/vr/ - Retro Games

It'd be easier to recommend where to start if we knew what other jrpgs you played, if you played any
VII is the most popular so try there, I guess

FF5 is pretty solid gameplay wise. If you look for more epic, FF6 or FF7 might be your thing.

>it's a "babby tries old final fantasy games because he likes the modern ones then complains about them aging poorly" episode

I look forward to your thread about how grinding is annoying and the stories being lacklustre.

Play VII if you don't mind early ps1 graphics and 90's anime
Play VI if you love 2d gaming.
Play tactics if you play fire emblem or ogre battle

>>3822089

Play IV first. Its a classic and not as complicated as VI, which you should play afterwards.

>>3822089
FF1 or FF4, the 3D version to be specific

Play them in order. Start with FF1 on the WSC.

>>3822225
The PSP version is good too.

VI is the best. If you don't like VI, you won't like the rest of them (except perhaps Final Fantasy Tactics).

>>3822214
>Play IV first. Its a classic and not as complicated as VI, which you should play afterwards.

This.

>>3822237
6 is full of meandering bullshit and wandering storylines for 'muh cumplexity'. 4 beats it by a nautical mile.

>>3822237
Bullshit. VI is one of the worst games in the series.

>>3822574
Do you think people are dumb enough to believe you actually think that?

>>3822593
Are you dumb enough to think I don't? Fuck VI. It's the reason the series is the mess it's been since it.

>>3822089
Conversely, I really like FFI but I've never tried any of the 3d games. Are any of them good?

Have you ever played a JRPG before anon? If not, FFX is the easiest of them all. Walk down the path, fight random battles, cutscene, boss, repeat.
If you value exploration it's not for you at all, but if you don't mind a hand holdy experience you will probably enjoy or dare I say like it.

>>3822089
Here's a rundown, pick what interests you most

FFI
>A very standard JRPG with pseudo-AD&D rules to magic (typical MP rules in re-releases.)
>Create a party of 4 from 6 preset classes
>Lots of story for 1987, but narrative is unheard of, it's all in the form of NPC rumors and lore
>Room to explore, story is linear

II
>Preset characters who have spoken lines
>No job classes, characters learn skills by using them (level up white magic by casting white magic, level up shield by blocking, etc.)
>Interesting word memorization system for conversations that feels like something from a point-and-click adventure game.
>Story is short and full of predictable twists

III
>First game in the series where characters can change jobs on the fly instead of being stuck on one class, each job levels separately.
>Arguably the best music in the series until CD audio

IV
>First game in the series with real story narrative; The game finally takes control away from the player to act out story cutscenes
>First game with more characters than you can hold in a party, often splitting up the party into groups for separate story development.
>Characters are preset with no player control over skill gains
>First attempt at a serious plot

V
>Job class hot swapping like III, but with multi-classing. Want a thief with white magic? I have no idea why you would want that, but you can do it!
>Story is VERY lighthearted

VI
>Considered by many to have the best story
>Much longer campaign than previously seen
>Grindy if you run away from battles (which you will with the encounter rate.)

VII
>I shouldn't need to summarize here, either you love it or not

VIII
>Silent protagonist syndrome: The game

IX
>It's basically a 3D homage to the first 4 games, and the series' creator's personal fav
>Easily the best ambiance and deepest lore in the series
>Most player character growth of any game in the (mainline) series
>Plays like molasses thanks to battle animations and loading times.

>>3822646
I would sooner put that blame on X-2.

>>3822816
The fact that I have to waste SSD space on that steaming pile of shit just to play FFX's remaster makes me so mad

>>3822816
man, FF died to me when I got to that massage mini game

>>3822237
VI was the beginning of the decline of FF for me

>>3822816
I wouldn't. VI is directly responsible for VII and VIII's fuckawful mechanics.

>Want to get into modern Final Fantasy
Start at VII and skip IX

>Want to get into JRPGs
Start at III, skip VII and VIII, end at IX

>Want to play SaGa
Start at II, procede into SaGa

>Want to play Super Temple of Elemental Fiends; the lost Gold box D&D game
Play the first game

>>3822649
If you like the direction FF6 went it then the Playstation titles are worth checking out, yes. If you didn't, then I guess they ain't.

>>3823106
Better to just play FFL if you just want to jump into SaGa.

