Editing Role-playing video game (section)

===Video game consoles===
{{see also|History of Eastern role-playing video games|History of Western role-playing video games#Early 21st century (2000s–present)|Video game console|l2=Early 21st century Western RPGs}}

The earliest RPG on a console was ''[[Dragonstomper]]'' on the [[Atari 2600]] in 1982.<ref name="gspothistory">{{cite web| title =The History of Console RPGs | website =GameSpot | url =http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/first.html | archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100329135843/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/first.html | archive-date =March 29, 2010 | access-date =October 24, 2007 }}</ref> Another early RPG on a console was ''[[Bokosuka Wars]]'', originally released for the [[Sharp X1]] computer in 1983<ref name="gspot_bosk">{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/bokosuka-wars/ |title=Bokosuka Wars |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=GameSpot |publisher=CBS Interactive Inc. |access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> and later ported to the [[MSX]] in 1984, the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] in 1985 and the [[Sharp X68000]] {{Citation needed|reason=''Pleas cite your sources''|date=November 2021}} 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.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} It was also an early example of a [[Real-time game|real-time]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3135870 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20050119105913/http://www.1up.com/do/feature?pager.offset=1&cId=3135870 |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 19, 2005 |title=Dru Hill: The Chronicle of Druaga |last1=Barnholt |first1=Ray |date=October 25, 2004 |website=1UP.com |publisher=IGN Entertainment Games |access-date=December 20, 2015 }}</ref> [[action role-playing game]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14762|title=Bokosuka Wars|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140101010101/https://www.allgame.com/game.php?id=14762|archive-date=2014-01-01|url-status=dead|website=[[All Media Network#AllGame|AllGame]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6251/gems_in_the_rough_yesterdays_.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110106175431/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/6251/gems_in_the_rough_yesterdays_.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=6 January 2011 |title=Gems In The Rough: Yesterday's Concepts Mined For Today |last1=Barnholt |first1=Ray |date=January 6, 2011 |website=Gamasutra |publisher=UBM Tech |access-date=December 20, 2015}}</ref> In 1986, [[Chunsoft]] created the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]] title ''[[Dragon Quest (video game)|Dragon Quest]]'' (called ''[[Dragon Warrior]]'' in North America until the [[Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King|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.<ref name="gspy_dwhof"/>

Also in 1986 [[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]] was released for the [[NES]]. While not a role-playing game, it did inspire many aspects of future action-RPGs. {{update|date=April 2022}}

