Final Fantasy (1987)

Basically, I love this game. When Final Fantasy came out, it was the best well done RPG that the world had seen. The graphics weren't amazing, but they were fairly well done. The storyline was one of the most complex that had ever been introduced. The music score was the best of any RPG that I have ever played. Gameplay was very good too. Picking from six (yes six!) different classes was an original concept, no more "ok, all I can pick is a knight...again" feeling here. Replay value was also there, since you could switch your classes and start a new game.

Graphics

What can I say? It's a NES game, so of course the graphics weren't amazing. But for it's time, it had some of the nicest graphics ever done in a game up until then. The towns and villages were nicely laid out, and you could tell that the buildings were buildings. The dungeons and caves were a little dark and undecorated; but then again, caves and dungeons usually are. The world map was well done, making everything easy to see and also easy to get around. But, the place where graphics are the best is in the battle scenes. The whole battle system was well done actually, but I especially liked the graphics here more than anywhere else. Your characters look like a White Mage or a Fighter or a Thief. The enemies actually look good, and you can tell what kind of animal/creature that they are supposed to be. Sure, by today's standards these graphics are horrible, but for it's time these are some of the better graphics that were available to the RPG genre.

Story

Ok, by this point many gamers were getting sick of the whole "save the princess" routine. Of course, the game starts that way...but after you actually save the princess, you think "wow, that only took me like an hour, this game isn't that great." But right at the point that you are about to shut off you NES and go do something constructive with your time, the whole storyline expands and draws you even more in depth to the games world. I won't sit here and tell you the whole story, I'll let you go out and play it for yourself so you can discover how complex and grabbing the story is. If you can't buy a NES and the game (which is only like $30-$40 at your local used game dealer), then I strongly suggest you download an emulator and the ROM and play to see for yourself how amazing the story really is.

Music

One word. Amazing. Well, maybe another. Wonderful. Ok, one more. WOW! The music score in Final Fantasy is one of the best I have ever heard, rivaled only by the later Final Fantasy's. There are many different themes to be heard throughout the game, all extremely well done. In caves, you get an "uh oh, something is gonna get me" feeling, walking on the world map gives you an " I'm a man on a mission" feeling, and don't for get the Final Fantasy Prelude, which has been in every Final Fantasy made, except Final Fantasy 8. Of course in the touching scenes, or battle scenes, or just while wondering in a town, it's the music that really sets the mood and Final Fantasy does an excellent job of this.

Gameplay

No more of the old, "I can only be one class" feeling here. There are six different classes to choose from, and making a balanced party is all part of the fun. You get to choose from a Fighter, a Black Belt, a Thief, and the standard White and Black Mages. However there is one new class that is a great concept, the Red Mage. The Red Mage is basically 1/3 fighter, 1/3 white mage, and 1/3 black mage. You are probably thinking "Wow, I'll just make a group with four of those then!" Sorry. It's not advisable. Sure they attack fairly well and can cast both white and black magic, but there is one major drawback. They aren't able to cast the higher, more powerful levels of white and black magic, but I digress. The control functions are easy to understand, making this game playable for newbies and veterans alike. There aren't any side quests to follow, making the game pretty straightforward and linear. Just follow the hints that the people in town give you.

Overall

Overall this game is wonderfully done, especially considering the system it was made for. The music and storyline will grab you from the beginning, and won't even let go after you have beaten the game. You will want to play it over and over and over and over...well, maybe not quite that much but at least one more time just to try out a class you didn't before or to see if you missed anything the first time around. This is the game that revolutionized the whole RPG genre. Sure there are many games that have done that, Chrono Trigger comes to mind, but how many games have spawned 8 sequels (with 2 more in development I might add), along with games not even directly related, like Final Fantasy Tactics and Mystic Quest? That's what I thought.

Overall = 80%