This page will contain external links 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 |
|
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. Illinois is also home to 49 colleges in the Illinois community college system. 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. Notable Illinois institutions of higher education include Loyola University Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Chicago and the several branches of the University of Illinois. 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 many students enter the military or join the workforce directly from high school, students have the option of applying to colleges and universities in Illinois. 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. In some cases, elementary, middle and junior high schools of a single district feed into high schools in another district. 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. District territories are often complex in structure. Later ports include translations of the Japanese games with their original numbering. Education is compulsory from kindergarten through the twelfth grade in Illinois, commonly but not exclusively divided into three tiers of primary and secondary education: elementary school, middle school or junior high school and high school. FF3us or FF6j. Opponents to the proposal argue that local communities would lose control over what their children would learn in public schools and the means by which those public schools operate. To solve this, many fans use the disambiguating suffixes "us" and "j" for American numbering and Japanese numbering respectively, e.g. The structure would mimic the system employed by the Hawaii State Department of Education, which has no local school districts. This has been a source of much confusion, with many American fans continuing to refer to IV and VI by their American numbers. However, direct control of the new department would fall under the state governor's jurisdiction. 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. In 2002, the Office of the Governor proposed the creation of a monolithic statewide department of education to replace the ISBE. Final Fantasy IV became "II" and VI became "III". There is current debate as to the role of the ISBE and whether or not its autonomous relationship with the governor and the state legislature is appropriate. 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. The ISBE also makes recommendations to state leaders concerning education spending and policies.
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. The religious affiliations of the people of Illinois are:. Nintendo's Legend of Zelda, Konami's Suikoden, and Square Enix's own Dragon Quest franchises are strong competitors of Final Fantasy. Roman Catholics (who are predominant in and around Chicago) account for one-third of the population. 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. Unlike the other Midwestern states, Illinois is not overwhelmingly Protestant--only about half of the people profess that faith. Some cite a lack of interactivity (overuse of full motion video), rigid and often linear story structure, and unoriginality. Females made up approximately 51% of the population. Although the franchise is extremely popular, it is not without critics. 7.1% of Illinois' population were reported as under 5, 26.1% under 18, and 12.1% were 65 or older. Unlike previous games, battles in both Final Fantasy XI and Final Fantasy XII take place on the world map, with no separate battle screen. The top 5 ancestry groups in Illinois are German (19.6%), African American (15.1%), Irish (12.2%), Mexican (9.2%), Polish (7.5%). Early details suggest Final Fantasy XII will adopt a similar system. Racially, the state is:. 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. The rest of the population lives in the smaller cities and on the farms that dot the state's gently rolling plains. 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. More than half of the population of Illinois lives in and around Chicago, the leading industrial and transportation center in the region. In the CTB system, every creature in battle would be ranked according to speed. At the northern edge of the state on Lake Michigan lies Chicago, the nation's third largest city. Final Fantasy X abandoned the ATB system in favor of the "Conditional Turn-Based Battle System" (CTB). Census Bureau, as of 2003, the population of Illinois was 12,653,544. 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. According to the U.S. When a specific character's time gauge was filled, the character could act, which would then reset the timer. Its industrial outputs are machinery, food processing, electrical equipment, chemical products, publishing, fabricated metal products, transportation equipment, petroleum and coal. The ATB system was semi-real time, and afforded every creature in combat a time gauge. Illinois' agricultural outputs are corn, soybeans, hogs, cattle, dairy products and wheat. 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 per capita income was $32,965. 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. The 2003 total gross state product for Illinois was $499 billion, placing it 5th in the nation. Final Fantasy I through Final Fantasy III all featured a traditional turn based battle system. In extreme northwestern Illinois the Driftless Area, a region of unglaciated and therefore comparatively higher and more rugged topography, occupies a small part of the state. 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). Both figures are as of 2004. 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. while Cook County is the largest county in terms of population, at 5,327,777. 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). McLean County, is the largest county in terms of land area, at 1,184 sq mi. As such, Final Fantasy uses a menu-driven, turn-based battle system. This division comprises the area generally along and south of Interstate 70. Final Fantasy borrowed many gameplay elements from its primary rival, the Dragon Quest franchise. The combination of coal mining and industrialization, especially in the region around Saint Louis, Missouri, has caused the region to lean Democratic politically. The games often feature various minigames with their own graphical engines. The third division is Southern Illinois, or Little Egypt, distinguished from the other two by its warmer climate, different mix of crops (including some cotton farming in the past), more rugged unglaciated topography, coal mining, and proximity to the juncture of the Mississippi River and Ohio River. The games typically have several types of screens, or modes of interaction, broadly categorized as:. This region's largely rural character helps to sustain a heavily Republican voting pattern and widespread antipathy toward Chicago.
