At long last, the true Final Fantasy III finally localized for our precious consumption. But don't be fooled by the cutesy characters, they don't make 'em like this no more:
Game Informer (80/100) - "[This is an old-school adventure, with all of the pitfalls and payoffs that entails ... Providing you're the type of person who doesn't have any trouble going back and playing 8-bit games, Final Final III [sic] is an excellent handheld homage to a bygone era."
IGN (78/100) - "For any unassuming casual gamer out there, be warned, as Final Fantasy III hits hard and plays like the demanding days of old. We're talking tons of random battles (every five or so steps in some cases), inns that don't revive dead characters, and instant death battles that don't hesitate to kill unsuspecting explorers that feel the need to wander too far from the 'strongly recommended' path the game delivers ... Either you need this game or you don't. Plain and simple."
Games Radar (70/100) - "[Tons] of uphill struggles and unaccommodating features [make] the experience borderline miserable at times. But for some of us, the Fantasy followers and old-style gamers, it's nice to sneak in such a guilty pleasure in between all the over-produced RPGs that hold your hand every step of the way."
Square Enix finally set a street date on the North American release of the anticipated DS remake, Final Fantasy III. Slated to hit store shelves on Nov. 14, FFIII is a touched-up version of the game that many old-school U.S. gamers never knew -- our FFIII was really the Japanese version of FFVI.
The game will take advantage of the DS' Wi-Fi capabilities allowing players to "communicate with others and uncover hidden dungeons, quests, and items using a Wi-Fi connection."
Games are Fun points the way to six new videos for the upcoming DS version of Final Fantasy III. While the videos are a bit on the short side, they do give you a solid sense of how you'll be revisiting this classic world.
You can either watch the YouTube movies after the break or check out the direct links here:
On August 24, Final Fantasy III and Rune Factory: Shin Bokujou Monogatari (Harvest Moon spinoff) will be released in Japan fo DS. While FFIII certainly has the brand edge, both titles look to boost the DS's credibility as a viable RPG platform. Famitsu recently published its reviews for the two games, suggesting that FFIII is slightly superior:
Keep in mind that, back in March, Children of Mana scored even higher than FFIII, earning a 36/40, and will be released in the US on October 30. FFIII will land stateside in November (hopefully). Rune Factory: Shin Bokujou Monogatari has not been confirmed for release outside of Japan, but Harvest Moon DS is scheduled for September 12.
*C3 News notes that Famitsu's score for the original FFIII (NES) was 35/40.
Go Nintendo points us to a trailer taken from the official Japanese Final Fantasy IIIsite that displays more of that beautiful CG you've come to know and love from the franchise.
Note the angelic look of the characters and the soft flowing music to coincide with the gentle breeze blowing through the trailer. Take a deep breath, and enjoy. Doesn't that prerendered CG stuff get you all hyped up to finally play this DS remake?
A Final Fantasy III (DS) video -- minus the fluff -- has surfaced on YouTube. Although edited, this clip is 3:44 of gameplay footage: a lil' exploring ... a surprise skirmish ... some more explorin' ... a lethargic giant-tortoise boss battle ... a shiny crystal -- you know, classic Final Fantasy. Sure it's garden variety, but it's a proven formula and looking extremely polished at home on DS.
ClubSkill.com reports that a leaked screenshot from Jump, a Japanese publication, reveals that Final Fantasy III will make use of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, at least in part, by allowing friends to send 'letters' to each other. Exchanging these emails is said to trigger special events in the game.
Fair enough, but we're still holding out for some true co-op functionality, or even just a simple battle mode. C'mon Square Enix, we play games to take a break from emailing!
A few days ago, we were sent a scan of a page from Nintendo Power. The image suggests that Final Fantasy III (DS) will feature Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection support. See the tiny blue icon?
Today, IGN confirmed with Square Enix that FFIII would indeed be wi-fi enabled. Unfortunately the company representative added, "I can't reveal the details at this time." Final Fantasy III is scheduled for release on September 12.
At long last, the true Final Fantasy III finally localized for our precious consumption. But don't be fooled by the cutesy characters, they don't make 'em like this no more: 
