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also known as ''Final Fantasy III'' from its initial North American release, is a 1994
role-playing video game A role-playing video game (commonly referred to as simply a role-playing game or RPG, as well as a computer role-playing game or CRPG) is a video game genre where the player controls the actions of a character (or several party members) immers ...
developed and published by
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for the
Super Nintendo Entertainment System The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Eu ...
. It is the sixth main entry in the ''
Final Fantasy is a Japanese science fantasy anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi and developed and owned by Square Enix (formerly Square). The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science fantasy role-playing video games. The ...
'' series, and the first to be directed by someone other than series creator
Hironobu Sakaguchi is a Japanese game designer, director, producer, and writer. Originally working for Square (later Square Enix) from 1983 to 2003, he departed the company and founded independent studio Mistwalker in 2004. He is known as the creator of the ''Fin ...
; the role was instead filled by
Yoshinori Kitase is a Japanese game director and producer working for Square Enix. He is known as the director of ''Final Fantasy VI'', ''Chrono Trigger'', ''Final Fantasy VII'', ''Final Fantasy VIII'' and ''Final Fantasy X'', and the producer of the ''Final Fa ...
and
Hiroyuki Ito , is a Japanese game producer, director and designer who works for Square Enix. He is known as the director of '' Final Fantasy VI'' (1994), '' Final Fantasy IX'' (2000) and ''Final Fantasy XII'' (2006) and as the creator of the Active Time ...
. Long-time collaborator Yoshitaka Amano returned as character designer and concept artist, while composer
Nobuo Uematsu is a Japanese composer and keyboardist best known for his contributions to the '' Final Fantasy'' video game series by Square Enix. A self-taught musician, he began playing the piano at the age of twelve, with English singer-songwriter Elton ...
returned to compose the game's score, which has been released on several
soundtrack album A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television show. The first such album to be commercially released was Walt Disney's ''Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs' ...
s. Set in a world with technology resembling the
Second Industrial Revolution The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of rapid scientific discovery, standardization, mass production and industrialization from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. The ...
, the game's story follows an expanding cast that includes fourteen permanent
playable characters A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not contro ...
. The narrative deals with the themes of a rebellion against an immoral military dictatorship, pursuit of a magical arms race, use of chemical weapons in warfare, depictions of violent and apocalyptic confrontations, several personal redemption arcs,
teenage pregnancy Teenage pregnancy, also known as adolescent pregnancy, is pregnancy in a female adolescent or young adult under the age of 20. This includes those who are legally considered adults in their country. The WHO defines adolescence as the period be ...
, and the renewal of hope and life itself. ''Final Fantasy VI'' received widespread critical acclaim, particularly for its graphics, soundtrack, story, characters, setting, and mature themes, and won numerous awards. It is widely considered to be one of the
greatest video games of all time This is a list of video games that multiple reputable video game journalists or magazines have considered to be among the best of all time. The games listed here are included on at least six separate "best/greatest of all time" lists from diff ...
, and is often cited as a watershed title for the role-playing genre. The game was a commercial success, with the Super NES and PlayStation versions selling over 3.48 million copies worldwide by 2003, as well as over 750,000 copies as part of the Japanese ''
Final Fantasy Collection '' Final Fantasy'' is a video game series developed and published by Square Enix (formerly Square). The first installment in the series, the eponymous '' Final Fantasy'', premiered in Japan in 1987, and ''Final Fantasy'' games have been release ...
'' and the North American ''Final Fantasy Anthology''. It was ported by
Tose () (also called Tose Software) is a Japanese video game development company based in Kyoto. It is mostly known for developing Nintendo's Game & Watch ports and remakes#Game & Watch Gallery series, ''Game & Watch Gallery'' series, various ''Drago ...
with minor differences to the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
in 1999, and the
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, ...
in 2006. The Super NES version was rereleased for the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...
's
Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, U ...
in 2011, and by
Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards ...
as part of the company's
Super NES Classic Edition The Super NES Classic Edition is a dedicated home video game console released by Nintendo, which emulates the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The console, a successor to the NES Classic Edition, comes with twenty-one Super NES titles pr ...
in 2017. The game was known as ''Final Fantasy III'' when it was first released in North America, as the original ''
Final Fantasy II * is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the '' Final Fantasy'' series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, th ...
'', ''
Final Fantasy III is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Family Computer. The third installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series, it is the first numbered ''Final Fantasy'' game to feature the job-change system. The story revolve ...
'', and ''
Final Fantasy V is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992. It is the fifth main installment of the '' Final Fantasy'' series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom (known internationally as th ...
'' had not been released outside Japan at the time (leaving '' IV'' as the second title released outside Japan and ''VI'' as the third). However, later localizations typically use the original title.


Gameplay

Like previous ''Final Fantasy'' installments, ''Final Fantasy VI'' consists of four basic modes of
gameplay Gameplay is the specific way in which players interact with a game, and in particular with video games. Gameplay is the pattern defined through the game rules, connection between player and the game, challenges and overcoming them, plot and pl ...
: an
overworld An overworld (sometimes referred to as a hub world) is, in a broad sense, commonly an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other vide ...
map, town and
dungeon A dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period. An oubliette (from ...
field maps, a battle screen, and a menu screen. The overworld map is a scaled-down version of the game's
fictional world A fictional universe, or fictional world, is a self-consistent setting with events, and often other elements, that differ from the real world. It may also be called an imagined, constructed, or fictional realm (or world). Fictional universes m ...
, which the player uses to direct characters to various locations. As with most games in the series, the three primary means of travel across the overworld are by foot,
chocobo The is a fictional species created for the ''Final Fantasy'' franchise by Square Enix (originally Square). A galliform bird commonly having yellow feathers, they were first introduced in ''Final Fantasy II'' (1988), and have since featured in ...
, and
airship An airship or dirigible balloon is a type of aerostat or lighter-than-air aircraft that can navigate through the air under its own power. Aerostats gain their lift from a lifting gas that is less dense than the surrounding air. In early ...
. With a few plot-driven exceptions, enemies are randomly encountered on field maps and on the overworld when traveling by foot. The menu screen is where the player makes such decisions as which characters will be in the traveling party, which equipment they wield, the magic they learn, and the configuration of the gameplay. It is also used to track experience points and levels. The game's plot develops as the player progresses through towns and dungeons. Town citizens will offer helpful information and some residents own item or equipment shops. Later in the game, visiting certain towns will activate
side-quests A quest, or mission, is a task in video games that a player-controlled character, party, or group of characters may complete in order to gain a reward. Quests are most commonly seen in role-playing games and massively multiplayer online game ...
. Dungeons appear as a variety of areas, including caves, forests, and buildings. These dungeons often have treasure chests containing rare items that are not available in most stores. Dungeons may feature puzzles and mazes, with some dungeons requiring the player to divide the characters into multiple parties which must work together to advance through the dungeon.


