This page will contain blogs about Final Fantasy, as they become available.Final FantasyAmerican box art for Final Fantasy I.Final Fantasy (Japanese: ファイナルファンタジー Fainaru Fantajii) is a popular series of role playing games produced by Square Enix (originally Square Co., Ltd.). It may be the most widely distributed "game series" of all time, including both standard console games and portable games, a massive multiplayer online game, games for mobile phones, a computer-generated movie, two anime series, and an upcoming direct-to-DVD movie. The first installment of the series premiered in Japan in 1987, and Final Fantasy games have subsequently been localized for markets in North America, Europe and Australia, on nearly every modern video game console, including the Nintendo Entertainment System, the MSX2, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sony PlayStation, the WonderSwan Color, the PlayStation 2, IBM PC compatible, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, and several different models of mobile phone. Future installments will also appear on the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. It is Square Enix's most successful franchise, having sold over 60 million units worldwide to date. As of early 2005, eleven games have been released as part of the main series, as well as several more spinoffs and related titles. OverviewSquare Co., Ltd. first entered the Japanese video game industry in the mid 1980s, developing a variety of simple RPGs for Nintendo's Famicom Disk System (FDS), a disk-based peripheral for the Family Computer (Famicom, known internationally as the Nintendo Entertainment System). By 1987, declining interest in the FDS had placed Square on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. At approximately the same time, Square designer Hironobu Sakaguchi began work on an ambitious new fantasy role playing game for the cartridge-based Famicom, inspired in part by Enix's popular Dragon Quest (also known as Dragon Warrior). Recognizing that the project could very well turn out to be Square's last game, the project was entitled Final Fantasy. Far from being Square's last hurrah, however, Final Fantasy I reversed Square's lagging fortunes, and became Square's flagship franchise. Following the success of the first game, Square quickly began work on a sequel. Unlike a typical sequel, Final Fantasy II featured entirely different characters, with a setting and story bearing only thematic similarities to its predecessor. This unusual approach to sequels has continued throughout the series, with each Final Fantasy game introducing a new world, and a new system of gameplay. Many elements and themes would recur throughout the series, but there would be no direct sequels until the release of Final Fantasy X-2 in 2003. In a way, the Final Fantasy franchise has been a creative showcase for Square's developers, and many elements originally introduced in the series have made their way into Square's other titles, most notably two of its other major franchises, SaGa and Seiken Densetsu. Common themesAirships have appeared in every Final Fantasy game (Final Fantasy IV shown).Though each Final Fantasy story is independent, many themes and elements of gameplay recur throughout the series. From the strong influence of history, literature, religion and mythology on the story to the frequent reappearance of certain monsters and items, these shared elements provide a unifying framework to the series. Some key objects and concepts that have appeared in more than one Final Fantasy game include:
Design
Artistic design, including character and monster design work, was handled by renowned Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano from Final Fantasy I through Final Fantasy VI. Following Amano's departure, he was replaced with Tetsuya Nomura, who continued to work with the series through Final Fantasy X, with the exception of Final Fantasy IX, where character design was handled by Shukou Murase, Toshiyuki Itahana and Shin Nagasawa. Akihiko Yoshida, who served as character designer for the spinoff title Final Fantasy Tactics, as well as the Square-produced Vagrant Story, has been announced as the designer of the upcoming Final Fantasy XII. In October 2003, Kazushige Nojima, the series' principle scenario writer, resigned from Square Enix to form his own company, Stellavista. He partially or completely wrote the stories for Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, and Final Fantasy X-2. Square Enix continues to outsource story and scenario work to Nojima and Stellavista. Music
Nobuo Uematsu was the chief music composer of the Final Fantasy series until his resignation from Square Enix in November 2004. His music has played a large part in the popularity of the Final Fantasy franchise abroad. In the 2004 Summer Olympics, the American synchronized swimming duo consisting of Alison Bartosik and Anna Kozlova were awarded the bronze medal for their performance to music from Final Fantasy VIII. Uematsu is also involved with the rock group The Black Mages, which has released two albums of arranged Final Fantasy tunes. Other composers who have contributed to the series include Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano. Final Fantasy soundtracks and sheet music are increasingly popular amongst non-Japanese Final Fantasy fans and have even been performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. On November 17, 2003, Square Enix U.S.A. launched an America Online radio station dedicated to music from the Final Fantasy series, initially carrying complete tracks from Final Fantasy XI in addition to samplings from Final Fantasy VII through Final Fantasy X. Many video game and MIDI world wide web sites offer renditions of Final Fantasy musical pieces. An orchestral Final Fantasy music concert in the United States was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at Walt Disney Concert Hall on May 10, 2004. That concert was a three-day sell out. The next performance was February 19, 2005 in Rosemont, Illinois by the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, and currently, as of 2005, the "Dear Friends" concert is on tour in the US. Music from Final Fantasy was first performed outside of Japan as a part of the Symphonic Game Music Concert series in Germany. The Final Fantasy soundtracks have also joined the catalogue of the iTunes Music Store. While the music in games offers wide variety, there are some frequently reused themes. The games often open with a piece called Prelude, which was a simple arpeggio theme in the early parts, with further melody parts added in latter installments. The Prelude is actually based off of Bach's piece by the same name. The battle sequences that end in victory for the player in the first