[FF Meme] Day 01

[seventhe]

Swiped this as soon as I saw it from rosencrantz and irish_ais ~!

Day 01: Favorite Final Fantasy Game

HOW DO I CHOOSE

Well, in typical Sev fashion, I am going to have to choose three because I don't do decisions, but I have reason for my choices, so here goes:

My favorite Final Fantasy game in general/overall is FFIV. This is for a lot of reasons that have nothing to do with the game itself and everything to do with nostalgia. FFIV was my first Final Fantasy - back when it was FFII - and I can remember first sitting down with my brother to play it: the boy I had a crush on in school had lent us FFII and Zelda for SNES, for one week, and I really just remember getting hooked on FFII. Jim and I couldn't beat it in the time we had it, but after getting that taste, we would constantly petition my mother to rent the game from the supermarket. It became our babysitter: Mum and Dad knew that if we had that game for an evening we wouldn't do anything else, including get hungry. It was real.

So I have a huge soft spot for that game overall. I loved Rydia from the second she came on the screen, adorable little green-haired nuker. I watched Cecil and Rosa be all sweet at each other, watched Kain's awkward honor/obedience thing twist himself up in ways I was probably too young to understand, loved Edge, cheered at Yang and Edward and Palom and Porom, and cried at the frigging Giant of Bab-Il when everyone comes back to fight, I'm not lying, I still tear up at that scene occasionally because, well, we're going on 20 years of memories of playing that (yup, just aged myself, didn't I).

I made Rydia and Rosa Lego People afterwards. I mean, okay, at that time, I liked video games, but I think I would have liked them more if they'd had girls in them - and FFII/FFIV did. No matter what (genuine and appropriate!) criticisms you can lay on Rosa and Rydia in terms of traditional female roles and female video-game-character roles (and I have!), you can't deny that they are important in the game, important to the plot. Rosa's at Cecil's side for a lot of it; Rydia saves the day with her summons. They both defy the menfolk and fly to the moon and won't take it back. It isn't - it was like, oh, okay, I can identify with that. I used to pretend I was Rydia more than I should admit online.

I've played this game more times than I should admit either. I've played it on SNES, on emulator, on PS1, on GBA, on DS, on PSP. I know it pretty well. And every time I play it I still enjoy it: so there isn't a lot of gameplay involved, no customizable characters, not even really replay value (except for the DS NGP option), and yet... I still love it, because I'm a nostalgic softhearted sucker for it. It still makes me smile and sigh and stabs my heart in all the right places.

So for those reasons, FFIV will always be my overall favorite.

My game I think is the best one is actually FFVI. It's complex and intricate in a lot of really awesome ways, with character backstories that are really fleshed out and personalities that are multilayered. It's funny and silly and heartwrenching and sad all at once. It has a fantastic villain and no real hero / "main character", but it's led by two awesome heroines who are central to the story being told. Gameplay is pretty straightforward, but characters are sort-of customizable (Esper levelling-up) and there's some replay value in that you can pick different parties and get different scenes in-game and at the ending. It's a great game and when I think of all of them, I still think it's the shining star.

It would be my favorite, but the nostalgia-value of FFIV pushes it over the edge, honestly. I have some pretty good memories of FFVI, too, though - dual-controller SNES games where I wanted to be all the girls and Jim had to be Sabin because I couldn't Blitz worth a nickel.

My favorite game to write for is FFVIII. As a fanfiction writer, as somebody in fandom, I think this is a slightly different angle: FFVIII was a fantastic and fantastically confusing game. And for a fanfic writer, it's still my favorite. I still haven't run out of stories to tell in that world; I omni-ship the entire cast; I'm still coming up with theories, past and present and future and why does no one pay attention to Ellone and the game was informative enough to give us these interesting characters, a time-twisting plotline, some father-son snippets, weird fated threads -- and yet confusing enough that it leaves plenty to write for, plenty to do, lots of things to say and explore and lots of directions to go.

It was a great game, and of the "later" FFs it is my favorite. And for fanfic, it is the winner.


