The charm of FF1

[Flashback007]

I don't know about you guys but me for me FF 1 (I have the Origins version) is a very special game. Not because I bought it on a special moment, but just because it's the beginning of the serie, the beginning of a legend. I stands different from any other game. The storyline isn't really exciting, none of the characters talks. But whatabout the changing of classes (growing of classes) and the buying of magic and always being able to use magic. A few "sidequests" etc. I really like it. It will always be in the top of mine FF-favorites. I will buy the GBA-version also. It is just special, and I am glad I have played and can keep playing. Even after I beat it :)

[Chris]

Dawn of a legend

I know exactly what you mean.
After having played the Origin version (and loving it) I wanted to try out the original game.
Even though I own the original game for my
NES I can't play it, mainly because my NES doesn't function anymore.
Anyways, so, I downloaded a rom and I was hooked once again.
Final Fantasy I stands out frrom the rest of the games, just like you said,
it was the beginning of an amazing journey.
FFI has something completely amazing about it, the atmosphere
is great and the whole game is a stand out for it's time.
I dunno....I just can't help loving that game of mine...Final Fantasy I.

[Kawaii Ryûkishi]

"Not worth playing unless you're a total masochist or retarded with nostalgia." ~ZVGQ (http://zanyvgquotes.com/)

Goodness knows I'm retarded with nostalgia, though.

[DJZen]

It's incredibly fun and addictive, and it really wrote the book on RPG gameplay. Well no, Dragon Quest did, but still, FFI had such a huge impact on RPGs that it took ten more installments for the gameplay to drastically change. Think about that.

[Del Murder]

The gameplay is simple and effective. The class system allows for many different combinations which adds replay value. I found it a little too simplistic didn't like the lack of story depth, but what can you expect in those days. Certainly good for the historic aspect alone. Three stars ***

[DJZen]

The problem with attempting to review a 17 year old game is that the gaming scene as a whole has drastically changed. Back in 1987 when Squaresoft first started putting this game together, RPGs were thought of as medieval style dungeon crawls. The point of the game was to get treasure and maybe save the babe(s). Now, RPG seems to mean highly cinematic anime style epic with over 50 billion hours of gameplay, subquests coming out the [KEISTER], and super mega attacks that take an hour to watch and bring your console's hardware to its knees. If you compare FFI to its historical peers, it was actually quite an accomplishment. Oh, and the programming was done by one person and one person alone.

[Arcana Duck]

Feh. Yup. I downloaded JNES, and Final Fantasy I along with it. The game was absolutely great. I'm not far into it yet, but this is just awesome.

[Captain Maxx Power]

I enjoy the simplicity of it all. No flash FMV's, no major plot loops, no cutting-edge graphics (well at the time they might have been cutting edge). Just (really)old-school RPG goodness.

[Sylvie]

Yes, This game so good. I have the Origins version and it is great. I love the new FF4 style graphics they have added and I too remember when an RPG meant a medieval fantasy but that all changed when FF5 was realeased (I think that was the one) FF9 was a medieval one too, but I like the old 2-d graphics. But truly, this was a great game.

[black orb]

>>> I love that game..

[Queen Anthai]

There are only two real drawbacks to FFI:

-It takes so f'ing long to level up.
-The magic system...not being able to hold more than three spells of a certain level, and only being able to use said level a finite number of times. Suckness.

Other than that, yes, I too am retarded with nostalgia. I remember getting Final Fantasy for Christmas in 1990, and I played it endlessly until I beat it, which only took me a month and five days (gawd, it's been 14 years and I still remember that! I'm pathetic!). Funny thing is, I beat it again for the PS1 last year, and I was just as excited and squealy about it then as I was when I was ten.

Nothing like a good classic to get the blood flowing. Ahhh. :) I loves me some reissues. Dragon Warrior I-III on Game Boy, FF1 on PS, Shadowgate and Deja Vu on Game Boy...all I need is a reissue of The Uninvited on ANYTHING and I can die a happy woman.

[Fredde]

One thing that's pretty unique for FF1 is its replayability value. The choice of different characters gives you different challenges. Heck, I've done the solo fighter and came pretty far with four black belts (but then I lost the savefile, sorta).

Now, would anyone want to replay FFII? IV? VII? They're all great, but just once.

[DJZen]

I like replaying FFII a lot :)

[Black Mage FF1]

There are only two real drawbacks to FFI:

-It takes so f'ing long to level up.
-The magic system...not being able to hold more than three spells of a certain level, and only being able to use said level a finite number of times. Suckness.



I dont know why everyone complains about how long it takes to lvl up in FF1. I mean really, if it is taking you more then 30 minutes then that useally means to MOVE ON. Unless you really have to be at lvl 50 for god knows what reason, there really is no point.

I like FF1 magic system. It makes the game unique and challenging. Unlike FF7 boring materia system where everyone casts the same thing and you can easily cast every spell 100 times without evening worrying about using ethers. Wheres the fun in that?



BTW I played FFIV, II and VII more than once. Not as much as FF1 though. :cool:

[Mage_of_Fire]

FF1 is awesome for replay value. I've beaten it with 1 fighter, i confess though, that was my first time. I'm too young to have played these things on the original systems, so i use roms. I'm working on 4 thieves, but the savefile isn't on this comp, so I'll have to wait till next weekend when i can get it.

What's so wrong with a finite number? It just makes it more fun and strategic. Almost every FF has a very finite amount of MP anyway. Also only having 3 spells of each level means you have to figure out which one you don't want (or just keep it as an item and switch around) or if you're dumb enough to pick a red mage you have a few more to knock off.

And I think the lack of a story is why it's so replayable. In other FF's you really can't help but do the same thing if you replay and you hear the same dialogs every time. In FF1 you can do somethings seriously different each time by picking different parties, leveling up differently, going through the areas differently, etc. And doing those things differently actually chagnes the game. In other FFs you have a lot of things set out for yourself.

