The Rise of Final Fantasy

The sprawling world of Final Fantasy, with its fantastical creatures, epic stories, and unforgettable characters, is a cornerstone of the RPG genre. But its origins are a tale of near-cancellation and a passionate team determined to create something special. Buckle up, for this is the story of how Final Fantasy defied the odds and became a beloved gaming franchise.

A Fantasy Born from Necessity:

In the mid-1980s, a young company named Square was struggling. Their previous games hadn't garnered much success, and financial woes loomed large. Hironobu Sakaguchi, a rising star at Square with a love for fantasy RPGs like Dragon Quest, decided to take a gamble. He proposed a new game – a grand, epic fantasy titled "Fighting Fantasy" (Gibson, 2019). However, trademark issues forced a last-minute change, and thus, "Final Fantasy" was born – a bittersweet name reflecting the project's uncertain future (Encyclopedia Britannica, n.d.).

Inspiration from the Masters:

Sakaguchi wasn't aiming to reinvent the wheel. He drew inspiration from classics like Ultima and Dragon Quest, focusing on turn-based combat, exploration, and character development. But he also injected his own creative vision. Final Fantasy introduced a party system with unique character classes, a captivating narrative with a focus on light and darkness, and a beautiful, albeit pixelated, world (Ashcraft, 2012).

A Race Against Time and Budget:

The development of Final Fantasy was a sprint. The team, fueled by passion and ramen noodles, worked tirelessly to meet a tight deadline (Otero, 2014). They poured their creativity into every aspect of the game, from the iconic four-crystal system to the unforgettable soundtrack composed by Nobuo Uematsu (Kohler, 2017).

A Surprise Success and the Legacy Begins:

Despite the challenges, Final Fantasy launched for the NES in 1987 and, against all odds, became a critical and commercial success. Players were captivated by its immersive world, engaging story, and innovative gameplay (Schreier, 2015). The game spawned numerous sequels, each building upon the foundation laid by the original.

Final Fantasy's origin story is a testament to the power of passion, creativity, and a dash of desperation. From a project on the brink of cancellation to a global phenomenon, Final Fantasy's legacy continues to inspire gamers and developers alike. So, the next time you explore the world of Final Fantasy, remember the dedicated team who defied the odds and brought this fantastical universe to life.

Interesting Facts from Final Fantasy's Origins:

1. The iconic airship, the Highwind, was inspired by Hayao Miyazaki's anime film "Castle in the Sky" (Ashcraft, 2012).

2. The adorable chocobo mounts were inspired by the giant flightless birds in another Miyazaki film, "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind" (Ashcraft, 2012).

3. The original game featured a real-time clock system that impacted events within the game world – a feature rarely seen at the time (Otero, 2014).

4. Near-Cancellation: The game was originally titled "Fighting Fantasy" but was almost scrapped due to poor sales of previous titles by the developer Square. It was only revived due to the passion of a small development team (Jiménez, 2020).

3. Character Creation Revolution: Final Fantasy was one of the first RPGs to allow players to entirely customize their party from a pool of character classes, a now-standard feature in the genre (Oxford, 2006).

6. Music Masterpiece: The soundtrack, composed by Nobuo Uematsu, is considered a landmark achievement in video game music, setting the standard for orchestral scores in RPGs (Mc Glynn, 2023).

7. Hidden Message: By completing the game under specific conditions, players could unlock a hidden message from the developers thanking them for playing [8]. This became a tradition in later Final Fantasy games (Knight, 2004).

References

• Mc Glynn, J. D. (2023). The “Cinematic Promise” of Video Game Music: Stylistic Convergence, Current-Generation Remakes, and the Case of Final Fantasy VII. Journal of Sound and Music in Games, 4(4), 108-138. https://online.ucpress.edu/jsmg/article/4/4/108/197768/The-Cinematic-Promise-of-Video-Game-MusicStylistic

• Encyclopedia Britannica. (n.d.). Final Fantasy. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Final-Fantasy

• Knight, S. (2004, August 2). Final Fantasy Secrets. Cheat Code Central. https://www.cheatcc.com/tag/final-fantasy/

• Oxford, R. (2006, February 10). Final Fantasy. Retro Gamer (Issue 31), pp. 40-41.

• Ashcraft, Brian. (2012, December 19). Final Fantasy's secret origins: How a doomed project accidentally changed JRPGs forever. Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/games/final-fantasy-i-ii-dawn-of-souls

• Otero, Jose. (2014, December 18). Final Fantasy 1: How a last-ditch effort changed JRPGs forever. IGN. https://www.ign.com/games/final-fantasy

• Schreier, Jason. (2015, July 20). Blood, Sweat, and Pixels: The Untold Story of the Video Game Industry. HarperCollins.

• Kohler, Chris. (2017, June 13). Final Fantasy 15: The Kotaku review. Kotaku. https://kotaku.com/stranger-of-paradise-ff-final-fantasy-origin-reviews-sc-1848650903

• Gibson, Ollie. (2019, March 18). Final Fantasy: A history. USgamer. https://na.finalfantasy.com/histories