Favorite Final Fantasy from Each Era

[jecca-neko]

Since I'm juggling both FFII and FFIII at the moment it has me thinking about the different eras of the games. What I mean is what platform they were originally released on. Each era has its own great aspects and its own detriments.

Which are your favorite FF games from each era and why? You can base your choice on a different version of the game if you'd like but, again, I'm listing it on the polls as the original platform it was on.

I'm not going to include the non-main numbered games. I know people may disagree with FFX-2 as a main-numbered part of the series, but I think it deserves to be as much as FFXI does. :sd:

[Kevinroc]

NES:

Final Fantasy I. (Nostalgic value. I didn't play FF 2 and 3 until many years after the US launches.)

SNES:

Final Fantasy IV. (Nostalgic value.)

PS1:

Final Fantasy IX.

PS2:

Final Fantasy XII.

[EmperorBrandon]

NES - Final Fantasy
I liked it more than II, which was a bit tedious even though it had more of a story. The original can be a bit of a fun challenge. I liked what I played of III (though it was the original version, not the remake), but it's been a while so I don't know how to place it - didn't finish it either.

SNES - Final Fantasy VI
This one is my favorite, just barely over FFIV, both of which I enjoy tremendously and have played countless times over. FFV is the weakest out of the bunch, though I still enjoyed it

PS - Final Fantasy IX
This is kind of a default thing as I haven't played FFVII or FFVIII enough to judge them fairly. FFVIII was not looking too swell for me, though FFVII may have been something I really liked after I got into it. I still love FFIX a lot, though.

PS2 - haven't played
Honestly either haven't played or barely played these ones. I'm behind. :sd:

Overall - Final Fantasy Tactics, of course :D

[ADC]

NES era: Final Fantasy
And it isn't close. FF2 is kind of whatever, and I think the recent frequenters of the Gaming forum know how I feel about FF3. In this case, I prefer the GBA release for graphics and magic system improvements. On the PS One, I have to drop the Black Mage for a Monk, which runs against my nature as a lover of magic-users in RPGs.

SNES era: Final Fantasy V
Without reservation, but I will admit that this is the toughest of the bunch. I think that I'd still say FF6 if I hadn't played all three recently on the GBA and found the FF6 port sort of wanting; and I do love all three of these games. I just think that FF5 stands up the tallest. Probably helps that Krile is drawn with the digital pen of Win.

PS One era: Final Fantasy VII
With only slight conflict because FF9 was surprisingly awesome. I still think that, of the whole series, FF7 is the best — and I hope there will be no claims that I think so because it's the most popular. I did play the first one way back in 1990, and 4 and 6 each as they dropped in the States on the SNES.

PS2 era: Final Fantasy X-2
It occurs to me that I've put more time into FF12 than FFs 10 and X-2 combined, but when I think of the game which gave me the most fun and satisfaction, it's X-2. FF10 was mostly awful, and FF12 just takes too damned long if you really want to accomplish anything.

Total ranking:
7, T, 5, 9, X-2, 6, 4, 1, 12, TA, 2, 3, 10, CC, 8. That's right: Crystal Chronicles is better than FF8. We shall call it the 70-year-old-with-busted-implants booby prize.

[martod]

NES--didn't vote. I haven't played 2 or 3 and I last played 1 about 10 years ago.

Super NES--VI. Haven't played 5, and my recent experiences with IV and VI show that IV didn't age well, mostly because a lot of the plot elements, while original in their day, are now well worn cliches. VI is still a classic.

PS1--IX. I always loved IX, even when people were bashing it. I found VII good but unmemorable, and I consider VIII to be my least favorite FF game.

PS2--I haven't played XI, and I consider X-2 to be my second least favorite. X was good but unmemorable(side question: was I the only player who found Blitzball fairly easy?). I think XII has a lousy story but it is very addictive and fun, so it got my vote. Plus, RPGs need more suave, rogueish male characters like Balthier(or as I like to call him Balthier...James Balthier).

