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Dueling Works / Role-Playing Game: Eastern

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Dueling Works — Video Games
Shooters | Fighting | Pinball | Platform | Racing | Eastern RPG | Sandbox | Cross-Genre

  • Initiators / Followers
    • Capsule Pitch Description: Description
    • Implementation: Implementation
  • Dragon Quest (1986) / Final Fantasy (1987)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: Eastern RPGs based on long-running western series.
    • Implementation: Dragon Quest came first, aped Ultima, and is loved in Japan; Final Fantasy came out about one year and a half after the first, liberally cribbed from Dungeons & Dragons, and gets more respect internationally.
  • Final Fantasy / Phantasy Star
    • Capsule Pitch Description: Long-running flagship JRPG series, one for Nintendo consoles and the other for Sega consoles.
    • Implementation: While Final Fantasy is a third party franchise from Square, Phantasy Star was a first-party franchise for Sega consoles until Sega became a third party following the discontinuation of the Dreamcast. Both series have also changed greatly over the course of their runs, with Final Fantasy branching out into other settings and experimenting with different forms of gameplay from one entry to the next, while Phantasy Star transitioned to MMORPG.
  • Inindo: Way of the Ninja (1993) / Super Ninja Boy (1991)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: SNES-exclusive JRPGs released in the spring of 1993 set in feudal Japan and starring a young ninja.
    • Implementation: Inindo is an update of a turn-based 1991 MSX game, while Super Ninja Boy is a follow-up to Kung Fu Heroes and Little Ninja Brothers on the NES, featuring action-based battles along the lines of Zelda 2.
  • Tales Series (1995) / Star Ocean (1996)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: Eastern RPGs with Action RPG gameplay and Science Fantasy setting.
    • Implementation: The original Star Ocean was developed in part by the same people who made Tales of Phantasia, who left their former team due to creative disputes. Both series are known for their optional scenes, that help the player get to know their party members better (skits in Tales, private actions in Star Ocean). Setting-wise, Tales are more on the Fantasy side, while Star Ocean leans towards the Science Fiction side.
  • Skies of Arcadia Legends (2001) / Tales of Symphonia (2003)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: Reconstructions of the optimistic JRPG, coming out on an RPG-starved console when everyone was still trying to out-angst Final Fantasy VII. Both have protagonists that wield two swords.
    • Implementation: Legends was actually a remake/enhanced port of a game for the ill-fated Sega Dreamcast, and took itself far less seriously than Symphonia, at least for the most part. Symphonia is an action-RPG that takes place in a world with some magitech and the normal fantasy races (elves, dwarves, etc.), while Skies is turn-based and has an Age of Discovery Ocean Punk flavour.
  • Pokémon (1996) / Digimon (1997) & Medabots (1997)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: All handheld games (primarily) where you play as a child who travels through exotic, futuristic worlds and capture/evolve new pet animals/robots to battle with.
    • Implementation: Medabots and Digimon both feature a far greater degree of sci-fi influence than most Pokémon games, which accounts for some of their appeal. The collecting aspect of Medabots features its own form of evolution by having "badges" that grant special powers to robots they are used in improving in power as you use them, and swapping out parts for new stats and abilities. Finally, Medabots and Pokémon are played on Nintendo products; Digimon on multiple platforms.
  • Mega Man Battle Network (2001) / LEGO Ninjago: Spinjitzu Smash (2011)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: Grid-based card battles.
    • Implementation: Ninjago is a browser game
  • Final Fantasy XII (2006) & Final Fantasy XIII (2009) / Xenoblade Chronicles 1 (2010)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: Final Fantasy XII and Xenoblade Chronicles are similar in gameplay, with both sharing MMO-like battle systems and world layouts. Final Fantasy XIII and Xenoblade Chronicles are similar in narrative and themes, revolving around humans rising up against Gods to defy destiny and fate. As for platforms, Final Fantasy XII and XIII were on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 respectively (with XIII also available on the Xbox 360), while Xenoblade was exclusive for the Wii.
    • Implementation: XII predates Xenoblade by a few years, while XIII was released around the same time as Xenoblade, though it took a couple of years for Xenoblade to make it to western shores. Xenoblade development crew is also comprised of Square Enix alumni who worked on the earlier Final Fantasy titles, whereas XII and XIII were developed and published by Square Enix. XII and XIII are also mainline sequels in a Long Runner franchise, while Xenoblade is a Spiritual Successor to both Xenogears and Xenosaga.
  • Operation Darkness (2007) / Valkyria Chronicles (2008)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: 7th-generation Japanese Strategy RPGs both set in fantasy WWII settings.
    • Implementation: Operation Darkness was developed by Success for the Xbox 360. It features a traditional grid-based combat and a story about Nazi zombies and werewolves told from the perspective of a British SAS unit. Valkyria Chronicles was developed by Sega for the PlayStation 3, and is set in a completely alternate reality version of WW2-era Europe, where Nordic beliefs took root instead of Christianity. Created by many of the minds behind Sega's successful Sakura Wars series, the battle system is a cross between a traditional SRPG battle system and the then-popular Gears of War.
  • Dark Souls (2011) / Dragon's Dogma (2012)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: Third person Hack and Slash Action RPGs set in a Medieval European Fantasy and Dark Fantasy setting. Both are Western Styled RPGs that just happened to be made in the east.
