FF1-3 are the Worst

[Mirage]

>>> You guys have zero imagination, thats why you think those old school games are bad.
Now the newer FF games give you everything too easy, awesome/beautiful imagery, the best plot, all these gorgeous orchestral music, etc. (i get all that and more by just playing FF1).. In other words the new FF games have just killed your imagination..:luca:

Actually, my imagination is so intense my head feels like it's about to burst!

One of my favourite kinds of games doesn't have graphics or music at all. beat that!

[Wolf Kanno]

I actually really like the NES era games an I do in fact rank them higher than some of the Playstation era titles cause I feel they are overall in better quality and get far more enjoyment out of them than some modern games.

FFI is pretty simple but I love the world, which starts off fairly typical Fantasy Genre nonsense but then drops an advance civilzation and a quirky time travel twist that ends the game with a bitter sweet ending. All this in a time frame where other RPGs were simple hero beats the evil bad guy and saves the princess and the McGuffin. They all live happily ever after. The ending was a pretty damn deep even by todays standards where most games still opt for the "Happily Ever After " ending. The re-playability of the title from its job class system makes the game also easy to go back through without being bored especially considering the game is fairly short as well. Hell, I stopped playing Crisis Core in exchange for tackling FFI PSP instead and had a hell of a lot more fun despite CC being so "great" for its gameplay and story. I still felt FFI was better.

FFII gets the shaft alot but after really playing the game for my FAQ, I've really come to appreciate the title more than for its novelty. The story actually is pretty good if a bit absurd in some places (beavers? really Square?) the mechanics of the game are far more deep than people give it credit for and I feel the game gets a bad rep from all the munchkins who feel the system should allow you to max out all your stats easily and then compalin when nothing can beat them.

The story is simple but it has its touching moments and even I can feel for someone like Josef and Minwu, especially heart wrenching when the game allows you to go back and speak with their loved ones... Combat is good the level system is great if you actually accept it for what it is which is basically a system to build the FFI job classes with a bit more variation since magic can be used universally (meaning you can build a character who has nothing but buffing and debuffing skills) and the weapon system allows even squishy mages and idiot proof warriors have a bit more flexibility and customization.

The music is gorgeous and I actually feel FFII has the best soundtrack of the NES era and I actually rank its soundtrack higher than the garbage we listen to in the PS2 era. The Rebels is one of my favorite compositions in the series.

The game was a ahead of its time and I'm that despite the game being 20 years old, people still don't get it. Hell this game as well as FFI pretty much started 90% of the RPG cliches we roll our eyes at nowadays and I feel FFII gets the shaft outside of Japan cause it was released outside of Japan fairly late in the series lifetime. Its hard to appreciate awesome villains like Mateus or the battle with the series first Behemoth when you are comparing it to crap from SNES and PS1 era.

This is also why I felt FFIII really gets the shaft. It was the last of the numbered series to be released outside of Japan and even with ROM hacks, most casual fans (which is most of the FF fanbase) probably never touched this game til the DS remake. Even then, I felt the game was magical and I am so sad the series doesn't use some of the spell mechanics like FFIII did, having to keep Mini and Toad spells around to traverse dungeons. The job class system was a hell of a lot of fun and even though I can't argue that FFV did it better, its not like III's version is bad on any account. I loved switching around classes and building new parties with the game but I'm a toital whore for job class systems.

The story feels pretty simple but has a pretty awesome plot twist early on (the floating continent and the nature of the true world) heroic sacrifices from its excellent supporting cast (built from what Square did with FFII no less) and also has a rather deep story for its time that is once again not seen very often in even today's games. A villain who is clearly crazy and evil but given a very sympathetic backstory, name me one game from the NES era RPGs that ever did this? It would be easier to list someone from the 16-bit era and even then I'm pretty sure that's a short list. Let's also not forget the story's message is about Balance and goes off to say that Darkness is just as important as Light and drops the whole pretense of Light = Good and Darkness = Bad. Once again, its hard to find any mainstream RPG that talks crazy like this (MegaTen is kinda built around this concept though). I mean comparing FFIII to IV, you suddenly realize that Square pretty much dropped most of the gaming mechanics in exchange for a story that happened to have a strong central cast, FFIII is not only a better game but its story is also just as equally as good as its descendant.

The sheer complexity of the game puts it high on my list and when you start to think about the era the game was created in and start comparing other FFs to games of their era, you realize how mind blowing this game really was cause very few later titles took as many chances as this title did for its time. For me, IV is technically a downgrade in the series after following up III and the only other two titles that share a similar fate is the transition from IX and X as well as XII and XIII which is mostly the same deal with the later titles streamlining combat and gameplay in exchange for story making very unbalanced games.

