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Final Fantasy Series
FFI FFII FFIII FFIV FFV FFVI FFVII DoC FFVIII FFIX FFX FFX-2 FFT FFTA
History Archive - Final Fantasy Series Final Fantasy is a truly massive collection of hugely popular RPG games that is considered to be one of the most successful video game franchises ever made. The success of the Final Fantasy franchise is unprecedented; the games have featured on almost every major platform around in the past 10 years, including both the NES and SNES. As of May 2006, Square Enix has sold over 68 million copies throughout Asia, America, Europe and Australia.
Due to the series' success no less than 3 anime productions and 2 full length CGI films have been produced. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children is a computer animated film based on the events after the very successful Final Fantasy VII game. An English version of the film was released in April 2006 and was very successful, achieving top spot of Amazon.com's best sellers page.
This is so much more than just a video game, this is a cult. The hugely successful games that have been produced over the past decade are a result of the huge fan base the franchise has developed. Square Enix could bring out a totally rubbish new game and it would be guaranteed to sell millions; but that isn't to say the existing games aren't that good. In reality, they are absolutely fantastic. Each new game is an improvement on the last.
The main Final Fantasy series is a little unorthodox in that unlike your typical video game series, each new instalment is unrelated. The main story and plot and game play all vary throughout the various instalments. Different characters and new locations combined with innovative game play ensure a totally new experience every time. Each new major release brings a new world, new characters, a different story and a host of new and innovative game play elements.
The first game of the series, Final Fantasy, appeared in 1987 for NES. To date there are 12 main numbered titles and a numerous different spin offs, with many more planned for the future. Future instalments have been announced for the PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and the new exciting Nintendo Wii.
The Final Fantasy series
Final Fantasy I (FFI)
The original Final Fantasy game was first published in 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System and was one of the most popular and influential RPG games available. Due to the games success in Japan it was then translated into English and then released in North America in 1990. Since then it has been remade for a number of different platforms, including a remake for the Sony Playstation in 2003.
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Final Fantasy II (FFII)
The original version of Final Fantasy II was never released outside of Japan in it's original form, although it was later remade for the Sony Playstation and GBA as parts of the Final Fantasy Origins collection and the Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls collection respectively. The game was unique as it featured a new experience system, where each character gained individual experience points based on how they were used.
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Final Fantasy III (FFIII)
Final Fantasy III was first published in 1990 for the NES and was a huge success. It was one of the largest RPG's of its kind to grace the NES. Due to its success Final Fantasy III was remade and enhanced with 3D visuals for the new portable Nintendo DS system in 2006 and was the only version of the game to be released internationally.
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Final Fantasy IV (FFIV)
Final Fantasy IV was published in 1991 by Square for the SNES. It was first released in North America as Final Fantasy II; however in later releases the original name was restored to avoid any further confusion. Since its original release the game has been ported to a number of other platforms, in particular the Sony Playstation and the Game Boy Advance. Some people consider this one of the greatest games of all time. It certainly introduced a number of new innovations that became part and parcel of the rest of the Final Fantasy series and RPG's in general.
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Final Fantasy V (FFV)
Final Fantasy V is the fifth instalment of the Final Fantasy series and was released on the SNES in 1992. It was then re-released for the Sony Playstation in 1998, to be translated into English and then released for America and Europe as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology collection. An enhanced version was made for the Game Boy Advance which was then released in 1996.
This was the last game of the series to be directed by its creator Hironobu Sakaguchi.
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Final Fantasy VI (FFVI)
Final Fantasy VI was released in 1994 for the SNES and was the third game to be released America. As a result the game was at first marketed under the guise of Final Fantasy III. This was later changed to avoid confusion between the various games in the series.
This was the first Final Fantasy game to be made without the influence of Hironobu Sakaguchi, yet this didn't hinder it one bit. The game is still considered to be the best game of the series and of its whole genre. Final Fantasy VI was re-released on the Sony Playstation in '99 and the Game Boy Advance in 2006.
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Final Fantasy VII (FFVII)
Final Fantasy VII was the first game of the Final Fantasy series to be produced solely for the Sony Playstation. It also happened to be the first game to be ported to Windows based computers and was the first Final Fantasy game to use full 3D computer graphics. This is certainly, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most popular games of the series and has been credited with the success of bringing the RPG genre to the mainstream outside of Japan.
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Dirge of Cerberus (DoC)
The Dirge of Cerberus is the first playable Final Fantasy spin off. The game concentrates on a secret and mysterious character from Final Fantasy VII, and unlike the other Final Fantasy games, is a 3D person action game rather than an RPG. It was released in 2006 in both Japan and America for the new Playstation 2 console.
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Final Fantasy VIII (FFVIII)
Final Fantasy VIII was released in 1999 for both the PC and PlayStation and happens to be the second instalment of the series to be released on both respective platforms. After just 13 weeks from its day of release, Final Fantasy VIII made more than $50 million in sales, securing its place as the series fastest selling game.
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Final Fantasy IX (FFIX)
Final Fantasy IX was released in Japan and America in late 2000, and eventually released in Europe in early 2001. This was the last game of the Final Fantasy series to be developed for the Sony PlayStation, and although it was developed alongside Final Fantasy VIII, the game turned out quite different.
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Final Fantasy X (FFX)
Final Fantasy X is the 10th instalment of the Final Fantasy series and was the first to be released for the new Sony PlayStation 2 in 2001. It quickly became one of the top twenty best selling games of all time and voted the best game of all time according to readers of the Japanese magazine Famitsu. This was the first game of the series to use voice-over actors for its characters and as a result of its success, spawned its very own sequel!
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Final Fantasy X-2 (FFX-2)
Final Fantasy X-2 is the sequel to the very successful Final Fantasy X. This was the first direct sequel ever released and hit the shelves in 2003 being released for the Sony PlayStation 2. The main character is Yuna from Final Fantasy X. This game is slightly unique in that you there are only 3 playable characters who all happen to be female, and this is one of the few games of the Final Fantasy series to include different endings.
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Final Fantasy XI (FFXI)
Final Fantasy XI, also known as Final Fantasy Online, is a new direction for the Final Fantasy series. Unlike the typical RPG's, Final Fantasy XI is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game or MMORPG featuring online play. It was first released in Japan in 2002 for the Sony PlayStation and was later released for the PC. In April 2006 it was then re-released for Microsoft's new Xbox 360 console.
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Final Fantasy XII (FFXII)
Final Fantasy XII was released in 2006 for the PlayStation 2 in both Japan and America, but is yet to be released in Europe. We are hopeful that is should be released around February 2007. In early October 2006, a version of the game was leaked onto the Internet about a month before it was supposed to be released.
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Final Fantasy Tactics (FFT)
Final Fantasy Tactics was released in 1997 for the Sony PlayStation. This was a tactical role playing game as opposed to the usual format of a RPG and was released in Japan and America but unfortunately never made its way into Europe. A spin off of the game was created in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance called Final Fantasy Tactics Advance.
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Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (FFTA)
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is a spin off of the popular Final Fantasy Tactics for the PlayStation and was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. It is a strategy-RPG title in which the player has to assemble a group of characters and control them throughout the game, including in battle.
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Conclusion
The Final Fantasy series is purely magical and is one of the world's most successful video game franchises for a reason. The stories, plots, characters and innovative game play included within each game is fantastic and very enjoyable. External Links Final Fantasy at Wikipedia * The Creators of Final Fantasy Featured Articles The History of Seiken Densetsu * The History of Zelda
