The Final Fantasy series had a pretty basic, yet still enjoyable start when it came to the original entry on the NES, but then it hit a bit of a snag in the road whenever the second entry rolled around. It wasn’t a terrible game by any means, but several elements of the game paled in comparison to what we had before, and the leveling system in the game somewhat butchered it to where you could either break the game in half, or it would break you in half. Thankfully though, the devs at Square learned from their mistakes in that entry, and would improve upon the formula for the next game in the series, which, like Final Fantasy II, we would not see here in the west for 31 FUCKING YEARS. Yeah, we would get a remake of the game for the DS in 2006, but in terms of the original game, we would not see that version until the Pixel Remaster would be released in 2021. Not sure what took them so long with that one, but either way, we still have plenty of ways to check out this new entry known as Final Fantasy III.
Like with the other two Final Fantasy games beforehand, I had primarily played through a later version of the game before diving into the original. I had first played the PSP port of the remake of the game, and I remember having a good enough time with that version (ignoring some elements I will get to later), and I figured I would have just as good of a time with the original version. So, from playing that game, I can say… the other versions are much better, but as it stands, Final Fantasy III is still a pretty good game, and definitely the best of the original trilogy. It does have its fair share of problems, and it certainly doesn’t reach the heights of other games in the series, but it was still a fun game to revisit, even through its original version.
The story is, compared to Final Fantasy II, much more simple and back-to-basics, where you follow this group of kids who go on a quest to save the world from the evil Xande, gathering four crystals that each hold a power of the elements, and growing to be more powerful and mature along the way, which, again, is much more basic, but with elements like the world and characters you find being much more fleshed out and memorable, it makes for an enjoyable plot overall. The graphics are, once again, on a very similar level to that of the previous two games, but it is definitely the best looking of the original trilogy, pushing the NES to its limits with some of the animations and enemy designs, the music is pretty good once again, having plenty of different songs and tunes that I ended up really liking, even if I prefer their remixes in the remake more, the control is exactly what it sounds like, so moving on, and the gameplay is, again, almost identical to previous games, but it is greatly improved upon in various areas, while also cleaning up after the mess that FFII left behind.
The game is your typical old-school RPG, where you take control of four unnamed warriors, travel across the large world that lays before you, while visiting many different towns, dungeons, and what have you, talk to plenty of NPCs to either get hints on where to go next, purchase additional equipment, weapons, or items, or to just simply have a nice little chat, find many different treasures across the land, and of course, get into random battles. These work, once again, almost identically to the original game, where you will take turns on deciding whether or not to attack your opponent with weapons or magic, use items, or to defend, using many different tools and strategies against many different opponents, and you will gain experience points at the end to level up, which thankfully works like the first game rather than the stupid way that the second game tried out. So thankfully, the battles are fixed and greatly improved upon, with the game as a whole being fun to play through, especially with the new changes and additions made here.
First off, this is the first game in the series to feature the Job System, a mechanic which would become a staple for the rest of the series. If you remember back in the first game, at the beginning, you would choose which job your character would be, and they would stick with that throughout the whole journey, but with this game, you can now switch between jobs at any time you want… as long as you have enough capacity points to afford it. And in terms of the jobs, there are quite a lot to choose from, with plenty of returning jobs like Fighter, the Mages, Thief, and others, as well as plenty of new ones, like Dragoons, Summoners, Scholars and more. While not all of these classes are really all that good, a lot of them can be pretty useful, especially when it comes to certain parts of the game and some certain fights. Although, with that being said, there are plenty of moments in the game where the player will HAVE to switch to a different job in order to get past a certain part, or even to get past a specific boss or enemy because they are the preferred job. Personally, while some of this was a little annoying (especially when you have to be shrunken down), I didn’t really mind this too much. I am the type of guy who, when it comes to having many options of classes to choose from in a game, typically likes to find one class that would best suit me, and stick with it throughout the entirety of me playing the game. So, while I wouldn’t prefer to switch around my classes, this method of doing so does allow me to experiment with some others that I otherwise wouldn’t try, and eventually even grow to keep using as they become new favorites. I’ll at least give the game credit for doing that for me, anyway.
In addition, compared to the previous two Final Fantasy games, this game is HUGE. From the start, you have this one overworld to go through and take on plenty of things in, but then, whenever you get the opportunity to, you can leave this world and discover more overworlds to explore, leading to even more things to do, things to fight and find, and places to see. It certainly isn’t as big or expansive as many other RPGs later down the line, but for being an NES RPG, there is a lot to see and do here, and a lot of it is a lot of fun to see and do. Not only is there more to offer when it comes to the overworld though, there is also much more to offer in terms of… well, everything else. More weapons, more jobs, more characters, more airships, more treasures, more everything! There is so much to do in this particular entry, and if you are a big fan of old school RPGs like this one, then this one will make sure it gives you your money’s worth and then some.
