Final Fantasy’s last true RPG (Final Fantasy III Retrospective)
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- Опубліковано 8 чер 2024
- Final Fantasy 3 (FF3 or FF3j) never made it out of Japan in its original form, but the game was a hugely important title that helped establish Final Fantasy’s unique identity. In this retrospective video essay, I’ll explain why I consider FF3 to be the last true roleplaying game in the Final Fantasy series.
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🛑 I’VE MOVED! Check out my new channel for retrospectives, reviews, and critiques here:
/ @altercatetv
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🎦 My other Final Fantasy retrospectives:
▶ Final Fantasy I - • The original Final Fan...
▶ Final Fantasy II - • The most important gam...
▶ Final Fantasy IV - • The blueprint to Squar...
▶ Final Fantasy V - • The last great adventu...
▶ Final Fantasy VI - • The first masterpiece ...
#FinalFantasy #JRPG #retrospective
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
01:02 Core gameplay
04:29 Job system
18:47 Combat
25:47 Dungeons
30:37 World design
33:07 Story
39:33 The last true RPG - Ігри
🛑 I’VE MOVED! Check out my new channel for retrospectives, reviews, and critiques here:
ua-cam.com/channels/6D4FlECbW_1KT_Z472LukQ.htmlfeatured
Don’t be mad about the title, OK? 😂 Obviously FF3 is technically NOT the last RPG made by Square or the last RPG in the Final Fantasy series. I still stand by my analysis, though!
As usual, I had to cut *so much stuff* from my initial draft to keep the video length manageable. The original version would’ve been 3 hours long lol.
I worked really hard on this one, and I’m really happy with how it came out, though I’m always looking to do better and better with each video. I hope you enjoy it!
If you have any questions or comments, let me know! And thanks for supporting me. 😍
Would love to see this 3 hour version
I wholeheartedly agree with you that Final Fantasy series aren't RPGs. At least, not anymore.
I stand by you with heart. It's wasn't my story anymore after FF3 even it was a very good story.
At that time, I gave the characters the names of my real-life friends. It really felt like we were on a journey, and the characters had automatically taken on their personalities in my head
That's really cool, thanks for sharing! :)
This was me with Final Fantasy I. I think most of the reason I enjoyed FFI's world more than any other was the fact that it was basically the experience I wished for and never had. Having a RPG adventure with my real life friends.
I don’t know about you but I find Final Fantasy 3 in general to be really underrated.
I didn’t like the job system at first but I’ve grown to like it more and more when replaying FF3, and I always liked trying different jobs and see how they work, and I like how they served as upgrades to previous classes and that you need to change up form time to time when arriving at a new dungeon or boss fight.
The world of FF3 was fun to explore and has a huge amount of depth, especially for a game that was released in 1990.
The towns and scenarios are super memorable, such as the town of midgets, Goldar’s Mansions, and the Elder Tree. And the game I found to be very humorous like with the 4 old men, and crashing Cid’s airship.
And I honestly didn’t found the game to be that grindy as I only need to fight nearly every enemy that I came across, and It wasn’t until I reach the Crystal Tower that I really had to stop and grind.
And the Dungeons are much more streamlined while having a better difficulty curve then in the previous 2.
And the story while simple to many, I found to be a breath of fresh air and I like how it’s more about you going to different towns and solving their problems. Kinda like in many Dragon Quest games.
That’s not to say the game is perfect. There is no command to change your equipment when changing jobs. The scenarios go by a little to fast with hardly that much of pacing. The game doesn't reset your rows. The bosses force you to use certain jobs. And the final dungeon is really long and one miss step will cause you to restart the entire dungeon all over again.
But other then that I really enjoyed FF3 much more so than the previous 2. And it’s among the best RPGs on the NES that never made it to the US that I’ve ever played. Glad to see that this video was finished.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts! You're right, this game was a landmark title for its time, and it's a shame it never made it to the west in its original form. I agree that the dungeons are much more enjoyable than in FF2, and yeah, I think the only place you really *have* to grind is before Crystal Tower.
I’ve been really enjoying these retrospectives as I play through the series myself for the first time. You bring a really unique and well articulated perspective to the series that is fascinating to listen to.
Thank you! That’s super nice to hear :)
There is something pleasant in this game, in its simplicity and i love it. Still worth playing in 2021. Thanks altercate for retrospective.
