Playing around with RPG Maker 2003 when I was still a thirteen year old boy has been the reason that I decided to dive into game development. It's so nostalgic to see this at 30 years old!
Same experience here, Installing RPG Maker 2000 as a 10 or 11 year old boy from some kind of demo / game disc that came with some kind of magazine I bought with what little money my parents gave me. Although it didn't bring me to game development, just regular old software development. (Although that was probably better on my family, since stuff like "crunch time" or "over time" are unheard of, at least where I live and worked).
About the same age as you, I remember creating games with RPGM2K3 with my younger brother it was very cool, but sadly only went to develop world a year ago, I should have done it sooner xD
One of the first things I bought on Steam was RPG Maker 2k3. I've always wanted to create a game as a passion project, and so as it was one of the cheapest, I decided to give it a go. I honestly love the indie feel you can get from the games made, and many of the best indie games came from 2k3, so it has a soft spot in my heart.
Something I learned quite slowly but was a worth while lesson. Is that limitations drive innovation. Sometimes paint really do be better than photoshop.
That reveal near the end, where you say you've actually moved on to a new engine got me laughing so hard. I had to do a double take and go "Wait wut... He switched engines after all?.." So even if that part of the vid was a joke it still had great execution. The buildup throughout the whole vid only for the reveal to be right at the end was priceless.
2003 has that crispy tile arts, but for me I like the simplicity of 2000 more. Nonetheless these two, at least in my region, were so hyped during the 2000s. So many indie makers sharing their creativity during that times. Come to think of it, it was a really amazing decade, rpg makers and free-hosted forums, the generation playing old console games experimented with new internet culture like MMORPG, all those young folks are now probably working already with their internet names changed so nowhere to trace again, but the glorious, colorful days of 2000s around the rm2k/2k3 community will never be forgotten by me. It was so amazing.
Honestly, it still has quite a lot of features even today. It's kind of impressive that the future RPG makers haven't completely rendered it obsolete. One feature I find cool is the ability to use battle animations for playable characters, which is something I toyed around with in a demo for an RPG I may make in the future.
What a wonderful little video! You're oozing enthusiasm while also being very mindful of your viewers' time. Loving these new scripted vids from you Riggy! (and, of course, thank you for recommending my games a bunch recently!)
I could definitely spend hours talking about RM2k3 games, but I'll leave that to the hours of gameplay I've already recorded. :) Thanks for everything Quinn and I'm happy to share your awesome games anytime!!!
I remember being 10~12 years old and messing around in RPG Maker. I was designing complicated scripted sequences and the final boss fight, before even knowing what the story would be.
Some of the best RPG Maker games I played was actually on RPG Maker 2000. There are some notable ones in RPG Maker 2003 but it's 2000 that really shined.
I love your passion for RPGmaker2k3, I feel the same about the about 2k3, I remember downloading 2k and thinking to myself "Gosh, this is a huge upgrade from 95! But I wish it had a side-view battle system", a couple of years later 2k3 came out and it didn't get the "hype" I felt it deserve because it was considered a minor upgrade at the time. To this day I still think it's a great starter program, it's simple and easy to learn. I still play every 2k3 game I've created since 2000 ( at least the ones that survived my WindowsME upgrade) once a year, just to re-live my childhood and see what mindset or mood I was during that era.
Revisiting some of my favorite classic RPG Maker 2003 games and some of the stuff I skipped over has been a really enjoyable part of what I do. Glad to hear you've held on to your old games and I hope they continue to bring you joy!
Watching this feels so nostalgic to me! I remember getting my hands on a RPG Maker for the first time, which was the trial version of XP. I was really amateurish but it was still a blast to create a game by yourself. Later I finally got my hands on RPG Maker 2000 and 2003 via, well, less legit ways (thankfully I own them on Steam now). I made a truckload of unfinished games starring Charmander, either as RPG or with a action battle system (where you have to mash [SPACE]). The first RPG Maker games I played were Eternal Legends: The Demon Saga and Dreamland 3, both were on the CD of a 2003 issue of Bravo Screenfun. And like you said near the end of the video, I also opened the other games to see how they work so that I can get better! Man, those were the times!
Thanks for this video... Made my indie dev heart feel some warmth, knowing people actually see what we put into games. Not everyone sees it. But at least some people do.
RPG Maker 2003 was the first real engine I ever used, and somehow it remains my favorite still in 2022. Excellent video on a fascinating subculture. :D
loved 2000 and 2003 myself, I grew up with these engines, spent thousands of hours on these two in particular. Grew up with the RPG maker iterations, and now that I know JS, MV is the obvious choice, but I'll never forget the moments I've spent on 2k and 2003 ;D
I'll probably still be using RPG Maker 2003 in 2023 and even years later haha. It's easier to work with, I love the more retro style of it. I make and import custom sprites for my passion project. Overall, it's a really nice experience.
I remember when I was a kid using RPG Maker with a sample game from "Don" or something. Learned so much by myself just checking the sample game events. RPG Maker made me interested in learning programming and eventually choosing IT as a career. Loved this nostalgia trip, subscribing to your channel and watching other videos now.
Ah yeah, Don's Adventure! I played that again recently: ruclips.net/video/6F8LeCbnaFk/видео.html He's a great guy and I love that so many people remember that game. I'm really glad to hear that it had an influence on your career! Thanks for the support, greatly appreciated!
