Today marks the 35th anniversary of the Final Fantasy franchise, with the original game having launched in Japan on 18th December 1987. That’s just one day after Capcom kicked off the Mega Man series, too — a pretty epic one-two punch for Famicom gamers heading into that particular late-’80s weekend, no?
In celebration of 35 years of epic RPG-ing, we’re republishing this reader-ranked list of the best games in the series (available on Nintendo consoles, that is).
Remember: This list is dynamic and based on the User Ratings of each game in the Nintendo Life game database — as such, it is subject to fluctuation even now. If you haven’t rated your favourite Final Fantasies previously, feel free to scroll through, assign a score, and assert your influence on the order below. Enjoy!
With three decades’ worth of titles to its name, this long-running and celebrated RPG franchise has a title to get Simpsons lawyer Lionel Hutz hot under the collar. The Final Fantasy series has 15 mainline entries to its name (with number XVI in the works, of course), plus a bewildering host of spin-offs, side stories, sequels, crossovers, remakes, and more that form one of gaming’s biggest juggernaut franchises. Nope, there’s no ‘finale’ in sight at all with this one.
We asked Nintendo Life readers for their help in rating all the mainline games that have appeared on Nintendo consoles. It’s no small task, that’s for sure, with 12 of the 15 mainline games currently available to play on Nintendo consoles (okay, 11-and-a-half; the Pocket Edition of Final Fantasy XV isn’t really the Full Monty and its position in the list below comes as no surprise).
The influx of Switch ports for the later 3D games means that Nintendo gamers can now enjoy the majority of the series, with only XIII, MMORPGs XI and XIV, and XV (in its full form) absent from the mainline lineup. We discuss in the list below the various versions of each title — they can be pricey to pick up these days, but who can put a price on this incredible series?
Remember that the order below is updated in real-time according to each game’s corresponding User Rating. Therefore, it’s entirely possible to influence the ranking even as you read this. Simply click on the ‘star’ game you wish to rate and assign a score.
It is time. Brace yourselves for confusing regional numbering in our reader-ranked list of the best (mainline) Final Fantasy games on Nintendo systems…
Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Square Enix
Final Fantasy XV Pocket Edition HD isn’t a bad game, but it feels superfluous — it’s hard to imagine the audience being served here. While it captures the spirit of the full game well enough, it’s an undeniably inferior version of a series entry that wasn’t the most celebrated to begin with. It has its fans, of course, but hardened Final Fantasy enthusiasts won’t be satisfied playing through this lighter mobile version as a substitute for the ‘proper’ experience, there’s little reason to dive in if you’ve already played the original, and there are better options for curious casuals looking to dip their toe into the Final Fantasy pool.
Publisher: Square / Developer: Square
This is very much not the Final Fantasy II the West received on Super NES. While work on a translation of this Famicom game was apparently started, Square eventually decided to skip it and jump to the 16-bit Final Fantasy IV on the SNES instead (which was labelled as ‘Final Fantasy II’ overseas).
Final Fantasy II — the proper 8-bit one — was a Japan-only release until 2004 when Nintendo gamers around the world were able to play it as one half of Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls on GBA. That version added a bonus section after you’d completed the game, and remains arguably the best way for Nintendo gamers to play officially, although there are ways and means to play the game elsewhere, too, including ports on PlayStation and PSP.
Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Squaresoft
Where it all began. The name of Square’s original Final Fantasy from 1987 came partly from the team’s belief that this was their last-ditch attempt to make a successful game. They may have hoped for it, but few could have predicted quite how successful the series would become.
Going back, you might not guess so, either; by modern standards, this is a very bare-bones vintage RPG. The kernel is there, though, so although new players will definitely need to wash this down with a strong glass of historical context, series fans will find it worth investigating or revisiting. It’s available in various forms, and is one of the titles on the NES Classic Mini.
Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Square Enix
The remade DS version of this one was the first we’d seen of it in the West — the RPG which came out as Final Fantasy III here was number 6 in Japan. A missing piece of the puzzle for overseas fans for so long, Final Fantasy III is certainly a solid entry, although probably not one that casual players or those curious about the series should begin with. Its a tough cookie difficulty-wise, but this is still very a enjoyable (not-so-Final) Fantasy.
Publisher: Square Enix
Final Fantasy VIII tended to divide opinion when it released over two decades ago. Some new ideas hit the spot while others fell flat, and the story is certainly a love-it-or-hate-it affair. The HD presentation and helpful quality of life updates featured in the Remastered version on Switch makes it more attractive than ever but, if you pushed us, we’d say it’s probably the most ‘skippable’ of the mainline Final Fantasy games on Switch. Still, it’s availability to Nintendo gamers is cause for celebration, and there are those who count this as their series favourite. Different strokes, folks!
Publisher: Square Enix / Developer: Square Enix
The remastered Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age on Switch is a great version of a great game; the Gambit-focused combat system is still a triumph and although the visuals are showing their age a little these days and the story doesn’t knock it out of the park like some other series entries, this remains a Fine-al Fantasy in our book.
See what we did there? It’s a very fine Final Fantasy, so we combin— hello?
