The Best and Worst of Final Fantasy
(Main Series Only - All Releases
Until 12/1/2004)
All winners were judged with
consideration of the limitations of the platforms that the games were released
on, Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII was intentionally excluded from this list.
Clicking on any Final Fantasy X, Final
Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy XI Online, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles and
Final Fantasy: Unlimited on PC screen shots will show the full sized image.
Best Music
This category is to recognize the game that has the
most original and downright pleasant music. Music so great that it almost
touches you emotionally.
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Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| This was a tough choice, the top three candidates all deserved to win. I chose this game because the music fits perfectly for the type of atmosphere that it tried to create. Not only is the music outstanding but this was the first Final Fantasy to have a song sung by a real music artist. | What more can be said, the music in this game is beyond excellent for the system it is on. Just about every tune is memorable and it set the musical mood that all Final Fantasy games have tried to recapture. |
Another near masterpiece, with this being the first Final Fantasy for the S.N.E.S., it would be acceptable for the music to have been average. Instead we get one of the most impressive game soundtracks ever. |
Worst Music
This category is to recognize the game that has the
least impressive music. Music that just wasn't as good as the other Final
Fantasy games.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| This category was the hardest to decide on, which is why I made it the first one. I don't consider any Final Fantasy to have bad music, but I must choose. This game has the least impressive music when compared to it's predecessor, which made it stand out the most. | The music in this game was not the step up that graphics were. While some tunes were very memorable, it could have been better. That's not saying that it's unbearable in anyway, just not what was expected. |
While the music in this game is, for lack of a better term, great, the music from the previous game was superior which left higher expectations. In no way is the music unpleasant, just not as improved as other Final Fantasy games. |
Best Graphics
This category is to recognize the game that has the
best looking and designed graphics. The graphics are so good that
screenshots make excellent backgrounds and a nice sized collection of
screenshots belong in everyone's computer.
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| This game has so many beautiful locations, that just about any screen shot would make a great wallpaper. The personal computer version has adjustable high resolutions, which adds to it's visual superiority. The world is very large yet Square still managed to keep it looking great and added a distinct look to each area, which makes it all the more impressive. | With the graphics easily surpassing what most people believed the Super Nintendo Entertainment System was capable of, it's extremely difficult to not acknowledge this as one of the most visually pleasant Final Fantasy games. |
The graphics in this game show what Final Fantasy VII should have looked like. The worst background is clearly much better than the best Final Fantasy VII background. The character designs were great and even the enemies were drastically improved. Taking into consideration when this was released, it set a visual standard for the following games in the series. |
Worst Graphics
This category is to recognize the game that has the
worst graphics. Graphics so bad that it's almost painful to look at the
screen.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| While the graphics aren't the worst in the history of PlayStation, it is much worse than a Final Fantasy should be. A lot of time and money was invested into this game, which makes the low quality graphics even more confusing. It's predecessor beats it hands down and it was on a much weaker 16-bit system. | While the graphics aren't horrible for an 8-Bit game, the problem is that it recycled so much from the first game and the new graphics were inferior to the first Final Fantasy. Also, the enemy graphics were not as impressive as the previous game. |
The enemy sprites in this game are quite simply amazing, but the town, dungeon and overworld graphics seem very uninspired, giving it a rushed look. The fourth Final Fantasy has much better non-enemy graphics. |
Best Full Motion Videos
This category is to recognize the game that has the
best FMVs. The videos look so good that you can play them over and over,
but never grow tired of them.