>>3822814
>...until CD audio
No FF game had CD audio, you madman!

>>3822089
tactics and 8, skip everything else

>>3823116
I didn't mean the medium, so pardon my choice of words. Uematsu just didn't start making longer, more varied compositions until 7/8/9. And to be fair, I'm pretty sure 10 had a few CD audio tracks.

>>3822227
That's an excellent place to start.

>>3822237
It was just okay. I like other ones over FFVI. It was much stronger during the world of balance then just peters off and becomes dull in the world of ruin.

>>3822814
>this guy knows what he's talking about.

>tfw FFII is your favourite
Best progress system, I wonder why they just completely ignored that afterwards. Each character could go on a specific element and buff/debuff. The word memorization is completely forgettable but felt as if I had slightly more impact on the story than just linear conversations.
The whole game should've totally been expanded upon instead of totally dished forever.

>>3823252
That's why you go play the SaGa games. Isn't there also a modern WRPG that uses the whole "you only stat up when you use it" mechanic that people were raving about as though it had never been done before?

1 and 4 are good starting points if you want something simple.

6, 7, or 9 are good starting points if you want some a bit of complexity.

>>3823303
Never played SaGa. Where should I start?

The Elder Scrolls does it. I find it really nice but it's way better if you have it on a party-based game instead. Feels more as if you're in control than on a single-character RPG.

>>3822089
I played VII first then went back through and played the GBA ports of I, II, IV, V, and VI in order.

V is the best hands down

>>3822237
First half of the game is too railroaded and the second half is too open ended. Having 14 party members is pretty pointless too once you get magicite and only characters with high magic stats matter at that point as magic's king.

The build up to the Falcon is the highlight of the series though

Find a /mu/ flowchart to listen to while you level grind.

>>3823338
Depends where you want to start. If you want to go back to basics then you can start from the first game. The second game is much more polished. Each one will clock in around ten to fifteen hours depending how long you take, they are short JRPG's with some replay value due to party building.

Otherwise if you want to get in deep play SaGa Frontier. If you feel very confident play the Romancing SaGa remake for the PS2, but it is much more uncompromising than some of the other entries.

>>3822089
Depends on how much tolerance you have for Japanese storytelling tropes.
Ⅳ (Complete Collection on PSP) and Ⅵ if you just want story.
ⅣDS is an attempt to fix Ⅳ, with the DS' gimmicks thrown in.
I, Ⅲ (DS/PSP), Ⅴ and Tactics (PSP) balance those out with the Job system.
Ⅶ is just Anime: The Game.
Ⅷ is more of that, story-wise. Gameplay-wise it's a card game with some experimental mechanics thrown in.
Ⅸ is pretty much a throwback mishmash of the SNES and PS1-era games.
Ⅱ is a SaGa game (or THE prototype SaGa game).
None of the later entries belong on /vr/, obviously.

>>3822089
The snes games then stop

Thanks so much for all the answers anons!

Very mixed opinions i see. I think i'll start off at FF1 then go to FF4, FF5, and leave FF7 at the end

Ive got a hacked PSP - shall i emulate the original versions of FF1 and FF4 or play the re-released PSX or PSP ones?

>>3824148
PSP, especially for Ⅳ, since Complete Collection includes the sequel and an interquel.
Do try ⅣDS as well, since it's got some changes.

>>3824148
You can Final Fantasy 1 for the PS1. Just don't use things like auto targeting.

>>3823134
> 10 had a few CD audio tracks.
Not physically possible, 10 is on a DVD, not a CD. Without a doubt it's non-soundchip tracks are all compressed digital audio.

>>3822814
Almost a good rundown, I'll just add a couple things.

