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The Top 25 Squaresoft Games Ever?

Posted by simoniker on from the where's-chocobo-racing? dept.

darknight17 writes "The unofficial Final Fantasy Online site has just finally finished its Top 25 Squaresoft games by featuring the Top 5 titles. Here are the other picks - 25 to 21, 20 to 16, 15 to 11, and 10 to 6, as chosen by fans in the Final Fantasy and RPG community." There's also a 'hidden gems' section in each part of the countdown, highlighting overlooked titles like Einhänder and Bahamut Lagoon - neat.

56 comments

  1. No Way by s0rbix · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    That list was ILLEGITIMATE. They ranked Final Fantasy 8 OVER Final Fantasy 9. Every single person i've talked to thought that FF8 was the worst one of the entire series. 9 is my personal favorite. I could see it in the top 25, but NEVER in the top 5 and ESPECIALLY not higher than 9.

    1. Re:No Way by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Have you considered the possibility that the people who put together the list weren't part of 'every single person you've talked to'? People do have differing opinions, after all.

      Just a thought.

    2. Re:No Way by alphaseven · · Score: 3, Insightful
      I remember a gamefaqs poll of the day that put them in the order of 7, 6, 10, then 8 ahead just ahead of 9, so the listing isn't that absurd.

      I think 8 is interesting in how much it divides gamers, a lot of people hate it but a lot love it and think it's one of the best. I think the problem with 9 is that it came out so late in the Playstation's so it got ignored by a lot of people.

    3. Re:No Way by Exotabe · · Score: 1

      Relax, it's just a ranking, and a largely subjective one at that. Like the reviewer wrote, FF8 was a game you either loved or hated. Some of us (myself included) really did enjoy playing it.

      Should it have been ranked #4? Maybe not, given the strong opinions held against it by many people. But then again, the same could also be said about FF9; not everyone enjoys playing as a monkey-man

      At any rate, if you really want to show that the list was illegitimate, you'll need to provide a bit more concrete evidence.

    4. Re:No Way by dalassa · · Score: 1

      I felt immense frustration playing through 9, it may have just been the ailing PSX I was playing on or the arcane random mini quests that were never explained. But I think my real disastisfaction was that I couldn't connect to any of the characters except maybe Vivi and one angsting black mage does not an intriguing cast make.

      --
      Feminism is the radical notion that women are people.
    5. Re:No Way by hc00jw · · Score: 1
      I remember a gamefaqs poll of the day [gamefaqs.com] that put them in the order of 7, 6, 10, then 8 ahead just ahead of 9, so the listing isn't that absurd. I think 8 is interesting in how much it divides gamers, a lot of people hate it but a lot love it and think it's one of the best. I think the problem with 9 is that it came out so late in the Playstation's so it got ignored by a lot of people.
      The thing you have to realise about polls is the fact that you can't produce an order for the results based on the overall results. What if people that had voted for VII, would have also put VIII in second place? Indeed, polls can skewer results! If you have say, two very simular answers, and one distinct answer, then people who like the two simular games are going to be split, and vote on one or the other, while fans of the one distinct answer focus all their votes to that one point. Case in point, what is the best blizzard series? Startcraft Diablo Warcraft Think about it, Diablo would probably end up the most popular blizzard game. Now ask the question, which game type do you most enjoy from blizzard? RTS RPG And suddenly warcraft and starcraft (which are essientailly the same game) will get a fairer portion of the vote. Back to your post, I don't think your ordering is fair! If gamefaqs had asked people to put the games in a list from 'best to worst', then I could understand your point, but I think the one made above is slightly flawed (not irrelevant, because it does of course have so relevance to the sort of results we might expect, but shouldn't be taken as "This is the public's opinion"). My 2 cents!
  2. FF8 was #4???? by psxndc · · Score: 1
    FF8 was awful. FF8 made me swear off the FF franchise. OK, maybe I'm being a little melodramatic, but seriously after trudging through disc 1 and only half of disc 2, I couldn't even finish FF8. It was boring, I didn't like any of the characters, and the battle system was sooooo 1997. :-) I just didn't have the energy to try 9 (I hear it's great) or X. Sorry, but FF8 sucked and was the last "fantasy" I bought.

    psxndc

    --

    The emacs religion: to be saved, control excess.