Combat

Combat in ''Final Fantasy VI'' is
menu In a restaurant, the menu is a list of food and beverages offered to customers and the prices. A menu may be à la carte – which presents a list of options from which customers choose – or table d'hôte, in which case a pre-established seque ...
-based, in which the player selects an action from a list of such options as Fight, Magic, and Item. A maximum of four characters may be used in battles, which are based on the series' traditional Active Time Battle (ATB) system first featured in ''
Final Fantasy IV known as ''Final Fantasy II'' for its initial North American release, is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in 1991, it is the fourth main insta ...
''. Under this system, each character has an action bar that replenishes itself at a rate dependent on their speed
statistic A statistic (singular) or sample statistic is any quantity computed from values in a sample which is considered for a statistical purpose. Statistical purposes include estimating a population parameter, describing a sample, or evaluating a hypo ...
. When a character's action bar is filled, the player may assign an action. In addition to standard battle techniques, each character possesses a unique special ability. For example, Locke possesses the ability to steal items from enemies, while Celes' ''Runic'' ability allows her to absorb most magical attacks cast until her next turn. Another element is the Desperation Attack, a powerful attack substitution that occasionally appears when a character's health is low. Similar features appear in later ''Final Fantasy'' titles under a variety of different names, including Limit Breaks, Trances, and Overdrives. Characters are rewarded for victorious battles with
experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
s and money, called gil ( Gold Piece (GP) in the original North American localization). When characters attain a certain number of experience points, they gain a level, which increases their statistics. An additional player may play during battle scenarios, with control of individual characters assigned from the configuration menu.


Customization

Characters in ''Final Fantasy VI'' can be equipped with a variety of weapons, armor and, particular to this entry, powerful accessories known as "Relics". Weapons and armor increase combat capability mostly by increasing statistics and adding beneficial effects to attacks. By comparison, Relics have a variety of uses and effects, are almost entirely interchangeable among party members, and are extended in sophistication to alter basic battle commands and exceed normal limitations of the game's systems. Although in ''Final Fantasy VI'' only two playable characters start the game with the ability to use magic, magic may later be taught to almost all other playable characters through the game's introduction of magicite and the Espers that magicite shards contain. "Espers" are the game's incarnation of the series' trope of "summons", powerful monstrous beings, many of which are recurring throughout the series, such as Ifrit, Shiva, Bahamut and Odin. Besides those returning from previous entries, ''Final Fantasy VI'' features approximately two dozen of them in total, with more added to later versions of the game. The setting and plot of the game revolve heavily around Espers and their remains when deceased, which are referred to as "magicite". Each piece of magicite has a specific set of magic spells that a character can learn when they are equipped with it in the menu. If used often enough, these abilities become permanently accessible, even if the magicite is removed. Additionally, some pieces of magicite grant a statistical bonus to a character when they gain a level. Finally, when a character equips a piece of magicite, they may summon the corresponding Esper during battle.


Plot


Setting

Instead of the strictly
medieval In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire a ...
fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy literature and d ...
settings featured in previous ''Final Fantasy'' titles, ''Final Fantasy VI'' is set in a world that also has prominent
steampunk Steampunk is a subgenre of science fiction that incorporates retrofuturistic technology and aesthetics inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery. Steampunk works are often set in an alternative history of the Victorian ...
influences. The structure of society is similar to that of the latter half of the 19th century, with
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
and the
fine art In European academic traditions, fine art is developed primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from decorative art or applied art, which also has to serve some practical function, such as pottery or most metalwor ...
s serving as recurring motifs throughout the game, and a level of technology comparable to that of the
Second Industrial Revolution The Second Industrial Revolution, also known as the Technological Revolution, was a phase of rapid scientific discovery, standardization, mass production and industrialization from the late 19th century into the early 20th century. The ...
. During the first half of the game, the planet is referred to as the World of Balance, and is divided into three lush continents. The northern continent is punctuated by a series of mountain ranges, the southern continent has been mostly subjugated by the cruel Gestahl Empire, and the eastern continent is home to the Veldt, a massive wilderness inhabited by monsters from all over the world. An apocalyptic event mid-game transforms the planet into the World of Ruin; its withering landmasses are fractured into numerous islands surrounding a larger continent. The game alludes to a conflict known as the "War of the Magi," which occurred one thousand years prior to the beginning of the game. In this conflict, three quarreling entities known as the "Warring Triad" used innocent humans as soldiers by transforming them into enslaved magical beings called Espers. The Triad realized their wrongdoings; they freed the espers and sealed their own powers inside three stone statues. As a precaution, the espers sealed off both the statues and themselves from the realm of humans. The concept of magic gradually faded to myth as mankind built a society extolling science and technology. At the game's opening, the Empire has taken advantage of the weakening barrier between the human and esper domains, capturing several espers in the process. Using these espers as a power source, the Empire has created "Magitek", a craft that combines magic with machinery (including mechanical infantry) and infuses humans with magical powers. The Empire is opposed by the Returners, a rebel organization seeking to free the subjugated lands.


