game", praising

15228-437: The game developed under the working title of Pokémon X . Artist Ken Sugimori stated that Crystal was primarily developed to support Nintendo 's launch of the Mobile System GB. Masuda noted that the title of the game was intended to be associated with the "crystals used in electronic transmissions". Nintendo president Hiroshi Yamauchi stated that " Pokémon , which incorporates elements of exchange and 'collection', would be

15390-432: The game featured improvements to the overall design," but found the cosmetic changes to be "very little", expressing frustration that the title was the "same game engine" that had been used for several years. Simon Brew of Game Boy Xtreme found "little else on offer" for long-time players, remarking that the game "stretched the traditional formula as far as it could go". Chris Johnston for Electronic Gaming Monthly stated

15552-669: The game in North America on July 29, 2001, Australia on September 30, 2001, and Europe on November 2, 2001. Promotional releases of Crystal in North America included packaging of the game with lime green models of the Game Boy Color , sold as the Pokémon Crystal Bundle. Following its release, Crystal was also made available on the Nintendo eShop for the Nintendo 3DS line of handheld consoles on 28 January 2018. Critical reception to Pokémon Crystal upon release

15714-435: The game world. More recent games tend to maintain a consistent perspective for exploration and combat. Some games, especially earlier video games, generate battles from random encounters ; more modern RPGs are more likely to have persistent wandering monsters that move about the game world independently of the player. Most RPGs also use stationary boss monsters in key positions, and automatically trigger battles with them when

15876-422: The game's animations and "captivating and memorable" additions to the game's plot. Many reviewers have also observed that Crystal pioneered features that would become standard in successive Pokémon games, including the pattern of an enhanced version following the release of the primary games in a generation, the selection of the player character's gender, an overarching narrative featuring chosen one themes, and

16038-473: The game. The game was soon ported to the PC and gained much success there, as did several other originally console RPGs, blurring the line between the console and computer platforms. Computer-driven role-playing games had their start in Western markets, with games generally geared to be played on home computers. By 1985, series like Wizardry and Ultima represented the state of the art in role-playing games. In Japan, home computers had yet to take as great

16200-667: The game. The plotline features a new character, Eusine, who has been searching for Suicune, providing the player with a more direct and narrative pathway to battling and capturing Suicune and the remainder of the game's legendary Pokémon. Crystal also includes minor changes to how the player encounters the Gym Leader Clair, and additions to the role of the Pokémon Unown in the Ruins of Alph, with players able to complete additional puzzles to receive rewards and messages from

16362-537: The genre-defining Phantasy Star , released for the Master System . Shigeru Miyamoto 's Zelda II: The Adventure of Link for the Famicom Disk System was one of the earliest action role-playing games , combining the action-adventure game framework of its predecessor The Legend of Zelda with the statistical elements of turn-based RPGs . Most RPGs at this time were turn-based. Faxanadu

16524-421: The inclusion of a Battle Tower feature. Tomas Franzese of Dual Shockers notes that the game was important in establishing "multiple precedents" for the series and its future direction. Nintendo Power commented that whilst the innovation of the Mobile System GB was confined to the Japanese market, its design also served as a major influence for portable networking features of later Nintendo products, including

16686-539: The key features of RPGs were developed in this early period, prior to the release of Ultima III: Exodus , one of the prime influences on both computer and console RPG development. For example, Wizardry features menu-driven combat, Tunnels of Doom features tactical combat on a special "combat screen", and Dungeons of Daggorath features real-time combat which takes place on the main dungeon map. Starting in 1984 with Questron and 50 Mission Crush , SSI produced many series of CRPGs. Their 1985 game Phantasie

16848-520: The label "JRPG" is most commonly used to refer to RPGs "whose presentation mimics the design sensibilities" of anime and manga, that it's "typically the presentation and character archetypes" that signal "this is a JRPG." Modern JRPGs are more likely to feature turn-based battles; while modern WRPGs are more likely to feature real-time combat. In the past, the reverse was often true: real-time action role-playing games were far more common among Japanese console RPGs than Western computer RPGs up until