[Flashback007]

What's so wrong with a finite number? It just makes it more fun and strategic. Almost every FF has a very finite amount of MP anyway. Also only having 3 spells of each level means you have to figure out which one you don't want (or just keep it as an item and switch around) or if you're dumb enough to pick a red mage you have a few more to knock off.

Well, I am dumb enough to pick up a red mage. But I actually found him usefull. Mine first party was Fighter, Red Mage, Black Mage and White Mage. It really rushed true the game. With two attacking machines, three magic casters (two attack-magic and two healers) it really is great. Plus in the last dungeon when you get the best sword of the game for the Ninja. This item you can not give to your best fightingmachine Knight, but when you give it to your Red Wizard, he will do beter damage then your Knight :D. That's why I so love the Red Mage/Red Wizard. And like I already told with the high replay value. I offered myself a new challenge: a Fighter, a Thief, a Monk and a Red Mage.

[Black Mage FF1]

I dont know why people always think it is dumb or non strategic to take a Red Mage. They always complain and say "You dont have enough healing power!!" Well if maybe if you didnt take such crappy characters like the Black Mage and White Mage then maybe you wouldnt need to heal every turn. With those saved turns you can either attack or cast black magic with the red mage.

BTW SephirothNL, what do you mean a challenge? Fi/Th/BB/Rm is a great party and is very easily beaten.

[DJZen]

Also, if you think it takes a long time to level up in FF1, play the original version of Dragon Warrior (NOT THE ONE FOR GBC!) sometime. You will BEG for the fair prices of Elfland's stores!

[Flashback007]

BTW SephirothNL, what do you mean a challenge? Fi/Th/BB/Rm is a great party and is very easily beaten.

I know it probarly will be easy, but it's for me a new challenge. I am trying to play it with a lot of different party's. And considering my first party (more magic then fighting), I now wanted to try the oposite (more fighting then magic). That's the great thing about it. You can replay it anyway you want it. You can do a all-fighting-killing challenge with 4 Fighters. Or an all-healing challenge with 4 White Mages. That's the part I liked the most.

[Queen Anthai]

Also, if you think it takes a long time to level up in FF1, play the original version of Dragon Warrior (NOT THE ONE FOR GBC!) sometime. You will BEG for the fair prices of Elfland's stores!

Oh, believe me, I HAVE the NES version. I know EXACTLY what you mean. *pain*

[theundeadhero]

no major plot loops,You've figured out the time loop? Please tell us :)
Now, would anyone want to replay FFII? IV? VII?I've beaten them all multipul times.
if you're dumb enough to pick a red mageI take a red mage almost every time I play the game along with a white mage every time I play the game. I must be dumb...

To get to the point, I really love this game. I feel it has the most charm out of any FF but only on the NES version. The other versions loose all charm for me.

[Fredde]

I've beaten them all multipul times.

Fine, I admit that they're all pretty replayable. Heck, I've beaten FFII twice now (PSX and GBA versions not accounted for), and I'm sure I'll get to FFIV again soon.

[mythus]

FF1 was indeed a wonderful game. It was the first console RPG i've ever played, back in 1990 on the king of all consoles... the NES!

After beating it twice I tried the DW1 & 2, buit being spoiled with FF1's greatness, I never completed the two.

If I remember correctly my first party consisted of a fighter, black belt, white mage, and black mage.

THe magic system was very useful in my oppinion. Being able to use a weak fire spell on random enemies until it was exhausted then use my most powerful spells when I needed them really rocked, and made for good strategy.

[Martyr]

Also, if you think it takes a long time to level up in FF1, play the original version of Dragon Warrior (NOT THE ONE FOR GBC!) sometime. You will BEG for the fair prices of Elfland's stores!

Yeah. That was so bad that I couldn't take it anymore and just ran through the entire game, trying to see how low a level I could beat it in.

Lv. 11

I reached the Dragonlord after some attempts.
It's often difficult to run, but once you reach the castle, all you have to worry about are dragons, the axeknights are easy to defeat when you get stopspell
But I couldn't beat the game because the dude cast HURTMORE and greased me.
Of course, I later realized (Remembered?) that, when equipped with all powerful Erdrick's Sword, and at a mighty level like 16 or 17, you only do about one damage to the almighty DL. 8 on a critical. I had to do nothing but level from 11 to 21 before I could beat the game. I was so numb to it by then that I think I went ahead and went to level 23.

Hooray! I learned how to use spoil tags! See how easy it is to level up in eoff forums!

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By the way, I agree with everything that's been said in favor of the game. There's just something special about turning on the game and hearing that opening music... It's like taking a trip to the past. Going back to the days when I was you and had the time to spend my time on games. It's some kind of wierd magic-lik... uh... Some wierd magic-like thing!
I like other final fantasy games. But Final Fantasy, the real Final Fantasy, is something completely different. The rest is expoloitation of a good game, and the value of the game, the history, and the story itself deteriorates with every flopping sequel. (Like a dead fish, gasping through the breeze for a fresh breath of salty water)

Okay. FF6 was pretty good. I don't know where the hell that inspiration came from. It's clearly gone now. Unless 12 begins the next great legacy? Or would 11 have had to have been spectacular in order to continue the pattern? Who knows.

[theundeadhero]

The lowest LV you can beat it at is 19 because thats when you learn healmore.

[Martyr]

The lowest LV you can beat it at is 19 because thats when you learn healmore.

What good is that? I don't remember using Healmore. I mean, I remember the spell, but I don't particularly remember it helping me with the Dragonlord. It was far more important to hit him (And do damage at the same time). And I think you can smash him for 6 at lv. 18. I think I better go find out.