/vr/ - Retro Games

just a warning, you might hate 1 and 2.

just a warning, you might like 1 and 2.

just a warning, you might like 1 and 2.

>>1309913
Play 5, that's the good one.

>>1309981
>>1309997
If OP is playing them in order, then there's a chance he/she will be turned off of the entire series just because of 1 and 2. 2 had an entire thread a while ago about it being the worst Final Fantasy game for bad stat mechanics. 1 is pretty buggy (on the NES) and a lot different from the other games. It's fair to warn OP about this because he/she specifically asked about it.

Question OP are you just trying to play the whole series for itself or more looking foward to playing across different Consoles? I don't know your age or experience with system like the nes. But if it isn't much then yes I am afraid that the old ones especially 1-3 Very well just might scare you off. As someone who has played the original american releases 1, 4, and 6 on the nes and snes. I actually enjoyed the remakes better of all ( except for the ds/psp of 4 ) If your looking to have an adventure across systems then I guess you could just play them all in their orignal format. But I think for an overall Final Fantasy experience you might wanna go with some of the remakes.

FF 1 - GBA or PS1 remake
FF2- Nes
FF3 - DS
FF4 - SNES
FF5 - SNES
FF6 - SNES
FF7 - Pc version with mods ( fuck you haters)
FF8 - PC ( steam)
FF9 - PS1
FF10 - PS3 HD remake
FF10-2 PS3 HD remake
FF11 - don't go there
FF12 -PS2
FF13 - PS3
FF13-2-3 don't go there

Just play Dragon Quest dude

>>1310068
Why not the PS1 version of FF2?

Personally I would stop at 9, but either way, you won't have any trouble doing this within a year, even if you've never played an FF game before. It's not a bad plan. Oh, and try a four fighter party in FF1.

>>1309913
The original version of FF1 is pretty rough, but the PSX port (Final Fantasy Origins) fixes most of the gameplay issues. All the later releases are basically Origins with easy mode permanently enabled.

FF2 is just bad. The Origins release is somewhat playable, but I'd recommend skipping it altogether. It's not a real FF anyway (it was made by what later became the SaGa team).

FF3 is perfectly playable in its original form, you just need a translation patch. I'd personally recommend:
http://www.romhacking.net/translations/141/
There's a remake for the DS and PSP, but it sucks.

FF4 has had numerous ports/remakes, and there isn't really any definitive "best version". I'd personally recommend either the PSX version (if you want the "authentic experience") or the DS version (if you don't care about the history and just want to have fun).

FF5 is best played on GBA, hands down. The original technically has better sound and graphics, but it's not worth the effort of finding a decent translation.

FF6 is pretty playable on either SNES or GBA; the biggest difference between the two is the localization, which is purely a matter of opinion.

The 3D games are pretty much identical on all platforms, so just go for whatever's easiest to get running.

>>1310068
Ignore this guy.

>>1310068
>FF3 - DS

>>1309913
PSP, PSP, PSP, PSP, GBA, GBA, PS1, PS1, PS1, PS2 Inter, Don't, PS2 IZJS

>>1310104
I'll admit nine is the best, but why the hell would you want to miss 10? Actual argument appreciated.

>>1310068
I'm 90% certain this is a trollpost.

>>1310156
>nine is the best
I have to disagree there. FF9 makes a lot of the same mistakes FF13 is usually criticized for (shitty pacing, linear as fuck etc), the fans just deliberately ignore all the flaws because muh nostalgia.

>>1310156
>nine is the best

>Be done playing FFI for GBA, had lots of fun
>Go ahead with II
>Some few minutes invested and already disliked it
>Hate self for never keeping going
>Now know it is considered as a really bad game
I'm relieved now.

>>1310174
I have a lot of nostalgia built towards it, so while I am inclined to disagree, I feel I can't actually make a case otherwise, I will say this though, the reason why I think it's the best is because it's one of those games that just takes for fucking ever to complete. I love getting into bed and immersing myself for 2 hours every night playing a game. I would waste a week on tetra master and then another in the sands getting my abilities up. I haven't managed to play every single FF there is, but it's by far my favorite of the ones I have played (1,4,8,9,10 10-2,13)

>>1310201
>Haven't played 5, 6 or 7
Okay now I understand why you think 9 is the best

>>1310206
Is that what's wrong then? Guess I have some work to do after I finish Link's Awakening.
I watched 7, and it just did not look appealing to me.