[Shale]

NES: No vote. FF2 is my favorite of the portable remakes.

SNES: FFVI. My favorite of the main series, by far. Great story, cast, writing, battle system, skill system, music, style, you name it. Even pulls off being an RPG without a main character.

PS1: FF7, but only because Tactics isn't an option. A solid game with excellent aesthetics, although I've never bought into much of the "best RPG ever" hype that surrounds it.

PS2: FFX. By leaps and bounds. The cast holds it back from competing with FF6 overall in my eyes, but against the other PS2 entries there's no comparison. Story, setting, Sphere Grid system, the best battle system of the series, amazing graphics. XII just drags, I never played XI, and X-2's version of the job/ability system is exactly what I didn't want to see, plus the battle system, story and characters just annoy the hell out of me.

[AbeChinchilla]

Final Fantasy? Gross.

NES - Final Fantasy II
SNES - Final Fantasy IV
PS1 - Final Fantasy VII
PS2 - Final Fantasy X

[Nosredna]

NES: I didn't play any of them originally and haven't gotten through I, II, or III yet. I'm in the middle of III right now on the DS, but I stopped playing that to get to some other games right now.

SNES: My first FF was IV, so that's my favorite. I loved the music, the story, the characters and the villians were great. VI was the better game, but IV will always be my first love.

PS1: Easily VIII. I liked VII a lot, but as I get older the less I seem to like it. I could never get myself to get through IX, way too boring for me. I actually liked VIII's goofy sappy story, plus it had Rinoa :blush: .

PS2: X by default. I never played XI and I felt XII was a chore to play through. X seemed to bring the game back into the right director after IX, and XII looked pretty, but I found the story and characters to be less than interesting.

[rainking187]

Total ranking:
7, T, 5, 9, X-2, 6, 4, 1, 12, TA, 2, 3, 10, CC, 8. That's right: Crystal Chronicles is better than FF8. We shall call it the 70-year-old-with-busted-implants booby prize.

...what? You'd really rank X-2 above VI? Seriously?

[ADC]

...what? You'd really rank X-2 above VI? Seriously?
Yes, I would. And I did. And on reflection, I still do. And I'll tell you something: Every time I make one of these lists, X-2 moves up and FF6 moves down. Doesn't mean FF6 is a bad game (it isn't); it means that others in the series are better, I think.
:P

[Greywing]

NES: FFII - Only played the GBA version but the fact that it had a more developed story and defined characters made it more appealing to me than FFI.

SNES: FFVI - Again, only played the re-release on PS1 from a while ago. Really enjoyable game, decent magic/combat and an excellent villain.

PS1: FFIX - While FFVII is indeed very good, I found the characters in IX much more appealing, the story more solid and the game as a whole much more enjoyable.

PS2: FFX-2 - Despite not caring much for Tidus et al in FFX <the game was far too linear, consisting mostly of running from one place to the next to trigger another lengthy chat>, FFX-2 hooked me from the start. Yuna, Rikku and Paine were actually fun to play as and the game was more open to exploration. Great soundtrack too.

[Nork22]

NES - Never played any of the early games so I vote none. :)

SNES - Easily VI. Plus it's the only game that I actually finished. I got close to the end in V, but somehow my save file got corrupted and I just didn't have the motivation to play it again. IV, yeah only played like 2-3 hours of it before I threw my controller in frustration at how absurdly difficult the game is. I just don't have the patience any more. :(

PS1 - VIII. Yeah, VII may have spark the revival of JRPGs, and the storyline is made of awesomeness with Aeris getting killed at the end of disc 1 (and no it's not a spoiler since it's common knowledge now), and me spending godly amounts levelling up to level 99 on the first disc alone, and kicking the optional bosses, but I enjoy VIII's story a whole lot more. Plus 'Eyes on Me' still has a special place in my heart as the first FF theme song. IX is good, but forgettable.