III is a smurfing masterpiece in the series cause it takes all the best elements of the first two titles and builds something truly magnificent from them. The fact the game still gets references and homages from later installments shows how important this game is to the series and how it still inspires designers toady. Its not just an antique, its proof that they don't make them like they use to. III is horribly balanced with a thought provoking plot, large world with lost of places to explore, and an excellent combat system. I still like FFII's OST better but its not like III's is anything to scoff at.

[silentenigma]

Grand Theft Auto 1-3 Are the Worst

Face it. They laid the groundwork but that's it. No one cares about the foundation of the building. it's the structure erected on top that is the real focus of attention and with good reason.

The first 3 games have about as much plot as your average action film on Spike TV but with even less interesting characters.

The graphics they had were either horrible (GTA2 "I'm a tiny cartoon man from a bird's eye view") or were improved in later games (GTA3's 3rd person graphics being improved in Vice City and 4)

So really, they might be good for nostalgia trips but they are the weakest games in the series undoubtedly.

If you want to make a topic about Worst Story, Worst Soundtrack, worst...anything, there can be no real choice besides one of those 3.

[Wolf Kanno]

It was funnier the first time silentenigma.

[silentenigma]

Led Zeppelin 1-3 Are the Worst

Face it. They laid the groundwork but that's it. No one cares about the foundation of the building. it's the structure erected on top that is the real focus of attention and with good reason.

The first 3 albums have about as much depth as your average blues album but with even less interesting lyrics.

The songs they had were either horrible (LZ2 "I'm going to rip off every single existing blues song") or were improved in later albums (LZ3's acoustic songs being improved in IV and Physical Graffiti)

So really, they might be good for nostalgia trips but they are the weakest albums in the catalog undoubtedly.

If you want to make a topic about Worst lyrics, Worst originality, worst...anything, there can be no real choice besides one of those 3.

[Forsaken Lover]

Those comparisons all fail because no one plays GTA or Mario for the story. To my knowledge, plot and character matters a lot to most FF fans.

So the fact FF1 has such a pitiful excuse for a story should really turn people off it. I know it does for me. I'll take FFVIII's contrived mess to a barely there story any day.

I'll provide a more fitting example. Praising the first three games is like praising the superb storyteling in Pong. Yes, Pong's deep characters are immensely better than any story that has come after.

Nostalgia Goggles blind people it seems.

Well I guess it's fair. Gaming truly reached its peak with the Atari 2600. Nothing can never surpass it.

[silentenigma]

Oh you guys are in for it. I am definitely going to overstay my welcome on this one.

Harry Potter 1-3 Are the Worst

Face it. They laid the groundwork but that's it. No one cares about the foundation of the building. it's the structure erected on top that is the real focus of attention and with good reason.

The first 3 novels have about as much plot as your average young adult novel but with even less mature characters.

The plot points they had were either horrible (HP2 "I'm going to save a girl who's obsessed with an obviously evil diary") or were improved in later entries (HP3's run-ins with Death Eaters being improved in 6 and 7)

So really, they might be good for nostalgia trips but they are the weakest novels in the series undoubtedly.

If you want to make a topic about Worst Story, Worst Vision, worst...anything, there can be no real choice besides one of those 3.

[VeloZer0]

I'll take FFVIII's contrived mess to a barely there story any day.

Zero is higher than a negative number. A non existent story is better than one I don't enjoy. And the stories aren't non existent, they just more bare bones. Which leaves less room for them to mess it up.

So the fact FF1 has such a pitiful excuse for a story should really turn people off it

The core of the story is just as solid as any modern FF title, there is just a lot less detail and sub stories involved. You also have to consider that I found FFI and FF3 to be much more fun to physically play than FF12 or FF13.

Nostalgia Goggles blind people it seems.

Once again, I hadn't played a single NES FF title until after I had played FF4-10.

[Elpizo]

This is also why I felt FFIII really gets the shaft. It was the last of the numbered series to be released outside of Japan and even with ROM hacks, most casual fans (which is most of the FF fanbase) probably never touched this game til the DS remake. Even then, I felt the game was magical and I am so sad the series doesn't use some of the spell mechanics like FFIII did, having to keep Mini and Toad spells around to traverse dungeons. The job class system was a hell of a lot of fun and even though I can't argue that FFV did it better, its not like III's version is bad on any account. I loved switching around classes and building new parties with the game but I'm a toital whore for job class systems.

