Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (Super NES)
Ever wonder what Electronic Gaming Monthly, GamePro and other popular magazines thought of your favorite 8-, 16- and 32-bit games? Now you can find out, thanks to Review Crew! This is the only show on the internet that is willing to go back in time to find out what old school critics thought of retro games at the time. Did they pan your favorite game? Did they love something terrible? Find out every week as Defunct Games presents Review Crew!
It's Final Fantasy week! Not only did Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster hit PlayStation 3 and PS Vita yesterday, but we're spending the full week seeing what critics thought of classic Final Fantasy games. Today we're going back in time to wrap our heads around Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, often criticized for being a dumbed-down RPG. Is this criticism fair? Find out what Electronic Gaming Monthly, Nintendo Power, Super Play and other magazines thought of Mystic Quest back in 1992.
(NOTE: Although we occasionally cut for length, no other edits are made to the review. Defunct Games does not change any of the wording, grammar or punctuation use. Also keep in mind that our score is the average of all critics at the time, not just the sample that is reprinted on this page. If you still have more questions, I recommend you check out the
Review Crew FAQ, where we address the review guidelines, converting scores, magazine covers and more.)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #40
"A perfect RPG for the player who doesn't want to have to spend hundreds of hours in solving the game. The beginner will enjoy the challenge and even the experienced questmaster will find the game challenging. The graphics are noteworthy as they are better than the average screens we are used to in other RPGs." -Martin
(8 out of 10)
NINTENDO POWER (November 1992)
"Square's latest installment in the Final Fantasy series, Mystic Quest, is a role-playing game for the masses. If you've never tried an RPG, or if you think RPGs are too complicated and take too long to get into, think again and give this one a try."
(3.8 out of 5)
SUPER PLAY #3
"Funny, hugely enjoyable and a great introduction to genre. Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest doesn't quite measure up to the standards set by Zelda, Ys and the forthcoming Dragon's Quest V, but it's a really smart little game, and I enjoyed playing it immediately. It's also a great introduction to fantasy role-playing -- just as its makers intended." -Jonathan Davies
(79% out of 100%)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #40
"Final Fantasy MQ is a great amateur's adventure title with tons of quests to solve. FF MQ isn't very hard, but it's solid, so it should be popular with that crowd. Let's face it, FF MQ is a HQ RPG, not quite suited 4 VIP's, but since it will go MIA PDQ at your local EB, KB, etc., U had better RSVP yours ASAP!" -Sushi X
(7 out of 10)
GAMEPRO (November 1992)
"If you usually say "back off, dude, I'm just a button puncher" when someone offers you an RPG, you ought to check this game out. Persevere and your reward will be a good time and maybe the desire to take on other FRPGs. If you're a Final Fantasy fanatic, this version will just whet your appetite for the next full-bore installment." -Bro. Buzz
(4 out of 5)
N-FORCE #8
"You've had Zelda and Soul Blazer, now comes another chance to take the part of a childlike sprite, on whose shoulders the fate of the world (in which plants and hedgehogs talk to you) rests somewhat uneasily. The producers call it an entry-level game -- I call it simple. A good basic game with elements from others of the type but nothing new for the old hand -- in fact, more than a little disappointing. A great introduction for those new to RPGs. Ultimately too easy to be taken seriously." -Carl
(78% out of 100%)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #40
"This RPG is actually quite fun to play and runs at a consistently fast pace. It never dwells heavily on any one aspect of the adventure and features just enough depth in the story and action to make for an enjoyable time. While the game is geared toward a younger set, its ease is the only fault I could find." -Steve
(7 out of 10)
REVIEW CREW AVERAGE: 73% -
As expected, many critics dubbed this a beginner's step into Final Fantasy. GamePro, Electronic Gaming Monthly and Nintendo Power all stressed that this wasn't a difficult game and wouldn't take hundreds of hours to get into. As a fan of the so-called "hardcore" role-playing games of that era, I'm not sure I agree with the characterization of Final Fantasy II. Sure, Cecil's quest is more involved than Mystic Quest, but it's hardly hundreds of hours long. If anything, this review of Mystic Quest is going to scare people away from far better RPGs. Or is that FRPG?
Can't Get Enough Final Fantasy?
Still want more Final Fantasy? Then you're in luck, because we'll be posting our full review of Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster. And if you still want more, don't forget that the Review Crew also took a look at
Final Fantasy II. Oh, and don't forget to come back on Friday, when we see what critics thought of Final Fantasy III back in 1994.
