He came from outside the series and made the music with what the machine would give him.
Ryuji Sasai was a rock musician from Osaka — a bassist, a Queen fan, someone who had scored anime before he ever touched a video game. When Chihiro Fujioka invited him to Square in 1991, Sasai's first assignment was Final Fantasy Legend III. He had three melodic channels and one noise channel. No colour on screen, no continuity with the two games before his. He was an outsider to the series, working in a hardware language smaller than almost anything he had composed for before. But constraint is not the opposite of expression — it is the room where expression becomes precise. Sasai worked with what the Game Boy gave him, and made it sound like something that belonged. When you inherit someone else's unfinished thing, with rules you didn't make and tools that weren't built for you — that is not a disadvantage. That is where craft shows itself.
— inspired by Ryuji Sasai
About this game
The third and final SaGa title for Game Boy, released in Japan in December 1991 as Sa·Ga 3: Jikuu no Hasha — Ruler of Time and Space. The only entry in the Game Boy SaGa trilogy that series creator Akitoshi Kawazu did not work on, it was developed by Square's newly-established Osaka studio under director Kouji Ide and producer Chihiro Fujioka. The game follows a group of warriors crossing three time periods — past, present, and future — to stop a force threatening the fabric of time itself. It expanded the series' party system to four character types: humans, mutants, monsters, and robots, each with distinct growth mechanics. The soundtrack was composed by Ryuji Sasai, a rock musician from Osaka who joined Square at Fujioka's invitation, with four additional pieces by Fujioka himself.
Key Features
Four playable character types with distinct growth systems: Humans grow by using items and equipment, Mutants gain random abilities by leveling up, Monsters evolve by absorbing enemy parts, and Robots can be upgraded with new components. Three explorable time periods — past, present, and future — each with distinct environments and enemies. A soundtrack composed within the Game Boy's hardware constraints — Ryuji Sasai worked with three melodic channels and one noise channel to produce a score that blended his rock and film music background with the platform's severe limits.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Final Fantasy Legend III arrived as Square was expanding rapidly — Final Fantasy IV had launched on SNES the year before, and the company was establishing itself as Japan's premier RPG studio. Series creator Akitoshi Kawazu was unavailable, focused entirely on Romancing SaGa for Super Famicom, making this the only Game Boy SaGa title without his direct involvement. The Osaka studio team — newcomers to the franchise — overcame the absence by bringing in Chihiro Fujioka as producer-director and inviting his longtime collaborator Ryuji Sasai to compose. The SaGa series on Game Boy collectively demonstrated that handheld RPGs could rival console experiences in narrative depth, helping build the audience that would later embrace the Game Boy Advance's RPG library.
Tricks & Tales
Sa·Ga 3 is the only game in the Game Boy SaGa trilogy that Akitoshi Kawazu — the series creator — did not work on; he was fully occupied with Romancing SaGa on Super Famicom. The North American version was not distributed by Square but by Sunsoft — one of the few North American localizations of the era handled by a third-party distributor. Composer Ryuji Sasai, born in Osaka Prefecture, came to Square at the invitation of director Chihiro Fujioka, with whom he had previously collaborated before either joined Square. Sasai composed the majority of the score for three melodic channels only, with Fujioka contributing four additional tracks. The game's airship design drew inspiration from the Lockheed F-117 Nighthawk stealth fighter. The Japanese subtitle Jikuu no Hasha — Ruler of Time and Space — was not carried over to the Western release.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The Game Boy has no region lock. A Japanese Sa·Ga 3: Jikuu no Hasha cartridge plays on any Game Boy or Game Boy Advance anywhere in the world. If the image appears stretched when running on a Game Boy Advance, hold Select and press Start to restore the original proportions. The North American version was published by Sunsoft rather than Square — one of few Western SaGa releases handled by a third party. The Japanese subtitle Jikuu no Hasha (Ruler of Time and Space) was not used in the Western release.
Maintenance Tips
If the game won't load, the contacts are almost always the reason. Wipe the gold edge pins gently and lengthwise with a cotton swab dampened in 90%-or-higher isopropyl alcohol, then let the cartridge dry fully before trying again. Never blow into a cartridge — the moisture in breath corrodes the contacts over time, making the problem worse rather than better. The save battery is a CR1616; replacing it requires a 3.8 mm Game Boy security screwdriver. Removing the old battery clears all saved progress, so record anything worth keeping before you begin. Store both cartridge and console away from direct sunlight — the grey plastic discolours from UV and heat, and once that change sets in it cannot be reversed.
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 Legend III copies regularly.
Will Final Fantasy Legend III still save my game?
Yes — the cartridge uses a CR1616 coin battery to hold your save data. Every copy is now more than thirty years old, well past the fifteen-to-twenty year lifespan those batteries were designed for. If your progress disappears when you switch the power off, the battery has run out rather than the cartridge being damaged. Replacing it is a common repair, though removing the old cell clears whatever was saved — write down anything worth keeping before you begin. When shopping for a used copy, it's worth asking whether the battery has already been replaced.
Is Final Fantasy Legend III region-free?
Yes. The Game Boy has no region lock. The Japanese Sa·Ga 3: Jikuu no Hasha cartridge plays on any Game Boy or Game Boy Advance worldwide. One thing worth knowing: the North American release was distributed by Sunsoft rather than Square — so a North American copy will have Sunsoft branding on the box and label. The game inside is the same either way.
My cartridge won't start — what should I try first?
The contacts are almost always the cause. Clean the gold edge pins gently and lengthwise with a cotton swab dampened in 90%-or-higher isopropyl alcohol, let it dry fully, then try again. Don't blow into the cartridge slot — the moisture in breath corrodes the contacts over time rather than helping them. If the game still won't load after cleaning, a replacement battery or professional recapping may be needed, but a simple contact clean solves the majority of cases.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Final Fantasy Legend III
A short checklist for buying a used Game Boy cartridge wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
-
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.
-
Good news — Game Boy is region-free
Game Boy and Game Boy Color cartridges are not region-locked, so a Japanese copy plays on any Game Boy worldwide.
Just confirm the hardware family — original GB, Color, or Advance — matches the cartridge.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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.
See what we have in stock →Unexpected Discoveries
Games you weren't looking for — but might be glad you found.
Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Final Fantasy Legend III 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 ↑