The story feels pretty simple but has a pretty awesome plot twist early on (the floating continent and the nature of the true world) heroic sacrifices from its excellent supporting cast (built from what Square did with FFII no less) and also has a rather deep story for its time that is once again not seen very often in even today's games. A villain who is clearly crazy and evil but given a very sympathetic backstory, name me one game from the NES era RPGs that ever did this? It would be easier to list someone from the 16-bit era and even then I'm pretty sure that's a short list. Let's also not forget the story's message is about Balance and goes off to say that Darkness is just as important as Light and drops the whole pretense of Light = Good and Darkness = Bad. Once again, its hard to find any mainstream RPG that talks crazy like this (MegaTen is kinda built around this concept though). I mean comparing FFIII to IV, you suddenly realize that Square pretty much dropped most of the gaming mechanics in exchange for a story that happened to have a strong central cast, FFIII is not only a better game but its story is also just as equally as good as its descendant.

The sheer complexity of the game puts it high on my list and when you start to think about the era the game was created in and start comparing other FFs to games of their era, you realize how mind blowing this game really was cause very few later titles took as many chances as this title did for its time. For me, IV is technically a downgrade in the series after following up III and the only other two titles that share a similar fate is the transition from IX and X as well as XII and XIII which is mostly the same deal with the later titles streamlining combat and gameplay in exchange for story making very unbalanced games.

III is a smurfing masterpiece in the series cause it takes all the best elements of the first two titles and builds something truly magnificent from them. The fact the game still gets references and homages from later installments shows how important this game is to the series and how it still inspires designers toady. Its not just an antique, its proof that they don't make them like they use to. III is horribly balanced with a thought provoking plot, large world with lost of places to explore, and an excellent combat system. I still like FFII's OST better but its not like III's is anything to scoff at.

Wolf, I... I think I'm in love... You summed III up so perfectly, you saw it for what it really is and... *hugs* The only thing I'd disagree with is that III's soundtrack is inferior to II's, but that's all.

Topic starter, listen to this person, because Wolf speaks the truth.

[silentenigma]

*snip*

This is getting really old... ~WK

[Zora]

To me, the NES era did not age well. Just over time, games progressed, evolved, etc.. That isn't to say they're bad games. The fact I can pick up Final Fantasy either of the NES trilogy and play through them is a merit in its own right. They are nowhere close to what feets modern RPGs have achieved, but they are still fun in their own right.

And, honestly, I would play some of the NES games over some of the more modern FF's.

[The Crystal]

Face it. They laid the groundwork but that's it. No one cares about the foundation of the building. it's the structure erected on top that is the real focus of attention and with good reason.

The first 3 games have about as much plot as your average Saturday Morning cartoon but with even less interesting characters.

The battle systems they had were either horrible (FF2 "I beat myself up and get stronger") or were improved in later games (FF3's Job System being improved in 5 and X-2)

So really, they might be good for nostalgia trips but they are the weakest games in the series undoubtedly.

If you want to make a topic about Worst Story, Worst Soundtrack, worst...anything, there can be no real choice besides one of those 3.

And face it, everything you said is just an opinion.

Its villain also had a better motive than the villains of IV, V and VI (who were all evil for the heck of it, or mind-controlled), fancy that!

Well, technically, Zande/Xande was being controled by the CoD.

[Forsaken Lover]

It's not opinion to say that everything on the NES was inferior. it's fact. The console simply could not handle everything that was good as we saw in later FFs.

[Omni-Odin]

I totally agree and totally disagree. I like how revolutionary the games were to begin with. I played FF I&II right after VII and VIII as my first four FFs. I was taken back by how different the leveling systems and worlds were. I was a fan of all four, but from a completely non-objective viewpoint I liked the latter two(7&8). More depth and better gameplay. I've now played all the FFs and ya I have to agree. (And don't think I'm a graphics monger, I enjoyed the first 3 DQs much more than the first 3 FF) I just think FF I-III are too hard to get into unless you have the real determination.

I think 3 is my least favorite, albeit very revolutionary (better job system than DQ 3). I guess my heart just goes back to 4-X, imo the best of the FF, like all the way through. Favs in order: VII (sorry haters, just enjoy it), X, IV, IX, V, VI (and sorry, but i think this is the most overrated game of all time, still good though)

Now to sum it all up, I totally disagree that they totally suck!!! I actually enjoyed playing them, maybe not incredible, but definitely not sucky!!!

[The Crystal]

It's not opinion to say that everything on the NES was inferior. it's fact. The console simply could not handle everything that was good as we saw in later FFs.

"Inferior" and "good" according to...?

Something being good/bad/inferior/superior is subjective. Not a fact.