FFI was obviously one of the prototypes for fantasy games and RPGs, so I think it's hard to not at least appreciate it if you're into those genres. The battles were remarkably balanced, challenging, and even if frustrating at times they almost always left me feeling suitably rewarded in terms of personal satisfaction at having perservered rather than annoyed at having to fight over and over.

It might lack the coolness factors that make later FF games so sweet, but for what it tried to accomplish I think it pulled it off almost flawlessly...for it's time of course.