    1. Re:FF8 was #4???? by Trinhbo · · Score: 1

      Yeah, FF8 sure did suck. I spent more time playing the stupid card game instead of fighting. I just got so bored drawing magic all of the time. When I stopped playing the card game, I forgot where I was on the 2nd disk and gave up. Today's games are so boring to me. They are all about graphics and less emphasis is placed on the story and the connection you feel with the characters. I loved the music in FF6 (3 in the US) when Locke visits Rachel's hometown and remembers her death. And you definitely can't beat the Polom and Parom in FF2 (US version) when they turned themselves into stone to prevent the walls from closing in on them.

      --
      -Trinhbo [http://trinhbo.com]
    2. Re:FF8 was #4???? by psxndc · · Score: 3, Interesting
      And you definitely can't beat the Polom and Parom in FF2 (US version) when they turned themselves into stone to prevent the walls from closing in on them

      Yes. Yes, yes, yes! This is exactly what FF8 didn't have. When that happened I was like "What?? What are they doing? Nooooooo!" Maybe it's because I was younger and naive. Maybe it really was better writing. But I had no attachment to any of the characters in 8. I spent half the time just wishing Leon or whatever his name was wasn't such a douche. Granted 7 was very linear and for me the first real divergence of the series into doldrum, but at least when Aeris died I felt like I had an emotional investment in a character. 8 just blew goats.

      psxndc

      --

      The emacs religion: to be saved, control excess.

    3. Re:FF8 was #4???? by psxndc · · Score: 1

      correcting myself: his name was squall lionheart. I guess the Leon came from Lionheart. Feh.

      --

      The emacs religion: to be saved, control excess.

    4. Re:FF8 was #4???? by nathanh · · Score: 1
      FF8 was awful. FF8 made me swear off the FF franchise.

      FF8 was the first one I played and I thought it was the best of the PSX releases. Yes, I know this is an unpopular opinion: "FF8 better than FF7? You must be mad!"

  3. FF7 was the total crap by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    that's the game that turned me off to the series. FF4 was the greatest console game ever. Maybe. Dragon Warrior 4 and Suikoden kick a whole lotta ass too.

    1. Re:FF7 was the total crap by UltimaL337Star · · Score: 1

      "FF7 was the total crap" I don't think I've EVER heard somone say that before.. except for those kids who hang out in the arcade all day... or the fat kid who thinks xXx and the fast and the furious are the greatest movies in the world.

    2. Re:FF7 was the total crap by GreenHell · · Score: 1

      FF7 was total crap.

      There, you've heard it again. And you know what, I don't know where the arcade is around here, I'm well below the average weight, I haven't seen xXx, and the Fast and the Furious provoked a 5 to 10 minute ranting about what a horrible excuse for a movie it was. Happy?

      I'll explain my reasoning to you: Final Fantasy VII is overly long, tedious, the plot is nothing amazing, and the spells take forever (not as long as FF8 mind you, but I still don't want to sit through them). About all it had going for it was the graphics. Which is what they sold it on. (Think back, remember the commercials? Short fast cuts showing the best looking FMV shots? Nothing about story or gameplay in it, just selling it on eye-candy)

      Call it elitism if you want, but when I think of the classic Final Fantasy games for the Super Nintendo I think of games with plot, not games that are going to make you spend hours wandering around doing useless crap that doesn't advance the story just so you won't get your ass handed to you by the boss. Now, when someone mentions Final Fantasy most people whose first exposure was to the games on the Playstation think of long gorgeous movies, with a bunch of fights stuck in between. If I wanted that I'd just rent a damn film. /end_rant

      --
      "I won't mod you down - I feel the need to call you a twit explicitly, rather than by implication."
  4. Poor, misunderstood FF8 by Lendrick · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My friends and I loved it, although we're all writers and roleplayers, and we enjoy that sort of character drama. If you're the sort of person that plays these games for the gameplay and not the story, then FF8 doesn't have a whole lot to offer. It's sad, really. The story is great, and the game itself has a style and atmosphere that hasn't been matched before or since. Unfortunately, though, it's marred by an annoying, poorly-balanced battle system.