Characters

''Final Fantasy VI'' features fourteen permanent
playable characters A player character (also known as a playable character or PC) is a fictional character in a video game or tabletop role-playing game whose actions are controlled by a player rather than the rules of the game. The characters that are not contro ...
, the most of any game in the main series, as well as several secondary characters who are only briefly controlled by the player. The starting character,
Terra Branford Terra Branford, known as in Japanese, is a fictional character in the ''Final Fantasy'' series and the main protagonist of ''Final Fantasy VI''. Yoshitaka Amano and Tetsuya Nomura designed her for the main series installment, with Kazuko Shibuy ...
, is a reserved half-human, half-esper girl who spent most of her life as a slave to the Empire, thanks to a mind-controlling device, and is unfamiliar with love. Other primary characters include
Locke Cole Square (video game company), Square's role-playing video game ''Final Fantasy VI'' (released as ''Final Fantasy III'' in North America) features fourteen permanent player characters, the largest number of any game in the main ''Final Fantasy'' ...
, a treasure hunter and rebel sympathizer with a powerful impulse to protect women;
Celes Chere Celes Chere is a fictional character and protagonist in the video game ''Final Fantasy VI''. She was created by Yoshinori Kitase and was his favorite character in the game. She struggles with allegiances between the Empire and the rebel group the ...
, a former general of the Empire, who joined the Returners after being jailed for questioning imperial practices;
Edgar Roni Figaro Square's role-playing video game ''Final Fantasy VI'' (released as ''Final Fantasy III'' in North America) features fourteen permanent player characters, the largest number of any game in the main ''Final Fantasy'' series, as well as a number ...
, a consummate womanizer and the king of Figaro, who claims allegiance to the Empire while secretly supplying aid to the Returners;Locke: On the surface, Edgar pretends to support the Empire. The truth is, he's collaborating with the Returners, an organization opposed to the Empire. I am his contact with that group... The old man you met in Narshe is one of us.
Sabin Rene Figaro Square's role-playing video game '' Final Fantasy VI'' (released as ''Final Fantasy III'' in North America) features fourteen permanent player characters, the largest number of any game in the main '' Final Fantasy'' series, as well as a numb ...
, Edgar's independent brother, who fled the royal court to hone his
martial arts Martial arts are codified systems and traditions of combat practiced for a number of reasons such as self-defense; military and law enforcement applications; competition; physical, mental, and spiritual development; entertainment; and the preser ...
skills; Cyan Garamonde, a loyal knight to the kingdom of Doma who lost his family and friends when Kefka poisoned the kingdom's water supply;
Setzer Gabbiani Square's role-playing video game ''Final Fantasy VI'' (released as ''Final Fantasy III'' in North America) features fourteen permanent player characters, the largest number of any game in the main '' Final Fantasy'' series, as well as a number ...
, a habitual gambler, thrill seeker, and owner of the world's only known airship;
Shadow A shadow is a dark area where light from a light source is blocked by an opaque object. It occupies all of the three-dimensional volume behind an object with light in front of it. The cross section of a shadow is a two- dimensional silhouett ...
, a
ninja A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp. 2 ...
mercenary who offers his services to both the Empire and the Returners; Relm Arrowny, a young but tough artistic girl with magical powers;
Strago Magus Square's role-playing video game ''Final Fantasy VI'' (released as ''Final Fantasy III'' in North America) features fourteen permanent player characters, the largest number of any game in the main ''Final Fantasy'' series, as well as a number o ...
, Relm's elderly grandfather and a Blue Mage; Gau, a
feral child A feral child (also called wild child) is a young individual who has lived isolated from human contact from a very young age, with little or no experience of human care, social behavior, or language. The term is used to refer to children who h ...
surviving since infancy on the Veldt; Mog, a pike-toting
Moogle are a fictional species of diminutive, sentient creatures and a recurring element of the ''Final Fantasy'' video game franchise, starting with their initial appearance in ''Final Fantasy III''. They also appear in the ''Mana'' and ''Kingdom He ...
from the mines of Narshe; Umaro, a savage but loyal
sasquatch Bigfoot, also commonly referred to as Sasquatch, is a purported ape-like creature said to inhabit the forest of North America. Many dubious articles have been offered in attempts to prove the existence of Bigfoot, including anecdotal claims of ...
also from Narshe, talked into joining the Returners through Mog's persuasion; and Gogo, a mysterious, fully shrouded master of the art of mimicry. Most of the main characters in the game hold a significant grudge against the Empire and, in particular,
Kefka Palazzo is a fictional character in the ''Final Fantasy'' series of video games. Originally designed by Yoshitaka Amano, he appears in the sixth installment of the series, ''Final Fantasy VI''. First introduced as the court jester and army general under ...
, who serves as one of the game's main antagonists along with
Emperor Gestahl Square's role-playing video game ''Final Fantasy VI'' (released as ''Final Fantasy III'' in North America) features fourteen permanent player characters, the largest number of any game in the main ''Final Fantasy'' series, as well as a number o ...
. The clownish Kefka became the first experimental prototype of a line of magically empowered soldiers called Magitek Knights, rendering him insane; his actions throughout the game reflect his demented nature. The supporting character Ultros serves as a recurring villain and
comic relief Comic relief is the inclusion of a humorous character, scene, or witty dialogue in an otherwise serious work, often to relieve tension. Definition Comic relief usually means a releasing of emotional or other tension resulting from a comic epis ...
. A handful of characters have reappeared in later games. ''Final Fantasy SGI'', a short
tech demo A technology demonstration (or tech demo), also known as demonstrator model, is a prototype, rough example or an otherwise incomplete version of a conceivable product or future system, put together as proof of concept with the primary purpose of s ...
produced for the
Silicon Graphics Silicon Graphics, Inc. (stylized as SiliconGraphics before 1999, later rebranded SGI, historically known as Silicon Graphics Computer Systems or SGCS) was an American high-performance computing manufacturer, producing computer hardware and soft ...
Onyx Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded variety of chalcedony, a silicate mineral. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The ...
workstation, featured
polygon In geometry, a polygon () is a plane figure that is described by a finite number of straight line segments connected to form a closed '' polygonal chain'' (or ''polygonal circuit''). The bounded plane region, the bounding circuit, or the two ...
-based 3D renderings of Locke, Terra, and Shadow.


Story

In the town of Narshe, Terra participates in an Imperial mission to seize a powerful Esper encased in ice. Upon locating it, a magical reaction occurs between Terra and the Esper; as a result, the soldiers accompanying Terra are killed and Terra is knocked unconscious. Upon awakening, Terra is informed that the Empire had been using a device called a "slave crown" to control her actions. With the crown now removed, Terra cannot remember anything more than her name and her rare ability to use magic unaided. Terra is then introduced to an organization known as the "Returners", who she agrees to help in their revolution against the Empire. The Returners learn that Imperial soldiers, led by Kefka, are planning another attempt to seize the frozen Esper. After repelling Kefka's attack, Terra experiences another magical reaction with the frozen Esper; she transforms into a creature resembling an Esper and flies to another continent. Upon locating Terra, the party is confronted by an Esper named Ramuh, who informs the group that Terra may require the assistance of another Esper imprisoned in the Imperial capital city of Vector. At Vector, the party attempts to rescue several Espers; however, the Espers are already dying from Magitek experiments and choose instead to offer their lives to the party by transforming into magicite. The group returns to Terra and observes a reaction between her and the magicite "Maduin". The reaction calms Terra and restores her memory; she reveals that she is the half-human, half-Esper child of Maduin and a human woman. With this revelation, the Returners ask Terra to convince the Espers to join their cause. To do this, she travels to the sealed gate between the human and Esper worlds. However, unbeknownst to the party, the Empire also uses Terra to gain access to the Esper world. There, Emperor Gestahl and Kefka retrieve the statues of the Warring Triad, raising a landmass called the Floating Continent. The group confronts Emperor Gestahl and Kefka at the Floating Continent, whereupon Kefka, whose mental state has progressively declined over the course of the story, usurps and murders Gestahl. Kefka then tampers with the alignment of the statues, which upsets the balance of magic and destroys most of the surface of the world. One year later, Celes awakens on a deserted island. She learns that Kefka is using the Warring Triad to rule the world in a tyrannical god-like manner, destroying whole villages who oppose him and causing all life to slowly wither away. After Celes escapes the island, she searches for her lost comrades, who are found scattered throughout the ruined world. They come to terms with their situation and resolve to confront Kefka and end his reign, with Terra additionally accepting her half-Esper heritage and finding a new purpose in life in fighting for a better future. The group infiltrates Kefka's tower and destroys the Warring Triad before confronting Kefka himself, who has descended into
nihilism Nihilism (; ) is a philosophy, or family of views within philosophy, that rejects generally accepted or fundamental aspects of human existence, such as objective truth, knowledge, morality, values, or meaning. The term was popularized by I ...
as a result of his madness and plans to destroy all of existence as a means of self-validation. However, the group successfully destroys Kefka in battle, at which point magic and Espers disappear from the world; despite this, Terra is able to survive by hanging onto the human half of her existence. The group escapes from Kefka's tower as it collapses and flies away while watching as the world rejuvenates itself.


