Friday, December 07, 2012

Happy 20th anniversary, Final Fantasy V!

I know I've let a number of game-related anniversaries go by without acknowledgement through the years, but I couldn't let that happen in the case of Final Fantasy V--which is, without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite games.

So, which anniversary is the fifth Final Fantasy celebrating, you ask? Its 20th--can you believe it?



Actually, this beautifully customizable RPG celebrated its 20th anniversary yesterday--as it was first released in Japan for the Super Famicom on Dec. 6, 1992--and not today, but who's counting?

Anyway, for a bit more information on the game that served as my first foray into the world of Japanese RPGs, check out my Great Gaymathon review of it. Or, head on over to NeoGAF and join the many fans who are discussing its merits in this thread.

The photos included in this post are of the front and back of the Super Famicom version's packaging, by the way, and were taken by yours truly.



If you'd like to see a shot of that version's cartridge, go here. And if you'd like to a few photos of the game's Japanese PlayStation port, go here (for the front cover), here (for the back) and here (for the CD).

With that out of the way, do any of you also consider yourself big fans of Final Fantasy V? If so, why is that? What attracted you to it in the first place, and what keeps you coming back today?

12 comments:

Kamiwoo said...

Final Fantasy V is one of my favorites in the FF series and as a video game in general! I just love it so much.

I first got a chance to play it with the Playstation port included in Final Fantasy Anthology. In the midst of all these fancy, polygonal, FMV-rich games of the era... here came a throwback to the SNES days. I consider FFIV and FFVI to be other favorites in the series of mine, so this was a rare chance to peek back into my childhood with this "lost" game. I could not have enjoyed the experience more. I was in pure bliss! The graphical style, music, gameplay... it all struck a chord with me in all the right ways.

The thing that probably keeps me coming back to FFV so much is that it's so darn FUN! It's the most fun Final Fantasy game, as far as I'm concerned. Mixing and matching job classes never gets old for me. There's always a new way to play through the game. The cast of the game is honestly one of my favorites, as well... something about being able to dress them up and give them my own unique set of abilities endears them to me, somehow.

So, while I never had the chance to experience the game 20 years ago (sadly!), that's just further proof that a great game is a great game, regardless of when you get to play it! I've been meaning to replay the GBA version, now is the perfect time, I think!

thegaygamer.com said...

Thanks for the wonderful comment, Kamiwoo, and for sharing your own story about this brilliant (IMO) game! I, too, consider IV, V and VI to be the best Final Fantasy games, by the way, with this one edging out VI for the top spot due to, as you suggested, its comparably more lighthearted (and fun!) approach to the RPG genre.


Speaking of replaying the GBA version: I think I'll have to do the same soon. It's pretty great, isn't it? I love how some of the graphics have been re-worked, but not to the point that the game is unrecognizable (such as what happened when FF I, II and IV were ported to the PSP, for instance).

Lizzi said...

Wow! Happy birthday Final Fantasy! :D
I really loved playing FF 9 and 10. (I own 7 - 13-2).

Hey Bryan, look what I received today!:

https://twitter.com/i/#!/Dead_Melody/media/slideshow?url=pic.twitter.com%2FdltWHNwW


My Pikachu 3DS XL arrived and Paper Mario too!
Yippie! :D

thegaygamer.com said...

Oh, it looks great, Lizzi! Congrats :) Look forward to hearing what you think of both the system and Paper Mario!

Tom Badguy said...

I have mixed feelings about this game. Jobs are cool but I always felt that parts of the game didn't make sense. I will say, that this game is at least an ok game....for now.

thegaygamer.com said...

But, Tom, it's a JRPG--of COURSE parts of it don't make sense :P Especially when you consider the rather questionable localization it was given when brought to the PlayStation. Anyway, as always, you're entitled to think it's just an OK game. Me, I think it's a *great* one :)

Justin Difazzio said...

I adore the job system. I hated that my GBA cart kept losing my save file. Maybe if I get a port of it I'll finally finish it.

Ms. Sunlight said...

It's an amazing game. I replay it every couple of years. Yes, the job system is fantastic and the game has a lot of depth, but what makes me come back to it again and again is how much I love the characters, and how they deal with heartbreak and hardship to fight their way to an uplifting ending. I'm particularly in love with Faris and have a big soft spot for Gilgamesh! The music's great too.

thegaygamer.com said...

Oh, that's too bad about your GBA cart, Justin. What's up with that? Is it old? Did you buy it used?


The GBA version is my favorite version of the game, by the way, thanks to the slightly redone background graphics and the additional content.


That said, should SE be smart enough to release a remake of it -- using, say, the Bravely Default engine -- for the 3DS, I'll buy that sucker quicker than you can say "boo!" :P

thegaygamer.com said...

Hey there, Ms. Sunlight! Love the name, by the way :) Yes, I agree with you about this game's characters -- which is funny, as so many people think it's just a silly, bare-bones FF title. Really, though, it gets pretty emotional at various points. Anyway, thanks for sharing your thoughts -- I appreciate them :)

Josef Burn said...

LOVE this game :) Everything about it was so well done, the job system is still the best Final Fantasy approach to warrior classes, they really need to just bring it back already, it's perfect and so much fun. The plot was simple but refreshingly so :)

thegaygamer.com said...

Agree 100 percent, Josef. Sadly, I get the feeling Square isn't capable of a modern equivalent of this game. That said, for me The 4 Heroes of Light was close enough -- although I'm sure many will disagree with that statement.