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Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| The FMV quality peaked with this game and no other Final Fantasy game has yet to have Full Motion Videos like this. Not only are they great to look at, but they keep you interested. The intro alone is enough to make Final Fantasy VIII win this category. | While it doesn't touch Final Fantasy VIII, the Full Motion Videos in this game are the next best choice. The action sequences are mind-blowing, this game clearly deserves second place and it will be quite difficult to top. |
Even though this game only has one Full Motion Video, it could not have been better. It connects to the story instead of being a collection of scenes, which makes it stand out from the rest of the ports. |
Worst Full Motion Videos
This category is to recognize the game that has the
worst FMVs. Horribly designed and basically a waste of time to watch.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| This port would have actually been better if it didn't have the Full Motion Video, which shows half of it when you first boot the game and it shows the rest once you beat the game. The graphic quality is actually much worse than the Final Fantasy VII FMVs, which is just wrong when you consider the fact that it came out after the seventh Final Fantasy. | While the FMVs obviously looked better than the in-game graphics, it still doesn't save them. They looked very unprofessional and choppy, plus Final Fantasy VII International has a few new FMVs which do not match the quality and style of the regular release. |
While they are much better than the Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy VII FMVs, they still aren't what they should have been. Since Square took the lazy route and did a quick port with nothing to warrant playing it on the PlayStation, they could have focused on the FMVs to make the purchase justified. |
Best Story
This category is to recognize the game that has the
best storyline. Interesting characters, captivating plot, basically a
story so good that you find yourself thinking about it years after you last
played the game.
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Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| The large cast and plenty of plot twists make this story excellent for its time. Not only are there multiple characters, but the game focused on their lives and feelings, which was a nice addition. | The game has a bad reputation, however if you look at it without prejudice, you'd see how great the story is. The voice acting fits the characters and the story builds well as you progress through the game. |
Another game that doesn't deserve it's bad reputation. The story is amazing if you consider when the game was released. It is superior to every RPG out at that time. |
Worst Story
This category is to recognize the game that has the
worst storyline. Boring characters, predictable situations, leaves you
wondering what Square was thinking when they wrote the script.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| Honestly, the story in this game is limited and not as interesting as the rest of the series. Granted it is an online game, but a much better story could have been implemented. Instead of forcing gamers to focus on countless hours of mindless leveling up, a good story could have been a great way to maintain gamer interest. | The character's behavior ranged from silly to humorous which took away from main story. Another thing that makes this game's story one of the worst in Final Fantasy history is the fact that you need 100% completion to get the whole story, which not every fan wanted to do. |
With the Full Motion Videos being amazing, you'd expect an equally great story. Unfortunately that is not how it worked out. Even though the story isn't exactly bad, it can frequently feel like you're playing an interactive movie, which is not what this series is supposed to be about. |
Best Battle System
This category is to recognize the game that has the
Best Battle system. Succeeds in having leveling up be not as bad as the
rest of the series and creates an entertaining approach that makes long boss
battles less frustrating.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| The battle system of this game is the most useful of the entire series. Being able to see who was next and how your decision affects your turn makes tough battles quite entertaining. The ability to switch between characters mid-battle makes this game have the best battle system hands down. This system is so good that it was borrowed by The Lord Of The Rings: The Third Age. | This battle system drastically improved the active time battle to the point that it became just as great as the turn based system that the series was founded on. The ability to change the class of your character in the middle of the battle is the feature that made this game have the second best battle system. |
Anybody who has played the original first and second Final Fantasy games knows that attacking an enemy which is already dead is beyond annoying. This game fixes that and the addition of all the classes adds an interesting twist to the limits that the first two Final Fantasy games suffered from. |
Worst Battle System
This category is to recognize the game that has the
worst battle system. Most battles are not entertaining at all, plus makes
the player dread leveling up.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| Basically you sit there while the game does the same move over and over, you don't even have to pick to attack outside of the first strike. Running is possible but the enemy will just chase you down and keep attacking you until you die. There are different choices you can make while fighting, but most of the time you'll be sitting there, watching the game fight by itself. | The original Final Fantasy targets dead enemies, which is a huge problem. This game should have corrected that, but it did not. As a result, a great deal of the battles are needlessly frustrating and long. This may seem like a lame reason to say that it has one of the worst battle systems, rest assured that it gets quite annoying. |
It was expected that since Square was making this game for an advanced system, that the battle system would improve. Instead they kept it pretty much the same as the other active time battle system games. Plus the amount of characters per battle went from four to three. With that said, the battle system was somewhat disappointing because there was nothing special about it. |