ten installments of the series would be accompanied by a victory fanfare that used the same nine-note sequence to begin the fanfare, and it has become one of the most recognized pieces of music relating to the Final Fantasy series. Graphics and technologyThe 8-bit and 16-bit generationsFinal Fantasy began on the Nintendo Family Computer ("Famicom," known internationally as the Nintendo Entertainment System) as Final Fantasy I in 1987, and was joined by two sequels, Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III, over the next three years. On the main world screen, small sprite representations of the leading party member were displayed because of graphical limitations, while in battle screens, more detailed, full versions of all characters would appear in a side view perspective. The same basic system was used in the next three games, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V, and Final Fantasy VI, for the Super Famicom (known internationally as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System). These games utilized updated graphics and effects, as well as higher quality music and sound than in previous games, but were otherwise similar to their predecessors in basic design. The text of the Japanese language versions of early Final Fantasy games was comprised purely of kana. Much of the dialogue was simply clumps of text, making it especially hard for older gamers and foreigners learning Japanese. Finally, in Final Fantasy V, the games began to use kanji. This would continue to get more advanced in Final Fantasy VI, and the trend would continue to make the games much more erudite. CD/DVD-based generationsFinal Fantasy VII was the first game in the series to incorporate full motion video.1997 saw the release of Final Fantasy VII for the Sony PlayStation and not Nintendo 64 as originally anticipated. The characters and entire game world were now 3-dimensional, with fully pre-rendered backgrounds. Final Fantasy VII was also the first Final Fantasy game to use full motion video sequences, part of the reason why the game spanned a full three CD-ROMs. However, Final Fantasy VII's FMVs often lacked consistency, with characters appearing tiny and very indistinct in one scene, and extremely detailed in the next. Released shortly after Final Fantasy VII, the spinoff title Final Fantasy Tactics, once again utilized sprites for the characters. As the only real user-interaction outside of battle was menu-driven, the developers saw no need for fully 3D-rendered overhead graphics. Starting with Final Fantasy VIII, the series adopted a more photo-realistic look. The full motion video sequences utilized a display technique wherein video would play in the background while the polygon characters would be composited on top. Final Fantasy IX returned briefly to the more stylized design of earlier games in the series, but maintained most of the graphical techniques utilized in the previous two games in the series. Final Fantasy X was released on the PlayStation 2, and made use of the more powerful hardware to render certain cutscenes in real-time, rather than displayed in pre-rendered video. Final Fantasy X was the first game in the series to use voice overs to any degree. Final Fantasy X-2 utilized the same game engine as Final Fantasy X, and was aesthetically not much different. GameplayGame screensThe games typically have several types of screens, or modes of interaction, broadly categorized as:
The games often feature various minigames with their own graphical engines. Battle systemFinal Fantasy borrowed many gameplay elements from its primary rival, the Dragon Quest franchise. As such, Final Fantasy uses a menu-driven, turn-based battle system. Most games in the series utilize an experience level system for character advancement (although Final Fantasy II did not), and a point-based system for casting magical spells (though Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy VIII all featured different approaches). Most games in the series (from Final Fantasy III on) feature a variety of "special commands," over and beyond the traditional "Attack," "Defend," "Cast Magic," and "Run" battle commands, such as the ability to steal items from enemies, or performing a leap attack. Often these special attacks are integrated into the "job system," which has appeared in several games in the series (Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy X-2). Final Fantasy I through Final Fantasy III all featured a traditional turn based battle system. The player would input all battle commands at the beginning of each combat round, which would then be carried out based on the speed rating of each character. Starting with Final Fantasy IV, and continuing until Final Fantasy IX (and revived in Final Fantasy X-2), the "Active Time Battle" (ATB) system was introduced. The ATB system was semi-real time, and afforded every creature in combat a time gauge. When a specific character's time gauge was filled, the character could act, which would then reset the timer. Generally each of these games included both "active" and "wait" modes: when "wait" mode was chosen, then all activity relating to the time gauge would pause whenever the player was using a submenu to choose a magic spell, item, or special attack. Final Fantasy X abandoned the ATB system in favor of the "Conditional Turn-Based Battle System" (CTB). In the CTB system, every creature in battle would be ranked according to speed. As this ranking was displayed on screen during battle, it was possible to know when a character and/or enemy would move several combat turns in advance, and to plan battles accordingly. Final Fantasy XI featured a fully real time combat system similar to that employed by the game EverQuest: when confronted with an enemy, a character would automatically perform basic physical attacks unless otherwise instructed by the player. Early details suggest Final Fantasy XII will adopt a similar system. Unlike previous games, battles in both Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XII take place on the world map, with no separate battle screen. CriticsAlthough the franchise is extremely popular, it is not without critics. Some cite a lack of interactivity (overuse of full motion video), rigid and often linear story structure, and unoriginality. More recent installments of the series (following its premiere on the Sony PlayStation in 1997) are especially attacked by critics within the video game community. Nintendo's Legend of Zelda, Konami's Suikoden, and Square Enix's own Dragon Quest franchises are strong competitors of Final Fantasy. Fans of these games often argue that the nostalgia factor plays a significant role in many of the negative critical responses to post-Final Fantasy VII installments. Of the