3 years of my main games development was in RPG Maker, it was a blast. You can work insanely fast with it, and the engine works as a huge bugfilter compared to other engines where everything can go wrong, all the time, in so many ways. All the built in functions and free plugins could realy pimp your project too. I moved on to a new engine because my game plays more like Zelda, its not a jrpg. I managed to make the games combat work like a zelda game in RPG Maker, but it felt a bit clunky. I want to return to RPG Maker once, just because its so fun to work with. RPG Maker 2000 and 2003 was a big part of my childhood too! Nice video
Some years ago i completed my first passion project in 2k3, it was a survival horror inspired in re3 and silent hill. i can send it to you, it has a complete gameplay system made from scratch. The only problem is that it's in spanish. But i think if you decide to make a video about it, some people may learn something useful. Sorry for the broken english xD
BEBDER GAME!!! i made good friends with bebder for a bit. also shoutout to Grim's Hollow dev. had no clue rm2003 didn't allow ruby code. as a MV dev, it brings me much appreciation.
This video had to been made. People didn't make games on RPG Maker 2000/2003 because they were trying to make money or impress some company they did it because they enjoyed games, story telling and their own passion projects came to life. It was a magical time that I'm afraid cannot be brought back.
Thanks a ton! It works great on Steam with people still working hard on making it functional in 2024 and beyond! Another cool fun fact is that Don Miguel is still making games today :)
Great video. I made a game called Friday the 13th RPG in Ace with almost no script, simply because I didn't know how to write it and already had so much to work with in events. The 2003 games you showed in this video look really good. Gonna have to check out Deluge!
RPG Maker 2003 is what got me into game development! I remember spending the entirety of my days on extremely silly but huge projects when I was 12 years old. 😁 Now I'm Game Maker Studio 2, but I fully understand the charm of simpler, more limited programs.
I think you hit the nail on the head about how sometimes media made under limitations using creative workarounds can be more fascinating than something made in a shiney AAA engine where the sky is the limit. A Doom total conversion that pushes an engine as basic as GZDoom to it's limits will always enthrall me more than the latest 3D game on the latest version of Unreal.
2k3 is my favorite rpg maker, because it forces you to work within the limits of the event system, grid based movement, and pixel art, to make cool things, instead of just giving up and doing whatever you want with custom plugins in the newer engines.
Well, this has served as a good advertisement for your Twitch and such! Thank you for letting me know you all are out there, covering these games. I'm not trying to get too excited, but I will be checking out your Twitch soon. Hopefully I have found a nice community. See you soon! Thanks again!
I used to sit with RPG Maker 2003 about .... Well I think it was around almost 20 years ago. More accurately I guess would be 16-17 years ago. Can't say I miss those days because it was pure hell to do anything in that engine. Though I still bought it and every other RPG Maker bar MZ on steam so, always thought of going back to it.. Just find MV so much more userfriendly for the most part.
I am an old programmer born into the 90s AOL malicious programming scene and I can tell you any world builder that gives you access to creative elements involving self implemented code and core game mechanic changes like Neverwinter Nights and RPG maker did can be taken so far that just for experiments in rpg maker I had cars and gas, jobs as police and crime events with a whole shadowrun theme just using psuedo heartbeats for all of my custom stuff, It's really flexible!
This hit me more in the feels than I thought it would. Especially the end. I too was once a 12 year old dabbling in RPG Maker and cracking open those amazing projects I saw people post on the forums. Then my interests shifted to playing Counter-Strike with my friends. And now I wonder where I would be if I had never stopped toying around in that wonderful old program...
its so nice to have an existential crisis 2 seconds before clicking this video rethinking my entire career as a creative only to find a snippet of my old attempt at a parasite eve battle system flashing briefly in this video and being reminded that i exist y`know, i was talking to my therapist today, and we were talking about, uh, many things, but among them the way we have the potential to print eachother with our individuality and it`s what makes the world breathe. my little tinkering around with parasite eve on rm2k3 had some impact. likewise, your referencing of my battle system had another impact, almost as an echo. and it serves to remind me that i don't exist by myself, nor do the things i create. nor does you. and this video, and its 314 comments and 78k views, which were done in the isolation of your creative environment, likely. We exist as vectors in this complicated web of identity, personality and consciousness that is humanity. i was also reminiscing about the day where i was at a friend's flat and we had a power outage. of course, it could make for a boring, if dramatically candle-lit evening, but i had the qUiRkY idea of Tifa-ing my way up the 20+ floors of that building, electricity off, me, her and another friend, who was Barret-ing the whole way. It was a hilarious little moment. It wouldn't have happened if I wasn't there. And it's a little memory they probably have, too. Him complaining all the way up. The totally shitty sight at the top of the building. Hearing the most diverse snippets of conversations from under the windows along the building's corridors, meeting a stranger or two. Dunno why I'm bringing this up in a youtube comment, but well, I guess what I mean is: We should do things. And the things we do interact with others in the most minuscule, yet meaningful ways. And it's often the most minuscule things, too. Just by allowing ourselves to exist alongside eachother, we exert surprisingly immense grativational influence. Well, woop.
I hope you continue to value your role as a creative and that you at least know that your work has continued to inspire me since you began sharing projects, screenshots and clips. You've also provided a ton of help (with or without knowing it) in even just responding to my Twitter DMs in the past. I am fond of your work and the stuff that you work on, and I wouldn't consider myself the only one. Influence is crazy like that. Beautiful sentiments, thanks for writing them down and for letting me read them as I sit at my desk, at work, considering my value and impact as a creative myself. There's a little value in every word in these comments on my videos, for me, and I'm glad you chose this space to muse on value!
I started game dev modding Jedi Academy. Then moved on to rpg 2k3. Then Unity. RPG Maker is nice for baby’s first game engine, but eventually you’ll need to actually be good at something and use a real game engine.
Mad respect. A had a massive shit ton of fun times when RPG Maker came out for the Playstation back in H.S. Sadly, i don't have those memory cards that contained my games anymore. So i grew out of it naturally and moved on to more modern game engines. And now that i've tasted stuff outside of RPG Maker, i can't go back. So really, Mad props, man!