Day 02 – Your least favourite Final Fantasy game.
Day 03 – Your favourite Final Fantasy theme/song.
Day 04 – Your favourite Final Fantasy party from your favourite game.
Day 05 – Your favourite Final Fantasy City/Town.
Day 06 – Favourite part of your favourite Final Fantasy game.
Day 07 – Least favourite part of your favourite Final Fantasy game.
Day 08 – Favourite Chocobo Version.
Day 09 – Favourite Moogle Version.
Day 10 – Best Final Fantasy scene ever.
Day 11 – Final Fantasy game that disappointed you.
Day 12 – Final Fantasy game you’ve played more than 5 times.
Day 13 – Your favourite version of Cid.
Day 14 – Favourite Final Fantasy male character.
Day 15 – Favourite Final Fantasy female character.
Day 16 – Your favourite Final Fantasy limit break.
Day 17 – Favourite Final Fantasy mini game.
Day 18 – Favourite Final Fantasy opening sequence.
Day 19 – Best Final Fantasy outfit.
Day 20 – Best Final Fantasy hair.
Day 21 – Favourite Final Fantasy pairing/ship.
Day 22 – Favourite Final Fantasy summon.
Day 23 – Least Favourite Final Fantasy mini game.
Day 24 – Best Final Fantasy quote.
Day 25 – Final Fantasy game you plan on playing (old or new).
Day 26 – OMG WTF? Final Fantasy moment.
Day 27 – Best Final Fantasy storyline.
Day 28 – First Final Fantasy game obsession.
Day 29 – Current Final Fantasy game obsession.
Day 30 – Saddest Final Fantasy character death.

Comments

[crankyoldman]

re: FFIV

I played it all the way for the first time recently, with the DS version, which I think updated A LOT of the things really well. I didn't feel like I was playing the misogyny tango the entire time, which was a plus.

And I agree about GAMES WITH GIRLS. First videogame I ever played ever was Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance (yes, it's a PS2 game, I WAS LATER THAN A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T JUDGE) and the only female player character was not appealing to me and most of the other female characters looked a bit like blow-up dolls and it was uncomfortable. I can laugh at it now, but it really was awkward at the time. Rosa and Rydia may be skimpily dressed, but they at least had personalities. So I played the dwarf, because despite the fact he was hairy, he just seemed more gender neutral to me.

God, I should do this meme, but I can't keep it up every day... maybe I'll lump it into a condensed version.

[seventhe]

Well, and in the SNES version you couldn't really tell how scantily clad they were, and we didn't have a player's guide or anything, and without the internet I couldn't even really see the Amano artwork, so the pictures of them that formed in my head were basically awesome. Girl characters who fought, who I could play. It was pretty awesome.

And hey, go for it! I won't stick to daily; I'm just going to go through them in whatever time it takes me. XD

[crankyoldman]

Right, whereas my PS2 games were like BOOBS IN MY FACE. I'm starting to see the charm of games where even the character appearance is up to your interpretation.

[selryel.livejournal.com]

I love the hell out of FFII (we're both old enough to call it that, so let's annoy the young'uns). I remember what a revelation that game was -- an actual STORY, compared to FF1 and Dragon Quest and others.

I can never be too mad at Kain, because dude saved my bacon more times than I can count. The most significant victory was against Demon Wall, which had already gotten all the way across the screen and crushed everyone else in my party. But Kain? Was up in the air. He landed his Jump, killed the SOB and there was much rejoicing. That's one of my most vivid moments of triumph in all of video gaming.

The nightmare of the Calcabrina fight. UGH! I just barely slid through that by the skin of my teeth. Oh, wait, what? The lighting changed? And no, not the pipe organ! NOT THE PIPE ORGAN! It's Golbez! fuuuuu- (Followed, of course, by Rydia's Big Damn Heroes moment.)

There are so many great parts to that game. I didn't mention it in my entry, but it's definitely high on my list. I think the overall polish of VI and its ensemble and the million moving pieces to its plot were what wound up winning through to me.

