RPGs are great on consoles, but they feel best on portables. Square Enix seemingly realized this fact which is probably why they released so many RPGs on handhelds over the years. Particularly, theFinal Fantasyseries has been well represented on portables since the 90s.
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From the Game Boy to the PS Vita, there are some great exclusives to go over. Some of them have been remade for consoles or at least ported to consoles. One example isFinal Fantasy Type-0which began on PSP. What about theFinal Fantasygames that haven’t received updates? Is it time for Square Enix to port, remaster, or remake these other examples as well?
7Dissidia Final Fantasy
Dissidia Final Fantasyis the first game in this fighting game spinoff series. It was quickly followed up byDissidia 012 Final Fantasywhich was both a sequel and an enhanced re-release. Both games were released on PSP, and reviewed well but didn’t get a ton of attention since the PSP didn’t sell that great.
Years later a third would release,Dissidia Final Fantasy NTwhich played and looked great. Unfortunately, it lacked a lot of features from the PSP games like a world map and a true story campaign. Now would be a good time to re-release these games in a remastered collection since 2023 marks the 15th anniversary of the Japanese launch.
6Final Fantasy Explorers
Final Fantasy Explorerswas a 3DS game that focused on multiplayer. Players could customize their character and then take on a Job, like a Paladin or Black Mage, to finish their hero. They would venture off into the plains and other levels to fight monsters and bosses to harvest materials.
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Players could then use those materials to make armor and weapons to get stronger. It was Square Enix’s version ofMonster Hunterwhich lacked a lot of that series’ nuances. Still, it was fun with friends, and would be fun to play again on a bigger screen with a more solid online network than the 3DS’.
5Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire Of The Rift
Final Fantasy Tacticschanged the series forever with that mighty spinoff. It went on to spawn two sequels with one launching on the Game Boy Advance and the other for the DS.Final Fantasy Tactics Advancehas a good chance to make its way to consoles via Nintendo Switch’s GBA online library.
A DS library has not been set up yet, soFinal Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Riftis going to have a harder chance to return without a remake or remaster. Other DS games have made the conversion though, likeThe World Ends With You, so it is not impossible.
4Final Fantasy 12: Revenant Wings
There are a lot of tactical RPGs in the series, as was previously covered, butFinal Fantasy 12: Revenant Wingsis the only RTS. It is a spinoff and a sequel to the main game which finds Vaan and Penelo on an adventure to chase their dreams into the sky. They journey with Balthier and Fran to become sky pirates but quickly run into some earth-shattering plot as is typical in an RPG.
Players can control hero players on the battlefield but they can also also summon minions to help like in a typical RTS. There are no base-building mechanics though. A modern port to a home console would be killer as the DS’ screen size made it hard to play as it hit cluttered fast.
3Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring Of Fates
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fatesis the second game in the series. It was a DS game that was split between two campaigns. Players could create a character like in the original game to play with friends locally. They could also inhabit the role of Yuri and go through a single-player campaign.
Now,Final Fantasy Crystal Chroniclesbegan on consoles before getting two sequels on DS.Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Timeis the third game but it launched on both DS and Wii, leavingFinal Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fatesin the dust. Getting both DS games in a collection would be ideal but one would suffice as well.
2Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes Of Light
Final Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Lightwas like a soft reboot of the franchise. It did not retell the original game, but it did dial things back to a time when the series was more about fantasy settings instead of sci-fi ones. It was also brutally hard for a turn-based game on the DS.
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Players would have to grind to even stand a chance at even some of the beginning foes. It was an old-school RPG through and through and in an era when Soulslikes are thriving, now would be a great time for Square Enix to try this one again.Bravely Defaultfans may like to know that the DNA ofFinal Fantasy: The 4 Heroes of Lightwent on to influence that.
1Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portable
Itadaki Streetis a Japanese series of video board games set up likeMonopolybut with RPG elements. The first game was on NES and future titles would get more ambitious by crossing over big franchises.Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portableis one example, which is a PSP game released only in Japan.
Only one game has ever made it over here officially, Fortune Street, which combinedDragon QuestandMariocharacters on Wii.Dragon Quest & Final Fantasy in Itadaki Street Portablewould be an odd game to bring over now, but collecting it, the PS2 game, and the PS4 game could make for a fun party game collection. Mario Party needs some competition in this market.
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