17010-665: The lack of mobile infrastructure in other countries. Commenting from an American perspective, IGN noted that "billing and popularity of cellular phones are very different than in America, and (the Japanese) market is designed specifically for devices such as this. It might not be practical for Nintendo to release the device here...it's questionable whether enough young gamers would have a cellular phone to use it with." The Mobile System GB network remained active until 14 December 2002. The setting and story of Crystal remains largely

17172-437: The late 1990s had become more cinematic in style (e.g. Final Fantasy series). At the same time, WRPGs started becoming more novelistic in style (e.g. Planescape: Torment ), but by the late 2000s had also adopted a more cinematic style (e.g. Mass Effect ). One reason given for these differences is that many early Japanese console RPGs can be seen as forms of interactive manga or anime wrapped around Western rule systems at

17334-415: The late 1990s have had a stronger focus on extensive dialog tree systems (e.g. Planescape: Torment ). On the other hand, JRPGs tend to limit players to developing pre-defined player characters , and often do not allow the option to create or choose one's own playable characters or make decisions that alter the plot. In the early 1990s, JRPGs were seen as being much closer to fantasy novels , but by

17496-934: The late 1990s, due to gamepads usually being better suited to real-time action than the keyboard and mouse. Some journalists and video game designers have questioned this cultural classification, arguing that the differences between Eastern and Western games have been exaggerated. In an interview held at the American Electronic Entertainment Expo , Japanese video game developer Tetsuya Nomura (who worked on Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts ) emphasized that RPGs should not be classified by country-of-origin, but rather described simply for what they are: role-playing games. Hironobu Sakaguchi , creator of Final Fantasy and The Last Story , noted that, while "users like to categorise" JRPGs as "turn-based, traditional styles" and WRPGs as "born from first-person shooters ," there "are titles that don't fit

17658-428: The late 1990s, which saw the rise of optical disks in fifth generation consoles. The implications for RPGs were enormous—longer, more involved quests, better audio, and full-motion video . This was first clearly demonstrated in 1997 by the phenomenal success of Final Fantasy VII , which is considered one of the most influential games of all time. With a record-breaking production budget of around $ 45 million,

17820-461: The mid-1970s, as an offshoot of early university mainframe text-based RPGs on PDP-10 and Unix -based computers, such as Dungeon , pedit5 and dnd . In 1980 , a very popular dungeon crawler , Rogue , was released. Featuring ASCII graphics where the setting, monsters and items were represented by letters and a deep system of gameplay, it inspired a whole genre of similar clones on mainframe and home computers called " roguelikes ". One of

17982-591: The middle to late 1990s, isometric, sprite-based RPGs became commonplace, with video game publishers Interplay Entertainment and Blizzard North playing a lead role with such titles as the Baldur's Gate , Icewind Dale and the action-RPG Diablo series, as well as the dialogue-heavy Planescape: Torment and cult classics Fallout and Fallout 2 . This era also saw a move toward 3D game engines with such games as Might and Magic VI: The Mandate of Heaven and The Elder Scrolls: Arena . TSR , dissatisfied with SSI's later products, such as Dark Sun: Wake of

18144-576: The modern JRPG in unoriginality", citing Square Enix CEO Yoichi Wada who stated that "they're strictly catering to a particular audience", the article noting the difference in game sales between Japan and North America before going on to suggest JRPGs may need to "move forward". This criticism has also occurred in the wider media with an advertisement for Fallout: New Vegas ( Obsidian Entertainment ) in Japan openly mocked Japanese RPGs' traditional characteristics in favor of their own title. Nick Doerr of Joystiq noted that Bethesda felt that JRPGs "are all

