Final Fantasy III - When Magic Disappeared Forever

Ages ago, evil beings created powerful creatures called Espers, and unleashed them against each other. The resulting battles left their world a smoldering rubble. Legend has it, the Espers destroyed themselves and most of humanity. Magic disappeared forever.

Centuries have passed and a rational world now exists with Espers living only in myths, until one frozen solid since the ancient wars is unearthed. Suddenly, there are reports of magical attacks on civilians. Imperial Commandos launch raids using magic powered MagiTek weapons. Magic is obviously alive and the world is in danger again. Who or what is behind the rediscovery and redeployment of this legendary power? What chaotic plans exists that will wreak havoc on this orderly world?

Final Fantasy III is one of what many consider to be the classics for RPG genre games. Released as Final Fantasy III for the SNES in 1994, it is actually the 6th installment of the immensely popular Final Fantasy series produced by Squaresoft. The game takes place about 1000 years following the ending of a great war called "The War of the Magi" which removed magic from the face of the world.

It is a typical turn based RPG with the player having control of over 15 playable characters each one with his or her own strengths and weaknesses and different fighting styles and stories to tell. The main character is a young half-human, half-Esper girl whom is trying to find her place in a world torn asunder by war. The main villain in the story is one of the most colorful villains in the Final Fantasy series, a rather funny clown named Kefka.

Joining forces with him are a few other military style villains with lesser roles and even a few NPCs who get involved. There are many plot twists that include cut scenes involving characters that allow the player to have a "real-time" feel with the story. The characters have "expressions" that while being very basic, convey the general theme of each scene to the player. In my opinion, this game is perfect for the player who wants to see some of the best the SNES had to offer in terms of RPGs.

Gameplay:

As far as games for the SNES go, there are only 1 or 2 other games as engrossing as Final Fantasy III. All of the elements that make the other games in the series enjoyable are here. The player can rename all of the characters in the game including the ever present summons (called Espers in FFIII).

There are a multitude of side quests in the game that vary in difficulty from easy to difficult in terms of time and involvement to complete, and the level of commitment necessary to complete the game can vary between 25 hours. To just finish the core storyline of the game, can be up to 100 hours give or take. This is if you want to obtain what is called a "complete" gaming experience meaning gathering all of the most powerful weapons, armor, and magic, and also leveling characters up to maximum levels.

The only reason the game is not getting a 10 rating in this department is the fact that while leveling characters is not a problem in the beginning and middle of the game, once a character reaches the higher levels (above 60) it becomes a very time consuming, tedious process to level up the character sometimes taking hours upon hours to raise a character just one level. This I would say is the main common problem with RPGs of this era. But, if you do not mind that sort of monotony, this game is for you.

The characters in Final Fantasy 3 offer a host of clever individual attacks. Each character has his or her own special talents and the player can choose to utilize each character's talents or can just ignore them. An essential part of each Final Fantasy is magic, and this game is no exception. There are a multitude of magics available to the player to use, each one learned from equipping certain Espers.

The longer an Esper is equipped, the more magic is obtained from the Esper and once the learning curve for the Esper reaches 100%, all of the magic available from that Esper is learned. Some magic is able to be learned from two to four Espers, while other magic may only be learned from one specific Esper. This makes Esper use a conscionable thought process. The player must plan their use of Espers in order to learn the needed spells.

Graphics:

Again, I am comparing this to other SNES games. This game is 2-D. Plain and simple. It features a 3/4 overhead view 90% of the time and also features an overworld which has since been all but removed from most RPGs. The graphics were considered state of the art in 1994 when this game was released. There are rich color textures and some very good use of the Mode-7 graphics capabilities of the SNES in both scaling and rotation which are show cased especially when the characters use the airship for transportation.

As far as actual graphic renderings are concerned, the game is 2-D, so if you are expecting to see walking, talking, fully rendered 3-D you are out of luck. In scenes where the graphics are made to be inflated or close up, they become pixilated the larger they become. These problems aside, the graphics for its day, when compared to other games out at the time, were considered to be very quite advanced.

Sound Quality:

Here's where the game shines. The score is enormous! Created by the world-renowned Nobuo Uematsu, there are at least 100 different songs in the game (including renditions of the main theme) and also includes a scene with one of the earliest examples of voiced "singing" in video games. The songs feature 128 note polyphony and a beautifully detailed musical story. Because the game's dialogue is text based, the music allows the player to get involved on a more emotional level with this game and the characters than many other games out at the time.

There is a great combination of deep bass, singing strings, and synthesized keyboards to keep the listener enthralled and engaged throughout the game. There are very few songs that last less than five minutes without repeating so the player never really gets the boring monotonous feeling that usually accompanies games from the SNES.

Replay Value:

There are very few games that can be left to sit for years on a shelf and then picked up and played again with the same level of commitment and enjoyment as Final Fantasy III. The game is just as much fun the every other time through as it was the first time through. As a matter of fact, with all of the side quests and obtainable items, weapons, armor, and magic, the game could possibly be one of the hardest RPG's created for the SNES to obtain a "perfect" or 100 percent complete game. There are always ways to expand the difficulty of the game and make each play through a unique experience.