Glad you enjoyed the video! Yup, there's a sense of wonder and adventure about this game that not many others can match.
I've played almost every final fantasy. I didn't play FF3 (Famicom) until 2019. It's one of my favorites because of the job system, challenge, and unique presentation. Also the Crystal Tower was my favorite part.
Thanks for sharing! It's a beautiful game for sure. If only it had made its way to the west back when it was new, I'm sure I would have absolutely loved it :)
Final Fantasy III advanced the series so far, and while I love FFIV to death, I do think it took a few too many steps back in regards to dungeon and town layout along with a reduced focus on true exploration. (FFV would largely remedy this). FFIII's ideas are great on paper, but you are right that by the end it all becomes Ninja/Sage, another case where FFV would shine beautifully.
FF5 is one of my favorite games in the series, and I can't wait to replay it again now that I have FF3 firmly in mind. It's going to be very interesting to deep-dive into all the parallells and the adjustments made to the original formula 😀
Great video! Iv been waiting for this one! Iv recently started playing all the original games just starting on three and liking it so far, much less tedious then the second one. Keep up the great videos!
Thank you so much, it means a lot to me to hear that people are enjoying the videos! Have fun with FF3 😀
This is a wonderful video. Listening to your joyful narration made me smile naturally.
43:48 I really like this scene. It really is. They are never impersonal pawns in a game, they live in my heart. Even now!
That's the highest praise I could hope for! Thank you so much for commenting! 😍
wow! What a beautiful video! (and I thought that the FF2 - NES - was unbeatable :D ) ; you've made me not only revive the old skool FF-s experience, but to go further about their value in the role-playing experience: thanks a lot for the true-hearted shared experience. My best wises dear friend :)
Thank you so much! Always super happy to get such nice feedback :)
Both the first and third entries hold a special place in my heart. Not from a childhood nostalgia, I unfortunately didn't get to play these titles until I was an adult, but it's from being able to name these faceless heroes as my friends and go on adventures with them. I've never been good at making backstories for my D&D characters and I've never even gotten to finish a campaign but these games let me go on these wonderful adventures with them. And due to not getting to play these as a kid by the time I got to them I had already played FFXIV so while Eternal Wind was used to call back to FFIII it evokes the opposite nostalgia for me and brings back those wonderful adventures through Norvrandt :)
Love the video essays, good job man
Thank you so much! :)
Ff3 is in my top 5, while I love 6 and 9 for story, when it comes to pure fun gameplay, I will always choose ff3 over any other of the series.
Thanks for sharing! Out of curiosity, how do you feel about FF5?
@@Altercate I enjoyed how the job system works but I feel the game was too forgiving compared to 3, the music was great as usual. I just prefer 3 because like you said, you shape the characters with your choices.
@@stephenphillips9660 I understand what you mean. I've always loved FF5, but it's going to be very interesting to explore the game in-depth again now that I have FF3 fresh in mind!
I have some incredibly good memories of the ds remake for ff3, the only mainline ff I've ever beaten (after much grinding lol, kid me didn't know how to work thru the last boss besides just grinding to lvl 100.) Hearing the history of the original game is fascinating af.
Thanks for sharing! Don't feel bad - I had to grind 20 levels to beat the last dungeon in the NES version lol
Awesome retrospect. To be honest, it was the music that hooked me. I started it on the 3ds and have played most versions including the pixel remaster. Love the video and it’s place in video game history.
Thank you so much! Agreed that there is some great music in this game :)
Another great retrospective. Props to the channel!
Thank you so much! 😍
I found the clues about Garuda to be fine. that's kind of how rpg's work: reward players for exploring and interacting. if you don't explore fully you may only be partially prepared, and face a scrappier but still winnable fight.
Fair enough! My beef with that particular fight is mostly with how ridiculously hard it is (at appropriate levels) if you don't use Dragoons. :)
Fat Chocobo really helped with inventory, solved many problems.
I liked the way inventory worked actually, forced you to go minimalist with what you brought into dungeons.
It's definitely a game that rewards preplanning in that sense :)
AHHHHHH! So excited!!! Can’t wait to watch the video. Will comment again after I’ve seen it!
Thanks William! I hope you enjoy it 😀
Thumbnail got me here.