However, don’t think that I consider everything in this game to be perfect, OH NO, because there are several elements that do drag it down. First of all, despite all of the different jobs, weapons, and spells that you can manage throughout your journey, the game can still get pretty brutal at times. Even if you are at a particularly good level, there are a lot of enemies that will manage to do MASSIVE loads of damage on you, have attacks that can wipe you on your ass in no time at all, and there are even plenty of enemies that can divide themselves up whenever you attack them, making them much more of a pain in the ass to deal with. I mentioned before how I didn’t really mind so much that you are basically required to swap jobs at certain points in the game to get through certain areas, but that doesn’t make dealing with some of the monsters you encounter any easier. It can especially be a pain when you have to face off against creatures when you are required to be tiny, and like I also mentioned before, there are some classes that are just better suited to certain fights, making it feel like you NEED to switch to them in those instances.
And then, there is one more aspect that drags the entire experience down, one that any player of Final Fantasy III knows by heart, and loathes all the same. Say it with me now, everyone: it’s the Crystal Tower! This is the final dungeon of the game, and it is absolutely the worst part of the game at the same time. Appropriately, this dungeon contains some of the strongest enemies in the entire game, which are already hard enough to deal with, but then there are also the bosses. On top of the final two bosses you have to face, there are also FOUR OTHER BOSSES that you have to fight when going through this tower, and while some can be taken out pretty easily, others can be a huge pain in the ass, with me being barely able to get through them by the skin of my teeth. With all that being said though, you wanna know what the worst part about this entire dungeon is? You have to do it all WITH NO SAVING. From the moment you enter this tower, all the way to you beating the final boss, you have to do it all with no save points in the middle whatsoever, which, when taking what you have to deal with in the dungeon into consideration, is a massive handicap on the player. Thankfully though, when it comes to the Pixel Remaster of the game, there is a quick save option in it, so you won’t have to worry about it there, and even if you are playing on an emulator, you can just use save states to make the journey much less excruciating, but if you are playing the remake of this game, or you wanna go at it the way it was intended… just, be prepared. Trust me, you will want to at least be, like, around the mid-40s in terms of levels before entering there.
Overall, despite some of the job switching moments, some pretty cruel bosses and enemies here or there, and the entire Crystal Tower needing to fuck off for all eternity, I would still say that Final Fantasy III is still a pretty good game, being the best of the original NES trilogy, and bringing plenty of new elements to the series, both big and small, while still remaining just as fun and satisfying to get through. I would recommend it for those who are big fans of the Final Fantasy series, or for those who are a big fan of old school RPGs in general, because despite those grievances I mentioned earlier, there will definitely be something that you can love or appreciate from this game. Just, you know, be prepared for the Crystal Tower whenever you get around to it. Seriously, even the developers of the game thought they went too far on that dungeon, it is that bad.
Game #450
Like with the other two Final Fantasy games beforehand, I had primarily played through a later version of the game before diving into the original. I had first played the PSP port of the remake of the game, and I remember having a good enough time with that version (ignoring some elements I will get to later), and I figured I would have just as good of a time with the original version. So, from playing that game, I can say… the other versions are much better, but as it stands, Final Fantasy III is still a pretty good game, and definitely the best of the original trilogy. It does have its fair share of problems, and it certainly doesn’t reach the heights of other games in the series, but it was still a fun game to revisit, even through its original version.
The story is, compared to Final Fantasy II, much more simple and back-to-basics, where you follow this group of kids who go on a quest to save the world from the evil Xande, gathering four crystals that each hold a power of the elements, and growing to be more powerful and mature along the way, which, again, is much more basic, but with elements like the world and characters you find being much more fleshed out and memorable, it makes for an enjoyable plot overall. The graphics are, once again, on a very similar level to that of the previous two games, but it is definitely the best looking of the original trilogy, pushing the NES to its limits with some of the animations and enemy designs, the music is pretty good once again, having plenty of different songs and tunes that I ended up really liking, even if I prefer their remixes in the remake more, the control is exactly what it sounds like, so moving on, and the gameplay is, again, almost identical to previous games, but it is greatly improved upon in various areas, while also cleaning up after the mess that FFII left behind.
The game is your typical old-school RPG, where you take control of four unnamed warriors, travel across the large world that lays before you, while visiting many different towns, dungeons, and what have you, talk to plenty of NPCs to either get hints on where to go next, purchase additional equipment, weapons, or items, or to just simply have a nice little chat, find many different treasures across the land, and of course, get into random battles. These work, once again, almost identically to the original game, where you will take turns on deciding whether or not to attack your opponent with weapons or magic, use items, or to defend, using many different tools and strategies against many different opponents, and you will gain experience points at the end to level up, which thankfully works like the first game rather than the stupid way that the second game tried out. So thankfully, the battles are fixed and greatly improved upon, with the game as a whole being fun to play through, especially with the new changes and additions made here.