I honestly still bounce between almost every version of RPG Maker (at least the ones they're selling on Steam). They all each have their different feels, different pros and cons, different styles, and they're all just really interesting to use in their own way, so I can never decide a favorite. RPG2K3 and 2K are the ones I'm the least familiar with, but I still enjoy using them, and learning how to use them, and I hope to make interesting projects with them in the future.
Hi there, I know I'm late to the video, but I might as well share my story. several years ago, I discovered RPG Maker around the VX Ace era, where I could only really make RPGs through work-around 30 day demos on the main website before finally purchasing it, and I think I should purchase it again for old times sake. Sadly, I did have a few near finished or completely finished projects, or at least starting projects I was gonna finish, but I never did manage to salvage them before the old laptops broke. The only thing left of those old projects (which lets be real probably sucked quality wise) is my rough memories of what those games were/were gonna be, and I do know I had fun regardless. I think the best example of how this engine can still be incredible is 7th Stand User, a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure fan game that is still being developed to this day with expansions to the already filled-as-is content in the game. The fact that THAT game, with all of its complexities, branching paths, and general quality, could EVER have been made on RPG Maker 2003 is a testament to the engine's quality, and how the later entries are probably even more open and high-potential than even THAT. So I think you have a lot to be proud of this engine for :)
I would say, don't apologize for your intensity. Intensity and authenticity are the keys to really living life. Don't compromise for fear of losing the attention or the admiration of others out of some survival instinct. Just be you. That's the way things are supposed to be.
You mentioned The Way! Damm brought back memories! Yeah this engine got me into game deving way back! I'm happy it's still being used by people today and they even still are able to sell games.
I wish I knew about this back in the day. I got started with RPG Maker VX Ace. I actually haven't seen a reason to use MV or MZ, since Ace is a pretty solid engine in itself.
Made an RPG framework for GameMaker Studio a few years ago, I need to be able to program. Messed around with RPG maker but started with GameMaker as a kid. Did Unity for awhile and had fun with the earlier version of Unreal when UT99 came out but as a hobbyist I enjoy GameMaker more, probably how many people feel about RPG Maker aswell.
Also if you look for the maniacs patch you can do even more with rm2k3 (and if you feel adventerous and feeling well versed in c++ "cherry"(cherrytree i think the full name, but googling maniacs patch will lead you there. He is the guy who made the steam version I think) made a development tool for rm2k3 (since the steam eula makes it legal to change the original 2k3(not the 2k though).
Im so glad this popped up on my you tube suggestions. I been wanting someone to review RPG maker games that are JRPGs cause I love them. Einlazer, to Science Girls but barely anyone is making videos of them. You got tons of dude on you tube just pushing out the same snes, Sega PS1 stuff over and over again for years but never tapping into brilliant RPG maker games that are new with innovative themes and story telling. I know some are just shovel ware but some are brilliant games on a budget.
That’s what we do here, man! Cover and investigate RPG Maker games from the super obscure to those “brilliant game on a budget” titled as I find em. Glad to have you here!
Thank you. I had remembered playing a game called "Dragon Destiny" a looooong time ago, and the list at the start of your video had a link for it! Hopefully I can make some progress in it this time!
Yesss! "Dragon Destiny" by Rast!! Pretty cool, silly game with huge maps! It's definitely in the SegNin thread in the description. You might want to grab the EasyRPG EXE instead of the RPG_RT one that comes with the game so it corrects any outdated stuff (fonts and resolution) - enjoy, fun game :)
3:00 "My Time" by Bo En is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I though I was one of only 5 people who had ever heard it. Not only is it here, but remade in lowfi, good stuff
Man, RPG Maker 2000 and 2003 was awesome. I'm a bit sad for losing a lot of projects, who knows in which drive they're in. A Blurred Line in 2023 anyone?
@@Lexyvil Ahhh ok cool haha. I'm half-surewe used to chat like 20 years ago. If you ever had a sailor moon cosplay outfit randomly turn up then hi, lol. If not I'm going mad.
@@JewelKnightJess Can't say I remember anything like that, then again I forgot a lot of things from way back then, so we never know. I did frequent some forums and did play my fair share of MMOs to give an idea, whether it was before/after the RUclips days. Odds are slim if we ever did chat before, but if by chance we did, and you randomly happen to recall where you first saw a "Lexyvil", then let me know xD. For one, I know for sure no one else calls themselves that but me as far I can tell.
Just hearing RPG Maker 2003 sends me on a trip down memory lane. I was like 10 years old and stumbled upon it in a video store. The description of its capibilities made me think I found some legendary artifact. I made the crustiest "game" imaginable and invited some of my friends to my house to play it. It was the most satisfying thing ever.
Holy heck, I kid you not, I JUST discovered my 2k3 projects on my old drive, and it all still worked :D it was such a cool trip down memory lane! Gave me the Idea to revisit the engine in a future video as well
I was like 14 or 15 back in highschool when I started my first projects with RPG maker. I tried 2000, 2003 and XP. While I ended up enjoying my time the most with XP (thanks to its build in ruby editor) I liked the side view combat of 2003 the most. Sadly all my projects are probably forever lost on some 20 year old hard drive
I loved making games, battle animations and pixelart for rpg maker 2003 and rpg maker xp many years ago. These games are now lost and haven't found a functioning rpg maker 2003 and xp free download these days.
While I'm currently working in XP, 2003 is where I learned about events and switches and realized that I could make a game without coding. A true classic!
Been developing on MZ for about a year. Saw 2k3 on steam for $3, couldn’t resist. Once I’m finished my main game I’m definitely going to develop something in 2k3!