PS2 - X-2. Hot chicks playing dress-up using the old (and modified) job system from V and a story that while on the surface screamed cheese, has as much significance as it's prequel. X on the other hand, just got too angsty with itself and Seymour was a joke of an evil boss. Haven't even finish XII, but it just stinks too much of political high drama and the battle system feels like I'm playing a MMORPG.

[SpaceButler]

For me it's:

NES - FFI
SNES - FFVI
PSone - FFVII
PS2 - FFX

FFVI, VII and X tie for my fav of all time prolly. FFII and XII prolly tie for my least favs since were not counting MQ.

[jecca-neko]

...what? You'd really rank X-2 above VI? Seriously?
Yes, I would. And I did. And on reflection, I still do. And I'll tell you something: Every time I make one of these lists, X-2 moves up and FF6 moves down. Doesn't mean FF6 is a bad game (it isn't); it means that others in the series are better, I think.
:P

I personally find it hard to decide where exactly I'd rank each FF game but if anyone has paid attention to the gaming board, ADC and I agree that FFX-2 is an underrated, great game. FFVI beats FFX-2 in the music factor (I still think FFX-2's music is mostly forgettable) but FFX-2 has amazing gameplay. The story isn't bad either.

[jecca-neko]

And here is mine!

NES-era: Final Fantasy III. If this was a week ago, when I still hadn't played FFIII, I would've chose the original. Granted, I'm still working my way through FFII and FFIII (simultaneously!) but I've actually had fun with FFIII. FF1 was a bit annoying with the level grinding. FFII has the odd leveling system that drives me crazy. But FFIII has the fun job system. Sure, it's more primitive than later entries in the series but it's very fun. The DS remake has improved the game a lot too.

SNES-era: Final Fantasy VI. I obviously liked this game the most if I triple-dipped on it (SNES game, FF Anthology for PS1, and FFVI Advance). It's also the only GBA port that I rebought. Great music, fun characters (villains included!), and the only FF game where the world actually gets destroyed. I love everything about this game. :D

PS1-era: Final Fantasy VII. I know there's plenty of haters of this game. Yes, it has its flaws. But the Materia system was a lot of fun to me and it was only the second RPG that had an epic playable character death for me (the first was Phantasy Star IV). I also enjoyed the (new-at-the-time) more modern setting of the game.

PS2-era: Final Fantasy X-2. This game takes the job system and finally makes it closer to real time. You can change jobs on the fly as well. Those gameplay elements were most of what made the game for me. That and the rest of the game was pretty entertaining as well. It's too bad more RPGs aren't as light-hearted feeling (even though the story did get serious toward the end). I do think it's one of my favorite FF games ever but I don't know where to rate it.

There's so many alternate FFs that's why I didn't list them as technically you could argue that the SaGa games that were called FF games are FF in name and so on. But anyway, here's this:

Favorite "Alternate" FF: Final Fantasy Tactics. When this game first came out I wasn't sure how well FF would work as a tactical RPG. But it ended up being pretty amazing and has now become one of my favorites in the series. I loved the serious and dark political drama storyline, the orchestral soundtrack, and the fun job changing gameplay. The only improvement I can think of is an improved translation and I bet the PSP remake will have that. The remake seriously makes me want to buy a PSP. I probably will, actually. :sd:

[Suwako Moriya]

I personally find it hard to decide where exactly I'd rank each FF game

I can't even decide a favorite for each era to be honest. Partially because I still need to play certan FFs like 12, I may need a refresher course in others, and I'm indecisive. There's also the fact by principle I'm too stubborn to have a favorite.

[distantmantra]

Final Fantasy I
Final Fantasy IV -- My favorite FF title of all time.
Final Fantasy IX
Final Fantasy XII

[jecca-neko]

I personally find it hard to decide where exactly I'd rank each FF game

I can't even decide a favorite for each era to be honest. Partially because I still need to play certan FFs like 12, I may need a refresher course in others, and I'm indecisive. There's also the fact by principle I'm too stubborn to have a favorite.

