- Joined
- Jun 29, 2004
- Messages
- 6,086
- Location
- Jerk's Face...
- Website
- www.bigtalent.com
- Main Job
- Secondary Job
- Third Job
- Server
- Quetzalcoatl
- Linkshell
- PheonixPimps
ORIGINS OF A FANTASY
Final Fantasy is 20! We look back at its humble beginning.
byNadia Oxford, 12.04.2007
One, Two, Skip a Few
As far as NES RPGs go in the U.S, Final Fantasy was a bit of a late bloomer. The game didn't arrive on American shores until mid-1990; rich kids would be bragging about their Super Nintendos barely a year later. In the meantime, Final Fantasy already had three titles on the Famicom and a fourth in the works for the Super Famicom.
Regardless, there was still a vague plan to translate Final Fantasy II for American audiences: The game history archives at LostLevels.org go into extensive detail about the process and, ultimately, its abortion. SquareSoft decided that, given Final Fantasy's limited fan base, it simply made more sense to focus their efforts on localizing Final Fantasy IV for the Super Nintendo.
To avoid confusing masses of children with continuity issues, Final Fantasy IV became "Final Fantasy II" in America. The actual Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III wouldn't make their way west for well more than a decade. Japanese gamers knew where they stood in terms of their beloved franchise, but it would be some time before Americans knew about what they were missing. In the meantime, they just knew they had received a brilliant sequel to an underappreciated game.
Raising Kain
Nintendo Power celebrat ed Final Fantasy II's arrival in its November 1991 issue with extensive coverage, including original artwork of main characters Kain and. Referring to the title as "The first epic adventure for the SNES," the magazine touched on the game's deep cast of characters and its story. Though fans argue endlessly about whether or not the game's story holds up well by today's standards, especially with its ghastly translation, some of its themes -- such as friendship, betrayal, unrequited love, and mysterious parentage -- remain classic today. With a main story that focused around an alien scourge, Final Fantasy II was, simply, a tale about good versus evil.
FFIV's characters each had their own ability.
One fan who has no trouble acknowledging Final Fantasy II's influence is Owen Pallett, a violinist and singer who takes his band's stage name from the series itself: Final Fantasy. "The secret to a good narrative RPG is memorable characters and a fast-paced environment," Pallett says. "For that reason, Final Fantasy IV [is] among my favorite games of all time."
Pallett has done string work for several bands, including The Arcade Fire, but he also works extensively on his own projects. Some of his songs contain influences from fantasycentric games like Dungeons & Dragons and The Legend of Zelda, and even old-school Final Fantasy titles. "The first time I ever realized that a videogame could toy with one's emotions was when [the young wizards] Palom and Porom turned themselves to stone in Final Fantasy IV," Pallet says. "I have a song that was inspired by that moment, about a woman who throws himself in front of a cockatrice to save the life of her lover."
Story isn't everything when you're a musician who thinks in terms of lyrics, though. "I really loved that moment when you approach the tower in Final Fantasy Adventure and it says, 'Door is sealed by magic of black.' And later, 'Door is sealed by magic of blue.' I love that stuff! Haven't yet found a way to work that into a song, though."
Absent Fantasy
Though Final Fantasy II had no trouble capturing the hearts of fans, the series remained relegated to just that niche audience: fans. Overall, American gamers still weren't interested in the RPG genre, so Final Fantasy belonged exclusively to the "nerd" demographic, which was pretty content with its own secret, unspoiled slice of gaming heaven.
FFVI's graphics remain relatively impressive by today's standards.
As the '90s progressed, news of the next Final Fantasy's translation began trickling to the public. Incidentally, the announcement about the next game also prompted what would become a long string of "Final" Fantasy jokes. The June 1994 issue of GamePro magazine featured a preview of the game along with a question about whether any English teacher in the world could explain "why something called 'Final Fantasy' is in its sixth installment."
The statement seemed a little confusing to many Final Fantasy fans: Most had no idea that any Final Fantasy titles existed beyond the few in America. With Internet use on the rise, American fans would soon discover that they'd missed out on Final Fantasy V, which had been slated for localization as Final Fantasy Extreme. It was ultimately passed over due to the perception that it was too challenging and complex for American players, and so Final Fantasy VI was translated and released for the SNES as Final Fantasy III.