Development


Creation

''Final Fantasy VI'' entered development after the release of its predecessor ''
Final Fantasy V is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992. It is the fifth main installment of the '' Final Fantasy'' series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom (known internationally as th ...
'' in December 1992. The development of the game took just one year to complete. Series creator and director
Hironobu Sakaguchi is a Japanese game designer, director, producer, and writer. Originally working for Square (later Square Enix) from 1983 to 2003, he departed the company and founded independent studio Mistwalker in 2004. He is known as the creator of the ''Fin ...
could not be as intimately involved as in previous installments due to his other projects and his promotion to Executive Vice President of the company in 1991. For that reason, he became the producer and split director responsibilities for ''Final Fantasy VI'' up between
Yoshinori Kitase is a Japanese game director and producer working for Square Enix. He is known as the director of ''Final Fantasy VI'', ''Chrono Trigger'', ''Final Fantasy VII'', ''Final Fantasy VIII'' and ''Final Fantasy X'', and the producer of the ''Final Fa ...
and
Hiroyuki Ito , is a Japanese game producer, director and designer who works for Square Enix. He is known as the director of '' Final Fantasy VI'' (1994), '' Final Fantasy IX'' (2000) and ''Final Fantasy XII'' (2006) and as the creator of the Active Time ...
: Kitase was in charge of event production and the scenario, while Ito handled all battle aspects. Sakaguchi supervised Kitase's cutscene direction and ensured that the project would coalesce as a whole. The idea behind the story of ''Final Fantasy VI'' was that every character is the protagonist. All members of the development team contributed ideas for characters and their "episodes" for the overall plot in what Kitase described as a "hybrid process". Consequently, Terra and Locke were conceived by Sakaguchi; Celes and Gau by Kitase; Shadow and Setzer by graphic director
Tetsuya Nomura is a Japanese video game artist, designer and director working for Square Enix (formerly Square). He designed characters for the ''Final Fantasy'' series, debuting with ''Final Fantasy VI'' and continuing with various later installments. Addi ...
; and Edgar and Sabin by field graphic designer Kaori Tanaka. Then it was Kitase's task to unite the story premise provided by Sakaguchi with all the individual ideas for character episodes to create a cohesive narrative. The scenario of ''Final Fantasy VI'' was written by a group of four or five people, among them Kitase who provided key elements of the story, such as the opera scene and Celes' suicide attempt, as well as all of Kefka's appearances. Regular series character designer Yoshitaka Amano's concept art became the basis for the models in the
full motion video Full-motion video (FMV) is a video game narration technique that relies upon pre-recorded video files (rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models) to display action in the game. While many games feature FMVs as a way to present information duri ...
s produced for the game's PlayStation re-release.
Tetsuya Takahashi (born November 18, 1966 in Shizuoka Prefecture) is a Japanese video game designer and director. Takahashi worked at Square (now Square Enix), in the 90s as a graphic designer and director, participating on some of their most well-received title ...
, one of the graphic directors, drew the imperial Magitek Armors seen in the opening scene. By doing so, he disregarded Sakaguchi's intention to reuse the regular designs from elsewhere in the game. The sprite art for the characters' in-game appearance was drawn by
Kazuko Shibuya is a Japanese video game artist. She is best known for her work with Square (now Square Enix), in particular with the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Biography Shibuya was born in 1965. While in middle school, she began creating illustrations and ...
. While in the earlier installments, the sprites were less detailed on the map than in battle, ''Final Fantasy VI'' had an equally high resolution regardless of the screen. This enabled the use of animations depicting a variety of movements and facial expressions. Though it was not the first game to utilize the Super NES'
Mode 7 Mode 7 is a graphics mode on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game console that allows a background layer to be rotated and scaled on a scanline-by-scanline basis to create many different effects. The most famous of these effects ...
graphics, ''Final Fantasy VI'' made more extensive use of them than its predecessors. For instance, unlike both ''
Final Fantasy IV known as ''Final Fantasy II'' for its initial North American release, is a role-playing video game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Released in 1991, it is the fourth main insta ...
'' and ''
Final Fantasy V is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1992. It is the fifth main installment of the '' Final Fantasy'' series. The game first appeared only in Japan on Nintendo's Super Famicom (known internationally as th ...
'', the world map is rendered in Mode 7, which lends a somewhat
three-dimensional Three-dimensional space (also: 3D space, 3-space or, rarely, tri-dimensional space) is a geometric setting in which three values (called '' parameters'') are required to determine the position of an element (i.e., point). This is the inform ...
perspective to an otherwise two-dimensional game.