Well, I've never played FFXII either, though I will eventually. I'm being cheap and waiting for the game to drop in price to $20. Considering Kingdom Hearts 2 recently dropped, I think we'll see FFXII drop before the end of the year. And I refuse to play FFXI on principal (I hate MMOs). But I've beaten all of the other main FFs, save for FFII and FFIII which you know I'm working on.

Edit: Though I do sometimes wonder if I do need a refresher on some FFs myself. Namely FFVIII and FFIX. I don't feel like I give them the credit they deserve. But then again it was a little painful to force myself to beat those games at times.

[EmperorBrandon]

and it was only the second RPG that had an epic playable character death for me (the first was Phantasy Star IV).

Ah... that reminds me. Need to get back to playing through that. I was interrupted there (and actually haven't played through FFV Advance either) because of Final Fantasy VI Advance sucking up my time.

The only improvement I can think of is an improved translation and I bet the PSP remake will have that. The remake seriously makes me want to buy a PSP. I probably will, actually. :sd:

I'm in the same boat there. Final Fantasy Tactics is the greatest Final Fantasy game in my opinion, period. It's just so much fun.

[jecca-neko]

The only improvement I can think of is an improved translation and I bet the PSP remake will have that. The remake seriously makes me want to buy a PSP. I probably will, actually. :sd:

I'm in the same boat there. Final Fantasy Tactics is the greatest Final Fantasy game in my opinion, period. It's just so much fun.

The only thing I'm wondering about that game is the slightly altered story. First Balthier from FFXII was added and just the other day I heard that the main character of FFTA2 is in it too.

[Suwako Moriya]

Well, I've never played FFXII either, though I will eventually. I'm being cheap and waiting for the game to drop in price to $20.

I already have access to the game thanks to the eldest brother getting the CE version. So in my case it's simply a matter of finding the right time to play it. Still you know how it is when you have multiple games to decide between. Decide to play one game and you delay every other choice. Still I'm currently leaning towards FF12 after Xenosaga 3.

Edit: Though I do sometimes wonder if I do need a refresher on some FFs myself.

A refresher course can do wonders for revealing your true feelings on a game. Granted how much you'll remember of a previous play through varies by person. However that experience will still directly or indirectly help in a future play through.

Still in terms of the negatives you have to look at how often you start to think "I have to go through this part again?" All games are going to have their weaker points. However the more often you feel this way then the more obvious it should be it's not really a game you care much for.

However to be fair not every game is meant to be replayed a dozen times. Some are probably meant to be cases of play once, do all the side stuff, max everyone out, and after that just recall the memories of playing it. Something along those lines.

[Mr. Spiffy-Pants]

NES Era - I
This is mostly due to the fond memories I have around playing it. It's not that the gameplay or the story was superior, it's that I remember spending hours playing it with my brother just to be K.O.'ed by Chaos the first couple of times.

SNES Era - None
I have played 4 and 5, but not 6. I have never been a big fan of the job system and since everyone raves about how good 6 is, I decided to just vote "I don't know" until I actually play 6.

PS1 - VII
I was actually angered slightly when Aeris/Aerith died in FFVII. I have never been that emotionally involved with a video game character before or since. It's also the first game that I played all night (I started playing at 8pm and stopped at 8am the next day).

PS2 - X-2
I've played FFXII (still do not own it), I will NEVER, N-E-V-E-R play XI*, was not impressed with X, but X-2 was awesome. I actually took the time to level up my characters in X-2 and the story was more than the cheesy girl/j-pop image on the surface. As far as I'm concerned, X-2 WAS XI for me.

* Why will I never play XI? Because I find it illogical from a consumer's standpoint to pay $50-100+ for a game that I then have to pay $10-15 to play every month. I've heard the whole "This is just a small amount of money versus the amount of gameplay you receive!" This is also the same arguement I've heard for games such as World of Warcraft.

I'm convinced that this is garbage. I could put that $15 a month towards something that, at the end of the month, would still be in my possession (aka a DVD, another non-pay-as-you-go game, a few Virtual Console titles on the Wii, etc.) as opposed to out the window, never to be seen nor heard from again. Sure I get some spiffy-looking guy with nice stats (possibly), but as soon as the parent company decides to stop hosting that game - POOF! No more Mr. Spiffy-Pants and you've lost hundreds to a game that's now not worth the hard drive space/physical media it occupies...

