Final Fantasy III
Encyclopedia : F : FI : FIN : Final Fantasy III
- For information regarding the game originally released in America as Final Fantasy III on the Super Nintendo, see Final Fantasy VI.
is a role-playing game developed and published by Square Co., Ltd. in 1990 for the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom, known internationally as the Nintendo Entertainment System). It was the first Final Fantasy to liberally feature the job-change system, and was one of the largest RPGs created for Nintendo's console.An enhanced remake of the classic RPG from Square for the Nintendo DS portable game system with updated 3D visuals designed to stay true to the original is currently in development (as of July 2006). Square Enix is currently working on the enhanced remake that is targeted for a 2006 release in Japan, and in other territories later in the year. The DS remake of Final Fantasy III will be the first iteration of the game to be released internationally. There had been earlier plans to remake the game for Bandai's WonderSwan Color handheld (as had been done with the first two installments and the fourth game), but the developers faced difficulties converting the original Famicom version's cartridge size to the WonderSwan Color[Video-fenky: More Famitsu tidbits (published June 17, 2003)], leading to several delays and eventually cancellation after the premature death of the platform.
Gameplay
Gameplay contains elements of the first two Final Fantasy games, along with some new features. The experience point system featured in Final Fantasy I makes a return following its absence from Final Fantasy II. There is a new class system featured in Final Fantasy III, however. Unlike Final Fantasy I, where the player chose each character's class alignment at the start of the game, and Final Fantasy II, where there are no specific classes, Final Fantasy III introduces the "job system" for which the series would become famous. Jobs themselves are basically interchangeable classes: all four characters start out as "Onion Knights," but before long the player is given the option to have them switch to a variety of other classes. The classes featured in Final Fantasy III are:
- Warrior-type jobs
- * Onion Knight (たまねぎ剣士＜たまねぎけんし＞)
- * Freelancer (すっぴん, DS Remake Only)
- * Warrior (戦士＜せんし＞)
- * Monk (モンク)
- * Hunter (狩人＜かりゅうど＞)
- * Knight (ナイト)
- * Thief (シーフ)
- * Dragon Knight (also known as Dragoon) (竜騎士＜りゅうきし＞)
- * Viking (バイキング)
- * Karate Master (空手家＜からてか＞)
- * Mystic Knight (魔剣士＜まけんし＞)
- * Ninja (忍者＜にんじゃ＞)
- Mage-type jobs
- * White Mage (白魔道師＜しろまどうし＞)
- * Black Mage (黒魔道師＜くろまどうし＞)
- * Red Mage (赤魔道師＜あかまどうし＞)
- * Scholar (学者＜がくしゃ＞)
- * Geomancer (風水師＜ふうすいし＞)
- * Conjurer (幻術師＜げんじゅつし＞)
- * Bard (吟遊詩人＜ぎんゆうしじん＞)
- * Shaman (導師＜どうし＞)
- * Warlock (魔人＜まじん＞)
- * Summoner (魔界幻士＜まかいげんし＞)
- * Sage (賢者＜けんじゃ＞)
Story
Many years ago, on a floating continent hovering high above the surface of an unnamed planet, a technologically advanced civilization sought to harness the power of the four elemental crystals of light. They did not realize that they could not hope to control such fundamental forces of nature. This power of light would have consumed the world itself had the light crystals not had their natural counterparts: the four dark elemental crystals. Disturbed by the sudden interruption of the careful balance of the light and the dark, four warriors were granted the power of the dark crystals in order to recontain the power of the light crystals. These so-called Dark Warriors succeeded in their quest, and restored harmony to the world. But their victory came too late to save the doomed civilization that had foolishly tried to harness the power of the crystals to begin with. Their once-proud culture was reduced to ruin, though their floating continent remained, a reminder of what had come before. And on that very continent, the circle of Gurgans, a race of blind soothsayers and fortune-tellers, predicts that eventually things will come full circle. Just as the power of light can be abused, so too can the power of darkness. And when that occurs, then the crystals of the light will need to call forth their own champions to restore balance to the world....
One day, an earthquake opens up a previously hidden cavern in Altar Cave near the village of Ur on the floating continent. Four orphaned youths under the care of Topapa, the village elder, go exploring and come across a crystal of light. The crystal grants them a portion of its power, and instructs them to go forth and restore balance to the world. Not knowing what to make of the crystal's pronouncements, but nonetheless recognizing the importance of its words, the four inform their adoptive family of their mission and set out to explore.
This is only the beginning... The ultimate goal of the heroes--the liberation of light--will bring balance back to the world.
.Characters
The playable characters in the Famicom version of Final Fantasy III are four young men who are granted special powers from the Light Crystals to take up the Quest of Light. The four are orphans who are raised at the remote village of Ur by the priest, Topapa. When the Wind Crystal sinks to the earth due to an earthquake one day, the four, dressed as Onion Knights, go to investigate. They manage to get lost, but eventually stumble upon the Crystal. The Crystal tells them of Zande's plans to conquer the world using Darkness, which could upset the balance of Light and Dark and lead to detrimental effects. It proceeds to bestow the Legendary Job Classes upon the four. From there on, the four become the Warriors of Light, and leave Ur in their quest. Granted the power of the Light, the Warriors of Light begin to combat the darkness that increasingly consumes the world. As the other Crystals they encounter provide them more Jobs, the four become a formidable party to deal with.