An Angry Clown Flips His Lid
Very few games can claim benchmark status as readily as Final Fantasy VI. The title still draws a white line down the fandom and separates the "old-school" players from the swollen ranks of "kids who think Final Fantasy VII was the first RPG ever." Almost every element of a new Final Fantasy title -- the storyline, the cast of characters and even the soundtrack -- is compared to this monumental installment.
The game's quality was undeniable from the start: Final Fantasy III far surpassed Final Fantasy II in aesthetics. Whereas the latter featured squat sprites and cartoony enemy art, Final Fantasy III's monster designs all featured the distinctive traits of character designer Yoshitaka Amano. While the character sprites were still superdeformed and animated a little crudely, the photorealistic backgrounds featured lush forests and grim steampunk cities. SquareSoft veteran Nobuo Uematsu composed the soundtrack, which contained ambitious tracks that still remain among his most recognized, including the whimsical "Terra's Theme" and the emotional "Forever Rachel." As a whole, the package has aged surprisingly well.
And that doesn't include the impact the game's story had upon fans, reviewers, and the RPG genre as a whole. Whereas most RPGs at the time were still content to simply pit heroes against dragons, Final Fantasy III's story, despite being subject to censorship from a Nintendo eager to stay in the good graces of concerned parents, carried a maturity usually reserved for movies. Though the story still centered around a ragtag band of rebels who sought to take down evil in its purest form, some worldly themes were presented during the course of the game as well, including genocide, teen pregnancy, and a personal struggle against crushing despair.
FAny game that lets you kill man-cows can't be all bad.
Self-identity played a major role in the game as well, and was a theme that resonated with its adolescent audience. Pallett recalls an example involving one of the game's central characters, Terra. "Terra's identity crisis was so melancholy; it was perfect for a teenager to sympathize with," he says. "Final Fantasy VI saved me like The Smiths or The Cure saved dozens of other adolescent boys."
Combined with its unique battle system (in which the characters' ability to learn magic entwines with the game's story), it's not surprising Final Fantasy III made such an impact on fans -- some of whom have only just discovered the reason for the game's clout with 2007's Final Fantasy VI Advance for the Game Boy Advance. Though Final Fantasy III failed to ignite the mainstream gamer, it secured SquareSoft's place as the Gods of Everything in the hearts of fans. It seemed as if nothing bad could come from this amazing company. Except, perhaps, for one eensy-weensy misstep.
Pabulum
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, released in 1992, nestled between Final Fantasy II and III as a last-ditch attempt to turn American gamers into RPG hounds. Deciding that maybe RPGs were too "difficult" for the platformer-crazy U.S.A., SquareSoft put together this softer, gentler adventure in the hope it would appeal to the masses.
The prechewed RPG didn't exactly win over new fans, and the veterans just felt insulted. Truthfully, playing Mystic Quest is a little like watching Sesame Street as a 20-year-old: It's not meant for anyone who already knows their way around, but it's still a pleasurable experience and there are some good ideas underneath the hand-holding. For instance, Mystic Quest did away with random encounters, a frustrating and archaic gameplay "feature" that is slowly being bled out of modern RPGs.
SquareSoft's best-known translator (and indeed one of the best-known game translators of all time), Ted Woolsey, explained the mindset for Mystic Quest's development in a 1994 interview with Super Play magazine. "[Action gamers] tend to be younger and like the idea of jumping straight into the action with a sword in their hands; it's an empowerment issue -- you get to go out there, start whacking things, and it feels good! With the more traditional RPGs, it takes a good 15 or 20 hours of playing before you're finally hooked."
Just in case American gamers didn't already feel labeled as hyper children in need of "special attention," SquareSoft released the game in Japan as Final Fantasy USA so there'd be no mistake about who the title was initially meant for.
So Long, Sprites
Though Final Fantasy III's shining presentation successfully erased any grudges gamers had developed against SquareSoft and Mystic Quest, it also marked the end of an era in many ways. The 16-bit game epoch wrapped up a year or two later and developers turned their attention over to the 32-bit capabilities of the Sony PlayStation and the Sega Saturn and to the 64-bit Nintendo 64. The jump from 16 bits proved to be a strange and often awkward time for most established franchises, but Final Fantasy experienced some of the biggest changes of all. What's more, its 32-bit debut would finally bring mainstream success to RPGs -- and without Nintendo's involvement. The series' days as an inside secret shared by a small group of dedicated fans were nearing an end, to be replaced by an era where the words "Final Fantasy" would have the power to incite massive frenzies among all manner of gamers.