Hmm... Mr. Spiffy-Pants... Might have to change my name here...

[Suwako Moriya]

While we're on the subject of repeatedly paying money for the same game. The question of "How much you pay vs how much you play" is part of the reason I have no interest in games like FFXI. I'm sorry, but it's hard enough sometimes to decide what to play next. I don't want to feel like I'm being forced to dedicate myself to one game to make up for the extra cost.

I like the fact I can say "Okay it's been a few months. Time to whack the final boss of FF8 again" without have to worry about the game saying "Please insert a $10 bill into the PS2" :P

[Maru]

So much FF O.O

NES Era: Didn't vote.. I didn't think it would be fair, seeing as I haven't played II and I'm not finished with III. Maybe someday..

SNES Era: VI. The characters, the music.. you've already heard a million people gush about it, their reasons match closely with mine :)

PS1 Era: VII. It was my first FF, my second RPG, and I loved every minute of it. Cloud remains my favorite FF character.

PS2 Era: XI, and I fully expect to be the only one who votes for it :sd: But I've had so many good times there, made so many friends, and two years later, the game is still growing and I'm still having fun... it's earned a vote from me.

[tuffy]

I've only played I, III and V, so III and V get my votes mostly by default.

[Ty]

I voted as such: I, VI, VII, XII. I must say I'm surprised at how many people like X. Something about that game just really hit me crossways I guess. It holds the dubious honor of being the only final fantasy game I never finished.

[AbeChinchilla]

I voted as such: I, VI, VII, XII. I must say I'm surprised at how many people like X. Something about that game just really hit me crossways I guess. It holds the dubious honor of being the only final fantasy game I never finished.



That's too bad. The ending drives me to tears! It's great.

[ZetaEpyon]

PS2 Era: XI, and I fully expect to be the only one who votes for it :sd: But I've had so many good times there, made so many friends, and two years later, the game is still growing and I'm still having fun... it's earned a vote from me.

I'll save you from being alone on this one, as FFXI is pretty much the only game I play these days. Personally, I think that people overblow the issue of the monthly fee; it's about the same cost to me as going to a single movie, so even if I only play 3-4 hours in a month (ha!), it's not that costly. Not to mention, the story and cutscenes (particuarly in the expansions) are quite good.

[SpaceButler]

I voted as such: I, VI, VII, XII. I must say I'm surprised at how many people like X. Something about that game just really hit me crossways I guess. It holds the dubious honor of being the only final fantasy game I never finished.



That's too bad. The ending drives me to tears! It's great.


I'll ditto this. It's prolly the best FF ending ever for my money.

[dunno001]

Hmm... actually, parts of this were tough. So I'll go with what my gut said:

NES: FF1. It's really what got me addicted to RPGs. (Well, it and DQ1, but that's for another thread.) So it has a high nostalgic value, and I still go back and play the NES cartridge of it every once in a while.

SNES: This was the toughest by far, since all 3 were great. But after replaying them, I'm going to have to nudge my vote to 6, with 5 in a close second. This isn't to say that 4 was snuff, though, as I rank it higher than any other era FFs.

PS1: Easy choice- FF9. I liked the return to old-school, plus "Rape the Moogle" keeps me going back to it. But at this point, all of them were too easy of games, and as such, tend to not be seen favorably by me.

PS2: I've only played a bit of X, and none of the others, so I really had to pick that I've not played any of them. Just as well, too, since X really wasn't selling me on the game, even if I did like the sphere grid system. (I've seen 12's license grid, and I really can't stand that.)

If I were to rank them all, they would be as follows:

6, 5, 4, 1, 3, 2, 9, T, MQ, 7, 8.
CC, and X+ are not ranked due to a lack of experience from playing them. (Although CC is on my backlog. And yes, I DO think that Mystic Quest is better than 7 and the atrocity that is 8.)