    One other complaint that people like to make (but I've never really gotten myself) is that Squall is a boring character who doesn't care about anyone. Now, I can't really call Squall subtle and nuanced, but obviously he was too subtle for a lot of people, who apparently failed to pick up on the fact that he did care about people, a lot. He just didn't want to, because he had lost everyone he was ever close to.

    And FF9? Well, it was an interesting little nostalgia trip, and certainly a solid game in its own right... but the story was fairly bland. It lacked the guts and ambition to break the mold like FF8 did. It followed the old FF games a bit too vigorously to really be captivating. FF8, on the other hand, is like a strong, complicated beer. You probably won't like it. :)

    1. Re:Poor, misunderstood FF8 by psxndc · · Score: 1
      but obviously he was too subtle for a lot of people, who apparently failed to pick up on the fact that he did care about people, a lot.

      Nah, I figured that all out. But it didn't make him any less boring. Maybe it's my personal preference, but I don't go for the anti-hero. If I don't like the protagonist, I generally can't get into the story. I tried reading the Thomas Covenant books three time and could never get past the first 100 pages because I thought ol'd Tom was a jerk.

      psxndc

      --

      The emacs religion: to be saved, control excess.

    2. Re:Poor, misunderstood FF8 by Mr.+Piddle · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately, though, it's marred by an annoying, poorly-balanced battle system.

      Yes, definitely. I hope the FF8, The Legend Of Dragoon, Okage: The Shadow King, etc. style battle systems were a fad and won't be repeated. On a game that values building experience points, each battle shouldn't take so long to appear and disappear--the character dances are just a waste of time.

      --
      Vote in November. You won't regret it.
    3. Re:Poor, misunderstood FF8 by Guppy06 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      "If you're the sort of person that plays these games for the gameplay and not the story, then FF8 doesn't have a whole lot to offer."

      No, I'm afraid you got that backwards. VII, VIII and X all practically required you to take a college course before you could understand the mechanics they used for character development (whether they called it "materia," "guardian forces/draw" or "sphere grid"). Hell, I even had to start VIII over the first time I played it because I screwed up GF development so badly. IX was good because the focus was on the game. Not the graphics, not the music, not some God-awful mechanic that sounds like something out of a certain Hsu and Chan strip, but on the game and the story, where it belonged. Rarely did you have to wander around to "level up" (or "draw spells" or whatever Square wants to call it) and buying new weapons and armor was as easy as walking into the damned store and plunking down some gil.

      VIII focused so much on a/v and mechanics that the characters are sickeningly two-dimensional. I could never confuse Squall with a real person. "I have to go kill this sorceress person. Why? Oh, I dunno... just because, I guess... Leave me alone, I'm busy being angsty here!" At least the player actually wanted to kill Sephiroth, but even he isn't anywhere near the character that Kefka was.

      I used to love Final Fantasy. VI was my favorite before IX. I got a PlayStation for the sole reason of playing Final Fantasy games. VII was a little bit of a let-down, but that may have been because I played Zelda: OoT first. VIII was even more of a let down. When I played IX, I shed a tear of joy over the true beauty that was the game and basked in the way things used to be. It gave me the sense of awe and woder that I hadn't had with one of these games since VI. And then I realized that IX is the way it is because it is intended to be the last, fianl "hurrah!" for the way things used to be. I look at X and all I see is VIII. And I know better than to think XI is going to be anything like the old games because you can't have an epic story in an MMORPG. I have decided that, save re-releases of older games, Final Fantasy is dead to me (and subsequently I have no reason to purchase a PlayStation 2). I've moved on.