18306-421: The more fantasy novel approach of Squaresoft console RPGs such as Final Fantasy IV . However in 1994, game designer Sandy Petersen noted that, among computer gamers, there was criticism against cartridge-based console JRPGs being "not role-playing at all" due to popular examples such as Secret of Mana and especially The Legend of Zelda using "direct" arcade-style action combat systems instead of

18468-656: The more "abstract" turn-based battle systems associated with computer RPGs. In response, he pointed out that not all console RPGs are action-based, pointing to Final Fantasy and Lufia . Another early criticism, dating back to the Phantasy Star games in the late 1980s, was the frequent use of defined player characters , in contrast to the Wizardry and Gold Box games where the player's avatars (such as knights, clerics, or thieves) were blank slates. As Japanese console RPGs became increasingly more dominant in

18630-427: The necessity for a gamemaster and increases combat resolution speed. RPGs have evolved from simple text-based console-window games into visually rich 3D experiences. Role-playing video games use much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics as early tabletop role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons . Players control a central game character, or multiple game characters, usually called

18792-459: The number of items that can be held. Most of the actions in an RPG are performed indirectly, with the player selecting an action and the character performing it by their own accord. Success at that action depends on the character's numeric attributes. Role-playing video games often simulate dice-rolling mechanics from non-electronic role-playing games to determine success or failure. As a character's attributes improve, their chances of succeeding at

18954-472: The originals. In Pokémon Adventures , he is the Champion of the Kanto Region. Leaf ( リーフ , Leaf ) is the female protagonist of Pokémon FireRed and LeafGreen . Chase ( カケル , Kakeru ) and Elaine ( アユミ , Ayumi ) are the male and female protagonists of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! . Blue ( グリーン , Green ) is the rival character of Pokémon Red , Green , Blue , Yellow , FireRed , and LeafGreen . He

19116-417: The other character taking the role of the main rival. Wally ( ミツル , Mitsuru ) is an additional rival character. He is introduced as a sickly young boy who needs help catching Pokémon. Using a Zigzagoon borrowed from Norman , the player helps him catch a Ralts . He is later taken to Verdanturf Town, where the fresh air helps him recover, though he leaves to keep training his Pokémon. He later battles

19278-610: The platform divide between consoles and computers , respectively. Finally, while the first RPGs offered strictly a single player experience, the popularity of multiplayer modes rose sharply during the early to mid-1990s with action role-playing games such as Secret of Mana and Diablo . With the advent of the Internet, multiplayer games have grown to become massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG), including Lineage , Final Fantasy XI , and World of Warcraft . The role-playing video game genre began in

19440-424: The player control an entire party of characters. However, if winning is contingent upon the survival of a single character, then that character effectively becomes the player's avatar . An example of this would be in Baldur's Gate , where if the character created by the player dies, the game ends and a previous save needs to be loaded. Although some single-player role-playing games give the player an avatar that

19602-608: The player determines whether the loss of immersion in the reality of the game is worth the satisfaction gained from the development of the tactic and its successful execution. Fallout has been cited as being a good example of such a system. Real-time combat can import features from action games , creating a hybrid action RPG game genre. But other RPG battle systems such as the Final Fantasy battle systems have imported real-time choices without emphasizing coordination or reflexes. Other systems combine real-time combat with

19764-473: The player in Victory Road. Professor Birch (Professor Odamaki ( オダマキ博士 , Odamaki-hakase ) ) is a Pokémon Researcher, known for his fieldwork and research on Pokémon habitual distribution. He is also the father of the rival character. In the games, Birch gives the player character and the main rival a starter Pokémon: Treecko , Torchic , or Mudkip . At the beginning of the games, he is attacked by

19926-424: The player in their battles against Teams Magma and Aqua. In Emerald , he has retired from competitive battling, but can be challenged for casual battles. Maxie (Matsubusa ( マツブサ ) ) is the Leader of Team Magma, which aims to awaken Groudon to cause a drought that will dry the oceans and expand landmasses. In contrast, Archie (Aogiri ( アオギリ ) ) is the Leader of Team Aqua, which aims to awaken Kyogre to cause