Final Fantasy is 20! We look back at its humble beginning.
byNadia Oxford, 12.04.2007
The day isn't too far off when our wide-eyed grandchildren will listen in wonder to our bedtime stories about a little videogame company that struggled for recognition in Japan. Faced with certain doom, a hero named Hironobu Sakaguchi was charged with forging a weapon to chase away the darkness. The game he created buoyed the company's fortunes like a phoenix blazing from the ashes, and peace settled over the role-playing genre for many years. And that company's name, children, is what we now call Square Enix --but back in those thin days and for many years afterward, it was simply known as SquareSoft.
Square Enix's rescue from oblivion does seem like the stuff of legends, so it's no surprise that fantasy is what the company does best. The Final Fantasy series acquired its ironic name 20 years ago when SquareSoft employee Sakaguchi put together an RPG that was supposed to be the teetering game company's swan song, but turned out to be its savior instead. Sakaguchi probably never imagined that he'd see an age where fans, reviewers and the world in general joke repeatedly about a 12-title series that isn't anywhere close to being final. Today, the series continues to innovate, draw fans, and divide them.
Legends speak of the mighty BRUC and the noble FOOD.
Final Fantasy's legacy is straightforward in its home country of Japan. But in America, the series' storybook origins seem even more tangible. In 1987, American gamers weren't nearly as enthusiastic about the slow-paced RPG genre as their Japanese brethren were. Throughout the life span of the NES and Super Nintendo, SquareSoft only translated what they considered the finest titles in their library, and for years American fans played the best: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy IV (released as Final Fantasy II) and Final Fantasy VI (released as Final Fantasy III). Lacking extensive knowledge about unreleased Final Fantasy titles, it seemed to American fans that each of these masterpieces did the impossible and surpassed the one before it by enormous bounds.
Saving the World With My Buds
The Final Fantasy titles are unarguably among the most beloved and popular in gaming history. Though the initial game borrowed basic RPG elements from Enix's enormously popular Dragon Quest, which was released (and indeed, force-fed) to Americans as Dragon Warrior, several vital changes helped Final Fantasy evolve the overall genre far more than Enix's creation. Dragon Quest featured a lonely hero named Roto -- Erdrick in Nintendo's original localization -- who stared down enemies through a one-on-one battle screen. Final Fantasy, on the other hand, opted for a sideways view that lined up the player's four starter characters, the Light Warriors, on the right and enemies on the left. The character sprites, though primitive, animated as they attacked and even cast spells. This helped players feel a little more intimate with the young Light Warriors, nameless though they were (it was up to the player to brand their party members with a mere four letters, resulting in a lot of "AAAAs" and "BUTTs").
Final Fantasy's story wasn't spectacularly deep from the get-go; four youths are charged with saving a rotting world, which, while very important, is not very original. However, the story develops surprising depth toward its end, incorporating themes such as time travel and personal growth. Players could even zip around the world map in an airship, a mode of travel that has since become a series staple.
Never let go of your ORBs.
Final Fantasy's character customization was also unparalleled at the time. American RPG fans mostly depended on the strangely-localized Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior for monster-slaying action. Though Dragon Warrior II offered multiple-character parties, Final Fantasy truly let the player get involved with its cast. Aside from selecting character classes (Warriors, Mages, and Thieves to name a few), players purchased spells instead of gaining them upon level-ups. There was also an arsenal of weapons that could be equipped, unequipped, and exchanged at will. Only Sega's largely-overlooked Phantasy Star, released weeks after Final Fantasy's debut, came close -- and even then it fell more on the Dragon Quest side of things, with a pre-defined party and combat seen through a first-person perspective.
Americans Hate Freedom From Dragons
Final Fantasy was an easy sell to Japanese gamers already in love with Dragon Quest, but American gamers initially weren't enthusiastic about the meditative process of level grinding. Their apathy couldn't be blamed on Nintendo: The company pushed Final Fantasy with the same vigor they used to hook gamers on Dragon Warrior. The game came with an 80-page instruction booklet to help adventurers get started, and Nintendo Power trumpeted the game's amazing depth for several months before and after the release date. The magazine even gave one of their infamous contests a Final Fantasy theme; the Grand Prize was described mysteriously as an "exotic treasure weekend," which likely had a few parents rubbing their chins with curious concern.