Most Entertaining
This category is to recognize the game that is the
most entertaining. A game so fun that you can play it just to kill time
and it doesn't get old.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| No matter how many times you beat this game, it never gets dull. The quest is so simple yet so entertaining. The replay value is also increased by letting you choose different classes each time through and the option of a one person party. | Since the story is very easy to get into and the character relationships unfold in a way that has never really been possible in any previous Final Fantasy, due to the character voices, this is one of the most entertaining RPGs that has ever been released. |
Sometimes a simple story is the most fun and this is no exception. The quest keeps you entertained yet the simplicity keeps the length of the game from becoming frustrating, with the exception of the final dungeon. |
Least Entertaining
This category is to recognize the game that is the
least entertaining. A game that you were wishing would end before you were
anywhere near the ending, which also took a long time to beat because you never
wanted to continue playing plus you will never play it again after it's
finished.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| While it is refreshing to see the class system again, this game just was not as fun to play as the previous two class based Final Fantasy games. The game seemed to drag as you spent countless hours mastering your favorite classes. | It can get quite boring traveling for hours to do very simple quests, requiring you to have a party to do certain missions and fight some enemies, taking forever to go up a level and making money so annoying to earn. With that said, this game deserves second place on the Least Entertaining category. |
The characters are what makes this game one of the least entertaining Final Fantasy games. Cloud acts like a spoiled child, Aeris is simply useless, Cait Sith is a joke and Barret is the stereotypical angry black man, which can make Square seem almost racist. Even some of the Shinra enemies also took away from the enjoyment of the game. |
Best Male Character
This category is to recognize the best male
character in all Final Fantasy games. He's just an all around great
character, cool personality and just a pleasure to use.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
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| It's just wrong that the only time gamers that are not from Japan have come across the Onion Knight are as a weapon in Final Fantasy X and as a random animated sprite during the title menu of the Final Fantasy VI PlayStation port. It's hard to explain why, but the Onion Knight rules. | This guy is a nut job, completely suicidal and one hundred percent dependable. He says exactly what is on his mind and will happily give up his life for a cause that he deems worthwhile. |
This guy is completely tough, serious, intelligent and a man of his word. He has given up a lot to do the right thing and is a powerhouse when he first joins your party. He doesn't waste words, never sugar coating and only speaking when necessary. |
Worst Male Character
This category is to recognize the worst male
character in all Final Fantasy games. He's just annoying, bad personality
and you wish he was never put in the game at all.
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Runner-Up |
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| Quina Quen can only be called the Jar Jar Binks of Final Fantasy. The character is so corny and it's near impossible to picture anybody above ten years of age finding Quina Quen entertaining. | Not as bad as Quina Quen, then again nothing is, but this character also takes away from the story. He is a robotic cat on top of a giant stuffed moogle, that is controlled by a Shinra employee named Reeve, who has kidnapped Marlene so he could join your party to spy on you. Complicated yet not interesting at all. |
This guy is a total wimp, which makes his personality annoying. Personality aside, he is also completely useless in battle. He truly is a Spoony Bard. |
Best Female Character
This category is to recognize the best female
character in all Final Fantasy games. She's just an all around great
character, cool personality and just a pleasure to use.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| Tifa Lockheart is a tough character, both emotionally and in combat, which she handles herself quite well in battle due to her martial arts skills. However, she is in love with Cloud Strife, which isn't easy on her because of how he acts and his lack of social skills. | Her world is slowly torn apart as she sees her mother do things that she did not think her mother could ever do. To make things worse, she starts learning about her true origins. With all this going on, she somehow manages never to lose focus on what is important. |
She is half human and half esper, which leads her to not understand who she is. The way her character develops as the story progresses makes her one of the best female characters in the series. |
Worst Female Character
This category is to recognize the worst female
character in all Final Fantasy games. She's just annoying, bad personality
and you wish she was never put in the game at all.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| Since the sex of Quina Quen is never revealed, this character clearly deserves Worst Male and Female Character. Final Fantasy IX does not get the respect that it deserves from many gamers and this character doesn't help it's reputation at all. | What is up with Yuna in this game? In Final Fantasy X she was extremely soft spoken and almost shy. Now in Final Fantasy X-2 her personality is the exact opposite. It is easy to understand that Square needed a different personality to fit their new story, but maybe a story rewrite would have been more accurate than having a new character and calling her Yuna. |
Faris seems like an upgraded version of Leila from Final Fantasy II, just with a slightly more detailed storyline. It is not easy to take her serious after finding out that she's a female who pretends to be a male. |
Best Villain
This category is to recognize the game that has the
best villain. This villain is so interesting and cool, you just wish that
character was playable.
