Shoutbox

Final Fantasy
NES
July 12, 1990

Before Final Fantasy ruled the world, RPGs had ultra-lame stories, such as "good boy beats bad man to save girl". Showcasing a class system, where you could select from charectors like the Red Mage and the Black Mage, turn-based battles, and cool NES MIDI music, the ambitious first Fantasy game was intended to be the last game (hence the name "Final") from Square, which was on the verge of bankruptcy.

Final Fantasy II
SNES
November 23, 1991

Known as Final Fantasy IV in Japan, Final Fantasy II had you playing as the evil emperor's ex-top elite dark knight, Cecil. FFII was the first time gamers used the active-time battle system, and those delightful overgrown chickens called Chocobos made their first appearance.

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
SNES
October 5, 1992

As the two Final Fantasy games released in America prior to Final Fantasy III weren't wildly successful, the straightforward Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was released.

Final Fantasy III
SNES
November 2, 1994

If you ever considered yourself a casual roleplaying gamer and you haven't played this game, for shame! Along with having a much darker aura, the epic FFIII featured excellent graphics, a story that dealt with mature subjects, and an entrancing score by super composer Nobuo Uematsu.

Final Fantasy VII
PlayStation
September 4, 1997

Arguably the greatest RPG of all time, if you want to debate that, you're flat-out wrong. Spanning across three CDs, this Citizen Kane of RPGs took the PlayStation to its limits with its unheard of cut-scene movies and complex charectors, such as Cloud and Tifa Lockheart.

Final Fantasy Tactics
PlayStation
January 20, 1998

Tactics was evidence that "Final Fantasy" is not just a name that's slapped onto any coaster material to ruse people into buying it. This first FF strategy/RPG was damn hard but brilliant nonetheless.

Final Fantasy VIII
PlayStation
September 9, 1999

The eigth Final Fantasy was all about Gunblades (the futureman's bayonet rifle), eyeball-melting FMVs, summoning mythical beasts, and an art style that put Tetsuya Nomura on the map.

Final Fantasy Anthology
PlayStation
September 30, 1999

Containing both Final Fantasy V, which never came out in the U.S., and Final Fantasy VI (FFIII in the U.S.), Anthology offered some cool extras, such as bestiaries, art galleries, and FMV intros and endings.

Final Fantasy IX
PlayStation
November 14, 2000

A return to its roots, the last Final Fantasy game to grace the PlayStation featured mishapen charectors from maestro Hironobu Sakaguchi.

Final Fantasy Chronicles
PlayStation
June 29, 2001

Even though Final Fantasy Chronicles included only one Final Fantasy game - Final Fantasy IV (FFII in the U.S.) - Square threw in its other remarkable RPG, Chrono Trigger.

Final Fantasy X
PlayStation 2
December 20, 2001

Final Fantasy X told the story of the effeminate Joe Montana of blitzball, Tidus. The game also had voice acting, a first in the series.

Final Fantasy Origins
PlayStation
March 14, 2003

Origins included enhanced remakes Final Fantasy I and II, and made them look like SNES games and not Nintendo/Famicom games.

Final Fantasy Tactics Advance
Game Boy Advance
September 8, 2003

Neither a sequel nor a port, Tactics Advance shared many of the same charectoristics of its big PlayStation bro.

Final Fantasy XI
PlayStation 2
October 28, 2003

On April 1, 2003, the two lords of the roleplaying game - Enix, the creator of Final Fantasy's impotent enemy, Dragon Quest, and Square - joined forces and made the first online Final Fantasy game.

Final Fantasy X-2
PlayStation 2
November 18, 2003

The ending of X lacked closure, so Final Fantasy X-2, the first game to not have an entirely new story, was made.

Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles
GameCube
February 9, 2004

This somewhat disappointing game was the first Square RPG on a Nintendo console since Super Mario RPG.

Final Fantasy Advance
Game Boy Advance
December 12, 2005

The magnificent Final Fantasy IV was recently brought to the Game Boy Advance.

Final Fantasy XII
PlayStation 2
Autumn 2006

The last real Final Fantasy game was released in 2001 (X-2 was a sequel spin-off and doesn't really count), and since then, fans had to endure Final Fantasy XI and its umpteen expansions. However, the series remains a fan favorite because of the immersive and epic one-player narratives - not multiplayer online adventures. Thankfully, positive early buzz on the game signals another memorable quest.

Source: GamePro magazine, May 2006 issue

More information: Wikipedia