Final Fantasy (series)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Final Fantasy (ファイナルファンタジー, Fainaru Fantajī?) is a series of RPGs and films developed and published by Square Enix Co., Ltd. (formerly Square Co., Ltd.).
Final Fantasy is the fourth-best selling video game franchise of all time, having sold over 70 million units worldwide as of January 2007, trailing Mario, Pokémon, and The Sims.[1] The franchise later branched out into other genres and platforms, such as tactical RPGs, portable games, MMORPGs and games for mobile phones. The series also spurred the release of three animated productions and two full length CGI films.
The first installment of the series premiered in Japan on December 18, 1987, and Final Fantasy games have subsequently been localized for markets in North America, Europe and Australia on numerous video game consoles,[2] IBM PC compatible computers, and several different models of mobile phones. Future installments have been announced to appear on seventh generation video game consoles. Two upcoming titles for the PS3 include Final Fantasy XIII and Final Fantasy Versus XIII.
As of March 2007, there are about 28 games[3] in the franchise. This number includes installments from Final Fantasy to Final Fantasy XII, along with a few direct sequels (Final Fantasy X-2) and numerous spin-offs.
Contents[hide]
1 Overview
2 Common themes and motifs
3 Design
4 Music
5 Graphics and technology
5.1 The cartridge generations
5.2 The disc generations
6 Gameplay
6.1 Game screens
6.2 Battle system
7 Notes
8 References
9 External links
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[edit] Overview
See also: List of Final Fantasy titles
Square 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 (also known as the "Famicom," and known internationally as the Nintendo Entertainment System). By 1987, declining interest in the FDS had placed Square on the verge of 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 (known as Dragon Warrior in the United States until 2005).[4] According to unconfirmed sources, Sakaguchi had plans to retire after the completion of the project, so it was named Final Fantasy. Andrew Vestal, who used to run the UnOfficial SquareSoft HomePage (UOSSHP), also attributed the name to the company's hopes that the project would help with their financial woes.[5]Final Fantasy reversed Square's lagging fortunes, and became their flagship franchise.
Following the success of the first game, Square quickly began work on a second installment. Unlike a typical sequel, Final Fantasy II featured entirely different characters, with a setting and story bearing only some thematic similarities to its predecessor. Some of the gameplay elements, such as the character advancement system, were also completely changed. This approach to future installments has continued throughout the series, with each major Final Fantasy game introducing a new world, a new cast of characters, and a new system of gameplay.[6][citation needed