JRPG's in the future for handheld, which is better?

I'm debating if I should buy a Vita for those JRPG fillings now that summer's here but I really want to save my money and just stick with playing my 3DS. Both sides have many entertaining looking games especially in the RPG scene and hearing that Vita might be dying out here in North America, games are pumping out pretty slow especially Japanese publishers who want to translate them. What do you guys think? I know you can play classics on the download store with the Vita but I've played them all growing up so I wanna look forward to future JRPG releases and I seem to think that the 3DS has a better forecast.

The 3DS is going to get more games because the Vita is a complete failure sales-wise. The Vita is a much stronger system, though, so it could potentially get better games. I would get a 3DS now and a Vita later, either when it finally gets a solid library or it goes on clearance.

@PurpleMan5000 said:

Sorry but you're wrong. The PS Vita has more 3rd Party games in development in Japan currently then the 3DS. Last count from Famitsu magazine was 73 Vita and 43 3DS a couple months ago. I don't have a scan of the magazine but if you go and check out upcoming releases on a site like Play-Asia you'll see around double the releases in favor of the PS Vita.

Vita also has more localizations this year then 3DS if I am not mistaken.

On topic: They both offer good RPGs. If you don't speak Japanese though you;re going to miss out on quite a few that won't leave Japan.

@PurpleMan5000: I guess your right. The reason why I'm a bit disappointed is due to the lack of games (especially 3rd party games) getting released for both systems for North America. My hopes are up because the last generation handheld consoles (PSP and DS) were pumping out any kind of game they could get (especially Japanese published). It's been about 3 years so far since the release of the Vita and 3DS the lack of current handheld games just makes me wonder about the future.

Stick with 3DS for now. Someone else said get a Vita later when it has more games. Sounds god to me. Meanwhile on 3DS there are a good number of great JRPGs to play already and that number will only grow.

Yes, but with the Vita sales being as bad as they have been, how many of those games do you expect to get localized? I own a Vita and enjoy the system, but I can't put it ahead of the 3DS right now. I do hope you are correct, though. I would love to have a solid library of Japanese games on the Vita. That is why I bought the system. The 3DS is getting Monster Hunter 4, an interesting-looking Final Fantasy game, and Code Name: STEAM. It also already has SMT4, Bravely Default, and Fire Emblem: Awakening. I think it has the Vita beat with its current library, and is cheaper than the Vita, so if I were going to get only one system today, it would be the 3DS.

upgrade to a 3DS XL

The 3DS has more JRPGs, but the Vita has better ones.

I'm just letting you know the Vita not the 3DS has more games in development (According to Japanese magazines). 3DS development has slowed down quite a bit in Japan for whatever reason. As for localizations, as I said the Vita has more this year then the 3DS. With companies like Atlus / NIS America / Aksys, the potential for localizations of a lot of games has gone up for Vita. I don't expect games like Danganronpa, Mind Zero etc... to leave Japan but they did. You can prefer those games but to be honest Monster Hunter is pretty much the same thing and games like Freedom Wars seem to actually be bringing new flavors to the hunting genre (People who call these games straight clones haven't played them and yet they're praising this new FF Monster Hunter styled game). I'm not going to argue about quality though since that is subjective.

@FlamesOfGrey: I am pretty excited about Freedom Wars and I am going to get Soul Sacrifice Delta sometime soon.

The real answer is both.

But, it depends on how niche of a JRPG gamer you are. If you enjoy neptunia (did I spell it right) level niche games, then get the vita. If you are more of a light JRPG fan that enjoys the standard JRPGs like Final Fantasy or Shin Megami Tensei, then I would pick up the 3DS.

I think you guys have great answers and most of you guys say to just wait longer for the Vita and I kinda agree so I will wait. Also the price for a used Vita is very reasonable (I'm seeing prices around 130) but including the exclusive memory card just adds more of the expensiveness of a handheld console it's pretty ridiculous (I was gonna download classic psp games on the Sony store for more JRPGs). I come to a conclusion that the Vita does offer more JRPGs but the 3DS ones have been getting better reviews overall.

