MW: OK, here's the review you've all been waiting for. Today, Biedermann and I are actually going to review a Final Fantasy game. Now, we talked this over, and decided that the best game for us to review was FF3 (or 6 for those of you who know things about the Japanese/American naming convention). This is because FF3 fits our general review criteria: We've both beaten it, we both have opinions about it, and we both have experience with other games in the genre with which to compare it. That being said, I hope that you'll enjoy the review and forgive us for what, I'm afraid, is the obvious result of our trying to rate this outstanding game…

MB: When I was but a young boy (a young boy meaning I was in 7th grade), I lent one of my friends, who I hadn't known for a very long time, my copy of Final Fantasy III. I figured he would have it about a month, and then return it. Unfortunately for me, I never saw the kid again, and thus I'm left without a Super Nintendo copy of FF3. However, if I ever run into Tim F. (name abbreviated for his protection), I fully plan on making him either give me my copy back, or give me the $70 the game is now worth at Funcoland, Toyriffic, or any other store that deals in used games.

This anecdote brings up two important points. Firstly, I'm a complete moron for lending things to people I barely know. Secondly, FF3 is so good that not only is it worth stealing, it's worth attempting to get back 5 years later.

FF3's story begins in a manner similar to the rest of the games in the series: A mysterious lead character (in this case, Terra) begins a journey with only a vague clue of what the purpose is. Along the way, they make new friends and encounter terrible monsters, usually with the eventual intent of saving the world. However, where FF3 breaks apart from the rest of the series is the strength of characterization.

Each character in FF3 has a distinctive personality that fits in well with the abilities the character has in battle. For example, Setzer is a gambler. He lives dangerously, and accordingly his unique attack in battle is a slot machine that can either help you immensely or hardly at all. And while the fact that characters are unique in battle and out of battle is cool, where the distinctive characterization is truly important is in the masterful storytelling.

Truly, the story of FF3 is epic. It has an evil, oppressive government, a loosely-organized rebel organization, and a scope that affects two different realities of one planet. It also introduced the world to the most evil video game character ever created: Kefka. A general who is obsessed with power, Kefka at one point orders the poisoning of the water supply of a large town, leading to the death of every man, woman, and child in the town…and then he laughs about it.

Unfortunately, he's real easy to beat (sorry to ruin the surprise if you've never played it before).
The gameplay aspect really doesn't deviate from the standard old-school top-down view RPG format. You walk around, you check places for items, you talk to people, and occasionally you run into enemies. While it seems that this would get boring, the control you possess over the customization of the character's magic spells keeps things interesting. Throughout the game, you collect rocks that are called Magicite. They are the essence of magical beings from another dimension infused into rocks, and they allow your characters to learn all kinds of magic spells they wouldn't get otherwise, as well as allow the performance of some really large moves in battle.

In all honesty, FF3 is the second best game I've played in my entire life. The well-thought-out and easy-to-use battle system and the customization of characters make the game fun to play, but the true joy of FF3 comes from the incredible story. Even though it's on a 16-bit system, you truthfully become emotionally attached to the characters in this game, and it's hard to leave them behind at the end of the game. If you ever get the chance to play this, be it on Super Nintendo (which is best), one of the Playstation ports, or even on an emulator, do it. This game will not disappoint you. I guarantee*.

Rating: 10/10

(*Biedermann makes no legally binding guarantee that you will like Final Fantasy 3. However, if you don't, you're a soulless, heartless beast.)

MW: As I said before, outstanding game. Final Fantasy 6 is… well, it's amazing. It's also the first video game I played that evoked a strong emotional response. Yes, I had played Final Fantasy 4 (2 in America) before this game, and yes, there are moments in FF4 that elicit emotional responses, despite the bad translations, but there are so many more, and more powerful, moments in FF6. This game began the now-classic Final Fantasy tradition of giving the audience characters who are not only "cool" or "cute," but that we can genuinely love. At the risk of a spoiler, there are few other video game moments that can compare to the thief Locke Cole reviving his lost love Rachel with the power of the Phoenix so that he can tell her he loves her one last time. Not to mention the fall of the city of Doma, which Matt described above.

But enough story. This game could get me to talk about video games as texts for hours upon hours. It's just that good. If I continue on with the impressive story this game has to offer, you, Faithful Reader, will be here for pages. I'll spare you the ramblings.

Gameplay in FF6 injected innovation into the Final Fantasy series for the first time since the creation of the Job System in FF3 and 5. Rather than ascribing each character a Job, or specific ability set, the game allows you, the player, to diversify your characters within a few very loosely set parameters. Locke is a thief, but he can also be a powerful warrior and excellent mage. Terra is a mage, but she can also be… wait, never mind, if you're not concentrating on Terra's magic-using for the entire game just to do the "Gembox + Economizer = ‘Double Ultima as many times as I want'" combo at the end, you're nuts. Setzer, the gambler, also has formidable spell-casting abilities if properly trained.

What kicked this all off was the addition of the "equippable skill" concept. In FF6, that concept takes the form of Magicite. It would later be replicated in EVERY Final Fantasy game to follow: FF7's Materia, FF8's Guardian Forces, and FF9 and 10's weapons and armor. Right here I get a raised eyebrow from anyone who hasn't played any of the games just mentioned. Allow me to explain.

"Equippable skills," to coin a term, are weapons, armor, or items which your characters can wear or carry that, as they are used over time, teach the character magic spells or special abilities. In Final Fantasy 6, the specific concept is Magicite stones, which teach individuals magic. In addition, equipped Magicites can be used to summon powerful Esper beings to the aid and defense of the party. The concept, as I mentioned earlier, is now a Final Fantasy hallmark.

Ultimately, this game holds a place of honor in my mind as the single best Final Fantasy game ever made. People can argue for FF7, a game that is also excellent beyond the pale, but FF6 is, to me, a demonstration of the absolute greatest gaming experience available. While I could continue praising and extolling this game's virtues, I think that it would be best to simply give it a

Rating: 10/10

and leave it at that. Hey, thanks for reading Game Freaks this semester. It's been great to hear all of your feedback, both of the positive variety and the "what the hell were you thinking??" variety. Both of us Matts have felt incredibly honored to have found our niche with this column, and we thank you, Faithful Reader, for your continued support and constructive criticism.

See you next fall.