Which Version of Final Fantasy III Should You Play? - ALL Ports Reviewed & Compared
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- Опубліковано 12 чер 2024
- This is a comprehensive review & comparison of Final Fantasy III for the Famicom, Nintendo DS, iOS, Android, PSP, and PC. This includes the recently released Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster as well for PC and smart phones. We cover gameplay changes, bugs, visuals, music, balance/job and content differences. This comparison should inform you of any and all significant differences between each different version of the game, enough so that you could decide which version you think you'd prefer. It also provides a common ground for discussion among which versions others may prefer.
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Chapters:
0:00 - Intro/Famicom
1:22 - Nintendo DS (3D)
11:29 - Smart Phones (3D)
13:30 - PSP (3D)
14:12 - PC (3D)
14:33 - Pixel Remaster
25:00 - Final Thoughts - Ігри
Addendum info (12.12.22)
The PR versions had various bug fixes and stability improvements. If you still experience stutter, consult fan solutions in the description. The text was only marginally improved via a thinner drop shadow.
Critical hits now have a screen flash, battle to field transition is faster when fleeing, auto-battle won't use the row command anymore, B while flying now puts you back inside the airship, triggers can be used to talk to guest characters, sight & gmonish bread show you info on places you can't go back to, the minimap stays up between screens, and waterfalls were visually tweaked.
Hey. I know it's been said before but whatever. The usefulness of what you do should not be understated. The preservation of gaming as a media is really important. Having a video people can refer to not only to choose what version to pick but also to draw parallels between versions and how the media has evolved over time is a really big deal. We all know that gaming has changed over the years. Your videos are a treasure trove of exemples that demonstrate how and why.
Hear hear!
It has.
This!
Agreed! I can't stress enough how much praise he deserves for all these videos. They're incredible tools for players to use to figure out what version to play, but it's also just plain informative and like you said, vital as a form of preservation
Dork
I love these port comparison videos. They are always highly detailed and very informative. Keep up the good work Austin. I'll be looking forward to your FF4 comparison video.
oh sure, I forgot the mobile version before remaster (improved grainy graphics), and psp was icing. 24:35 damn lol it won't tap properly
Oh dear... that has ports on so many consoles. SNES... unofficially NES, Wonderswan, a mostly undocumented mobile phone port (which may have had content which has since been lost and never brought back), the GBA version (European and US had several major changes due to bugs in the US version.) DS, which is an entirely new game, basically, Steam/Mobile, yada, yada, PSP which seemed to slow down the enemies to a crawl, unfortunately, finally the Pixel Remaster.
The DS version of ff3 was my first ever final fantasy, and can I just say, the bows no longer being consumable was a great addition. When I played ffV and the bows had infinite arrows, I was mind blown. I also never knew how OP scholar was and that there was a bestiary.
Same here as far as it being my first!
my favorite
I like the cast of the 3D version. Having the main cast be nameless fobs seems like a throwback to FFI, after FF2 and all FFs after 3 had definite characters who are personally involved with the story.
Luneth, Refia, Arc and what's his face all had definite personalities and stake in the story, which is much more in line with FF as we have always known it post-FF1.
@「 Glitch Goat 」 epically as refia was representing 3 in woff.
I'm doing a III PR run, and while I agree with you I'm still finding it charming. The vanilla game is kind of like a better take on the original game. Arguably the best of the NES era, and comparable to DQ III.
Comparing it to later games, and the remake, then... Yea, it's a little bare.
Damn bro really forgot Ingus 😂
"Having the main cast be nameless fobs..."
"..and what's his face.." 😂
@@MelkorTolkien that took me out😭😭😭 forgetting Ingus of all people is wild. Arc is the one you’re supposed to forget🤣
I love the DS version of this game. The gameplay is very fun, and the low poly 3d style has a charming timeless quality. I highly recommend it.
I love that era of 3d graphics
I didn't think it was a thing, but I too preferred the low poly count pixelated look.
Yeah i know what you mean i think it’s that ps1 type of 3d aesthetics
@@Snivy036 That too!
The 3d chibi was so cool and cute!
It’s a shame the WonderSwan version of FF3 got cancelled.
