Final Fantasy III for Nintendo DS

GF Rating

10

Perfect

A step back to excellence...

posted by RyuKisargi (WARNER ROBINS, GA) Nov 21, 2006

Member since Sep 2006

21 out of 24 gamers (88%) found this review helpful

Final Fantasy III.

When most of us hear this name, we think of the days of the SNES, to Terra, Locke, and Kefka.

But Nintendo threw us for a loop with this release.

In Final Fantasy III, you control the Warriors of Light, four youths named Luneth, Refia, Ingus, and Arc. During their worldly adventures, you give them power and glory with the blessings of the elemental crystals.

Seeing that the US has not seen a release of the original version of this game, which came out on the ye-old NES of yore, the only people who can compare this to the original are the Japanese.

However, the player of this game immediately falls into a sprawling, 40+ hour long adventure of gigantic proportions, in the first Final Fantasy title for the Nintendo DS.

Storyline - 10/10. As per the recent Final Fantasies, the storyline in III is top-notch, giving you sadness at one turn, and delight at another.

Graphics - 10/10. The graphics for this game are in a remarkable 3D, akin to the Playstation 1 graphics of Final Fantasy VII. Only less like lego-blocks and more smooth. This game takes full advantage of the DS's hardware capabilities. The opening movie is one such example of this as well.

Control - 10/10. It's like any other turn-based RPG, with responsive controls, plus you can use the stylus for menu-based controls.

Sound - 10/10. The sounds and music is incredible in this game. ALL of the original tracks from the Japanese version has been redone in modern, almost concert-hall quality music. Just wait till you hear the Chocobo music. ;)

All in all, Final Fantasy III is, and will be, one of the most popular RPGs for the DS. It's perfect, or almost perfect in every way.

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GF Rating

8

Very Good

Prepare for a bit of old school

posted by Jeremymia (GAINESVILLE, FL) Mar 21, 2007

Member since Oct 2006

8 out of 9 gamers (89%) found this review helpful

What do you get when you combine the graphical, dialogue, and gameplay improvements of the current age and the "no holds barred" attitude of games from the NES era?

Final Fantasy III, of course. This review wouldn't make much sense otherwise.

I'm only 19, so I'm too old to have played the originals for NES, but I as most people have tried them on emulator. They're unpolished and the story is a distant afterthought.

But there is a defininite appeal there. The game is linear, but don't confuse that with the hand-holding of modern games. You can figure out where you need to go, but your characters will not have this dialogue which you might find in games today.

Stereotypical warrior guy: We have defeated the Great Mouse Man, so now we should continue on the goriama highlands!
Magic-casty woman: Yes! The Goriama highlands! They're north-west of here, right?
guy: Correct! Off then! Goriama highlands! North-west! I have a feeling we should bring something to cure petrification. Just saying.

Okay, so maybe i'm exagerating a bit. No, i'm exagerating a lot. But my point is that this game feels much more open, and as a result you'll enjoy it more.

Jobs are in this game, which you may or may not be familiar with. The basic idea is that you have two levels. Your normal level and your job level. Your normal level determines HP and such, while your job level determines your aptitude with that job. A white mage job level determines the number of spells he can cast, for example.

This is a blessing. You get to pick the jobs of your party. It's all up to you. So strategy is abundant here.

It's not all good, though. The pure need to grind for EXP is still there, slightly. You'll spend 15 minutes fighting battles just for EXP once in a while.

Now, for the new improvements. Better dialogue, the story makes sense now (not great), and the graphics are 3D.

Will you enjoy this game? If you like Final Fantasy games from the SNES era, CERTAINLY. Otherwise, maybe or maybe not.

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GF Rating

7

Good

FF3

posted by PDMChubby (CHARLEVOIX, MI) Feb 9, 2007

Member since Apr 2005

4 out of 5 gamers (80%) found this review helpful

I'll start by saying I'm not a big Final Fantasy player. I love RPGs like Fable and KOTOR and Golden Sun, but I've never really have a Sony console since PS1, and I didn't play any of those. This being my first Final Fantasy, I was excited to get started. I really enjoyed the experience.

