Since the first game’s release in 2018, Square Enix’s Octopath Traveler series has become a worldwide phenomenon for the Nintendo Switch. Inspired by the Nintendo RPGs of old, the classic gameplay, a new battle system, and marvellously cute graphics have endeared a whole new collection of admirers to the delights of old-school turn-based role-play gaming. With its sequel out today, we select five cute RPGs from the Antstream Arcade archive that will surely appeal to Octopath Traveller fans. Let the adventure begin!
Traysia is a party-based RPG from 1992 starring Roy, a young man thrust into battle against a clan of nefarious wizards. Having followed his trader uncle to the kingdom known as Salon, Roy signs up to help a town under attack from mysterious monsters. But it’s a trap, and Roy and his party become embroiled in a desperate battle to free the land from a clan of evil wizards and thwart an impending war with a nearby kingdom. Throughout his life, Roy has dreamed of exploration and adventure – will he wish he’d remained at home with his love, Traysia, in their peaceful town of Johanna?
Did You Know?
Traysia’s developer, Renovation Products Inc, was an American subsidiary of Japanese publisher Telenet. Its principal roles were localising and translating Telenet’s games in North America.
Brave Battle Saga: Legend Of The Magic Warrior – Sega Mega Drive, 1996
At the core of Brave Battle Saga’s backstory is a clash of ideology: human technology versus the magic wielded by demons. After a technology-inspired disaster wiped out all of civilisation, humans and demons are once more on the rise and ready to dogmatically clash. Brave Battle Saga is another traditional Japanese RPG starring an innocent character caught up in a series of turbulent events. Technology is rising again – can you prevent humankind from repeating its past mistakes and save the world?
Did You Know?
A Russian bootleg of Brave Battle Saga cheekily swapped its name to Final Fantasy – an apt title considering the game’s tone and influences.
Rune Monster is a cute RPG with a difference – it combines the role playing genre with a board game aesthetic where rolling a die can decide your fate! Looking very much like the classic Nintendo Entertainment System RPGs of old, Rune Monster casts the player against the titular beast and its evil creations. New characters, items and places to explore await you – so keep those cubes rolling to move, fight and plunder treasure in this fun MSX hybrid!
Did You Know?
The cult Nineties MSX series Rune Master inspired Rune Monster. Its developer, Compile, achieved further success with the puzzle game Puyo Puyo.
Canon: The Legend Of The New Gods – Sega Mega Drive, 1996
Canon: The Legend Of The New Gods is another cute RPG infused with mystical eastern lore and political intrigue. The emperor Zhou rules the land with an iron fist, but his wife, possessed by a mischevious fox spirit, is the one pulling the strings behind the scenes. Enter Lin Yun, a brave hero who has vowed to rid the land of this reign of terror. Together with their party of warriors, Lin Yun battles the emperor’s forces to free the people from the oppressive yolk of Zhou and the fox spirit, all with a cute and attractive retro-pixel sheen!
Did You Know?
Canon: The Legend Of The New Gods was initially published in Taiwan during the Nineties. It has only recently been translated into English and released in the west.
The Speris Legacy – Commodore Amiga, 1996
Finally, we have The Speris Legacy, a Commodore Amiga role playing game from British developer and publisher Team 17. This game evokes the spirit of Nintendo’s Legend Of Zelda as the player takes on the role of Cho, a young farmer entrusted with a special mission. Like many of these games, The Speris Legacy begins in a small town which Cho explores, chatting with its residents and picking up valuable supplies before he begins his dangerous quest. The Speris Legacy is another great cute RPG that you can play, for free, on Antstream Arcade!
Did You Know?
The Speris Legacy’s small team of developers took just 18 months to create the ambitious RPG. Just three principal people were involved: brothers Andrew and Ian Jolly and their friend, Clive Minnican.
Whether its Brave Battle Saga or Octopath Traveller, to discuss your favourite cute RPG and more, head to the Antstream Arcade Discord server: https://discord.gg/antstream.
This blog primarily written by Graeme Mason covers retro gaming and offerings of Antstream - and can be checked out at it's original published location of https://www.antstream.com/retro-gaming-news/