I think FF III will always be my #2 game in the series. Was so happy the first time I beat it
Thanks for sharing! What's your #1 game in the series? :)
@@Altercate Hard to pass up FF IX for being my favorite. While not the first game I played in the series, it was definitely the first one I fell in love with and I still love going back to it every so often.
@@offeryoursoul Been a long time since I played IX. Looking forward to revisiting it in the near future :)
You have much better breakdown of JRPGs then most channels.
Thank you for saying that :)
Just finished my first playthrough of the original famicom fan translation a couple of weeks ago. I enjoyed it a lot. I love the Droga's theme, it is a beautiful 8bit track ❤
Thanks for sharing! It's such a shame this game didn't make it to the west back in the day. I think I would have loved it as a kid!
This game is really fun, it shows it's age in design but its still fun.
I play the remaster on Steam because it is easier on the eyes.
The only issue in the game that I considered an oversight was the one battle in the castle where you stay overnight, get woke up in the night and have to go fight. Depending on your save file, you may find out you can't win, and there is NO WAY TO GRIND. This all depends how fast you got to that point, but plenty of people have found themselves underleveled for the fight and simply restart or quit out of frustration.
By the time I played this game I had heard about this so I prepared properly, but I understood what the fuss was when i went through that section. The other thing that always stuck with me was the water world section, and how that comes to an end. I always felt that was a bit odd and somewhat out of place, and left me wondering the first time if I had made a poor choice or if that is just how it goes because it caught me off guard.
As usual, incredible job. The video betrays your intense fandom for the FF series. Love the passion, love the work, can’t wait until the next video. Thanks for the incredible retrospective!
As usual, thank you so much for your kind words! Getting this kind of feedback makes it all worth it! I've already started work on my FF4 retrospective, but it will probably take a while before it sees the light of day. Also, I might make a slight detour for a retrospective/critique about another JRPG first... 😀
@@Altercate Ahhhh which one?! I have to know so I can play it!
@@williamishee9533 Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition 😀
I love FFIII, it has been my favorite since I first played it on emulator in 2003. At the start you said "FFIII has had several remakes over the years" but I can count only two, and one scrapped WS port. It's worth noting that of all the mainline games, it had the least ports and remakes of them all.
You're right. Sloppy language from my side - I should have said something like "versions", since I was referring to the Nintendo DS / Steam / PSP versions of the 3D Remake, which are, as you point out, really all the same remake. 😀
@@Altercate what a gracious response haha. Not used to that on the internet. FFIII was always my favorite. It sold gangbusters at its release in Japan, and is comparable to DQ4 as far as late famicom era rpgs that are on par with some of the best early 2000’s Gameboy color rpgs. Yet, almost completely overlooked in the US. It’s design is also so near to that of FFIV that they have many of the same quirks in the engine, like how it handles walking into tall forests on the overworld and walking behind objects. I played through the DS version when it came out when I was younger. The difficulty curve throughout is pretty manageable for modern gamers up until the final areas which has a huge difficulty spike. Anyways, there could always be more content about this game on the English-speaking web. There is a major lack of context on the English web surrounding this game. Highly underrated. So thanks for making this video
@@treefroggy Thank you! It's such a shame this game never made it to the west in its original form, I think I would have loved it. It's been super fun to deep-dive into the NES titles, paying close attention to the early evolution of the series. I just played through FFIV in preparation for my next retro and I have such a different perspective on the game now that I have FFI-III fresh in my mind.
Definitely like your content. You are very thorough.
Thank you so much, that means a lot to me! :)
First, great video. Second, I was confused by the title at first but once you explained I totally get what you mean. However, I’ve never experienced that as the versions of the game I’ve played are the DS and PSP, which give you named characters with some (minimal) backstory and personalities. However I then tailored the jobs to how the characters were presented. In the opening cutscene for the DS/PSP it establishes the base roles and personalities as well and once I had that in my head, I couldn’t shake it and just went with it. Overall I really enjoyed both playthroughs of the game on each platform and I’d love to see the pixel remaster release on the PS4/5 sometime in the future so I can experience it a bit closer to the original.
Thank you so much! I used to have the attitude that the 3D Remake was an unmitigated improvement on the original game, but after really getting into the original version, I feel that it's a double-edged sword, giving the heroes fixed personalities like that. Really cool to hear about your experience with the game!