A shame FF3 wasn’t also included in the PS1 complications and GBA releases. I’m glad a 2D version has finally gotten a worldwide release, but a bummer that it missed so many other rereleases that the other 2D FFs got.
I feel like the WonderSwan version getting cancelled is WHY it never got another port. I guess the team porting it on PS1 and GBA just couldn't make anything super new themselves, so they only did porting. Nothing to port...
The 3D remake is easily my favorite. I love the original and I love the pixel remaster, but I love that they added so much story and characterization! It's so wonderful!
Thank you for all your hard work~
Oh hey. What are you doing here?
ms champ!!!
Why aren't you verified?
@@burritomaster6000 pretty sure that’s a dude
I found both the others that included the pixel remaster very interesting since I'm trying to see whether they're worth the convenience over having to jump through hoops for the older ones.
This one however was super important since I didn't realize the PR would revert to the original nameless protagonists and style (and I honestly didn't realize just how much mechanically had been changed in the 3D remake for III).
Thank you very much for this series
The immense effort you've put into making these really shows
I just finished playing through FF3 PR earlier this week. Was a lot of fun but jarring how easy it was compared to the DS version. Was nice for a quick run through, but DS version felt like much more of an accomplishment and was more memorable as a result
@matt luciani So... The 3D version being a full version game that retains some aspects of the OG, but can stand on its own without having to necessarily refer to it.
The PR version... Well the obvious intention is to streamline the originals. Keeping the feel, and not having antiquated and unnecessary mechanics sour the experience.
I don't see why both cannot exist, since they may be the same story, but very much function differently.
@@mcihay246 True, As a person with less time nowdays to play games, PRs are a God sent, I am now able to play all old FE games without sinking unnecessary number of hours.
@matt luciani indie games aren't synonymous with being bad....
Aslong as its original DS. The Phone ports on PSP and PC of FF3 and FF4 3D Games are just so lazy in my view. But DS original i think are good
@@kejiri3593 Oh? What's so different about the non-DS versions of those? I assumed they were nearly identical
These pixel remasters have some absolutely fantastic soundtrack remakes. I had no idea they were redoing the soundtracks so I was honestly surprised by it.
The DS version does technically have analog movement as well, it just uses the touch screen in a similar fashion to the mobile version. :)
My only complaint is that we never got an SNES-style remake of this game.
Same! An English 16 bit version with all the bug fixes would be beautiful. It’s strange that every game from 1-6 got a GBA remake except this one!
From what I'm gathering by watching these vids for the first 3 FF games, the Pixel Remasters might be the worst way to play them. GBA/DS/PSP seems the way to go.
FFIII is such a great game. I hope everyone gets to enjoy at least one version at some point. DS is my personal favorite, but the og Famicom version is pretty cool still.
Played FF3 for the first time this week. When I first went to the overworld and heard Eternal Wind, the Final Fantasy XIV player inside me cried.
XIV versions are so bad compared to the originals. Every single track I've heard on it is underwhelming, The Legendary Beast for example
@@Walamonga1313 No, lol.
XIV versions are pretty good and I've played all the original games. It's just a matter of opinion.
@@gianni.sacciloto No, lol. They suck on XIV. So, yeah, you're right that it's definitely a matter of opinion.
@@vol_opt No need to be so forceful dude
The cloud of darkness xiv version is incredible
Finding out that famicon Dark Knight had access to white magic made Cecil’s journey in FF4 that much sweeter.
Cecil is pathetic
Thank you. This is the one I’ve been eagerly awaiting, checking just about every day for it. I really appreciate all the detail you put into these comparison videos. Looking forward to 4, 5, and 6.
FF3 is one of my top favorite FF games, and out of the versions I've played (between the nes version, the 3D remake, and PR) I've gotta say, you really can't go wrong with 3D remake or PR. The nes version is a bit eh from what I've played, but the other two are really good. It's more just a preference at this point I feel. If I want a harder game, I'll go 3D remake. If I want a more chill playthrough, I'll go PR.
I think the only thing I don't like about FF3 so far is the spell charge shit. Feels way more restrictive tbh
That being said I still fuckin adore FF3 on DS
From what I've read, the DS version was purposefully made very difficult in the North American version. It wasn't a difficult game in the original Japanese version
What a fascinating timeline of added and removed content. RIP Luneth, Refia, Arc, and Ingus from the canon I guess, but I can see the intention in going back to their roots.
