RELEASE
NES December 18, 1987 (JPN) ; July 12, 1990 (US)
MSX June 1, 1989 (JPN)
WonderSwan Color December 9, 2000 (JPN)
PlayStation October 31, 2002 (JPN) ; March 14, 2003 (EU) ; April 8, 2003 (US)
GBA July 29, 2004 (JPN) ; November 18, 2004 (AU) ; November 29, 2004 (US) ; December 3, 2004 (EU)
Mobile Phone March 1, 2004 (JPN)
PSP April 19, 2007 (JPN) ; June 26, 2007 (US) ; February 8, 2008 (EU)
Wii Virtual Console May 26th 2009 (JPN) ; October 5, 2009 (US) ; May 7th 2010 (EU)
PSN [PS1 version] June 24, 2009 (JPN) [PSP version] February 16, 2011 (EU/AU)
iOS February 25, 2010 (JPN/US/EU/AU)
STORY
Final Fantasy takes place in an unnamed fantasy world with three large
continents. The world's elemental powers are determined by the state of
four glowing crystals ("orbs" in the original North American
localization), each governing one of the four classical elements: earth,
fire, water, and wind.
In the two centuries prior to the start of the game, violent storms sunk
a massive shrine that served as the center of an ocean-based
civilization, and the water crystal went dark. Two centuries before
that, a group of people known as the Lufenian, who used the wind
crystal's power to craft giant aerial stations ("Flying Fortresses") and
airships, watched their country decline as the wind crystal went dark.
Eventually, the earth and fire crystals also went dark, plaguing the
earth with raging wildfires and devastating the agricultural town of
Melmond as the plains and vegetation decayed. Some time later, a sage
called Lukahn tells of a prophecy that four Warriors of Light will come
to save the world in a time of darkness.
JOBS
- Warrior (Fighter)
- Monk (Black Belt)
- Thief
- White Mage
- Black Mage
- Red Mage
TRIVIA
- In Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, the Four Fiends are guardians for the True Moon crystals.
- Supposedly, the world of Final Fantasy did at one point have
summons, as shown in Dissidia Final Fantasy, but Garland banished them
into the Interdimensional Rift.
- Some of the enemies present in the game were taken from the first
edition of the Dungeons & Dragons role playing game, including the
Mindflayer and the Ochu.
- The original Famicom release and MSX versions had some different
graphics. Two of the most obvious changes are done to two types of
monsters - the Medusa enemies were originally topless, while the Eye
enemies were originally Beholders from Dungeons & Dragons. Later
versions changed this, even the Japanese Final Fantasy I & II
Famicom art. The Beholder graphic was restored in Dissidia as player
icons, but the revised graphics for Master, Red Wizard and White Wizard
remain.
- Some of the recurring things in the Final Fantasy series did not
appear until later on. The original Final Fantasy did not feature a
character named Cid until Cid of the Lufaine was first mentioned in the
Dawn of Souls remake. Since Chocobos were only introduced in Final
Fantasy II, this is also the only game not to feature Chocobos, and is
one of only three main series games not to feature Moogles, as these
were only introduced in Final Fantasy III.
- The NES edition had a sly reference to the other major RPG of the
time, Dragon Warrior. In the city of Elfheim, one headstone reads "Here
lies Erdrick", Erdrick was referenced often in the original Dragon
Warrior, and the protagonist of Dragon Warrior III. This reference was
changed in later PlayStation editions to Link, the protagonist of The
Legend of Zelda. In the PSP remake, as well as the Dawn of Souls and the
iOS version, this was recreated for NA players: when they visit the
tombstone, it reads "Here lies Link." As well, many of the elves seen in
the PSP version have an uncanny resemblance to Link.
RELEASE
NES December 17, 1988 (JPN)
WonderSwan Color May 3, 2001 (JPN)
PlayStation October 31, 2002 (JPN) ; March 14, 2003 (EU) ; April 8, 2003 (US)
GBA July 29, 2004 (JPN) ; November 18, 2004 (AU) ; November 29, 2004 (US) ; December 3, 2004 (EU)
Mobile Phone February 4, 2005 (JPN)
PSP June 7, 2007 (JPN) ; July 24, 2007 (US) ; February 8, 2008 (EU)
Wii Virtual Console June 16, 2009 (JPN)
PSN [PS1 version] July 8, 2009 (JPN) [PSP version] March 2, 2011 (AU)
iOS February 25, 2010 (JPN/US/EU/AU)
STORY
The story concerns the adventures of four youngsters from the kingdom of
Fynn named Firion, Maria, Guy and Leon. Maria's, Guy's, and Leon's
parents are killed during an invasion by the army of The Emperor of
Palamecia, who has summoned forth monsters from Hell in his quest to
dominate the world. Fleeing the Emperor's monsters, the four are
attacked and left for dead. Firion, Maria, and Guy are rescued by
Princess Hilda of Fynn, who has established a rebel base in the nearby
town of Altair. Eager to prove their value to the resistance movement,
the three remaining youths undertake a variety of missions against
Palamecia and join forces with a variety of allies not only to defeat
the Emperor, but to locate Maria's missing brother Leon as well.
Soul of Rebirth
In the Game Boy Advance and PlayStation Portable versions, a new story,
titled Soul of Rebirth, tells the tales of the four party members who
died defending Firion and his party in an attempt to see The Emperor
defeated.