I got started with RMXP right around the time it came out. Something is still so magical about 2k3 though. I really do want to make a game in it some day, but I'm not sure I have a *reason* to. Like you said, MZ supports 16x16 tiles now right out of the gate and so many other QOL features. I still think 2k3 is an awesome little engine with its own unique charm. I also love the RTP.
A game jam is an excellent opportunity to play with 2k3. The QOL features of modern engines are great and definitely a necessity, but I'm familiar with a large community of developers adding this sort of framework to the engine with EasyRPG, allowing RM2k(3) games to be emulated in a variety of ways that can extend their lifespan. It's because of EasyRPG that I can still play a ton of the early 2000's stuff I've showcased on my streams. Hope you'll continue to dabble a little bit in the future, but thanks for sharing your background with RM :)
Forrest of Drizzling rain remake is so beautiful. I love regular rpg maker horror or regular games with good story and an edge/danger; such as the crooked man or the boogie man....but the way the remake looked was so beautiful.
This predates the RPG Makers I grew up with, and thus is still a bit unwieldy for me to use even after using it on and off for over a decade, but I love the style of the RTP of this engine. The Dragon Quest 6 inspired sprites are beautiful and the midi OST is fantastic. Nothing gets me pumped up quite like "Endless Battle" or "Beginning of a War".
This popped up on my feed and didn’t know people still use this engine. I thought I was the only one. It’s been going on 4 years and working on a huge project. It’s good to know there are people still out here using 2k3
I have no idea what brought me here. Somehow RUclips figured out I would be interested in this and they were right. I used to make games in RPG Maker 2000 and XP way back in the day when they were new. I used to make parody games about my school with inside jokes and with teachers as the bosses and share them on floppy disks around the school. Good times.
Great video, good job ^ ^ 2k3 will never lose its charm, that's for sure. Maybe I'm just old, but I think 2k3 games have usually more style than the average modern RPG Maker VX-MV-MZ game. Not gonna lie, I moved to MZ too, it's very powerful compared to the good old 2k3, but I'll never forget my first love haha XD
I've reccently discovered that RPGMaker2000&2003 games can be played in Retroarch via (as mentioned) the EasyRPG interpreter, and that has been a lot of fun. Those chonky pixels can def. be brought to a shine on modern systems with all the video options that Retroach offers. (Again, as stated) EasyRPG doesn't run everything properly, but at least one can spot issues, usually, early on; and apart from that it doesn't crash or bring visual glitches, artifacts, sound bugs, that kinda thing.
I recently played Rise of the Third Power and it was one of my favorite RPGs ever. Then it said RPGMaker 2003 at the bottom and i was thoroughly confused (im JUST now learning rpg maker) but i still find it hard to believe that that game was made with just 2k3? Especially since the kickstarter mentioned needing to get some things specially coded that rpgmaker couldnt produce???
Playing around with RPG Maker 2003 when I was still a thirteen year old boy has been the reason that I decided to dive into game development. It's so nostalgic to see this at 30 years old!
Same experience here, Installing RPG Maker 2000 as a 10 or 11 year old boy from some kind of demo / game disc that came with some kind of magazine I bought with what little money my parents gave me.
Although it didn't bring me to game development, just regular old software development. (Although that was probably better on my family, since stuff like "crunch time" or "over time" are unheard of, at least where I live and worked).
About the same age as you, I remember creating games with RPGM2K3 with my younger brother it was very cool, but sadly only went to develop world a year ago, I should have done it sooner xD
@@ryuuf Aww, no worries man. Never too late to get into that! At least RPG Maker brought that fire in you to grow an interest in developing!
same
Restriction is like the mother of creativity. Not my kind of tool, but I appreciate hearing your perspective on it.
I completely agree, thats why im currently using a janky old limited engine to make a retro fps. Working with limits is fun!
One of the first things I bought on Steam was RPG Maker 2k3. I've always wanted to create a game as a passion project, and so as it was one of the cheapest, I decided to give it a go. I honestly love the indie feel you can get from the games made, and many of the best indie games came from 2k3, so it has a soft spot in my heart.
I want to build my own game like Ruina Fairy Tale Of Forgotten Ruin,that one is so good
vx ace also has a fairly sizeable community, and some pretty big projects made on it like symphony of war~
Something I learned quite slowly but was a worth while lesson.
Is that limitations drive innovation. Sometimes paint really do be better than photoshop.
That reveal near the end, where you say you've actually moved on to a new engine got me laughing so hard.
I had to do a double take and go "Wait wut... He switched engines after all?.." So even if that part of the vid was a joke it still had great execution.
The buildup throughout the whole vid only for the reveal to be right at the end was priceless.
2003 has that crispy tile arts, but for me I like the simplicity of 2000 more. Nonetheless these two, at least in my region, were so hyped during the 2000s. So many indie makers sharing their creativity during that times. Come to think of it, it was a really amazing decade, rpg makers and free-hosted forums, the generation playing old console games experimented with new internet culture like MMORPG, all those young folks are now probably working already with their internet names changed so nowhere to trace again, but the glorious, colorful days of 2000s around the rm2k/2k3 community will never be forgotten by me. It was so amazing.
Honestly, it still has quite a lot of features even today. It's kind of impressive that the future RPG makers haven't completely rendered it obsolete. One feature I find cool is the ability to use battle animations for playable characters, which is something I toyed around with in a demo for an RPG I may make in the future.
What a wonderful little video! You're oozing enthusiasm while also being very mindful of your viewers' time. Loving these new scripted vids from you Riggy! (and, of course, thank you for recommending my games a bunch recently!)
I could definitely spend hours talking about RM2k3 games, but I'll leave that to the hours of gameplay I've already recorded. :) Thanks for everything Quinn and I'm happy to share your awesome games anytime!!!