20088-549: The player to change the party's character classes during the course of the game. Another "major innovation was the introduction of day/night cycles; certain items, characters, and quests are only accessible at certain times of day." In 1989, Phantasy Star II for the Genesis established many conventions of the genre, including an epic , dramatic, character-driven storyline dealing with serious themes and subject matter. Console RPGs distinguished themselves from computer RPGs to

20250-437: The player to fight N instead. The player can later challenge Alder after finishing the main story of the game. While he does not specialize in a particular Pokémon type, half of his Pokémon are Bug-type and his signature Pokémon is Volcarona . He later reveals he had another Volcarona that died before the games begin. He has retired from his position in Black 2 and White 2 , having been succeeded by Iris. N ( エヌ , Enu )

20412-896: The player to manage a large amount of information and frequently make use of a windowed interface. For example, spell-casting characters will often have a menu of spells they can use. On the PC, players typically use the mouse to click on icons and menu options, while console games have the player navigate through menus using a game controller. The role-playing video game genre began in the mid-1970s on mainframe computers , inspired by pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons . Several other sources of inspiration for early role-playing video games also included tabletop wargames , sports simulation games, adventure games such as Colossal Cave Adventure , fantasy writings by authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien , traditional strategy games such as chess , and ancient epic literature dating back to Epic of Gilgamesh which followed

20574-435: The player waited more than a second or so to issue a command, the game would automatically issue a pass command, allowing the monsters to take a turn while the PCs did nothing. There is a further subdivision by the structure of the battle system; in many early games, such as Wizardry , monsters and the party are arrayed into ranks, and can only attack enemies in the front rank with melee weapons. Other games, such as most of

20736-413: The player's childhood friends. Like the player characters, he also seeks to become a Pokémon Master. Throughout the game, the player helps Hugh retrieve his sister's Purrloin, which was stolen by Team Plasma years prior. Professor Aurea Juniper (Professor Araragi ( アララギ博士 , Araragi-hakase ) ) is the Pokémon Professor in the Pokémon Black and White games and the first female professor to appear in

20898-406: The player's control. Other games feature a party that the player can create at the start or gather from non-player characters in the game, coming into partial or full control of the player during the game. Although the characterization of the game's avatar will develop through storytelling, characters may also become more functionally powerful by gaining new skills, weapons, and magic. This creates

21060-461: The players, to be as exciting as the Japanese imports", and lacked the arcade and action-adventure elements commonly found in Japanese console RPGs at the time. In the early 1990s, American computer RPGs also began facing criticism for their plots, where "the party sticks together through thick and thin" and always "act together as a group" rather than as individuals, and where non-player characters are "one-dimensional characters", in comparison to

21222-410: The plot when the player defeats an enemy or completes a level, role-playing games often progress the plot based on other important decisions. For example, a player may make the decision to join a guild, thus triggering a progression in the storyline that is usually irreversible. New elements in the story may also be triggered by mere arrival in an area, rather than completing a specific challenge. The plot

21384-418: The powers of Pokémon and bring out the true strength within them. He battles the player several times throughout the game to test their abilities and the power of their Pokémon. He eventually aligns with Neo Team Plasma, as they will allow him to study Pokémon the way he wishes. In the main story of Black 2 and White 2 , he is the helmsman of Team Plasma's primary mode of transportation. After Neo Team Plasma

21546-437: The precursor to Ultima . Some early microcomputer RPGs (such as Telengard (1982) or Sword of Fargoal ) were based on their mainframe counterparts, while others (such as Ultima or Wizardry , the most successful of the early CRPGs) were loose adaptations of D&D . They also include both first-person displays and overhead views, sometimes in the same game ( Akalabeth , for example, uses both perspectives). Most of

