action role-playing games

  An action role-playing game (Action RPG, ARPG) is that game which incorporates elements  from both genres role-playing game and action game. The main difference betweeb an action RPG and a classic RPG is the combat system. The action RPG use a real-time combat system similar to hack and slash or shooter games, where the player has a direct control over the character. Still, an ARPG, like any other classic RPG, focus on specific elements such an improving status of character's attributes, skills, abilities through accumulated experience over time, an inventory of personal items and a set of equipped gear with different characteristics meant to help the player's avatar.

  The Tower of Druaga was one of the first RPGs which made use of game elements specific to an action RPG. It was released in June 1984 by Namco for Namco Super Pac-Man Arcade system. In the same year, inspired or not by The Tower of Druaga big success in Japan, pther two games with action RPG elements were launched in Japan: Dragon Slayer (10 Sep) and Hydlide (13 Dec). Anyway there are more debates about which one was the first ARPG in history.

   AllGame listed the following games released prior to 1984 as action RPGs: Temple of Apshai (1979) and its sequel Gateway to Apshai (1983), Beneath the Pyramids (1980),  Bokosuka Wars (1983), and Sword of Fargoal (1983).

   Jeremy Parish of USgamer claimed that Adventure (1980) was an action RPG. He also argues that action RPGs were popularized in Japan by The Tower of Druaga. Falcom's Dragon Slayer, created by Yoshio Kiya, is "the very first action-RPG ever made" according to GameSetWatch. Shaun Musgrave of TouchArcade notes that Adventure lacked RPG mechanics such as experience points and permanent character growth, and argues that Gateway to Apshai is "the earliest game I'd feel comfortable calling an action-RPG" but notes that "it doesn't fit neatly into our modern genre classifications", though came closer than Bokosuka Wars released the same year.

   Bill Loguidice and Matt Barton claimed that the Intellivision games Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1982) and Treasure of Tarmin (1983) were action RPGs. According to John Szczepaniak, it "cannot be overstated how influential Hydlide was on the ARPGs which followed it". He also mention in its book The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers Vol 2 that "Courageous Perseus is one of the earliest if not the first Action-RPG".