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Runner-Up |
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| Sin is responsible for countless deaths and no matter how many times he gets defeated, he always returns. Plus the traditional way of defeating him comes with a high price. | Kefka is insane, not just a little, he has completely lost it. All he cares about is power and obtaining more of it. |
His disregard for human life, unmatched power and goal to become one with the planet makes him one of the best villains in Final Fantasy History. |
Worst Villain
This category is to recognize the game that has the worst villain. This
villain is just a waste of time and just plain irritating, the game would have
been better without this villain.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
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| This villain is really silly, appearing when you least expect it and always saying something corny. He takes away from the atmosphere of the game. | Zorn and Thorn are beyond annoying, it's clear that they are jesters, but their behavior is taken to the extreme. Unfortunately, there's no way to avoid them so you just have to deal with their presence. |
Thorn and Zorn are always repeating each other, usually changing the original comment into a question, that gets old very quickly. It gets to the point that you dread having them appear on the screen. |
Coolest Summon
This category is to recognize the summon that is
just so cool to summon. This summon is so interesting, that you end up
summoning just for fun instead of necessity.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
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| Shiva on Final Fantasy X gets the Coolest Summon award for her finger snapping, it makes her worth summoning just to see her do it. | This is how Bahamut is meant to look, in some of the other games in the series he appears from skinny to robotic. |
It is difficult to decide if Final Fantasy VIII or Final Fantasy IX has the cooler Leviathan. Even though the latter is graphically superior, this one seems more creative. |
Most Useless Summon
This category is to recognize the most useless summon. This summon is just
boring and a waste of time.
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Runner-Up |
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| The Imp does almost no damage, he is very weak and completely useless. | The Chocobo is almost as useless as the Imp, only useful for a short time. |
This summon just lowers the speed stat of the enemy, nothing more. |
Best Yoshitaka Amano Art
This category is to recognize the game that has the
best Yoshitaka Amano art. This is where he did his best work, so great
that you'd do anything to own the original art.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| Yoshitaka Amano's art for the first Final Fantasy is just amazing, setting a mood that he has yet to recapture. | Almost as creative and inspiring as the art in the first game. Seeing his portrayal of those action scenes is something that no Final Fantasy fan should miss. |
It is hard to choose between the art in this game and Final Fantasy III, but this game brought back the art style that was lost since Final Fantasy VII. |
Worst Yoshitaka Amano Art
This category is to recognize the game that has the
worst Yoshitaka Amano art. Ever have a day when you just don't feel like
giving 100% at your job? This is what might have happened here because his
art for this game is uncreative and not up to the quality that fans expected.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| It's hard to imagine what Yoshitaka Amano was thinking when he made the art for this game. It could be that this was a way of demonstrating frustration toward Square for making Tetsuya Nomura the Character Designer. | After seeing his work on Final Fantasy VII, the expectations were extremely low for the follow-up game. While the artwork for this game was nowhere near as bad as the previous game in the series, his heart definitely didn't seem to be in his work which leaves the impression that he did quick work for quick money. |
The artwork for the first Final Fantasy is a hard act to follow, unfortunately his artwork for this game didn't follow it that well. Some of the art seems rushed and lacking a lot of detail. He tried to make a great deal of things go on at once and relied heavily on the color red, which lead to some of his worst Final Fantasy art. |
Most Upgraded Sequel
This category is to recognize the game that has the
