F-Zero

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Nintendo

Until Rock N Roll Racing came out, this was the racing game that stole much of my childhood. I have no idea how many times I've beaten this game since I was a child, but it's got to be close to 50. With each of the four drivers handling differently from each other, it added some slight, but much-appreciated variety and a reason for people to continue playing the game after initially beating it with a different character. It also did a very nice job of showing off the graphical power of the Super NES, butting the Mode 7 graphics on full display. The reason F-Zero is so excellent, though, isn’t because of graphics, it’s because of gameplay. The tracks are all well-designed, but to win, you’re forced to not only learn each track, but learn how to drive well in them. Hitting the walls damages your car, and so does hitting other racers. Take enough damage, and fail to restore health at the pitstops in the course, and your car will explode. Likewise, later courses have gaps in them with no track, so if you fall off the track, it’s another explosion for you. That creates a mild sense of danger as you race, which is further amplified by the fact that you get a sense of high speed while you’re making your way through the tracks. It almost feels like controlled chaos when you race, which only adds to the fun. F-Zero is one of the best racing games of the 16-bit era, and considering I just played through all the cups again about two months ago, I feel like it still holds up fairly well today.

Review added: 12/01/2018

Final Fantasy II

Also known as:  Final Fantasy IV Easytype (Japan)

Developer: SquareSoft

Final Fantasy II in North America was actually Final Fantasy IV over in Japan…specifically, the version that we got in North America was known as Final Fantasy IV Easytype. The original game was deemed a tad too hard for folks outside of Japan, so we got the easier version. Anyway, this fourth entry in the Final Fantasy series is really the first one to deliver a captivating story to go along with the enjoyable gameplay, in my opinion. Watching Cecil's character develop as the story progresses is a fine example of excellent storytelling in video games. Also noteworthy is the fact that Final Fantasy II introduced the ATB system (Active Time Battle) which was designed to make the turn-based combat more interesting. Basically, rather than the whole party get assigned tasks at the start of the turn and then hitting “go,” ATB battles have each character available to act at different speeds, so you’ll tell one character to attack, then after a few seconds another character may be ready to have an action assigned. It makes fights a little more frantic while you quickly try to get commands in before your opponent has a chance to get their turn. The ATB concept continued on with future Final Fantasy titles, but this was the game that brought it to the table. If you can't hunt down a copy for the Super NES, Square Enix has pimped this game out on a ton of platforms since (Playstation One, Nintendo DS, Wii, Android, Steam…just to name a few) so experiencing the story of this game shouldn't be too difficult if you make the effort. The effort will be well worth it.

Review added: 10/02/2019

Final Fantasy III

Also known as:  Final Fantasy VI (Japan)

Developer: SquareSoft

Known as Final Fantasy VI in Japan, Final Fantasy III may be the best example of a 16-bit game feeling cinematic without needing the use of any cut-scenes. This game shows how powerful a good story can be, even when you've got super-deformed, pixelated graphics as your visuals. There are so many memorable moments in Final Fantasy III…it would take up too much space to list them all. Aside from the story, though, the gameplay is the peak of the series, as well. Not only does the game have a fantastic main quest to experience, but nearly all of the optional side-quests are enjoyable as well. As someone that loves collecting things while I play, I spent countless hours on the Veldt learning enemy skills, for example. You can also spend hours trying to teach everyone magic skills to build-up a super party, making level grinding more than just a dull way to increase your levels…you can be teaching everyone magic spells, monster skills, and even dance moves. It makes each battle feel more rewarding than your typical RPG. If you want a nice variety in party members, there's plenty of interesting personalities to recruit, along with a few hidden characters as well. To go along with all of those likeable characters, you've also got the most dastardly villain that may have ever appeared in a video game…Kefka is pure evil without any redeeming qualities, so it feels quite nice when you finally take him down and watch the credits roll. On top of all of that, the soundtrack found here is one of the best and most memorable in the entire Final Fantasy series. Add everything together (there's so much more that I'm not mentioning due to lack of space) and Final Fantasy III very well could be the greatest Final Fantasy game ever created…and it certainly presents a solid argument if you wanted to claim that it was the best RPG ever created.

Review added: 03/06/2024

Final Fantasy V

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: SquareSoft

Whenever I see debates about the best Final Fantasy games, I often see this game left out in the cold. I've never fully understood why, either. I've seen some people point out the difficulty of this game…the problem is that it's not necessarily difficult as much as you just need to know the weaknesses of the enemies. One of the early boss fights in the game will likely seem impossible to get past…until you figure out his weak point and exploit it. Then the impossible boss is suddenly not so difficult after all. Final Fantasy V's story also feels like a step back from Final Fantasy IV's…but that is more than made up in the gameplay, in my opinion, which is a big step up. Aside from the fantastic job class system, which lets you customize your party as you see fit, from battle to battle, this game has a LOT to explore. Three different worlds, plus the ability to go underwater and explore the oceans of two of those worlds…there's a lot of places and side quests to discover that you aren't required to find to complete the game, but they're there if you want to find them, and they often give you worthwhile rewards for completing them. As someone that loves to explore in games, that alone makes this one of my favorite games in the series. While Final Fantasy V doesn't usually seem to get recognition that it deserves, its influence has been seen in many other games since its release - the most obvious being the job class system returning in Final Fantasy Tactics a few years later. If you've got the patience to discover weak points of your enemies, enjoy exploring, and like the idea of being able to customize your party for however you want to play, then I highly recommend tracking down a copy of Final Fantasy V and giving it a try.