more recent installments in the series, Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy X-2 have been most frequently singled out for criticism. A number of diehard fans have accused Final Fantasy XI for neglecting the traditions of the series by switching to a massively multiplayer online format. On the other hand, the single-player Final Fantasy X-2 has attracted negative attention for its status as the first direct sequel to a previous Final Fantasy game, and for its supposed overreliance on fan service. The gamesNote on numbering systemOriginally, Final Fantasy II and III for the Famicom and V for the Super Famicom were not released in America, so Square of America decided to change the numbers of the US releases to hide this fact. Final Fantasy IV became "II" and VI became "III". Starting with Final Fantasy VII the pretense was dropped, and all subsequent games used their original numbering, leading to an apparent "jump" over 3 games. This has been a source of much confusion, with many American fans continuing to refer to IV and VI by their American numbers. To solve this, many fans use the disambiguating suffixes "us" and "j" for American numbering and Japanese numbering respectively, e.g. FF3us or FF6j. Later ports include translations of the Japanese games with their original numbering. Final Fantasy IV was released in Final Fantasy Chronicles for the PlayStation, while Final Fantasy V and VI were released in Final Fantasy Anthology for PlayStation. The original Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II are released in Final Fantasy Origins, and for the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls. Final Fantasy III has not yet officially been released in the US, and never rereleased on any platform in any market, but Square-Enix currently plans to release it for the Nintendo DS. Main series
Direct sequels, spin-offs, and related gamesUntil the release of Final Fantasy X-2 the idea of a "direct sequel," that is, a game which picked up directly from the story of a previous game in the series, was unprecedented in the series. Starting with that game, however, several such sequels emerged, especially the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series of games/movies, all of which continue the story of the game Final Fantasy VII. This is most likely a result of the merger with Enix, which was well-known for producing sequels and spinoffs associated with the Dragon Quest series.
Compilations and collections
Final Fantasy in other media
This page about Final Fantasy includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about Final Fantasy News stories about Final Fantasy External links for Final Fantasy Videos for Final Fantasy Wikis about Final Fantasy Discussion Groups about Final Fantasy Blogs about Final Fantasy Images of Final Fantasy |
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This is most likely a result of the merger with Enix, which was well-known for producing sequels and spinoffs associated with the Dragon Quest series. The issue has often been a source of friction in situations where correct naming conventions are mandated, as people frequently disagree over which spelling is correct or incorrect, and where it is correctly or incorrectly applied. Starting with that game, however, several such sequels emerged, especially the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series of games/movies, all of which continue the story of the game Final Fantasy VII. The nuances in the Hawaiian language debate are often not obvious or well-appreciated outside Hawai‘i. Until the release of Final Fantasy X-2 the idea of a "direct sequel," that is, a game which picked up directly from the story of a previous game in the series, was unprecedented in the series. While in local Hawaiian society the spelling and pronunciation of Hawai‘i is preferred in nearly all cases, even by standard English speakers, the federal spelling is used for purposes of interpolitical relations between other states and foreign governments. The original Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II are released in Final Fantasy Origins, and for the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls. Final Fantasy III has not yet officially been released in the US, and never rereleased on any platform in any market, but Square-Enix currently plans to release it for the Nintendo DS. Private entities, including local mass media, also have shown a preference for the use of the ‘okina. Final Fantasy IV was released in Final Fantasy Chronicles for the PlayStation, while Final Fantasy V and VI were released in Final Fantasy Anthology for PlayStation. Official government publications, as well as department and office titles, use the traditional Hawaiian spelling. Later ports include translations of the Japanese games with their original numbering. However, many state and municipal entities and officials have recognized Hawai‘i to be the correct state name. FF3us or FF6j. As prescribed in the Admission Act of 1959 that granted Hawaiian statehood, the federal government recognizes Hawaii to be the official state name. To solve this, many fans use the disambiguating suffixes "us" and "j" for American numbering and Japanese numbering respectively, e.g. A somewhat divisive political issue that has arisen since the Constitution of Hawai‘i adopted Hawaiian as an official state language is the exact spelling of the state's name. This has been a source of much confusion, with many American fans continuing to refer to IV and VI by their American numbers. Laborer emigrants from different countries — China, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Portugal — began composing their own words and phrases based on their own language traditions merged with Hawaiian and Hawaiian English. Starting with Final Fantasy VII the pretense was dropped, and all subsequent games used their original numbering, leading to an apparent "jump" over 3 games. Hawaiian Pidgin finds its origins in the sugarcane and pineapple plantations as laborers from different cultures were forced to find their own ways of communicating and understanding each other. Final Fantasy IV became "II" and VI became "III". Over the course of Hawaiian history, a third language was developed that is in common use throughout the state today. Originally considered a mere dialect of Hawaiian English, cultural anthropologists have recently reached consensus that Hawaiian Pidgin is a distinct language on its own. Originally, Final Fantasy II and III for the Famicom and V for the Super Famicom were not released in America, so Square of America decided to change the numbers of the US releases to hide this fact. Municipal codes were altered in favor of Hawaiian place and street names for new civic developments.
