Topic: Final Fantasy

[tendoboy1984]

I'm confused as to why some Final Fantasy games have different numbers in America and Japan.

Final Fantasy (US) = Final Fantasy (Japan)
Final Fantasy 2 (US) = Final Fantasy 4 (Japan)
Final Fantasy 3 (US) = Final Fantasy 6 (Japan)
Final Fantasy 4 (US) =
Final Fantasy 5 (US) =
Final Fantasy 6 (US) =
Final Fantasy 7 (US) = Final Fantasy 7 (Japan)


Starting with Final Fantasy 7, we got the same games as Japan. Where are the real FF2 and FF3?

[broodwars]

I'm confused as to why some Final Fantasy games have different numbers in America and Japan.

Final Fantasy (US) = Final Fantasy (Japan)
Final Fantasy 2 (US) = Final Fantasy 4 (Japan)

So we didn't get Final Fantasy 2 or 3? What does that make our version of Final Fantasy 3? What is our version of Final Fantasy 4 called?

Nintendo refused to allow Squaresoft to release Final Fantasies 2-3 on the NES in the US because they felt the games were too similar to the first Final Fantasy (amusing, in retrospect, considering how many games in Nintendo franchises feel very similar).  So when Square released FF 4 over here, they thought it would be confusing for the "sequel" to FF 1 to be "Final Fantasy 4", so it was changed to "Final Fantasy 2".  For some reason, Squaresoft decided late in the game to not release FF 5 in the US, so "Final Fantasy 6" became "Final Fantasy 3" in the US.

When it came time to release FF 7 in the US, Squaresoft decided to finally get the Final Fantasy numbering scheme uniform across the world, so all the games had their original numbers restored and FF 7 was released with the proper number.  Because Nintendo insists on all Virtual Console games to appear in their original form, you'll find them on the VC under their original "1, 2, 3" numbers.

[tendoboy1984]

I'm confused as to why some Final Fantasy games have different numbers in America and Japan.

Final Fantasy (US) = Final Fantasy (Japan)
Final Fantasy 2 (US) = Final Fantasy 4 (Japan)

So we didn't get Final Fantasy 2 or 3? What does that make our version of Final Fantasy 3? What is our version of Final Fantasy 4 called?

Nintendo refused to allow Squaresoft to release Final Fantasies 2-3 on the NES in the US because they felt the games were too similar to the first Final Fantasy (amusing, in retrospect, considering how many games in Nintendo franchises feel very similar).  So when Square released FF 4 over here, they thought it would be confusing for the "sequel" to FF 1 to be "Final Fantasy 4", so it was changed to "Final Fantasy 2".  For some reason, Squaresoft decided late in the game to not release FF 5 in the US, so "Final Fantasy 6" became "Final Fantasy 3" in the US.

When it came time to release FF 7 in the US, Squaresoft decided to finally get the Final Fantasy numbering scheme uniform across the world, so all the games had their original numbers restored and FF 7 was released with the proper number.  Because Nintendo insists on all Virtual Console games to appear in their original form, you'll find them on the VC under their original "1, 2, 3" numbers.

But that still leaves a big gap for the earlier games.

Final Fantasy 1 (Japan) = Final Fantasy 1 (US)
Final Fantasy 2 (Japan = Not released in US
Final Fantasy 3 (Japan) = Not released in US
Final Fantasy 4 (Japan) = Final Fantasy 2 (US)
Final Fantasy 5 = Not released in US
Final Fantasy 6 = Final Fantasy 3 (US)

So did we ever get an American FF 3, 4, 5, and 6?

[Lithium]

As far as i know FF 3 and 4 were released as DS remakes under the actual numbering scheme. So at least 3 has had an official release outside of japan

[tendoboy1984]

As far as i know FF 3 and 4 were released as DS remakes under the actual numbering scheme.

That's not what I'm asking.


Square gave us FF 4 as FF 2 and FF 6 as FF 3, effectively skipping over the real FF 2 and 3.

What happened after we got Final Fantasy 3 (SNES)? Did the SNES ever get a Final Fantasy 4, 5, or 6? Or did Square skip directly to FF 7?

Did it go like this: FF 1 (NES), FF 2 (SNES), FF 3 (SNES), FF 7 (PS1)?

[TJ Spyke]

I'm confused as to why some Final Fantasy games have different numbers in America and Japan.

Final Fantasy (US) = Final Fantasy (Japan)
Final Fantasy 2 (US) = Final Fantasy 4 (Japan)

So we didn't get Final Fantasy 2 or 3? What does that make our version of Final Fantasy 3? What is our version of Final Fantasy 4 called?

Nintendo refused to allow Squaresoft to release Final Fantasies 2-3 on the NES in the US because they felt the games were too similar to the first Final Fantasy (amusing, in retrospect, considering how many games in Nintendo franchises feel very similar).  So when Square released FF 4 over here, they thought it would be confusing for the "sequel" to FF 1 to be "Final Fantasy 4", so it was changed to "Final Fantasy 2".  For some reason, Squaresoft decided late in the game to not release FF 5 in the US, so "Final Fantasy 6" became "Final Fantasy 3" in the US.

When it came time to release FF 7 in the US, Squaresoft decided to finally get the Final Fantasy numbering scheme uniform across the world, so all the games had their original numbers restored and FF 7 was released with the proper number.  Because Nintendo insists on all Virtual Console games to appear in their original form, you'll find them on the VC under their original "1, 2, 3" numbers.