[AbeChinchilla]

PS2: I've only played a bit of X, and none of the others, so I really had to pick that I've not played any of them. Just as well, too, since X really wasn't selling me on the game, even if I did like the sphere grid system. (I've seen 12's license grid, and I really can't stand that.)

FFX seems to get better after each playthrough. I hated it the first time, and the second time, I had a tolerance for it. The third time just totally blew me away though.

Once you get past the linear story telling, it really is a great game. And the Sphere Grid kicks ass!!

[NickFalzarano]

NES Era:
Final Fantasy II: I haven't played Final Fantasy III for any reasonable amount of time, but of the other two, the second game comes out on top. I love the music, the level up system, the keyword system, and everything. I think the only thing that could make this game even better would be characters with personality. :P

SNES Era:
Final Fantasy VI: Haven't given IV enough of a chance. But the idea of hard-type doesn't appeal to me, so when I do play it, it'll be the SNES version. I've given up on V for now, so that leaves VI. Not that that choice would have been hard. Great music, characters, story, and graphics that pushed the SNES to its limits.

PS Era:
Final Fantasy IX: This game kinda wins by default. I have yet to play VIII. I hated VII. So IX wins, right? While I liked parts of the game, at times I thought it was boring as well. So it isn't my favorite. But between this and VII, this'll win every time.

PS2 Era:
Final Fantasy X-2: As someone else said, this is Final Fantasy XI for me. The MMO game doesn't count. Anyway, while I liked the graphics and gameplay of X, I didn't really like the story, and the characters (save two minor ones) couldn't save the game. This is rectified, by giving Yuna a personality, as well as bringing back Rikku and Paine is cool. I didn't mind the battle system either. I liked some of the music too. Have yet to play XII.

Hmm... It seems I have at least one game in each generation that I haven't played yet. III, IV, VIII, and XII. (Along with V, which I simply can't finish, and theyre're no codes that work with my PS copy :( ) I think I would rank the games I did play like this:

VI, II, X-2, IX, X, I, VII, V

VII only beats V because I simply couldn't finish it. (Got stuck at a boss I need to level gring for.) I think otherwise, it would be last.

[jojo_home]

Got a minor question folks.

In the PS1 version of FF IV (released with Chrono Trigger), they included, I believe, 2 cgi cutscenes. What I'm wondering is, did they take out some of the in-game story scenes to put them in, or were the cutscenes just added onto what was already there?

[Ty]

They were just added in addition to what is there. None of the original scenes are removed/replaced. The cutscenes are pointless IMO and add nothing to the game.

[Kira Cyana]

NES Era: FFI wins by default, as I'm still working my way through the GBA port of FFII and the DS remake of FFIII.

SNES Era: FFVI by a landslide. It still remains my favorite video game of all time. Love the characters, love the music, and it's responsible for a lot of my initial 'net interactions.

PS1 Era: FFIX. Cute, fun, lots of references and in-jokes to previous games in the series.

PS2 Era: FFX. I may be one of the few people who really, truly liked all of the cast. Tidus was a big giant dork, but a big giant loveable dork, and I saw quite a bit of myself in Yuna.

Honorable mention goes to FFXI, which, while it isn't my absolute favorite game of all time, is certainly the game that I've spent more time on than any other. :P

Overall ranking is something like this:
VI, X/X-2 (I tend to just lump them together as one long game, but X wins over X-2), IV, IX, VIII, V, VII, I.

I'm still working on II, III, and XII. I can't really measure XI on the same scale as the others because of the entirely different nature of the game.


Kira C.

[Maru]

I'll save you from being alone on this one, as FFXI is pretty much the only game I play these days.


Hey, a fellow player! <All right!> Two votes and going strong ;) :neko:

[Suwako Moriya]

The cutscenes are pointless IMO and add nothing to the game.

Personally speaking I think even calling them cutscenes gives them too much credit. So yeah they're definitely pointless. They also feel out of place anyway. I'm not even sure they they bothered other than someone must have felt slapping something together is a fun hobby.

