Final Fantasy (1987)

Square

Family Computer · Nintendo 3DS · Nintendo Entertainment System · Wii · Wii U

3.44 from 1855 ratings

4160 members have it in their collection · 143 playing now · 939 backlogged · 459 wish listed

How long? Main story 16h · with extras 21h · 100% 18h (from 72 logged playthroughs)

Final Fantasy, also known as FFI in re-releases, is the first role-playing game title in Square's flagship Final Fantasy series. The game puts players in control of four characters known as the Warriors of Light, and begins by asking the player to select the classes and names of each. The Warriors of Light can traverse the maps of dungeons and … Read more
Final Fantasy, also known as FFI in re-releases, is the first role-playing game title in Square's flagship Final Fantasy series. The game puts players in control of four characters known as the Warriors of Light, and begins by asking the player to select the classes and names of each. The Warriors of Light can traverse the maps of dungeons and towns, which are connected by a world map, and will run into random encounters with enemies or fight bosses. Read less
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Release dates

  • Dec 18, 1987 (Full Release) (Japan) Family Computer
  • Jul 12, 1990 (Full Release) (North_America) Nintendo Entertainment System
  • Sep 1994 (Full Release) (Brazil) Nintendo Entertainment System
  • May 26, 2009 (Full Release) (Japan) Wii
  • Oct 05, 2009 (Full Release) (North_America) Wii
  • May 07, 2010 (Full Release) (Australia) Wii
  • May 07, 2010 (Full Release) (Europe) Wii
  • Nov 13, 2013 (Full Release) (Japan) Wii U
  • Dec 18, 2013 (Full Release) (Japan) Nintendo 3DS

Also available on

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Bundled in

Remakes

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Featured in lists

çöp by Rerogshi · 298 games · 0
NES by KiingShady · 39 games · 0

Rating distribution

5 stars
248
4 stars
577
3 stars
818
2 stars
175
1 star
37
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Community All Reviews Statuses

CtormS

Status CtormS May 17, 2025

It all makes sense. This series has SUCH a solid foundation. I am blown away by how expansive and challenging a game from 1987 is! That final boss battle was a humbling, fun experience as well.

SuperFieroStatus

Status SuperFieroStatus May 13, 2025

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I didn't cheat, except that one save state I used early on (and that only saved me 15 minutes). However, after the Fire Orb I started using the emulator's speed tools. It made some of the slow battles and very slow travel manageable.

It was a fine adventure, though one I would only play again on a modern remake. My …

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I didn't cheat, except that one save state I used early on (and that only saved me 15 minutes). However, after the Fire Orb I started using the emulator's speed tools. It made some of the slow battles and very slow travel manageable.

It was a fine adventure, though one I would only play again on a modern remake. My 2 fighters/knights carried the whole game. Tbh I bet 3 fighters and 1 red mage is the best party in the game, but I'd have to look up and see.

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SuperFieroStatus

Status SuperFieroStatus May 9, 2025

Used a Save State for the first time. I told myself I wouldn't, but what happened was such unbelievable bullshit that I felt the game "deserved" to be cheated back. Ran into a group of 9 geists that stun-locked my party. There was no chance for me to interact. No chance to run, no chance to buff, no chance to …

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Used a Save State for the first time. I told myself I wouldn't, but what happened was such unbelievable bullshit that I felt the game "deserved" to be cheated back. Ran into a group of 9 geists that stun-locked my party. There was no chance for me to interact. No chance to run, no chance to buff, no chance to thin their numbers. I ran into them, they all went first and stunned my entire party. And then they just kept going. I had no way of interacting. It took forever and they whittled my entire party down to death. 9 of them stunning my party each turn. That was really dumb and clearly unfair so I used a save state to go back about 5 minutes. I keep 2 save states, one for every time the game saves at an Inn/Tent/Cabin, but also another slot I periodically save as a way to save my place. Im playing on a laptop and get interrupted enough that ill just save my state and return back to it. I dont use that to "cheat", except this one time (so far). My last save was about 20 minutes before this, and my Slot 2 was only 5, so I figured saving 15 minutes was a fair trade for their bullshit.

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SuperFieroStatus

Status SuperFieroStatus May 7, 2025

After bumbling around the map with no clear destination, I found the ship and then made my way to Elfland (I think it's called that?), then to the Marsh Cave where I got promptly murdered. First game over of the game (well, it was 3 game overs in a row...that cave is tough). So I went back to Elfland and …

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After bumbling around the map with no clear destination, I found the ship and then made my way to Elfland (I think it's called that?), then to the Marsh Cave where I got promptly murdered. First game over of the game (well, it was 3 game overs in a row...that cave is tough). So I went back to Elfland and I'm going to grind up for a bit. It's a dated game, but I'm enjoying the challenge. I also try to put myself in a 1987 headspace while playing it. So instead of being frustrated at the flow of the game, I just embrace it as what we had back then. Doesn't always work, though.