Fans of these games often argue that the nostalgia factor plays a significant role in many of the negative critical responses to post-Final Fantasy VII installments. For these reasons, careful writers use the modern Hawaiian orthography. Nintendo's Legend of Zelda, Konami's Suikoden, and Square Enix's own Dragon Quest franchises are strong competitors of Final Fantasy. This can be a problem in interpreting 19th century Hawaiian texts recorded in the older orthography. More recent installments of the series (following its premiere on the Sony PlayStation in 1997) are especially attacked by critics within the video game community. However, when spelled as lānai it means veranda while Lāna‘i refers to an island. Some cite a lack of interactivity (overuse of full motion video), rigid and often linear story structure, and unoriginality. For example, the word lanai means stiff-necked. Although the franchise is extremely popular, it is not without critics. Omission of the ‘okina and kahakō in printed texts can even obscure the meaning of the word. Unlike previous games, battles in both Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XII take place on the world map, with no separate battle screen. When a Hawaiian word is spelled without any necessary ‘okina and kahakō, it is impossible for someone who does not already know the word to guess at the proper pronunciation. Early details suggest Final Fantasy XII will adopt a similar system. The ‘okina indicates a glottal stop while the macron called kahakō signifies a long vowel sound. Final Fantasy XI featured a fully real time combat system similar to that employed by the game EverQuest: when confronted with an enemy, a character would automatically perform basic physical attacks unless otherwise instructed by the player. Later, additional characters were added to clarify pronunciation. As this ranking was displayed on screen during battle, it was possible to know when a character and/or enemy would move several combat turns in advance, and to plan battles accordingly. The missionaries assigned letters from the English alphabet that roughly correspond to the Hawaiian sounds. In the CTB system, every creature in battle would be ranked according to speed. The first written form of Hawaiian was developed by American Protestant missionaries in Hawai‘i during the early 19th century. Final Fantasy X abandoned the ATB system in favor of the "Conditional Turn-Based Battle System" (CTB). Before the arrival of Captain James Cook, the Hawaiian language was purely a spoken language. Generally each of these games included both "active" and "wait" modes: when "wait" mode was chosen, then all activity relating to the time gauge would pause whenever the player was using a submenu to choose a magic spell, item, or special attack. Hawaiian is legally acceptable in all legal documents, from depositions to legislative bills. When a specific character's time gauge was filled, the character could act, which would then reset the timer. Standard Hawaiian English, a subset of American English, is also commonly used for other formal business. The ATB system was semi-real time, and afforded every creature in combat a time gauge. Article XV, Section 4 requires the use of Hawaiian in official state business such as public acts, documents, laws and transactions. Starting with Final Fantasy IV, and continuing until Final Fantasy IX (and revived in Final Fantasy X-2), the "Active Time Battle" (ATB) system was introduced. The state of Hawai‘i has two official languages as prescribed by the Constitution of Hawai‘i adopted at the 1978 constitutional convention: Hawaiian and English. The player would input all battle commands at the beginning of each combat round, which would then be carried out based on the speed rating of each character. Main article: Hawaiian language. Final Fantasy I through Final Fantasy III all featured a traditional turn based battle system. The resolution was passed by Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton. Often these special attacks are integrated into the "job system," which has appeared in several games in the series (Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy Tactics, Final Fantasy X-2). The movement's most prominent success was the passage of the Apology Resolution of 1993 that made redress for American actions leading to the overthrow of the kingdom. Most games in the series (from Final Fantasy III on) feature a variety of "special commands," over and beyond the traditional "Attack," "Defend," "Cast Magic," and "Run" battle commands, such as the ability to steal items from enemies, or performing a leap attack. Regrets over the demise of the Hawaiian monarchy produced several political organizations that are collectively known as the Hawaiian sovereignty movement. Most games in the series utilize an experience level system for character advancement (although Final Fantasy II did not), and a point-based system for casting magical spells (though Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy VIII all featured different approaches). Prevalent in post-statehood Hawai‘i was an increase in combative attitudes by some native Hawaiians towards the federal government, which is seen by some as an occupying power. As such, Final Fantasy uses a menu-driven, turn-based battle system. In addition, they sought to promote native control over Hawaiian issues by creating the Office of Hawaiian Affairs. Final Fantasy borrowed many gameplay elements from its primary rival, the Dragon Quest franchise. Its delegates created programs that sought to revive the indigenous Hawaiian language and culture. The games often feature various minigames with their own graphical engines. The Hawai‘i State Constitutional Convention of 1978 heralded what some called a Hawaiian renaissance. The games typically have several types of screens, or modes of interaction, broadly categorized as:. The state also worked toward restoring the native Hawaiian culture that was suppressed after the overthrow.