changed the most since the previous titles. So many fresh ideas that the
game wouldn't need Final Fantasy in it's title to succeed.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| This game went full 3D with extremely detailed characters, enemies and environments. The voice acting was a first for the series and the battle system was seriously improved. | The overworld uses Mode 7, which made it look blocky and ugly. With that said, everything else was improved drastically, from graphics to story. |
This game was a huge step from Final Fantasy VII, showing us what it could have looked like if Square had given us 110%. The music is superior and the graphics were actually impressive, even the town and dungeon backgrounds were improved. |
Least Upgraded Sequel
This category is to recognize the game that has the
didn't change much since the previous titles. Not necessarily a bad thing,
but the game only had very changes compared to other sequels.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| After seeing Final Fantasy II resembling the first Final Fantasy, Square could have reworked the non-battle graphics to give us something new, but they did not. Not enough was changed to make this game visually separate from the first two games. | This game used the same locations and graphics as Final Fantasy X, which is not surprising considering that it is a direct sequel to it. However, the new areas are too few and so are the new enemies, more of them were expected. Also, having the same enemies and renaming them is a very cheesy way to upgrade. |
The overworld actually looks worse than Final Fantasy IV, which was very surprising. All the great enemy sprites did not make up for the obvious lack of overworld and dungeon creativity. |
Most Linear
This category is to recognize the game that has the
most linear storyline. The game permits very little straying from the
plot.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| This story could not have been more laid out in front of you. Throughout most of the quest you just go from one area to the next, with little to no flexibility. Doesn't get more linear than this game. | This game was almost as straightforward as Final Fantasy X, with just a little more room to stray from the direct path. While it fit the game well, it definitely could have used a little more freedom. |
With this game being Square's first 16-Bit Final Fantasy game, they planned a great story but to keep it focused, they forced the player to go in a very straight line. |
Least Linear
This category is to recognize the game that has the
least linear storyline. The game has tons of things to do outside of main
story.
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Winner |
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Runner-Up |
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| There simply isn't more freedom in any Final Fantasy game, period. This game lets you do whatever you want, you could realistically finish the game in 15 hours your first time through. | This game is extremely flexible, you can do whatever you want, but unfortunately to move on you will have to do some missions that you just don't want to do. Outside of that you can just travel to wherever your heart desires, assuming you can make it there... |
While nowhere near as non-linear as Final Fantasy X-2 and XI Online, this game gives some freedom to do as you choose, all with different outcomes. |
Toughest Boss
This category is to recognize the game that has the
toughest boss in the entire series. A boss so tough that it requires much
more than maxed stats to defeat.
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Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| Talk about really tough, Final Fantasy VIII's Omega Weapon can and will rip you a new hole no matter how prepared you are for this battle, especially since the tougher you are, the tougher Omega Weapon is. | The road to the battle with Penance is difficult, forcing you to defeat all the Dark Aeons, which is a feat on its own. Don't even attempt the battle unless you are extremely leveled up, plus the battle could easily take over an hour. |
There are some hard Final Fantasy XI Online battles and it isn't even possible to defeat ネプトりゅう in Final Fantasy III, but Ozma is just so challenging that this acknowledgement is well deserved. |
Easiest Boss
This category is to recognize the game that has the
easiest boss in the entire series. A boss so easy that fighting regular
enemies is more challenging.