GAMEPLAY
Final Fantasy II is unique in the Final Fantasy series for not utilizing
experience-based levels. Instead of earning experience points at the
end of every battle, each character participating in battle develops
depending on what actions the character takes during the battle. For
example, characters who frequently use a particular type of weapon
(sword, bow, axe, etc.) will become more adept at wielding a weapon of
that type, as well as increasing their physical strength. Similarly,
characters who frequently cast a particular magic spell will learn to
cast more powerful versions of that spell, as well as increasing their
magical power. HP and MP, will similarly increase depending on need: a
character who ends a battle with only a small amount of health remaining
may earn an increase in their maximum amount of hit points, and a
character who expends the majority of their magic points during a single
battle may increase their maximum amount of magic points.
Throughout the course of the game, when in conversation with non-player
characters (NPCs), the player has the ability to "learn" special words
or phrases, which can later be repeated to other NPCs to gain more
information or unlock new actions. Similarly, there exist a handful of
special items that can be shown to NPCs during conversation, which have
the same effect.
CHARACTERS
- Firion is the main character.
- Maria is Firion and Guy's childhood friend, and the female lead.
- Guy is a friend of Firion and Maria.
- Leon is Maria's older brother, and the new Dark Knight of Palamecia.
- Minwu is a White Mage and Hilda's personal adviser.
- Josef is a miner, and helps the resistance gain mythril.
- Gordon is the prince of Kashuan, and fled from battle after his brother, Scott, died in the battle for Fynn.
- Leila is a pirate who attempts to rob the party.
- Ricard Highwind is the last Dragoon of Deist.
- Scott is a prince of Kashuan and the older brother of Gordon.
TRIVIA
- Final Fantasy II does not include many allusions to its
predecessor, but it has been referenced heavily in Final Fantasy IX. The
Eidolon Ramuh tells the story of a battle between many nations, and a
man who sacrificed his life so that a young band of rebels could live to
fight the Empire. This narrative heavily hints at Josef and his purpose
in Final Fantasy II.
- In Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, Beelzebub, Astaroth, King
Behemoth and Iron Giant are guardians for the crystals of the True Moon.
- In Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, Scott mentions he can play the bass
line of the Final Fantasy II battle theme. However, the bass line is
from Final Fantasy IV, referring to the game's original SNES name in the
United States.
RELEASE
NES April 27, 1990 (JPN)
Nintendo DS August 24, 2006 (JPN) ; November 14, 2006 (US) ; May 04, 2007 (EU) ; April 5, 2007 (UK)
Wii Virtual Console July 21, 2009 (JPN)
iOS March 24, 2011 (JPN/US/EU/AU)
CHARACTERS
In the game's original NES version the player controls four generic
Light Warriors, four children without distinct identities, who, upon
finding the Wind Crystal, are granted its power in order to save the
world. Though their genders are never made note of, it is assumed all
the children are male.
The DS remake gives the four protagonists different personalities and
names than the ones featured in the official manga. They are also given
different back-stories, which are used in several places to accelerate
the plot. The main character is
Luneth, who, after being tasked with saving the world's crystals, heads forth with his best friend
Arc in pursuit of his quest. Shortly after setting out, they meet the blacksmith's daughter,
Refia, and the Knight of Sasune,
Ingus.
Supporting characters, such as Cid and Sara, still join the party, but
now randomly help the party in battle, either by attacking monsters
according to their specialization, or by healing the party.
Although the Onion Knights are not named in the original version, the
manga serialization, Yuukyuu no Kaze Densetsu: Final Fantasy III Yori,
names them
Muuchi (ムウチ
,
Doug (ダグ
,
J. Bowie (J・ボウイ
, and
Melfi (メ
ルフィ, the only female in the group). In the screenshots of the original
game seen in the Dissidia Ultimania, the Onion Knights are given the
names of the main characters from the DS version.
TRIVIA
- In the DS version, there is a contradiction towards the story of
how the four children came to be. According to Cid, the children were
not originally from this world, stating that ten years prior to the
game, he was ferrying people to and from the continents when an unknown
evil struck, causing his ship to be destroyed. This contradicts what
Unei says: that the Surface World had been closed off for a thousand
years. However, this could be due to a time anomaly caused when the
Surface World was engulfed in darkness; for all Cid knows, he could have
been drifting aimlessly, frozen in time, for a thousand years, directly
near the Floating Continent, and the power of the crystals may have
allowed his airship to drift into the Floating Continent, freeing him
from being frozen in time.
- In 1999, Final Fantasy III was unofficially translated into English
by Neill Corlett and Alex W. Jackson. In addition to this popular
fan-translation, there exists an alternate complete one.
- Final Fantasy III was the first appearance of Moogles and the Fat Chocobo in the series.
- The "circumnavigate the world on a Chocobo for reward" quest
originates in Final Fantasy III, to be repeated in Final Fantasy V.
- Final Fantasy III was the first game in the series to graphically
show hit points when a target is attacked or healed, rather than use
caption as in the original versions of the previous two games. It is
also the first to contain auto-targeting, as well as the first to
contain special battle music for boss battles. All of these aspects were
adapted in the remakes of the previous two games.
- The names of Doga and Unei, two key characters in Final Fantasy III,
appear in multiple Final Fantasy games, including Final Fantasy IX,
which contains a sub-quest involving two items named "Doga's Artifact"
and "Une's Mirror." These items unlock a hidden theme titled "Doga and
Une" in the Black Mage Village.