The only character that matters is Ingus, but even then it is bare bones. None of the characters got development, and it seems only a half-assed attempt at making the 4 protagonists.... protagonists.
i loved the ds version as a kid i loved the final fantasy series as a whole and im glad i was able to experience these games.
Same here
I've only played the DS version but really enjoyed it. Good art direction, music, job system, etc.
FF3 DS was my childhood. I never got 100% on that version though because beyond getting to level 99, you need to get your job level to 99 for every character for every job which takes upwards of 80+ hours in the DS version. I later got the PC version where I did 100% it, which took about 40+ hours of grinding thanks to auto-battle. In the end I still fell in love with the 3D version, but I will never get 100% on it ever again.
You know what I would've LOVED to see from the Pixel Remasters? Additional endgame dungeons only accessable after beating the final boss, Ala Sealed Temple and Dragon's Den.
Fantastic video! The DS one will always be close to my heart, as it was the game that introduced me to the franchise as a kid, but its still super interesting to see the differences looking back on the game as a whole. Well done!
Seeing that you do other vids as well for other games and helping my FF situation on what to get for the first few games , definitely a new sub for some other series I'm looking forward to play. That Ninja Gaiden games vid I'm gonna be keeping an eye on next.
Amazing video!
I was waiting this video for a while now, so much that i subscribed. Good job and thank you!
I can’t wait to watch! I knew this must take crazy time to do, but I love them!!!! Keep up the great work!!! Okay okay watching it now!
As someone who thinks FFIII in its entirely gets ruined due to the endgame, hearing the PR is more balanced and makes the Crystal Tower more tolerable is great news to me. I get people like a challenge, but the gauntlet you have to go through near the end without a save point is just not good at all. Not even DQIII's endgame feels BS.
I totally agree, I just finished the famicom version and the last dungeons feel like a chore, mainly because they have that FF2 labyrinthian dungeon design that feels like it is designed to waste your time, fortunately, FFIII doesn't have absurdly overpowered enemies in that last gauntlet like in FF2 where you could get like 5 status ailments from a single hit and enemies had 'death' imbued attacks that could insta kill you even when dealing 56 damage lol so you just lost 1.5 hours because the game said so lol.
skill issue
Thank you Austin !!! Your work on this entire series has been invaluable
I love your comparison videos! I hope we'll see more Final Fantasy content from you in future.
It's very fun to watch these videos after I beat the game. Some friends and I are playing through the series and we have all chosen different versions to play. I have chosen the originals, someone has chosen the GBA+FF3 DS, and the other has chosen the Pixel Remasters. Once we all beat the game, we have a discussion and talk about it. These videos have been handy and allows me to understand what was different for all of us.
Keep up the good work!
Honestly, FF3 may be the only one where I find the Pixel Remaster to be the definitive version.
With FF1 and FF2, the PSP ones look more appealing to me, and the extra content is fantastic. Also, FF1 uses MP now, so that's nice.
With FF4, I feel the 3D version is the one that presents the story the best, and outside of of FF7 and FF10, FF4 on DS was my first FF game, so I will always have a soft spot for it.
With FF5 and FF6, the extra content is important to me because I love a good super boss (or several). I've modded both, especially FF6, with reshaders, the PR soundtracks, and in FF6's case, I've even made some sprite edits myself, recolouring Sabin and Edgar entirely to match their Opera Omnia art, and recolouring the World Reborn Celes to better match her art colours, too.
Honestly, the biggest let down across the whole board for me in the Pixel Remasters is the lack of the extra endgame content, and FF3's is the only one I didn't care about. Not only that, but the balance changes made to balance out how FF3 can only spawn 3 enemies at once and with how long jobs take to level make the 3D version of FF3 tedious at the best of times.
Was looking for this video just yesterday, glad to see it pop up! :)
I’ve really loved these ports videos, you really cover everything! Would you consider covering the Dragon Quest series too?