Not true on Nintendo refusing to let them. Square canceled FF2 because of the long development time, the age of the Japanese version, and the fact that the SNES was about to come out (the original FF only came out in American in 1990). Same with FF3 (SNES). FF5 was canceled early in the localization process (which was started right after the Japanese release) because the guy in charge of the translation, Ted Woolsey, said in a 1994 interview that "[Final Fantasy V is] just not accessible enough to the average gamer". You are correct in that it was decided that the best decision was to name the next FF game as FF2 worldwide (outside of Japan) to avoid confusion.

tendoboy, North America DID get the real 4, 5, and 6. If you mean did a game ever use those numbers here? Yes. Final Fantasy IV Advance, Final Fantasy V Advance, and Final Fantasy VI Advance were enhanced ports of the Japanese games and were released on the GBA here.

[tendoboy1984]

Not true on Nintendo refusing to let them. Square canceled FF2 because of the long development time, the age of the Japanese version, and the fact that the SNES was about to come out (the original FF only came out in American in 1990). Same with FF3 (SNES). FF5 was canceled early in the localization process (which was started right after the Japanese release) because the guy in charge of the translation, Ted Woolsey, said in a 1994 interview that "[Final Fantasy V is] just not accessible enough to the average gamer". You are correct in that it was decided that the best decision was to name the next FF game as FF2 worldwide (outside of Japan) to avoid confusion.

tendoboy, North America DID get the real 4, 5, and 6. If you mean did a game ever use those numbers here? Yes. Final Fantasy IV Advance, Final Fantasy V Advance, and Final Fantasy VI Advance were enhanced ports of the Japanese games and were released on the GBA here.

I'm talking about back when the games were originally made. Did the SNES ever get a FF 4, 5, and 6? Did Square jump from FF3 (SNES) directly to FF 7 (PS1)?

Like this:

FF 1 (NES)
FF 2 (SNES)
FF 3 (SNES)
FF 7 (PS1)

So that means North America never had it's own FF 4, 5, or 6? That must have been confusing for customers back then.

[broodwars]

I'm asking about back when the games were originally made. Did the SNES ever get a FF 4, 5, and 6? Did Square jump from FF3 (SNES) directly to FF 7 (PS1)?

Like this:

FF 1 (NES)
FF 2 (SNES)
FF 3 (SNES)
FF 7 (PS1)

So that means the SNES never had it's own FF 4, 5, or 6? That must have been confusing for customers back then.

No, the SNES never got games numbered like that, as we've said multiple times now.  The games were released here in NA under their proper numbers post-FF7 on the GBA and DS, but pre-FF7 the games known as "FF2-3" and "FF5" did not exist in NA.  And judging by the sales numbers for FF 7, gamers weren't that confused by the "new" numbering.

Granted, it's been a few years, TJ Spyke, but I could have sworn that I read somewhere when I was originally researching this that Nintendo blocked Squaresoft on FFs 2 and 3.  If that's the real reason, fine, but I know I read that somewhere (and at the time it was reasonably plausible considering how horrible Nintendo was to 3rd parties in the NES era).

[TJ Spyke]

I made sure to look up the reasons why 2 & 3 never came out here before I replied, wouldn't want to correct you if I was wrong.

tendo, the FF series (and RPGs in general) were not popular with the mainstream gaming audience until FF7 came out (in large part thanks to Sony launching a massive ad campaign for it), so it wasn't really a big deal since most people either had never played a FF game before or they were big enough fans of the series that they knew what happened.

[tendoboy1984]

You guys aren't understanding my question. I'm asking, after the release of Final Fantasy 3 (FF4) on the SNES, did Square ever localize a Final Fantasy 4, 5, and 6 on the SNES?


Because if they didn't then the list goes like this:

NORTH AMERICAN FINAL FANTASY RELEASES

Final Fantasy 1 (NES)
Final Fantasy 2 (FF4) (SNES)
Final Fantasy 3 (FF6) (SNES)

And then it jumps directly to Final Fantasy 7 (PS1).

That leaves a 3-game gap between the SNES' "Final Fantasy 3" and the PS1's Final Fantasy 7.

Understand my question now? I'm asking specifically from an American localization point-of-view.

[broodwars]

You guys aren't understanding my question. I'm asking, after the release of Final Fantasy 3 (FF4) on the SNES, did Square ever localize a Final Fantasy 4, 5, and 6 on the SNES?

NO, as we've said several times now.  We understood your question just fine.  You just seem to be refusing to understand our answer.

[Oblivion]

Was a completely new thread necessary for this question? I'm sure this is something 30 seconds of googling could have done. Plus, I'm sure we have a Final Fantasy thread already. All this thread does is annoy people like me and piss off the people trying to help you.

[Louieturkey]

If you want a timeline of when games were released, go here.  Square originally released it all as 1,2,3,7 in the US.  Then later on the PS1, GBA and DS, they went back and rereleased games on those systems that were not released in the US (along with renaming II to IV and III to VI).  The SNES only had 2 & 3.  The NES only had 1.

[Morcant]

When Square decided to make Final Fantasy 7 on the PSone instead of the N64 they also decided to go back to the Japanese numeration. That is what makes it more confusing.