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Runner-Up |
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| There was absolutely no reason to make the final boss in Final Fantasy X so easy. The last boss is supposed to be a huge challenge, but Square decided to make it a battle that can't be lost. | With 6 HP each, this boss battle could not be easier. You would be hard pressed to find someone that has been defeated by them, unless they intentionally lost. |
This battle is not supposed to be challenging, but it is a little too easy. Granted this is the first battle in the game, it's almost pointless. The only purpose it could serve is as a sort of training for new gamers. |
Best Mini-Game
This category is to recognize the best
mini-game. So fun that you find yourself playing it over and over again,
more than you play the actual game itself.
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Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| Final Fantasy and card games go hand in hand. The rules are difficult to master at first, but once you get the hang of it, it becomes very addictive. | While not as fun or advanced as Tetra Master, this game can hold it's own. The rules are easy to understand, which is a big plus. The downside is that the games end very quickly. |
Chocobo Hot & Cold is very different from your average mini-game, you guide the chocobo around and dig around for items until the time runs out. |
Worst Mini-Game
This category is to recognize the worst
mini-game. So boring that you find yourself avoiding it at all costs,
regardless of the benefits of playing it.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| This mini-game is awful, it's just a guessing game. By pressing a button you either hit the opponent, get hit by the opponent or you cancel out the attacks. | This mini-game has a great prize if you can dodge 200 lightning bolts in a row. Unfortunately this is one of the most unbearable things to do in the game. |
At first you think this game will be a fun soccer clone that's played underwater, but once you try it you see how boring and plain annoying this is. |
Most Overrated Final Fantasy Game
This category is to recognize the game that has the
has been blown up so big that the game itself doesn't match the hype. Not
a bad game but just not as good as most people have convinced themselves it is.
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| Most Final Fantasy fans in the USA have started with this game, so they have a love for this game that blinds most of them from the truth. Those fans believe that this game has the best story, characters and replay value of all the other games in the series. Unfortunately, this has made Final Fantasy VII the most overrated Final Fantasy game. | The reason this game received a lot of attention is because most fans believed that this is the first Final Fantasy to have a real sequel, which is not accurate. Final Fantasy V has a sequel which is called Legend Of The Crystals: Based On Final Fantasy. |
Most Underrated Final Fantasy Game
This category is to recognize the game that has the
has an undeserved bad reputation. The game itself is much better than most
people want to admit.
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Runner-Up |
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| This game does not deserve the reputation that it has simply because of it's leveling up system. If people can look past that they will come across a game that was quite amazing considering when it was released. | Since the two Final Fantasy games that came out before this one strayed from what Final Fantasy traditionally is supposed to be, many of the fans that started with those two games couldn't appreciate this game for what it is, a tribute to Final Fantasy. |
Final Fantasy Game That Deserves A Sequel
This category is to recognize the game that
should have a sequel. It's not just the story that deserves to be
continued, it's the whole package, characters, environment, etc...
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| Originally there was going to be two sequels to Final Fantasy X, Yuna Version became Final Fantasy X-2 and Rikku Version was cancelled. It would be interesting to see what direction Square was going to take with the Rikku sequel. | So many characters and so much room for additional background on everyone, this game has the potential for a sequel. Even if they focus outside of the lead characters, there's a lot to work with. |
Everything about this game has such a strong fantasy feeling to it and since Final Fantasy IX is completely full of references to previous games in the series, it deserves a sequel. Imagine fighting 3D versions of bosses from the second through sixth Final Fantasy. |
Shouldn't Be Part Of The Main Series
This category is to recognize the game that should
be a Side Quest. While the game itself isn't bad, it doesn't deserve to be
part of the main Final Fantasy series.
