Final Fantasy III (DS) Preview
Posted by Jordan Williams on 07.26.2006
After 15 years, Square-Enix brings the only Final Fantasy never to be released to the western world to the Nintendo DS...
Final Fantasy III
Developer: Square-Enix
Publisher: Square-Enix
Earlier this year at E3, Square-Enix kept telling fans to "Finish the Fantasy." Many were confused by this statement until they saw the trailer for Final Fantasy III for the Nintendo DS.
FFIII might confuse some who have only played the American release. FFIII in America is really FFVI in Japan, and to this day, the Japanese FFIII is the only Final Fantasy that hasn't been released to the western world.
Square-Enix has made it very clear that this version of FFIII will NOT be a direct port from its NES counterpart; instead, they are reworking the graphics completely, turning the simple 2D RPG into a full 3D experience for the Nintendo DS. The 3D is still be on a non-rotating plane, so you won't be able to change camera angles and such, but you will be able to zoom in and out to check out minor details.
Final Fantasy III on the NES
Final Fantasy III on the Nintendo DS
Although the gameplay mechanics may remain unchanged, this is shaping up to be a completely new game all around. The style has been revamped to bear strong resemblance to the Crystal Chronicle series as well.
What we know so far of the story is that it follows four who have set out to find four magic light crystals (a staple of the first five or so Final Fantasy games). The game will still play like the FFs of yesteryear: a lot of dungeon-crawling and a lot of story. This FF also features the job system, where different characters can be assigned to different classes and their control will change as such. Those who played Final Fantasy V or the Tactics series might be familiar with the system.
Also, the game's Executive Producer, Hiromichi Tanaka, has stated that unlike its first version, the four characters will have separate and unique personalities that will ultimately affect the storyline.
The four heros of Final Fantasy III
We already know of the graphical face-lift the game has gotten thanks to the DS hardware, but there are some other advancements made as well.
The Mognet system from FFIX and Crystal Chronicles will make a return. Basically, in the game you will be able to send and receive letters to various in-game characters in order to obtain new side quests or deeper character development. It has also been announced that the Mognet system will make use of the Wi-Fi connection to send messages to other players who also have the game, but it is not known if it will use a local connection or the Nintendo Wi-Fi Network.
The DS's touch screen seems to serve mainly as your way to navigate menus and initiate attacks during battle. There is no word if the touch screen will be used beyond that.
Avid fans are waiting for the release of this, and they will be glad to know that it's not too far off. Of course, the game has been delayed but not painfully so. The original shipping date was September 6th, 2006, but now the game has been delayed to release on October 3rd (August 24th in Japan), most likely to make sure the product is finalized before shipping.
It's been fifteen long years since the first release of Final Fantasy III, and now a new breed of gamer gets to relive what many did a decade and a half ago. Final Fantasy III is shaping up to be the blockbuster RPG for the DS this fall/winter. Be sure to look for a full review here on 411mania.com when the game is released.
