It
was another two years before the third Final Fantasy game appeared, and
by this time it was one of the most eagerly anticipated releases of its
time. Final Fantasy Ill, released in Japan in 1990, was the last game
in the series to appear on the NES, a system that was beginning to look
dated in the face of a new wave of 16-bit consoles. Nonetheless, it was
another excellent title, and very well received among fans. The nearest
thing to a true sequel in the Final Fantasy series, FFIII shared many
elements with The original game. The plot concerned an ancient evil, long-contained
but now seeking to escape its bonds and lay waste to the world once more.
Only the four Light Warriors of legend could defeat this dark force and
restore balance to the world. The game began with four young orphans exploring
a mysterious cave. Once inside, They were attacked by beasts, and forced
to fight their way through. Eventually, in a crystalline chamber, they
discovered the lost Wind Crystal, which explained the danger facing the
world. Proclaiming them to be the 'chosen ones', the Crystal granted each
of the four a special power, and sent them on a quest to destroy the malignant
force threatening their world. FFIII was a 4Mb NES cartridge, and Square
put the extra capacity to great use. As well as pushing the humble NES
to its graphical and sonic limits, the third Final Fantasy game was also
far more complex and detailed than earlier offerings. The system was similar
to that of the original, enabling players to choose the names and character
classes for four heroes This time, however, there were more classes, and
the game featured more locations, monsters, weapons, equipment and spells
Amongst these were several new additions that have since become trademarks
of the Final Fantasy line. Chocobos were back, and this time there were
two different kinds. The cutsey Moogles also made their first appearance,
together with several more monsters and weapons that are now standard
features. FFIII also introduced several new classes, including the Dragoon
and the Caller, together with a new set of summoning spells. Although
their names were different these spells are still recognisable as the
same ones that appeared in FFVII - Chocobo, Shiva, Ramuh, lfrit and the
rest. Despite its impressive sales in Japan, Final Fantasy Ill never appeared
outside its home country. |