RPG stand for role-playing game. It is traditionally used to describe games that have their roots in the mechanics of tabletop RPGs such as D&D.

But a game doesn't need to emulate the mechanics of D&D to fulfill its spirit, or the spirit of RPGs. An RPG, at its core, is a very simple concept: it is an immersive game in which you role-play as a character with powers, possessions, skills, and/or abilities very different from your own.

So any game that successfully immerses you in a character could be considered an RPG.

Are the Zelda games RPGs? Unquestionably.

If you can get fully immersed in Sonic or Contra, then you can call it an RPG.

If you can reverse engineer a video game into a significantly faithful D&D or GURPS campaign, then it could be considered an RPG.

Pac-Man? Not an RPG.

An excellent point, GP.

An in relation to your examples, I would like point out that games are getting harder and harder to classify within a single genre. To classify Fallout 3 solely as an RPG or Thief solely as an FPS, though both contain basic elements of those genres, does neither one any justice.

I dunno. I think the lack of significant jumping abilities in everything except Zelda 2 disqualifies it as a platformer.

Andrew Man wrote:

Syd Lexia wrote: I dunno. I think the lack of significant jumping abilities in everything except Zelda 2 disqualifies it as a platformer. There are still platform elements like jumping off ledges, clearing gaps with hookshots, shit like that. It is even more prevalent in the 3D iterations.

Keep in mind that these elements were completely lacking in the original Zelda. There was absolutely no jumping in those games. Also:

Wikipedia wrote:

The platform game (or platformer) is a video game genre characterized by jumping to and from suspended platforms or over obstacles (jumping puzzles). It must be possible to control these jumps and to fall from platforms or miss jumps. The most common unifying element to these games is a jump button; other jump mechanics include swinging from extendable arms, as in Ristar or Bionic Commando, or bouncing from springboards or trampolines, as in Alpha Waves. These mechanics, even in the context of other genres, are commonly called "platforming," a verbification of the term "platform." Games where jumping is automated completely, such as The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, fall outside of the genre.

Wikipedia also classified most LOZ games as Action-Adventure, and Zelda 2 as Action-RPG.

Leveling is not necessary a prerequisite. In addition to leveling, RPGs generally feature sequential dungeons with slightly better equipment obtained in or near each dungeon. Zelda cuts out the leveling, but maintains sequential dungeons. And as already pointed out, Heart Containers are esssentially a proxy for leveling.

Douche McCallister wrote:

Yes but how many RPG games can you legitimately beat without any "leveling".

Leveling exists in most RPG games as an invisible wall of sorts. You cannot explore areas that you're not supposed to, because you don't have the stats or equipment necessary to beat the enemies in those area. This adds a degree of linearity to open map RPGs that would otherwise not exist. If you could beat every enemy right away, you could play the game out of order. Later RPGs, such as Final Fantasy IV, would additionally force linearity by limiting the sections of the map that were available to you at various points in the game.

Leveling also exists in RPGs with turn-based combat because it's the only way to make turn-based combat interesting and equitable.

RPGs that use real-time combat do not require a level system, because the combat is actively taking place. In a turn-based RPG, when a powerful enemy unleashes a powerful attack, your goal is have to stats high enough to absorb the attack and not die. In an active RPG, when a powerful enemy unleashes a powerful attack, your goal is to actually DODGE it. Thus, leveling and stat-farming are not a necessary mechanic. Crystalis, one of my favorite NES games, requires leveling, and it's kind of stupid. Sometimes you'll get to a boss, and you won't be able to beat him simply your level isn't high enough. It's a useless mechanic, especially since the game is pretty linear.