REVIEW

RPG Maker FES Review

by Rob Pritchard, July 25th, 2017

The 16 bit RPG is a genre which has gone from strength to strength over the many years of its existence, with classic titles such as Chrono Trigger, and modern games such as I Am Setsuna proving that the graphical style is one that never goes out of fashion. Several programs have been released to allow anyone to build their own RPG for themselves, but none of them have become as prominent as the RPG Maker series which began in Japan back in 1992. As well as the home computer releases of the franchise, and the several home console versions which never made it to Europe for reasons unknown, RPG Maker has now decided to branch out to Nintendo 3DS in the form of RPG Maker FES.

Instead of throwing users into the blank canvas straight away like in the PC versions of the franchise; RPG Maker FES’s development environment is divided into four separate modes. The first option is dedicated to using graphical tile sets to design the maps that your characters will inhabit. Despite the limited resolution on the Nintendo 3DS, it is very easy to click and drag in this release, from the tile sets onto the maps. Some of the more essential shortcuts are assigned to the face buttons such as an auto fill option for longer words, and the dash feature to run around the map. These shortcuts help a great deal, giving you a break from using the touch screen for every action.

The second menu option is where you design the gameplay, using Event Chips that you can place around the maps. From random enemy encounters, to scripted cut scenes and item shops, every new event and gameplay feature in your project requires you to design it from the menu. Luckily, the in game descriptions for the various event triggers and outcomes go into a high level of detail, so you will rarely not understand what a particular option is meant to do. The only minor criticism I have for this section is that it is not possible to enter in your own custom programming code to add a personal touch to customising your events.

The third major section of RPG Maker FES is the game’s database. Here you will be able to customise your characters vital data such as their name, attacks and experience point distribution, as well as the vital information for the monsters that your game’s fighters will encounter on their quest, and the weapons that they will be able to fight with. While the customisation on offer is not as extensive as the PC version, it is possible to achieve the results you are looking for with only a few clicks, instead of using several sets of drop down lists.

The final option on the list is the Test Play feature, which allows you to play through the game you have created using debug features in order to test specific sections. One of the most useful features is holding the shoulder buttons, which temporarily removes all collisions that you have set in place. This is especially helpful when your game has multiple events, or you need to reach an area of the game world that is not immediately accessible from the game’s beginning.

If you would like to share your RPG with others, it is sadly impossible to port your game outside of RPG Maker FES. What is possible however is a feature that is arguably the best possible scenario they could have chosen to implement. Whether you use the built in player, or download the free RPG Maker Player app from the Nintendo eShop, you can upload your own games, and download other peoples work completely free of charge.

The stock assets provided by the developer are in the same style seen in other RPG Maker projects, and for the most part they all look colourful and well designed. If you should want to create your own graphics, it is possible via the built in sprite editor, or you can download new assets, both free and premium, from the Nintendo eShop. The sound effects are mostly taken from older RPG Makers, but there are a few new compositions which keep this entry feeling like a copy and paste operation designed to increase their user base.

Overall, RPG Maker FES is a very capable package for making your own RPG. While it is does not feature some of the advanced features and export features found on other platforms, the ability to play other people’s created games for free is definitely worth the price of admission by itself. The flexibility on offer to build a competent RPG wherever you are is certainly worth a look, whether you are a budding game developer or simply want to build an interactive story for other players to enjoy.