>>1310174

I've played most of the games in the series, and only played through 9 earlier this year, and it's my favorite by a wide margin. The character progression is linear and not very customizable, sure, but it's executed in a manner that makes it feel really good. Additionally, it was a trip back to the time of each playable character having a more unique fighting style, rather than the "EVERYONE CAN DO EVERYTHING" bullshit that plagues so much of the franchise. The story is great, too, and the graphics are some of the best that the PSX has to offer. Add on the fantastic amount of sidequests and extra content and it's definitely one of the better games, if not the best.

>>1310209
The best Final Fantasy is DEFINITELY either 5, 6 or 7 depending on what type of person you are. I'm guessing you're a 6 if you really liked 9 so much.

>>1310217
Or maybe he likes 9.

I don't know why differing tastes are so hard for you people to swallow.

>>1310217
I'm willing to give it a shot.
>>1310218
Doesn't bother me, the way I see it, these games have been out for years and eventually statistical bests emerge, I'll look more into it over the week while giving 6 a try.

I haven't played them all, however if 6 doesn't live up to being better than 9 that means that I'll be one step closer to having a fully backed opinion that 9 is the best.

Damn FF threads always turn into shit.

>>1310218
>>1310262
Don't be ignorant. We've all been over this and over this. The only games that can be argued for being best are 5, 6 & 7.

It's fine if your favorite isn't one of the best - but if you've never played ANY of those then I'm pretty confident if you give all three of them a try then one of them will be your favorite.

Why are you guys encouraging him to just continue glossing over the peak of the series?

>>1310345
>The only games that can be argued for being best are 5, 6 & 7

That's not how it works. You might as well just drop the facade and say, "The games I like are objectively good" troll bullshit.

>>1310345

>hurr the only games in the series that are objectively ~the best~ are 5 6 and 7

You're as goofed as the people that argue that 12 isn't complete shit.

>>1310348
>>1310361
As I've said, this has been discussed over and over and over by way, way larger groups of bigger nerds than ITT.

There's nothing in 1-4 that wasn't done WAY better in 5-7 and 8-10 are just hollow attempts to rehash the winning elements of 5-7.

You might - MIGHT be able to make an argument that you really really loved 11 or 12 since they became quite different types of games.

If you are genuinely interested in seeing how the series evolved then you'd better not play the remakes, son.

>>1310512
5-7 can't be beaten casually in 15 hours.

>>1310519
You say that like it's a bad thing.

>>1310517
There are BIG ass glitches, especially in the first few games.

>>1310550
It is. All of them have long stretches that are tedious and a pain to get through in replays.

>>1310552
A real man doesn't whine about a few bugs.

>>1310563
So fast forward with an emulator if the grind gets to you so bad.

>>1310578
Most of them are bugs that make the games too easy.

>>1310141
>FF4... PSX version
Worst translation.

Just use pic related for FF1 and everything will be OK.

>>1310696
But is it more convincing than William Shatner?

>>1310217
I can say from experience that i like 9 way more than 6. in fact i can safely say that i didn't like 6 at all.

The story in II was better than III.

Also, I can never remember, which games are mixed up in import? I know that the US didn't get the proper III until the DS.

>>1310728
2 = 4
3 = 6

>>1310738
Then what are the English 4 and 6?

>>1310742
2 and 3 respectively. Duh.

>>1310184
Let me guess. You like VII

the first one is extremly buggy.
Half the spells do not work and the 'magic' stat does nothing at all. For this reason physical characters are almost directly better than magic damagers in nearly any situation.

In essense it is a dumbed down might n magic or wizardry. There isn't any ideas that set it apart from its inspirations and its only remembered for being one of the first console rpgs.

2 is playable if you dont abuse a certain flaw that lets you become god mode

3 is when it first gets good with more descion making involved in character development

4 is played only for its story. Theres almost zero descions for combat or character development.
By the end of the game the only descion you make in combat is 'who do I heal'? You cant even customize who is in your party. The game is also very, very easy. You will probably never die, this also makes exploring for items feel unrewarding

5 is another big leap in quality. Character development becomes much more complex and combat has some depth to it if you use certain party combos.

