Playing through every version of Final Fantasy (US releases)

Armenius

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A couple weeks ago I decided I was going to play through every US release version of the original Final Fantasy. Don't ask me why. I wanted to share my experience with each here. I did not play the virtual console release since the VC is defunct now on the Wii platform (it's the same version as the original NES, anyway), and I did not play the iOS or Windows Phone releases since I do not have a either device and didn't want to bother with an emulator (I've had all kinds of issues with mobile emulators in the past and it's the same version as the PSP). These are ordered from best to worst based on my subjective opinion.

1. Final Fantasy Origins (2003, Sony PlayStation)

Played on a PlayStation 2 Slim SCPH-77000 - This version was based on the WonderSwan Color version and included upgraded 16-bit graphics and various quality-of-life improvements present in later entries in the series. The graphics and sound were further upgraded to take advantage of the PlayStation's hardware. The only apparent issue is with the non-standard rendering resolution. On a CRT this causes the image to stretch and distort, but a modern LCD TV is able to correct the image and display it correctly.

This is my #1 because this version plays almost exactly like the original game while it's made better by the QOL changes. These changes include auto targeting (which can be turned off), more informative equipment and shop menus, and a universal item sack that can carry everything in the game. There is also an optional easy mode which was used as the basis for the gameplay in all versions to follow. A save state file called "Memo File" is available that makes treks through the long and arduous dungeons a little more bearable.

Team used: Fighter/Knight, Fighter/Knight, Red Mage/Red Wizard, Red Mage/Red Wizard. Class change was at level 7.

2. Final Fantasy (1990, Nintendo Entertainment System; 2016, NES Classic Edition)

Played on Mesen 0.9.7 and NES Classic Edition - Both releases in this case are the same version of the game. I played through both just to be complete. The original game provided a great challenge and still offers a unique experience among the several versions released since. Unfortunately the game contained a multitude of bugs that made many of its intended mechanics unusable, but probably adds to its charm. Being forced to select targets during large battles adds a layer of strategy to the game. I first played this game around 2004 on the FCEU emulator and still find the game charming in its quirkiness and art style.

Team used (both versions): Fighter/Knight, Thief/Ninja, Red Mage/Red Wizard, Black Mage/Black Wizard. Class change was at level 9.

3. Final Fantasy: 20th Anniversary Edition (2007, Sony PlayStation Portable)

Played on PPSSPP 1.8.0-291-gcfa79b686 - Also based on the WonderSwan Color version, as most versions after Origins are. It also defaults to easy mode as every version since Dawn of Souls does, extending the level cap to 99, using the MP system from later games, and decreasing the cost of everything. This version adds a 3D look to the overworld and weather effects in dungeons/towns. It adds a layer of charm to the game that made this playthrough pleasant. Unfortunately the widescreen resolution is vert- when compared to the original everywhere but battle, meaning you lose a lot of vertical screen space. However, this is still the best looking version of the game out there with redrawn sprites that look very close to Amano's original sketches.

This version of the game includes the Soul of Chaos dungeons first introduced in the GBA version of the game and it adds a new dungeon called Labyrinth of Time. Both add super bosses pulled straight from later games in the series and add a nice challenge to the game, taking full advantage of the easier game mechanics. I am not a big fan of the gameplay changes, however, but the gorgeous visuals and great sound make this my top pick among the versions with revamped gameplay.

Team used: Fighter/Knight, Thief/Ninja, Red Mage/Red Wizard, White Mage/White Wizard. Class change was at level 25 (super casual).

4. Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls (2004, Nintendo Gameboy Advance)

Played on Nintendo DS Lite (White) - This was the worst version of the game until I played the Android version (more on that below). The sprites and color just do not look good at all. Compared to the Origins version of the game, this version has very little contrast and no depth. This is probably due to the limited hardware of the GBA, but it still makes the experience not too pleasant. Adding insult to injury the game felt very "stuttery" compared to the smoothness of all other versions. The low resolution also makes the font horrible to look at. Otherwise gameplay mechanics are identical to the PSP version above, which I am not a fan of. It is too easy to reach level 99, at which point the game becomes mostly a joke no matter what your party composition.

Team used: Thief/Ninja, Red Mage/Red Wizard, Monk/Master, Monk/Master. Class change was at level 11.

5. Final Fantasy (2012, Android 4.0 "Ice Cream Sandwich")

Played on a Razer Phone 2 (Android 9.0 "Pie") - This version of the game is based on the 20th Anniversary Edition for PSP, so it has the same good looks and sound as that version. However, this mobile port suffers from several issues. The big one is the glaring omission of the Soul of Chaos and Labyrinth of Time dungeons. This was surprising given that they had been adding more content with each passing release, not taking it away. I can find no reason as to why this content was not included with this version of the game.

The next big one is the touch controls. The controls actually work very well in battle, but in menus you have to either double-tap an option or drag to make a selection and then tap to select it. On my phone the controls were also not responsive 100% of the time. In addition, the virtual d-pad to move around was quite frustrating to use. Your thumb needs to move in near exact 90 degree motions to change directions once your thumb placement is established, and moving your thumb outside of the established circle of detection makes the d-pad disappear which forces you to lift and place your thumb on the screen again.

The last big issue is performance. On my phone the game runs too fast out of the box. Conversely, I've seen people with a Samsung Galaxy S10 mention it running too slowly. The Razer Phone 2 thankfully comes with an app called Cortex that allows you to set custom profiles for games, so I was able to get it to run appropriately for the most part. I set the processor to 1.6 GHz and FPS to 60 while keeping the resolution at 1440p. There were still instances of speedup and slow down, though, mostly on the world map.

Team used: Fighter/Knight, Monk/Master, White Mage/White Wizard, Black Mage/Black Wizard. Class change was at level 19.
 