    • Implementation: Dark Souls is primarily a single character Action RPG with the option of recruiting up to other two human players if the player is playing online. The player can also recruit NPCs like Solaire of Astora for certain boss battles. Dragon's Dogma allows the player to have up to three NPC party members called “Pawns.” For multiplayer, players playing Dark Souls online can leave hints and messages on the ground to help or hinder other players. Players can also team up with each other when going through areas to defeat a boss or invade another player’s world to assassinate them and steal their Humanity. Dark Souls also has a rather large PVP community complete player scheduled Fight Clubs. The only online function Dragon’s Dogma has is the ability to exchange “Pawns” in an online like marketplace. Both games have also seen an Updated Re-release with “Dark Souls: Prepare to Die Edition” and “Dragon’s Dogma: Dark Arisen.”
  • Undertale (2015) / Citizens of Earth (2015)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: EarthBound (1994)-inspired RPGs on Kickstarter with self-aware humour and combat which allows you to engage enemies by talking.
    • Implementation: Undertale is mostly linear with many branching paths, following a small child trying to escape form a strange fantasy world. Citizens of Earth is a very open-ended game with a huge cast, in which the Vice President of the world deals with an alien invasion.
  • Final Fantasy XV (2016) / Persona 5 (2016)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: The first eighth generation installments of two incredibly popular console RPG franchises, and the biggest releases yet from their respective creators. Both released in late 2016.note 
    • Implementation: Persona 5 released on both PlayStation 3 and PlayStation 4. Final Fantasy XV is eighth-generation only, and released on PS4 and Xbox One. Before either game released, Square Enix sent out surveys to Japanese gamers asking which game the player would choose if both 5 and XV were to come out at the same time, suggesting Square is well aware of the growing popularity of the Persona brand. After a delay bumped XV back to release a few months after P5, the latter's preorder sales jumped over 400% on Amazon Japan.
  • Yo-kai Watch 4 (2019) / Pokémon Sword and Shield (2019)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: The first Nintendo Switch, as well as main home console, titles to two major mon-based RPG franchises.
    • Implementation: Yo-kai Watch 4 is a sequel featuring the original male protagonist Nate alongside several other playable characters, including his daughter from the future. It features a new battle system and takes place in the 1960s, 2010s, and 2040s. Pokémon Sword and Shield is the first mainline Pokémon title on console. It's a traditional Pokémon title that takes place in a new region.
  • Dragon Quest XI S: Definitive Edition (2019) / Persona 5 Royal (Japanese Release) (2019)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: Two Updated Rereleases of RPGs released a few years earlier by their respective creators—a rematch of the FFXV vs. vanilla P5 from a few years ago. Both released in late 2019.note 
    • Implementation: The Console Wars are also at play here, with DQXIS making the jump from PlayStation 4 to Nintendo Switch (though a PS4 port of DQXIS would later be announced) while P5R was originally exclusive to PS4, with ports to Nintendo Switch, Xbox series consoles and Steam releasing in October 2022.
  • Final Fantasy VII Remake (2020) / Persona 5 Royal (English Release) (2020)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: Persona 5 clashes with a Square-Enix release for a third time, this with the English launch of its Updated Re-release coming out during the same month as the long-awaited remake of Final Fantasy VII.
    • Implementation: Final Fantasy VII Remake is, as its name suggests, a remake of a classic JRPG from 20 years prior, one that was hugely influential and responsible for popularizing the genre outside of its homeland. In addition to the expected visual upgrades, the gameplay has also been overhauled to be more "modern", with the resulting game being more of an Action RPG than a traditional turn-based game. Persona 5 Royal, on the other hand, is a more modest Updated Re-release of a much newer game that nonetheless plays in a very traditional manner.
  • Shin Megami Tensei V (2021) / Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl (2021)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: The two oldest Mons series still ongoing are released one week apart in November 2021 on the Nintendo Switch. Both of them aim to prove their series can work in HD.
    • Implementation: As is per usual in their respective series, Shin Megami Tensei V is a strictly single-player game with a dark, post-apocalyptic story while Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are hybrid single-player and Player Versus Player with a family-friendly nature.note  In addition, Shin Megami Tensei V is an original game while Pokémon Brilliant Diamond and Shining Pearl are remakes of Pokémon Diamond and Pearl.
  • Persona 3 Reload (2024) / Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (2024)
    • Capsule Pitch Description: Once more, Atlus clashes with Square Enix as both companies unveil a remake of one of their classic games in the same calendar month, February 2024. Both games use Unreal Engine 4.
    • Implementation: Persona 3 Reload would release first on the 2nd of February, with it being a generally more faithful remake of its original game — remaining in the turn-based RPG subgenre — while adding many quality-of-life features, expanded dialogue, and modernized gameplay that took many cues from Persona 5 Royal. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth would cap off the month, releasing on the 29th, and continued its predecessor VII Remake's story, keeping the Action RPG gameplay, while updating on and expanding new mechanics while also continuing to diverge from the original Final Fantasy VII in its own way. In addition, Persona 3 Reload would be a multi-platform release right from the start — releasing on Steam, Xbox series consoles, PlayStation 4, and PlayStation 5, while Final Fantasy VII Rebirth would be a PlayStation 5 exclusive at least upon release.

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