- Several of the game's songs were used in Chocobo Racing, including
the opening theme ("Crystal Cave") and the final battle theme.
- Though most of the sprites for 8-Bit Theater are from the original
Final Fantasy, many other sprites, including the new class changed Light
Warriors, are game sprites from the Famicom Final Fantasy III.
- The original background music for the town of Amur was used in
creating the song "Cloud Smiles" in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
- In the original idea of the DS version Luneth, Arc, Refia, and Ingus
were adopted children of Topapa, but this was changed to make the four
separate characters have their own stories.
- In Dissidia Final Fantasy, the Onion Knight bears a yellow sword
that resembles a sword of the Unnamed Warrior. In fact, when he changes
to his Ninja EX Mode, he wields two swords (one is his yellow sword, the
other, a red sword) that resemble the unnamed warrior's swords. Also,
in his Ninjutsu EX Burst, when he finishes it with his Back Attack!, his
position resembles the unnamed warrior's position in the logo of Final
Fantasy III.
- In Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary and the Final Fantasy portion of
Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, the Two Headed Dragon, Echidna,
Cerberus, and Ahriman appear as bosses in the optional Earthgift
Shrine. In Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, they return as guardians
for the crystals of the True Moon.
- Final Fantasy III is the only game in the main series to never
appear on a Sony platform, although it should be noted Square Enix did
consider porting the game to the PlayStation 2, but was eventually
convinced by Nintendo to develop the title for their new handheld
system, the Nintendo DS.
RELEASE
SNES April 19, 1991 (Hard Type) (JPN) ; October 19, 1991 (Easy Type) (JPN) ; November 23, 1991 (US)
PlayStation March 21, 1997 (JPN) ; June 29, 2001 (US) ; May 17, 2002 (EU)
WonderSwan Color March 28, 2002 (JPN)
GBA December 15, 2005 (JPN) ; December 12, 2005 (US) ; June 2, 2006 (EU) ; February 23, 2006 (AU)
Nintendo DS December 20, 2007 (JPN) ; July 22, 2008 (US) ; September 4, 2008 (EU) ; September 5, 2008 (UK)
Wii Virtual Console August 4, 2009 (JPN) ; March 8, 2010 (US) ; June 11, 2010 (EU/AU)
Mobile Phone October 5, 2009 (JPN)
PSP March 24, 2011 (JPN) ; April 19, 2011 (US) ; April 22, 2011 (EU)
PSN April 22, 2011 (AU)
CHARACTERS
- Cecil Harvey (セシル・ハーヴィ Seshiru Hāvi) – The story's main protagonist.
- Kain Highwind (カイン・ハイウインド Kain Haiuindo) – The commander of the Baron Dragoons, and Cecil and Rosa's childhood friend.
- Rydia (リディア Ridia) – A young Summoner.
- Tellah (テラ Tera) – An elderly Sage.
- Edward Chris von Muir (ギルバート・クリス・フォン・ミューア Girubāto Kurisu Fon Myūa) – The Prince of Damcyan.
- Rosa Joanna Farrell (ローザ・ジョアンナ・ファレル Rōza Joanna Fareru) – A White Mage from Baron.
- Yang Fang Leiden (ヤン・ファン・ライデン Yan Fan Raiden) – The Grandmaster of the Monks of Fabul. He aids Cecil on behalf of his kingdom
- Palom (パロム Paromu) – A young Black Mage in training from Mysidia.
- Porom (ポロム Poromu) – A young White Mage in training from Mysidia.
- Cid Pollendina (シド・ポレンディーナ Shido Porendīna) – A master engineer who designed various airships for the Red Wings.
- Edge (エッジ Ejji) – The Prince of Eblan and a skilled Ninja.
- Fusoya (フースーヤ Fūsūya) – A Lunarian from the Red Moon.
TRIVIA
- In the DS version, there is a possible glitch involving the
event viewer: After viewing a certain movie, the game will sometimes
freeze up at the final FMV and players can not access New Game Plus.
- Although its sequel, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, is visually
similar to the classic 2D versions of the game, Golbez's established
background from the DS version is heavily implied.
- Final Fantasy IV is one of the Final Fantasy games that has been
novelized in Japan, and it was split into two volumes. It was written by
Ichiro Tezuka, who is also known for writing the scenario to Alundra.
He also wrote the novelization for The After Years.
- The Boss Theme of Final Fantasy IV was slightly remixed and used as
the Culex Boss Theme in Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars. In
fact, Culex himself was purposely based on a boss that would be typical
in the Final Fantasy series.
- Cecil, the main protagonist in Final Fantasy IV, makes a cameo
appearance in Square's Secret of Evermore as a merchant in Ebon Keep.
- Final Fantasy IV was the first game in the series to go into space.
Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII are the other games that
followed.
RELEASE
SNES December 6, 1992 (JPN)
PlayStation March 19, 1998 (JPN) ; September 30, 1999 (US) ; May 17, 2002 (EU)
GBA October 12, 2006 (JPN) ; November 6, 2006 (US) ; March 16th, 2007 (EU/AU)
Wii Virtual Console January 18, 2011 (JPN)
PSN April 6th, 2011 (JPN)
GAMEPLAY
The main gameplay feature is the revamped Job System (originally in a
different form in Final Fantasy III and introduced in the original Final
Fantasy), allowing all characters to potentially master up to
twenty-two Jobs. The player starts out with no Job classes (they are
defaulted as "Freelancer," a class which can be reverted to later on),
and as they travel to new Crystal locations, the party acquire new Jobs.