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. While this tendency has historically been balanced by Republican voters in the suburbs, Democrats have significantly increased their suburban support in the past decade. 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. The city of Chicago is heavily Democratic. Starting with Final Fantasy VIII, the series adopted a more photo-realistic look. This region is cosmopolitan, densely populated, industrialized, and settled by a variety of ethnic groups. As the only real user-interaction outside of battle was menu-driven, the developers saw no need for fully 3D-rendered overhead graphics. This region includes a few counties in Indiana and Wisconsin and streches across much of the Northern Illinois toward the Iowa border, generally along and north of Interstate 80. Released shortly after Final Fantasy VII, the spinoff title Final Fantasy Tactics, once again utilized sprites for the characters. The first is Chicagoland, including the city of Chicago, its suburbs, and the adjoining exurban area into which the metropolis is expanding. 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. Illinois has three major geographical divisions. 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. Illinois also borders Michigan, but only via a water boundary in Lake Michigan. The characters and entire game world were now 3-dimensional, with fully pre-rendered backgrounds. and borders on Lake Michigan. Surrounding states are Wisconsin to the north, Iowa and Missouri to the west, Kentucky to the south, and Indiana to the east. 1997 saw the release of Final Fantasy VII for the Sony PlayStation and not Nintendo 64 as originally anticipated. It is in the north-central U.S. This would continue to get more advanced in Final Fantasy VI, and the trend would continue to make the games much more erudite. See List of Illinois counties. Finally, in Final Fantasy V, the games began to use kanji. The judiciary is comprised of the state supreme court, which oversees the lower appelate courts and circuit courts. Much of the dialogue was simply clumps of text, making it especially hard for older gamers and foreigners learning Japanese. Legislative functions are given to the Illinois General Assembly, comprised of the 118-member Illinois State House of Representatives and the 59-member Illinois State Senate. The text of the Japanese language versions of early Final Fantasy games was comprised purely of kana. The executive branch is led by the Governor of Illinois. 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. As codified in the state constitution, there are three branches of government: executive, legislative and judicial. 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). The state government of Illinois is modeled after the federal government with adaptations originating from traditions cultivated during the state's frontier era. 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. Seventeen cavalry regiments were also mustered, as well as two light artillery regiments. 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. Beginning with President Lincoln's first call for troops and continuing throughout the war, Illinois
mustered 150 infantry regiments (see Illinois in the
Civil War), which were numbered from the 7th IL to the 156th IL. 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. Illinois is known as the "Land of Lincoln" because it is here that the 16th President spent his formative years. While the music in games offers wide variety, there are some frequently reused themes. With the 1832 Black Hawk War, the last native tribes were driven out of northern Illinois. The Final Fantasy soundtracks have also joined the catalogue of the iTunes Music Store. settlement began in the south part of the state and quickly spread northward, driving out the native residents. Music from Final Fantasy was first performed outside of Japan as a part of the Symphonic Game Music Concert series in Germany. Early U.S. 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. state. That concert was a three-day sell out. In 1818, Illinois became the 21st U.S. 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. The Illinois Territory was created on February 3, 1809. Many video game and MIDI world wide web sites offer renditions of Final Fantasy musical pieces. The Illinois-Wabash Company was an early claimant to much of Illinois. 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. The area was ceded to the new United States in 1783 and became part of the Northwest Territory. On November 17, 2003, Square Enix U.S.A. As a result of their exploration, Illinois was part of the French empire until 1763, when it passed to the British. 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. and Louis Joliet explored the Illinois River in 1673. Other composers who have contributed to the series include Masashi Hamauzu and Junya Nakano. French explorers Jacques Marquette,S.J. Uematsu is also involved with the rock group The Black Mages, which has released two albums of arranged Final Fantasy tunes. The Ilini were replaced in Illinois by the Potawatomi, Miami, Sauk, and other tribes. 