Great video!! Thanks!!
Glad you liked it! :D
I became an FF fan over the span of the pandemic and this channel has helped me a lot. Loving the content, keep em coming.
Thank you so much, and welcome to the fandom! :) What are you playing right now?
Epic video, thanks. I like that you only used the original NES version for this. Wish I had time to play it.
Thanks for commenting, love getting positive feedback on my retrospectives! :) The NES version is definitely still worth playing. Personally I find it to be a huge step up from the original versions of FF1 and FF2.
@@Altercate Yes I'm still playing FFI and it looks downright primitive compared to this. It's quite incredible how much more advanced NES games were towards the end of its life.
Great work!
Thank you so much! 😍
Watching this video really makes me wish the original version of this game was more accessible. I played the pixel remaster, and it's great, but there are definitely some subtle changes (along with the obvious visual changes) which I noticed. In the pixel remaster there was no penalty for switching jobs, my geomancer ability never backfired on me, etc. Some the the changes are for the better, but I always like to play the original version if available, but unfortunately couldn't for this game.
Just finished my first full play through and I loved it. The worst thing I can say about the game is that it borrows a lot of ideas from Dragon Quest III. But show me a classic RPG that didn’t!
My favorite part of the game was methodically building my party in an under leveled state then playing through the final areas with no guard rails.
There are things to nitpick in the jobs system, especially that the classes aren’t balanced at endgame. Ninja and Devout are dominant roles. Add a bard to that equation and it’s all over
Check out rom hacks if you ever wanna play through it again.
7315 optional party combinations. As much as I love this game, I either had fighters and casters, or the jobs for times of specific needs
Actually, it's closer to 234,256 possible combinations. 1 character has 22 possible jobs, and there's 4 playable characters. So it's 22x22x22x22 = 234,256 in total
@kevinhernandez09515 that is almost true if you take into account the formations of the party. If you feel up to doing the math, you would have to remove repeats on the formations (two identical characters swapping into each others position). I am curious but have no interest in the leg work
@jonathanvaux2715 can't all the characters have the same job? I'm more focused on also having same job classes on different positions. Like all party members being White Mages (aahh the challenges of FF1)
My favorite FF it's simple and straightforward unlike other FF that becomes over dramatic or convoluted along the way!, it's also somewhat hard?, as you said after battles you get limpted until you can recover back to town which feels so much adventurous.
234256 possible party combinations, respecting placement.
Adore this video.
I have been saddened as I age to see the direction the RPG market has gone, because the more simplistic stories that had more character customization I could choose makes the game come alive in a way that a game with set stories and characters doesn't. I actually didn't realize why the more modern games weren't very fun for me until remakes and remasters came out and I realized the story I created was vastly superior to the story that was created for me. I am so grateful there is a video like yours that explains that. It would have saved me a lot of money and time if I had seen it before I tried every RPG I could get, only to be disappointed and not know why.
Thank you so much for your comment! It really makes my day to hear that my video resonated with you. :) Out of curiosity, what was the last RPG you remember truly enjoying?
@@Altercate Remake/remaster, or recent new game?
Remaster would be Legend of Mana which, after watching your video, I realize lets you literally make the world in a way that is thematic to your vision. I also loved the Dragon Quest 3 remaster on switch and a few other remake/masters.
For new game, I literally spent a bit of this morning reviewing all the games I beat in the past 4ish years and honestly, it was difficult to decide. I am playing Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE on switch and really like it, but I'm a singer/musician so that game probably only makes the cut because it has fine artist protagonists. Other than that, I have only really liked Dragon Quest XI, which makes me sad since I played that game over 2 years ago. No other new games in recent memory were very fun for me.
I suspect I will love Shin Magami Tensei V because of the ability to create your own monster army. Here's hoping I get it for Christmas.
@@raynel9482 Thanks for sharing! For me, I do love the "story games" that modern JRPGs have turned into, but I also think it's a shame that the more traditional, open-ended experiences of games like Final Fantasy 3 have mostly disappeared from the mainstream. I wish I could give you some tips for games to try but honestly these days I spend most of my time replaying old games, especially since I've been so focused on creating these retrospectives! Hope you have fun with SMTV!
