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Early Final Fantasy Games

Today I've been adding ROMs to my NES and SNES libraries. I own all of the Final Fantasy games up until 9 on PS1, and 10 up to 13-2 on other consoles, along with a few of the spinoffs. Even though I already have the games, I thought it would be good to get the NES and SNES versions.

Trying to figure out which games are which without looking it up is impossible. The games had a Japanese release before the US release, and some of them were not released on NES and SNES, only on Famicom.

Here is a list of the games on NES and SNES:

  • Final Fantasy [NES]
  • Final Fantasy 4 [SNES]
  • Final Fantasy 6 [SNES]

So for some reason, they skipped 2,3 and 5. Those games were only available on the Famicom in Japan. The problem is, when they released 4 and 6 on SNES in the US, they just decided to call them 2 and 3. So up until the PS1 releases of all the games, nobody outside of Japan would have had a clue that the games even existed. It is also worth mentioning that there was another FF release on SNES - "Final Fantasy Mystic Quest". Or at least, that is what the US version is called. Confusingly, the Japanese release was called "Final Fantasy USA: Mystic Quest", and the European version wasn't even called Final Fantasy, it was just called "Mystic Quest Legend".

Upon reviewing my PS1 collection, I noticed even more fuckery. 1 and 2 got a PS1 release in 2002. 4-9 got a release on PS1 a year later, in 2003. What happened to the third one? It turns out it never got made. I apparently do not own all of them on PS1. For 16 years it was only available on Famicom in Japan, until they released it on DS in 2006. It isn't even the original game either, it is a complete remake in 3D. There was a release on PC in 2014, but I'm not sure if that is the original or the remake. At best, it took them 24 years to release it outside of Japan, and at worst, the only release that exists is still in Japanese on the fucking Famicom.

Later Final Fantasy Games

I also remember being confused by the release of Final Fantasy 12. There was Final Fantasy X, and X-2, so I just assumed they skipped 11 until a couple of years later when I discovered that FF11 was an online MMORPG released in 2002. Strangely, they were still making expansion packs for it as recently as 2013, and released it again on IOS last year.

After 12, they made 13, which then spawned another "-2" game, 13-2. I only just found out that there was another 13 game called Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13, which is a sequel to 13-2. How the fuck is anyone supposed to keep up with this shit? I haven't even mentioned the spinoff games, of which there are literally 4-5 every year on various different consoles. There is even "Final Fantasy Agito", which is a spinoff of "Final Fantasy Type-0", which is a spinoff of Final Fantasy 13.

If this steaming pile of bullshit wasn't hard enough to wade through, they took it even further. Instead of just having spinoff games vaguely related to the main series - which I'm totally fine with - they actually made spinoff games that fit directly into the main series, kind of like how Rogue One happens in between Episode 3 and 4. For example, there is a game called "Final Fantasy 4: The After Years", which occurs in between 4 and 5. However, it is only available on PSP, and you can only get it if you buy a specific collection that also includes Final Fantasy 4. On top of that, it is only available in Japan.

Final Fantasy 12 also had a sequel, but was only available on DS, so it is treated as a spinoff.

FF7 gets even weirder. Here is a list of all of the FF7 games that aren't actually FF7:

  • Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII
  • Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII
  • Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode: Final Fantasy VII
  • Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
  • Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII International

Strangely, they happen in that order. You would think that Before Crisis would be directly before Crisis Core, but no, it isn't.

MMORPG Final Fantasy Games

I just want another Final Fantasy game that doesn't completely suck. 13 was passable, and I didn't even finish 13-2. 12 was also passable, but the last good Final Fantasy game was probably 10-2, which came out in about 2002-3.

I can only assume that there is some sort of MMORPG boom in Japan at the moment. The fact that they decided to go down this road is confusing. 11 wasn't popular outside of Japan, and 14 was released and then basically remade because the first version was so bad, so why did they make 15? In fact, 14 had a sequel that I didn't even know about until today either.

How and why do they make so many games?

In closing, to underline how fucking ridiculous Square Enix is, this is an actual game title:

"Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue"