I remember being 10~12 years old and messing around in RPG Maker. I was designing complicated scripted sequences and the final boss fight, before even knowing what the story would be.
Some of the best RPG Maker games I played was actually on RPG Maker 2000. There are some notable ones in RPG Maker 2003 but it's 2000 that really shined.
I love your passion for RPGmaker2k3, I feel the same about the about 2k3, I remember downloading 2k and thinking to myself "Gosh, this is a huge upgrade from 95! But I wish it had a side-view battle system", a couple of years later 2k3 came out and it didn't get the "hype" I felt it deserve because it was considered a minor upgrade at the time. To this day I still think it's a great starter program, it's simple and easy to learn. I still play every 2k3 game I've created since 2000 ( at least the ones that survived my WindowsME upgrade) once a year, just to re-live my childhood and see what mindset or mood I was during that era.
Revisiting some of my favorite classic RPG Maker 2003 games and some of the stuff I skipped over has been a really enjoyable part of what I do. Glad to hear you've held on to your old games and I hope they continue to bring you joy!
Watching this feels so nostalgic to me! I remember getting my hands on a RPG Maker for the first time, which was the trial version of XP. I was really amateurish but it was still a blast to create a game by yourself. Later I finally got my hands on RPG Maker 2000 and 2003 via, well, less legit ways (thankfully I own them on Steam now). I made a truckload of unfinished games starring Charmander, either as RPG or with a action battle system (where you have to mash [SPACE]). The first RPG Maker games I played were Eternal Legends: The Demon Saga and Dreamland 3, both were on the CD of a 2003 issue of Bravo Screenfun. And like you said near the end of the video, I also opened the other games to see how they work so that I can get better! Man, those were the times!
Decrybing RPG maker games and discovering how they work was my favorite hobby.
Thanks for this video... Made my indie dev heart feel some warmth, knowing people actually see what we put into games. Not everyone sees it. But at least some people do.
RPG Maker 2003 was the first real engine I ever used, and somehow it remains my favorite still in 2022.
Excellent video on a fascinating subculture. :D
Oh yeah, there are some really amazing RPG Maker games out there made just by 2003, it's amazing what people have done with it. Great video!
loved 2000 and 2003 myself, I grew up with these engines, spent thousands of hours on these two in particular. Grew up with the RPG maker iterations, and now that I know JS, MV is the obvious choice, but I'll never forget the moments I've spent on 2k and 2003 ;D
I'll probably still be using RPG Maker 2003 in 2023 and even years later haha.
It's easier to work with, I love the more retro style of it. I make and import custom sprites for my passion project. Overall, it's a really nice experience.
I remember when I was a kid using RPG Maker with a sample game from "Don" or something. Learned so much by myself just checking the sample game events. RPG Maker made me interested in learning programming and eventually choosing IT as a career. Loved this nostalgia trip, subscribing to your channel and watching other videos now.
Ah yeah, Don's Adventure! I played that again recently: ruclips.net/video/6F8LeCbnaFk/видео.html
He's a great guy and I love that so many people remember that game. I'm really glad to hear that it had an influence on your career! Thanks for the support, greatly appreciated!
Don is a RMK legend! Done so much work for it. I believe he also did the translation for RM2k3. Long before the game was made legal to the west.
Because it's an engine good at what it's aiming to do, with a rich history and a loving community
3 years of my main games development was in RPG Maker, it was a blast. You can work insanely fast with it, and the engine works as a huge bugfilter compared to other engines where everything can go wrong, all the time, in so many ways. All the built in functions and free plugins could realy pimp your project too. I moved on to a new engine because my game plays more like Zelda, its not a jrpg. I managed to make the games combat work like a zelda game in RPG Maker, but it felt a bit clunky. I want to return to RPG Maker once, just because its so fun to work with. RPG Maker 2000 and 2003 was a big part of my childhood too! Nice video
Some years ago i completed my first passion project in 2k3, it was a survival horror inspired in re3 and silent hill. i can send it to you, it has a complete gameplay system made from scratch. The only problem is that it's in spanish. But i think if you decide to make a video about it, some people may learn something useful. Sorry for the broken english xD
BEBDER GAME!!! i made good friends with bebder for a bit. also shoutout to Grim's Hollow dev. had no clue rm2003 didn't allow ruby code. as a MV dev, it brings me much appreciation.
Hell yeah! Thanks for watching :)
This video had to been made. People didn't make games on RPG Maker 2000/2003 because they were trying to make money or impress some company they did it because they enjoyed games, story telling and their own passion projects came to life. It was a magical time that I'm afraid cannot be brought back.
i can never let go of rm2k/3. the newer ones with the fancy resolutions just dont feel the same
Awesome video. I have been tinkering with RPG Maker since Don Miguel's RM2k was the latest thing. I wouldn't mind picking it back up now.
Thanks a ton! It works great on Steam with people still working hard on making it functional in 2024 and beyond!
Another cool fun fact is that Don Miguel is still making games today :)
2:50
Thank you for showing Bebder Game here. I've been following the development of it for years ever since it started. It really means alot to me.
Great video. I made a game called Friday the 13th RPG in Ace with almost no script, simply because I didn't know how to write it and already had so much to work with in events. The 2003 games you showed in this video look really good. Gonna have to check out Deluge!
Thanks a ton, hope you dig it! Love hearing your experience too. So many good games out there and it's such a blast discovering them.
RPG Maker 2003 is what got me into game development! I remember spending the entirety of my days on extremely silly but huge projects when I was 12 years old. 😁
Now I'm Game Maker Studio 2, but I fully understand the charm of simpler, more limited programs.
They're not my kinds of games but it's always nice to see someone gushing about shit they love. Nice video
Thanks for the mention Riggy! Great video and lots of great games freatured, too
I think you hit the nail on the head about how sometimes media made under limitations using creative workarounds can be more fascinating than something made in a shiney AAA engine where the sky is the limit.