Localization

The original North American localization and release of ''Final Fantasy VI'' by Square for the Super NES featured several changes from the original Japanese version. The most obvious of these is the change of the game's title from ''Final Fantasy VI'' to ''Final Fantasy III''; because only two games of the series had been localized in North America at the time, ''Final Fantasy VI'' was distributed as ''Final Fantasy III'' to maintain naming continuity. Unlike ''Final Fantasy IV'' (which was first released in North America as ''Final Fantasy II''), there are no major changes to gameplay, though several changes of contents and editorial adjustments exist in the English script. In a January 1995 interview with ''
Super Play ''Super Play'' was a British Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) magazine which ran from 1 October 1992 to September 1996. Overview ''Super Play'' covered in great detail the role-playing video game genre. Many of these games were neve ...
'' magazine, translator
Ted Woolsey Ted Woolsey is an American video game translator and producer. He had the primary role in the North American production and localization of Square's role-playing video games released for the Super NES between 1991 and 1996. He is best known for t ...
explained that "there's a certain level of playfulness and ... sexuality in Japanese games that just doesn't exist here
n the USA N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''. History ...
basically because of
Nintendo of America is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing card ...
's rules and guidelines". Consequently, objectionable graphics (e.g. nudity) were censored and building signs in towns were changed (such as Bar being changed to Café), as well as religious allusions (e.g. the spell ''Holy'' was renamed ''Pearl''). Also, some direct allusions to death, killing actions, and violent expressions, as well as offensive words have been replaced by softer expressions. For example, after Edgar, Locke and Terra flee on chocobos from Figaro Castle, Kefka orders two Magitek Armored soldiers to chase them by shouting "Go! KILL THEM!", in the Japanese version. It was translated as "Go! Get them!" Also, when Imperial Troopers burn Figaro Castle, and Edgar claims Terra is not hidden inside the castle, Kefka replies "then you can burn to death" in the Japanese version, which was replaced in the English version by "Then welcome to my barbecue!". Similarly, as Magitek soldiers watch Edgar and his guests escape on Chocobos, Kefka swears in Japanese, which was translated by Ted Woolsey as "Son of a submariner!". The localization also featured changes to several names, such as "Tina" being changed to "Terra". Finally, dialogue text files had to be shortened due to the limited data storage space available on the game cartridge's
read-only memory Read-only memory (ROM) is a type of non-volatile memory used in computers and other electronic devices. Data stored in ROM cannot be electronically modified after the manufacture of the memory device. Read-only memory is useful for storing ...
. As a result, additional changes were rendered to dialogue in order to compress it into the available space. The PlayStation re-release featured only minor changes to the English localization. The title of the game was reverted to ''Final Fantasy VI'' from ''Final Fantasy III'', to unify the numbering scheme of the series in North America and Japan with the earlier release of ''
Final Fantasy VII is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square (video game company), Square for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Published in Japan by Square, it was r ...
''. A few item and character names were adjusted, as in the expansion of "Fenix Down" to "Phoenix Down". Unlike the PlayStation re-release of ''Final Fantasy IV'' included in the later ''
Final Fantasy Chronicles ''Final Fantasy Chronicles'' is a compilation of Square's role-playing video games ''Final Fantasy IV'' and ''Chrono Trigger'', released for the North American Sony PlayStation on July 2, 2001. TOSE ported both titles from the Super Nintendo Ent ...
'' compilation, the script was left essentially unchanged. The Game Boy Advance re-release featured a new translation by a different translator, Tom Slattery. This translation preserved most of the character names, location names, and terminology from the Woolsey translation, but changed item and spell names to match the conventions used in more recent titles in the series. The revised script preserved certain quirky lines from the original while changing or editing others, and it cleared up certain points of confusion in the original translation. The
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...
Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, U ...
release used the ''Final Fantasy III'' name of the Super NES game.


Music

The soundtrack for ''Final Fantasy VI'' was composed by long-time series contributor
Nobuo Uematsu is a Japanese composer and keyboardist best known for his contributions to the '' Final Fantasy'' video game series by Square Enix. A self-taught musician, he began playing the piano at the age of twelve, with English singer-songwriter Elton ...
. The score consists of themes for each major character and location, as well as music for standard battles, fights with
boss Boss may refer to: Occupations * Supervisor, often referred to as boss * Air boss, more formally, air officer, the person in charge of aircraft operations on an aircraft carrier * Crime boss, the head of a criminal organization * Fire boss, a ...
enemies and for special cutscenes. The extensive use of
leitmotif A leitmotif or leitmotiv () is a "short, recurring musical phrase" associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical concepts of ''idée fixe'' or ''motto-theme''. The spelling ''leitmotif'' is an anglic ...
is one of the defining points of the audio tracks. The "
Aria di Mezzo Carattere The music of the video game ''Final Fantasy VI'' was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. The ''Final Fantasy VI Original Sound Version'', a compilation of all the music in the game, was released in Japan by NTT Publishing in 1994 a ...
" is one of the latter tracks, played during a cutscene involving an
opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...
performance. This track features an unintelligible synthesized "voice" that harmonizes with the melody, as technical limitations for the
SPC700 The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South Korea, 1991 in North America, 1992 in Eu ...
sound format chip prevented the use of an actual vocal track (although some developers eventually figured out how to overcome the limitation a few years later, and in the ''Pixel Remaster'', it is voiced by opera singers.). The orchestral album ''
Final Fantasy VI Grand Finale The music of the video game ''Final Fantasy VI'' was composed by regular series composer Nobuo Uematsu. The ''Final Fantasy VI Original Sound Version'', a compilation of all the music in the game, was released in Japan by NTT Publishing in 1994 a ...
'' features an arranged version of the
aria In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...
, using Italian
lyrics Lyrics are words that make up a song, usually consisting of verses and choruses. The writer of lyrics is a lyricist. The words to an extended musical composition such as an opera are, however, usually known as a " libretto" and their writer, ...
performed by Svetla Krasteva with an orchestral accompaniment. This version is also found in the ending
full motion video Full-motion video (FMV) is a video game narration technique that relies upon pre-recorded video files (rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models) to display action in the game. While many games feature FMVs as a way to present information duri ...
of the game's
Sony , commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
re-release, with the same lyrics but a different musical
arrangement In music, an arrangement is a musical adaptation of an existing composition. Differences from the original composition may include reharmonization, melodic paraphrasing, orchestration, or formal development. Arranging differs from orche ...
. In addition, the
album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early 20th century as individual 78 rpm records c ...
''Orchestral Game Concert 4'' includes an extended version of the opera arranged and conducted by Kōsuke Onozaki and performed by the Tokyo Symphony Orchestra, featuring Wakako Aokimi, Tetsuya Ōno, and Hiroshi Kuroda on vocals. It was also performed at the "More Friends" concert at the
Gibson Amphitheatre Universal Amphitheatre (later known as Gibson Amphitheatre) was an indoor amphitheatre located in Los Angeles, California within Universal City. It was built as an outdoor venue, opening in the summer of 1972 with a production of ''Jesus Christ ...
in 2005 using a new English translation of the lyrics, an album of which is now available. " Dancing Mad", accompanying the game's final battle with Kefka, is 17 minutes long and contains an
organ Organ may refer to: Biology * Organ (biology), a part of an organism Musical instruments * Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone ** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument ** Hammond ...
cadenza In music, a cadenza (from it, cadenza, link=no , meaning cadence; plural, ''cadenze'' ) is, generically, an improvised or written-out ornamental passage played or sung by a soloist or soloists, usually in a "free" rhythmic style, and of ...
, with variations on Kefka's theme. The "Ending Theme" combines every playable character theme into one composition lasting over 21 minutes. The original score was released on three
Compact Disc The compact disc (CD) is a digital optical disc data storage format that was co-developed by Philips and Sony to store and play digital audio recordings. In August 1982, the first compact disc was manufactured. It was then released in O ...
s in Japan as '' Final Fantasy VI: Original Sound Version''. A version of this album was later released in North America as ''Final Fantasy III: Kefka's Domain'', this version of the album is the same as its Japanese counterpart, except for different packaging and small differences in the translation of some track names between the album and newer releases. Additionally, ''Final Fantasy VI: Grand Finale'' features eleven tracks from the game, arranged by
Shirō Sagisu is a Japanese composer, arranger and music producer. With a career spanning over 40 years (beginning in the late 1970s), he is best known for his works as a record producer for acts including various choir members Mike Wyzgowski, Misia, Satoshi ...
and
Tsuneyoshi Saito is a Japanese composer and arranger for anime shows and video games. He composed the original music for the third Tenchi Muyo film ''Tenchi Forever! The Movie'', the feature anime film '' xxxHolic: A Midsummer Night's Dream'', the '' Fafner'' ...
and performed by the Ensemble Archi Della Scala and Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano (Milan Symphony Orchestra). '' Piano Collections: Final Fantasy VI'', a second arranged album, features thirteen tracks from the game, performed for
piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keyboa ...
by Reiko Nomura. More recently, "Dancing Mad", the final boss theme from ''Final Fantasy VI'', has been performed at
Play! A Video Game Symphony PLAY! A Video Game Symphony was a concert series that featured music from video games performed by a live orchestra. The concerts from 2006 to 2010 were conducted by Arnie Roth. From 2010, Andy Brick took the position of principal conductor and m ...
in
Stockholm Stockholm () is the capital and largest city of Sweden as well as the largest urban area in Scandinavia. Approximately 980,000 people live in the municipality, with 1.6 million in the urban area, and 2.4 million in the metropo ...
, Sweden on June 2, 2007, by the group
Machinae Supremacy Machinae Supremacy is a Swedish/Finnish band that combines modern heavy metal, power metal and alternative rock with chiptunes. Self-defined as "SID metal", many of their songs use a SidStation that features the SID chip of the Commodore 64. ...
. Nobuo Uematsu's former rock band,
The Black Mages The Black Mages were a Japanese instrumental rock band formed in 2002 by Nobuo Uematsu, Kenichiro Fukui and Tsuyoshi Sekito, who were three video game composers for Square and Square Enix. The band arranged Uematsu's ''Final Fantasy'' video game ...
, released a
progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad fusion music genre melding heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified guitar-driven sound of the former with the more experimental, cerebral ...
version of Dancing Mad on their eponymous first album in 2003. Their third album, subtitled '' Darkness and Starlight'', is so named after its premiere track: a
rock opera A rock opera is a collection of rock music songs with lyrics that relate to a common story. Rock operas are typically released as concept albums and are not scripted for acting, which distinguishes them from operas, although several have been ad ...
version of the entire opera from FFVI, including the Aria di Mezzo Carattere performed by Etsuyo Ota. In 2012, a
Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...
campaign for
OverClocked ReMix OverClocked ReMix, also known as OC ReMix and OCR, is a non-commercial organization dedicated to preserving and paying tribute to video game music through arranging and re-interpreting the songs, both with new technology and software and by var ...
was funded at $153,633 for the creation of a multiple CD album of remixes of the music from ''Final Fantasy VI''. Andrew Aversa directed the creation of the album, ''Balance and Ruin'', which contains 74 tracks from 74 artists, each with its own unique style. The album is free and available at the OverClocked ReMix website.
Video Games Live Video Games Live (VGL) is a concert series created by Tommy Tallarico and originally founded by Tallarico and Jack Wall. The concerts consist of segments of video game music performed by a live orchestra with video footage and synchronized light ...
composer Jillian Aversa, Andrew Aversa's wife, created a music video tribute to Aria di Mezzo Carattere, together with cellist
Tina Guo Tina Guo () (born 28 October 1985) is a Chinese-born American cellist and erhuist from San Diego. Her international career as a cellist, electric cellist, erhuist, and composer is characterized by videos featuring theatrical backdrops and elabora ...
, expanding on the arrangement from ''Balance and Ruin''.