A separate form of Experience, ABP, is introduced for the advancement
of the characters' Job levels, while they continue to earn regular
Experience Points. The system also introduces a streamlined method of
"multi-classing," allowing each character to learn Job-specific
abilities and carry one or two over when they change their class.
CHARACTERS
- Bartz Klauser (バッツ・クラウザー; Battsu Kurauzā
is an adventurer and the "main character" (he is the first person the
player controls, and he is often representative of the party). He
becomes embroiled in the adventure at the very beginning, when he comes
upon the crash site of a meteor with his Boko, his chocobo, and meets
Lenna. Bartz's name is Butz in both the original Japanese and the
fan-translated versions.
- Lenna Charlotte Tycoon (レナ・シャルロット・タイクーン; Rena Sharurotto Taikūn) is
of the princess archetype, and meets Bartz at the meteor. She is the
daughter of King Tycoon. Her name was transliterated as Reina in the
Western PlayStation versions.
- Galuf Halm Baldesion (ガラフ・ハルム・バルデシオン; Garafu Harumu Barudeshion) is a
mysterious old man with amnesia discovered unconscious at the
meteorite. His past is initially unknown, but is revealed as the story
progresses.
- Faris Scherwiz (ファリス・シュヴィルツ; Farisu Shuvirutsu) is a pirate whom the
party meets when they try to sneak aboard her ship. During the game's
first portion Faris disguises herself as a man. She has a connection
with Lenna that is later revealed.
- Krile Mayer Baldesion (クルル・マイア・バルデシオン; Kururu Maia Barudeshion) is
Galuf's granddaughter and aids the party several times. Later in the
game, she takes Galuf's place in the party. Her name is Cara in the
fan-translated version.
TRIVIA
- In Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, the bosses Atomos,
Gilgamesh, Shinryu and Omega appear in the original Final Fantasy's
Lifespring Grotto bonus dungeon.
- In Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, the same four bosses appear as
guardians for the Crystals of the True Moon. Gilgamesh makes a direct
reference to his origin by asking for Bartz before he dies.
- Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI are the only Nintendo-era Final
Fantasy titles that have not yet seen a remake (as opposed to a port).
Remakes for both have been considered for the Nintendo DS, but Square
Enix has attributed the delays to graphical issues. However, remakes for
the 3DS are being considered.
- The Guardian Tree that Ex-Death fuses with at the end of the game,
actually resembles the treasured "Yggdrasil" Tree from Norse mythology
that was described as the beam that supports the universe.
- This is the first game to have two sisters as playable characters.
It is also the first game where females outnumber the males in the
party.
RELEASE
SNES April 2, 1994 (JPN) ; October 20, 1994 (US)
PlayStation March 11, 1999 (JPN) ; September 30, 1999 (US) ; March 1, 2002 (EU/AU)
GBA November 30, 2006 (JPN) ; February 5, 2007 (US) ; June 29, 2007 (EU/AU)
Wii Virtual Console March 15, 2011 (JPN) ; March 18, 2011 (EU/AU) ; June 30, 2011 (US)
PSN April 20, 2011 (JPN) ; May 23, 2011 (AU) ; June 2, 2011 (EU)
STORY
A thousand years ago, three gods known as the Warring Triad descended to
the world, and eventually began war for dominance that became known as
the War of the Magi. To fight for them, the gods transformed humans and
animals into creatures called Espers, giving them intense magical power.
After a long war, the gods realized their war was destroying the world
and turned themselves to stone, their final wish that the Espers prevent
their power from being abused. The Espers took the gods' petrified
remains and fashioned a new dimension to live peacefully away from
humans, and to hide the gods from them.
In the present, the world has experienced a technological revolution,
while magic has faded into legend. To the south, the Gestahlian Empire
lead by Emperor Gestahl, discovered the entrance to the Esper world and
kidnapped several of the creatures. Using machinery, the Empire found a
way to drain the Espers of their magical energy and imbue humans and
machines with this power, resulting in the phenomenon known as Magitek.
Using Magitek to overpower the armies of other nations, the Gestahlian
Empire conquered the southern continent and began to push into the north
with the ultimate aim of world conquest.
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay of Final Fantasy VI is similar in some ways to that of
Final Fantasy V. Players can equip Espers that teach spells and give
stat boosts, similar to the jobs of the Job System. What abilities
cannot be taught by Espers can usually be learned by equipping Relics,
which give abilities like Jump and Two Hands. The characters can also
each equip a weapon, a shield, a helmet and a piece of clothing, each
equipment piece often with its unique properties such as stat boosts or
elemental immunities.
CHARACTERS
- Terra Branford (ティナ Tina) is a half-human, half-Esper girl
- Cyan Garamonde (カイエン Kaien), a loyal knight of the kingdom of Doma
- Locke Cole (ロック Rokku), a treasure hunter
- Edgar Roni Figaro (エドガー Edogā, the king of Figaro
- Sabin René Figaro (マッシュ Masshu), Edgar's erstwhile brother,
- Celes Chere (セリス Serisu), a former general of the Empire
- Setzer Gabbiani (セッツァー Settsā, inveterate gambler and womanizer
- Shadow (シャドウ Shadou), a high-priced ninja mercenary
- Relm Arrowny (リルム Rirumu), a young girl living in the town of Thamasa
- Strago Magus (ストラゴス Sutoragosu), an elderly Blue Mage
- Gau (ガウ Gau), a feral child surviving since infancy in the harsh wilderness known as the Veldt.
