Okay, so here’s the deal. I like video games, but I am really limited by my lack of motor coordination. I can’t play any of the “typical” video games, where you need to be fast in order to win. I do well with games with turn-based combat, with no or liberal time constraints on how long you have to make your moves. I also dislike it when games make you play for a long time without being able to save, as sometimes I like to, you know, go do other things.
For platforms, I have a DS Lite and a PS2, and I prefer the handheld games.
For illustrative purposes, here are my favorite games:
Golden Sun (and the sequel, Golden Sun: The Lost Age)
The Pokemon series (Blue, Silver, Emerald, Fire Red, Pearl)
The Final Fantasy series (FF 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6 on the GBA/DS; I have FFX for the PS2, but I didn’t really like it, it was too hard for me.)
Metroid Prime Pinball, as well as any other pinball-based game. (I’m pretty good at pinball in real life, too.)
I also like Wolfenstein 3D, which makes no sense, I know. I can only play it on the easiest levels, though.
Are there games out there that aren’t too hard for me that I don’t know of? It’s really hard to navigate through the sea of Japanese RPGs out there, because they all have silly stories and a lot of similarities, but it’s the nuances that really make the difference.
Decent, strictly turn based RPG’s are the obvious pick for you. I’d say going for the tactical ones is probably the best place to start. We’ve had a few threads on those here in the past few months but just to run though a handful of titles there’s Final Fantasy Tactics for the GBA and the Disgaea series on the PS2. You liked older RPG’s so there’s the Breath of Fire series (versions of the older ones for the GBA/DS and the newer ones on PS2.
I’ll give you a negative recommendation for FF XII since while characters are programmable and the action interrupts to give them commands you might still have to do some fast maneuvering especially with certain abilities.
Now let’s widen things a bit: have you considered adventure games? Not action/adventure ones but just straight one adventure games. I’d suggest the Phoenix Wright series for the DS as the place to start there.
Two Japanese RPGs I enjoyed for the PS2 include La Pucelle: Tactics (which about a group of teenaged demon hunters) and Dragon Quest VIII (which is about slightly older teenaged demon hunters). But they both have quality combat and decently humorous stories, so I feel you can’t go wrong with either.
And have you tried Final Fantasy 7, 8 and 9 on the PSone? Backwards compatibility is a wonderful thing for rediscovering the classics.
I tell you, I do NOT have the twitch reflexes of a 12 year old boy. In fact, when I was a 12 year old girl I still didn’t have them. And I enjoyed the hell out of Bully, for the PS2, which isn’t turn based at all but is incredibly forgiving. I’d really suggest trying it. You can’t save when you’re on a task, but if you fail you can do it over and over and over and over again as many times as it takes. In fact, I don’t believe it’s at all possible to lose. It was like a whole new door opened up for me when I realized I don’t HAVE to load my last save back, I can just do it again. Okay, so there was one twitchy part I had to have my boyfriend do for me. But from somebody who hates games where you have to be fast, I loved it.
On the DS, also not turn based but also very fun for somebody who can’t handle twitchiness, Rocket Slime is really, really awesomely fun.
Also, on the DS there’s a ton of fun games like Animal Crossing and Nintendogs that really have nothing to do with speed at all. Might not be what you’re looking for, though.
I had that (or Tactics Advance, I can’t remember) and I didn’t like the battle arrangement very much.
I’ve heard of Phoenix Wright…so, you don’t have to do anything fast for that? Is it like a Choose Your Own Adventure book or something, or do you have to wander around poking everything to see if clues are inside or something?
Do those PSone games work in a PS2? I thought they wouldn’t; otherwise, who would buy the PSone consoles they still sell?
Yes, they do. PS2 is backwards compatible with Playstation games. A few early ones are buggy, as I understand it, but that’s the ones from back before they sold the games in standard CD jewel cases.
PSOne is a different system than the original Playstation - it’s a smaller, more portable system they brought out after the introduction of the PS2. It’ll only play original Playstation games, but PS2 plays them as well.
Oooh, neato. I always wanted to try Final Fantasy 7, since everyone seems to like it so much. I will have to see if I can get it.
Another question: Considering what I’ve said above, do you guys think I would be able to play Kingdom Hearts without being totally overwhelmed? There’s a DS KH game coming out next year and I’m curious…
The PS2 games, I doubt, actually. I actually found them more frustrating on that front than FFXII. There is a lot of quick reaction parts, and maneuvering using some of the abilities can be a pain. I don’t now what the control scheme on the DS game will be like, so I can’t comment on it…the GBA game, I’d avoid simply because it sucks eggs.
It’s more linear than CYOA, but the only physical dexterity you need to play it is to be able to point at objects in a static scene and select appropriate conversation topics. It’s a far more mental game than physical, and it’s an absolute blast IMO.
Okay, then disregard what I said about the tactical games since FFT is pretty much the standard pattern for those games. If you didn’t like it then you probably won’t like others.
Nothing fast at all. It’s point and click for the most part and a lot of selection of dialog.
Absolutely not for the PS2 games; they’re very action orientated. The portable one is supposed to be different but I’ve never played it.
Baldur’s Gate and it’s sequel Baldur’s Gate II: Shadows of Amn are RPGs you might like. While technically not turn-based, you can set the options so the game pauses itself whenever such things occur as damage taken, spell cast, enemy sighted, and so on until it might as well be. The expansions are excellent as well.
For a good turn-based action RPG I would recommend the first Knights of the Old Republic, and if you’re feeling up to a little old school action the Metal Max and Romancing SAGA series are two great lines of NES and SNES RPGs.
I loved Another Code: Two Memories for the DS, which is a straight puzzle-based adventure game. It makes the fullest and most creative use of the DS format that I’ve seen to date.
Knights of the Old Republic was a lot of fun, and reflexes weren’t required for anything but the minigames, which were mostly optional. I got pretty twitchy playing it, but you could always pause the game and line up a series of moves for each combatant; I just never bothered.
Hate to say it, but if you’re looking for a video game that will improve your hand-eye coordination, the kinds of games you’re ruling out are the ones that will help you the most.
I’m not really, though. Games are something I do for fun…not to be made to feel like an incompetent piece of junk who can’t do things that normal 8 year olds can do, like play Super Mario Bros. I don’t really think there’s much that a video game could do to help me at this age, anyway.
I have the first KH (or as I like to call it, FF:Disney), and I tell you, it’s one of the worst games for people who don’t have great twitches. It’s a fun game, with interesting side quests, but you have to get your best items by fighting in the arena. Which means that you have to be lightning fast on that controller.
FF7 is a great nontwitchy game, plus it has all kinds of FAQs/walkthroughs if you get stuck. It’s a very replayable game. I prefer FF8 to FF7, but many people hate FF8.