Re-releases


PlayStation

''Final Fantasy VI'' was
ported In software engineering, porting is the process of adapting software for the purpose of achieving some form of execution in a computing environment that is different from the one that a given program (meant for such execution) was originally desi ...
to the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
by
Tose () (also called Tose Software) is a Japanese video game development company based in Kyoto. It is mostly known for developing Nintendo's Game & Watch ports and remakes#Game & Watch Gallery series, ''Game & Watch Gallery'' series, various ''Drago ...
and re-released in Japan and North America in 1999. In Japan, it was available in both a standalone release and as part of ''Final Fantasy Collection,'' while in North America it was available only as part of ''Final Fantasy Anthology.'' In Europe it was sold only as a standalone release. Fifty thousand limited-edition copies were also released in Japan and included a ''Final Fantasy''-themed alarm clock. ''Final Fantasy VI''s PlayStation port is very similar to the original Japanese
Super Famicom The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South ...
release. With the exception of the addition of two full motion video opening and ending sequences and new screen-transition effects used for the start and end of battles, the graphics, music and sound are left unchanged from the original version. The only notable changes to gameplay (in addition to loading times not present in the cartridge versions) involve the correction of a few
software bug A software bug is an error, flaw or fault in the design, development, or operation of computer software that causes it to produce an incorrect or unexpected result, or to behave in unintended ways. The process of finding and correcting bugs i ...
s from the original and the addition of a new "memo save" feature, allowing players to quickly save their progress to the PlayStation's
RAM Ram, ram, or RAM may refer to: Animals * A male sheep * Ram cichlid, a freshwater tropical fish People * Ram (given name) * Ram (surname) * Ram (director) (Ramsubramaniam), an Indian Tamil film director * RAM (musician) (born 1974), Dutch * ...
. The re-release included other special features, such as a
bestiary A bestiary (from ''bestiarum vocabulum'') is a compendium of beasts. Originating in the ancient world, bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals and even rocks. The natural history ...
and an artwork gallery. On December 18, 2012, the port was re-released as part of the ''Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary Ultimate Box'' package in Japan. ''Final Fantasy VI'' was re-released as a PSone Classic in Japan on April 20, 2011, and in PAL territories on June 2, 2011. It was released in North America on December 6, 2011. The "Pixel Remaster" series version of ''Final Fantasy VI'' will be released for
PlayStation 4 The PlayStation 4 (PS4) is a home video game console developed by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Announced as the successor to the PlayStation 3 in February 2013, it was launched on November 15, 2013, in North America, November 29, 2013 i ...
in early 2023.


