RPG Maker 2003 is officially available in English

[DerVVulfman]

I believe what gives RPGmaker 2003 the dated look would have to be the graphics, the more compact 320x200 resolution and reduced 16x16 tileset artwork and smaller graphic sizes to be exact. If the engine system had a 640x480 or larger screensize with better graphics... not so much. And as MetalRenard stated, the actual Event system was more powerful. Of that, I can attest knowing something of RPGMaker 2000 and 2003.

Hey, Metal. You made an ABS system in 2k3 too? Look at 'Ahriman's Prophecy' by Amaranth. She made a heckuva system back then, and custom menus. Genius. I guess she can get an official English version, not that she needs to since she bought the Japanese license years ago. I missed out on the offer she pointed me towards in 2006.

But I'm not missing out when it comes out in a non-Steam format.

[MetalRenard]

I've made custom menus (a la Doom style with big sound effects and gore, or more RPG style where you walk to the different options as a squirrel 'cause it was cute and I felt like it), although my abs was somewhat simplistic, it was more an experiment to prove I could do it.
I also made a complete transformation system with events in XP for my game Rebirth's Retribution. Different creatures had different stat multiplyers and had access to different attacks and parts of the map.

So yeah... I like my events.

Best game I ever played that was made in 2k3 was an episodic science fiction one. It was amazing (but in French): http://www.rpg-maker.fr/jeux-314-omega-cerberus.html
Download it just to watch those cutscenes. Gorgeous by 2k3 standards, very NES/SNES style.
EDIT:
Apparently it was translated: http://rpgmaker.net/games/2688/
Video of intro: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBt793--HhA

[greenraven]

Best game I ever played for 2K3 was Phylomortis. Crazy awesome stuff was done with events alone.