Though Final Fantasy didn't prove to be a runaway hit in America like it was in Japan, it still garnered a moderate and dedicated fan base. Inevitably, the loyalists began to ask about a sequel. The Final Fantasy series had begun its journey into Americans' hearts, though the trip involved winding roads, brutal shortcuts, and an absurd detour or two
Square Enix's rescue from oblivion does seem like the stuff of legends, so it's no surprise that fantasy is what the company does best. The Final Fantasy series acquired its ironic name 20 years ago when SquareSoft employee Sakaguchi put together an RPG that was supposed to be the teetering game company's swan song, but turned out to be its savior instead. Sakaguchi probably never imagined that he'd see an age where fans, reviewers and the world in general joke repeatedly about a 12-title series that isn't anywhere close to being final. Today, the series continues to innovate, draw fans, and divide them.
Legends speak of the mighty BRUC and the noble FOOD.
Final Fantasy's legacy is straightforward in its home country of Japan. But in America, the series' storybook origins seem even more tangible. In 1987, American gamers weren't nearly as enthusiastic about the slow-paced RPG genre as their Japanese brethren were. Throughout the life span of the NES and Super Nintendo, SquareSoft only translated what they considered the finest titles in their library, and for years American fans played the best: Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy IV (released as Final Fantasy II) and Final Fantasy VI (released as Final Fantasy III). Lacking extensive knowledge about unreleased Final Fantasy titles, it seemed to American fans that each of these masterpieces did the impossible and surpassed the one before it by enormous bounds.
Saving the World With My Buds
The Final Fantasy titles are unarguably among the most beloved and popular in gaming history. Though the initial game borrowed basic RPG elements from Enix's enormously popular Dragon Quest, which was released (and indeed, force-fed) to Americans as Dragon Warrior, several vital changes helped Final Fantasy evolve the overall genre far more than Enix's creation. Dragon Quest featured a lonely hero named Roto -- Erdrick in Nintendo's original localization -- who stared down enemies through a one-on-one battle screen. Final Fantasy, on the other hand, opted for a sideways view that lined up the player's four starter characters, the Light Warriors, on the right and enemies on the left. The character sprites, though primitive, animated as they attacked and even cast spells. This helped players feel a little more intimate with the young Light Warriors, nameless though they were (it was up to the player to brand their party members with a mere four letters, resulting in a lot of "AAAAs" and "BUTTs").
Final Fantasy's story wasn't spectacularly deep from the get-go; four youths are charged with saving a rotting world, which, while very important, is not very original. However, the story develops surprising depth toward its end, incorporating themes such as time travel and personal growth. Players could even zip around the world map in an airship, a mode of travel that has since become a series staple.
Never let go of your ORBs.
Final Fantasy's character customization was also unparalleled at the time. American RPG fans mostly depended on the strangely-localized Dragon Quest/Dragon Warrior for monster-slaying action. Though Dragon Warrior II offered multiple-character parties, Final Fantasy truly let the player get involved with its cast. Aside from selecting character classes (Warriors, Mages, and Thieves to name a few), players purchased spells instead of gaining them upon level-ups. There was also an arsenal of weapons that could be equipped, unequipped, and exchanged at will. Only Sega's largely-overlooked Phantasy Star, released weeks after Final Fantasy's debut, came close -- and even then it fell more on the Dragon Quest side of things, with a pre-defined party and combat seen through a first-person perspective.
Americans Hate Freedom From Dragons
Final Fantasy was an easy sell to Japanese gamers already in love with Dragon Quest, but American gamers initially weren't enthusiastic about the meditative process of level grinding. Their apathy couldn't be blamed on Nintendo: The company pushed Final Fantasy with the same vigor they used to hook gamers on Dragon Warrior. The game came with an 80-page instruction booklet to help adventurers get started, and Nintendo Power trumpeted the game's amazing depth for several months before and after the release date. The magazine even gave one of their infamous contests a Final Fantasy theme; the Grand Prize was described mysteriously as an "exotic treasure weekend," which likely had a few parents rubbing their chins with curious concern.