- Mog (モグ Mogu), a talking Moogle from the mines of Narshe.
- Umaro (ウーマロ Ūmaro), a savage but loyal yeti also living in Narshe.
- Gogo (ゴゴ Gogo), a mysterious, fully shrouded master of the art of mimicry.
TRIVIA
- In Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, the bosses Phantom Train,
Ultros, Ultima Weapon and Deathgaze are guardians for the crystals of
the True Moon.
- The 200th issue of Game Informer Magazine features multiple covers
based on their top ten games ever. Final Fantasy VI was the only Final
Fantasy game featured in the top 10, placing 8th, but Final Fantasy IV
(80th), Final Fantasy VII (15th), Final Fantasy X (43rd), Final Fantasy
XII (112th), Final Fantasy Tactics (45th), and Vagrant Story (184th)
could be found throughout the list.
- Final Fantasy VI, along with Final Fantasy V, are the only Nintendo
era Final Fantasy games that have not been fully remade, only ported.
- In the webcomic Order of the Stick, the main cast of Final Fantasy
VI appear briefly, with two characters attempting to sneak onto the
Blackjack (while dressed as Locke and Mog). This results in them being
found out and the main cast tossing them off the airship at a fairly
high altitude.
- In the introduction to the PlayStation version, "Narshe" is misspelled as "Narche."
- Several of the game's main characters appear as spectators in the
stands of the gladiator battle in Square's, Secret of Evermore.
- Because the FMVs use character appearances more based on the Amano
art, Celes in particular has an appearance quite different from her
sprites during the ending.
- Although the representative characters from Final Fantasy VI, Final
Fantasy VII, and Final Fantasy X have switched between Warriors of
Cosmos to Warriors of Chaos and vice versa between Dissidia Final
Fantasy and Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy VI is the only one
of the three where all the representative characters belong to only one
faction in the latter game; Terra and Kefka are both Warriors of Chaos
in Dissidia 012.
RELEASE
PlayStation January 31, 1997 (JPN) ; September 3, 1997 (US) ; October 2, 1997 (JPN International) ; November 14, 1997 (EU/AU)
PC June 24, 1998 (US)
PSN April 9, 2009 (JPN International) ; June 2, 2009 (US) ; June 4, 2009 (EU/AU)
STORY
An energy manufacturing mega-company known as Shinra, Inc. is
harvesting the sheer life energy of the Planet (known as the Lifestream)
as a simple fossil fuel. The Lifestream is processed and made into
products ranging from electricity and heat to Mako and Materia. The
latter two materials can work miracles, granting the wisdom of the
Ancients to the user. However, the Lifestream, like most other fuels, is
finite in supply, and the Planet's lifeforce is being malevolently
drained by the constant exploitation of Mako by Shinra. Though aware of
the harmful effects, they function without remorse.
However, the real battle lies not with a corporation, but a force
much more competent from the distant past. A long-thought dead warrior
bent on becoming a god by draining all of the Lifestream from the planet
has risen again and will stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
"Now a small rebel group emanating from the slums must quell the
various dangers toward the innocent, and one mercenary for hire must
look amidst the lies and deception and find the man he is within."
—Official Introduction
CHARACTERS
The main playable characters in Final Fantasy VII are :
- Cloud Strife
- Barret Wallace
- Tifa Lockhart
- Aeris Gainsborough
- Red XIII
- Cait Sith
- Cid Highwind
- Vincent Valentine
- Yuffie Kisaragi
- Sephiroth (temporary)
TRIVIA
- During the development of Final Fantasy VII, Hironobu
Sakaguchi's mother died. At the time, Sakaguchi wanted to craft a story
that told of how just because someone has passed away, does not mean
they are gone, and to show a realistic death rather than a "Hollywood"
sacrificial death that previous games in the series had done. These
desires developed into the Lifestream, and Aeris's iconic death scene
and subsequent continuing role in the lives of the cast.
- Square had considered a Final Fantasy VII remake for PlayStation 2
in early 2001. For some reason, the project was either scrapped or never
started development at all.
- Final Fantasy VII was the winner of the 2004 GameFAQs user poll
contest "Best. Game. Ever.", beating the fellow Square RPG, Chrono
Trigger. However, in GameFAQs second "Best. Game. Ever." poll, the game
finished runner-up to The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
- It also came 2nd in Empire magazine's 2010 feature "100 Greatest Videogames Ever", beaten only by Super Mario World.
- Final Fantasy VII's Fight Music is almost identical to the first
minute of Dave Brubeck's "Blue Rondo A La Turk." The music from the
Tifa/Loz fight scene in "Advent Children" better illustrates the
similarities.
- On a similar note, the music from the play in the Gold Saucer sounds
very similar to the opening of "House of the King" by Focus. The music
provided during the play scene while on your date with
Aeris/Tifa/Yuffie/Barret (a variation of the gold saucer music) better
illustrates the similarites.
- This is the first Final Fantasy game to have featured blood in a scene.
- During the scene where the Sister Ray is about to fire at Diamond
Weapon, a voice can be heard over an intercom. This makes Final Fantasy
VII the first game in the series with legible voice acting, before Final
Fantasy X. The voice actor for the sequence is unknown and not named in
the credits.
