Not even including direct sequels and spin-offs, Final Fantasy has a long legacy. I’d recently discovered a fondness for RPGs I had forgotten. Where better to express that fondness than some classic games? So I decided to play the first 10 of the mainline Final Fantasy games throughout 2020. At least that was the plan, I’ve since decided to take my time. The first thing to decide on is which version of each game I was playing. And also all the work that is going to entail for streaming it.
The Original Trilogy
Final Fantasy I, II, and III were all released on the NES. They were fun—but were also glitched and buggy. They also lacked the many quality of life upgrades modern RPGs have. Not to mention that Final Fantasy III was never released in the west until its 3D remake.
For Final Fantasy I, I wanted to play a version that used the MP system from the original release. This meant I was going to be playing the PSX release, Final Fantasy Origins.
Final Fantasy II had a clear perfect release on the PSP: Final Fantasy II: 20th Anniversary. But that was already a complication since streaming PSP was going to be hard. That left the PSX release, or Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls on GBA. There were many complications with this game, which will be chronicled later.
Aside from a translation patch for the NES release, there was only one choice for Final Fantasy III. Final Fantasy III on the DS (and ported to PC) was the first release of the game in the west. PC version it was!
The Second Generation
The next set of games—Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI—were released on SNES and is where the series hit its stride. Grand storytelling and unique, stand out characters ere iconic of this era. But this generation was also plagued with misnumbering. Released as Final Fantasy II (instead of IV) and Final Fantasy III (instead of VI). Final Fantasy V didn’t even have a western release until the Playstation collection.
Final Fantasy IV, much like Final Fantasy I, is proving the most contentious of this bunch. Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection—released for PSP—is the hands-down best release. Again, the PSP proves to be the tricky part. There is also a 3D version released on the DS (and a sequel on PC) which turns it into a whole new experience. After putting it to a vote, I ended up playing Final Fantasy IV Advance on the GBA. Not the best option.
Final Fantasy V and VI are by and far much easier than their older brother. This is thanks to Final Fantasy V Advance and Final Fantasy VI Advance released on the GBA. Both are the superior versions in regards to programming and translation. Any issues with sound quality and the color palettes have been fixed thanks to fan patches.
The 3D Era
This is the place where analysis and consideration have no place. Thanks to the fewer number re-releases, there aren’t many choices here. There are PC releases of Final Fantasy VII through X, most of which are HD Remasters—or have mods to make them HD. This leaves little questioning about which version to use, making my job easier.
Questions have arisen regarding Final Fantasy VII Remake on PS4. While I may play it on stream, I will not be using it in place of Final Fantasy VII.