      And while I've only recently started playing it, I'm even finding myself let down by Chrono Cross. I remember a game that had a good story but made sure not to take itself too seriously, with a great deal of expression done with the simple (by today's standards) 2D sprites, and a fight system that focused more on the fighting than on either flashy backgrounds or level-up mechanics. A bread-and-butter RPG with a great story and deep characters. Instead, I'm given a game with little expression through the characters (to be expected when half the time they're about 1" tall on the screen and you can almost never make out their faces) (but hell, they could at least have shown facial expressions in the dialog boxes instead of "?" and "!", but I guess they never played Lunar...), fight sequences that are a big step back to Final Fantasy (I'd rather not have to go to a special fight scene sequence than to have "super-nifty 3D grpahics," and whatever happened to the genuinely-nifty area-effect techs?), an "element" system that looks like it was hastily grafted from FF VII, and too many characters for the player to have any sort of real relationship with.

      In general, any RPG that requires you to take several hours of your time to learn how to play the game isn't worth my money, because spending so much focus on the game mechanics means that less focus is spent on the actual story.

      "It lacked the guts and ambition to break the mold like FF8 did."

      VIII didn't break any molds, it was a continuation of the direction they were going from VII. It started with IV in a small and subtle way, but got real big real fast. IX actually broke the mold by being nostalgic and reaching all the way back to V, but they went right back to where they were with X, and I doubt they will ever leave their current line of travel again. Square is done innovating here, move along.

    4. Re:Poor, misunderstood FF8 by Kirijini · · Score: 3, Informative

      "IX actually broke the mold by being nostalgic and reaching all the way back to V ... Square is done innovating here, move along."

      I'm not quite sure repeating methods used before is breaking a mold (it rather seems to be reusing the mold, doesn't it?), and to say that Square isn't innovating by doing new things every iteration (in your words, "line of travel") is to misunderstand what innovation is. According to dictionary.com: "a change in customs; something new, and contrary to established customs, manners, or rites."

      Bottom line here is that Square _is_ innovating, by constantly creating new gameplay and character development systems, and you don't like it. You don't like Square's innovations. Admit it: what you want are recasts of FFIV and VI (such as IX), not new things, like, well, VII, VIII, and X.

      "VII, VIII and X all practically required you to take a college course before you could understand the mechanics they used for character development (whether they called it "materia," "guardian forces/draw" or "sphere grid")."

      This is called a learning curve, and it's necessary for new, complex systems. anytime there is an innovation, people have to go through a learning curve. I suppose all future final fantasies could have systems based around tic-tac-toe, but I would rather spend a few hours learning how to use and master a game system, every time, than play the same game over and over again.

      "In general, any RPG that requires you to take several hours of your time to learn how to play the game isn't worth my money, because spending so much focus on the game mechanics means that less focus is spent on the actual story."

      For stories, good stories, you should really be buy books or videos. Games are about PLAYING, not about reading or watching. Square has never had an interactive story - they're always very linear, and the few choices you get, never effect the outcome, and hardly even effect the dialogue in any meaningful way.

    5. Re:Poor, misunderstood FF8 by scot4875 · · Score: 1

      This is called a learning curve, and it's necessary for new, complex systems. anytime there is an innovation, people have to go through a learning curve.

      Learning curve or no, VII was only interesting to me because it was on a new medium, and VIII was so tedious that I couldn't even make it through the entire *demo*.

      Maybe I'm just becoming too jaded a gamer, but the only interesting *new* things I've played from Square since the PS1 days are Einhander, Final Fantasy Tactics (and that's not even square-developed), Brave Fencer Musashi, and to a certain degree Parasite Eve and Vagrant Story, and both of them had massive amounts of tedium intertwined with their gameplay.

      --Jeremy - who bought a PS1 to play FFVII and FF:Tactics

      --
      Jesus was a liberal
  5. For the record... by Flamerule · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Their top 10 are...
    • 010: Final Fantasy X
    • 009: Chrono Cross
    • 008: Final Fantasy Tactics
    • 007: Xenogears
    • 006: Final Fantasy IV
    • 005: Final Fantasy IX
    • 004: Final Fantasy VIII
    • 003: Chrono Trigger
    • 002: Final Fantasy VII
    • 001: Final Fantasy VI
    ... and I agree, at least with what I'm familiar with. Sadly, of all the games in the top 25, I've only played SoM, FF IV, Chrono Trigger, and FF VI. However, when I feel like making a list, I always rank FF VI near the top of my heap of favorite console games, so I'm glad to see them give it first place.