I recently beat FF3 Pixel Remaster, and Probably the main reason I didn’t give up at the dark world was thanks to quick save and heal crystals. I don’t know if crystals fully heal the party in other versions but id imagine the final areas would be brutal if not.
No way to heal except through spells and elixirs in the NES version. Can confirm it’s brutal 😂
@@Altercate Nice to know! Thanks for the input my dude =]
Its funny bc i went to that one cave without a black knight (yes it was hellish but not to a frustrating point, it was the perfect opportunity to level up my onion knight since they also can use dark blades).
And i thought Garuda was an optional boss and i reaaaally didn't conected the dots about dragoons and this boss untill i thought it. I just swicthed my scholar back to red mage and went heavy with the physical and aero spells (i had to try this boss 2 or 3 times).
Thanks for sharing! That's really cool, I never realized Onion Knights can use dark blades :)
Great video. Hopefully we see more of this kind of content
Thank you so much! I've done retrospectives of the three NES games now, and I'm currently working on FF4!
@@Altercate for sure man :)
Btw, out of curiosity, how would I get contact without you outside of UA-cam
@@savetheworld1 I'm on Twitter (@AltercateSC), not very active but it's probably the easiest way to reach me!
You're review has every reason that I loved FF3 and gradually lost interest FF series.
I dropped FF series at FF7 so called best FF ever. It wasn't my story anymore. I was merely observer of the event.
Great review! Keep it up.
Thanks for sharing and thank you for your kind words! :)
I loved the job system
Yes Bro!!!!
Hey bro! 😍
45 minutes to simply say "it's a product of its time" is a hell of a strat
me playing ff5: ether is as rare as a diamond here, and i am in constant need of MP just to survive a dungeon
altercate's ff3 video: phoenix down is as rare as a diamond here
now that's breaking the record of poverty
Lol yeah, there aren't any Ethers at all in FF3 - only Elixirs can restore MP. It gets pretty bad...
Cp is no longer a thing. There are so many versions including the ff pixel remaster of the 1st six games. It's on steam.
Yep, I've played all the different versions of FF3. My favorite is the Pixel Remaster :)
For the engagement
Need the thief for flee command in mini dungeons, yeah they are annoying.
Yeah, four thieves is the way to go :D
Great video, i am playing ff3 on ds myself
Its funny as in the ds version ninja and sage you get with the earth crystal. But they are nerfed in comparison sage doesnt get high level summoners and has less mp
Ninja can only use blades and boomerangs for weapons.
With garuda and hein i just pummled them with my job level 99 monk. Both died in 2 hits 🤣.
Datk knights can use swords as normal, summoning spells were availble eatlier if you know where to go. So ds version did upgrade nicely i think. But game does make your horde equipment incase you want to change lol but i never had to store anything. So guessing inventory is much bigger
In regards to stoey i liked how to piece some of it together you talk to npcs.
Like if you talk to alot you learn about the battle against the light with the 4 warriors of darkness 400 years earlier.
Yes you get told about it in the world of darkness but seems less out of left field learning about it 10 hours earlier.
Thanks for sharing! I think the DS version made a lot of good changes to the game, although I personally prefer the Pixel Remaster version since I'm a big fan of 16-bit 2d graphics, especially over the basic 3d of the DS version. :)
@@Altercate yeah i can see why, ds version is only version i can access i like the graphics though, not a fan of job penelty system though lol
@@FilmFan-iv7sz Oh yeah, I forgot about that! Yeah, that was a really bad idea lol
@@Altercate i think the higher the job level of the class you want to swap to. The less battles as ny job levels of 99.take 0 battles to use
Can you do a Dragon Quest Review in the future?
Definitely plan to cover DQ eventually! 😀 Do you mean a review of the old games or the new ones (like DQ11 and the upcoming DQ12)?
@@Altercate old ones to new. I love watching your videos so I expect to see Dragon Quest. Try the first one as a good start also known as Dragon Warrior
@@Mighty10917 Glad to hear you're enjoying the videos! I'm planning to do retrospectives of each game in the DQ series eventually, but it'll probably take me a while to get there...
Take your time I'm always Patient when it comes from new contents
"Patience is a virtue"
@@Mighty10917 Appreciate the support!
If III is a “true” RPG, then surely V is too. It’s basically the same game, expanded.