A Doom total conversion that pushes an engine as basic as GZDoom to it's limits will always enthrall me more than the latest 3D game on the latest version of Unreal.
100%! Thanks for watching. =)
Thanks for talking about RPG Maker 2003! I really enjoy using it and I made my own game in it that I put on gamejolt called Fantasy Quest.
2k3 is my favorite rpg maker, because it forces you to work within the limits of the event system, grid based movement, and pixel art, to make cool things, instead of just giving up and doing whatever you want with custom plugins in the newer engines.
2k3 is good but it doesn't have plugins or scripts so I'll be sticking with MV and MZ.
@@Diogo85 and that's why i like it so much. the limitations just make it more fun to figure out how to do things in it :)
@@williamist I still prefer MV and MZ over 2k3.
@@Diogo85 nothing wrong with that.
I just bought Rpg Maker 2000 and 2003! My dream has always been to make a game definitely excited to learn how to use it.
2k/2k3 were the sweet spot. I just love the look of the games made in these.
Well, this has served as a good advertisement for your Twitch and such! Thank you for letting me know you all are out there, covering these games. I'm not trying to get too excited, but I will be checking out your Twitch soon. Hopefully I have found a nice community.
See you soon! Thanks again!
Glad to hear it, would love to have you there!
I used to sit with RPG Maker 2003 about .... Well I think it was around almost 20 years ago. More accurately I guess would be 16-17 years ago.
Can't say I miss those days because it was pure hell to do anything in that engine. Though I still bought it and every other RPG Maker bar MZ on steam so, always thought of going back to it..
Just find MV so much more userfriendly for the most part.
you know what, this video is pushing me to finally start work on an idea I have had for a long time, great video!
Thanks! You got this!
I could watch a 2003 hour long video from you about rpg maker, RPG Maker is one of my all time favorite niche’s.
Love your video!
You brought me back to these games..
I am an old programmer born into the 90s AOL malicious programming scene and I can tell you any world builder that gives you access to creative elements involving self implemented code and core game mechanic changes like Neverwinter Nights and RPG maker did can be taken so far that just for experiments in rpg maker I had cars and gas, jobs as police and crime events with a whole shadowrun theme just using psuedo heartbeats for all of my custom stuff, It's really flexible!
This hit me more in the feels than I thought it would. Especially the end. I too was once a 12 year old dabbling in RPG Maker and cracking open those amazing projects I saw people post on the forums. Then my interests shifted to playing Counter-Strike with my friends. And now I wonder where I would be if I had never stopped toying around in that wonderful old program...
its so nice to have an existential crisis 2 seconds before clicking this video rethinking my entire career as a creative only to find a snippet of my old attempt at a parasite eve battle system flashing briefly in this video and being reminded that i exist
y`know, i was talking to my therapist today, and we were talking about, uh, many things, but among them the way we have the potential to print eachother with our individuality
and it`s what makes the world breathe. my little tinkering around with parasite eve on rm2k3 had some impact. likewise, your referencing of my battle system had another impact, almost as an echo. and it serves to remind me that i don't exist by myself, nor do the things i create. nor does you. and this video, and its 314 comments and 78k views, which were done in the isolation of your creative environment, likely. We exist as vectors in this complicated web of identity, personality and consciousness that is humanity.
i was also reminiscing about the day where i was at a friend's flat and we had a power outage. of course, it could make for a boring, if dramatically candle-lit evening, but i had the qUiRkY idea of Tifa-ing my way up the 20+ floors of that building, electricity off, me, her and another friend, who was Barret-ing the whole way. It was a hilarious little moment. It wouldn't have happened if I wasn't there. And it's a little memory they probably have, too. Him complaining all the way up. The totally shitty sight at the top of the building. Hearing the most diverse snippets of conversations from under the windows along the building's corridors, meeting a stranger or two.
Dunno why I'm bringing this up in a youtube comment, but well, I guess what I mean is: We should do things. And the things we do interact with others in the most minuscule, yet meaningful ways. And it's often the most minuscule things, too. Just by allowing ourselves to exist alongside eachother, we exert surprisingly immense grativational influence. Well, woop.
I hope you continue to value your role as a creative and that you at least know that your work has continued to inspire me since you began sharing projects, screenshots and clips. You've also provided a ton of help (with or without knowing it) in even just responding to my Twitter DMs in the past. I am fond of your work and the stuff that you work on, and I wouldn't consider myself the only one. Influence is crazy like that.
Beautiful sentiments, thanks for writing them down and for letting me read them as I sit at my desk, at work, considering my value and impact as a creative myself. There's a little value in every word in these comments on my videos, for me, and I'm glad you chose this space to muse on value!
I started game dev modding Jedi Academy. Then moved on to rpg 2k3. Then Unity. RPG Maker is nice for baby’s first game engine, but eventually you’ll need to actually be good at something and use a real game engine.
Mad respect.
A had a massive shit ton of fun times when RPG Maker came out for the Playstation back in H.S.
Sadly, i don't have those memory cards that contained my games anymore. So i grew out of it naturally and moved on to more modern game engines.
And now that i've tasted stuff outside of RPG Maker, i can't go back.
So really, Mad props, man!
I loved it. Such a short sweet time traveling video ❤
I honestly still bounce between almost every version of RPG Maker (at least the ones they're selling on Steam). They all each have their different feels, different pros and cons, different styles, and they're all just really interesting to use in their own way, so I can never decide a favorite. RPG2K3 and 2K are the ones I'm the least familiar with, but I still enjoy using them, and learning how to use them, and I hope to make interesting projects with them in the future.
