Final Fantasy video retrospective: Part IV

by Alexander Sliwinski { Aug 6th 2007 at 3:25PM }

GameTrailers continues their Final Fantasy retrospective solely focusing on the last game in the series to get the Roman numeral mess-up treatment. Final Fantasy VI, or Final Fantasy III to the west, was the last game for the series in the 2D era, and the last Final Fantasy game in the numerical series we'd see on a Nintendo console. From here on in it was PlayStation all the way.

See also: Part I & II, Part III

Tags: brandonjones, episode4, finalfantasy, finalfantasyretrospective, partiv

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

CJC @ Aug 6th 2007 4:07PM

I know it's labeled wrong on the video itself, but you should probably fix the title from IV to VI, Alex.

CJC @ Aug 6th 2007 4:08PM

Doh, stupid me! It's video part 4, not an error. Ignore the above.

maxx @ Aug 6th 2007 4:12PM

"Playstation all the way..." except for those Gamecube, GBA, DS, Wonderswan, PC, and Xbox Final Fantasy games...

cuso26 @ Aug 6th 2007 4:25PM

They clearly said "the last Final Fantasy game *in the numerical series* we'd see on a Nintendo console". "In the numerical series", meaning, 7-13 have not been on a Nintendo console.

Bucket @ Aug 6th 2007 4:16PM

If FF7 were as awesome as fanboys make it out to be, it'd still only be half as good as FF6.

dxprog @ Aug 6th 2007 4:24PM

VI is, and always will be, Square's finest hour.

Kyle @ Aug 6th 2007 11:31PM

Oh my God, it's like I've traveled to some strange Bizarro world where people like a Final Fantasy game other than VII.

I think I'll stay.

maxx @ Aug 6th 2007 4:26PM

A-freakin-men to that brother. So many people swear by FF7. I think the hysteria springs from the fact that the majority of those people never played a Final Fantasy, let alone a Japanese RPG, prior to 7. FF6 was the pinnacle of the series for people like me who have been playing since the first one. The jump to FF7 was like the jump a lot of music artists make the moment they release a "sell out" album. Sell out to the masses by releasing a "top 40" or "pop" album while turning away the fans who supported you from the very beginning. That's what FF7 was to the franchise.

Go ahead and complain, those of you who want to argue for no reason other than to argue. If you didn't play 1-6 (or 1, 4, then 6 in the US), you have no argument.

maxx @ Aug 6th 2007 4:30PM

The statement is still wrong. It hasn't been "Playstation all the way." FFXI was released on the 360. Remakes were made on the DS and GBA if you want to include those, since they were "in the numerical series."

hvnlysoldr @ Aug 6th 2007 4:54PM

Love IX the most. Then probably V, VI, and III but I didn't play III enough. Spinoffs Tactics Advance, Crystal Chronicles, and Chocobo Dungeon. I loved IX's fantasy art and music, the throwback with set jobs and characters, back stories, and that it was the first FF I played. I've watched my brother play VII and VIII and all I have to say is I would get too frustrated to even continue playing. I couldn't even complete VI though I managed to drag to the final tower.

Bucket @ Aug 6th 2007 5:52PM

They're not going to do the Gameboy games? Poo on that. I don't care if they're not technically FF games.

Tyler @ Aug 6th 2007 6:20PM

Beautiful video, 6 is and always will be my favorite RPG ever

hancock @ Aug 6th 2007 6:54PM

VI.. one of the greatest masterpieces by square.. next to Xenogears and Konami's Suikoden II. Listening to that opening theme makes me want to play it again..

Sven @ Aug 6th 2007 7:50PM

maxx: You pretty much hit the nail on the head. FFVII was "my first Final RPG" to a lot of people, which is what created the blind fanboy love. About the only good thing you can say about it these days is "well, at least they didn't screw it up as badly as they did the next one."

As a contrast, the only bad thing you can say about VI is that Square went out and topped itself with Chrono Trigger (well, and that the Bum Rush unbalances the game the second you get it).

But compared to what came afterwards... yeah, "shining light" is a pretty good way to describe it. Give me an actual well-developed, reasonably mature storyline over juvenile nerd-fantasy caricatures and a sh(l)ock value death any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Sven @ Aug 6th 2007 8:01PM

[Forgot this, apologies] Bucket: I can see leaving the GB games out (even though FFLII is outstanding enough to be put up there with the SNES trinity and is a much better choice for a 3D DS remake than FFIV), but for its incredible number of flaws Mystic Quest is still a Final Fantasy game.

(Even if its status has been diluted somewhat in recent years by Square's whoring out of the FF name to every spinoff they want to try and pop a couple dozen extra sales for.)

Hamfo @ Aug 8th 2007 4:31AM

"Give me an actual well-developed, reasonably mature storyline over juvenile nerd-fantasy caricatures and a sh(l)ock value death any day of the week and twice on Sundays."

So you think FF7 was just a compilation of juvenile nerd-fantasy caricatures and a shock value death? Wow, fanboy'ism at it's finest here.

Kaz @ Aug 6th 2007 8:11PM

VI was the game that changed my life... Best Final Fantasy hands down. I'm glad I watched this video because I always assumed Sakagichi was behind the writing/directing, instead, it turns out to be the director of my second favorite RPG, Chrono Trigger. Heh Good to know :)

John @ Aug 6th 2007 9:55PM

This is the type of "videogame anthropology" that I really appreciate, and I am so glad someone is making these videos and someone is seeing fit to post in Joystiq, because while Joystiq by it's nature tends to be about what is up-and-coming, this piece is about the history and culture of videogaming, and it is an interesting view of the evolution of technology, and how stories are able to evolve at the rate of the technology, yet all good storytellers in videogame land are pushing their current technology to the limits, not only to best tell their story, but because the story is told so much better when done the best possible way on the equipment of the time.

Jormanks @ Aug 7th 2007 2:27AM

This brings tears to my eyes. Wonderful hours spent playing such a piece of art.
Thanks for bringing back the feeling, amigo.

Nateo @ Aug 7th 2007 2:54AM

Yeah, it's kinda hard to explain the feelings of nostalgia this game brings out in me. Being a bit older than the typical Joystiq reader and recalling the anticipation for this game as having been a fan of all the previous American releases, only to find the single most engaging gaming experience I have ever encountered. It's not a stretch to say this game more than met my expectations, and no game of any series or genre has matched the depth of emotional attachment to the characters than this game has, in my jaded opinion. Seven was a great game, an revolutionary in it's implementation and presentation. It may have created a standard and still inspires development in video game storytelling to this day. But there's something to be said about experiencing the classics before their more advanced decedents that gets lost. When I completed that game that's exactly what it felt like, complete.

Arkon @ Aug 7th 2007 3:54AM

Seeing this video and knowing that I've never played a final fantasy game, I think I'll buy all the ones on the
Gameboy Advance and play them.

Hamfo @ Aug 8th 2007 4:24AM

I love how everyone here is calling people who like FF7 "fanboys" and that the only reason they can possibly like it is because it's the first FF they played. It's funny because most people I've talked to who like FF6 are also quick to say FF6 was their first FF game as well. Somewhat ironic.

This "I have more taste than you, and can't possibly understand why you like insert FF" fad is the real fanboy'ism.