Cons to this game are that it is definately a cliche RPG. If you've played a handheld RPG before, or something like it, you won't find anything new. However, being an early Final Fantasy, it's really what started the genre, so I guess it made the cliches what they are. I'll look past that. The story was lacking and unoriginal, and it wasn't hard to figure out what to do next. Don't expect any Zelda style puzzlers here. Now on to the pros.

Good things about this game are that it's fun. It's great fun battling monsters and I don't tire of it like other RPGs. The music in the game is really well done, which is what Final Fantasy is known for, so kudos to that. I had fun playing the game, no doubt.

Personally, I love this type of RPG, and there's nothing really new. It reminds me a lot of Golden Sun, even though it came before that. If you think it looks good, pick it up, you won't regret it. As long as you don't mind the cliches, you'll have a fun experience. This is one of the best RPGs on the DS, but there are few in this genre still. If you're waiting for a real stand out RPG on DS, you can try this out, and it may be what you're looking for. You'll have fun, no doubt.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

FF3 Is Excellent

posted by Homeslice9 (LEBEC, CA) Nov 27, 2006

Member since Aug 2005

8 out of 11 gamers (73%) found this review helpful

This game rocks. The second the game starts you get this awesome opening sequence that is just the bomb! Some people don't like RPGs (like my little bro) but this is an excellent game to get ppl into it. The game play is easy to pick up and easy to play the story line is a little lame but the game play makes you forget all about it. Basically you and three others are "The Chosen Ones" and have to find the crystals of Wind, Fire, Water, and Earth to save the world from the in-balance of light and darkness. Everything you would expect from FF is here the spells the weapons and of coarse the summoning. There's a part where you face Bahamut, sound familiar? Bottom line the game play is hot the story is not, but! I still give it a 10

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

The best DS game i have ever played

posted by ShionRulez (PORTLAND, OR) Dec 6, 2006

Member since Mar 2006

3 out of 4 gamers (75%) found this review helpful

When i first got this game, i wasn't sure how good this game would be. I mean, i played the one for the SNES and it was fun. But when i started it up, i had no idea that the main character was a light warrior like in FF1.
Once i got past the first cavern, i was hooked into the game like crazy. I have played it for over 40+ hours and i'm still playing it like mad. This game has one of the best story lines, awesome secrets (passable walls), allies that can join you during the game, plenty of weapons/armor to keep you busy getting money, tons of jobs to chose from, and more.
I love the way that you can customize you team for example: You might enter a dungeon which the monsters there have high magic-defense. You can switch out your magic users and change them to dragoons or Knights or whatever you want!
The wifi bonuses are really cool and I'm still trying to unlock every single one. This also makes it easier to talk to other people.
I gave this a 10 for so many reasons because i never saw a bad part during the time i played it. This game is probably the best RPG to get people into or even started in any RPG.
This game is a must get for anybody! If you don't get this game, you have no idea what fun you are missing.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

I LOVE FINAL FANTASY THREE!!

posted by drunkyb (FORT WORTH, TX) Dec 5, 2006

Member since Mar 2006

13 out of 21 gamers (62%) found this review helpful

I cannot say enough positive things about this game. If I even began, I would not have enough letters to complete this review ; so I will keep this short and simple. THIS IS THE BEST NINTENDO DS GAME I HAVE EVER PLAYED, AND CHECK IT OUT IMA TOP 10 REVIEWER IVE PRETTY MUCH PLAYED THEM ALL. this game takes you back to the "old school" final fantasy titles, but does an EXCELLENT job of incorporating a lot of the "new school" features we have become spoiled on in the last few years. As expected, the story is very good, the graphics are GREAT, the sound is AMAZING, the characters are each unique and interesting, the cinematics are beautiful, and best of all - the JOB SYSTEM is fantastic. I was very happy to finally have a solid RPG style final fantasy that incorporated what made the TACTICS games so good, the job system. Being able to literally make a thousand different possible combinations of team mate abilities makes this game even better, and gives it a depth unseen in any other final fantasy handheld titles. Believe me, if you are an RPG fan dont even rent this game, buy it. The only "negative" aspect I can think of is that this game gets EXTREMELY hard towards the final few hours. This isn't bad to me, because I expect all good rpgs to have a little difficulty involved, but I could see how a novice might throw their ds after losing 2435345 times to the same boss. To pharaphrase, BUY THIS GAME NOW. BEST DS TITLE YET!!

