What FF4 sought to make with fumbling, whimsical, childish hands, FF6 has mastered in adulthood. There is no story more richly and gorgeously told in the 16-bit era, and the gameplay... well the gameplay mostly just manages to stay out of the way. The ATB system is a hand-me-down, but for now, in this snappy sprite-based environment, it's still a pretty good one.

It's a perfectly paced emotional thrill ride that is gushing with heart, and while its gameplay systems might not soar as high as a few other FF games, (including FFV directly preceding it) those systems represent a good, sturdy effort and are unlikely to menace anyone's good time.

Final Fantasy VI isn't even in my top three Final Fantasies, and it came out in the same year as Super Metroid, Earthbound, and Tokimeki Memorial. 1994 has such a brutal Game of the Year contest that no matter how much I'd like to give that GotY slot to something that ISN'T yet another Final Fantasy game, the only way I could settle the affair was to ask myself which of those games I would most want to replay at any given moment. No matter how I throw the bones, the answer is Final Fantasy VI every time. Super Metroid might be the best Metroid game, and Metroid probably deserves the recognition, but I will not commit such dishonesty for the sake of checking a box. My heart does not belong to Super Metroid. Tokimeki Memorial is later eclipsed so thoroughly by Tokimeki Memorial 2 that I feel no great need to elevate it, and every one of my Earthbound runs ends up bisected by a multi-year hiatus.

My winner for the bloodiest, most vicious GotY brawl in our known history, is Final Fantasy VI, and I will entertain no more relitigation.