    It's just unbelievable how that game transcends its 16-bit Super NES sound and sprite graphics. It's epic, in so many ways -- a fantastic plot, with fantastically deep/moving/cool characters, and ridiculously memorable music. I remember thinking Kefka's theme was so kickass, I'd pick it out on our piano. I can still hum a boatload of songs from that game. I also liked how the entire game was stuffed with stuff to do; I'm sure I spent 60 hours or more every time I played through it. And the ending! More than 20 minutes of glorious reward at the end of that amazing battle against the statues and Kefka, with screen time given to every character. Certainly the best ending to anything I played on SNES. Actually, I'd be hard-pressed to find a better ending to any game, on console or PC.

    Chrono Trigger and FF IV are the shit too, of course. And from everything I've heard, FF VII really whips the llama's ass as well; I think I'll finally get off my lazy ass and play it through sometime this summer.

    1. Re:For the record... by Stephen+Williams · · Score: 4, Insightful

      a fantastic plot

      Not as convoluted as the PSX-gen FFs, but better for it. It's simple, yet interesting. Elegant, even.

      with fantastically deep/moving/cool characters

      Overall, the best characters of any FF. Sure, other FFs have their highlights (Cloud and Aeris in VII, Vivi in IX), but none have as many interesting, well-developed characters as VI. Celes is my favourite; I enjoyed thinking back on the story, remembering the gradual changes in her personality, from cold-hearted general to passionate freedom fighter. Her scene in the opera house is one of the most memorable scenes in any game I've played.

      Of all the FF's, VI is the one that I spent the most time thinking about when I wasn't playing it, due entirely to the beautifully realised characters.

      And the ending! More than 20 minutes of glorious reward at the end of that amazing battle against the statues and Kefka, with screen time given to every character.

      And it's exactly the ending you want. The story is resolved in the manner that the game was leading up to. There are no weird plot twists out of left field that diminish the ending's satisfaction. (Plus, if you're playing the PSX version, you get a bonus FMV with a lovely arrangement of Celes' theme as background music).

      -Stephen

    2. Re:For the record... by the_ed_dawg · · Score: 1
      I must have had this argument a million times with my friends. FF6 v. Chrono Trigger v. FF7 -- any one of these could be considered among the greatest games of all time, depending on your preferences in RPGs.

      If you prefer the classic good against evil type with strong character development, FF6 is for you. Fans of interactive endings and non-linear game play lean towards Chrono Trigger. FF7 is typically preferred by gamers who crave dark story lines where the good guys don't always win.

      Personally, I believe Final Fantasy VII is the best game of all time. Sephiroth is one bad motha-shut-yo-mouth kind of villain. The soundtrack rocks. It's easy to relate to a story that originates under the oppression of an evil corporation (something slashdotters know absolutely nothing about, right? *chuckle*). Good things don't always happen to good people, but they continue to work towards what they believe in. I enjoyed FF7 so much that I would purchase it again if it came out for PS2.

      --
      There are two types of people: those prepared for the zombie apocalypse and those who will be eaten.
    3. Re:For the record... by RedCard · · Score: 1

      I can still hum a boatload of songs from that game

      Darn right! Remember this:

      "Oh my hero/so far away now/will I ever see your face? When light fades away/from night into day..."

      Or so I remember. Correct me if I'm wrong. It HAS been a while.

      Personally, though, I enjoyed the ending to Zelda: A Link to the Past the most of any game ending (ever). You just can't beat that. I'm sorry.

  6. Or maybe... by hackwrench · · Score: 1

    from Kingdom Hearts, where he changes his name to Leon.

  7. blah. by pb · · Score: 1

    Final Fantasy I was number 15, and Final Fantasy V was number 12? But those were my favorites! They should have asked more people who actually *played* some of these games, and not just the last three or so... :)

    --
    pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
  8. Wake up Crono... by Reverend+Raven · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I love Final Fantasy IV (the last good FF game far as I'm concerned), but it's all about Chrono Trigger.

    A huge and indepth story with something like 14 different endings, tons of replayability, cool and memorable characters (epecially that chatterbox Crono), loads of subplots and sidequests..and excellent music. It's the absolute best 2D RPG, and quite possibly the greatest console RPG of all time.