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Final fantasy 3, its an excelent game

posted by WildFire (WOMELSDORF, PA) Apr 14, 2007

Member since Aug 2006

2 out of 3 gamers (67%) found this review helpful

The graphics one the game are so much improved. Theres a good story behind it, as well as the characters. One of the best adventure like games I've played for the DS!

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Awesome Game on the go

posted by Cheeen (BROOKLYN, NY) Jan 19, 2007

Member since Dec 2005

2 out of 3 gamers (67%) found this review helpful

I play this game everyday on my train ride to and from work and have to say... it is everything you can ask for in an RPG. The story is a bit weak but the gameplay is classic and the job system works great. This game is definitely one of the finest FF's ever made. If you own a DS and appreciate RPG's, there is no reason why you should not own this game.

I would actually give it a 9.4 out of 10 cuz of the lacking story, but a very fun game especially on the go.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

FF3 Scores Big

posted by mathcore (EDINBURG, TX) Nov 22, 2006

Member since Nov 2006

2 out of 3 gamers (67%) found this review helpful

This game has it all. After PLaying Final Fantasy III on the DS I can easily say that it has some of the best graphics currently on the DS. It has a great storyline and the action is relentless. The game is also very hard but enjoyable. If your a fan of the Final Fantasy series or a fan of turn-based RPGs in general you will definitely love this game. Other wise your better off playing something else.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

FIRST FINAL FANTASY GAME EVER PLAYED AND I LIKE IT

posted by 6GUNS1BLLT (SANTA CRUZ, CA) Nov 29, 2006

Member since Nov 2006

1 out of 2 gamers (50%) found this review helpful

FF3 IS A VERY AWESOME GAME. THIS GAME COULD EASILY BE THE BEST GAME MADE FOR DS. ITS GOT ADVENTURE AND ACTION AND STRATEGY, THIS GAME KICKS. THE GAME CAN GET TRICKY BUT IT DOESNT MATTER BECAUSE IT JUST MAKES IT COOLER WHEN U FINISH IT. THE ONLY THING I WOULD CHANGE ON IT IS THE WAY YOU SAVE THE GAME ALL U CAN DO IS QUICK SAVE WHICH CAUSES U TO TURN OFF THE POWER ALSO. YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE A MISSION BEFORE U CAN SAVE. ITS NOT BAD BUT I HAVE HAD TO START OVER A FEW TIMES. THE GRAPHICS ARE GOOD FOR THE DS AND ITS EASY CONTROLS. THE GAME IS OVERALL GREAT

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GF Rating

5

Fair

It's O.k.

posted by Reindog (BEAR, DE) May 8, 2007

Member since May 2007

3 out of 7 gamers (43%) found this review helpful

This game is fun, but it is really hard. I couldn't figure it out. The graphics are fair, but the game play is not to good. If you have played other final fantasy games, then i would get it. I haven't played any other of these games before so it is a little hard. You have to fight bad guys every few feet. I rented it, then put it back in the mail after having it for two days. I didn't even beat it. I was far from beating it. I would think about it before you get it. It is a little tricky. Eragon for DS is better than this. The movie in the beginning is really cool though. it was o.k for me. I would rent it before buying it.

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

A great game (but a port)

posted by jaustin (SAN RAMON, CA) Nov 28, 2006

Member since Nov 2006

2 out of 5 gamers (40%) found this review helpful

I liked "Partners in Time", "Superstar Saga", and the Zeldas, but had never played any of this series.

The game feels like a port -- it doesn't do much with the top screen, and graphics aren't as slick as some newer Ds games. That having been said, the story is great, gameplay is very interesting, and the level of difficulty is appropriate.

