do yall think zelda is a rpg

[balgus82]

Zelda is an action/adventure game.

There are no stats. All your damage is a set amount. You can never get stronger only gain different weapons. It's no more an RPG than Duke Nukem is.

[Digglett]

Name one and I'll be impressed :x

They are very small elements, I don't think they make Zelda an RPG one bit, but I guess they are referring to the ability to buy items and to change weapons, the like.

Zelda 2 had experience points (upgrading attack, magic, life, so on) and a leveling system, if any game in the series could at all be referred to as an RPG it would be this one, although one game doesn't make the whole series an RPG.

[Polarthief]

Skarsguard, it really depends how you look at it. The literal term, RPG, means "Role-Playing Game" in which you take control of a character and "play" their "role" in a "game".

If you use the literal sense, then yes, LoZ is an RPG because you play the role of Link in a game.

If you use the "genre" sense, then no, LoZ is NOT an RPG because it doesn't have "battle systems", level ups, and equips like every 'normal' RPG has.

When I refer to battle systems, I refer to battles actually CHANGING to a whole new thing when entering a battle. Take Paper Mario for example. When you're on the normal world, you just run along your path. When you bump into an enemy, you get "sent" to a battle zone where the outside world doesn't matter, it's just what's going on in the battle that matters at that moment.

[Destrina]

RPGs require statistical systems. Every tabletop rpg is essentially a statistic system. The reason for this is so that combats can be resolved in a fair an uniform way. There are rarely rules for the role-playing part of rpgs. What makes an rpg different from sitting around and story-telling? The stat systems and combat rules.

Stat systems do make an rpg an rpg.

[Eldar45]

It is most definitely not an RPG. You might be able to call it an Action/Adventure proto-RPG, because many of the RPG creaters probably played Zelda and thought it would be cool if they combined that with DnD.

[Skarsguard]

Not a traditional RPG, mind you, but you can't deny that it has distinct RPG elements.

What RPG elements the only thing different between it and other action/adventure games is that you have a sword and shield and fight in a fantasy setting. But for real we need to come up with guide lines on what we should call call games RPG's ill start ofc no order.
1.exp points
2.weapon upgrades
3.rng in combat
4.skill points
5.stats
6.hp/mp
7.customized characters
8.storyline that isn't linear
That's just the ones i can think of if yall wan't to debate some of those go ahead or add more please

[Dasani]

Zelda 2: Adventure's of Link was a RPG

The rest are not.

RPGs have a lot of core features. Not ALL of them have ALL features as some like to change little things here and there, but zelda lacks so many of them that it doesn't qualify as a RPG.

Character doesn't speak at all.
No armor/weapon progression.
No levels.
No experience.
No stat points.
No character customization.
No moral choices.
Linear, non-changing story.
Only one character, no companions that fight with you.

Like I said, an RPG doesn't have to have ALL of those elements, but needs most or at least some to even qualify. Zelda has none of that. It's an action/adventure game.

[thedreadlobster]

In my opinion Zelda has some of the core RPG elements to it. Leveling up = Defeating one of the bosses and your health increases. Along with acquiring new weaponry, along with the fantasy look. It isn't a full blown RPG but i would say Zelda may of contributed to the RPGs we have today.

[CptWiggles]

I consider an RPG a game whose gameplay elements has its origins in the old tabletop roleplaying games. So that means games with character stats, character jobs, and die rolls/RNG, etc.

Zelda has none of those, so by my definition it is not an RPG.

This is my definition and I don't expect everybody to agree with it, but I figured it was worth putting on the record.

pretty much. Dice rolls as a fundamental part of the game, char stats (even if not shown), and class/job system of some form.

---------- Post added 2011-06-12 at 05:18 AM ----------

Not that wikipedia is always 100% correct but this pretty much sums it up.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Role-playing_game

Yes it is...maybe not a hardcore RPG. But it is an RPG.

"Single player role-playing video games form a loosely defined genre of computer and console games with origins in role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, on which they base much of their terminology, settings and game mechanics.[17] This translation changes the experience of the game, providing a visual representation of the world but emphasizing statistical character development over collaborative, interactive storytelling."

... thats called reading.