Fight, Magic, Items

The History of Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, and the Rise of Japanese RPGs in the West

By: Aidan Moher

Narrated by: Eric Michael Summerer

The Japanese roleplaying game (JRPG) genre is one that is known for bold, unforgettable characters; rich stories; and some of the most iconic and beloved games in the industry. Inspired by early Western RPGs and introducing technology and artistic styles that pushed the boundaries of what video games could be, this genre is responsible for creating some of the most complex, bold, and beloved games in history. In Fight, Magic, Items, Aidan Moher guides listeners through the history of JRPGs, exploring the technical challenges, distinct narrative and artistic visions, and creative rivalries that fueled the creation of countless iconic games and their quest to become the best.

Moher immerses listeners in the world of JRPGs, following the interconnected history through the lens of their creators and their stories full of hope and risk, from the tiny teams that built the foundations of the Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest franchises; Reiko Kodama pushing boundaries with Phantasy Star; the team up between Horii and Sakaguchi to create Chrono Trigger; or the mashup of Disney with Final Fantasy in Kingdom Hearts. Filled with firsthand interviews and behind-the-scenes looks into the development, reception, and influence of JRPGs, this book captures the evolution of the genre and why it continues to grab us, decades after those first iconic pixelated games released.

©2022 Aidan Moher (P)2023 Tantor

For JRPG Fans & Those Curious About Them

A nice history of JRPGs and the series that defined the genre. There is some nice behind the scenes information detailed as well as commonly known facts.

As someone who works in video games…

This was a thoughtful, well researched, and well paced book. The author covered A TON of material and did so with great fluidity.

A walk down memory lane.

This is an amazing book about the past and present of some of the biggest juggernauts of gaming. It side notes some of the revolutionary smaller games and is a love letter to classics and to what could be next for role playing games.

Great 1st person perspective on the "RPG" genre as a whole

While this book could have had the second title of "my life growing up as a final fantasy fan and couldn't have enough of the stuff like it". It does cover a broad strokes perspective of growing alongside the RPG genre as a whole. I really liked how it didn't just focus on LITERAL jrpgs and included the mentality of what constitutes a JRPG (Zelda totally does come at me) but also includes impacts spread wide in the gaming history JRPGS have on fans and the industry.

super good super cool.

Excellent history of the JRPG genre

Fight, Magic, Items is an excellent history of the JRPG genre, taking the listener on a journey from the crude but memorable Dungeons and Dragons simulators of early computers through to the present. If you're an old school hardcore gamer or someone who just picked up their first Final Fantasy, this is for you. I came away with a few titles I have never played that I want to check out now both old and new. I wonder if I can get anywhere in the original Wizardry...

the narration is clear and very good.

Talking bout' my Generation!

Great full history of the Japanese Role Playing Games in their journey to the West. 100 percent my era and the author sounds to be my age give or take. So, I could relate perfectly to his upbringing. He also talks in a very optimistic way about every major game in the genre with no negative bias. I like that positivity.

Now I know, there's no way to touch on every game in this series. But there are a few that do get the light treatment of just a few sentences or so worth. The major one to me is Lunar on Sega CD. That always seems like one of the big pinnacles of raising the bar all around for the early 90s. Mind blowing if you got to experience it then too on original hardware. But beyond that small qualm, there's so much good history and information going around that I can't complain.

It's a topic that could almost have a two or three book series. Each with the length of this title here. Chronicling the 80s/90s section. Then the 2000s and up to modern. That's just how much good times there was. I really enjoyed this book thoroughly and hope that there can be a part 2 down the line. Even just a bonus book that maybe tackles deeper sections more in depth and covers some of the other games that could use some extra attention.

But still, there's an amazing overview that will get your stack of JRPGs filled to the brim. Whether it's old classics to play again, titles you may have missed over the years, and then some newer ones that sound quite interesting. The best of gaming is all chronicled here. Join the retro party!

couldn't stop listening

this is such a great dive into the history of Final fantasy and Dragon Quest as well as some other JRPGs. I couldn't stop listening and was only upset that it ended. highly recommend

Fantastic history of the genre.

Great book to get to the history of the jrpg genre of games. There’s enough for multiple volumes but this one book will give you a great overview and possibly inspire you to play or revisit some of these games.