About Final Fantasy


2007-01-01 (updated 2013-05-31)
The NES game that started it all. Although heavily hyped by Nintendo at the time of its release, nobody could ever have predicted the soaring heights the series would eventually reach in the minds and hearts of gamers. This game probably did more to advance the cause of console RPGs than perhaps any other - which is surprising in retrospect, as the first FF is a stunningly average game. It has virtually none of the depth or character development that later games - including the two other Japanese-only Famicom/NES releases - would later make the hallmark of the FF name. The combat system is nice, but there's better out there for the NES. Plus, it gets annoying after a while, since you're having encounters at just about every step, especially in the later dungeons. All in all, look at the first Final Fantasy as the grade-schooler's notebook sketchings that eventually lead her to become a great artist.

Relesed December 18, 1987 by Square in Japan and 1989 by Nintendo in the US.