Game Discussion of the Week: Final Fantasy I

Added and stickied.

I usually hear it is a classic. These are the times when Final Fantasy would still go hand in hand with Dragon Warrior, then Final Fantasy really took off, and Dragon Warrior disappeared. The closest thing we end up getting to Dragon Warrior was Chrono Trigger on the Super Nintendo.

A lot of people say it is really hard to know which is the best RPG of all time, but usually Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, and Terranigma fight over that title. Final Fantasy I definitely helped to laid out that road.

Here's a good review of it:


I find the game to be surprisingly good (considering the era and everything). I even gave it initially a 5, as I have some nostalgic feelings attached to it, but thinking a bit better and remembering how RPGs like Phantasy Star were even better and more functional (FF1 has a lot of bugs), I'll leave it as a 4. But I do love the game and think it has a better story and gameplay than what one would expect from such an old RPG, and it even has a lot of things that would remain innovative even compared to later RPGs: like the fact that you have complete freedom to form your team. Want a team entirely made of black mages? Go for it! This gives a lot of replay value, as you have to play at least twice to give it a go with every class and more to play with crazier configurations.

The most stand out moments to me were the introduction (it initially looks like a save the princess story, but it's quickly subverted), the heroes getting upgraded and the reveal of the final boss' identity. It's a very neat story, I like it for how concise it is.

Interestingly, it is the only Final Fantasy game I've bothered to finish - I've started some of the others (2, 6, 7, 8), even multiple times in the case of 6 and 7, but didn't beat any of them. I don't really know why, as none of them are bad games - well, except for 2.

Ahh yes that's true. But don't the remakes/compilations usually demand a lot of money too?

I have a lot of fondness for the original Final Fantasy.

I did not own it growing up, but a friend did, and we would play it often. He had gotten Dragon Warrior from the old Nintendo Power promotion and we really liked that as well, but Final Fantasy seemed like a whole other level.

It was fun to create parties with different classes, and play through those opening hours over and over. Because I didn't own it and there was only a single save file, I don't think I got much past the earth fiend. Still, those opening hours are burned into my memory, particularly the title screen that shows up when you cross the bridge from Corneria out into the wider world, as the prologue music plays.

Like a lot of the best early games, they did a lot with a little, and your imagination got to fill in the rest. Not that I mind today's lavish JRPGs of course.