The 10th Hour 03.12.10: Top 10 Final Fantasy Franchise Successes

Posted by Stephen Jefferies on 03.12.2010

From taking a risk with Kingdom Hearts and the success of Final Fantasy VII to the willing ness to kill off characters and the evolution of the series, Stephen Jefferies takes a look at some of Final Fantasy's greatest successes as a franchise. Check out the full article to see what made the list and why!

With Final Fantasy XIII just hitting the shelves, we here at 411mania have dubbed this week "Final Fantasy week". Although I'm sure this is no surprise to you now, since this column happens to fall on the tail end of the weekend. So much for my glorious surprise entrance.

Crushed hopes aside, today's 10th Hour will be taking a look at Final Fantasy's greatest successes. The series has always been known for changing up the formula, be it for better or for worse. Today, I'm going to take a look at some of the most notable of these successes. Because, you know...Final Fantasy doesn't get enough fan services as it is.

Before we dive into this wondrous new world, let's take a quick peek backwards at some of last week's comments.

Мой угол комментария

The Fancy Pants way of saying "My Comment Corner".
It's Russian, I promise. (Google said so!)

The Dutch said: Pokemon Snap outdates Hey! You! Pikachu!

Stu must be a time-traveler. That's the only reasonable solution I can come up with.



Guest #7542 said: Anyone arguing that any of these were unlikely to succeed is giving off obvious warning signs of not knowing a thing about the fairer sex. Especially #5-#9.

These aren't games marketed at the "typical" demographic. But it's arrogance or shortsightedness or something to think that's the only demographic that matters.

Also, hooray for Phoenix Wright being #1. That series is amazing.

I'd think the fact that I spend my time writing Top Ten columns about video games would be more an indication of my ignorance than the specific games included within, but either way I'm under no delusions in that regard. I'll admit it – I'm pretty clueless.

Also, you're absolutely right about demographic. You can aim at a nice, big target audience and still fall flat if your game sucks, or, in the case of many of these games, the quality and fun factor can outweigh the odds and skyrocket them to success, even among gamers who wouldn't have otherwise given them a second glance.



Ste asks: What about G1 Jockey? A horse racing RPG/sim. Awesome stuff though.
To be fair most of these seem abstract but are probably par for the course in Japanese culture.

I've never heard of that, but now I'm intrigued. And yes, I'm always amused by some of the zany things that are "par course in Japanese culture", as you put it. They must find us rather boring.



Guest 0862 asked (partial quote): Don't know why he [the writer] noted Viva Pinata though, as...anything sprouting off from the Pokemon style of gameplay can't really be called unlikely to succeed.


As dense as this answer may sound, it never really struck me until just now how similar the game was to Pokemon. I think I was still working on getting past the whole "breeding pinatas" deal. Now that you've pointed to this incredibly obvious fact (let me go knock my head against the wall for a few moments; it'll make me feel better), I concede its success isn't nearly as surprising. Now leave me alone while I go curl up in a corner with a better choice, like Phoenix Wright.

Well, that came out wrong. I'm just going to stop while I'm ahead...


DISTRACTING BANNER!

Top 10 Final Fantasy Franchise Successes

10. Marketability




Whether you want to admit it or not, the primary success of the Final Fantasy franchise has been financial. Granted, it's by no means its most extraordinary feat, nor is it one that people will likely care much about (thus the #10 spot), but its undeniably one of the most marketable games on the market. When you've got people ordering white mage chocobos, it's safe to assume you've got them in the palm of your hand.

Does this mean Square sold out? Eh, maybe. But let's be honest, if you could whore out a crazy idea that you came up with for millions, you can't say you wouldn't. Everyone has a t-shirt idea somewhere up in their head...


9. Single-Handed Savior




Square was going broke. If they didn't land a profitable title, they were going under. They released one last game in hopes that it would rake in enough profit to keep them going. This game could very well have been their "Final Fantasy." It was. And it wasn't.

Final Fantasy single-handedly saved Square from bankruptcy, spawning a countless number of titles (I can't count past, say, 25, I suppose...) and landing them a spot as one of video game's most prominent RPG giants for the next sixteen years. Then they decided to hook up with Enix. This is where I'd give a wistful sigh if you could hear me. But you can't. Shame.


8. Final Fantasy VII




Whether you're one of the rabid fans that locks themselves in their closet with a picture of Cloud at night or someone who detests the series and wonders why it's so popular (*cough*Halo*cough*), you can't deny the simple fact that Final Fantasy VII single-handedly launched the JRPG into the West. Sure, there were plenty of titles before it, some that may have arguably been of higher quality, but there's no denying that our Buster Sword wielding friend ushered in one of Final Fantasy's biggest moments.