This was released in January on PS4, two years after they announced Kingdom Hearts 3, which has yet to surface. What the actual fuck.
##Early Final Fantasy Games Today I've been adding ROMs to my NES and SNES libraries. I own all of the Final Fantasy games up until 9 on PS1, and 10 up to 13-2 on other consoles, along with a few of the spinoffs. Even though I already have the games, I thought it would be good to get the NES and SNES versions. Trying to figure out which games are which without looking it up is impossible. The games had a Japanese release before the US release, and some of them were not released on NES and SNES, only on Famicom. Here is a list of the games on NES and SNES: - Final Fantasy [NES] - Final Fantasy 4 [SNES] - Final Fantasy 6 [SNES] So for some reason, they skipped 2,3 and 5. Those games were only available on the Famicom in Japan. The problem is, when they released 4 and 6 on SNES in the US, they just decided to call them 2 and 3. So up until the PS1 releases of all the games, nobody outside of Japan would have had a clue that the games even existed. It is also worth mentioning that there was another FF release on SNES - "Final Fantasy Mystic Quest". Or at least, that is what the US version is called. Confusingly, the Japanese release was called "Final Fantasy USA: Mystic Quest", and the European version wasn't even called Final Fantasy, it was just called "Mystic Quest Legend". Upon reviewing my PS1 collection, I noticed even more fuckery. 1 and 2 got a PS1 release in 2002. 4-9 got a release on PS1 a year later, in 2003. What happened to the third one? It turns out it never got made. I apparently do not own all of them on PS1. For 16 years it was only available on Famicom in Japan, until they released it on DS in 2006. It isn't even the original game either, it is a complete remake in 3D. There was a release on PC in 2014, but I'm not sure if that is the original or the remake. At best, it took them 24 years to release it outside of Japan, and at worst, the only release that exists is still in Japanese on the fucking Famicom. ##Later Final Fantasy Games I also remember being confused by the release of Final Fantasy 12. There was Final Fantasy X, and X-2, so I just assumed they skipped 11 until a couple of years later when I discovered that FF11 was an online MMORPG released in 2002. Strangely, they were still making expansion packs for it as recently as 2013, and released it again on IOS last year. After 12, they made 13, which then spawned another "-2" game, 13-2. I only just found out that there was another 13 game called Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy 13, which is a sequel to 13-2. How the fuck is anyone supposed to keep up with this shit? I haven't even mentioned the spinoff games, of which there are literally 4-5 every year on various different consoles. There is even "Final Fantasy Agito", which is a spinoff of "Final Fantasy Type-0", which is a spinoff of Final Fantasy 13. If this steaming pile of bullshit wasn't hard enough to wade through, they took it even further. Instead of just having spinoff games vaguely related to the main series - which I'm totally fine with - they actually made spinoff games that fit directly into the main series, kind of like how Rogue One happens in between Episode 3 and 4. For example, there is a game called "Final Fantasy 4: The After Years", which occurs in between 4 and 5. However, it is only available on PSP, and you can only get it if you buy a specific collection that also includes Final Fantasy 4. On top of that, it is only available in Japan. Final Fantasy 12 also had a sequel, but was only available on DS, so it is treated as a spinoff. FF7 gets even weirder. Here is a list of all of the FF7 games that aren't actually FF7: - Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII - Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII - Dirge of Cerberus Lost Episode: Final Fantasy VII - Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII - Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII International Strangely, they happen in that order. You would think that Before Crisis would be directly before Crisis Core, but no, it isn't. ##MMORPG Final Fantasy Games I just want another Final Fantasy game that doesn't completely suck. 13 was passable, and I didn't even finish 13-2. 12 was also passable, but the last good Final Fantasy game was probably 10-2, which came out in about 2002-3. I can only assume that there is some sort of MMORPG boom in Japan at the moment. The fact that they decided to go down this road is confusing. 11 wasn't popular outside of Japan, and 14 was released and then basically remade because the first version was so bad, so why did they make 15? In fact, 14 had a sequel that I didn't even know about until today either. **How and why do they make so many games?** In closing, to underline how fucking ridiculous Square Enix is, this is an actual game title: "Kingdom Hearts HD 2.8 Final Chapter Prologue" This was released in January on PS4, two years after they announced Kingdom Hearts 3, which has yet to surface. What the actual fuck.

4 comments

[–] PhunkyPlatypus 2 points (+2|-0)

I knew that series had some serious fuckery in their ordering. But I had no idea it was this completely pants on the head retarded.
[–] PMYA [OP] 2 points (+2|-0) Edited

As bad as Final Fantasy is, it is arguably not as bad as Zelda. There are way less Zelda games, and the titles are easier to understand, but nobody actually knows which order they're supposed to happen in. Seriously. Even the guy who made the Zelda games can't clarify which order they're supposed to happen in.

Basically, there is The Legend of Zelda, then Zelda 2: The Adventure of Link [which is the only game that has a number in it]. The reason for this is the other games are all prequels to the first game, all of which appear to jump back and forth along the timeline, or don't fit within the timeline at all. One of the games is even about time travel, so that screws it up even more.

There are some people who have suggested there are multiple Links in split universes, because there is no other way to explain the chronological order of the games.

Edit: There is a 247 page book that explains the timeline.
[–] TheRedArmy 1 points (+1|-0) Edited

Alternatively, there's a nice video on YouTube that sums it up nicely from a historical chronological perspective up to Skyward Sword.

EDIT: Added link and fixed error.
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