The remake of the game for the Nintendo DS handheld features a new set of party members, each with new background stories and personalities.
Musical score
Final Fantasy III was scored by Nobuo Uematsu, and it is Uematsu's 21st work of video game music. , an arranged album by Uematsu featuring vocals by singer Dido, was also released.
Nintendo DS version
| Nintendo DS remake | |
|---|---|
| |
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix Co., Ltd. Square Enix, Inc. |
| Release date(s) | August 24, 2006 October 3, 2006 |
| Rating(s) | CERO: A (All ages) ESRB: RP (Rating Pending) OFLC: YTBC |
| Platform | Nintendo DS |
| Media | DS Cartridge |
The Final Fantasy III Nintendo DS remake was first revealed to be in development on October 7, 2004, but detailed information did not emerge until a year later. Hiromichi Tanaka, one of the main designers of the original, is heading the project as both the executive producer and director. His guidance and supervision is needed because the game will not be a mere graphics update like the updates for Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II, but a total overhaul using the Nintendo DS's 3D capabilities; however, early screenshots suggest the layout of the dungeons and towns will be identical to the original. Ryosuke Aiba, the art director of Final Fantasy XI, is the new art director. Along with the 3D graphics, a full motion video opening scene has been made for the game, similar to those from the 2D Final Fantasy remakes for the PlayStation.
Nobuo Uematsu, composer of the game's original score, will be supervising the arrangement of the game's music, as well as creating a new orchestral version of the game's main theme.Nintendo Power Vol. 206 Pg. 78
Akihiko Yoshida is the new artist who will be revamping previous character designs, and the game will change the main party characters completely. The characters are given default names: Luneth (Runesu), Arc (Arukuu), Refia (Refia) and Ingus (Inguzu) [link]; three are male and one is female. They will be given new personalities and background stories, and additional scenes will be added to expand upon their personalities and tales, but the main storyline will not be changed. Along with these four, additional characters (called sub-characters) will also join the party temporarily, like in the original. Unlike the original however, these characters may randomly participate in battle.
Also confirmed are overhauls to the job system, including the rebalancing of the classes, the addition of new abilities, a new "Freelancer" class that becomes the default job for the characters at the beginning of the game (Onion Knight is now a separate class), and changes to use of Capacity Points. Unlike the original Famicom version, most of the jobs will remain useful for the entire game; the ultimate jobs, the Ninja and the Sage, will be rebalanced so that they will be at the same level as the Warrior and others.
It also has been noted that the remake will take advantage of the Wi-Fi hardware of the Nintendo DS, though Square-Enix has not stated how it will do so. [link]
On April 24, 2006, Square Enix issued a press-release announcing that Final Fantasy III will be part of their E3 2006 lineup, and that after 16 years, the game will see a release outside of Japan. It has recently been stated by the Japanese magazine Famitsu that Final Fantasy III is slated for release in Japan on August 24, 2006.[Famitsu] The North American version will be released on October 3, 2006. [Gamespot News on FFIII]
Trivia
- In 1999, Final Fantasy III was unofficially translated into English by Neill Corlett and Alex W. Jackson.
- This was the first appearance of moogles and the Fat Chocobo in the series.
- The "walk around the world on a chocobo and I'll give you a prize" quest was repeated in Final Fantasy V.
- This was the first game in the series to graphically show hit points when a target was attacked or healed, rather than use caption as in the original versions of the previous two games. It was also the first to contain auto-targeting. Both of these aspects were also adapted in the remakes of the previous two games.
- The names of Dorga and Unne, two key characters in this game, appear in multiple Final Fantasy games including Final Fantasy IX, which contains a sub-quest involving two items named "Doga's Artifact" and "Une's Mirror".
- A crab-like monster named Uruk-Hai exists in this game; the name, although not the monster itself, is a reference to Tolkien's Middle-earth.
- Several of the game's songs were used in Chocobo Racing, including the opening theme ("Crystal Cave") and the final battle theme.
External links
- [Final Fantasy Wiki category list for Final Fantasy III]
- [Official Final Fantasy III DS Website (JP)]
- [Official Final Fantasy III DS Website (NA)]
References
| Main series: | I — II — III — IV — V — VI — VII — VIII — IX — X — XI — XII — ''XIII |
| Compilations and collections: | I-II — Collection — Anthology — Chronicles — Origins — ' — Compilation of VII — ' |
| Direct sequels: | ' — ' — ' — ' — X-2 — Agito XIII — Versus XIII — Final Fantasy XI II (tentative name) |
| Spinoffs: | Crystal Chronicles — ' — ' — Mystic Quest — Tactics — Tactics Advance |
| Related series: | – Kingdom Hearts series |
| Film and television: | ' — ' — ' — ' — |
| More info: | Creatures — Characters — Designers — Items — — Magic — — Music — Races — [List of Final Fantasy weapons|Weapons] |
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating.
All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License See Wikipedia Copyrights for details.