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| This game has the look of a true Final Fantasy game, but it has one serious flaw that keeps it from being a true part of the main series, it is only playable online. Unless Square changes the game and makes it playable offline, it is doomed to obscurity once the servers go offline permanently. The first Final Fantasy is 18 years old as of my writing this, so if you feel like playing it, you just need to take out the Famicom and you can play it. However, 18 years from now, this game will be lost, due to lack of Square support. | This game doesn't feel like a Final Fantasy game, outside of naming some things according to previous games. The futurist aspect of the game removes the Final Fantasy feel to it, making it feel closer to a Phantasy Star than what it is supposed to be. |
This game suffers from the same problem that Final Fantasy VIII does, too futuristic for a series that is mainly medieval fantasy. This game would have been a great side quest game, but it is out of place when compared to the rest of the series. |
Most Wanted Cancelled Final Fantasy Game
This category is to recognize the unreleased game
that most people want released. The game should be finished and released
to the public, or at least leaked out so fans can appreciate it.
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Winner |
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| This port had gone through a few estimated release dates and delays, before it was finally cancelled. The game itself looked very impressive through the limited screen shots that were released. Final Fantasy III is the only early Final Fantasy game to not have been ported to another system as of my writing this, so it's obvious why this game is one of the most wanted cancelled Final Fantasy games. |
Least Wanted Cancelled Final Fantasy Game
This category is to recognize the unreleased game
that almost nobody cares about. The game should have been released but the
fact that it wasn't doesn't bother most fans.
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Winner |
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| Not only do most fans not know about this port, but the ones that know about it don't show any interest towards it. Outside of what system this port was headed, nothing else is known about it. |
Best Port/Remake
This category is to recognize the game that has the
best port or remake. They took the original and put it on a new system
with upgrades that gave an older game a newer feeling to it.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| This port is simply amazing, so much was changed, from the magic system to the colors on the sprites. To make this even more impressive, new sections were added to the game that end with the battles of bosses from the third to the sixth Final Fantasy game. The downside to this port is the ridiculously low level of difficulty. | This game has an entirely new section at the end of the game, along with new enemies and bosses. Not only that, the leveling up system was improved to the point that cheating isn't needed to move ahead in the game anymore. The only problem with the new system is that limits were added to control how much your character can level up depending on how far you are in the game. |
This port does not get the recognition that it deserves. This game has quite a few improvements over the original game. The most obvious change is the more detailed castles and towns, plus slightly more colorful enemies. Unfortunately a few boss sprites had to be reduced due to the lower resolution and the airship flying effect doesn't look as good as the original. |
Worst Port/Remake
This category is to recognize the game that has the
worst port or remake. They took the original and put it on a new system
but the end result was an inferior product when compared to the original.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| Loading times...need more be said? | The load times are annoying, but not as bad as Final Fantasy VI. |
The load times get old quick, at least it's the best of the three listed here. |
Most Challenging Final Fantasy Game
This category is to recognize the game that
is the most difficult to beat. Only the most dedicated fans can beat this
game without cheating.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| This game is very difficult to beat without cheating to increase your stats. Just to fully level up any weapon or magic spell takes more battles than you would ever like to participate in. | The original version of this game is easily the second hardest Final Fantasy game, you'll find your party dead quite often if you don't take the time to level them up to really high levels. |
Final Fantasy is not the easiest game, if not for the high encounter rate, your party will not be able to handle the difficulty of the later dungeons. Some party combinations increase the difficulty of this game. |
Least Challenging Final Fantasy Game
This category is to recognize the game that has the
is the easiest to beat. A good choice for those that have never played a
Final Fantasy game.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| The difficulty of this title is almost non-existent when compared to all other Final Fantasy games. It may have been intentional to make it this easy simply to attract new gamers to the series, but Square really should have increased the difficulty to challenge long-time fans of Final Fantasy. | The difficulty of this game varies depending on what direction you make your party take, but it never gets too challenging. You can play from beginning to end, without spending any time leveling up and still finish it without problems. |
