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.
Available in our shop
Hand-cleaned and tested units shipped worldwide from Toyohashi, Japan. HP direct purchase exclusive: we include a printed shop owner's note card with every order.
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