Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy (ファイナルファンタジー Fainaru Fantajī?) is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and owned by Square Enix that includes video games, motion pictures, and other merchandise. The series began in 1987 as an eponymous console role-playing game (RPG) developed by Square, spawning a video game series that became the central focus of the franchise.[1][2] The franchise has since branched out into other genres and platforms, such as tactical RPGs, portable games, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, and games for mobile phones. As of March 2007, there are twenty-eight games in the franchise—including twelve numbered games and numerous spin-off titles.[3] The series has spurred the release of three animated productions, two full-length CGI films, and several printed adaptations of the video games.

Most Final Fantasy installments are independent stories (the numbers after the title refers more to volumes than sequels); however, they feature common elements that define the franchise. Such elements include recurring creatures, character names, airships and character classes. The series has popularized many features that are now widely used in console RPGs, and it is well known for its visuals, music, and innovation,[4][5] such as the inclusion of full motion videos, photo-realistic character models, and orchestrated music by Nobuo Uematsu. The series has been commercially and critically successful; it is the fourth-best-selling video game franchise, only bested by Mario, Pokémon, and The Sims,[1] and Square Enix's best selling series, with more than 85 million units sold as of July 7, 2008.[6] Many individual titles in the series have garnered extra attention and their own positive reception. In addition, the series was awarded a star on the Walk of Game in 2006,[7] and holds seven Guinness World Records in the Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition 2008.

Main series

  • Final Fantasy II was released on the NES in Japan in 1988.[10] The story centers on four youths who join a resistance to end an evil tyrant's military campaign against the world. Final Fantasy II was the first game to introduce Chocobos and Cid.[4]
  • Final Fantasy III was released on the NES in Japan in 1990[11] and remade on the DS in 2006 for its first North American release. The plot focuses on four orphaned youths who come across a crystal, which grants them power and instructs them to restore balance to the world. It was the first game to implement a Job System, summoning and introduce Moogles.[4]
  • Final Fantasy V was released on the SNES in Japan in 1992.[15] The story focuses on a wanderer and his allies as they prevent the resurgence of an evil being. It features an expanded version of the Job System from Final Fantasy III.
  • Final Fantasy VI was released on the SNES in 1994,[16] but it was released in North America under the title Final Fantasy III.[16] The plot centers on a group of rebels as they attempt to overthrow an imperial dictatorship. It has more battle customization options than its predecessors, as well as the largest playable cast in the series.
  • Final Fantasy VII was released on the PlayStation (PS) in 1997. The story centers on a group of adventurers as they battle a powerful corporation. Final Fantasy VII was the first game in the series to use 3D computer graphics, which feature polygonal characters on pre-rendered backgrounds. This is the first Final Fantasy to have the same number designation in North America and Japan since the original game was released.
  • Final Fantasy VIII was released on the PS in 1999.[17] The plot focuses on a group of young mercenaries who seek to prevent a sorceress from manipulating an international war. It was the first game in the series to consistently use realistically proportioned characters, and feature a vocal piece as its theme music. It is also the first Final Fantasy game to adopt the original Japanese magic spell names (e.g. Fire, Fira, Firaga) instead of using the English spell names (e.g. Fire, Fire2, Fire3) used in the previous English Final Fantasy games. The original Japanese magic spell names are currently being used in all revamps and every Final Fantasy game thereafter.
  • Final Fantasy IX was released on the PS in 2000.[18] The story begins with the protagonists attempting to stop a war sparked by an ambitious queen. It returned to the series' roots by revisiting a more traditional Final Fantasy setting.
  • Final Fantasy X was released on the PlayStation 2 (PS2) in 2001.[19] The story focuses on the protagonists trying to defeat a rampaging force terrorizing the world. Final Fantasy X introduced full three-dimensional areas and voice acting to the series, and it was the first to spawn a direct sequel (Final Fantasy X-2).
  • Final Fantasy XII was released for the PS2 in 2006.[21] The game takes place in a world where two empires are waging an endless war. It features a real-time battle system similar to Final Fantasy XI, a "gambit" system that automatically controls the actions of characters, and a "license board" that determines which abilities and equipment a character can use.
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