Review added: 07/09/2022

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest

Also known as:  Final Fantasy USA: Mystic Quest (Japan), Mystic Quest Legend (Europe)

Developer: SquareSoft

Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest, known as Final Fantasy USA in Japan, is a so-so RPG that’s probably best suited for newcomers to the RPG genre since it’s not too long by RPG standards and it’s also pretty easy. It has some interesting aspects…like your party is never more than two people at a time, there’s not really any sort of equipment management needed, and you have the ability to change your weapon on the fly – including during combat. I actually like most of the unique aspects of this game, but the simplicity of both the gameplay and story will likely be a turnoff for a lot of veteran RPG fans. Despite that, I enjoyed my time playing through Mystic Quest for the most part. It’s probably not going to wind up on anyone’s list of top 10 favorite RPGs of all-time, but it’s passable and a solid entry-level game for anyone that wants to give JRPG’s a chance but may be a little intimidated and want to experience a bare-bones version to wean themselves onto something more difficult (and critically acclaimed) later on.

Review added: 12/14/2020

Final Fight

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Capcom

I've always liked Final Fight, but let's face it - the Super NES version of the game simply isn't up to par with the arcade original. It's not even close. In the original, arcade version of Final Fight, you could have up to nine or ten enemies on the screen at once…here in the Super NES version of the game, you never really have more than three. The enemies also tend to avoid you if you're facing them…so, a lot of this version of Final Fight can be spent waiting for enemies to come to you, or you can herd the enemies off-screen and just mash the attack button until they're all dead. Neither option is very entertaining compared to the battle royale that you would experience in the arcade version. Also missing, due to hardware limitations, is a two-player mode. So, you can't even participate in this boredom brawl with a friend - you'll be yawning solo. Hopefully, you're not a fan of Guy from the arcade game, as well…because he was also removed as a playable character here. There's also an assortment of localization stuff done to the North American version…some changes are understandable, while others are head-scratchers. Anyway, despite my complaints, this Super NES port is still passable as it is…just don't expect anywhere near the same quality of game as the arcade version that was released two years prior.

Review added: 08/18/2025

Final Fight 2

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Capcom

I liked Final Fight in the arcade a lot…the Super NES version was okay, but nowhere near as good as the arcade original. Then Final Fight 2 came out as a Super NES exclusive...and I don't like that one so much. Final Fight 2 sounds like it’s going to be great – brawling around Asia and Europe instead of different areas of Metro City…but you quickly realize that with the exception of the bosses, every single character you beat up in the first level are the only characters that you beat up throughout the entire game. Needless to say, this game gets repetitive very quickly. Likewise, it doesn’t even seem to add much to the original Final Fight formula…perhaps better animations and such, but even with mild improvements like that, this feels inferior to the original Final Fight, even the flawed SNES version. Capcom turned the series around a bit with the really good third entry into the Final Fight series, but this second entry isn't really worth your time unless you're obsessed with brawlers and/or want to play every game in the Final Fight franchise.

Review added: 06/22/2020

Final Fight 3

Also known as:  Final Fight Tough (Japan)

Developer: Capcom

I’ve always been a fan of the original Final Fight in arcades. I remember getting the second game when it went on sale at the local video store when I was a wee lad and enjoying it to a degree, but also feeling like it wasn’t quite as good as the original. Then Final Fight 3 came out, and I fell in love with the franchise all over again. Including special moves to perform once your special gauge fills up, as well as button combinations to perform other moves aside from your basic kicks and punches, Final Fight 3 included a mild layer of Street Fighter-like combat in the action that helped prevent the monotony that many brawlers can put you through. On top of that, the levels have branching paths to them. For instance, in one of the levels there is a bus stop sign. If you break it, you continue brawling down the street. If you leave it standing, a bus will pick you up, allowing you to brawl on the bus instead. Also included is a single-player, two player mode. In other words, if you want to play solo, but don’t have a buddy nearby, you can have a computer AI fight alongside you. Along with all of the stuff mentioned, there are graphical improvements and what may be my favorite soundtrack in the series. Final Fight 3 isn’t the greatest game ever made, but it’s one of my favorite brawlers of all time regardless, and it may be the best in the Final Fight franchise. If you’re a fan of beat ‘em ups, then give Final Fight 3 a try. I betcha you’ll like it.

Review added: 12/23/2021

Final Fight Guy

Also known as:  N/A

Developer: Capcom

Well, this game is a bit of a head scratcher for me…Final Fight Guy was originally a Blockbuster exclusive here in North America, and it's basically the exact same game as the first Super NES Final Fight, except with Cody removed as a playable character and Guy added in. If you're a fan of Guy, that probably sounds like great news…but, like I mentioned, this is the exact same game as the Super NES port in every other respect, complete with limitations, localizations, and a lack of a two-player mode. I've docked the score a little in comparison to the original Super NES version of Final Fight because one would think that with a year and a half of development behind it, that there'd be at least SOME improvements found here. But still, if you're a fan of the original Final Fight on the Super NES, but really wanted to play as Guy, at least this game allows you to do that.

Review added: 08/18/2025