21708-562: The problems often cited against JRPGs also often apply to many WRPGs as well as games outside of the RPG genre. BioWare games have been criticized for "lack of innovation, repetitive structure and lack of real choice." WRPGs, such as Bethesda games, have also been criticized for lacking in "narrative strength" or "mechanical intricacy" due to the open-ended, sandbox structure of their games. List of Pok%C3%A9mon characters#Gym leaders and Elite Four Each main-series Pokémon game features

21870-409: The right things to the right non-player characters will elicit useful information for the player, and may even result in other rewards such as items or experience, as well as opening up possible storyline branches. Multiplayer online role-playing games can offer an exception to this contrast by allowing human interaction among multiple players and in some cases enabling a player to perform the role of

22032-633: The same as in Gold and Silver , with the player seeking to raise and battle Pokémon to defeat the Gym Leaders of Johto and Elite Four to be the Johto Pokémon League Champion. However, several encounters and additional characters are introduced to the overarching narrative. Crystal features a greater role for legendary Pokémon, with the player awakening Suicune , Entei , and Raikou , and encountering them at various stages of

22194-436: The same basic structure of setting off in various quests in order to accomplish goals. After the success of role-playing video games such as Ultima and Wizardry , which in turn served as the blueprint for Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy , the role-playing genre eventually diverged into two styles, Eastern role-playing games and Western role-playing games , due to cultural differences , though roughly mirroring

22356-492: The same style as those in manga and anime . The stylistic differences are often due to differing target audiences: Western RPGs are usually geared primarily towards teenage to adult males, whereas Japanese RPGs are usually intended for a much larger demographic, including female audiences , who, for example, accounted for nearly a third of Final Fantasy XIII 's playerbase. In 2015, IGN noted in an interview with Xenoblade Chronicles X 's development team that

22518-598: The same" and "too linear", to which he responded that "[f]or the most part, it's true" but noted there are also non-linear JRPGs such as the Romancing SaGa series. Such criticisms have produced responses such as ones by Japanese video game developers , Shinji Mikami and Yuji Horii , to the effect that JRPGs were never as popular in the West to begin with, and that Western reviewers are biased against turn-based systems. Jeff Fleming of Gamasutra also states that Japanese RPGs on home consoles are generally showing signs of staleness, but notes that handheld consoles such as

22680-496: The term 'JRPG,' but if this game makes people rethink the meaning of this term, I'll be satisfied." The writer Jeremy Parish of 1UP.com states that " Xenoblade throws into high relief the sheer artificiality of the gaming community's obsession over the differences between" Western and Japanese RPGs, pointing out that it "does things that don't really fit into either genre. Gamers do love their boundaries and barriers and neat little rules, I know, but just because you cram something into

22842-483: The three starter Pokémon: Chikorita , Cyndaquil , or Totodile . He specializes in research regarding Pokémon breeding and is credited with the discovery of Pokémon eggs, even gifting the player character a Togepi egg for research. Jasmine (Mikan ( ミカン ) ) is the Olivine City Gym Leader and an expert on Steel-type Pokémon . She initially refuses the player's challenge because she is tending to

23004-503: The time, in addition to the influence of visual novel adventure games . As a result, Japanese console RPGs differentiated themselves with a stronger focus on scripted narratives and character drama, alongside streamlined gameplay. In recent years, these trends have in turn been adopted by WRPGs, which have begun moving more towards tightly structured narratives, in addition to moving away from "numbers and rules" in favor of streamlined combat systems similar to action games. In addition,

23166-583: The traditional role-playing " offered by Japanese console RPGs, which instead emphasized character interactions. In response, North American computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the 1990s with interactive choice-filled adventures. Several writers have criticized JRPGs as not being "true" RPGs, for heavy usage of scripted cutscenes and dialogue, and a frequent lack of branching outcomes. Japanese RPGs are also sometimes criticized for having relatively simple battle systems in which players are able to win by repetitively mashing buttons. As

