A new golden age for JRPGs

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There's a quote I'm guilty of rolling out a few too many times about how the golden age of science fiction is, in fact, 12 - a cute way to point out that the works we are often most fond of are the ones we encountered in those long years of our youth when we've bountiful free time and a sense of wonder that's yet to dull. It's a point that lends itself perfectly well to videogames, I'm sure you'll agree.

When it comes to the golden age of the JRPG I'm sure we've all got our own thoughts. The early 90s are always hard to argue against, when you had Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy in their 16-bit pomp while the likes of Earthbound and Chrono Trigger offered fascinating twists on the form. Maybe it's the mid-00s, when Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy delivered their two finest entries - for me, anyway - within a year of each other with Journey of the Cursed King and FF12. Perhaps it's that weird purple patch that brought us Lost Odyssey and Blue Dragon in quick succession.