First off, this is the first game in the series to feature the Job System, a mechanic which would become a staple for the rest of the series. If you remember back in the first game, at the beginning, you would choose which job your character would be, and they would stick with that throughout the whole journey, but with this game, you can now switch between jobs at any time you want… as long as you have enough capacity points to afford it. And in terms of the jobs, there are quite a lot to choose from, with plenty of returning jobs like Fighter, the Mages, Thief, and others, as well as plenty of new ones, like Dragoons, Summoners, Scholars and more. While not all of these classes are really all that good, a lot of them can be pretty useful, especially when it comes to certain parts of the game and some certain fights. Although, with that being said, there are plenty of moments in the game where the player will HAVE to switch to a different job in order to get past a certain part, or even to get past a specific boss or enemy because they are the preferred job. Personally, while some of this was a little annoying (especially when you have to be shrunken down), I didn’t really mind this too much. I am the type of guy who, when it comes to having many options of classes to choose from in a game, typically likes to find one class that would best suit me, and stick with it throughout the entirety of me playing the game. So, while I wouldn’t prefer to switch around my classes, this method of doing so does allow me to experiment with some others that I otherwise wouldn’t try, and eventually even grow to keep using as they become new favorites. I’ll at least give the game credit for doing that for me, anyway.
In addition, compared to the previous two Final Fantasy games, this game is HUGE. From the start, you have this one overworld to go through and take on plenty of things in, but then, whenever you get the opportunity to, you can leave this world and discover more overworlds to explore, leading to even more things to do, things to fight and find, and places to see. It certainly isn’t as big or expansive as many other RPGs later down the line, but for being an NES RPG, there is a lot to see and do here, and a lot of it is a lot of fun to see and do. Not only is there more to offer when it comes to the overworld though, there is also much more to offer in terms of… well, everything else. More weapons, more jobs, more characters, more airships, more treasures, more everything! There is so much to do in this particular entry, and if you are a big fan of old school RPGs like this one, then this one will make sure it gives you your money’s worth and then some.
However, don’t think that I consider everything in this game to be perfect, OH NO, because there are several elements that do drag it down. First of all, despite all of the different jobs, weapons, and spells that you can manage throughout your journey, the game can still get pretty brutal at times. Even if you are at a particularly good level, there are a lot of enemies that will manage to do MASSIVE loads of damage on you, have attacks that can wipe you on your ass in no time at all, and there are even plenty of enemies that can divide themselves up whenever you attack them, making them much more of a pain in the ass to deal with. I mentioned before how I didn’t really mind so much that you are basically required to swap jobs at certain points in the game to get through certain areas, but that doesn’t make dealing with some of the monsters you encounter any easier. It can especially be a pain when you have to face off against creatures when you are required to be tiny, and like I also mentioned before, there are some classes that are just better suited to certain fights, making it feel like you NEED to switch to them in those instances.
And then, there is one more aspect that drags the entire experience down, one that any player of Final Fantasy III knows by heart, and loathes all the same. Say it with me now, everyone: it’s the Crystal Tower! This is the final dungeon of the game, and it is absolutely the worst part of the game at the same time. Appropriately, this dungeon contains some of the strongest enemies in the entire game, which are already hard enough to deal with, but then there are also the bosses. On top of the final two bosses you have to face, there are also FOUR OTHER BOSSES that you have to fight when going through this tower, and while some can be taken out pretty easily, others can be a huge pain in the ass, with me being barely able to get through them by the skin of my teeth. With all that being said though, you wanna know what the worst part about this entire dungeon is? You have to do it all WITH NO SAVING. From the moment you enter this tower, all the way to you beating the final boss, you have to do it all with no save points in the middle whatsoever, which, when taking what you have to deal with in the dungeon into consideration, is a massive handicap on the player. Thankfully though, when it comes to the Pixel Remaster of the game, there is a quick save option in it, so you won’t have to worry about it there, and even if you are playing on an emulator, you can just use save states to make the journey much less excruciating, but if you are playing the remake of this game, or you wanna go at it the way it was intended… just, be prepared. Trust me, you will want to at least be, like, around the mid-40s in terms of levels before entering there.
Overall, despite some of the job switching moments, some pretty cruel bosses and enemies here or there, and the entire Crystal Tower needing to fuck off for all eternity, I would still say that Final Fantasy III is still a pretty good game, being the best of the original NES trilogy, and bringing plenty of new elements to the series, both big and small, while still remaining just as fun and satisfying to get through. I would recommend it for those who are big fans of the Final Fantasy series, or for those who are a big fan of old school RPGs in general, because despite those grievances I mentioned earlier, there will definitely be something that you can love or appreciate from this game. Just, you know, be prepared for the Crystal Tower whenever you get around to it. Seriously, even the developers of the game thought they went too far on that dungeon, it is that bad.
Game #450
2 Comments
Yea I felt like this was one of the hardest FF games to just beat the base game. The required grinding and crystal tower were a pain.
Shenobi
4 months ago