FFI
>very heavy on buffs
>debuffs and AoE are actually godlike vs. mob fights
>original NES version is buggy beyond belief; GBA version onward are drastically reduced in difficulty
>PS1 version might be the sweet spot if you like a challenge

FFII
>very broken balance, you're either barely scraping by or crushing the game with basically no middle ground

FFIII
>people will disagree with me, but the 3D version is shit, full of horseshit RNG and awful balance changes
>that hometown theme, though

FFIV
>most linear of the retro FFs, you have no control over your party (until endgame in the remakes), nor customization options outside of equipment
>official SNES port is bastardized and somehow even simpler than the original
>3D versions are balls to the wall hard

FFV
>cannot emphasize how open-ended the character customization is
>don't play anything other than the fan-translated SNES version or the GBA version
>seriously, don't

FFVI
>first FF that's balanced in a way to be beaten by total scrubs; very little challenge to be found in this game
>SNES translation is very loose and silly, GBA translation is closer to Japanese, but retains some of the more charming bits from the SNES version

FFVII
>story and character heavy, plot-twist heavy
>Materia is easy to abuse, game is very easy outside of optional content
>the only official translation available is pretty poor

FFVIII
>story and main character are pretty good, don't fall for the memes
>surprisingly lighthearted for what people see as the edgiest game; many comic relief characters, very few major character deaths
>broken ass junctioning if you know how to abuse it, leads to the easiest game in the series
>triple triad is great

FFIX
>characters, story, lore, etc. are top notch
>music is great
>combat is very well balanced
>but dear lord is it slow as fuck
>hope you like 20 second battle transitions

>>3824181
>Just don't use things like auto targeting.
Holy shit, you are the wrongest man in the universe. OP, whatever you do, do not listen to this anon. Play the PS1 version, but definitely, definitely play on easy mode. It isn't actually easier, it just adds in some convenience of life features like the ability to not have your characters stupidly swing at empty space once an enemy has been killed.

>>3822089
I played FF1 on the PS1 and got annoyed at the encounter rate.
Go for 5.

III
III
3
three
Three
THREE

NES version
The remakes soundtrack is balls

Start with Final Fantasy II. It's like Star Wars! But in the beginning you have to grind a bit.

>>3822109
Nobody said that you lurking gaylord.

>>3822593
if he said it, he probably believes it. and good for him. not so good for you.

avoid 2, avoid 3

the rest range from ok to great

unless we're talking about the entire series, including the non-retro games

I'd still say the same except probably avoid 13

13-2 is great though

>>3824148
skip FF1, you'll get bored. Or stuck! Or even worse: both!!

>>3825630
It's not stupid, it's tactical.
Playing with re-targeting means playing without thinking.

>>3825736
>avoid 3
literally the worst taste

>>3825624
>official SNES port is bastardized and somehow even simpler than the original

www.romhacking.net/hacks/2337/

>>3822503
>6 is full of meandering bullshit and wandering storylines for 'muh cumplexity'. 4 beats it

ahaha

IV is the king of "ridiculous convoluted and stupid storyline just for the sake of it"

And all the dead-alive-dead again-still alive! "twists" are dumber than One Piece

IV is the absolutely plebeian choice for retro final fantasy. even worse than NES FFII

Chrono Trigger is by far the best Final Fantasy game.

>>3826340
Bravely Default is the best FF game, but not retro

>>3826242
3 is, quite frankly, the most boring jrpg I've ever played

not the worst, but the most boring, and that alone is bad

>>3826352
>the most boring jrpg I've ever played

Poor guy, you never played a Dragon Quest game in your life?

>>3825935
I wish they at least gave the player the choice to enable or disable it as they please same as they can between active and wait mode in ATB
ATB in active mode with the fastest battle speed and auto targeting turned off could make even some random battles tense

>>3825624
8's supporting cast was worse than terrible though, especially the love interest.

>very few major character deaths

Except for the big one at the end of the first disc.

>>3826427
A choice should be about whether or not you plan your attacks in advance.
Having attacks redirect if the original target is gone misses the whole point of thinking ahead. You just end up spamming attack on the first target.

>>3822214
>>3822221
Mah negros

>>3822225
The 3D version sucks pham.

>>3822089
6 or 7.

