Is Luigi's Mansion an RPG?

[bobman37]

Personally, I look at the battle system to see if a game is an RPG. Basically I ask myself, "Self, does this game look like any Final Fantasy games as far as battle/stats raising goes?" If the answer is yes, I see it as an RPG. If the answer is no, then it is not. Although that doesn't play a huge role (no pun intended) in my purchasing of the game.

[Khold]

When I ask myself something, I don't usually call myself "self"... I would just ask the question without addressing myself. But that's just me.

[Koopaslaya]

I don't hink anyone does that, but it makes for a rather fun dialogue to type out.

[Chupperson Weird]

You guys are all wrong if you think all RPGs automatically have turn-based battle systems.
Ocarina of Time isn't an RPG.

[Vidgmchtr]

Luigi's Mansion isn't an RPG.

Though RPGs mostly have turn-based fighting systems, there are other games that ARE in the RPG genre that have battles in real-time. For example, Phantasy Star Online.

And Ocarina of Time, like Chup said, definitely isn't an RPG.

[Lizard Dude]

RPGs are getting less and less turn-based these days.

[Kojinka]

But some people still qualify the Zelda games as RPG despite its lack of Turn-based battles.

[Lizard Dude]

Those people are wrong. Zelda is in no way an RPG.

[Vidgmchtr]

You don't level up in Zelda. (You get more hearts as you progress, but that's different.)
You don't get upgrades in Zelda. (You get better items every so often, but again, it's different.)

Just because it has swords and "medieval-like" qualities and weird species of creatures definitely DOES NOT make it an RPG.

[Lizard Dude]

Now that I think about it, having levels for characters is one of the biggest hints that something is or is not an RPG.

[Kojinka]

Actually, Link is able to get sword and shield upgrades on most of the games.  The games exclude OoT and the FS, and possibly AoL (Adventure of Link).  Actually, I think Link had a level-up system in AoL.  Looking at that and seeing as AoL had a battle mode in the overworld, AoL has more RPG elements.  Reality, the definition of "RPG" is vague at best.  But even with that, we know that Luigi's Mansion is definitely NOT RPG.

[HolyAarom]

Why don't we call it an Action-RPG?

Because you go around killing stuff, solving puzzles, and you do get upgrades. In Oracle of Seasons, you can upgrade swords, shields, and whatnot.

[Vidgmchtr]

Actually, Link is able to get sword and shield upgrades on most of the games.

Read the second set of parentheses in my post again.

Why don't we call it an Action-RPG?

No, because it's NOT an RPG.

[Chupperson Weird]

Zelda II: The Adventure of Link is, indeed, a side-scrolling RPG, much like what the Castlevania games have become.

[bobman37]

Why don't we call it an Action-RPG?

Why don't we call it "Video game?"