23328-513: The typical Western-style RPGs of the time. Due to the cultural differences between Western and Japanese variations of role-playing games, both have often been compared and critiqued by those within the video games industry and press. In the late 1980s, when traditional American computer RPGs such as Ultima and Defender of the Crown were ported to consoles, they received mixed reviews from console gamers, as they were "not perceived, by many of

23490-448: The underlying game mechanics (e.g. "rules-based" or "system-based" ); whereas JRPGs tend to feature brighter, anime -like or chibi graphics, younger characters, turn-based or faster-paced action gameplay, and a greater focus on tightly-orchestrated, linear storylines with intricate plots (e.g. "action-based" or "story-based" ). Further, WRPGs are more likely to allow players to create and customize characters from scratch, and since

23652-437: The usual three starter Pokémon. In Pokémon Yellow , he gives Red a Pikachu after Blue takes an Eevee . A younger version of the character has a major supporting role in the movie Pokémon 4Ever . Each main-series Pokémon game, with the exception of Pokémon Sun and Moon and their 3rd and 4th versions , includes a group of eight "Gym leaders", who award the player character a badge upon defeat. Each Gym leader possesses

23814-465: The video games Pokémon Black and White (2010) and their sequels Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 (2012), which are set in the fictional Unova region. Hilbert ( トウヤ , Tōya ) and Hilda ( トウコ , Tōko ) are the male and female protagonists of Pokémon Black and White . Nate ( キョウヘイ , Kyōhei ) and Rosa ( メイ , Mei ) are the male and female protagonists of Pokémon Black 2 and White 2 . Cheren ( チェレン , Cheren )

23976-478: The video games Pokémon Gold , Silver (1999), Crystal (2000), HeartGold , or SoulSilver (2009), which are primarily set in the fictional Johto region. Gold/Ethan ( ゴールド/ヒビキ , Gold/Hibiki ) is the protagonist of Pokémon Gold and Silver , and the male protagonist of Pokémon Crystal , HeartGold , and SoulSilver . Kris ( クリス , Kris ) was introduced in Pokémon Crystal , and

24138-405: The video games. She specializes in research involving the origins of Pokémon. She gives the player character, Bianca and Cheren one of the game's starter Pokémon: Snivy , Tepig , and Oshawott . In the anime, she gives Trip a Snivy and allows Ash to keep an Oshawott that escapes from her lab. Her father, Cedric Juniper , was a Pokémon Professor and has since retired. Fennel (Makomo ( マコモ ) )

24300-467: The world. N returns in Black 2 and White 2 in a supporting role, enabling the games' mascot Kyurem to transform. His full name is Natural Harmonia Gropius ( ナチュラル・ハルモニア・グロピウス , Nachuraru Harumonia Guropiusu ) . Ghetsis Harmonia Gropius (G-Cis Harmonia Gropius ( ゲーチス・ハルモニア・グロピウス , Gēchisu Harumonia Guropiusu ) is the true Leader of Team Plasma and the main antagonist of the Unova games. He

24462-528: The year. In the United States, Crystal reportedly sold 600,000 units in the first two weeks of release. Internationally, Crystal sold 6.3 million units in comparison to the 23.7 million units sold of Pokémon Gold and Silver . To date, the game remains the least commercially successful mainline Pokémon release by units sold, attributable to the reduced interest in enhanced versions of Pokémon titles. Retrospective reviews of Crystal have praised

24624-464: Was a minor commercial success. Upon release in Japan, the game topped weekly sales charts, and sold a total of 1,871,307 copies, making it the second most successful Game Boy Color game in the country. In the rest of the world, Crystal was the best-selling Nintendo title for Game Boy consoles in the month of January 2002, and remained in the Nintendo Power top-ten charts for the rest of