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macieg

Status macieg Mar 31, 2025

If it wasn’t for pixel remaster’s boosts I wouldn’t have made it through. The story feels if it was a summary of something and default balance forces a lot of grinding and fight are extremely boring. Perhaps amazing 40 years ago but quite unbearable by today’s standards. Good thing it’s short.

haegster

Status haegster Jan 11, 2025

I think I first played played through this on the GBA in 2005 when it was already 18 years old. It has been around 20 years since then and I just finished the Pixel Remaster. Still holds up as a very basic JRPG, bless those QOL features. Took about 15 hours.

Hikaruboom

Status Hikaruboom Sep 5, 2024

Just started this. Excited to explore the whole series. I've only play the 13 saga, X Saga, and 15.

I somehow got myself ip banned for looking up a walkthrough on GameFaqs on my tablet. Is there anyway to appeal this?

savarunl

Status savarunl Mar 28, 2024

Well, that was short but beautiful. 13 hours to Platinum, and that includes one hour killing mobs on the last bridge to wait for a Warmech spawn for the bestiary :)

Anyway, Mainline game 1 done, i'll review it separately later.

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scoopings

Status scoopings Mar 27, 2024

Welp, at last I'm here. 5 years ago, on this site, I made a plan to play through the Final Fantasys and rank them. I got through 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and most of 6 as well as offshoots like the Legends series, Mystic Quest, Adventures, and so on. At last, I have gotten back to these games in …

Read more

Welp, at last I'm here. 5 years ago, on this site, I made a plan to play through the Final Fantasys and rank them. I got through 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and most of 6 as well as offshoots like the Legends series, Mystic Quest, Adventures, and so on. At last, I have gotten back to these games in this chronology project! I now have a very different perspective on games, but I still think this one will be a beloved game, since this series is so important to me. Here goes nothing

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savarunl

Status savarunl Mar 27, 2024

I'm on a quest to platinum every mainline FF game and a select bunch of spinoffs :) Inspired by the FF Project Platinum list on PSNP.

Really fun to play the older FF titles again! I started FF1 in the pixel remaster version, i dont think those are listed separately here on Grouvee. I did play FF1 once a long …

Read more

I'm on a quest to platinum every mainline FF game and a select bunch of spinoffs :) Inspired by the FF Project Platinum list on PSNP.

Really fun to play the older FF titles again! I started FF1 in the pixel remaster version, i dont think those are listed separately here on Grouvee. I did play FF1 once a long long time ago on the NES, so i still remember some of it, but also don't remember a lot of stuff.

Doing this together with some other games that have just grinds left, so it's a nice pattern. Bit of grinding in those games, bit of playing FF.

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trayson

Status trayson Jul 7, 2023

I just finished this game for the first time. Just the original unmodified US release. It took me exactly 24 hours to beat from start to finish, over the course of ~5 play sessions.

I really wanted to get that taste of finishing an old JRPG that I couldn't imagine beating as a kid. This definitely feels like the kinda …

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I just finished this game for the first time. Just the original unmodified US release. It took me exactly 24 hours to beat from start to finish, over the course of ~5 play sessions.

I really wanted to get that taste of finishing an old JRPG that I couldn't imagine beating as a kid. This definitely feels like the kinda game that'd benefit from being one of the handful of games I'd have growing up, without internet. There's a constant sense of trying to figure it out, whether it's in finding where to go next, figuring out what certain things do, optimizing my load out, learning the best methods of surviving a dungeon, or (my favorite) planning my moves out carefully during a tough battle.

I had such a rush of good feelings when i beat Chaos tonight. I legitimately didn't think I was going to beat him at these levels (24~26). Temper was my go-to for my first 2 attempts against him, but they didn't seem to really do anything, so I focused more on FAST, INV, FOG2, and such. Basically just all of the defensive options (and healing) while always attacking with my Warrior and Master.

(I think like the only thing I missed was the ship mini-game. Isn't there one? I must've scoured the world multiple times, but I just never came across anything about it.)

One notable quality of my experience with this game was just how much it disciplined me to appreciate the small things, which I really like. Like yeah there's a lot of grinding and monotony that could make one think only about reaching the end. But in this case I think I just really care about the lore, legacy, character/story progression, and overall themes of Final Fantasy. I mean here I'm just excited to see all the details and decisions that were made in the first Final Fantasy-- I just can't be mad. It made me feel like a kid, just experiencing the game without thinking more than I need to about it (but then thinking a lot during battles :>).

I wish I had this game as a kid, but I mean at least we had FF4 which I greatly prefer anyway, lol.

(btw i felt so cool when my party upgraded into buff, more proportionally correct men/women. but after a minute i was missing the cuter style -- esp that black mage)

cute

real

dr unne????
YOU'VE NEVER HEARD OF HIM???

Now on to Final Fantasy II. 😌

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SRT5J

Status SRT5J Jun 28, 2023

I recently chimed in on someone else's post that I had never played a Final Fantasy game. A few days have passed and I checked out a playthrough on YouTube and OF COURSE I played this very first Final Fantasy!!! What can I say? It was 30+ years ago and my brain is shriveling.

YohanYun

Status YohanYun Apr 26, 2023

The game that saved turned a near-bankrupt company into the world’s top JRPG developer.

The story is unique and pretty. Gameplay remains fun for players that enjoy simple experiences.

Graphics remain impressive and the pixels filled with vibrant colors.