Final Fantasy III (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 the final day of Final Fantasy week! Earlier this week, Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster was released (review coming on Monday) and had the Review Crew give their varied opinions of
Final Fantasy II and
Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest. But all that was the appetizer for the main course, which just so happens to be one of the best role-playing games of all time -- Final Fantasy III on Super NES. Let's go back and see what Electronic Gaming Monthly, Die Hard Game Fan, GamePro, Nintendo Power, Game Players, Super Play and other mags thought of Final Fantasy III back in 1994.
(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
(1995 Video Game Buyer's Guide)
"This year's winner in the RPG department is Squaresoft's Final Fantasy III. Aside from the fact that this game actually topped FF II (not an easy feat by any means!), Final Fantasy III is tops in our books for the awesome new options, great music, and overall graphic presentation. The in-depth story line will keep gamers of all ages interested, and to occupy older gamers. If you're a fan of RPGs, this game is for you."
(Best Role-Playing Game)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #63
"Never before have I seen a game with this much depth and detail. Few RPGs can hope to have the emotional draw this one has. The graphics and sounds blow away all other RPGs. This is the new standard. The Mode 7 scenes are pretty cool, albeit a little pixelized. If you've ever wanted an epic story and lots of hidden things to find, Final Fantasy III is a must. It's almost a 10. It's going to be near impossible to top this." -Ed
(9 out of 10)
DIE HARD GAME FAN (October 1994)
"Absolutely brilliant! I cannot say enough good things about FF III. The dialogue is so coherent and the story is so involving you actually feel as though you are a part of this game. Mix in some stunning graphics, a dash of phenomenal music, stir well and wait for the lines at checkout counter to form. This is the best role playing game I've ever experience." -K. Lee
(98% out of 100%)
NINTENDO POWER (October 1994)
"It's the biggest RPG of all-time with so much story and variations of play that fans may become lost in the world for months at a time. PLUS: A big game that will take at least 100 hours to complete. Battery backed-up memory with three slots. Lots to see and do. MINUS: Story is often sappy -- not written for an American audience. Animations are weak and animated sequences take too long."
(4 out of 5)
GAME PLAYERS (February 1995)
"This enchanting role-playing game tied with Super Street Fighter II for the highest scoring game ever rated by us! If you like the genre, you're gonna love this game!!!"
(98% out of 100)
SUPER PLAY #26
"A game to rekindle any SNES owner's romance with their machine. Too slow paced for some, perhaps, but those willing to put in the effort will be rewarded with a gaming experience of quality all too rarely seen." -Tony Mott
(95% out of 100%)
GAMEPRO (November 1994)
"This is a totally awesome RPG. The storyline is actually coherent and the plot moves along with a combination of speaking sequences and battles. Sure, there's plenty of old build up your abilities and move up a level play, but within a framework like this, how can you go wrong! Tasty game!"
(5 out of 5)
DIE HARD GAME FAN (October 1994)
"What can I say? FF3 is better than FF2. That makes it the perfect SNES RPG. Incredible drama, photo-real graphics, and music only Square can seem to achieve, make FF3 the Role Playing experience of a lifetime. The perfect SNES RPG is born!" -Skid
(99% out of 100%)
ELECTRONIC GAMING MONTHLY #63
"Square can do no wrong with this game! Final Fantasy III is quite possibly the best role-playing game I have ever played! From beginning to end, the game's intricate and involving story line will keep RPG fans playing this from hours on end. With its 24-megs of muscle, FF III boasts some of the most beautiful graphics and music in any video game. It's going to be tough to beat this game out for RPG of the year!" -Al
(9 out of 10)
REVIEW CREW AVERAGE: 94% -
It shouldn't come as much of a surprise that the critics loved Final Fantasy III. It wasn't just Die Hard Game Fan that awarded the game high marks, but every critic of the time. In fact, Nintendo Power comes off looking like the outlier by merely giving the game a 4 out of 5. Beyond giving the game all 9s, Electronic Gaming Monthly also gave Final Fantasy III a number of awards. Not just the Best Role-Playing Game award mentioned above, but also Best Music (Cartridge) and Best Role-Playing Game (Japanese). Many critics claimed that it would be hard to top Final Fantasy III. I know a few Final Fantasy fanatics who continue to agree with that bold statement.
Can't Get Enough Final Fantasy?
Still want more Final Fantasy? Then you're in luck, because we'll be posting our Final Fantasy X/X-2 HD Remaster review early next week. And you won't want to forget about the Review Crew's take on both
Final Fantasy II and
Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest.