Concept:

Not exactly the most cutting edge in gaming, this game has the very familiar "fight the monsters and gain levels before fighting the final boss and saving the world" theme. While the Action RPG gamer will find this game very repetitive, the fan of the Turn Based style RPG gamer will love it.

Having a female as the main character in the game is a concept that was not used very much prior to Final Fantasy III. This seemed to be a risky idea but Square pulled it off flawlessly. Also, with all of the other characters in the game, the stories unfold rather nicely for each character. This adds to the depth of the game as well as the entertainment concept.

Overall:

If you are a fan of the Final Fantasy series, a collector of vintage games, or a person who is interested in getting involved in the series but is worried about the complexity of the newer Final Fantasy titles, this game is for you. Final Fantasy III is great for the "old-school" player and the "newbie" alike. It has a great story, great sound, and WILL take over your life for a few days if you let it. The characters are original, have many different abilities to use, and have emotions that make playing this game really great.

The NPCs seem to have more of an impact in this game as opposed to most and the main characters are some of the most imaginative I've ever come across. The towns are sprawling, the graphics are engaging, and the sound is rich and vibrant. The story unfolds well, and from the opening scene, most players are hooked. The enemies are varied and numerous and the bosses difficult while not being impossible. I highly recommend this game to anyone who owns a SNES.

For more video game reviews and product updates. Visit us at www.nextlevelgamerz.com

Article Source: EzineArticles.com

read more “Final Fantasy III - When Magic Disappeared Forever”

Smartly Shop Video Games Tips

Find resources online for reviews of games and video game stores, price catalogs video games, podcasts, videos, games, series and other valuable services.

Play the video store does not have all the answers

Video games are a way of life for many of us. I'm old enough to remember getting my first Atari, and I have a collection of Nintendo that only one old timer may have accumulated. The new games are great, and I do not blame the people who camp out all night to get a new version, although this is not my style. They are more in the collection of old things and new things to play at times. I hit the big toy store in New York, Chicago, video game stores, and almost every place in between, with mixed experience. Some of these places I was really ripped off, and I do not know yet.

How Video Collection Tips Helps Out

Fortunately, there are online resources that can really help. I found a guide online Nintendo NES prices let me know what you would pay for the games. You can get the prices Sega Saturn, and find values ​​for the Playstation as well. The first step is to shop wisely to know what is a reasonable price, I think. The nice thing about these sites is that they are trying to make money from you. These sites made by players to help other players out. This is why you can trust to give you the real prices. I collect things Super Nintendo for years, and I did not know half of these guys. A site is also a video game podcast with all kinds of good information about toys old and new.

The value of reviews

Reviews can really help. There are so many games coming out all the time, and before that I have not found the time yet, the reviews are very helpful. I read a great shadow of the Colossus review recently that really changed my mind on the game. A good unbiased reviews, can save you from spending a lot of money and time in a game that I hate. Reviews give you ideas on games that can help you make better decisions. Then there are the reviews of video game stores, which is perhaps even more valuable. If someone can move away from a shop in bad video game, in which you are likely to tear, they did a great favor. You can find lists and locations of video game stores around the world in these areas, which is really cool, and comments of their choice, prices, services, etc.

These online resources are there to help you save money, find what you are looking for, without wasting time. The list price of video games is particularly useful in these areas, so you know if you are treated fairly. The best sites have content that is actually fun to read, and very educational. You can not be arrogant to know your game. There is always someone who knows more, as well as it only makes sense to listen and learn. These guys are out to help you, let them do so. I do not have time to try all the games in the world, or the money. Most of the comments are written to tell you what kind of people can enjoy the game and if it is not just good or bad. Sometimes I realize that I can not, as a game, but you should have a friend who loves him. It's about creating a community and enjoy the games together, or at least enjoy the exchange of information and views among themselves.

read more “Smartly Shop Video Games Tips ”

The Extended Of ESRB Rating

ESRB insights for each structured, score procedure for electronically allocated games. The Enjoyment Application Ratings Panel (ESRB) has extended its ranking program to deal with the fast growth of electronically offered activities. As you're likely aware, the team typically rates activities so mother and father can make advised buys. Retail stores headings get one of six scores from "Early Childhood" (suitable for those three years or older) to "Adults Only" (recommended for gamers outdated 18 or older).

Naturally, to apply those scores, the ESRB opinions video from the activities in question -- a service that marketer and designers must pay for. However, this is becoming progressively difficult as plenty of products are launched totally through solutions such as XBLA, PSN, Vapor and the new Windows 8 Store. To help ensure those activities are ranked, the ESRB has decreased its fee and structured its procedure.

The company now allows designers to publish a set of questions about their mission's content. Base on the solutions offered, a robotic voice immediately produces a ranking that the designer can use on electronic traditional and ads. If we understand the statement right, designers will be able to access this set of questions straight through the ESRB, but it will also be cooked into the experience distribution procedure of many popular electronic systems, such as Windows, Sony's and The.

Enabling popular conventional that reveal the number of assaults, sex or medication in an activity title is only one part of the ESRB's electronic technique, as it has declared three new additional scores that provide more information about a mission's "interactive components." The team said that at least sixty-six percent of mother and father think it's essential to know whether program gathers or stocks details such as a customer's current e-mail deal with, contact number, bank card or location data -- an especially legitimate issue on electronic solutions.

read more “The Extended Of ESRB Rating”