In 1987, the genre came into its own with the release of several highly influential console RPGs distinguishing themselves from computer RPGs, including the genre-defining [[Phantasy Star (video game)|Phantasy Star]], released for the [[Master System]]. [[Shigeru Miyamoto]]'s ''[[Zelda II: The Adventure of Link]]'' for the [[Family Computer Disk System|Famicom Disk System]] was one of the earliest [[action role-playing game]]s, combining the [[action-adventure game]] framework of its predecessor ''[[The Legend of Zelda (video game)|The Legend of Zelda]]'' with the statistical elements of [[#Combat|turn-based RPGs]].<ref>{{cite web|first1=Andrew |last1=Vestal |title=The History of Console RPGs – Zelda II: The Adventure of Link|website=[[GameSpot]]|date=November 2, 1998|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes6.html|access-date=December 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203110646/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes6.html |archive-date=February 3, 2013}}</ref> Most RPGs at this time were turn-based.<ref name="Iwata Asks: RPG">{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.uk/Iwata-Asks/Iwata-Asks-Dragon-Quest-IX/Iwata-Asks-Dragon-Quest-IX/Click-the-thumbnails-below-to-watch-the-Iwata-Asks-video-interview-for-Dragon-Quest-IX-/Iwata-Asks-video-interview-for-Dragon-Quest-IX-214762.html|title=Iwata Asks video interview for Dragon Quest IX|work=Iwata Asks|publisher=Nintendo|at=Iwata Asks Dragon Quest IX Video 4, As a Turn-based RPG|access-date=December 19, 2015}}</ref> ''[[Faxanadu]]'' was another early action RPG for the NES, released as a side-story to the computer action RPG ''[[Dragon Slayer II: Xanadu]]''.<ref name=GameSpot-Other-NES>{{cite web|first1=Andrew|last1=Vestal|title=The History of Console RPGs: Other NES RPGs|website=GameSpot|date=November 2, 1998|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes5.html|access-date=December 18, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203110656/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes5.html |archive-date=February 3, 2013}}</ref> [[Square (video game company)|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.<ref name="gsff1">{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/finalfantasy_hs/sec1_1_2.html |title=The History of Final Fantasy – Final Fantasy (Part 2) |first= Andrew|last=Vestal |website=Gamespot |date=November 2, 1998 |access-date=December 31, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030502173909/http://www.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/finalfantasy_hs/sec1_1_2.html |archive-date=May 2, 2003 }}</ref> In 1988, ''[[Dragon Warrior III]]'' introduced a character progression system allowing the player to change the party's character classes during the course of the game.{{citation needed|date=July 2011}} Another "major innovation was the introduction of day/night cycles; certain items, characters, and quests are only accessible at certain times of day."<ref>{{cite web|first1=Andrew|last1=Vestal|title=The History of Console RPGs: Dragon Quest III|website=GameSpot|date=November 2, 1998|url=http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes7.html|access-date=December 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130203110651/http://uk.gamespot.com/features/vgs/universal/rpg_hs/nes7.html|archive-date=February 3, 2013}}</ref> In 1989, ''[[Phantasy Star II]]'' for the [[Sega Genesis|Genesis]] established many conventions of the genre, including an [[Epic (genre)|epic]], dramatic, character-driven storyline dealing with serious themes and subject matter.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6129293/index.html |title=The Greatest Games of All Time: Phantasy Star II |last1=Kasavin |first1=Greg |website=GameSpot |publisher=CNET Networks, Inc. |access-date=December 19, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050718001919/http://www.gamespot.com/features/6129293/index.html |archive-date=July 18, 2005}}</ref>

Console RPGs distinguished themselves from computer RPGs to 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 was a theme that was common in most console RPGs at the time but absent from most computer RPGs.<ref>Neal Hallford & Jana Hallford (2001), [https://books.google.com/books?id=GslPb621eXQC ''Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role-playing games''], p. xxiv, [[Cengage Learning]], {{ISBN|0-7615-3299-4}}</ref> During the 1990s, console RPGs had become increasingly dominant, exerting a greater influence on computer RPGs than the other way around.<ref name="barton_1571_12h"/> 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.<ref>Neal Hallford & Jana Hallford (2001), [https://books.google.com/books?id=GslPb621eXQC ''Swords & circuitry: a designer's guide to computer role-playing games''], pp. xxiv & xxv, [[Cengage Learning]], {{ISBN|0-7615-3299-4}}</ref>

The next major revolution came in the late 1990s, which saw the rise of [[Optical disc|optical disk]]s in [[History of video game consoles (fifth generation)|fifth generation]] consoles. The implications for RPGs were enormous—longer, more involved quests, better audio, and [[Full motion video|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.<ref name="1UP-FFVII"/><ref name="vintage_b"/> With a record-breaking production budget of around $45&nbsp;million,<ref name="1UP-FFVII">{{cite web|url=http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-final-fantasy-vii |title=Final Fantasy VII: The Old Order Passeth |website=1UP.com |publisher=IGN Entertainment Games |access-date=December 18, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120721091308/http://www.1up.com/features/essential-50-final-fantasy-vii |archive-date=July 21, 2012 }}</ref> the ambitious scope of ''Final Fantasy VII'' raised the possibilities for the genre, with its [[Gameplay of Final Fantasy#Minigames|dozens of minigames]] and much higher production values. The latter includes innovations such as the use of 3D characters on pre-rendered backgrounds,<ref name="vintage-78">{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=78|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> battles viewed from multiple different angles rather than a single angle, and for the first time full-motion [[Computer-generated imagery|CGI]] video seamlessly blended into the gameplay,<ref name="vintage_b">{{Harvnb|Loguidice|Barton|2009|p=84|Ref=vintage_log}}</ref> effectively integrated throughout the game.<ref name="1UP-FFVII"/> 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.<ref name="barton_1571_12h"/>