Best console for RPGs?

[Monster Bonce]

Having established that the PCE is not the best console for RPGs and action RPGs—in English—due to a dearth of translations (damn you TTI!) my next question is: what is?

Anything from the PS2 onward is disqualified—I'm only interested in old-ish stuff at this point.

So... vote and please add comments saying why.

All academic, by the way, I'm sticking with the PCE.

[OldRover]

I think I'd have to go with the SNES. It certainly got a nice-sized selection of quality RPGs, though mostly traditional in style. Enix and Squaresoft made some of the best for the console. There are far too few RPGs on any other of the major consoles of the era, although what do exist are generally of good quality (the Phantasy Star series, for example, with particular emphasis on 4).

[Nazi NecroPhile]

Couldn't have said it better myself Nod.  RPGs were as few and far between on the SMS as on the TG-16, but Phantasy Star, Ultima IV, Gauntlet, Ys, Heroes of the Lance, Spellcaster, and Golden Axe Warrior were all quite fun (yes, I'm stretching the definition of RPG a bit - live with it).

[Seldane]

SNES no doubt. I'm still playing RPGs on this thing today (EVERY DAY!!) because there are so many of them. In English. Thanks to a flash cart, I can play the mad amount of fan-translated games on my real system as well. AWESOME console for RPGs, only rivaled by the PS2.

[RuninRuder]

The first Playstation was a powerhouse for RPGs and should have its own option in the poll.  Star Ocean 2, Final Fantasy VII, Grandia, Alundra and MANY more.

[Monster Bonce]

Added, but I did leave it out for a reason—I'm not in any hurry to buy one. Mind you, I'm not in any hurry to buy anything so...

Anyway, I've been looking as SNES RPGs and there sure are a lot but I think the PCE Duo may have spoiled me a bit, particularly in the music area. What's a decent price to pay for a SNES? I suppose should get a US system as many of the RPGs don't seem to have been released in Europe. As usual.

Edit: Has anyone made a SNES emulator for the DS?

[Seldane]

I think most PS1 RPGs (or games in general) don't hold up to this day. The primitive 3d that plagued most of them is really painful to watch, and the frame rate is far too low to be enjoyable in most of these games.

[GUTS]

PSOne RPGs hold up great, all the good ones use pre-rendered backgrounds or sprites anyway, and the ones that used polygons generally had really good art styles so they still look great despite the low poly counts.  The PSOne is the king of RPGs.

[Keranu]

I voted for Pipin Atmark.

[Seldane]

There are no Pippin Atmark exclusive games. It's like if I voted for the V-Saturn.

[Keranu]

It doesn't matter, it's the name that counts, son.

[termis]

I'm biased toward the 16-bit & earlier generation RPGs, and SNES is certainly the king there.  Though for English RPG lineups, I think there are a lot of decent ones on the Genesis/MD and the original NES as well. 

I really started disliking newer RPGs when they started over-emphasizing the storyline.  I rather DO shit, rather than watch though 15 minutes of movies (or read through 15 minutes of text), only end up playing for only 5 minutes before repeating the cycle.

[guyjin]

Since the Genesis and pcengine are not options, I feel forced to vote for the SNES.

And since I feel forced, I will vote for something random instead.

[OldRover]

I would have said the Playstation, but its selection of RPGs, while numerous, is largely crap.

[guyjin]

I would have said the Playstation, but its selection of RPGs, while numerous, is entirely crap.

fixed.

[OldRover]

I would have said the Playstation, but its selection of RPGs, while numerous, is entirely crap.

fixed.

Fixed? As in, someone made a bunch of RPGs for the Playstation that don't suck?

[Monster Bonce]

Mega Drive added. I forgot about that.

TG isn't there for a reason. Feel free to vote for the Pippin or CD-i if you like but... er, yeah.

[Seldane]

So you hate games then guyjin?

[SignOfZeta]

I voted PS1.

I did so because even though none of my favorite RPGs are actually on PS1, the PS1 had more RPGs, I think, than any other system and many of them are solid. This goes doubly if you only play RPGs in English.

For example, I love Panzer Dragoon Saga/Azel on Saturn, but I wouldn't recommend the Saturn to people I know as an RPG system because it only has like...6 of them, or so, in English. It has some nice Japanese RPG releases though.

Same for PCE. Great RPG machine. Not for for people that don't play import RPGs.

The SNES had some fucking GREAT RPGs, including Earthbound, FFVI, and Chrono Trigger, but those games are still doing for 1993 retail ($70) or higher now in good condition, plus there really aren't that many SNES RPGs in English. Probably only 5 or 6 I'd actually play nowadays.

[ParanoiaDragon]

SNES would've been my 2nd choice, but, I voted PS1, I did alot more RPG exploring with the PS1, then I did with SNES or Genesis, etc.  I even enjoyed Beyond the Beyond!

[Turbo D]

I voted SNES because has some pretty good ones. I didn't play too many on the genesis. I only played a few for psx.

[jimid2]

I voted PS1. I could have gone either SNES or PSX really - I've been playing so many old PlayStation RPGs on my DarK_AleX firmware enabled PSP lately, and run through a couple SNES RPGs on my GP2X and DS... Anyway, Final Fantasy VII, VIII and IX are absolute favorites of mine, and so the PlayStation's my choice...

[SuperDeadite]

I always liked the Sega CD for the Working Designs games: Lunar: TSS, Lunar: EB, Popful Mail, and Vay (Vay hasn't aged well though).  It also had Shining Force CD and Dark Wizard.  Low numbers, but quality games