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- Final Fantasy: A History of Remakes
- Posted 11 months, 3 weeks ago by Sarah
When I got my shiny new PSP a few months back, among the first games I wanted for the handheld were Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II, both of which were released last year for the PSP. Then it hit me: I already have multiple versions of both of those games on NES, PS1, and the Game Boy Advance. Do I really need to buy them again? And just how many remakes does Square Enix plan to make?
Squenix is sometimes criticized for milking its Final Fantasy franchise for all it’s worth with a never-ending stream of makeovers and spin-offs. Sometimes they work out great, sometimes, not so much. However, as a ridiculous Final Fantasy fan and a habitual collector (read: pack rat who forms emotional attachments to inanimate objects), I thought I’d delve into Square’s remake history in regards to the series. It spans the first six games, which, if you’re paying attention, is half of the main series.
Final Fantasy I & II
This is where it all began, and perhaps for that reason, these two seem to have been done over more than any other games in the series. The first Final Fantasy was originally released in Japan in 1987, although it didn’t make its way to the North American shores until 1990. This game was first remade in 2000, though it was never seen in the U.S.; it was only released on Japan’s WonderSwan Color. It was released yet again on the PS1 two years later in Japan.
These weren’t FFII’s only remakes, though; after never having been released in the U.S. originally (though it launched in Japan in 1988 and again on the WSC in 2001), we first saw it in the aforementioned PS1 release, which was known as Final Fantasy Origins. It was seen again, once again bundled with its predecessor, in 2004, when they were released in the Game Boy Advance compilation subtitled Dawn of Souls. Additionally, they were both released for mobile phones over the last few years, but only in Japan.
Final Fantasy III
This is another game in the Final Fantasy line-up that North America never would have seen if not for a reissue. A 1990 Japan release, the Nintendo DS version was released on both hemispheres in 2006, and it sported updated 3-D graphics and cinematic cut scenes. I picked up my DS shortly before the release of this game; that’s not a coincidence.
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV was the first FF game to be released in the same year for both Japan and the U.S. However, it was known as Final Fantasy II on our shores, since the previous two games had never been released in America. Much like Final Fantasy I and II, IV was next seen on the PS1 in 2001 as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology collection, which also included another epic Square RPG, Chrono Trigger. This version cleaned up some of the translated dialogue from the first game, as well as several bugs that had been present. It also appeared on the WSC in 2002, the GBA in 2005, and a DS version has been released in Japan (though, sadly, there is no U.S. date at this time).
Final Fantasy V
Yet another Final Fantasy not originally seen in the U.S. After being released on Japan’s Super Famicom in 1992, they got it again in 1998 on the PS1. In the U.S., it came out on the PlayStation, along with Final Fantasy VI, in 1999—before Final Fantasy I, II, and IV were released on the same system. The 2006 Game Boy Advance release got a new English translation as well.
Final Fantasy VI
Also known in the United States as Final Fantasy III; at least, it was when it came out in 1994 for the SNES. This is also one of the most beloved games in the series, despite Cloud and Sephiroth being nowhere in sight. It was also the first game to feature Star Wars references including (but not limited to) characters named Wedge and Biggs, a tradition that would continue for several games.
As mentioned above, we saw it again on the PS1 in 1999, and it was released on the Game Boy Advance in early 2007, only a few short months after Final Fantasy V. This version contained new summons, and the heavy censoring and editing that had taken place on the original release was no longer present.
Say what you will about the many, many versions of each of these games; whether you’re for Final Fantasy or against it, the fact remains that some of these days never would have seen the light of day in the U.S. had they not been given a second choice. Also, I have no reason to believe that they would stop at number six; Final Fantasies VII through IX are just begging for another chance at life. They might be years away, but I can wait.
Squenix is sometimes criticized for milking its Final Fantasy franchise for all it’s worth with a never-ending stream of makeovers and spin-offs. Sometimes they work out great, sometimes, not so much. However, as a ridiculous Final Fantasy fan and a habitual collector (read: pack rat who forms emotional attachments to inanimate objects), I thought I’d delve into Square’s remake history in regards to the series. It spans the first six games, which, if you’re paying attention, is half of the main series.
Final Fantasy I & II
This is where it all began, and perhaps for that reason, these two seem to have been done over more than any other games in the series. The first Final Fantasy was originally released in Japan in 1987, although it didn’t make its way to the North American shores until 1990. This game was first remade in 2000, though it was never seen in the U.S.; it was only released on Japan’s WonderSwan Color. It was released yet again on the PS1 two years later in Japan.
These weren’t FFII’s only remakes, though; after never having been released in the U.S. originally (though it launched in Japan in 1988 and again on the WSC in 2001), we first saw it in the aforementioned PS1 release, which was known as Final Fantasy Origins. It was seen again, once again bundled with its predecessor, in 2004, when they were released in the Game Boy Advance compilation subtitled Dawn of Souls. Additionally, they were both released for mobile phones over the last few years, but only in Japan.
Final Fantasy III
This is another game in the Final Fantasy line-up that North America never would have seen if not for a reissue. A 1990 Japan release, the Nintendo DS version was released on both hemispheres in 2006, and it sported updated 3-D graphics and cinematic cut scenes. I picked up my DS shortly before the release of this game; that’s not a coincidence.
Final Fantasy IV
Final Fantasy IV was the first FF game to be released in the same year for both Japan and the U.S. However, it was known as Final Fantasy II on our shores, since the previous two games had never been released in America. Much like Final Fantasy I and II, IV was next seen on the PS1 in 2001 as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology collection, which also included another epic Square RPG, Chrono Trigger. This version cleaned up some of the translated dialogue from the first game, as well as several bugs that had been present. It also appeared on the WSC in 2002, the GBA in 2005, and a DS version has been released in Japan (though, sadly, there is no U.S. date at this time).
Final Fantasy V
Yet another Final Fantasy not originally seen in the U.S. After being released on Japan’s Super Famicom in 1992, they got it again in 1998 on the PS1. In the U.S., it came out on the PlayStation, along with Final Fantasy VI, in 1999—before Final Fantasy I, II, and IV were released on the same system. The 2006 Game Boy Advance release got a new English translation as well.
Final Fantasy VI
Also known in the United States as Final Fantasy III; at least, it was when it came out in 1994 for the SNES. This is also one of the most beloved games in the series, despite Cloud and Sephiroth being nowhere in sight. It was also the first game to feature Star Wars references including (but not limited to) characters named Wedge and Biggs, a tradition that would continue for several games.
As mentioned above, we saw it again on the PS1 in 1999, and it was released on the Game Boy Advance in early 2007, only a few short months after Final Fantasy V. This version contained new summons, and the heavy censoring and editing that had taken place on the original release was no longer present.
Say what you will about the many, many versions of each of these games; whether you’re for Final Fantasy or against it, the fact remains that some of these days never would have seen the light of day in the U.S. had they not been given a second choice. Also, I have no reason to believe that they would stop at number six; Final Fantasies VII through IX are just begging for another chance at life. They might be years away, but I can wait.
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Comments
I really didn't know how far back the remake history went until I did the research. So hopefully they'll keep it up!
Fantastic blog post. :) They can remake them until the end of time, and I will still buy them. Final Fantasy 7 was my first FF game, followed by 2(well, 4 really), which I never finished, and 3(6), which is my second favorite.