    I mean I was actually sad when the game was over. I mean, it was over. Done, no more. That Xmas of 1995 (released during the summer I know but I never played it until Xmas) was such a happy and fun time. And there was never to be a sequel. Ever. Never ever ever not even if you give us money and beg us.

    Then they made Chrono Cross, which was a disgrace to all that made Chrono Trigger good. Atleast the pre-order clock was really cool (and fitting, if you leave the clock hands reading 10:04)

    --

    --Reverend Raven
    Desperate days demand dire deeds.
  9. bah! FF6 graphics blew ass by Soul+Colossus · · Score: 1

    SoM was far better and weren't SoM and FF6 released around the same time?

    1. Re:bah! FF6 graphics blew ass by cloudless.net · · Score: 1

      IMO FF6's graphics is much more stylish and artistic. And the music is best in the series. Have you completed the game yet? The final boss is simply spectacular.

    2. Re:bah! FF6 graphics blew ass by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      infact i have finished the game, finished it to wehre i leveled up to 99 got every spell for every character. i liked the game and the music was good, but i still think graphics in SoM/SD3/CT were better and i liked FF7 better overall.

  10. Re:20 to 16 by darknight17 · · Score: 1

    I got nothing against FFOnline but they took almost half a year to get this done and they split it up into 5 sections. (every five games) so I have to idea what your talking about.

    --
    Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity.
  11. Where is Parasite Eve? by metamatic · · Score: 1

    FF VII was great--until I got out of Midgar and hit the stupid Chocobo sequence. Shortly after that I abandoned the game.

    Parasite Eve, on the other hand--that was consistently great all the way through. Deserves to be in the top 10.

    --
    GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
    1. Re:Where is Parasite Eve? by Soul+Colossus · · Score: 1

      how can you possible judge a game when apparently you've barely played it

    2. Re:Where is Parasite Eve? by metamatic · · Score: 1

      I "barely played" FF VII for hours. That's long enough for me.

      --
      GCHQ Quantum Insert installed. If only our tongues were made of glass, how much more careful we would be when we speak
  12. Is it just me? by Snowspinner · · Score: 3, Interesting

    At the risk of being flamebait or troll, am I the only person who thinks that "The best Squaresoft games" (When talking about RPGs in particular) is rather like talking about "The best war crimes" or "The best Microsoft products"? With the exception of Chrono Trigger (And possibly Cross. I might play it this summer, if I have time), I find their RPGs almost across the board to feature boring combat mechanics, excessive numbers of random encounters, hackneyed plots, and generally little to reccomend them.

    And I don't mean to troll the whole company. I did genuinely enjoy Chrono Trigger, what with its totally avoidable random encounters. And Final Fantasy I was nice, in that it was largely Dragon Warrior with a party. I still need to check out Tactics, and Crystal Chronicles gives me hope, but FF IV-X just totally missed me. I did not enjoy playing one of them. And I kept trying, because everyone insisted to me that Square was the most brilliant company ever.

    Nope.

    Just don't get it.

    Why aren't there any lists of the top 25 Enix games? Now that'd be interesting.

    --
    Philip Sandifer's academic website
    1. Re:Is it just me? by bluemeep · · Score: 1
      Why aren't there any lists of the top 25 Enix games? Now that'd be interesting.

      It probably has something to do with exposure. For the youngin's whose memory only goes back as far as the PS1, FFVII is "old school." I recall once hearing a kid looking at the DQVII case say "Huh? How is this the seventh? I didn't hear about any others..."

      It was sad, really.

  13. FF Tactics 0wn3z by Visigothe · · Score: 1

    While it is good to see FFTactics up in the top 10, I think it should rate much higher than it does.

    It seems to me that the more modern FF series were all pretty boring and similar. Yes, the plots are different, but it's still "kill guys in random encounters to level yourself and get yummies, watch an hour of CG footage that you can't get out of, fight big boss battle, repeat" Granted, that is most of the RPG genre, but it seems Square's system tends to be a bit more monotonous than most.