7. Kingdom Hearts




When Kingdom Hearts was first announced, I was terrified. "What have you done to my beloved Squaresoft, Enix?" I thought, retching at the thought of Mickey Mouse hopping around with a Gunblade that shot daisies. Fortunately, all my fears were put to rest when the game came out, as Kingdom Hearts turned out to be a revolutionary success.

Kingdom Hearts was daring. Final Fantasy had, up until that point, taken itself fairly seriously. Introducing a whimsical Disney element seemed like the worst possible addition, but the risk paid off. It managed to capture the intensity of the Final Fantasy games along with the cartoonish elements of Disney without marring the quality of either. Frankly, there's a small part of me that still thinks it never happened. It's all in my imagination. Just like the lunar landing.



6. Makin' Em Cool




It never fails. No matter which Final Fantasy you play, there is at least one character that blows you away with their sheer awesomeness. Kain, from Final Fantasy II / IV, Shadow from Final Fantasy III / VI (or, heck, pretty much the whole cast from that one), Cloud from VII (or Barret, if Cloud's a little too emo for your taste)...the list goes on and on.

The most impressive aspect of these characters is why we like them so much. Final Fantasy gives you such a unique spread of characters and personalities, it'd be impossible not to stumble across a few you don't like.


5. Killin' Em Off




And here's the flip side of the coin. Final Fantasy draws you in to the development of their characters, bringing you to the point where you actually care about the story. And then, inevitably, they off one of them. Was I the only one that freaked out a little bit when the twins Stoned themselves to save the party in IV? (Yeah, spoilers. If you haven't finished it by now, you deserve 'em =P )

Aeris is probably the poster child for this point. It was one of the first times a game killed off such a major character, and you really feel like the game is different because of it. Yeah, I'll admit, I liked Tifa better, but even me, full of pro-Tifa bias, felt a little sad when she got skewered.

They don't overdo it either. Killing off a character is a cheap, quick way to tug on the heartstrings of a player, but Final Fantasy does so very deliberately and poignantly.


4. Setting the Standard




Does that screen look familiar? Yeah, it should. Final Fantasy's influence spread incredibly fast, quickly defining what a JRPG should do. If you mention RPGs, even to someone who's not an avid gamer, odds are Final Fantasy will come up. It's a measuring stick that many RPGs hold themselves to. Some have equaled or surpassed it. Some have failed horribly. Still, it quickly set itself up as a dominant force in the video game world.


3. Rockin' Out




Nobuo Uematsu is a genius. Enough said. Rumor has it that FF VI was delayed a year to perfect the music, and when I watch the Opera Scene, I believe it. Sure, it's a little tinny to listen to now, but considering what they did with the Super Nintendo, I'd say it's a pretty impressive feat. Final Fantasy's music has never been short of epic, and I'm somewhat disappointed that they switched composers for the newest game. Still, I have high hopes for the series. Nothing draws you in to the atmosphere and the story faster than well-constructed musical scores, and Final Fantasy has never disappointed in that regard.



2. Freedom




With the exception of the latest installment (sad face), Final Fantasy's worlds have been vast, stretching, and full of secrets to explore. Not only that, exploration is often times rewarded, making it much more satisfying. Those of you who were lucky enough to stumble across the Gold chocobo breeding patterns in FFVII or find the Ultimate Weapons in FFX were undoubtedly giddy. (And you all suck, by the way. I'm horrible at finding secrets!) Gamer pride for the win.

Anyway, that sense of open freedom really lent itself to the overall enjoyment of the series. It made you, the player, feel like you were in control of the story, adding to the already impressive immersion. The first time I played FF II (the original II, not IV) I ended up wandering waaaay too far south and got crushed by Bombs that were triple my level. And I was okay with that. Partially because I'm weird, but partially because I was just excited about having a big open world to explore.

And let's not forget airships. Everyone loves a good airship.



1. Evolving the Series




No two Final Fantasy games are the same. Ever. The first ones were the most similar, thanks to the more limited system power, but even the originals have plenty of differences between them. There's the Sphere Grid, the Draw System, the License Board, the Materia Slots, the weird thing in FF IX where you learned stuff from your equipment...the series keeps changing. It keeps moving, sometimes in bold directions. The Draw system in VIII, for instance, was a huge risk. A lot of people hated it, but there were plenty of gamers who found it intriguing.

If Final Fantasy has one thing going for it, it's raw creativity. Ingenuity. Sometimes that gets them into trouble, but if it weren't for all the quirks, it wouldn't be quite the same.

That's all for this week, folks. I'm sure I missed some, as usual, so feel free to comment away! What do youthink was Final Fantasy's biggest success? Let's hear some opinions, people!

Ideas for a topic? Suggestions for the column? Need to confess your undying love? Shoot me an e-mail at [e-mail]!

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