Though Final Fantasy didn't prove to be a runaway hit in America like it was in Japan, it still garnered a moderate and dedicated fan base. Inevitably, the loyalists began to ask about a sequel. The Final Fantasy series had begun its journey into Americans' hearts, though the trip involved winding roads, brutal shortcuts, and an absurd detour or two
One, Two, Skip a Few
As far as NES RPGs go in the U.S, Final Fantasy was a bit of a late bloomer. The game didn't arrive on American shores until mid-1990; rich kids would be bragging about their Super Nintendos barely a year later. In the meantime, Final Fantasy already had three titles on the Famicom and a fourth in the works for the Super Famicom.
Regardless, there was still a vague plan to translate Final Fantasy II for American audiences: The game history archives at LostLevels.org go into extensive detail about the process and, ultimately, its abortion. SquareSoft decided that, given Final Fantasy's limited fan base, it simply made more sense to focus their efforts on localizing Final Fantasy IV for the Super Nintendo.
To avoid confusing masses of children with continuity issues, Final Fantasy IV became "Final Fantasy II" in America. The actual Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III wouldn't make their way west for well more than a decade. Japanese gamers knew where they stood in terms of their beloved franchise, but it would be some time before Americans knew about what they were missing. In the meantime, they just knew they had received a brilliant sequel to an underappreciated game.
Raising Kain
Nintendo Power celebrat ed Final Fantasy II's arrival in its November 1991 issue with extensive coverage, including original artwork of main characters Kain and. Referring to the title as "The first epic adventure for the SNES," the magazine touched on the game's deep cast of characters and its story. Though fans argue endlessly about whether or not the game's story holds up well by today's standards, especially with its ghastly translation, some of its themes -- such as friendship, betrayal, unrequited love, and mysterious parentage -- remain classic today. With a main story that focused around an alien scourge, Final Fantasy II was, simply, a tale about good versus evil.
FFIV's characters each had their own ability.
One fan who has no trouble acknowledging Final Fantasy II's influence is Owen Pallett, a violinist and singer who takes his band's stage name from the series itself: Final Fantasy. "The secret to a good narrative RPG is memorable characters and a fast-paced environment," Pallett says. "For that reason, Final Fantasy IV [is] among my favorite games of all time."
Pallett has done string work for several bands, including The Arcade Fire, but he also works extensively on his own projects. Some of his songs contain influences from fantasycentric games like Dungeons & Dragons and The Legend of Zelda, and even old-school Final Fantasy titles. "The first time I ever realized that a videogame could toy with one's emotions was when [the young wizards] Palom and Porom turned themselves to stone in Final Fantasy IV," Pallet says. "I have a song that was inspired by that moment, about a woman who throws himself in front of a cockatrice to save the life of her lover."
Story isn't everything when you're a musician who thinks in terms of lyrics, though. "I really loved that moment when you approach the tower in Final Fantasy Adventure and it says, 'Door is sealed by magic of black.' And later, 'Door is sealed by magic of blue.' I love that stuff! Haven't yet found a way to work that into a song, though."
Absent Fantasy
Though Final Fantasy II had no trouble capturing the hearts of fans, the series remained relegated to just that niche audience: fans. Overall, American gamers still weren't interested in the RPG genre, so Final Fantasy belonged exclusively to the "nerd" demographic, which was pretty content with its own secret, unspoiled slice of gaming heaven.
FFVI's graphics remain relatively impressive by today's standards.
As the '90s progressed, news of the next Final Fantasy's translation began trickling to the public. Incidentally, the announcement about the next game also prompted what would become a long string of "Final" Fantasy jokes. The June 1994 issue of GamePro magazine featured a preview of the game along with a question about whether any English teacher in the world could explain "why something called 'Final Fantasy' is in its sixth installment."
The statement seemed a little confusing to many Final Fantasy fans: Most had no idea that any Final Fantasy titles existed beyond the few in America. With Internet use on the rise, American fans would soon discover that they'd missed out on Final Fantasy V, which had been slated for localization as Final Fantasy Extreme. It was ultimately passed over due to the perception that it was too challenging and complex for American players, and so Final Fantasy VI was translated and released for the SNES as Final Fantasy III.
An Angry Clown Flips His Lid
Very few games can claim benchmark status as readily as Final Fantasy VI. The title still draws a white line down the fandom and separates the "old-school" players from the swollen ranks of "kids who think Final Fantasy VII was the first RPG ever." Almost every element of a new Final Fantasy title -- the storyline, the cast of characters and even the soundtrack -- is compared to this monumental installment.
