
	Platform NES Genre Role-Playing Developer / Publisher Squaresoft Released 1990
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Final Fantasy

In the last couple of years I’ve started to feel a bit old as far as gamers go. It hasn’t been in a self-loathing, “Woe is me” sort of way, but more in terms of a lot more introspection as it slowly sinks in that I’ve been enjoying the medium for about 25 of my dangerously close to 30 years on this planet, and a lot of the games that I look back fondly on probably came out when some AE readers were either still in diapers, or barely a twinkle in their parents’ eyes. One such example of this is the original Final Fantasy for the NES.

It was probably around 1989 when I first caught wind of the game as small bits of promotional material started to trickle out. Dragon Warrior had already been released, and got console gamers interesting in RPGs. As a result, news that another RPG was on the way was very much welcome.

While Dragon Warrior was a decent introduction to role-playing games on a console for me, I was much used to party based games in the genre from playing a lot of Wizardry, Ultima, and A Bard’s Tale on my computer. So, seeing that Final Fantasy allowed players to take control of a party of four adventures was good news indeed. On top of that, it looked like the game would have a pretty decent story too.

When I finally got my hands on the game I quickly fell in love with it. Following the tale of four young light warriors who are trying to restore elemental balance to the world of Corneria, and defeat the mastermind behind this was incredibly fun at the time. Every city had its own unique personality with its own set of problems, and as a 13 year-old it felt incredibly rewarding to navigate massive dungeons, and somehow manage to defeat the boss at the end of them.

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Looking back, it still surprises me how clearly I can remember playing certain parts of the game. The dungeons for the air and wind elements particularly stand out. Going through the air dungeon I remember trying to make my way to the boss, hoping and praying that I didn’t get attacked by a massive robot that sometimes goes after parties there. Of course, I did get thumped by the thing, and lost half my party in the process.

But as fondly as I remember the dungeons in the game, the three

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most satisfying parts of the game had to be getting the airship, seeing my characters become adults, and, of course, the game’s ending. Seeing what happened after finally defeating the game’s final boss really threw me for a loop. The battle itself was hard enough, or at least it felt like it way back then, but the ending threw such a huge plot twist that it was difficult not to be at least a little shocked.

In retrospect, it’s funny looking at what I thought was fresh as a young lad, and realizing it’s all rather derivative now. Traveling from one town to the next in a linear fashion, while following a steady progression of increasingly powerful weapons, armor, and magic, with no options to customize anything seems a little trite by today’s standards. Nonetheless, it by no means takes away from how fondly I look back on the game. I probably wouldn’t like the game if it came out on a handheld today for the first time, but 15 years ago it was magic, and will always be a special game to me.

Mr. Nash

February 15, 2006