Final Fantasy IX returned briefly to the more stylized design of earlier games in the series, but maintained most of the graphical techniques utilized in the previous two games in the series. Expecting to gain full voting rights, they actively campaigned for statehood for the Hawaiian Islands. The full motion video sequences utilized a display technique wherein video would play in the background while the polygon characters would be composited on top. Because they were born in a United States territory, they were legal American citizens. Starting with Final Fantasy VIII, the series adopted a more photo-realistic look. The power of the plantation owners was finally broken by activist descendants of original immigrant laborers. As the only real user-interaction outside of battle was menu-driven, the developers saw no need for fully 3D-rendered overhead graphics. Plantation owners, like those that comprised the so-called Big Five, found territorial status convenient, enabling them to continue importing cheap foreign labor; such immigration was prohibited in various other states of the Union. Released shortly after Final Fantasy VII, the spinoff title Final Fantasy Tactics, once again utilized sprites for the characters. Though several attempts were made to achieve statehood, Hawai‘i remained a territory for sixty years. However, Final Fantasy VII's FMVs often lacked consistency, with characters appearing tiny and very indistinct in one scene, and extremely detailed in the next. In 1900, it was granted self-governance and retained Iolani Palace as the territorial capitol building. Final Fantasy VII was also the first Final Fantasy game to use full motion video sequences, part of the reason why the game spanned a full three CD-ROMs. The Newlands Resolution was passed on July 7, 1898, formally annexing Hawai‘i as a United States territory. The characters and entire game world were now 3-dimensional, with fully pre-rendered backgrounds. Main article: Territory of Hawai‘i. 1997 saw the release of Final Fantasy VII for the Sony
PlayStation and not Nintendo 64 as originally anticipated. The text of the Japanese language versions of early Final Fantasy games was comprised purely of kana. Among other things, it stripped the king of his administrative authorities and deprived native Hawaiians of the right to vote in elections. These games utilized updated graphics and effects, as well as higher quality music and sound than in previous games, but were otherwise similar to their predecessors in basic design. However, American interests effectively rendered the monarchy powerless by enacting the Bayonet Constitution. The same basic system was used in the next three games, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V, and Final Fantasy VI, for the Super Famicom (known internationally as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System). After him, governance was passed on to the House of Kalākaua. On the main world screen, small sprite representations of the leading party member were displayed because of graphical limitations, while in battle screens, more detailed, full versions of all characters would appear in a side view perspective. The death of the bachelor King Kamehameha V who did not name an heir resulted in the election of King Lunalilo. Final Fantasy began on the Nintendo Family
Computer ("Famicom," known internationally as the Nintendo Entertainment System) as Final Fantasy I in 1987, and was joined by two sequels,
Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III, over the next three years. That led to the Edict of
Toleration that established religious freedom in the Hawaiian
Islands. The games often open with a piece called Prelude, which was a simple arpeggio theme in the early parts, with further melody parts added in latter installments. Main article: Kingdom of Hawai‘i. While the music in games offers wide variety, there are some frequently reused themes. Cook named his discovery the Sandwich Islands in honor of one of his sponsors, John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. The Final Fantasy soundtracks have also joined the catalogue of the iTunes Music Store. Historians credited Cook with the discovery after he was the first to plot and publish the geographical coordinates of the Hawaiian Islands. Music from Final Fantasy was first performed outside of Japan as a part of the Symphonic Game Music Concert series in Germany. Vague reports by various European explorers suggest that Hawai‘i was visited by foreigners well before the 1778 arrival of British explorer Captain James Cook. The next performance was February 19, 2005 in Rosemont, Illinois by the Chicagoland Pops Orchestra, and currently, as of 2005, the "Dear Friends" concert is on tour in the US. The general trend was towards chiefdoms of increasing size, even encompassing whole islands. That concert was a three-day sell out. Warfare was endemic. An orchestral Final Fantasy music concert in the United States was performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra at Walt Disney Concert Hall on May 10, 2004. Local chiefs called ali‘i ruled their settlements and fought to extend their sway and defend their communities from predatory rivals. Many video game and MIDI world wide web sites offer renditions of Final Fantasy musical pieces. Relations with other Polynesian groups were sporadic during the early migratory periods, and Hawai‘i grew from small settlements to a complex society in near isolation. launched an America Online radio station dedicated to music from the Final Fantasy series, initially carrying complete
tracks from Final Fantasy XI in addition to samplings from
Final Fantasy VII through Final Fantasy X. These first peoples preserved memories of the early migrations orally through genealogies and folk tales, like the stories of Hawai‘iloa and Pa‘ao. On November
17, 2003, Square Enix U.S.A. Anthropologists believe that Polynesians from the Marquesas and Society Islands first populated the Hawaiian Islands approximately 1500 years
ago. Final Fantasy soundtracks and sheet music are increasingly popular amongst non-Japanese Final Fantasy fans and have even been performed by the London Symphony Orchestra. Main article: Ancient Hawai‘i, Hawaiian mythology, Polynesian mythology. Other composers who have contributed to the
