I too shall go through them all. Starting from the bottom.
Final Fantasy II - No real improvements over the first except maybe the fact you actually have proper characters. The development system, admittely intresting on paper, was poor. Its a good job that since it original release on the NES that it's been remade on newer consoles, because the GBA version at least makes it playable.
Final Fantasy I - A good game, though these day the NES version is praticly unplayable, and thats something coming from me as you all should know I don't care for how good graphics are in a game. Simple RPG, good fun, serves the seires well as its starting point. Again, good job on the newer releases.
Final Fantasy III - When I talk FF III, I mean the original NES version. I think its great! Of course not on par with future releases, but certainly a huge improvement on its two predocessors in everyway. It has a relitivly good story from the limits it has, and the job system (although mostly there just for show) is intresting. I have yet to play the DS remake but the original will always have merit! It a shame it was never released over here officaly.
Final Fantasy X-2 - I hate this game with a passion (see the worst FF thread for details), however I think it would be unfair to put it below the NES era games because tbh that would be dissing it too far. Even if it is cringe worthy, it still has its good points.
Final Fantasy V - Job system is great and it has some good memorable scenes. But the story seems abit bland in places. Its this reason it only goes down a notch below its predocessor.
Final Fantasy IV - The game that showed real development in the seires. ATB, bigger cast of playable characters with storylines and own unique features, memorable characters and bosses, epic story and Cecil is great as a main character! As some of you know I havent been a big fan of FFIV because of the time spend levelling (it does take ages admittedly) but ignoring that its a classic.
Final Fantasy VIII - I've had many fun memories of this game with my friend, something that will be picked up again later, and for a long time has been high on my list. Unfortunatly as time has gone on, its become quite tiresome. Good story overall and the Junctioning system is a great, fresh idea and the GF's were awesome. Triple Triade still stands as the best on-going mini-game of any FF. But its too easy to enjoy fully these days now im older and wiser. There are also some parts that I find good awefully boring.
Final Fantasy IX - Wasn't a huge fan of it before, but like IV have come to love it more. I played this properly all the way through not long after I had finished playing earleir FF's on the PS, so the little 'references' really made me smile. Characters are great, Zidane I thought was awesome, and the development system was a nice idea to include. I did like how each character had their own diffrent class, very FFIVish but a bit annoyed with how your party members kept switching and you were at times forced to spend time levelling for the 'familiar faces' to catch up as it were. Also, like VIII, had quite the few boring moments that seemed to drag.
Final Fantasy X - Great graphics, amazing story, intresting characters mostly, and unlike most new FF's, the bosses later actually keep me on my toes and require stratagy. The sphere Grid is my favorite method of character development in the seires. And the whole Aeon thing blew me away! What I don't like about the game is the turn based battle system, its a PS2 game not a bloody NES! The weapon system wasn't that intresting, though like the idea of 'modifiying'. The mini-games were crap. Blitzball had a good idea but in the end failed and the voice acting in places sucked. I would have also liked to have seen a variaty of monsters like had been done in VIII, and not just rehashed jobbies. The binning of the world map was also a sad loss. Overall a brilliant game, but feels that its somehow 'half-done' in some places.
Final Fantasy XIII - Makes up for losses from X, Everything XI should have been for us 'non-online gamers' and helps us forget X-2 even exsisted. Improved Voice Acting, Amazingly detailed settings, many different and intresting races, Real Time is awesome, and odd story for an FF but works. Love the hunts, the Bazzar and all the little tid bits like that. And like IX, has many referances to past FF's.Also like Balthier, what a man! Abit Starwar-esq but thats good, it works! Problems are that, like X, some aspects seemed rushed. Things like the Licence Board, though a good idea at the start, you realise its abit boring after a while and all characters battle wise become the same. Still, beats the shit out of most games these days.
Final Fantasy VI - Now this is a game! For a SNES game, its incredibly detailed and its long list of unique characters is just overwhelming. Replay value is high because of plot scenes you'll only see with paticular characters or combonations of characters. The first half of the game is almost flawless masterpiece, but the whole idea of the second just being made up of optional side-quests just addes to the replay value and doesnt ruin it at all. Great memorable villans, comical humore, hard parts, easy parts, this game is great. The Esper system is the only real flaw. Most arn't worth using, and its easy to take away a character uniqueness by learning them every possible magic but its a small nit-pick. A must have, I could end up playing it all day, in fact I will after this....
And the top of the pile....
Final Fantasy VII - I have many MANY great memories with this game. Me and my friend would play it all the time, discovering all its little secrets (remember, we didn't have access to the internet as freely as we do now, so no going to GameFAQ's every 10 secs!), and for a 9 yr old boy who isn't accustomed to epic games, the scenes in VII absolutly kicked our asses! many seirous FUCKING HELL LOOK AT THAT! moments. The story, despite being confusing and knowone knew what the hell was really going on, kept us hooked. Its got humore, its got sadness, its got just plain weird bits more than any other FF to date. Villans are awesome, and Sephiroth WAS badass. The gameplay was awesome. Materia allowed for mixed combonations in abilitys, very flexible and was generaly intresting. You just HAD to get all the diffrent materias going. Chocobo Breeding and racing, fooking genius. Betting on the races, certainly fulled my inner gambler of the time. It may look dated now, but the magic is still there. ITS JUST GREAT!