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

Yeah, definitely! There are a lot of REALLY EXCITING moments in the game! Edward and the harp against the Dark Elf (PS: FUCK THAT WHOLE MAGNETIC FUCKING CAVE, I always hate that part with a burning passion (but hey, what interesting gameplay, right?) ). Stupid Calcabrina~! The FOUR FIENDS, man, in older versions of the game they were all super fucking hard. I really value that, too, bosses who were challenging but not like Emerald Weapon Challenging.

And yeah also -- I do think that FFVI is actually a superior game. A more complicated plot, more intricate characters, awesome characterization, badass music, all the worldbuilding: it's cleaner and deeper. FFIV just will always have that special place in my heart. XD

[selryel.livejournal.com]

That's what so great and so maddening about the "favorite" question -- there's no real metric, so everyone posting has to determine what and why.

On one of my replays (still in junior high, I think), I went into the Magnetic Cave, but I forgot to go talk to Edward first. So, yeah. Got all the way to stupid Elfy Jerkface and he did his fancy little trick and I thought, "well, sucks to be you 'cause my main man Edward is gonna get spoony bard on your ass!"

Except... he didn't. And we died. Horribly.

I agree about the difficulty. That game was really well-calibrated assuming you fought almost every random battle you came across. On one playthrough, I got really addicted to using Cecil's Teleport spell and routinely wound up in boss fights I had no chance of winning.

I loved the opening, too. It was so novel to me that I could start out as SOMEONE with a place in the world. Not just "little scrub hero from out of town," but a military commander with a host of soldiers and a girlfriend and a hetero life mate. That felt really new for me.

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

I have been playing the PSP remake, and I will admit, the random-encounter rate is REALLY HIGH, and REALLY ANNOYING. So I've been running from a lot of fights because I don't have the patience for it, and this means some of the bosses have been harder than they should be. Poor Edge is still at a pretty low level, but I have played this game enough times, I don't feel like I need to grind. XD

[selryel.livejournal.com]

How is the PSP version? I really, really liked the DS version. That was a lot of fun (and I'd still love for VI to get the awesome upgrade treatment -- not that it needs much work).

[first-seventhe.livejournal.com]

The PSP version is -- other than the encounter rate I have really enjoyed it! (Then again, I enjoy all of my replays, so, ha.) There are new sprites and some fun new animations for spells and the like, and the story/dialogue/translation is pretty good. I wouldn't say it's a "must-play" but so far I've really liked it, plus I am excited to play The After Years.

I LOVED the DS remake. It was different, but I thought it was a ton of fun to play, and the Augments made it a different sort of game and really interesting to me! (I really, really wish they would do a DS remake of FFVI. I can't even imagine how awesome it would be.)

[astrangerenters.livejournal.com]

We never had an SNES, so my first game was FF7. I love reading all the nostalgia and wish I'd been able to experience them for the first time then. Sadly, I got the FF6 PS1 port and it was god awful. I've still never beaten it hahahaha. I get to World of Ruin and forget what I'm supposed to do :)

I spent most of my writing time in FF12, but I think FF8's world is my favorite to play in and think about! All that history and all the possibilities to play around with post-game? I miiiiisssss iiiiit

[irish-ais.livejournal.com]

I LOVE IV. SO FAR, HOWEVER, MY IMMEDIATE REACTION TO ANYTHING MENTIONING IT IS "SLKJLSKJFDMOTHERFUCKING GOLBEZ."

DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN I TEXTED YOU ABOUT FORTY TIMES IN TEN MINUTES ABOUT THAT LITTLE SHIT? BECAUSE I DO.

Golbez= ALL OF MY RAGE.

But yes, VIII? Best gateway for fic EVER.

[rosencrantz.livejournal.com]

To my great shame, I have still to this day never finished playing FF6. I just don't have the time for continuous play and it requires remembering what the hell happened before in order to advance, because of the numerous characters. I made it to the ghost train bit with Sabin, I think, and then I can't remember what I was doing, how I got there, or what to do for the future. It drives me nuts sometimes, because I keep starting over and then I keep forgetting where I was. Game needs bookmarks, yo!

[salarta.livejournal.com]

It's neat to read how you felt about FF4 as a kid, and your experience with it. I never read people say anything about their play time as kids, just that they have nostalgic feelings for it.