Nintendo consoles

After the PlayStation, Tose then ported the game to the
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console developed, manufactured and marketed by Nintendo as the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, in North America on June 11, 2001, in the PAL region on June 22, ...
, on which it was released as ''Final Fantasy VI Advance.'' It was released in Japan by Square Enix on November 30, 2006, with
Nintendo is a Japanese multinational video game company headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It develops video games and video game consoles. Nintendo was founded in 1889 as by craftsman Fusajiro Yamauchi and originally produced handmade playing cards ...
handling publishing in North America on February 5, 2007, and in Europe on July 6. It was the last game to be released on the Game Boy Advance in Asia, as well as the last one to be published by Nintendo on the system. It includes additional gameplay features, slightly improved visuals, and a new translation that follows Japanese naming conventions for the spells and monsters. It does not, however, have the full-motion videos from the PlayStation version of the game. Four new espers appear in ''Advance'':
Leviathan Leviathan (; he, לִוְיָתָן, ) is a sea serpent noted in theology and mythology. It is referenced in several books of the Hebrew Bible, including Psalms, the Book of Job, the Book of Isaiah, the Book of Amos, and, according to some ...
,
Gilgamesh sux, , label=none , image = Hero lion Dur-Sharrukin Louvre AO19862.jpg , alt = , caption = Possible representation of Gilgamesh as Master of Animals, grasping a lion in his left arm and snake in his right hand, in an Assy ...
,
Cactuar The Cactuar, known in Japan as is a fictional species of plant-like beings from the ''Final Fantasy'' video game franchise. They are usually depicted as anthropomorphic cacti with ''haniwa''-like faces in a running or dashing pose. One of the ...
, and Diabolos. Two new areas include the Dragons' Den dungeon, which includes the Kaiser Dragon, a monster coded, but not included, in the original, and a "Soul Shrine", a place where the player can fight monsters continuously. Three new spells also appear, and several bugs from the original are fixed. In addition, similarly to the other handheld ''Final Fantasy'' re-releases, a bestiary and a music player are included. Even in the Japanese version, the music player is in English and uses the American names, e.g. ''Strago'' over ''Stragus''. The package features new artwork by series veteran and original character and image designer Yoshitaka Amano. The original
Super Famicom The Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES), commonly shortened to Super NES or Super Nintendo, is a Fourth generation of video game consoles, 16-bit home video game console developed by Nintendo that was released in 1990 in Japan and South ...
version was released for the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, ...
Virtual Console A virtual console (VC) – also known as a virtual terminal (VT) – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some Unix-like operating systems such as Linux, BSD, illumos, U ...
in Japan on March 15, 2011, in PAL territories (Europe and Australia) on March 18, 2011, and in North America on June 30, 2011. The game was released in the West with its original North American title of ''Final Fantasy III''. The Super Famicom version was later released on the Wii U Virtual Console in Japan. On December 22, 2015, Square Enix released the Game Boy Advance version on the Wii U Virtual Console in Japan. Nintendo re-released ''Final Fantasy VI'' worldwide in September 2017 as part of the company's Super NES/Super Famicom Classic Edition.WIL The "Pixel Remaster" series version of ''Final Fantasy VI'' will be released worldwide for
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
in early 2023.


Mobile platforms and PC

Ports of ''Final Fantasy VI'' for Android and iOS mobile operating systems were announced in 2013. The mobile-optimized versions of the game were released on Android on January 15, 2014, and iOS on February 6, 2014 with mobile-adapted controls and save features, but redrawn, slightly blurry graphics. A Windows PC port, itself a port of the Android version, was released for Windows PC via Steam on December 16, 2015. Another port from the "Pixel Remaster" line was released on Steam on February 23, 2022. The "Pixel Remaster" series features new 16-bit sprites, new soundtracks, and a return to the game's originally released content. No added content from any of the ported versions appears in any of the "Pixel Remasters".


Reception


Contemporary

''Final Fantasy VI'' received critical acclaim and was commercially successful in Japan upon release. In mid-1994, Square's publicity department reported that the game had sold copies in Japan, where it became the best-selling video game of 1994. In the United States, where it went on sale in the last quarter of 1994, it was the top-selling Super NES game in October and became the year's eighth best-selling Super NES cartridge. Despite this, it was not a commercial success in that region, according to Sakaguchi. As of March 31, 2003, the game had shipped 3.48 million copies worldwide, with 2.62 million of those copies being shipped in Japan and 860,000 abroad. ''Final Fantasy Collection'' sold over 400,000 copies in 1999, making it the 31st-best-selling release of that year in Japan. ''Final Fantasy Anthology'' has sold approximately 364,000 copies in North America. ''Final Fantasy VI Advance'' sold over 223,000 copies in Japan by the end of 2006, one month after release. ''
GamePro Gamepro.com is an international multiplatform video game magazine media company that covers the video game industry, video game hardware and video game software in countries such as Germany and France. The publication, GamePro, was originally ...
'' rated it 4.5 out of 5 in graphics and a perfect 5.0 in sound, control, and fun factor, stating that "characters, plotlines, and multiple-choice scenarios all combine to form one fantastic game!" The four reviewers of ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (often abbreviated to ''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The ...
'' each granted it a unanimous score of 9 out of 10 (36 out of 40) and their "Game of the Month" award, commenting that it had set the new standard for excellence in RPGs. They particularly praised the graphics, music, and the strong emotional involvement of the story. It won several awards from ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' in their 1994 video game awards, including Best Role-Playing Game, Best Japanese Role-Playing Game, and Best Music for a Cartridge-Based Game.''Electronic Gaming Monthly's Buyer's Guide'', 1995. Additionally, they ranked the game ninth in their 1997 list of the 100 greatest console games of all time. ''
Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the f ...
'' scored it 37 out of 40, making it one of their two highest-rated games of 1994 (along with ''
Ridge Racer is a racing video game series developed and published for arcade systems and home game consoles by Bandai Namco Entertainment, formerly Namco. The first game, ''Ridge Racer'' (1993), was originally released in arcades for the Namco System 22 ha ...
''). For their part, ''
Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninten ...
'' declared the game "the RPG hit of the decade", noting its improved sound and graphics over its predecessors, and the game's broadened thematic scope. Moreover, they suggested that "with so much story and variation of play ... fans may become lost in the world for months at a time". ''Nintendo Power'' also opined that the game plot was "not particularly inventive" and the "story is often sappy–not written for an American audience". In 1997, ''Nintendo Power'' ranked it as the eighth greatest Nintendo game, saying it "had everything you could want—heroes, world-shattering events, magic, mindless evil—plus Interceptor the wonder dog!" The same year, ''GamePro'' said it "still remains one of the most fun, innovative, and challenging RPGs to date." In 1996, '' Next Generation'' said the scene in which Terra cares for a village of orphaned children "can perhaps be safely named as the series' finest hour ... no other game series has tackled such big issues, or reached such a level of emotional depth and complexity."