Final Fantasy II - No real improvements over the first except maybe the fact you actually have proper characters. The development system, admittely intresting on paper, was poor. Its a good job that since it original release on the NES that it's been remade on newer consoles, because the GBA version at least makes it playable.
Final Fantasy I - A good game, though these day the NES version is praticly unplayable, and thats something coming from me as you all should know I don't care for how good graphics are in a game. Simple RPG, good fun, serves the seires well as its starting point. Again, good job on the newer releases.
Final Fantasy III - When I talk FF III, I mean the original NES version. I think its great! Of course not on par with future releases, but certainly a huge improvement on its two predocessors in everyway. It has a relitivly good story from the limits it has, and the job system (although mostly there just for show) is intresting. I have yet to play the DS remake but the original will always have merit! It a shame it was never released over here officaly.
Final Fantasy X-2 - I hate this game with a passion (see the worst FF thread for details), however I think it would be unfair to put it below the NES era games because tbh that would be dissing it too far. Even if it is cringe worthy, it still has its good points.
Final Fantasy V - Job system is great and it has some good memorable scenes. But the story seems abit bland in places. Its this reason it only goes down a notch below its predocessor.
Final Fantasy IV - The game that showed real development in the seires. ATB, bigger cast of playable characters with storylines and own unique features, memorable characters and bosses, epic story and Cecil is great as a main character! As some of you know I havent been a big fan of FFIV because of the time spend levelling (it does take ages admittedly) but ignoring that its a classic.
Final Fantasy VIII - I've had many fun memories of this game with my friend, something that will be picked up again later, and for a long time has been high on my list. Unfortunatly as time has gone on, its become quite tiresome. Good story overall and the Junctioning system is a great, fresh idea and the GF's were awesome. Triple Triade still stands as the best on-going mini-game of any FF. But its too easy to enjoy fully these days now im older and wiser. There are also some parts that I find good awefully boring.
Final Fantasy IX - Wasn't a huge fan of it before, but like IV have come to love it more. I played this properly all the way through not long after I had finished playing earleir FF's on the PS, so the little 'references' really made me smile. Characters are great, Zidane I thought was awesome, and the development system was a nice idea to include. I did like how each character had their own diffrent class, very FFIVish but a bit annoyed with how your party members kept switching and you were at times forced to spend time levelling for the 'familiar faces' to catch up as it were. Also, like VIII, had quite the few boring moments that seemed to drag.
Final Fantasy X - Great graphics, amazing story, intresting characters mostly, and unlike most new FF's, the bosses later actually keep me on my toes and require stratagy. The sphere Grid is my favorite method of character development in the seires. And the whole Aeon thing blew me away! What I don't like about the game is the turn based battle system, its a PS2 game not a bloody NES! The weapon system wasn't that intresting, though like the idea of 'modifiying'. The mini-games were crap. Blitzball had a good idea but in the end failed and the voice acting in places sucked. I would have also liked to have seen a variaty of monsters like had been done in VIII, and not just rehashed jobbies. The binning of the world map was also a sad loss. Overall a brilliant game, but feels that its somehow 'half-done' in some places.
Final Fantasy XIII - Makes up for losses from X, Everything XI should have been for us 'non-online gamers' and helps us forget X-2 even exsisted. Improved Voice Acting, Amazingly detailed settings, many different and intresting races, Real Time is awesome, and odd story for an FF but works. Love the hunts, the Bazzar and all the little tid bits like that. And like IX, has many referances to past FF's.Also like Balthier, what a man! Abit Starwar-esq but thats good, it works! Problems are that, like X, some aspects seemed rushed. Things like the Licence Board, though a good idea at the start, you realise its abit boring after a while and all characters battle wise become the same. Still, beats the shit out of most games these days.
Final Fantasy VI - Now this is a game! For a SNES game, its incredibly detailed and its long list of unique characters is just overwhelming. Replay value is high because of plot scenes you'll only see with paticular characters or combonations of characters. The first half of the game is almost flawless masterpiece, but the whole idea of the second just being made up of optional side-quests just addes to the replay value and doesnt ruin it at all. Great memorable villans, comical humore, hard parts, easy parts, this game is great. The Esper system is the only real flaw. Most arn't worth using, and its easy to take away a character uniqueness by learning them every possible magic but its a small nit-pick. A must have, I could end up playing it all day, in fact I will after this....
And the top of the pile....
Final Fantasy VII - I have many MANY great memories with this game. Me and my friend would play it all the time, discovering all its little secrets (remember, we didn't have access to the internet as freely as we do now, so no going to GameFAQ's every 10 secs!), and for a 9 yr old boy who isn't accustomed to epic games, the scenes in VII absolutly kicked our asses! many seirous FUCKING HELL LOOK AT THAT! moments. The story, despite being confusing and knowone knew what the hell was really going on, kept us hooked. Its got humore, its got sadness, its got just plain weird bits more than any other FF to date. Villans are awesome, and Sephiroth WAS badass. The gameplay was awesome. Materia allowed for mixed combonations in abilitys, very flexible and was generaly intresting. You just HAD to get all the diffrent materias going. Chocobo Breeding and racing, fooking genius. Betting on the races, certainly fulled my inner gambler of the time. It may look dated now, but the magic is still there. ITS JUST GREAT!
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