What feels like an ending is sometimes only the first word.
By 1987, Hironobu Sakaguchi had been making games at Square that did not break through, and he has said that if the next one failed too, he meant to leave the industry and go back to university. The game he made in that frame of mind he called Final Fantasy. He has been candid that the name carried a real sense of finality — while also noting that, in his own words, almost any word starting with 'F' would have done. It sold steadily rather than explosively; the company kept going; he did not go back to school. What was meant to be a last word became a beginning instead — more than thirty games followed. Looking back, that may be the shape of any real wager: you cannot tell, until much later, whether the thing that felt like an ending was the last word or the first.
— inspired by Hironobu Sakaguchi
Honestly, I never played Final Fantasy I myself. Something about the art kept me at a distance. It had a quality entirely unlike Dragon Quest — painterly, otherworldly, harder to read. I later learned it was the work of Yoshitaka Amano, an artist whose style was more fine art than manga.
My brother played it, and I watched from the side. Even so, I remember thinking the graphics were something. And the music — the Famicom could only produce three sounds at once, yet that music was unmistakably its own. I later discovered the composer, Nobuo Uematsu, had been recruited from a part-time job at a music shop, largely self-taught.
I always assumed the title "Final Fantasy" came from a company betting everything on one last game. That story persisted for years. Then I learned that Hironobu Sakaguchi himself admitted the word "Final" was chosen partly by accident — "Fighting Fantasy" had trademark problems, and any word starting with F would have done. It made me smile. Even so, the reality was the same: Square was against the wall, seven people made the game, and it saved the company.
I came to this world through II, once I knew it was worth it.
About this game
Final Fantasy (1987) was Hironobu Sakaguchi's final gamble. Square was struggling, and Sakaguchi decided that if this game failed, he would leave the industry. The name "Final Fantasy" was chosen partly because "Fighting Fantasy" conflicted with an existing trademark, and partly because it captured the feeling of that moment — a last resort. The game sold 400,000 copies in Japan alone, saved Square, and launched one of the longest-running RPG series in history. The four Warriors of Light — their class, their path through the world — gave players a party-building canvas unlike anything on the Famicom before it.
Key Features
A party of four Warriors of Light — each chosen from six job classes: Fighter, Thief, Black Mage, White Mage, Red Mage, Monk. Non-linear world exploration after the initial area: players must discover which towns, caves, and dungeons to visit and in what order. A magic system divided into eight spell levels per school (White and Black magic), each usable a set number of times between rests. Airship, ship, and canoe transportation unlocked progressively. Multiple endings based on party composition are not present — but the sense of a world with a past and future is.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Final Fantasy released on December 18, 1987, one day after Rockman (Mega Man). Square was in financial difficulty when Sakaguchi designed the game — drawing on Western RPGs like Ultima and Wizardry but aiming for a more accessible, narrative-driven experience. The game sold 400,000 copies in Japan and became Square's defining product. The North American NES release in 1990 reached a much wider audience. Nobuo Uematsu composed the entire score — the main theme, the battle theme, and the victory fanfare — establishing the musical vocabulary that would define the series for decades. The name itself is a story: chosen reluctantly, under pressure, when everything else had failed.
Tricks & Tales
The name "Final Fantasy" was not Sakaguchi's first choice. The working title was "Fighting Fantasy," but that conflicted with a published tabletop RPG series. The team reluctantly settled on "Final Fantasy." Sakaguchi later clarified that the popular myth — that the name reflected Square's near-bankruptcy — was an oversimplification, though the circumstances were difficult. The game's victory fanfare became one of the most recognised musical motifs in RPG history. The original Famicom version contains a famous bug: the "Intelligence" stat for mages does not actually affect spell damage in combat.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The Japanese Famicom version (ファイナルファンタジー) and the North American NES version (Final Fantasy) are the same game with localised text. The NES version includes some adjustments for the international market. In the Final Fantasy series numbering, the original (FF1) is sometimes confused with the NES/Famicom version of Final Fantasy III — which was actually FF3 in Japan, released as "Final Fantasy" in the West because FF2, FF3, and FF5 were not initially localised.
Maintenance Tips
Standard Famicom cartridge edge connector cleaning applies. Final Fantasy has battery-backed save memory — test by saving, powering off completely, and confirming that save files are retained. A dead battery means save data cannot be stored; replacement requires soldering. Complete-in-box (CIB) Famicom Final Fantasy with original manual is increasingly collectible, as the manual includes maps and class information that enhance gameplay.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Final Fantasy copies regularly.
Will this Japanese Famicom cartridge work on a North American Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)?
No, not without an adapter. The Famicom uses a 60-pin edge connector while the NES uses a 72-pin connector with a physically different form factor — the two are incompatible at the cartridge slot level. Third-party adapters exist that bridge the pin difference and allow Famicom cartridges to run in a NES. On a Japanese Famicom, NES cartridges face the same incompatibility in reverse. To play Japanese Famicom software, you need a Japanese Famicom, a Famicom-compatible clone console, or a NES fitted with an appropriate adapter.
How should I clean a Famicom cartridge to ensure reliable play?
Apply 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol to a cotton swab and gently wipe the gold-plated PCB edge contacts on the base of the cartridge. Never blow into the cartridge — breath moisture accelerates contact corrosion over time. If cleaning is needed inside, Famicom cartridges use 3.8mm security game bit screws (not standard Phillips); a security bit screwdriver is required to open the shell without damage. Note that most Famicom boot failures originate in the 60-pin console slot rather than the cartridge itself — cleaning the console slot contacts separately with a contact cleaning tool is often the more effective fix.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Final Fantasy
A short checklist for buying a used Famicom cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is a Japanese Famicom cartridge with a 60-pin connector; a North American NES uses a 72-pin slot, so it will not fit directly.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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If this title saves your progress, check the battery
Cartridges that save use a small coin-cell battery that fades over decades — a dead one wipes your save without warning.
Ask the seller whether the save function was tested. Replacing the battery is possible, but doing so erases any existing save.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Confirm it is genuine, not a reproduction
Sought-after titles are targets for reproduction boards with replacement labels.
Ask for a photo of the circuit board and look for factory markings. Favour a shop with a licensed second-hand dealer permit (古物商) — by law its stock has a traceable origin, your simplest guard against fakes.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Final Fantasy sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
Share your memory ↑From the Museum's Screening Room
Prelude (Final Fantasy) — The Sound of the Machines