series include Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano. Uematsu is also involved with the rock group The Black Mages, which has released two albums of arranged Final Fantasy tunes. Other large cities and towns include Hilo, Kahului and Līhu‘e. In the 2004 Summer Olympics, the American synchronized swimming duo consisting of Alison Bartosik and Anna Kozlova were awarded the bronze medal for their performance to music from Final Fantasy VIII. The largest city, Honolulu, was the one chosen by King Kamehameha III as the capital of his kingdom due to the natural harbor there, the present-day Honolulu Harbor. His music has played a large part in the popularity of the Final Fantasy franchise abroad. The movement of the Hawaiian royal family from the Island of Hawai‘i to Maui and subsequently to O‘ahu explains why certain population centers exist where they do today. Nobuo Uematsu was the chief music composer of the Final Fantasy series until his resignation from Square Enix in November 2004. Those conditions created made Mount Wai‘ale‘ale the wettest place on earth; it averages 11.7 m (460 in) of rain annually. Square Enix continues to outsource story and scenario work to Nojima and Stellavista. The volcanic activity and subsequent erosion created impressive geological features. He partially or completely wrote the stories for Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, and Final Fantasy X-2. The isolation of the Hawaiian Islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean and the wide range of environments to be found on high islands located in and near the tropics has resulted in a vast array of endemic flora and fauna. In October 2003, Kazushige Nojima, the series' principle scenario writer, resigned from Square Enix to form his own company, Stellavista. The newest volcano to form is Lo‘ihi, deep below the waters off the south coast of the Island of Hawai‘i. Akihiko Yoshida, who served as character designer for the spinoff title Final Fantasy Tactics, as well as the Square-produced Vagrant Story, has been announced as the designer of the upcoming Final Fantasy XII. The last volcanic eruption outside the Island of Hawai‘i happened at Haleakala on Maui in the late 18th century. Following Amano's departure, he was replaced with Tetsuya Nomura, who continued to work with the series through Final Fantasy X, with the exception of Final Fantasy IX, where character design was handled by Shukou Murase, Toshiyuki Itahana and Shin Nagasawa. This explains why only volcanoes on the the southern half of the Island of Hawai‘i are presently active. Artistic design, including character and monster design work, was handled by renowned Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano from Final Fantasy I through Final Fantasy VI. All of the Hawaiian Islands were formed by volcanoes arising from the sea floor through a vent described in geological theory as a hotspot. The theory maintains that as the tectonic plate beneath much the Pacific Ocean moves in a northwesterly direction, the hot spot remains stationary, slowly creating new volcanoes. Some key objects and concepts that have appeared in more than one Final Fantasy game include:. These islands are, in order from the northwest to southeast, Ni‘ihau, Kaua‘i, O‘ahu, Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Kaho‘olawe, Maui and the Island of Hawai‘i. From the strong influence of history, literature, religion and mythology on the story to the frequent reappearance of certain monsters and items, these shared elements provide a unifying framework to the series. The main islands are the eight high islands at the southeastern end of the island chain. Though each Final Fantasy story is independent, many themes and elements of gameplay recur throughout the series. Nineteen islands and atolls extending across a distance of 2,400 km (1,500 mi) comprise the Hawaiian Archipelago. In a way, the Final Fantasy franchise has been a creative showcase for Square's developers, and many
elements originally introduced in the series have made their way into Square's other titles, most notably two of its other major
franchises, SaGa and Seiken Densetsu. Main article: Hawaiian Islands. Many elements and themes would recur throughout the series, but there would be no direct sequels until the release of
Final Fantasy X-2 in 2003. Following the success of the first game, Square quickly began work on a sequel. Unlike a typical sequel, Final Fantasy II featured entirely different characters, with a setting and story bearing only thematic similarities to its predecessor. The state song is Hawai‘i pono‘i, written by King Kalākaua and composed by Henri Berger. Far from being Square's last hurrah, however, Final Fantasy I reversed Square's lagging fortunes, and became Square's flagship franchise. Hawaiian Pidgin is an unofficial language. Recognizing that the project could very well turn out to be Square's last game, the project was entitled Final Fantasy. The official languages are Hawaiian and Hawaiian English. At approximately the same time, Square designer Hironobu Sakaguchi began work on an ambitious new fantasy role playing game for the cartridge-based Famicom, inspired in part by Enix's popular Dragon Quest (also known as Dragon Warrior). The constitution declares the state motto to be Ua mau ke ea o ka aina i ka pono, a pronouncement of King Kamehameha III meaning, "The life of the land is perpetuated in righteousness." It was also the motto of the kingdom, republic and territory. By 1987, declining interest in the FDS had placed Square on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. The primary symbol is the state flag, Ka Hae Hawai‘i, influenced by the Union Jack and features eight horizontal stripes representing the eight major Hawaiian Islands. first entered the Japanese video game industry in the mid 1980s, developing a variety of simple RPGs for Nintendo's Famicom Disk System (FDS), a disk-based peripheral for the Family Computer (Famicom, known internationally as the Nintendo Entertainment System). Included are the two statues representing Hawai‘i in the United States Capitol. Square Co., Ltd. These include a state bird, state fish, state flower, state gem, state mammal and state tree. As of early 2005, eleven games have been released as part of the main series, as well as several more spinoffs and related titles. The state constitution and various other measures of the Hawai‘i State Legislature established official symbols meant to embody the distinctive culture and heritage of Hawai‘i. It is Square Enix's most successful franchise, having sold over 60 million units worldwide to date. Hawaii is also the namesake and backdrop of a popular 1959 novel by James Michener and its 1966 movie adaptation. Future installments will also appear on