Overall, it's a great game.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Such a Beautiful Game.

posted by Devilock13 (GRAFTON, NH) Nov 23, 2006

Member since Jan 2005

2 out of 5 gamers (40%) found this review helpful

First of all, I would like to say that this is personally my favorite game to come out on the DS. Now, I could go on about how beautiful the graphics are (which, they are quite stunning), but we all know one does not simply buy a game because of how good it looks on the outside. The games true character shines through from the inside, a detailed and spacious world to explore, old school RPG battle tactics, a handy job system that never leaves you bored with having to play as one type of character, And to top it all off, that feeling of accomplishment you have after finally beating that boss you've been working on for the last hour.

Yes my friend, searching through dungeons for precious loot has never felt so...right.

But underneath each beautiful aspect, there lies an ugly, not-so-shiny beast of horror.

My only complaint is Final Fantasy III's save system. In previous console based Final Fantasy games, Save points were quite convenient. Having a save point right before a boss would save the troubles of having to travel through that time consuming dungeon if you died. But not here. The only time you can save in FFIII, is on the world map. Although, the Quicksave function tries to help, it can actually be quite frusterating, leaving players guessing as to where the best time to save would be, and then having to shut down the system.

All in all, I enjoy this game and if you are a fan of any good RPG series, You will too. Of course, nothing amounts to the might that is Final Fantasy VII (A remake for the DS would be quite lovely).

A Ten out of Ten.

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GF Rating

3

Bad

I can not believe it

posted by EvanIrish (SAN DIEGO, CA) Feb 22, 2007

Member since Jan 2007

4 out of 12 gamers (33%) found this review helpful

It is unbelievable how bad the save feature is for such a promising game.I lost my game and had to start over five times because you are not able to save game yet only quicksave game for at least the first 2 to 3 hours of game.I would have loved to get deeper in the game but because of the setup i returned it to gamefly.

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GF Rating

4

Weak

Exercise is frustration.

posted by bobtheelf (MOSCOW, ID) Mar 4, 2007

Member since Dec 2006

3 out of 10 gamers (30%) found this review helpful

I tried to like this game, but game play elements in this style of "RPG" I found frustrating, at best. While the game has some good elements, interesting graphics, great sound, its basic mechanics really turned me off.

1) You can only really save at the wilderness map, not during a dungeon crawl. Frustrating. I hate being punished for exploring and experimenting by a sadistic save game system.

2) If a character gets knocked unconscious during combat, good bye. You can't just heal or go to an INN to revive them. You need to use a spell or a Phoenix Down potion, which are extremely rare. Coupled with a horrible save game system, this is really frustrating.

3) Random encounters. I'm not opposed to random encounters normally, but this game takes it WAY too far. You are continually running into monsters as you wander about. Its is pretty tedious, especially if you are having problems. Frustrating.

4) Simplistic combat. Its pretty basic stuff, in fact why they even bother with combat and don't just have you flip a coin is beyond me. It would save time. There really aren't much in the line of tactics. You line of face to face and bang away.

Bottom line, while a neat game in theory, there are too many frustrating elements for me to like this game. If you are looking for a true RPG game, you won't find it here. If you are a Final Fantasy fan, you probably already know about all these issues and don't care.

I'd only recommend you rent this if you want to see what the DS can do (this is a great example), and/or have a high tolerance level for wonky game mechanics.

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GF Rating

3

Bad

Boring and Easy

posted by Macgyver (HAMEL, MN) Mar 23, 2007

Member since Feb 2007

1 out of 9 gamers (11%) found this review helpful

This was the easiest and most linear Final Fantasy I've ever played. It's set up simply for children to play. While it was much better than X2 it's one of the worst Final Fantasy games. The graphics are pretty good but should have been done more like FF7. The music was terrible and they didn't spend any time on it. The story was horrible and often made me want to stop.