How does job leveling work in the pixel remaster? In the original, jobs exp is gained when using your character’s main job ability (ie Warrior-attack) (Black mage-Black magic). In the 3d remakes any command contributes to job experience, although the amount gained decreases with a higher the job level.
Thank you for this very detailed video. It made my answer to this question very easy to answer.
As someone that only played titles from VII onwards, its blowing my mind that the original 2D version of III never got a release stateside until the Pixel Remaster (whilst the rest got their 2D versions released here). Unlike the other games it seems like the PR really is the definite version as it pertains to the 2D versions. Really weird also seeing a phone port beating out everything, including the PSP version.
I'm new to Final Fantasy and sadly never played any games in the series lol so I gotta say thank you to these vids for the older games . I'm planning on a daunting experience by finding nearly if not all the main and side games and trying to binge them until all the way to 16 cause 16 is what's getting my attention and I wanna experience ( and as a collector I want them too lol ) to get some of what I was missing. Even though I'm not the biggest fan of turn based , I gave LOTR Third Age a try a while ago which was the first turn based game I played and loved it , it's mostly the action combat in 16 that's getting my attention and the more fantasy LOTR vibe , it'll take a while but I'm gonna try and collect these games. Starting maybe in the next few months , gonna be finding physical copies of 1 to 4 for PSP .
These videos are very thorought. Great work.
The end part of the video sounds cut off? How odd.
Otherwise an excellent video with a lot f work put in to it!
Excellent video! But i have a question, and the person who answer will have my eternal gratitude: the melee proficiency mechanic is present in all versions, including the original famicom version?
Amazing work! Can't wait to see more!
Been trying to get back to ff lately, this channel is the best for it.
14:20 listening to this in the background and thought you said the steam version was updated to have walter white support
good vid man, the timing was on point cuz i wanna grab a copy on android so that its easy to bring anywhere. looking forward for more (ff4?)
You LEGEND! These videos are PERFECT, literally no flaws in them at all. Easy to follow, explains everything, great voice, quick and snappy and straight to the point. Video was 26 minutes but it felt like 5 minutes. PERFECT!!!
I mean, there's the misspelling of Battle as 'Batle' early on, and the awkward voice cutoff at the end. Still, your intention is right.
@@ChargeQM bruh who cares
BTW they Nerfed the Sage in Pixel Remix, greatly reducing his MP.
They also nerfed the Evokers effects that had better success rate in the famicom version.
they also nerfed the reflect spell that no longer can reflect Mega Flare, so no point in calling Odin against Bahamut.
the Curative spells had been greatly buffed as they now heal much more when entire party is targeted , in the final battle one Devout is more than enough to keep the party alive , while in the original version two Sages casting Curja/Cure4 each turn will just barely keep your party above water (if you also use Elixers)
The Pixel Remaster is ridiculously the easiest. and as such need balancing.
Amazing video! Thank you very much!
Absolutely love this video. Very comprehensive.
So if I got this correctly the screen in the shop with the characters being highlighted and do a wavy motion when the equipment ist suitable for them is gone in the Steam release? Thats actually kinda sad. I wish there would've been an option to somehow fit it in at the cost of the menu space or something...it was such a charming detail in the DS version..oh well. Still an amazing game and I might be looking into the Pixel Remaster even though I find the new soundtrack not really fitting, its quite over the top for an NES style game :D
Your next one, FF4, that’s going to be quite the extensive video. So many versions to cover.
And also the various sequels like The After Years and the Interlude chapter. I'm still puzzled if I should play the DS remake or the Complete collection on PSP (which takes elements from the Wii VC releases)
@@gab_v250 I like the DS remake for its presentation but the PSP collection was more fun imho
@@gab_v250 The ds version is good, but the PSP is the best way to play (and probably will still be), because of the sequels being with it, but if you dont want to play the sequels (they arent that good) the DS ver is a good one.
I started a DS play this year, but I recently switched to emulating the PSP version on my phone. I think this version looks way better, and I think it looks more suited to the resolution of the PSP over the later Steam releases on a PC. The character models being so low poly count really look best on limited resolutions.
Just to confirm, the only the difference between the 3D remake and the pixel remaster in terms of content is just the mognet bonuses? No extra post-game dungeons missing in one version?