I love FFV but what I wanted to emphasize with this video is that this is the last game where there are no premade characters with personalities for you to play-instead you get to define them yourself in your head, like a classic RPG. 😃
2:15 That looks like thirds, not half. =)
Lol you got me there! 😂
234,256, but not all at the same time
for me the last true ff after 6 and 7 was 9.unless u also count remake.
Thanks for sharing! What did you think about the Remake?
This dude just hates ff3 bros. Should we trust him?
😂
Hell no
I totally agree, why do you claim this is the last true RPG of final fantasy.... from the plot with nameless characters to the game mechanics... I can't wait for your next retrospective the FF4 my favorite FF game.
Thanks for commenting! I'm editing the FF4 video right now :)
The number of possible combinations of jobs is 12,650. So yeah, more or less
Thanks! Glad to hear I wasn't too far off! :)
Huh? So it's not 234,256?
@@Enzed_ it’s been a long time but that’s the number I came up with. 22 x 22 x 22 x 22 = 234,256. Since order doesn’t matter all combinations are possible.
Final fantasy 6 was awesome and the best game of the series lmao. lol i played 3 on my ds and its like all the others and class changes there plenty after that do that.
Just use 4 Blackbelt for the win ^ ^. They are so broken !
Lol, I'll have to try that next time!
@@Altercate Their only weekness is magical defense.
I made 2/3 of the game with monk/karateka.
Their vitality is great, so big gain of Hp after each lvl.
But i only played the 3d remake and the pixel remaster.
Don't know if it is true in the original.
@@marleene I had a monk/karateka for most of the game in the original, and they were exceptionally good! Their effectiveness fluctuates a bit depending on what gear you have available for other jobs (the Knight does really well every time you get a new sword) but overall I think they were my MVP in the damage compartment!
This was imo the last classic FF since it was the last with turn base mechanics. I personally never liked the ATB system of newer games, so FF3 was among the other two my favorite of the series, and despite FF5 expanded the job system, FF3 balanced it much more.
Thanks for sharing! It's always interesting to see how different people view the series. 😀
Wow for some reason I seem to remember 4 not having ATB. But I looked and the reason I didn't like it was because I couldn't see how much MP I had.
@@TheKrensada 4 has ATB in all of its versions, but for some reason in the SNES and PS1 versions they are invisible.
Yeah, the same happens with FF5 and FF6, at least in the GBA port if im remember correctly, is so annoying.
Ehhhh, none of the main line final fantasy games are really role playing games. You're just projecting characteristics onto the characters. You don't have any real opportunities for roleplaying in the game, no decisions to make, no ways to shape the story.
Do you consider the Zelda series to be RPGs because Link doesn't ever say anything?
I love how your team at the end as you're describing them was Ninja Ninja ninja sage xD
Lol yeah the job system kind of breaks down at the end. :D
You're right -- none of these games were ever truly roleplaying games. But I still feel that the first three Final Fantasy games aspired to capture some part of the Dungeons & Dragons experience with the limited technology at their disposal. And IMO that's an ambition that kind of faded from Final Fantasy with the fourth game and going forward, when they started to focus a lot more on traditional storytelling.
Most old school FF fans prefer either the odd numbered games or the even numbered games. I like 2, 4 and 6 over 1, 3 and 5.
Thanks for sharing! I first fell in love with FF6 when I was a kid, but FF5 is also one of my favorites in the series. I didn't have much of a relationship with the NES games until recently, but I've come to appreciate them all quite a bit after doing my retrospectives!
i thought 4 was designed to mix 3 & 2's job system & drama
and 5 was its parallel mix where the job is the main attraction but still inserted a bit of personality to its characters
it's kinda hard to favor one over the other since both has their advantage and shortcoming
@@adammalik5397 Agree! They all tried different things and have their own charms, and I can't say that either is better than the other - just different!
Dragon warrior 3 is way better
well, the last true FF RPG is actually Final Fantasy V
Why Final Fantasy 5 specifically? :)
@@Altercate Well, what makes FF5 less of a true rpg than FF3?
Okay, but like, in the 2020s can we finally stop explaining the misnumbering of the American ports? How many people in this day and age are getting their first exposure to these games on snes, instead of more modern ports? At this point its literally just dorky useless nerd trivia thats more appropriate as a silly aside than part of the introductory explainer, of anything, lol