>>3822089
>Play FF4 ONLY if it's your first FF or you're playing them in order after the NES versions.
>NES FFs are curiosities at best, I can't deal with outdated NES rpgs to be honest. FF1 is kinda okay though
>FF5 is the last of the old school Final Fantasies, after that it all becomes melodrama. Godlike mechanics. Don't play it as your first FF though
>FF6 is good but vastly overrated by contrarians who feel slighted by FF7. Story takes all the attention. Mechanically shit after FF5. Too many characters
>FF7 isn't as overrated as people point out but it's not best game ever either. Materia system is good but the game is so easy that it doesn't matter anyways. Translation is horrible. Story wise is ok but worse than FF6. Dubious pacing at some points
>FF8: worst of the mainline FFs until 13. Shit story with shit characters and absolutely disgusting pacing. Most broken mechanics in the series that will allow you to wreak havoc if you aren't a retard. And again just shit pacing, I would only replay it at gunpoint
>FF9 it's nice enough in most areas but that's it, just a jack of all trades, master of none. It's kinda mediocre actually. Painfully slow.
>FF10: I liked it when it was released mainly for the combat system but I haven't played it since. Very divisive but not as much as FF8
>FF12: offline MMO gameplay. It fooled me for 30 hours until I realized what was the point of keep playing that
>FF13 & onwards: haven't played it

FF should be the bridge to other RPGs so don't go crazy trying to play them all. I would recommend playing FF4 to 7 and be done with it

>>3826469
It punishes you for getting lucky and getting critical hits. It punishes you for your fighter missing or rolling low damage on a dangerous opponent. It punishes you for not knowing the hit point totals of every enemy in the game. It's a shit mechanic that punishes things out of your control.

>>3826464
>supporting cast was worse than terrible
I had that as a bullet point, but went over the word count so I cut it. Yeah, everyone in the main party except Squall is either totally forgettable or aggressively annoying.
>Except for the big one at the end of the first disc.
No.

>>3826586
>It punishes you for not knowing the hit point totals of every enemy in the game.
How is that out of your control? You can get a good idea of how long a foe will last if you just pay attention.

If an opponent is dangerous then you should make double sure he is taken down.

Getting a critical hit is a good thing. No need to get upset about them.

>>3826607
>Getting a critical hit is a good thing. No need to get upset about them.
>know that it takes three characters attacking Monster X to kill it
>Fighter gets critical hit on first swing
>Monk and Red Mage whiff because Fighter got lucky and killed it in one blow
Boy I love wasting turns because I got """"lucky"""""
Shit mechanic, anon. There's a reason nobody but you wishes it was still in the games.

>>3826617
Then you wouldn't want games with planned combat.
Get something where actions are executed immediately so you don't end up making unnecessary decisions.

>>3826354
VIII is less boring because the later and post-game bosses actually require some strategy beyond cast BiKill and spam attack

>>3826337
>IV is the absolutely plebeian choice for retro final fantasy. even worse than NES FFII

alright now you've gone too far

Okay, here's a legitimate post for once:

Start with FF1 (GBA) and move onto FF4 (GBA).
Then:
FF5 (GBA)
FF6 (GBA)
FF7 (PS1)
FF9 (PS1 or PSOne classics on PSN)
FF10 (PS2 or HD remaster, it doesn't really matter)

The GBA versions are recommended as they streamline the gameplay, fix certain bugs and have additional postgame content. You may also want to play the PS1 version of FF1 at some point, as it has a unique spell system which a lot of people understandably love.

Those are the only ones I'd recommend playing up front.

FF2 is so weird it became its own spin-off series called SaGa.

FF8 is a "love it or hate it" game, and extremely unconventional. Worth a shot at some point though

FF10-2 isn't essential by any means.

FF12 is basically a single-player MMO. This means its both a hell of a lot of fun once you get into it, but may also have some of the absolute worst grinding in the entire series, particularly for those ultimate weapons.

I don't recommend going anywhere near the FF13 trilogy.

And I don't know anything about FF15, but apparently it's pretty mediocre.

I haven't mentioned spin-offs as I assume you're talking about main series titles.

>>3827239
I actually somehow managed to forget about FF3, but as >>3826352 says, it is beyond dull. Even its remake wasn't very good, and there just isn't much point in playing it. Hell, FF5 is pretty much a remake of it anyway.

>>3826464
Why does the quality hinge on how many of them die? I don't follow.

>>3822814
>Plays like molasses thanks to battle animations and loading times.

Isn't that the truth. Thankfully, FFIX is so comfy that it never really bothered me too much. It almost sort of works, in a way.

>>3822109
Not OP, but I recently replayed 5 not grinding the shit out of it. Random encounters were the worst, Flee on a ninja was godly, bosses just took strats and job changes.
Really made the game better. Beat Exdeath without everyone having mastered the best job for each stat and everything.