    FF2 [Jap] gave us the Job system. This was an interesting twist that allowed your characters to gain abilities from a broad number of disciplines. When it was refined in FF Tactics, I thought the world was complete. Add that to the very engaging plot [check out the final scene in the epilogue for the "twist"], and you had a brilliant addition to the FF universe. It is a shame that they never made a sequal to the game.... until now. The Gameboy advance version of Tactics "FF Tactics Advance" plays quite well, but my limited Japanese prevents me from truely enjoying the game. Luckily it will be available in an Engrish version RSN.

    I can't wait!

    --
    Blocklevel: Practical Information Architecture
    1. Re:FF Tactics 0wn3z by rgonsalves · · Score: 0

      I love tactics as well. The story really is amazing but it is amazingly similar to Niccolo Makevelli's "The Prince." If you even read a summary of the Prince you would be amazed at the uncanny similarities.

      As for the job system, they really did improve upon what was developed in ff2 and ff5. I wish there was a way to play as some of the special classes (High Priest, Dark Knight, Holy Knight etc.) that would be cool

      -Reed

    2. Re:FF Tactics 0wn3z by May+Kasahara · · Score: 1
      Hear hear!

      The fact that FF9 outranked FF Tactics in their listing is an indicator that something is seriously wrong...

  14. Its his opinion BUT by Swift2k · · Score: 1

    The only thing on his list that is right is that ff6 is top 5, but I would say (IMO and what I hear most ppl say) ff7 , is like 10 , ffx is 2, (not 10)chrono trigger is 1 chrono cross and ff9 are tied 4, and I would put ff6 at 3, I could do more but this is just me venting, at their mistake Swift

  15. Nice by DumbWhiteGuy777 · · Score: 1

    I was pretty impressed by the list these guys made up. Seemed like a few were out of place, but had it pretty well done for the most part. What most people don't understand about FF6 being #1 was what it did to the time. It brought so many new things, and this was all way back when. Getting to change your party to what you want, and customize the abilities you wanted to use, and the Esper system to increase certain important stats(Come on, I'm not the only one who strapped Locke with the Speed plus Esper and made him 1337), getting only characters that you wanted in the WOR, the ATB system, and the list really goes on and on. I remember playing this with my friend, and we were just stunned. We didn't know what to do first. So, for all of you who disagree with the #1 spot, go back to when it came out in your local time machine, and play. It revolutionized the RPG genre.

  16. This is a travesty! by n0wak · · Score: 1

    Rad Racer not in the top 25?? I mean, c'mon, it had full-on-3D. It was so ahead of it's time!

    This list is obviously skewed towards RPGs, which is a shame as Square has a few quality non-RPG games. To have Einhander not listed is a scam (though they do mention it as a "hidden gem"); Bushido Blade should be rated higher; and where the hell is Tobal No.1 ?

    1. Re:This is a travesty! by mink · · Score: 1

      Yah, that sucked.
      No mention of various sports or shooter games thay make.

      --
      Well I've wrestled with reality for thirty five years doctor, and I'm happy to say I finally won out over it.
  17. Thoughts on the final list... by hc00jw · · Score: 1

    I personally did not agree with the list that this game site provided. Not due to personal opinion of the games themselves as such (although this probably didn't help in my overall dissatsifaction with the list) but because of what the games themselves are and what they stand for.
    VI was a landmark game, a breakthrough! It was inspired. It done so many new things, and above all else was so playable. I agree with this coming first!
    VII just oodled atmosphere, and VIII was dangerous in it's departure from conventions. It was so different, as to make the series interesting again! Both top games!
    However, IX was just a rehash of I - VI. And X was just a mix of VII and VIII. Both bored me, and made me wonder why I was doing the same things I had done in previous games, all over again!
    They played like "best of" albums, in game format! And nobody ever says "Hell, 'The Beatles' best of album was actually the best album, because it has their greatest songs. It's Sgt. Peppers, because it is an album that consists of songs written for it, not a compilation of random parts that were never meant to fit together.
    That's why I don't like IX or X. It's like pointing at previous games and saying "wasn't that good when that happened". And yes, it was... But I'll play the original where it was more interesting and made more sense, thank you very much!

