For whatever reason, this game always stands out when I'm feeling nostalgic for the SNES era Squaresoft. I know it's a little thin compared to other straight RPG offerings, but I still love the game. I love the dog, although it can be a pain sometimes trying to get him to do what you want (the AI is wonky sometimes).

I can't remember my favorite alchemy. I think you get it around the time of the market. Perhaps in the desert? In any case, I use the alchemy pretty heavily, so most everything gets used.