Retrospective

''Final Fantasy Collection'' received 54 out of 60 points from ''
Weekly Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the f ...
'', scored by a panel of six reviewers. '' IGN'' described the graphics of the PlayStation re-release as "beautiful and stunning", reflecting that, at the time of its release, "''Final Fantasy III''... represented everything an RPG should be", inspiring statistic growth systems that would later influence titles like ''
Wild Arms , also written as ''Wild ARMs'', is a media franchise developed by Media.Vision and owned by Sony Computer Entertainment. The franchise consists of several role-playing video games and related media. Since the launch of the original ''Wild Ar ...
'' and '' Suikoden''. Moreover, they praised its gameplay and storyline, claiming that these aspects took "all ... preceding RPG concepts and either came up with something completely new or refined them enough to make them its own", creating an atmosphere in which "
layers Layer or layered may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Layers'' (Kungs album) * ''Layers'' (Les McCann album) * ''Layers'' (Royce da 5'9" album) *"Layers", the title track of Royce da 5'9"'s sixth studio album * Layer, a female Maveri ...
won't find it difficult to get past the simplistic graphics or seemingly out-dated gameplay conventions and become involved". RPGamer gave a perfect rating to both the original game and its PlayStation re-release, citing its gameplay as "self-explanatory enough that most any player could pick up the game and customize their characters' equipment", while praising its music as "a 16-bit masterpiece". The game's release for the Game Boy Advance also garnered praise. the Game Boy Advance re-release was named eighth best Game Boy Advance game of all time in IGN's feature reflecting on the Game Boy Advance's long lifespan. ''
Official Nintendo Magazine ''Official Nintendo Magazine'', or ''ONM'', was a British video game magazine that ran from 2006 to 2014 that covered the Nintendo DS, Nintendo 3DS, Wii, and Wii U video game consoles released by Nintendo. Originally published by EMAP as '' ...
'' ranked the GBA version of the game 32nd on a list of greatest Nintendo games in 2009. ''Final Fantasy VI'' is often regarded as one of the best titles in the series and one of the best role-playing video games ever created according to multiple websites. Readers of the Japanese magazine ''
Famitsu formerly ''Famicom Tsūshin'', is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Kadokawa Game Linkage (previously known as Gzbrain), a subsidiary of Kadokawa. ''Famitsu'' is published in both weekly and monthly formats as well as in the f ...
'' voted it as the 25th best game of all time. In an updated version of the "Top 100" list in 2007, ''IGN'' ranked ''Final Fantasy VI'' as the ninth top game of all time, above all other ''Final Fantasy'' games in the series. They continued to cite the game's character development, and especially noted Kefka as "one of the most memorable bad guys in RPG history." ''Nintendo Power'' listed the ending to ''Final Fantasy VI'' as one of the best finales, citing the narrative and cast variety.


Legacy

Following ''Final Fantasy VI'', Square began testing for its next entry ''
Final Fantasy VII is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square (video game company), Square for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Published in Japan by Square, it was r ...
'' on the N64, but technical issues, escalating cartridge costs and the higher storage capacity of CD technology persuaded Square to move ''Final Fantasy VII'' and all their subsequent titles onto the
PlayStation is a video gaming brand that consists of five home video game consoles, two handhelds, a media center, and a smartphone, as well as an online service and multiple magazines. The brand is produced by Sony Interactive Entertainment, a di ...
. During early testing on 3D development software, the team rendered a battle involving ''Final Fantasy VI'' characters Terra, Locke and Shadow. The decision to move to PlayStation soured the relations between Square and Nintendo. Due to this, ''Final Fantasy VI'' was the last series title to release on a Nintendo platform until ''
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles ''Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles'' is a series of video games within the ''Final Fantasy'' franchise developed by Square Enix. Beginning in 2003 with the game for the GameCube, the series has predominantly been released on Nintendo gaming hardw ...
'' came out on the
Nintendo GameCube The is a home video game console developed and released by Nintendo in Japan on September 14, 2001, in North America on November 18, 2001, and in PAL territories in 2002. It is the successor to the Nintendo 64 (1996), and predecessor of the Wii ...
in 2003. It was also the last new mainline ''Final Fantasy'' game to come to a Nintendo platform until 2018 when the abridged '' Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition'' released on
Nintendo Switch The is a hybrid video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. The console itself is a tablet that can either be docked for use as a home console or used as a portable device, making it a ...
, followed by the subsequent releases of ''
Final Fantasy VII is a 1997 role-playing video game developed by Square (video game company), Square for the PlayStation (console), PlayStation console. It is the seventh main installment in the ''Final Fantasy'' series. Published in Japan by Square, it was r ...
, VIII, IX, X'', '' X-2'' and '' XII'' the following year. ''Final Fantasy VI'' was included in the
Super NES Classic Edition The Super NES Classic Edition is a dedicated home video game console released by Nintendo, which emulates the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. The console, a successor to the NES Classic Edition, comes with twenty-one Super NES titles pr ...
under its original titling as ''Final Fantasy III'' for the North American and European release on September 29, 2017. In 2010, Square Enix producer
Shinji Hashimoto is a Japanese former game producer at Square Enix and currently Senior Advisor at Sony Music Entertainment Japan and a board member at Forwardworks. He served as the ''Final Fantasy'' series Brand Manager for over a decade, was an Executive Offic ...
stated that the development of a
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the sam ...
of ''Final Fantasy VI'' for the Nintendo DS was "undecided" due to "technical issues". Later, however, Square discussed remaking ''VI'' as well as ''V'' for the
Nintendo 3DS The is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generati ...
. In 2015, Tetsuya Nomura, then directing ''
Final Fantasy VII Remake is a 2020 action role-playing game developed and published by Square Enix. It is the first in a planned trilogy of games remaking the 1997 PlayStation game ''Final Fantasy VII''. Set in the dystopian cyberpunk metropolis of Midgar, players co ...
'', expressed interest in remaking ''Final Fantasy V'' and ''VI''. ''Final Fantasy VI'' has made multiple appearances in the ''
Final Fantasy Trading Card Game The Final Fantasy trading card game (Japanese: ファイナルファンタジー・トレーディングカードゲーム ''Fainaru Fantajī Torēdingu Kādo Gēmu''), often abbreviated as Final Fantasy TCG or FF-TCG, is a trading card game by Sq ...
.''


See also

* List of Square Enix video game franchises


Further reading

*


Notes


References


External links


Square Enix's Official ''Final Fantasy VI Advance'' website

Nintendo's Official ''Final Fantasy III'' (Virtual Console version) website
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Final Fantasy 06 1994 video games Airships in fiction Android (operating system) games Censored video games Cooperative video games Fiction about deicide Dystopian video games Final Fantasy video games Game Boy Advance games IOS games Multiplayer and single-player video games Nintendo games PlayStation (console) games PlayStation Network games Post-apocalyptic video games Fiction about rebellions Role-playing video games Silicon Graphics Steampunk video games Super Nintendo Entertainment System games Tose (company) games Video games about amnesia Video games developed in Japan Video games featuring female protagonists Video games scored by Nobuo Uematsu Video games set on fictional islands Virtual Console games for Wii U Virtual Console games War video games Windows games