Every time I see a video like this pop up, it gets me all excited. Thanks for sharing your enthusiasm!
WAH I FINALLY WATCHED THIS THANK U FOR THE SHOUTOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hi there, I know I'm late to the video, but I might as well share my story. several years ago, I discovered RPG Maker around the VX Ace era, where I could only really make RPGs through work-around 30 day demos on the main website before finally purchasing it, and I think I should purchase it again for old times sake. Sadly, I did have a few near finished or completely finished projects, or at least starting projects I was gonna finish, but I never did manage to salvage them before the old laptops broke. The only thing left of those old projects (which lets be real probably sucked quality wise) is my rough memories of what those games were/were gonna be, and I do know I had fun regardless.
I think the best example of how this engine can still be incredible is 7th Stand User, a JoJo's Bizarre Adventure fan game that is still being developed to this day with expansions to the already filled-as-is content in the game. The fact that THAT game, with all of its complexities, branching paths, and general quality, could EVER have been made on RPG Maker 2003 is a testament to the engine's quality, and how the later entries are probably even more open and high-potential than even THAT.
So I think you have a lot to be proud of this engine for :)
I would say, don't apologize for your intensity. Intensity and authenticity are the keys to really living life. Don't compromise for fear of losing the attention or the admiration of others out of some survival instinct. Just be you. That's the way things are supposed to be.
Honestly this makes me want to pick up 2k3 again, it was my first and it’s the one engine I like the style and looks of it
you showed off so many cool things i've never seen before in such a short video!!!! :D
This takes me back, I remember making games on RM95 and RM2K back when they were just fan translated and it was a really small scene with a few forums
Because it was on sale for a solid 2 dollars that I could pay for just by selling game badges on steam
Thank you Todd Howard
@@Riggy2k3 it just works
You mentioned The Way! Damm brought back memories!
Yeah this engine got me into game deving way back! I'm happy it's still being used by people today and they even still are able to sell games.
I wish I knew about this back in the day. I got started with RPG Maker VX Ace. I actually haven't seen a reason to use MV or MZ, since Ace is a pretty solid engine in itself.
Made an RPG framework for GameMaker Studio a few years ago, I need to be able to program. Messed around with RPG maker but started with GameMaker as a kid. Did Unity for awhile and had fun with the earlier version of Unreal when UT99 came out but as a hobbyist I enjoy GameMaker more, probably how many people feel about RPG Maker aswell.
Hope you keep making games!
Also if you look for the maniacs patch you can do even more with rm2k3 (and if you feel adventerous and feeling well versed in c++ "cherry"(cherrytree i think the full name, but googling maniacs patch will lead you there. He is the guy who made the steam version I think) made a development tool for rm2k3 (since the steam eula makes it legal to change the original 2k3(not the 2k though).
Im so glad this popped up on my you tube suggestions. I been wanting someone to review RPG maker games that are JRPGs cause I love them. Einlazer, to Science Girls but barely anyone is making videos of them. You got tons of dude on you tube just pushing out the same snes, Sega PS1 stuff over and over again for years but never tapping into brilliant RPG maker games that are new with innovative themes and story telling. I know some are just shovel ware but some are brilliant games on a budget.
That’s what we do here, man! Cover and investigate RPG Maker games from the super obscure to those “brilliant game on a budget” titled as I find em. Glad to have you here!
The only reason I have purchased 2k and 2k3 is because I sailed the seven seas back during its heyday.
This is cool. I feel less alone for stubbornly sticking with 2k3 lol. I do wish they'd add a few QoL updates though...
Keep an eye out! There's always a possibility...
@@Riggy2k3 It's always possible but I won't be holding my breath for it 🙃
Thank you. I had remembered playing a game called "Dragon Destiny" a looooong time ago, and the list at the start of your video had a link for it! Hopefully I can make some progress in it this time!
Yesss! "Dragon Destiny" by Rast!! Pretty cool, silly game with huge maps! It's definitely in the SegNin thread in the description. You might want to grab the EasyRPG EXE instead of the RPG_RT one that comes with the game so it corrects any outdated stuff (fonts and resolution) - enjoy, fun game :)
@@Riggy2k3 How do I use EasyRpg?
3:00 "My Time" by Bo En is one of my favorite songs of all time, and I though I was one of only 5 people who had ever heard it. Not only is it here, but remade in lowfi, good stuff
Man, RPG Maker 2000 and 2003 was awesome. I'm a bit sad for losing a lot of projects, who knows in which drive they're in. A Blurred Line in 2023 anyone?
Still waiting for that last part…
Wait I remember that name! What was your username back in the olden days? I was Android18a/sephie
@@JewelKnightJess Been so long but possibly Lexyvil, I've been using that username for as long as I can remember lol
@@Lexyvil Ahhh ok cool haha. I'm half-surewe used to chat like 20 years ago. If you ever had a sailor moon cosplay outfit randomly turn up then hi, lol. If not I'm going mad.
@@JewelKnightJess Can't say I remember anything like that, then again I forgot a lot of things from way back then, so we never know. I did frequent some forums and did play my fair share of MMOs to give an idea, whether it was before/after the RUclips days. Odds are slim if we ever did chat before, but if by chance we did, and you randomly happen to recall where you first saw a "Lexyvil", then let me know xD. For one, I know for sure no one else calls themselves that but me as far I can tell.
I wanna say many things to praise this video, but due to language barrier, all I can say is: Amazing video, Riggy.
Thank you!
Just hearing RPG Maker 2003 sends me on a trip down memory lane. I was like 10 years old and stumbled upon it in a video store. The description of its capibilities made me think I found some legendary artifact. I made the crustiest "game" imaginable and invited some of my friends to my house to play it. It was the most satisfying thing ever.