>>3822089
Make sure not to play the PS1 version of FF1-6, the load times are terrible

>>3822089
It all depends on what type of gamer you are. I like older RPGs so the gameplay of I-VI don't bother me like it does some people. IV was my introduction into the series and I loved it. It's a great starting point. VII is a first for a lot of people as well. VI is my personal favorite because I love the story and V has great classic gameplay. IX I loved for its return to a classic fantasy realm instead of modern fantasy like VII, VIII. As for where to begin? I say start with IV, VI, and VII. You can go anywhere you want from there. X, I, V, or wherever.

Now for each game as for what version depends on if you are playing legit copies or emulators. If emulation, the older entries have some excellent retranslations out there depending on your liking. I don't think the added content on later releases is actually worth it though.

>>3822237
Played 13, 14, 15 first, just now going back and beat 1-6 and on 7 now. To be honest, I didn't like 6 much. I also didn't like 3 or 4 either though

I was thinking 7 was going to be totally overrated bullshit, but holy shit is it good so far. I got the retranslation patch, and the story and dialogue are so damn good, I'm loving the hell out of it.

I played VII first, about 3 or 4 years ago. It's one of the only games I went into expecting an overrated mess, and ended up loving just about everything about it and totally seeing why people hype it up so much. It's really just a wonderful game.

I'd say if you're starting out, play one game from each "era" of Final Fantasy (that's NES, SNES, PS1, PS2, and modern), to get a taste of each, and then go from there.

>>3825624
>first FF that's balanced in a way to be beaten by total scrubs
...No, that's 3, on the NES.
All right, I'll give you that dispite it's difficulty level or lack thereof there are no save points in dungeons so maybe the scrubbiest of the scrubs might not be able to handle it. That brings us to FF4 then. How's 4 any harder than 6? Couple of bosses might fuck you over if you don't know what to do? A couple of bosses will fuck you over if you don't know what to do in 6, too. Dispite that, it's still a super easy game overall, and so is 4. And 5. And 3, really. FF absolutly didn't suddenly become easy at 6, nothing changed at all.

>>3825708
>It's like Star Wars!
All of them are.

>>3828257

Agreed 100%

>>3827250
Because fictional character deaths really get to the emotional teenagers and manchildren. See Game of Thrones.

>>3828404
IV has random encounters that can kill you, boss fights that aren't a total pushover, mechanics that don't break when you look at them funny, and MP management.

III has Garuda and a ton of dungeons that are brutal if you didn't prepare correctly. VI is absolutely where the specific brand of easy FF that you see in modern FF, VII especially, got started.

>>3826337
>IV is the absolutely plebeian choice for retro final fantasy

Pretty much. It's a step backwards from the FFs that came after it *AND* before it.

Every FF has party and/or character customization.
-I has a pool of six characters from which you pick four. Midway through the game these four get a class change, which in most cases expands the magic and/or equipment they can use.
-II let any character learn any magic or weapon.
-III introduced jobs.
-V took III's jobs and made them fucking badass. Each character learns abilities from advancing a job, which can then be mixed and matched with other abilities from other jobs, like a Ninja that can mix potions, or a Dragoon that can use Blue Magic, or a Samurai that can use Black Magic. Just about anything you can think of.
-VI had Espers, which affect character growth.

What does IV have? Fuck all.

Every character's growth is static from game to game. Cecil will always lose his Dark Knight abilities, he'll always learn Spell X at Level Y and you'll always have a party makeup of Z at a certain point of the game. You're either numerically capable of winning a boss or you're not. This also means the game has no replay value.

And don't get me started on the way this game plays musical chairs with your party lineup. Fucking have to keep multiple save files around because SOMEBODY ELSE DIED HOPE YOU DIDN'T EQUIP ANYTHING USEFUL ON THEM OH WAIT YOU DID LOL

>>3829759
>What does IV have? Fuck all.

well you know, except introducing an entire new battle system that's become pretty much synonymous with the series
and the DS version let's you customize your characters through augments

>>3829772
>DS version let's you customize your characters through augments

Wasn't a feature of the original game. Also, it's not implemented well; use augs at the wrong time, and you might as well have thrown them away.