This game focuses much more on story and character development than it does on challenge. While it's not that difficult to get your characters killed in this game, putting a little effort in maintaining your party will prevent this from becoming a problem. |
Best Final Fantasy Side Quest Game
This category is to recognize the best Final
Fantasy side quest game.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
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| Even though this side quest is an adventure title not a RPG, it is an outstanding Game Boy game for its time and all the references to the first Final Fantasy game are a welcomed bonus. | While this game has a somewhat simple story, it manages to keep the player interested with a few humorous cut-scenes and a good amount of action. The multiplayer option is great but the limited walking space takes away from the fun of playing it with your friends. |
This game is addicting, but not until you catch onto the rules. Just like Tetra Master and Triple Triad, you will find yourself playing this more than you would like to admit. The only downside is that this game has yet to have an English language release. |
Worst Final Fantasy Side Quest Game
This category is to recognize the worst Final
Fantasy side quest game.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
 |
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| Even though this is an entry level RPG, the game still qualifies as the worst Side Quest Final Fantasy game. The whole package just doesn't stand on it's own compared to the quality of the Final Fantasy games that were released around the same time. | This game is extremely overrated and it is not as great as most gamers make it out to be. The story is intentionally complicated to make up for falling short on everything else. The game borrows names and ideas from other Final Fantasy titles, which is all that it has in common with the series. |
This game is much more entertaining then the first Final Fantasy Tactics, yet there is nothing special about this title. It is very simplistic and if you avoid the additional missions, the game can be finished in a few hours. A step up from the first game, yet not the leap that it should have been. |
Best Final Fantasy Game
This category is to recognize the best Final
Fantasy game.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
 |
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| This game deserves this recognition. The story is great, the battles are entertaining, the characters fit their roles plus the art and graphics have an undeniable charm. Everything about this game screams Final Fantasy and it will be a long time before Square tops this one. | It was hard choosing between this title and Final Fantasy IV to be the winner of the Best Final Fantasy Game, but it had to be done. The main quest of the game is one that is full of unforgettable locations and characters that build a story that is beyond simplistic but also so fun to play, that many fans do so over and over again. |
This game is simply amazing, it took the look and feel of the first Final Fantasy title and put it in a much larger adventure that introduced some of the most beloved Final Fantasy trademarks, such as summoning and moogles. When compared to most games in the series, they just aren't as great as this game is. |
Worst Final Fantasy Game
This category is to recognize the worst Final
Fantasy game.
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Winner |
Runner-Up |
Runner-Up |
 |
 |
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| Final Fantasy VII is by no means a bad game, but it doesn't compare to other Final Fantasy titles. The behavior and attitude of some of the main characters gets old fast and most of the required mini-games and events take away from the overall feel that is expected from a Final Fantasy title. Another thing that really takes away from this game is the futuristic aspect of it, gamers that started with the series prior to Final Fantasy VII were used to a RPG that provided a medieval experience and this clearly did not deliver what was expected. | The only thing that kept this game from winning the Worst Final Fantasy Game recognition is the fact that it has many improvements over Final Fantasy VII. Both the character and enemy graphics are much more detailed, the music is superior and the FMVs are amazing instead of unprofessional looking. However, this did not make for a great game when compared to other Final Fantasy titles. While the character personalities fit almost perfectly, this game is even more futuristic that the previous title and once again that took the Final Fantasy out of it. |
Final Fantasy X is a great game, which makes you wonder what Square was thinking when they made this sequel. The game itself is not exactly bad, but so many aspects of it make the title not match what is expected from a Final Fantasy game. The most important thing is making the real ending not worth reaching to many fans. Add on the fact that Yuna is a completely different character and the personality of Rikku was modified to fit the story, and you have a product that should have stayed on the drawing boards a lot longer to make the game a better sequel. |
*All screen shots were taken by Marcelo X, with the exception of some Final Fantasy X screen shots, all (except one) Final Fantasy X-2 screen shots and the Final Fantasy Adventure screen shot.