the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. Ethnically, it is the only state that does not have a white majority (and one of only three in which non-Hispanic whites do not form a majority) and has the largest percentage of Asian Americans. Ecologically and agriculturally, it is the endangered species capital of the world and is the only industrial producer of coffee in the nation. The first installment of the series premiered in Japan in 1987, and Final Fantasy games have subsequently been localized for markets in North America, Europe and Australia, on nearly every modern video game console, including the Nintendo Entertainment System, the MSX2, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Sony PlayStation, the WonderSwan Color, the PlayStation 2, IBM PC compatible, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, and several different models of mobile phone. As one of two states outside the contiguous United States (the other being Alaska), it is the only one without territory on the mainland of any continent and is the only state that continues to grow due to active lava flows, most notably from Kīlauea. It may be the most widely distributed "game series" of all time, including both standard console games and portable games, a massive multiplayer online game, games for mobile phones, a computer-generated movie, two anime series, and an upcoming direct-to-DVD movie. In addition to possessing the southernmost point in the United States, it is the only state that lies completely in the tropics. Final Fantasy (Japanese: ファイナルファンタジー Fainaru Fantajii) is a popular series of role playing games produced by Square Enix (originally Square Co., Ltd.). This state most recently admitted into the Union has many distinctions. Part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series. Honolulu is the largest city and the state capital. Cell-based OAV serving as a prequel to Final Fantasy VII from Zack's point of view. Census had a population of 1,211,537 people. Last Order: Final Fantasy VII — forthcoming
Part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series. Hawaii (Hawaiian/Hawaiian English: Hawai‘i, with the ‘okina) is the archipelago of the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean. CGI OAV serving as a sequel to Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children — forthcoming
Original 25 episode television anime series featuring concepts and creatures from the Final Fantasy games. Final Fantasy: Unlimited — 2001
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within — 2001
Released in Japan as Final Fantasy I & II Advance. Remake of Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II with bonus quests and dungeons. Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls — 2004 — Nintendo Game Boy Advance
Compilation of the PlayStation remakes of Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II in special edition packaging with omake extras, under the title Final Fantasy I+II Premium Package. Final Fantasy Origins — 2002 — Sony PlayStation
European version – released in 2002, a compilation of the PlayStation remakes of Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy V. North American version – released in 1999, a compilation of the PlayStation remakes of Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI with a special edition soundtrack CD. Final Fantasy Anthology — 1999/2002 — Sony PlayStation
Compilation of the PlayStation remakes of Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI in special edition packaging with omake extras. Final Fantasy Collection — 1999 — Sony PlayStation
Final Fantasy I.II — 1994 — Nintendo Family Computer
Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series
Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles — 2003 — Nintendo GameCube. Including Weapons, Moogles, and Items. Features Cloud, Yuffie, Cid, Aerith, Sephiroth from Final Fantasy VII, Squall and Selphie from Final Fantasy VIII, Tidus and Wakka from Final Fantasy X, As well as many other references to previous Final Fantasy Games. Sequel Currently in Production. Game created by a working group of both Square and Disney. Kingdom Hearts — 2002 — Sony PlayStation 2
Ehrgeiz — 1998 — Sony PlayStation
Racing game featuring characters from both Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon and the Final Fantasy series. Chocobo Racing — 1999 — Sony PlayStation
Remade for the Bandai WonderSwan in 1999. Never released in North America or Europe. Chocobo's Mysterious Dungeon — 1997 — Sony PlayStation
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance — 2003 — Nintendo Game Boy Advance. Final Fantasy Tactics — 1997 — Sony PlayStation. Final Fantasy Tactics series
Final Fantasy Mystic Quest — 1992 — Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Released in North America as Final Fantasy Legend III. SaGa III — 1993 — Nintendo Game Boy
Remade for the WonderSwan Color in 2002. Released in North America as Final Fantasy Legend. Makaitoushi SaGa — 1989 — Nintendo Game Boy
Final Fantasy XII — 2005 (announced) — Sony PlayStation 2. Rise of the Zilart and Chains of Promathia were both included in the European release of the game in 2004. Rise of the Zilart was included as part of the original North American release of the game in 2003. Two expansion packs have been released: Final Fantasy XI: Rise of the Zilart (2003) and Final Fantasy XI: Chains of Promathia (2004). Also known as Final Fantasy XI Online: it is the first MMORPG in the series. At E3 2005, an Xbox 360 port was announced. Ported to the PC in 2003. Final Fantasy XI — 2002 — Sony PlayStation 2
Not to be confused with the SGI demo produced alternatively called either Final Fantasy X or Final Fantasy SGI. Expanded "international edition" released for the PlayStation 2 in 2002. Final Fantasy X — 2001 — Sony PlayStation 2
Ported to the PC in 1999. Final Fantasy VIII — 1999 — Sony PlayStation
Ported to the PC in 1998. Expanded "international edition" released for the PlayStation in 1998. Final Fantasy VII — 1997 — Sony PlayStation
Included as part of Final Fantasy Anthology (North American version only). Ported to the Sony PlayStation in 1999. Originally released in North America as Final Fantasy III. Final Fantasy VI — 1994 — Nintendo Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Included as part of Final Fantasy Anthology (North America and Europe). Ported to the Sony PlayStation in 1998. Unofficially translated by RPGe (1998). Original version was never released in North America or Europe. Final Fantasy V — 1992 — Nintendo Super Famicom