6-7 I have not played much

8-9 suffer from unbearably slow combat. Even if you emulate them and run the game at x4 speed than the combat animations and waiting for your turn are still unbearable.

>>1310705
>Not Fighter/Thief/BlackBelt/RedMage

>>1310705
Every time.

>>1310782
>Not WhiteMage/WhiteMage/WhiteMage/WhiteMage
I'd have tried it with my GBA version, but niggers stole it, my DSlite and FFIV.

Do the first 10, make sure to play tactics. Mystic Quest games are optional.

You'll have to slog through the first couple though, but it seems like you've already been thoroughly warned

>>1310761
I like them all except 8-10 and 13.
7 has quite a few very distinct memories associated with it so the strongest nostalgia value
5 is my favorite though. Dat job system. Plus it was the last one that wasn't up its own ass.

>>1310821
Everyone seems to love that about 5. I think that's it's weak point. Too convoluted for me. Eh.

6 is probably the one that draws me in the most and makes me want to play it. 9 I feel has the most charm. I have no love for 7. I wanted to love 12, but it plays itself and is not retro.

>>1310141
>Final Fantasy II isn't a real Final Fantasy.
Except for Cid, Chocobos, dragoons, a grander story, and mechanics that are different from the previous game.

Final Fantasy II is th quintessential Final Fantasy sequel.

>>1310858
Not to mention the debut of Bombs, Marlboros, and a few other elements which became a standard of FF games.

>>1310834
Like I said before, if you think 9 is your favorite then 6 will probably end up being your favorite.

>>1310865
Eh. I'll clarify. I like the look of 6, and the story. That makes me want to play it but typically I won't or don't.

If I had a copy of 9 I would undoubtedly play it.

>>1310874
6 is probably the Final Fantasiest Final Fantasy. 9 was trying to artificially recapture the tone and scope that 6 came by naturally and organically.

>>1310784
>because it never gets old

This thread could never end well, people are very passionate about which FF games they like and don't like.

I just wanted to chime in and say I did enjoy FF2 (or at least the PlayStation remake). It has a mechanic that allows your stats to DECREASE which many rpg players don't like. Personally I enjoyed it because it forces you, if you want your characters to specialise, to actually use the specialisation all the time.

In many games I'll have my mages just use physical attacks to conserve mana / spells, but in FF2 you have to have them use magic in random encounters if you want them to be any good. I enjoyed that.

Anyway back to the topic: it honestly doesn't really matter in which order you play the games, the numbered entries each stand on their own and aren't sequels to each other. Play them in whichever order you want. I started with 6, then played 7 and 8, then went back and played some of the older ones before 9 came out and I don't hate any game in the series.

Play FF 1-4 through PSP.

Start with 4

>>1310512
except 5 is shit
now fuck off with your ridiculous attempt to appeal to some nebulous authority

>>1310880
>6 is probably the Final Fantasiest Final Fantasy

Ha...ha ha...no. First of all, define "Final Fantasy". If you were to even attempt to do so, you'd probably say that in order to be "Final Fantasy-esque", you'd need to have your game feature:
>Crystals
>Airships
>Chocobos
>Cid
>Bahamut, Ifrit, Shiva, etc.
>Black Mages, even White Mages

FFVI didn't even feature crystals, black mages or white mages. Nor did FFVII or VIII. The reason FFIX was considered a return to the "old FF" style was because they incorporated every major old trope they could from the above.

The "Final Fantasiest" of Final Fantasies is probably FFIV, as that's where every one of the tropes was thoroughly established.

>finishing them all in a year
good luck dude. I don't think I've finished any of them in my whole life.

>>1311103
It's not like any of them are considered long.

>>1311106
I consider them long. Huge grind fests. I like a lot of the Final Fantasy games but shit dude.

1-3 is ok but not everyone's cup of tea.
4 and 5 are good but still pretty similar to the NES trilogy.
6, 7, 8 and 9 are great but different enough to create huge arguments over which is the best and which is shit.

Personally I liked them more or less equally
but I seem to have a slight tendency towards 8.

I also suggest giving Mystic Quest a try or maybe even to start with it.
It's incredibly simple but I still love it very much.

>>1311103
It's not hard at all. I finished a lot of JRPG series last year, FF included. Even with a job taking most of my time.
Of course, my social life is nonexistent.

