Click here to view our list of the Definitive 50 SNES games. Links to each video and write-up are included.
Final Fantasy II, or as it is more accurately known, Final Fantasy IV, was released on November 23, 1991 in North America, introducing to the West a story and character driven RPG unlike any that had come before it. As the title was technically a couple games removed from its supposed predecessor, as well as on a new system, the leap in game construction was astronomical for RPG fans.
Final Fantasy IV takes 12th place on the list of Definitive 50 SNES games.
This title built up a passionate following on the Super Nintendo, with many still citing it as their favourite in the series. That following has financed remakes, re-releases, and sequels on everything from the PlayStation to the Wii.
A 3D remake of Final Fantasy IV also came to the DS in 2008.
This game set the standard for 16-bit RPGs when it was released. FFIV brought with it a host of 12 unique playable characters who bring to life a compelling narrative as they enter and leave the unfolding story of the game. This title centers on Cecil, a former captain of an elite squad at the service of the king who has become disillusioned with the power he once served. As the story unfolds, it is revealed that a member of a race known as the Lunarians seeks to destroy life on Blue Planet so that it can be re-populated by his own people.
Final Fantasy IV takes players on a wild ride, journeying first across the Earth-like Blue Planet before delving into an underworld inhabited by Dwarves, an artificial moon, and even a giant robot of great destructive capacity.
Final Fantasy IV was a mighty step forward in the development of the role playing game genre. It took the best of what had worked previously, and introduced gamers to some of the most compelling and dramatic storytelling ever in a video game to that point. There is no doubt that this is one of the Super Nintendo’s best, and one of the most important video games ever made.