Remade and edited to reduce difficulty level as Final Fantasy IV Easytype (1992). Originally released in North America as Final Fantasy II. Final Fantasy IV — 1991 — Nintendo Super Famicom/Super Nintendo Entertainment System
Original version was never released in North America or Europe. Final Fantasy III — 1990 — Nintendo Family Computer
Reissued with Final Fantasy II as part of Final Fantasy I.II for the Family Computer in 1994. Original version was never released in North America or Europe. Final Fantasy II — 1988 — Nintendo Family Computer
Remade for the CDMA 1X WIN W21x series of mobile phones as Final Fantasy EZ. Remade for NTT DoCoMo FOMA 900i series of mobile phones as Final Fantasy i. Remade for the MSX2 in 1989, the WonderSwan Color in 2000, and the Sony PlayStation in 2002. Reissued with Final Fantasy II as part of Final Fantasy I.II for the Family Computer in 1994. Original version was released in Japan and North America, but not Europe. Final Fantasy I — 1987 — Nintendo Family Computer/Nintendo Entertainment System
Menu Screen — This screen is used for navigating your party's status, equipment, magic, etc. In some cases, pre-rendered video was overlaid with real-time rendered field screen graphics (FMV-3D). They can either be pre-rendered video (FMV), or they can be executed in with the same engine as the field screens. Cutscenes — These scenes are non-interactive playback that usually advances the plot. The world screen was eliminated in Final Fantasy X. These are usually not to scale, as a character may appear the size of a small mountain. Relatively little plot occurs here, but there are exceptions. World screen — A low-scale screen used to symbolize traveling great distances in times that would otherwise slow the game down unacceptably plot-wise. Final Fantasy XII will do away with "scene-battles": battle sequences will occur on the main field screen. In Final Fantasy VII and later, these screens are fully 3D, but very restricted in size. (For example, a random battle in a desert gets a desert backdrop.) Plot-relevant battles (as opposed to battling random monsters) may have a specially built battle screen/arena, however. Battle screens — Battles occur on a separate type of screen (or arena), usually with a change of scale and a backdrop "arena" that usually generically represents where the battle is occurring in the game. Final Fantasy X used a completely 3D field screen system, which allowed the camera angle to change as the characters moved about. Final Fantasy VII, VIII, and IX used pre-rendered and pre-painted backgrounds over which 3D models were overlaid. Prior to Final Fantasy VII, they were pseudo-orthographic, using a simple 2D engine. Final Fantasy VII marked the point that Final Fantasy would have realistic computer graphics, while Dragon Warrior stayed with anime style cel-shaded graphics. Dialog mostly occurs on these screens. Field screens — These are where the main interaction between the characters occurs, and indeed most of the exploration of the world occurs on these screens. Rebellion — Story-wise, many entries in the Final Fantasy series feature a plotline about rebellion against either an economical, political, or religious power (Final Fantasy II 's Emperor of Palamecia, Final Fantasy VI 's Gestahl's Empire, Final Fantasy VII 's Shinra Corp., Final Fantasy VIII 's Sorceress, and Final Fantasy X 's Yu-Yevon, to name a few). Crystals — Most Final Fantasy games feature some obscure reference to elemental crystals, and the stories of Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V, and Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy XI, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance revolve around such Crystals. The motion picture Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within also featured a character named "Sid," presumably an alternate spelling of the more traditional "Cid." In a similar vein, characters named Biggs and Wedge (homages to the Star Wars characters Biggs Darklighter and Wedge Antilles) have appeared in Final Fantasy VI to Final Fantasy X-2 (inclusive). Although he is never the same individual, he is usually presented as an owner, creator, and/or pilot of airships. Character names — A character named "Cid" has been present in every Final Fantasy game since Final Fantasy II. Lastly, summoned monsters (also known as Espers, Guardian Forces, Eidolons, or Aeons) such as Bahamut, Shiva, Ifrit, Leviathan and Ramuh have appeared in almost every title in the series. Certain monsters also reappear frequently, including Goblins, Tonberrys and Cactuars. Creatures/monsters — Creatures such as Chocobos and Moogles have appeared in most games in the series. While these are present in many console RPGs, Final Fantasy also has a standard list of items which may be used to cure specific ailments; for example the "Echo Screen" cures silence and "Soft" cures petrification. Status ailments and cures: Characters in Final Fantasy games are usually subject to a number of standard "status ailments" which cause deleterious effects, including silence, poison, petrification and confusion. Later additions have included blue magic (sometimes referred to as "Lore" or "Enemy skill"), which incorporates specific special attacks learned from monsters, and time/space magic, which includes status affecting spells such as "Haste," "Slow," or "Warp.". White magic and black magic represent healing/support and attack magic, respectively, while red magic incorporates elements of both healing and attack magic, at reduced effectiveness. Magical styles — Magic in the Final Fantasy series is generally divided into different schools, which are usually named after a specific color. In Final Fantasy X-2, the "Dresssphere" system actually allowed a player to switch a character's job during the middle of a fight. Additionally, several installments in the series (Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy V, and Final Fantasy Tactics) have utilized a "Job" system wherein the player is able to switch character classes in between battles. Even in games where the player is not given the choice of choosing class alignment, these classes often play an important background role in the story. Character classes and the Job system — Playable character classes have included the Fighter, White, Black, Red, and Blue Mages, Black Belt, Thief and Mime. In many games, most notably Final Fantasy IV and Final Fantasy IX, the presence of airships is a key component to the story itself. Airships — Powerful airborne vessels which usually serve as a primary mode of transportation for the player. |