>>3829791
>use augs at the wrong time, and you might as well have thrown them away.

then replay the game and use them at a different time

Depends, if you're looking for accessibility then I'd recommend 6 or 7. Both relatively straightforward, and of course critically acclaimed stories coming out of there. Really people have gripes about either being overrated (not so much 6, but definitely 7) though all in all they are still really solid and engaging.

That being said, if you're looking into the "true" final fantasy experience I recommend 3 or 5. 5 definitely has the most depth in terms of game play. The job system is the most interactive, and the time system is refined from 4. You can definitely build your "ideal party" down to the molecule in 5.

But I also recommend 3, to me it's the full culmination of the "classic" FF experience. No cool job splicing or clock based combat, but offers more classes than one or two and more to the overall scale of the game. To me it's like playing the first one without depriving yourself of classes. Lots of hidden shit to find and explore. Just fun as a classic adventure.

Tbh, haven't played much of the recent ones. This might just be my opinion, but stay the fuck away from 8. For me the story and game is jus6y a crock of bullshit. Not sure what other anons think.

>>3822089
With the snes games. Then stop.

>>3822109
Oh boy you sound salty as fuck. Want to bitch more about how you feel like an elite that played the early ff games or you're done with ego masturbation today?
>>3822089
Try V or IV first. Then just move to the most modern FF games starting at VII. If you really get into it, then play the older games after that. Just avoid FF II.

13 then 4, 6, 7, 10.

>>3832019
This anon is trying to kill you OP donxt listen to this

>>3832019
Just skip 13 then you should be fine.

>>3831294
II is amazing.Ignore what they say.. It has an exciting story, and a fun combat system. It's ten times better than the first one which is a goose chase. the second one actually has a plot! imagine everything you've seen in star wars, indiana jones, and pirates of the caribbean in one game. and that game has some good grinding every now and then but is paced with an easy to follow adventure story: thats II! II is my personal favorite. its an underrated gem.

>>3822089
yo, people probably have told you already but
4 5 and 6 are good places to start, 7 was good back in 97 as a first one, but it's shitty graphics are horrible today
4 even has a remake 3d version on steam
for the best 2d 4 experience though? go psp

>>3822089
Play 4, 6 and 7. The series ended after that.

>>3833109
Forgot to ad - when you play 7, make sure you play the new re-translation because the original one makes no fucking sense.

What party configuration is best?
Warrior, Warrior, Red mage, Red mage?

I guess I'll ask here
I'm doing RDM MNK WHM BLM
Monk sucks atm (lvl 7) and there's no tank. I want to restart with WAR. What's so good about monk?

>>3833254
High physical ATK bare handed.
You need to un-equip and weapons he have.

>>3833254
Monk needs no money investment or special equipment. He gets stronger as he levels up.

>>3833348
>special equipment
monk needs armor though.

>>3829759

I'm all for shitting on FF IV and all, but it's not like any of the characters that leave your party will ever have useful equipment on them. You get regular upgrades whenever you go to a new town, and most of the unique effect equipment will be available endgame when your party is set by then.

>>3827239
>FF5 GBA
Any particular reason?

>>3833247
Why would you even ask?

>>3833329
>>3833348
thanks
ya I took off his numchucks and he is popping enemies like a balloon
still eating dirt though

>>3835089
Because low DEF status.
IMO monk is the most costly to have.
>>3835072
>No magic
Why would you play a game centered around magic and choose not to use it?

FFIV > FFV

What's the best way to play FF4,5,6? GBA versions, SNES versions? I know there are a ton of patches, too.

>>3822210
I dont like ps1 graphics

>>3833526
More content, bugfixes galore, a far better translation in every regard, and negligible loss in sound and visual quality compared to FFVI.

>>3835437
GBA versions.

Bug fixes, better translations, and postgame content. They're the definitive ways to enjoy them; FF4 and FF6 in particular.

>>3835437
IV I'd say either Namingway Edition, or the PSP version if you want extra game content.
V with color and sound restoration on GBA
VI - Woolsey Uncensored SNES.

Just start from number one, dude. I don't know why you are asking this, if you cared at all to try the series, you'd start from the beginning, so do that

>Ctrl + f : mystic quest
>no results
but why?

>>3837506
it's gay

>>3822089
Just play ff3!

>>3823106
>Super Temple of Elemental Fiends; the lost Gold box D&D game
lol'd

Guide is old but still relevant