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Great

posted by 1234jaden (GRIDLEY, CA) Dec 11, 2012

Member since Feb 2012

the game is good has a lot of different classes and abilites. Puzzles are pretty cool

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GF Rating

4

Weak

Saving killed the game

posted by davidbonatz (RESTON, VA) Aug 13, 2011

Member since May 2011

No matter how awesome a game is even Final Fantasy III can be killed by game mechanics. In this case it is with how the saving worked. The game designers were so kind to make an area with difficult monsters easily accessible early on (before I could figure out how to save). I accidentally got killed in such a battle early on and initially was like oh well looks like I am probably going to get penalized in some way instead it returned to the title screen. Since I had not been able to save I lost all my work. I personally am not big on repeating entire dungeons let alone losing everything.

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GF Rating

2

Really Bad

my review for ff3 for ds

posted by tsm1th (STERLING, VA) Sep 18, 2010

Member since Sep 2010

I waited quite a while for this to get shipped it definetley wasnt worth
the wait I played for 30 minutes and got bored.the game wont let you save and theres no autosave either!!!

After realizing this I stopped playing ..............and shipped it.

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GF Rating

6

Above Average

It's alright, glad I got to play it finally

posted by Vegito (SAN ANTONIO, TX) Aug 26, 2010

Member since Jun 2010

I'm just glad the real FF3 finally made it to America, with improved graphics, I was very pleased with this, keeping in mind it is an old game.

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GF Rating

4

Weak

bootsy

posted by dante09 (SEYMOUR, IA) Aug 26, 2010

Member since Jan 2010

this game is just like any other final fantasy game out there except a few things, there are little to no save points (except for the world map of course) you get squat for phenix downsi think the entire time i played i got a hold of like 3 of them and don't get me wrong i'm a huge final fantasy fan its just this one didn't deliver where it should of delivered it just seems like your enimies in the game get an unfair advantage and you get squat, overall a very nastalgic game but not worth the frustration of trying to stay alive

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GF Rating

10

Perfect

Amazing

posted by Chiro16 (SAN DIEGO, CA) Jun 9, 2010

Member since Jun 2010

as one of the first final fantasy games i've ever played, this one is surely one of the best so far. i like the characters and monsters and just everything about it! A game to be played

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GF Rating

5

Fair

Like It or Hate It

posted by ZeroGamer (ENUMCLAW, WA) Jan 20, 2010

Member since Sep 2009

I'm a Final Fantasy fan, and when I heard about FFIII coming out to America on the DS I was so excited! But when I started playing it: I was actually rather disappointed.

This game was hard! If your character dies, it's game over! In past FF games it was game over when your whole party was dead. I had to fight those zombie monsters early into the game - and I was mad! You can't save in dungeons, I used up all my MP, and they kept attacking the main character! And is it just me or is this game really stingy with the items? I like challenges, I LOVE challenges, but this was just annoying. I managed to get a little bit farther before I decided to just send the game back.

This game looked great, sounded great and had lots of promise. But maybe I was thinking it would be like FFIV (DS)? I didn't hate this game but it wasn't my favorite either, so I gave it a 5. Fans of previous FF games, I recommend trying renting it first and see what you think. Newcomers to the FF series might want to look elsewhere.

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GF Rating

7

Good

Pretty good... but could be better

posted by calikeira (CONCORD, CA) Jul 2, 2009

Member since May 2008

The game is great, but it irks me that whenever you lose a Fight, you have to start the game ALL OVER AGAIN!:(

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GF Rating

9

Excellent

Huge and innovative!

posted by tiloho (IRON RIVER, MI) Apr 3, 2009

Member since Jun 2005

The graphics are great and you have the option(sometimes necessity) of zooming in with the camera for a closer look at your surroundings when you're indoors. When you get about 15 hours into it and you only have the last crystal to get, it turns out that you have a whole new world to explore. One of my favorites in this game is the job changing ability. Whatever level you reach in a job gets saved when you switch jobs so if you go back to that job again later you've already got a head start. And your characters have regular experience levels separate from job experience so they don't die as soon as they start a new job. The more jobs you get experience in the more jobs are available to try out.

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Final Fantasy III for Nintendo DS Reviews by Gamers

Release Date

GF Rating

Number of Players

ESRB

Buy