- The logo of Final Fantasy VII and the Meteor Monument in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children share similar appearance.
- In a Famitsu character popularity poll, Final Fantasy VII had six
characters (Cloud, Tifa, Sephiroth, Aerith, Zack, and Yuffie) listed.
This is the most amount of characters from any one game listed.
RELEASE
PlayStation February 11, 1999 (JPN) ; September 9, 1999 (US) ; October 27, 1999 (EU/AU)
PC December 31, 1999 (US) ; December 31, 1999 (JPN)
PSN September 24, 2009 (JPN) ; December 17, 2009 (US) ; February 4, 2010 (EU/AU)
STORY
"At the forefront of a rising tide of violence brought on by
Galbadia's war declaration is a SeeD cadet named Squall Leonhart.
Serious to a fault, Squall has earned himself the reputation of being a
lone wolf."
"A chance encounter with the free-spirited Rinoa Heartilly, however,
turns his universe upside down. Having thrived on discipline, Squall
finds Rinoa's carefree attitude fascinating. Yet there is no time to
ponder these thoughts, for the job of dealing with the sorceress behind
Galbadia's irrational hostility has fallen to SeeD and Squall."
—Official Introduction
CHARACTERS
Main characters:
- Squall Leonhart - The taciturn and reluctant hero.
- Rinoa Heartilly - A beautiful and spirited young woman.
- Quistis Trepe - A top-notch member of SeeD who serves as Squall's instructor.
- Zell Dincht - A Garden Cadet with unsurpassed martial arts skills.
- Selphie Tilmitt - A spunky young woman with a carefree spirit.
- Irvine Kinneas - An expert gunman and consummate ladies man.
- Ultimecia - A powerful sorceress from the future who desires to become omnipotent.
TRIVIA
- To date, Final Fantasy VIII has the highest number of Star
Wars-inspired names, including Biggs and Wedge, Nida, Piet and Martine,
who is named Dodonna in the Japanese version.
- Final Fantasy VIII is the first game in the series that allows the player to name summons.
- Final Fantasy VIII is the first game in the series where Ramuh is
not present as the Lightning-elemental summon. He is replaced by
Quezacotl.
- During Ultimecia's (as Edea) parade in Deling City, the masked
dancers are performing the dance moves from Michael Jackson's "Thriller"
music video.
- Final Fantasy VIII is parodied in the Dreamcast game Segagaga, where it is called Final Pharmacy VIII.
- In the first Charlie's Angels movie, in the scene when Dylan
approaches a house for clothes, there are two kids inside vigorously
button mashing and moving while playing Final Fantasy VIII. Infamously
for fans, both kids hold controllers despite the fact the game has no
two-player mode, and there are no sequences in which such button mashing
would be required.
- The game's demo uses a track called "Raid on Dollet" for the Dollet
invasion. The game's final version does not use that track and it was
never released on any official soundtrack album. It is unknown why the
track was scrapped, although a widespread theory is that it was removed
for legal reasons due to heavy similarities with the song "Hummel Gets
the Rockets," composed by Hans Zimmer from the movie The Rock.
RELEASE
PlayStation July 7, 2000 (JPN) ; November 13, 2000 (US) ; February 16, 2001 (EU/AU)
PSN May 20, 2010 (JPN) ; June 15, 2010 (US) ; May 26, 2010 (EU/AU)
CHARACTERS
- Zidane Tribal: The main protagonist. A Thief, member of the Tantalus group, and an inveterate womanizer.
- Vivi Orunitia: A young Black Mage, but pure of heart.
- Garnet til Alexandros XVII: The female protagonist, and princess of
Alexandria. A Summoner with more emphasis on summons than White Magic.
- Adelbert Steiner: A noble Knight of Alexandria, and the Captain of the Knights of Pluto.
- Freya Crescent: A Burmecian Dragon Knight who searches for her lost love, Sir Fratley.
- Quina Quen: A Qu Blue Mage who joins the adventure to experience cuisine from around the world.
- Eiko Carol: A young Summoner with more proficiency in White Magic than summoning, one of the last of her tribe.
- Amarant Coral: A Monk and wanted bandit, who holds a grudge against Zidane.
TRIVIA
- Due to the radical departure from Final Fantasy VII and VIII,
early in development, Square had not yet decided if the game would be
titled Final Fantasy IX or be a gaiden episode.
- A Final Fantasy IX remake for PlayStation 2 had been considered by
Square in early 2001, only one year after the original release. For some
reason, the project was either scrapped or never started development at
all. Similar projects for Final Fantasy VII and Vagrant Story were also
considered at one point, but met the same fate.
- In May 2009, the video game website IGN interviewed Yoshinori Kitase
and Takeshi Arakawa. During their discussion, Arakawa mentioned he
desired to make a sequel to Final Fantasy IX more than any other game.
- According to 1UP.com, Final Fantasy IX is the only Final Fantasy in
the series to not have its title logo designed by Yoshitaka Amano. This
speculation is, however, unconfirmed.
- Final Fantasy IX has the most diverse cast of characters in the
series, as it has only three normal human beings (Steiner, Amarant and
Beatrix) and all the other playable characters are part of different
races.
- Final Fantasy IX can have up to two players controlling the party
during combat, even if the feature is not mentioned in the instruction
manual.
- Final Fantasy IX is Hironobu Sakaguchi's favorite Final Fantasy
title, saying that "it's closest to his ideal view of what Final Fantasy
should be."