>>1311103
The PS ones "only" take ~70h on a blind playthrough.

>>1311132
2/3rds of that being load time

>>1311132
How does anyone sink 70 hours into 7? Are we counting total completion or just final boss?

>>1311120
I remember that porn

>>1311149
My buddy put in quite some time breeding Chocobos.

>>1311072
Well now, the "crystal" of FF7 is the one at the planet's core right before you fight Sephiroth.

>>1311159
>>1311149
Yeah if you're trying to get Knights of the Round legitimately 70 hours is easy.

Need some help. I just finished 5 and can't make my mind up which game to play next. Toss up between 4 and 9

>>1311213
4

>>1310141
The DS remake of FF4 SUCKS. Don't play the DS version of 4, OP.

>>1311215
Cheers

>>1311219
B-But! The challenge!

>>1311227
play the GBA version on an emulator. Save yourself the pain of slow-ass DS RPGs

>>1311302
People usually recommend the DS version because it's more "challenging" than any other version of FF4.

>>1311361
It is, the DS version is fine, I'd recommend playing the PSP version first though

>>1311361
The shitty graphics, unnecessary cutscenes/voiceovers and shitty music trump muh challenge.

>>1310156
not that guy but list on top of head
-terrible characters
-boring settings
-blitzball
-too linear
-no Nobuo Uematsu
-and then theres the gay pilot guy and ha ha ha scene

>>1310209
>I watched 7, and it just did not look appealing to me
I'm too old for this shit

>>1311608
>these things that aren't gameplay trump gameplay

And the graphics are fine.

>>1311673
I'm not the anon you're replying to but...come on, now.

>>1311674
It looks good when placed next to a Nintendo 64 game. But seriously, the graphics are hideous compared to the original sprites.

>>1311674
Game looks 20 times better animated.

And the characters especially look better in 3D.

>>1311647
but X was primarily composed by Nobuo???? He just had assistance doing it from Hamauzu and Nakano.

the rest are valid criticisms though

>>1309913
If you want to play the games in order then make sure you play the GBA versions of 1 and 2. I'm not done with 2 but that's how I beat 1 and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

>>1311691
He was in charge of music and did compose much of it, including the battle music.

Honestly, aside from not being /vr/, my complaint about that game is the horrible pacing. I'm the guy who likes FF4's short length, and FFX has more tedious sections than any other game in the series. And I'm not even talking about the temples, which I liked (because no random encounters).

>>1309913
Pretty sure all mainline FFs were released outside Japan, OP. No worries.

Quick tip. All the first 10 final fantasy games are in some way playable on the PsVita. Just buy them from PSN.

>>1311673
It looks like ass, actually, and everything I mentioned is a part of the game in one way or another. If you want pure gameplay and you don't care about anything that I mentioned as a negative, go play a text-based game then. Otherwise, complaining about shitty graphics, shitty music and needless voiceovers with bad voice acting are all fair game.

FF4's difficulty level is fine. You can play a translated Japanese rom if you want a greater challenge. There's no reason to subject yourself to the DS version.

>>1311647
>FFX
>boring settings
What, Spira is great. It has a Southeast Asia influence that is more unique in the series and is a breath of fresh air from the Europe medieval stuff, and the fact it's technologically stuck in time ties in well to the plot, plus it's plenty enriched with fantasy concepts.

And the Linear style, while not so good for gameplay and rpging, makes the story more focused. There's a very clear aim always being progressed towards and everything is building towards it, 7/8/9's direction can get hazy, distracted and leading off on tangents making the actual aim less clear. It creates pros and cons but X would certainly lend itself to a movie better for this reason.

I always found it bizarre that people gave shit for FFX being linear when all you would do in older FFs is move along to the next location anyway.

>>1314271

People like the perception of control, even if there's hardly any more real of it. I find it funny when people give games like FF games shit for cutscenes forcing you out of your player to listen to characters/action and then praise these continuous games like HL2 that... force you to stay in a room and listen to characters/action. But as long as they're allowed to move around and shot bullets at the floor and tin cans their hyperactivity is satisfied.

>>1311072
FFVIII had crystals. The crystal pillar inside Lunatic Pandora. IT lack black and white mages though I guess. Sorceresses might be both? I dunnp,