You have the free time of a god apparently, I wish I could finish one final fantasy game a year! Great idea though. I’d love to go through every single JP release in sequential order, but it would take me essentially forever.
 
Not bad, recently played a ROM hack of the original (Final Fantasy Restored) that cleans up the translation and fixes most of the bugs in the original release (especially the INT bug and the Critical Hit bug, as well as weapons not doing their intended extra damage when they are supposed to do so). Played the PSP release shortly after, and boy having access to Ethers and Phoenix Downs makes the game 100x easier.

Preferred party (original): Fighter, Thief, Red Mage, Black Mage
Preferred party (all remakes): Fighter, Thief/Black Belt, Red Mage, White Mage

In the original, you can get away with a Red Mage as your primary healer as you shouldn't be healing during boss fights anyway given how quickly bosses go down. The only downside is the lack of revive capability until the Red Mage promotes and gains access to Life. Plus he's an obvious Masamune user. Black Mage is there for early AoE plus the insta-death spells (which are damn useful in the midgame).

In the remakes, a White Mage is more necessary (despite Phoenix Downs existing) due to the fact superbosses in the bonus dungeons can deal significant AoE damage that requires Healaga to deal with. Because the Black Belts MGD growth is fixed I prefer it over the Thief, except in the PSP version as the Thief's stat growth was adjusted to make it overall stronger. In either case, I drop the Black Mage as he really tails of in the bonus dungeons and having a second caster of Blinkaga helps get your defenses up that much faster.
 
Not bad, recently played a ROM hack of the original (Final Fantasy Restored) that cleans up the translation and fixes most of the bugs in the original release (especially the INT bug and the Critical Hit bug, as well as weapons not doing their intended extra damage when they are supposed to do so). Played the PSP release shortly after, and boy having access to Ethers and Phoenix Downs makes the game 100x easier.

Preferred party (original): Fighter, Thief, Red Mage, Black Mage
Preferred party (all remakes): Fighter, Thief/Black Belt, Red Mage, White Mage

In the original, you can get away with a Red Mage as your primary healer as you shouldn't be healing during boss fights anyway given how quickly bosses go down. The only downside is the lack of revive capability until the Red Mage promotes and gains access to Life. Plus he's an obvious Masamune user. Black Mage is there for early AoE plus the insta-death spells (which are damn useful in the midgame).

In the remakes, a White Mage is more necessary (despite Phoenix Downs existing) due to the fact superbosses in the bonus dungeons can deal significant AoE damage that requires Healaga to deal with. Because the Black Belts MGD growth is fixed I prefer it over the Thief, except in the PSP version as the Thief's stat growth was adjusted to make it overall stronger. In either case, I drop the Black Mage as he really tails of in the bonus dungeons and having a second caster of Blinkaga helps get your defenses up that much faster.
I find having a Red Wizard for a second black magic user more useful than a White Wizard. When you have both a Ninja and Red Wizard buffing two Masters with Haste and Temper the super bosses don't last long enough to need to worry about healing. If you need healing then there is always the Rune Staff, and you can duplicate it to have two or more to cast in one turn if you need to.
 
I tried Final fantasy 3 USA version on both the SNES and PS1 the SNES version looked better for some reason. I was about 21 at the time and played it drunk took me forever to get past the game. I picked up the game at a used videogame dealer in Green Bay because it was sold out everywhere even Toysrus was sold out.
 
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I tried Final fantasy 3 USA version on both the SNES and PS1 the SNES version looked better for some reason. I was about 21 at the time and played it drunk took me forever to get past the game. I picked up the game at a used videogame dealer in Greenbay because it was sold out everywhere even Toysrus was sold out.
The PlayStation version of FF6 does have issues compared to the SNES version. I may do a run through those, as well. Still debating if I want to do FF2. There are only 3 versions of that to run through instead of 6 like FF1, but I want to play some other games at the moment.
 
Final Fantasy 2 is great because you get to team up with the twins an Cid the mechanic the airship overview is pretty awesome.
 
I find having a Red Wizard for a second black magic user more useful than a White Wizard. When you have both a Ninja and Red Wizard buffing two Masters with Haste and Temper the super bosses don't last long enough to need to worry about healing. If you need healing then there is always the Rune Staff, and you can duplicate it to have two or more to cast in one turn if you need to.

The Rune Staff is viable, but remember that in remakes the healing is determined by the users INT stat. The White Wizard also has early access to Blinkaga, which is comically broken after it's stacked a few times. In addition, certain super-bosses in the remakes (Shinryu and Omega mostly) deal enough damage fast enough where you need that extra healing at the start of the battle in order to get properly setup, and Life2 is a lifesaver is someone does drop. In addition, if you take a Black Belt, you really don't need to buff him by the late game (>2.5k per hit without buffs); even the Knight can't compare even when buffed with Excalibur/Ragnarok.

EDIT

Forgot to mention the Black Belt/Master essentially dictates a White Mage due to his poor defenses/armor options.

/EDIT

Granted, both are viable, and in the original I'd agree Fighter/Thief/Red Mage/Black Mage is probably the *best* all-around party. In the remakes though, I'd drop the Black Mage as he really falls off a cliff during the extra content compared to the rest.
 
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The PlayStation version of FF6 does have issues compared to the SNES version. I may do a run through those, as well. Still debating if I want to do FF2. There are only 3 versions of that to run through instead of 6 like FF1, but I want to play some other games at the moment.

Just play through the Snes version. It's how the game was made originally, and you won't have to deal with any of the ps1 loading time wonk. That is, unless you plan on playing V as well, but in either case, I'd go emulated Snes for brevity, and V has a trans. patch as well.
 
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