[Noodle]

NES -- It's been too long since I played FF1 and the others (as remakes) are in my backlog, so I had to be fair and vote that I haven't played 'em. :sd:

SNES -- FFVI, obviously. Do I even need to list a reason!? (*ducks*)

PS1 -- FFIX. I've said it before, as much as I'm a VII whorefangirl, in the end I enjoyed IX much more. Especially after the passage of time, it holds up more as something I want to replay. Brought some good fantasy back into the mix, had Freya in it, and was just a helluva lot of fun. But don't ge me wrong, it was a hard choice because VII kicked ass in so many ways.

PS2 -- I think I hate to say it but XII. X is unfinished (man, Tidus is a whiney brat) so naturally X-2 remains unopened on my shelf. I don't play online games anymore so XI is out. Yay, XII, you won by elimination.... :(

[Kinomoto_Shinji]

For the PSOne "era", I would of included Final Fantasy Tatics. That one was my favorite. Final Fantasy VI was my fav of the SNES and I didn't play any of the NES ones (orignal, remakes, etc.). As for the PS2 era, they were all unenjoyable experiences (IMO). I didn't care for FFX/XII's new battle system, and the characters seem stale and forgetable (IMO). I don't play online RPGs, so I can't comment on FFXI. To me, the Final Fantasy era died after FFIX.

[Fudce]

the four generations (ranked)

NES: 1 > 2 (not played 3, but the DS version should arrive next week)

SNES: 6 > 4 > 5

PS1: 7 > 9 > 8

PS2: 12 > 11 > 10 > 10-2

and complete rankings...
7 > 6 > 4 > 12 > 5 > TA > 11 > 9 > 8 > 10 > 1 > CC > 2 > 10-2

[AbeChinchilla]

(man, Tidus is a whiney brat)

You would be too if...

(Beginning Spoilers)
Your home world was destroyed, and you were sent off someplace else, possibly in another time

(Middle Spoilers, before Calm Lands)
You found out the girl you're falling for is on a pilgrimage to sacrifice herself to defeat Sin.

(End Spoilers)
You have to fight and kill your own father.

That you're actually just the dream of a fayth.

Everyone seems to dismiss the fact that over the course of the game, Tidus actually grows. The narration from the start, Tidus sounds very masculine, very calming. While the actual scenes going on, he's child-like and scared. As the game progresses, he grows, and you'll reach a point where he's just as calm as his narration.

I like how the game leads up to the part where the entire gang sits around the campfire and Tidus wants to tell his story, before it's too late.

[SpaceButler]

X is unfinished...

That's too bad. Tidus is a loser, but FFX has the best FF ending I've ever seen. Everyone should see it. It's so worth listening to that dork the whole game just to see it.

[jojo_home]

NES: FF2--Wonky gameplay aside, I had a lotta fun with this.

SNES: FF IV--I know it's pretty simplistic compared to FF VI or FF V, but it had a romanticism to it that no FF has duplicated since.

PS1: FF IX.

PS2: Haven't finished any of them yet.

[Noodle]

It's so worth listening to that dork the whole game just to see it.

*laughs* Oh no worries, it will be finished. I just have the RPG Backlog of Doom and 4 other time-consuming hobbies. Oh yeah, plus 2 jobs (apart, even, from slaving away for a certain Chris Beveridge! :D ).

Everyone seems to dismiss the fact that over the course of the game, Tidus actually grows.

I was mostly just kidding, you know? :sd: It's not like that's the reason I haven't finished X .... (Actually, I stopped playing because my TV broke during the time I was playing this game, and by the time I got around to buying a new one, I just had other things to focus on and it got tossed back into the Abyss.)