- Final Fantasy IX has the most number of allusions in Dissidia Final
Fantasy. The biggest one is Mognet. It is also said in Dissidia that the
peak of life of the moogles happened in Gaia.
- The developers have stated they changed the ending seven times.
RELEASE
PlayStation 2 July 19, 2001 (JPN) ; December 17, 2001 (US) ; January 31, 2002 (JPN International) ; May 24, 2002 (EU/AU)
STORY
Final Fantasy X begins in medias res, starting with the party sitting
around a campfire in silence. Just beyond the horizon is a ruined city,
covered in pyreflies. Tidus, the game's central hero, begins to retell
his story of how he reached this place in his life. He gives background
narration for much of the game.
CHARACTERS
- Tidus is the main protagonist, a Blitzball player from Zanarkand
who is suddenly sent to Spira following Sin's destruction of his
hometown.
- Yuna is the main female protagonist, a Summoner who is on a pilgrimage to defeat Sin, accompanied by her guardians.
- Auron is a mysterious man who watches out for Tidus and Yuna.
- Kimahri is a Ronso, the only non-human member of the party, who befriended Yuna when she was a child.
- Wakka is one of Yuna's childhood friends from Besaid.
- Lulu is one of Yuna's childhood friends from Besaid.
- Rikku is a spunky Al Bhed girl.
TRIVIA
- Final Fantasy X is the first numbered Final Fantasy game to
feature a musical score not completely credited to Nobuo Uematsu, who
has written the music for Final Fantasy since its inception. The game
was co-scored by Junya Nakano and Masashi Hamauzu.
- In the background of the initial FMV when Tidus reaches Luca, when
the camera pans down a street, the music from "I Want to be Your Canary"
from Final Fantasy IX can be heard. Also, a scene before the street
scene (when the camera pans the sides of some buildings) a part of
"Rufus' Welcoming Ceremony" from Final Fantasy VII is played.
- In Dissidia 012 Final Fantasy, Yuna sacrifices herself in order to
close the Rift in Empyreal Paradox to prevent World B's destruction from
Manikins' hands, mirroring Summoners' sacrifice from Final Fantasy X.
- In a Famitsu popularity poll, four characters from Final Fantasy X
(Yuna, Tidus, Auron, Rikku) made the top 50. This is the second most
characters from one game, the most being from Final Fantasy VII.
RELEASE
PS2 JMay 16, 2002 (JPN) ; arch 23, 2004 (US)
PC October 28, 2003 (US) ; September 27, 2004 (EU/AU)
Xbox360 April 18, 2006 (US) ; April 20, 2006 (JPN) ; April 21, 2006 (EU/AU)
CHARACTERS
- Hume
- Galka
- Elvaan
- Mithra
- Tarutaru
EXPANSIONS & ADD-ONS
- Final Fantasy XI: Rise of the Zilart
- Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia
- Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan
- Final Fantasy XI: Wings of the Goddess
- Final Fantasy XI: A Crystalline Prophecy - Ode of Life Bestowing
- Final Fantasy XI: A Moogle Kupo d'Etat - Evil in Small Doses
- Final Fantasy XI: A Shantotto Ascension - The Legend Torn, Her Empire Born
- Final Fantasy XI: Vision of Abyssea
- Final Fantasy XI: Scars of Abyssea
- Final Fantasy XI: Heroes of Abyssea
TRIVIA
- In the anime Welcome to the NHK! the centerpiece of two episodes
is based around the main character becoming addicted to "Ultimate
Fantasy". The game itself has multiple visual references to Final
Fantasy XI. The logo itself is almost identical to the Final Fantasy
logo, and the different races in the game are minor variations of the
races in Final Fantasy XI. The main character's avatar is also dressed
like a Red Mage.
RELEASE
PlayStation 2 March 16, 2006 (JPN) ; October 31, 2006 (US) ; February 23, 2007 (EU/AU) ; August 9, 2007 (JPN International)
CHARACTERS
- Vaan is the main protagonist of the game.
- Penelo is Vaan's closest friend.
- Balthier, real name Ffamran Mied Bunansa, is a cool and sophisticated sky pirate on the run from his past.
- Fran is Balthier's friend and partner, and as a viera, the only non-hume main character.
- Basch fon Ronsenburg is a disgraced knight.
- Ashelia B'nargin Dalmasca is the princess of Dalmasca and the female protagonist.
TRIVIA
- Final Fantasy XII contains many references to the games
developed by the same team, or based on the same world. For instance, a
moogle named Montblanc runs a clan in Final Fantasy XII, and previously
appeared as a main character in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
Similarly, the player can acquire the Riskbreaker clan rank, a reference
to the game Vagrant Story.
- The names of all of Archadia's airships are taken from previous
summons from the series, while all of the Resistance airships are named
for previously appeared characters. Indeed, the only airship with an
original name is the party's airship, the Strahl.
- Final Fantasy XII is only the second main series Final Fantasy game
where Cid is directly related to one of the main members of the party -
the other being Final Fantasy X.
- Actor Sir Patrick Stewart narrated the television commercial for the European and Australian versions of the game.
- Hironobu Sakaguchi, creator of the Final Fantasy series, refused to
play Final Fantasy XII beyond the introductory tutorial because he was
disappointed by the departure of producer and director Yasumi Matsuno.
RELEASE
PlayStation 3 December 17, 2009 (JPN) ; March 9, 2010 (US/EU/AU) ; May, 2010 (AS)
Xbox360 March 9, 2010 (US/EU/AU)
"The future belongs not to those who wait..."
