Your first RPG exposure.

[Antiyonder]

My 1st RPG was Dragon Quest due to receiving a copy of the original game through Nintendo Power in the 90s (back when the game was localized as Dragon Warrior). Knowing as much as I do now, yeah it was likely done to reduce how much copies they stocked up on, but hey it got me into the genre and DQ series so yeah.

I probably would have looked into Pokémon regardless, but part of the draw* for me was definitely monsters becoming your friend and fighting for you rather than being created minions of a demon lord.**

I posted this as a response to DQ's announcement in Smash a few years back on Bulbagarden as it meant that one of my current favorites is mixed in with my oldest favorite.

Of course this thread applies to anyone who's first RPG was Pokémon. That said anyone get into RPGs after 1999 and not through it?

*Yeah I am one who has no problem with the cute factor of some Pokémon. A similar reason I'm into My Little Pony Friendship is Magic.

**Yes I did eventually play the Super Famicom version of V, as well as getting it on the DS and even downloaded it on Android.

 

[Captain Jigglypuff]

Mine was briefly through a copy of FF IV (aka II in the US) on the SNES that this kid I had to spend time with dad had. I didn’t know what to do but I remembered the name Final Fantasy. First actual RPG where I knew what to do was Pokémon Red.

 

[WishIhadaManafi5]

It would be a tie between Pokemon and Legend of Zelda Oracle of Ages and Oracle of Seasons. I had fun playing both.

 

[SerebieNi]

My first RPG Experience is in WoW Classic. It took almost all of that clutter right to the curb. It cleaned out a room and gave it back to me as clean and sparsely decorated as the day I first moved into it. If you’ve ever done this to your work or living space, you know how immensely freeing and refreshing a feeling this is.

That do-over helped to pull me into the game, but what’s kept me coming back day after day was more than a content jettison and a fresh start. I genuinely do enjoy the slower pace and tougher landscape that’s in here. It’s not impossible, but it’s not “hit one button and AOE a half-dozen mobs down in five seconds” either. And you can not get enough wow classic gold in a short time. I loved marking progress by single levels, single talent points, a new bag, a piece of green gear with a few extra stat points.

 

[pacman000]

Oddly, it might not have been Pokémon. I had a shareware CD with a few RPGs on it. Castle of the Winds & another one called Exile come to mind immediately.

 

[Chaos Emperor]

The earliest I remember was the snes version of final fantasy 4 (or 2 as it was known back then), but the first one I was able to properly understand and beat was probably final fantasy 7.

 

[Orphalesion]

Pokemon and then Final Fantasy VIII. I still remember I was so glad I didn't need to have to aim or button mash in those games and ever since then turn based RPGs have been one of my favourite kinds of video game. Unfortunately they have grown increasingly rare over the years and I pretty much entered at the tail end of that genre's popularity. I'm really thankful Pokemon retained that style of battling so far.