1987 | Nintendo Entertainment System | The Beginning of a Legend
Final Fantasy I (1987) is the legendary RPG that saved Square from bankruptcy and launched one of gaming's most iconic franchises. Players guide the Four Warriors of Light on a quest to restore balance to the world, introducing turn-based combat, character classes, and the now-classic crystal motif. Its success established the Japanese RPG genre worldwide and set the template for decades of adventure, strategy, and storytelling. Final Fantasy I remains a milestone in video game history, beloved for its challenge, music, and sense of epic adventure.
Final Fantasy was released in 1987 by Square (now Square Enix) for the Nintendo Entertainment System. The name "Final" came from the company's dire financial situation - if this game failed, Square would go bankrupt. It was their last shot.
The game succeeded beyond expectations, spawning one of the most beloved RPG franchises in gaming history. It introduced the world to the Four Warriors of Light, turn-based combat, character classes, and the iconic Final Fantasy crystals.
→ Saved Square from bankruptcy
→ Established the Japanese Role-Playing Game genre globally
→ Created templates used in RPGs for decades
Class System: Choose 4 warriors from 6 classes: Warrior, Thief, Monk, Red Mage, White Mage, Black Mage. Each class had unique abilities and could be upgraded mid-game.
Turn-Based Combat: The combat system that defined a generation. Select commands for each character, then watch the battle unfold. Strategic planning was key.
The Four Crystals: Earth, Fire, Water, Wind - restore balance to the world by defeating the Four Fiends and reigniting the crystals.
SIGNATURE FEATURES:
The world is dying. The Four Crystals - sources of the world's elemental power - have been darkened. Four Warriors of Light appear, holding the crystals, prophesied to restore balance.
The Four Fiends: Lich (Earth), Marilith (Fire), Kraken (Water), Tiamat (Wind) - each must be defeated to restore their respective crystal.
Chaos & the Time Loop: The final twist reveals Garland, the first boss you defeated, became Chaos - the ultimate evil trapped in a 2000-year time loop, sending the Four Fiends back in time.
Final Fantasy I has been remade and re-released over a dozen times:
The Pixel Remaster (2021) is the definitive version - updated graphics, orchestrated soundtrack, quality-of-life improvements while preserving the original spirit.
By the time I discovered Final Fantasy, the franchise was already at VII. But going back to Final Fantasy I years later showed me the roots - the DNA that made the series legendary.
The simplicity is elegant. Four warriors, four crystals, four fiends. No 80-hour cutscenes, no complex systems - just pure adventure. It's a time capsule of when games were about imagination filling the gaps between pixels.
Respect to the game that saved Square and gave us 35+ years of Final Fantasy.