—Final Fantasy XIII Game Trailer
"The Battle Within Begins..."
—Final Fantasy XIII tagline
PROLOGUE
"Cocoon—a utopia in the sky.
Its inhabitants believed their world a paradise. Under the Sanctum's rule, Cocoon had long known peace and prosperity.
Mankind was blessed by its protectors, the benevolent fal'Cie, and believed that tranquil days would continue forever.
Their tranquility was shattered with the discovery of one hostile fal'Cie.
The moment that fal'Cie from Pulse—the feared and detested
lowerworld—awoke from its slumber, peace on Cocoon came to an end.
Fal'Cie curse humans, turning them into magic-wielding servants. They become l'Cie—chosen of the fal'Cie.
Those branded with the mark of a l'Cie carry the burden of either
fulfilling their Focus or facing a fate harsher than death itself.
A prayer for redemption. A wish to protect the world. A promise to challenge destiny.
After thirteen days of fates intertwined, the battle begins."
—Official Prologue
CHARACTERS
- Lightning (ライトニング Raitoningu) — The main protagonist of the game.
- Snow Villiers (スノウ・ヴィリアース Sunou Viriāsu) — Leader of NORA,
Snow Villiers is a sturdy man whose mannerism is reputed to resemble
that of a cowboy.
- Oerba Dia Vanille (ヲルバ=ダイア・ヴァニラ Woruba Daia Vanira) — A young
and spirited girl, Vanille's past is a mystery and she carries a heavy
burden that the others are not initially aware of.
- Sazh Katzroy (サッズ・カッツロイ Sazzu Kattsuroi) — A middle-aged man with dark skin and an afro.
- Hope Estheim (ホープ・エストハイム Hōpu Esutohaimu) — A young boy with
silver hair who, along with his mother, is part of the group of exiles
onboard the train that Lightning stopped.
- Oerba Yun Fang (ヲルバ=ユン・ファング Woruba Yun Fangu) — A
wild-looking dark-haired woman with a large tattoo on one arm and a
burnt-out mark of the l'Cie on the other.
TRIVIA
- During the development, models of Yuna, Rikku, Ashe, and Vaan were used for characters that weren't designed yet.
- The PS3 version of the game comes with a code that, when registered
with Square-Enix's community website, allows one to register to be a
beta tester for Final Fantasy XIV.
- In the lead-up to the release of Final Fantasy XIII, Microsoft ran a
promotion where a Chocobo Avatar item would become available if a
certain amount of the hashtag '#FFXIIIXBOX' had been used on Twitter or
if you registered with your email. The chocobo looks and behaves
similarly to the one Sazh carries around with him.
- Players who registered a first production run of the Xbox 360
version at the Square Enix Members site received download codes for Male
and Female PSICOM uniforms for their Xbox Live Avatar.
- The game was originally planned to have download content (DLC) released after the game, but Square Enix scrapped the plans.
- Final Fantasy XIII is the first main series game to not feature either the original Prelude or Victory Fanfare.
- Final Fantasy XIII marks the fourth time Square Enix has enlisted a
non-Asian vocalist (Leona Lewis) to perform a vocal piece for a Final
Fantasy soundtrack, after Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy X-2, and
Dissidia Final Fantasy.
- An Easter Egg exists where if the player spins the analog stick as
is common for grinding in previous games, the player character will stop
and get irritated.
- The game was released in Japan on December 17, 2009, a day before
the original Final Fantasy which was released in Japan on December 18,
1987.
- The game is the first Final Fantasy title with European packaging
artwork that does not only feature the game's logo, but the main
protagonist as well.
- On July 21st, 2011, the Japanese PS3 version of the game, got a free
update, which introduced Easy Mode difficulty, to get on par with the
Japanese Xbox360 version released last year.
RELEASE
PC September 30, 2010 (JPN) ; September 30, 2010 (US) ; September 30, 2010 (EU/AU)
PS3 TBA
STORY
The game takes place in a land called Eorzea, which consists the
continent of Aldenard and its surrounding islands, all situated in the
world of Hydaelyn. Eorzea contains several independent city-states: the
bustling port and pirate hideout Limsa Lominsa; the wealthy desert city
of Ul'dah; the city of Gridania hidden in deep woods; and the mountain
top bastion called Ishgard.
Eorzea was first inhabited by gods and goddesses, which the wandering
tribes that settled the land started calling the Twelve. The gods
blessed the tribes that came to the savage land with welfare, but the
tribes began fighting with each other, and war tore Eorzea apart.
Fifteen years before the events of the game, metal-clad warriors invaded
Eorzea with flame-spewing weapons and colossal airships. The army came
from the Garlean Empire, and it didn't take long before the mightiest of
the six city-states, Ala Mihgo, fell under their force. The other
city-states united their power to defend themselves, but just as fast as
it had arrived, the imperial army was gone again. A new era began at
Eorzea, known as the "Age of Calm", which the city-states spent by
building up their defenses and training their armies.
Before, the cities had hired mercenaries for their inner wars, but now
they trusted only professional soldiers, leaving the sellswords
unemployed and restless. To keep them from causing harm and steer their
energy into helping others instead, the city-states founded a network of
adventuring guilds.
PLAYABLE RACES
- Hyur
- Lalafell
- Miqo'te
- Roegadyn
- Elezen