The game's quality was undeniable from the start: Final Fantasy III far surpassed Final Fantasy II in aesthetics. Whereas the latter featured squat sprites and cartoony enemy art, Final Fantasy III's monster designs all featured the distinctive traits of character designer Yoshitaka Amano. While the character sprites were still superdeformed and animated a little crudely, the photorealistic backgrounds featured lush forests and grim steampunk cities. SquareSoft veteran Nobuo Uematsu composed the soundtrack, which contained ambitious tracks that still remain among his most recognized, including the whimsical "Terra's Theme" and the emotional "Forever Rachel." As a whole, the package has aged surprisingly well.
And that doesn't include the impact the game's story had upon fans, reviewers, and the RPG genre as a whole. Whereas most RPGs at the time were still content to simply pit heroes against dragons, Final Fantasy III's story, despite being subject to censorship from a Nintendo eager to stay in the good graces of concerned parents, carried a maturity usually reserved for movies. Though the story still centered around a ragtag band of rebels who sought to take down evil in its purest form, some worldly themes were presented during the course of the game as well, including genocide, teen pregnancy, and a personal struggle against crushing despair.
FAny game that lets you kill man-cows can't be all bad.
Self-identity played a major role in the game as well, and was a theme that resonated with its adolescent audience. Pallett recalls an example involving one of the game's central characters, Terra. "Terra's identity crisis was so melancholy; it was perfect for a teenager to sympathize with," he says. "Final Fantasy VI saved me like The Smiths or The Cure saved dozens of other adolescent boys."
Combined with its unique battle system (in which the characters' ability to learn magic entwines with the game's story), it's not surprising Final Fantasy III made such an impact on fans -- some of whom have only just discovered the reason for the game's clout with 2007's Final Fantasy VI Advance for the Game Boy Advance. Though Final Fantasy III failed to ignite the mainstream gamer, it secured SquareSoft's place as the Gods of Everything in the hearts of fans. It seemed as if nothing bad could come from this amazing company. Except, perhaps, for one eensy-weensy misstep.
Pabulum
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, released in 1992, nestled between Final Fantasy II and III as a last-ditch attempt to turn American gamers into RPG hounds. Deciding that maybe RPGs were too "difficult" for the platformer-crazy U.S.A., SquareSoft put together this softer, gentler adventure in the hope it would appeal to the masses.
The prechewed RPG didn't exactly win over new fans, and the veterans just felt insulted. Truthfully, playing Mystic Quest is a little like watching Sesame Street as a 20-year-old: It's not meant for anyone who already knows their way around, but it's still a pleasurable experience and there are some good ideas underneath the hand-holding. For instance, Mystic Quest did away with random encounters, a frustrating and archaic gameplay "feature" that is slowly being bled out of modern RPGs.
SquareSoft's best-known translator (and indeed one of the best-known game translators of all time), Ted Woolsey, explained the mindset for Mystic Quest's development in a 1994 interview with Super Play magazine. "[Action gamers] tend to be younger and like the idea of jumping straight into the action with a sword in their hands; it's an empowerment issue -- you get to go out there, start whacking things, and it feels good! With the more traditional RPGs, it takes a good 15 or 20 hours of playing before you're finally hooked."
Just in case American gamers didn't already feel labeled as hyper children in need of "special attention," SquareSoft released the game in Japan as Final Fantasy USA so there'd be no mistake about who the title was initially meant for.
So Long, Sprites
Though Final Fantasy III's shining presentation successfully erased any grudges gamers had developed against SquareSoft and Mystic Quest, it also marked the end of an era in many ways. The 16-bit game epoch wrapped up a year or two later and developers turned their attention over to the 32-bit capabilities of the Sony PlayStation and the Sega Saturn and to the 64-bit Nintendo 64. The jump from 16 bits proved to be a strange and often awkward time for most established franchises, but Final Fantasy experienced some of the biggest changes of all. What's more, its 32-bit debut would finally bring mainstream success to RPGs -- and without Nintendo's involvement. The series' days as an inside secret shared by a small group of dedicated fans were nearing an end, to be replaced by an era where the words "Final Fantasy" would have the power to incite massive frenzies among all manner of gamers.