I've got the choice between the PSP and DS versions of the 3D remake, but I'm not sure which to choose. From what I understand the PSP version is slightly better than the DS version?
There's a typo of "Battle" at 11:00 and the self-promotion at the end of the video cuts out early at 26:11.
Great videos bro, you earned a subscriptor
Final Fantasy III is the only game that wasn’t released or remastered on the PlayStation 1 until in 2021 they finally remastered the original version. The 3D version is also cool, I remembered it wasn’t only released on the DS, but also on the iPhone, iPad, and finally the PSP. I ordered the Japanese UMB version feel years ago.
I wanted the Pixel Remaster to match the experience I first had twenty years, but the 3D remake was too slow and the PR just felt flat somehow. Oh well. If anything, I think the Pixel Remasters will be most remembered for their amazing music.
The first time i ever played this was a cracked version on my jailbroken iphone 3. I remember being stuck on the final boss for weeks! Anyways ive of course bought it since then; the 3d versions may be my favorite final fantasy game altogether.
Appreciate the video, been looking to get into ff3 after all the references in ff14 :)
I think I'll stream the 3D version. I just like the idea of a more modern looking game despite some beautiful spritework in the 2D versions.
I dunno if this has been said already (probably since this video is a year old) but you can switch equipment mid-battle in the Famicom version as well. I did it a lot through my playthrough on original hardware.
What I find is lacking here, is which exact version of the 3D remake is the best one? I hear the steam version has problem so, the PSP version?
The one feature I wish the Pixel Remasters implemented was custom menu colors. The blue is iconic but I love being able to customize it.
I'll go with the 3D remake on PC. The characters seem to have more personalities on there.
Not really, lol. Ingus gets to bone princess Sarah, and Refia has a bit of a moment, but for the most part they're underutilized blank slates acting as characters.
Glad i watched this. I had only played the DS version, & i didnt realize the others were so different. I recently wanted to replay it after so long, & tried to but apparently the lower screen on my DS no longer works (it registers touch & lights up on some lines but doesnt display picture). Was literally 🤏 this close to getting the pixel remaster on PS5 not knowing it would be so vastly different. I have a PSP somewhere, will try get the 3D on that i think.
The rock / metal intention of the battle theme in pixel remaster is one of the best things they brought to FF III
Seems like there's an audio glitch at the very end of the video. It sounds like you're saying we can find you on Patreon if we want... something obscene.
Also, this video needed more Battle Theme 2! (Boss Battle)
One of my favourite 8-bit tracks of all time.
The spell sight hits for damage on an enemy in the Famicon version. Its weird.
Oh my god, i had forgotten how good the battle theme is
Wow, now I’m happy I got the PSP version back then. Can’t wait to play the Pixel Remaster next year finally on console!😆
you can change equipment mid battle in FF3; so shurikens make actually more sense but are still somewhat tedious. You have to go to item, and press left to end up into character's inventory and then use the arguably more cumbersome battle item menu to change the equipment.
With love: Goddamn you crystal tower. I still have no idea why I decided to play the Fami original.
This is also how you were supposed to change songs for the bard class, and activate weapon abilities like free curas.
I went so long without knowing this, having bought the game used and not having a manual. It's not obvious.
The Mognet rework that you mentioned on the android version isn't really accurate. The letters you showed were in the ds version as well, also showing up over the course of the game and depending on who was leading the party if I remember right.(edit: I remembered wrong) In the DS version those letters didn't count towards the Mognet based unlockables so that might be different in the android version. I played the DS version multiple times without ever connecting my DS to wifi.
Edit: I just did a bit of research and it seems that the same letters are in all the 3D versions and just the requirements to receive the NPC letters vary. Well I liked your video and it made me want to replay the game, so I guess I'll have to play PC or Android so that I can actually access all the content for once.
Thanks. This is my favorite RPG. Been waiting on this one for a while now.
Looks like the PSP version is the way to go in this case. This video is very helpful, thanks!
why? android and pc are better
@@ekimlaf The mobile ports keep annoyingly not having controller support. And I prefer more portability for these old-school turn based games; I'm playing FF IV The After Years on PC, and it's a slog to get through, sitting at my computer.