24786-446: Was a theme that was common in most console RPGs at the time but absent from most computer RPGs. During the 1990s, console RPGs had become increasingly dominant, exerting a greater influence on computer RPGs than the other way around. Console RPGs had eclipsed computer RPGs for some time, though computer RPGs began making a comeback towards the end of the decade with interactive choice-filled adventures. The next major revolution came in

24948-451: Was another early action RPG for the NES, released as a side-story to the computer action RPG Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu . Square 's Final Fantasy for the NES introduced side-view battles, with the player characters on the right and the enemies on the left, which soon became the norm for numerous console RPGs. In 1988, Dragon Warrior III introduced a character progression system allowing

25110-740: Was difficult to view him as a villain. He reappears in Pokémon Gold , Silver , Crystal and their remakes as the new Viridian City Gym Leader. Trace ( シン , Shin ) replaces Blue as the rival character of Pokémon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Let's Go, Eevee! . The character is much kinder, offering advice and gifting the player items. When asked about this change, director Junichi Masuda said that Pokémon ' s evolving graphics make rude behaviors by rival characters more intense, and that he personally felt "those kinds of personalities these days are just not as accepted by players as they were back then." Professor Samuel Oak (Professor Yukinari Ōkido ( オーキド・ユキナリ博士 , Ōkido Yukinari-hakase ) )

25272-413: Was generally positive, with reviewers praising the variety of additional features added to the game. Writing for GameSpot , Frank Provo stated that the game's additions provide "a great deal of value", highlighting the features that "enhance and broaden the game's overall variety", including timed events, quality of life improvements and visual embellishments. Nintendo Power highlighted the addition of

25434-500: Was introduced to Pokémon Masters EX in 2020. Characters that were introduced in the video games Pokémon Ruby , Sapphire (2002), Emerald (2004), and Omega Ruby and Alpha Sapphire (2014), which are set in the fictional Hoenn region. Brendan ( ユウキ , Yūki ) and May ( ハルカ , Haruka ) are the male and female protagonists of Pokémon Ruby , Sapphire , Emerald , Omega Ruby , and Alpha Sapphire . The player can select which character they want to play as, with

25596-585: Was not chosen by the player. Cynthia (Shirona ( シロナ ) ) is the Sinnoh Pokémon League Champion. She is interested in mythology and history and spends her time researching and exploring various sites associated with Legendary Pokémon of the Sinnoh region. In the games, she helps the protagonist against Team Galactic and assists them when Giratina appears in Platinum . In the anime, Ash first meets Cynthia after she defeats Paul in

25758-464: Was reflected by contemporary critics who had predicted that Crystal arrived at a waning point of interest in the franchise. Judith wrote that whilst Ruby and Sapphire would reinforce the longevity of the series, the game was released in the context of the general public "seeing Pokémon merchandise fade from shelves" suggesting that "the Pokémania that had swept those last years of the 20th century

25920-524: Was the first female player character in the Pokémon series. Though players at the time paid little attention to the addition of a female character, Kris is considered a meaningful addition by women who grew up with the game. Playing as the character was noted as a formative queer experience for transgender women. The character was replaced by Lyra ( コトネ , Kotone ) in Pokémon HeartGold and SoulSilver . Silver ( シルバー , Silver )

26082-541: Was the first such attempt to recreate a role-playing game for a console, and requires several simplifications to fit within the more limited memory and capabilities of the Famicom compared to computers; players in Dragon Quest controlled only a single character, the amount of control over this character limited due to the simplicity of the Famicom controller, and a less-realistic art style was chosen to better visualize

26244-438: Was truly on its way out". Rhiannon Bevan of TechRaptor considered the game's additions were bold and laid the groundwork for what allowed the series to retain enduring popularity. Crystal has received retrospective praise for the inclusive impact of a player character with a selectable gender. Writing for Polygon , Juno Stump stated Pokémon Crystal and Kris "impacted [girls] greatly, allowing us to finally see ourselves in

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