Holy heck, I kid you not, I JUST discovered my 2k3 projects on my old drive, and it all still worked :D it was such a cool trip down memory lane!
Gave me the Idea to revisit the engine in a future video as well
2:45 THE WAY! THE WAY! THE WAY! One of my all-time favorites.
If you’re familiar with the older stuff, you should check this vid out! ruclips.net/video/28C8qKuS62k/видео.html
@@Riggy2k3 I will, thanks brother! New to the channel but I love this sort of thing.
I was like 14 or 15 back in highschool when I started my first projects with RPG maker. I tried 2000, 2003 and XP. While I ended up enjoying my time the most with XP (thanks to its build in ruby editor) I liked the side view combat of 2003 the most.
Sadly all my projects are probably forever lost on some 20 year old hard drive
RPG maker brought us THE 7TH STAND USER
We must keep such a treasure alive at all costs.
I loved making games, battle animations and pixelart for rpg maker 2003 and rpg maker xp many years ago. These games are now lost and haven't found a functioning rpg maker 2003 and xp free download these days.
They’re on Steam! Often for a couple of bucks. I’d def recommend if you want a fun weekend project.
While I'm currently working in XP, 2003 is where I learned about events and switches and realized that I could make a game without coding. A true classic!
I agree with those cool games people make in their bedroom or something have something special on it. 💯
Been developing on MZ for about a year. Saw 2k3 on steam for $3, couldn’t resist.
Once I’m finished my main game I’m definitely going to develop something in 2k3!
It’s a great RM for game jams!!!
I got started with RMXP right around the time it came out. Something is still so magical about 2k3 though. I really do want to make a game in it some day, but I'm not sure I have a *reason* to. Like you said, MZ supports 16x16 tiles now right out of the gate and so many other QOL features. I still think 2k3 is an awesome little engine with its own unique charm. I also love the RTP.
A game jam is an excellent opportunity to play with 2k3. The QOL features of modern engines are great and definitely a necessity, but I'm familiar with a large community of developers adding this sort of framework to the engine with EasyRPG, allowing RM2k(3) games to be emulated in a variety of ways that can extend their lifespan. It's because of EasyRPG that I can still play a ton of the early 2000's stuff I've showcased on my streams.
Hope you'll continue to dabble a little bit in the future, but thanks for sharing your background with RM :)
RPG Maker 2003 runs great on PC CRT with scanlines. It was Hours doing projects when I was a kid and now I'm a game developer.
Badass as always. Love the vid. And 2k3 will always have a special place in me heart, no matter how hard i deny it ❤
Forrest of Drizzling rain remake is so beautiful. I love regular rpg maker horror or regular games with good story and an edge/danger; such as the crooked man or the boogie man....but the way the remake looked was so beautiful.
This predates the RPG Makers I grew up with, and thus is still a bit unwieldy for me to use even after using it on and off for over a decade, but I love the style of the RTP of this engine. The Dragon Quest 6 inspired sprites are beautiful and the midi OST is fantastic. Nothing gets me pumped up quite like "Endless Battle" or "Beginning of a War".
I'm currently using rm2k3 because it was on sale and I'm very much enjoying working around the restrictions
Hell yeah! Plus, 90% of what you learn is immediately transferable to all of the subsequent engines.
I miss good ol days early 2000s 😢
Respect.
Right back atcha!
This popped up on my feed and didn’t know people still use this engine. I thought I was the only one. It’s been going on 4 years and working on a huge project. It’s good to know there are people still out here using 2k3
Good video. I'm making a game named Kitty now on RPG Maker 2003(Steam). After it's release it will be translated on English.
I have no idea what brought me here. Somehow RUclips figured out I would be interested in this and they were right. I used to make games in RPG Maker 2000 and XP way back in the day when they were new. I used to make parody games about my school with inside jokes and with teachers as the bosses and share them on floppy disks around the school. Good times.
Great video, good job ^ ^
2k3 will never lose its charm, that's for sure. Maybe I'm just old, but I think 2k3 games have usually more style than the average modern RPG Maker VX-MV-MZ game. Not gonna lie, I moved to MZ too, it's very powerful compared to the good old 2k3, but I'll never forget my first love haha XD
I played a lot of RPG Maker games back when i was a kid. I absolutely recommend Vampires Dawn 1 and 2 (i think both got English translations)
I actually included the 1st VD in a video I made about classic RPG Maker games :) Great game!
Awesome video!!!
I've reccently discovered that RPGMaker2000&2003 games can be played in Retroarch via (as mentioned) the EasyRPG interpreter, and that has been a lot of fun. Those chonky pixels can def. be brought to a shine on modern systems with all the video options that Retroach offers.
(Again, as stated) EasyRPG doesn't run everything properly, but at least one can spot issues, usually, early on; and apart from that it doesn't crash or bring visual glitches, artifacts, sound bugs, that kinda thing.
Really inspiring!
Awesome video. Everyone should be able to make a game if they put their mind to it, and I feel the RPG Maker culture really exemplifies that.
my favorite RPG Maker 2003 games are Shukumei Star 1 and 2 of recent ones I played
RPG Maker ainda existe!? Quantas memórias...
when I heard that "thanks for watching" I was shocked that the video was already over
I've got lots more RPG Maker content to come. Stay tuned !
This is super refreshing Riggt2k3 !!! Subed !
RPG Maker 2003 is life.
I recently played Rise of the Third Power and it was one of my favorite RPGs ever. Then it said RPGMaker 2003 at the bottom and i was thoroughly confused (im JUST now learning rpg maker) but i still find it hard to believe that that game was made with just 2k3? Especially since the kickstarter mentioned needing to get some things specially coded that rpgmaker couldnt produce???
Bro give it to big developers raw with that speech 😂💯
They DESERVE to hear it!!