@@ltb1345 im playing with my 8bitdo right now, has auto combat and just better graphics, maybe you dont know about the last patch, but mobile version is miles ahead from psp in ff3
Now this is a big difference compared to the first two pixel remasters. This really does come down to preference. I still prefer the DS version (I have the psp version too and although it looked nicer, the item duplication glitch was a big deal for me), but the pixel remaster is so much different and actually improved some things that this might be the only one I get so far. And the updated music actually gave me chills like the other two didn't. The big reason I would stick with the DS version is I feel the story is more fleshed out, especially with the protagonists actually being characters, but the pixel remaster wouldn't be a bad choice.
Of all the pixel remasters I think this one nailed the OST the best. It's the only one that didn't contain arrangements I felt were inferior to previous iterations and contained some I thought were quite inspired.
26:11
Your audio cut out at the end.
This was amazing I love the original and the (3D) remake they was the best beside nes being so hard at the end sometimes I was more on the safe side using my magic there anyway so wasn’t as hard as everyone else say it is
I'm glad the Pixel Remaster announces that you get healed in-between the Dark Crystals before Cloud of Darkness fight, while that is a thing in the 3D remake (at least can confirm on the latest version of the steam version), I still wouldn't recommend playing the 3D remake unless there's a mod the balances the end game better
My only gripe with the pixel remaster version is they should have made the boat battle map bigger, the top character literally stands on the edge and it looks funky. They could have made the boat end a little more to the left so everyone is standing on it comfortably
Time to watch another one even though I'll probably never get around to playing the game!
Watching your prior FF videos I've felt turned away by the pixel remasters, with not liking their visual styles being the thing that really kills them, though here I think the Pixel Remaster looks more appealing. I actually kinda want to try it out, it's just a shame about the stuttering and font.
Fonts are modable, at least on Steam version. The game receives patches to reduce stuttering, although in my experience playing mobile version it's quite smooth.
Hey, uhh... you misspelled Battle theme during the look at the 3D remake. You spelled it as "Batle Theme".
LOL at the "If you want to use a Monk find these Bronze knuckles asap" the reality is, if you want to use a Monk unequip your weapon asap.
0:51 always easy to assume they're taking away that peninsula of power in the pixel remaster. I am glad they mentioned FF5 release date of 11/10/21 and will definitely observe it. 1:21 didn't know about the flashing, at least they toned it down. 4:43 scholar was a motivation class to create from if the items are actually useful. Thanks for demonstrating the buffs, glad I avoided pixel remaster 17:43 pull commands why and 18:43 blasphemy lol dark knight must lose hp to count. though 16:00 they made protect ring even stronger lol 16:53 thieves are still useless as ever.
8:33 lol I forgot 3ds jaggies with that job adjustment lowered stat bs.
Hey! I just beat the final fantasy 3 for the first time just lastnight, I played the pixel remaster and I thought the last gauntlet of bosses was still challenging.but I was there at level 47ish might have been a little early
The pixel remaster for 3 is the one I'm most interested in. As it's the only one that's closest to the original release in Japan. But I still have a hard time understanding the direction for the presentation. Especially since we have 3 technically 5 (if you counter FF4 Interlude and The After Years as separate games) PSP Final Fantasies that look so pretty by comparison. That is probably my biggest hold up in buying these. But the soundtracks are amazing sounding at least.
Thanks, your comparison help me choose between buy the steam version or not.
Great info. I'm really glad you mentioned the stuttering in Pixel Remaster, because that is my biggest complaint. The stutter mod helps, but still doesn't get the game running at 60 fps like it should. I need to look again to see if I can apply the same fix to the FFIV Pixel Remaster.
Haven’t played the Pixel Remaster version but I loved the 3D remake. So good.
to change font on pc just copy your fave .ttf font into the game folder and rename it to Ariel.ttf and arieluni.ttf simple, one font is for menus and one for in game
side note the names being in the fc version was add by the EN translators
I remember playing this game on the DS when I was in elementary school.
I have played the Famicom version via a translation patch and the 3DS version. I find I like the challenge of the Crystal Tower and Eureka in the Famicom. I also like the way old games look. So everything about the pixel remaster puts me off. Oh well. I still have the original.