Just look at the list of games.To be honest vita has been getting more of my attention then my 3ds.Also dont let reviews fully influence your purchese.If you like how the game looks give it a whirl.

Seems like the 3DS has the edge on JRPG with Bravely Default, Fire Emblem:Awakening, and an original Zelda game. If I was going to to start with JRPG I'd probably start there. Plus it has a Kingdom Hearts game. Both platforms are more "even" in terms of remakes - obviously with Vita being technically stronger.

That being said, I have both handhelds and haven't bothered with those games yet, so maybe they aren't so "must-play" anyway.

Have you played Bravely Default yet?

So basically: if you have standards, get a 3DS. lol.

lol. Like what?

@GreySeal9: Persona 4 Golden is obvious as the frontrunner between the two systems. It's truly a masterpiece that alone is worth more than any 3DS JRPG I've played.

Right now I'm also playing Ys and FFX on my Vita, along with Etrian Odyssey Millennium Girl on 3DS. All are decently fun, although I'm enjoying Etrian Odyssey the most out of the three.

It's really not a matter of the Vita having a wealth of great JRPGs, it's more that the 3DS doesn't have great JRPGs from what I've played.

Monster Hunter is still an unfun grind that's exasperated by a single analog stick. Soul Sacrifice is also very, very flawed, but it's better.

SMT IV and Fire Emblem Awakening are both good, but disappointing compared to past titles in their series.

Pokemon X and Y are mediocre as they come. Code of Princess, if we count that, is Code of Princess.

I'll be picking up Bravely Default sometime, as I would have sooner if apparently the last third or so of the game being balls. I'll also unwrap my copy of Dream Team once I beat Bowser's Inside Story. I'll probably also pick up the usual Atlus JRPGs that are on sale on the eShop.

The 3DS otherwise, as far as I'm concerned, is a pretty poor system for JRPGs. It has quantity, but skimps on quality. Luckily OmegaRuby will definitely change that.

This is especially good advice when it comes to Japanese games. Many reviewers are not going to like any core JRPG. You can't take those reviews at face value very often.

3DS has more good JRPG's although Vita has the best JRPG.

If you already played Persona 4, you can skip Vita.

Interesting...

I was thinking exclusive JRPGs when I asked "like what"? I mean, yes, Persona (and I'd say FFX) is probably the best thing you're going to find across both handhelds (because they're both among the greatest JRPGS ever made), but in terms of exclusive content, I'm not really seeing the argument for the Vita.

Also, I don't see how the 3DS skimps on quality. From what you've described, it seems like it skimps on excellence, not quality, which seems fair.

@GreySeal9: Yes, very well put. That's what I often say about the 3DS. It's a good system that lacks great games. Link Between Worlds, Virtue's Last Reward, Luigi's Mansion, and Resident Evil Revelations are the only great titles on the system. Otherwise, it's been a lot of disappointments and alright games. Ports or not, it very much pales to the Vita in my eyes.

Also Shinobishyguy, please, you're an embarrassment to Nintendo fans. Stop this persecution bullshit; if a game is flawed, I have every right to call it out on flaws.

Fair enough.

The overall quality of the 3DS games are going to be higher by nature of it having better developer support (better not more) but if you're willing to compromise on quality and give things a try I'm sure you could enjoy the Vita.The best Vita games are ports but considering the amount of people that will play something like P4 in general, it's not a "huge" deal.

I was just fucking around with that statement (I like to troll the Vita sometimes). The Vita has some interesting looking stuff (tho the 3DS's library is definitely more appealing to me) and I'll probably get one later on when it has more games I'm interested in. I already have a DS, PSP, and 3DS, so it seems natural to add the Vita at some point.

Won't touch shit like Hyperdimension Neptunia with a ten foot pole tho lol.

Neither system has much of a great JRPG line up. Unless you get excited for all those shit games finalstar hypes.

@ActicEdge: Yep, pretty much. You buy a Vita or 3DS for JRPGs, prepare for countless runs of Persona or Fire Emblem and then lots of PSP and DS games.

