RPG Maker

"The game where you make the game"

RPG Maker is a truly fantastic game. It is not everybody, however. If you are only mildly interested in RPGs and were raised on Eternal Arcadia and Final Fantasy IX, you probably should steer clear. But if you love RPGs, are willing to spend a LOT of time on it, always wanted to make your own game, and you can accept graphics and sound right out of the NES days, then this is for you.

Graphics: 3/10
Gah! As I said before, poor, poor graphics. This thing wouldn't to the Super Nintendo proud. You can, however, make your own pictures and animations on the included Anime Maker, though chances are you probably won't want to. You can always spruce things up with your own imagination, of course.

Sound: 2/10
This goes hand in hand with the graphics: Poor. Unlike graphics, however, you can't make your own music, meaning you're stuck with the tracks they give you, which aren't very good. One thing I'd like to note: the default music playing while you are creating your game, no matter how long you listen to it, never gets annoying, which I think is fairly impressive.

Gameplay 6/10
Nothing too snazzy here. X to select, square to go back, etc. It would be nice if you could make a custom controller configuration, though.

Glitches: 9/10
None really, everything works fine.

Replay: 10/10
I think this is the most important part of the game, and it having a ten in this category makes it all worthwhile. You make the game. What happens is all up to you. Realistically, All the rating areas in this review depend on how good you are at making the game. Make one game, make another, and this thing will consume your life. This game is a tool that will grow with you. This game to some, is more than a game. It is a lifestyle. It is a superb way to express one's creativity and share it with others. No game is quite as rewarding as this little gem.

Overall: 8/10
A great package overall. You need a lot of patience and a decent amount of intelligence to enjoy this game. Simply put, you need hundreds(yes, hundreds)of hours to get the most out of RPG Maker. Owning this game gives you a limitless amount of RPGs at your disposal, both yours and other's RPGs. Combined with a dexdrive, this is the ultimate RPG fan's game.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/01/01, Updated 10/01/01