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 Illini suffered in the seventeenth century as Iroquois expansion forced them to compete with several tribes for land. His music has played a large part in the popularity of the Final Fantasy franchise abroad. The Illiniwek gave Illinois its name. Nobuo Uematsu was the chief music composer of the Final Fantasy series until his resignation from Square Enix in November 2004. The next major power in the region was the Illiniwek Confederation, a political alliance among several tribes. Square Enix continues to outsource story and scenario work to Nojima and Stellavista. That civilization vanished circa 1400-1500 for unknown reasons. 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. Cahokia, the urban center of the pre-Columbian Mississippian culture, was located near present-day Collinsville, Illinois. In October 2003, Kazushige Nojima, the series' principle scenario writer, resigned from Square Enix to form his own company, Stellavista. The USS Illinois was named in honor of this state. 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. postal abbreviation for the state is IL. 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. The U.S. Artistic design, including character and monster design work, was handled by renowned Japanese artist Yoshitaka Amano from Final Fantasy I through Final Fantasy VI. Most of the state's population resides in Chicago and its suburbs. Some key objects and concepts that have appeared in more than one Final Fantasy game include:. The capital of Illinois is Springfield while its largest city is Chicago, along the waterfront of Lake Michigan. 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 word Illiniwek means simply "the people". Though each Final Fantasy story is independent, many themes and elements of gameplay recur throughout the series. Its name was given by the state's French explorers after the indigenous Illiniwek people, a consortium of Algonquin tribes that thrived in the area. 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. Illinois (pronounced [ˌɪləˈnɔɪ] or occasionally [ˌɪləˈnɔɪz]) constitutes the 21st state of the United States, located in the former Northwest Territory. 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. State tree: White oak (Quercus alba). 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. State snack: Popcorn. 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. State song: "Illinois". Far from being Square's last hurrah, however, Final Fantasy I reversed Square's lagging fortunes, and became Square's flagship franchise. State slogan: "Land of Lincoln". Recognizing that the project could very well turn out to be Square's last game, the project was entitled Final Fantasy. State prairie grass: Big Bluestem (Andropogon gerardii). 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). State motto: "State sovereignty, national union". By 1987, declining interest in the FDS had placed Square on the verge of declaring bankruptcy. State mineral: Fluorite. 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). State insect: Monarch butterfly. Square Co., Ltd. State fossil: Tully Monster (Tullimonstrum gregarium). As of early 2005, eleven games have been released as part of the main series, as well as several more spinoffs and related titles. State flower: Purple violet (Viola sororia). It is Square Enix's most successful franchise, having sold over 60 million units worldwide to date. State fish: Bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus). Future installments will also appear on the Nintendo DS and PlayStation Portable. State dance: Square dance. 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. State capital: Springfield. 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. State bird: Cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis). 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.). State animal: White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series. Abraham Lincoln, the 16th President, is buried in Springfield, Illinois. Cell-based OAV serving as a prequel to Final Fantasy VII from Zack's point of view. Ronald Reagan, the 40th President, was born in Tampico, Illinois. Last Order: Final Fantasy VII — forthcoming
Part of the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII series. Other Religions – 3%. CGI OAV serving as a sequel to Final Fantasy VII. Other Christian – 1%. Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children — forthcoming
Original 25 episode television anime series featuring concepts and creatures from the Final Fantasy games. 1.9% mixed race. Final Fantasy: Unlimited — 2001
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within — 2001
Released in Japan as Final Fantasy I & II Advance. The Senior United States Senator is Richard J. Remake of Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II with bonus quests and dungeons. The Treasurer of Illinois is Judy Baar Topinka (Republican). 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. The Governor of Illinois is Rod Blagojevich (Democrat). 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. |