Definitely not. lol. That stuff is just slightly above shovelware as far as I'm concerned. Don't want to sound like an elitist but I only play the good shit.

I agree that neither have a great lineup, tho I think they both will at the end of their life cycles (if things turn out like DS/PSP).

JRPGs in general are just fizzling out. Its sort of sad given I think the only thing holding these games back from western success is low production values and pandering to the Japanese anime crowd. When I played through FF 3-9 I never felt like I was being fed anime-ish crap plots and characters. The average JRPG seems to really be on that path though these days. Everyone once in a while you get a P4, or FE:A (this has some of that shit admittedly) or Bowser's Inside Story that feel like a quality game without the crap but it's rare.

@Blabadon:

Persona 4 Golden is a bad JRPG, but a decent dating simulator.

Couldn't agree more with the point about low production values, but I'd add art design as well. So many JRPGs coming out with horrible art styles. Back in the PS1 days (and PS2 days as well even though there was a definitely increase in generic looking art styles in that era), most JRPGs had good to amazing art styles, and now it seems like good art styles are the exception rather than the rule.

As a JRPG enthusiast, this saddens me.

Also, something like Bravely Default did 250k in NA LTD. This is on a handheld as well. I think on a console with better production values they could easily double that number. Fire emblem did similar nnumbers, I think the problem really is the look and the invested money. That and these handheld systems just aren't as popular as they once were.

Yeah, that's probably true.

I think Fire Emblem is actually decent looking in terms of its aesthetics tho definitely a bit on the generic anime side as far as the art is concerned.

I definitely think JRPG developers put way too much of an emphasis on gameplay systems/mechanics and not enough on overall presentation.

yessire.There are some jpn games that get slamed but I end up enjoying them alot.

The anime stuff they use dont really bug me personally.I loved every bit of P4 and FE:A and both are heavy on anime stuff but still fun and so are the other heavy anime type jrpgs.again just my opinion.

If you already have a 3DS XL, I would just save my money and skip out on the VIta for a while. The 3DS has lots of JRPGs and will be still pumping out quality releases for the next two years. ( Unlike the Vita, which only has to wait on localizations, and indies till its last painful breath)

If you can get one for a good price though. I say go for it.

I can deal with it to an extent but Fire Emblem and Persona aren't selling upwards of 2 million units which is my main point.

Besides FF when did jrpgs sell millions upon millions of copies?

My point was that I think that production values and overly anime indulgent presentation are two of the biggest factors that I think hurt JRPG sales potential. It has nothing to do with the past performance of games in the genre. Even in comparison to old times, JRPGs are doing nothing but declining in popularity so even if it isn't a million sales, the numbers are just decreasing with time any how.

but something like P3 and P4 is very anime in presentation and dont those games do pretty well.

nope. Not even a million and it's sad because at least P4 is a very high quality game. There are hardly any JRPG's of the quality of P4 to be honest. Easily the very best Jrpg in the last 10 years.

I enjoy the game alot but I dont feel that way about it.

They do fine, P3 was pretty decently received in the West and P4 followed the trend. That said, Persona is still 1 series out of a ton of great JRPGs that either sell like shit or don't make it out of Japan.

I'm unware of what you mean champ haha.

P4G is so overrated. The dungeon design is so bland and there is so much talking I hardly feel like I'm playing anything. Only thing keeping me moving forward is the story/characters, but that alone is not enough. With all the hype I was expecting something as good as Chrono trigger, but it's not quite there imo.

The Vita has the best JRPG available across both systems- Persona 4 Golden- but the 3DS simply has more, and almost all of them are great. I'd start out with the 3DS (pick up a cheap 2DS if you're unsure about the system), and buy a Vita later. Both of them are definitely worth having for any JRPG fan, mind. it's just a question of order more than anything else.

In my opinion and experience, Vita gets the more quirky and colorful JRPG lineup while the 3DS gets more "traditional" ones. There are exceptions of course, but it's about your preference I guess. Personally I enjoy I both, so I have both handhelds.