SNES Games I Love #12: Final Fantasy III

On 02/12/2020 at 08:11 AM by The Last Ninja

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Developer: Squaresoft

Publisher: Squaresoft

Genre: RPG

Release: 1994

Currently available on: PS1, GBA, Android, iOS, Windows, SNES Classic Edition

About the game: In Final Fantasy III (FF VI in Japan), you join the resistance to fight agains the Empire. The game has a whopping 14 playable characters, and the battle system is excellent due to each character's unique abilities. The villain, Kefka, is a lunatic who seems harmless at first, but then he kills the emporer and gains the power of deity. FFIII did something incredible for its time: it actually has the villain win! The second half of the game has you wandering a destroyed world trying to find your friends in order to regroup and have a final showdown with Kefka. Due to its excellent story, interesting characters, strong gameplay, and fantastic music, FFIII is still regarded as one of the best in the series--and one of the best RPGs ever.

Why I love it: This is my favorite RPG ever! I have tons of nostalgia for this one, as I remember sitting in the basement as a young kid watching my older brother play through it. We were all mesmerized by its fascinating world and the awesome music. Yes, the music! This is by far my favorite video game soundtrack. The quality of the instrumentation is astounding. In fact, I think the instrumentation here sounds better than that of FF VII! Okay, but guys, it's not just nostalgia, this game still holds up! The story is STILL remarkable, and the music is STILL amazing! This is STILL perhaps the best in the series (it's debateable, I know). Square was way ahead of its time with this game, and it rightly deserves all the praise and recognition it gets.

You can read my full review (more gushing) of this game here

Cary Woodham

02/12/2020 at 08:33 AM

WHEW! I was beginning to worry that it's been almost halfway through the month, and you hadn't touched upon two of my top five favorite games of all time. These two games were on the SNES, and FF6 is one of them. I won't tell you what the other one is, I want to see if you'll go over it later.

But yeah, FF6 is one of my top five favorite games of all time. I loved the story, characters, graphics, and I think the music makes up what I call the perfect soundtrack. Kefka is my favorite FF baddie, and Terra is my favorite FF hero. I could gush on this game all day.

The Last Ninja

02/12/2020 at 11:54 PM

I'm right there with you! This game is just incredible. It might be in my top five too, certainly it's my favorite RPG.

KnightDriver

02/12/2020 at 03:36 PM

I just put this on my list. The GBA version, I believe. I hope I can get a copy for a resonable price.

02/12/2020 at 11:55 PM

Yes, get it by all means! Unfortunately, the GBA version doesn't sound nearly as good as the original, but it's still an excellent game, and I think they added some neat new features.

02/15/2020 at 06:14 PM

I wish Game Pass was doing all the FF games. I heard they're adding FF VII-XII sometime soon.

SanAndreas

02/12/2020 at 04:31 PM

This was the game that really got me back into RPGs after a five year hiatus, although ads for Lunar: The Silver Star were also piquing my interest. FF6 was my third favorite 16-bit game of all time after A Link to the Past and Super Metroid. I had the privilege of seeing Susan Callaway singing Aria de Mezzo Carattere at Distant Worlds in 2013 in Omaha (the same night Nobuo Uematsu autographed the cover insert of my copy of FF9.)

02/12/2020 at 11:56 PM

Whoa, you ARE a big fan! I'm assuming, then, that FF9 has a special place in your heart too? (I also love that game)

02/13/2020 at 01:39 AM

A lot of the games do, including FF7, FF9, and FF12. I chose FF9 in part because I read somewhere that it was Uematsu's favorite FF. And so the copy of FF9 I got from my parents for Christmas in 2000 now bears the signature of ithe game's composer.

daftman

02/12/2020 at 11:31 PM

This game deserves all the gushing! I really should play it again. It's been so long...

02/12/2020 at 11:58 PM

Well, since you have the SNES cartridge but I'm not bitter

Machocruz

02/13/2020 at 12:16 AM

The music of FF7 is highly overrated. The electronic soundscape is dated, video gamey, and hokey compared to FF6's timeless classical influences. Dancing Mad is Uematsu's tour de force.

02/14/2020 at 12:29 AM

I couldn't agree more

PixlBit

SNES Games I Love #12: Final Fantasy III

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