For the record, I bought FFX before I'd even bought a PS2!! I never intended to let it sit unfinished so long. :(

[jecca-neko]

PS2 -- I think I hate to say it but XII. X is unfinished (man, Tidus is a whiney brat) so naturally X-2 remains unopened on my shelf. I don't play online games anymore so XI is out. Yay, XII, you won by elimination.... :(

If Tidus bugs you, you technically can play FFX-2 without beating FFX. You will encounter some spoilers for FFX though. However, one spoiler is obvious. I mean, according to the beginning of the game, the summoner is supposed to be sacrificed to kill Sin. You already know Yuna doesn't die if you look at the cover of FFX-2.

[ADC]

X is unfinished (man, Tidus is a whiney brat) so naturally X-2 remains unopened on my shelf.
If Tidus bugs you, you technically can play FFX-2 without beating FFX.
I concur, who have finished X-2 after kicking FF10 to the curb because (man, Tidus is a whiney brat). Don't allow yourself to miss the awesomeness of the sequel just because the original was deeply flawed in the hero department.

[jecca-neko]

X is unfinished (man, Tidus is a whiney brat) so naturally X-2 remains unopened on my shelf.
If Tidus bugs you, you technically can play FFX-2 without beating FFX.
I concur, who have finished X-2 after kicking FF10 to the curb because (man, Tidus is a whiney brat). Don't allow yourself to miss the awesomeness of the sequel just because the original was deeply flawed in the hero department.

And one of the amusing things FFX-2 has that FFX doesn't: Brother learning English (as opposed to always speaking Al Bhed like in FFX). The things he said cracked me up. :D

[Jaynin]

NES: I went with FFIII. Just because I'm currently going through the DS version, and for being the progenitor of the job system. I haven't really put much time into FFII yet, and FFI is nice for starting the series, but has been much improved on since.

SNES: FFVI, definitely my most favorite of the FFs. Love the story, the music, and the characters, and always appreciated how well it was an ensemble game. FFIV is classic too, lots of great moments. I remember I used to rent this game a lot before I finally saved up enough to buy it, and every time I'd make it to the magnetic cave then it'd be time to return it to the rental store.

PS1: FFVIII. Yeah I'm one of the few who really like VIII. I actually liked the characters, and the story for the most part, but I was really struck by it's cinematic quality right from that opening scene. I like CG cut scenes, especially Square's, and it's been cool seeing Square's style progress from here.

PS2: I went with FFXII. This was hard for me to decide, as I'm only half way through it, and I liked X and X-2, so my vote may change later. So far Fran and Balthier are tipping the scales for me - I wouldn't mind seeing a spin-off game with them. :)

[The_Mahou]

An FF poll? Whee...

NES era: Kind of one-sided, as I've only ever played the first FF.

SNES: This was a bit more difficult, because I had a hard time deciding between FFIV and VI. Went with VI in the end, because it's that much deeper in terms of characters and storytelling. Still, Rydia is love.

PS1: Went with FFIX because it actually had a cast of characters that didn't annoy the hell out of me. Didn't care much for the characters in VII. I was probably one of the few players in the world that was saying "C'mon, Sepphy! Stab her AGAIN!" No, I didn't care much for Aeris. Didn't care much for any of the girls, really. And don't get me started on VIII. The gameplay was okay enough, but the characters, again, drove me nuts. The Gunblades were nifty, though

PS2: I went with FFX on this one. Auron is GOD. 'Nuff said. I've never played XI and I got rather bored with XII really quick. I have X-2, but that's still sitting unplayed on the shelf.

[Noodle]

I was probably one of the few players in the world that was saying "C'mon, Sepphy! Stab her AGAIN!" No, I didn't care much for Aeris. Didn't care much for any of the girls, really.

mehehehe, thank you! I never liked Tifa and what got me most riled up over Aerith was that I'd "wasted" so much time developing her. Ok, I was shocked when she died (as was everyone else) and I wasn't -exactly- rooting for Sephiroth, but that game was all about Cid, Red, and Cloud for me. (And sometimes Vincent, if I was feeling particularly prone to a bishie explosion.)

[EmperorBrandon]

Still, Rydia is love.

Yes, yes indeed. The only VG character higher in my mind is Riesz. :)