  18. Re:20 to 16 by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's simply a comment on the missing link in the article, guys! I was reading the topics just to find an easy link to the 16-20 article, and this post which helped me out gets flamed?

  19. FF8 sucks by cloudless.net · · Score: 1

    FF6 is on top of my list too, but... I am surprised FF8 is even on the list, it simply sucks. The plot is so out of focus, and lacks character development. The gameplay is tedious and boring, especially for the weird battle system. You can't learn magic (you have to draw magic from enemies), you can't earn money (instead you get salary but you won't use the money anyway coz there is no weapon/armor to buy). And there is no use to level up (as the enemies will level up too).

    1. Re:FF8 sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How in the HELL can you possibly say that FF8 sucks? The junction system was the greatest thing to ever happen to the Final Fantasy series! It took everything that made Materia great and MADE IT BETTER. There's no way around it. VII and VIII are the two best Final Fantasies of the entire series. Ten can just barely catch up. You need to get your mout of the nipple and you hands back on the controller and rediscover the pure joy of watching your attributes skyrocket as you junction a spell, or seeing your Guardian Force tear into something with a single attack. Dipshit. Forget it. You need to get back to your glory hole and never touch another Squaresoft product.

  20. dumb Chocobo, but FF7 rocks by cloudless.net · · Score: 1

    You abandoned FF7 because of that dumb Chocobo? I hate Chocobo too, but FF7 is so good I think you should finish it.

  21. Mr. Experience says by PaddyM · · Score: 1

    Although I have never played any of these games, since I think their gameplay is detracts from the story, the only one I would consider playing is Chrono Trigger. Enc None? Chrono Trigger had enc none from the beginning unless you couldn't avoid the obvious monsters, or traps. FF8 still had my most dreaded "artifact of primitive technology"; the separate battle screen. And the worst of all (excluding FFX's) battle music to go with it. And the SNES didn't have LOAD TIMES like the un-primitive Playstation.

    If Chrono Trigger is overrated, then everything is overrated. Even FFX.

  22. Re:Fuck Mozilla by Guppy06 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "FF8 has best gameplay, no random encounters after getting Enc None (very early), no levelling up needed."

    One word for you: Draw.

  23. I still Prefer 7 * by illumina+us · · Score: 0

    IMO FFVII was the best. Although the story of Tactics almost rivals it. FFX was complete crap, and I can't believe a sequel is being made. That is appauling and breaks all traditions that Square has created in the series. Even talking about a squel to any Final Fantasy is wrong. Not to mention a sequel to FFVII which is in works, how can there be a sequel? The story had complete closure!

    --
    -illumina+us "I put on my robe and wizard hat..."
  24. Re:Fuck Mozilla by Mprx · · Score: 1

    Another word for you: Refine

  25. Re:Fuck Mozilla by Kirijini · · Score: 1

    In FFVIII, I drew furiously for about 5 hours, in the beginning. From then on... maybe three or four times (in battles, drawing while on the map was pretty painless). There's a trick that I think a lot of people who don't like the game don't quite understand. You can refine magic from everything: cards, items, other magic. If you liked the card game, all you had to do was play the card game, a lot, to get some good stuff. Or, fight a lot of (quick) battles, and refine the items.

    The number one thing, though, is that you're wasting magic if you cast it. With the exception of perhaps curaga, berserk, and aura, there was no point in casting magic. The point of magic was junctioning. It was to improve your character, not for casting. And GF's? Don't _summon_ them! Use them for junctioning, and things like mug! Except in a few boss battles, its much quicker to have a character with triple junctioned to speed and ultima junctioned to strength, and just have him attack furiously. its 9999 damage every 5 seconds.

    The point of magic and GF's was to improve the character - that they could be used independantly was a bonus. Draw is for beginners, before you have a large enough base of items and cards to refine from. In anycase, draw is just the same as fighting battles solely to gain exp, or get enough money to buy that new sword. Same thing, different appearance.

  26. So it was your Final Fantasy? by Deflagro · · Score: 1

    I'm sorry, it's Monday and I couldn't resist.

    --
    Der Tod ist der einzige Weg hier raus!