30 minutes in, an honest and simple review

I’m a young but long time final fantasy fan. I wasn’t alive back when some of these games were released. However, I’m still a fan of the classics. This, honestly, is not as bad as everyone is saying it is. The graphics look very nice. They are low-res and crisp just as god intended. There’s some inconsistency with the ui and I’m not a fan of the font, but it’s pretty easy to get over if you just focus on playing. The music, now I’m a big fan of the music. They aren’t using the original tracks for FFIII, but re-orchestrated them and honestly I think it was the right thing to do. The game sounds beautiful so far, and I’m eager to hear more. The thumb stick control is a little finicky, but you can kind of use it like a directional dpad if you press the directions. The battles are very faithful to the original and fun, and there’s a bit of modern magic going on. It’s not a sloppily thrown together port of an old game, there is actually some work done here and that is great. If you’re looking for a 1:1 copy of the original, emulate it or find yourself an old NES and cartridge. I’m enjoying myself so far!

My only 5-star of the first 3 pixel remasters

I’m a die-hard FF fan. I’ve played every core game when it was released (including the ones that initially didn’t release in America) and have spent countless dollars on ports and sequels. I like the new graphics and music across all 3. I’m a little frustrated that there’s no controller support, especially because the tap-to-walk pathing in this one wouldn’t path through hidden walls (it did in the other 2, so it’s weird it didn’t for this one). Nonetheless, this port is the only port of FF3 that I’ve ever actually enjoyed. In fact, this was only the 2nd time I’ve beat the game, while I’ve beaten the others plenty of times (minus 11 & 14, which I don’t consider real games in the series, but are still enjoyable in their own right). I’m glad bonus content in all 3 was removed because it was never really balanced well and never made much sense (not to mention they were pointless), but I’m also sad there were no attempts at adding content. It would be nice to see tons of side quests added or what-not that actually build and strengthen the story (not “Go find my dog” or “Gather ingredients for my family dinner” types of quests…). There’s no reason to make a “true to the original” rerelease… we can just go play the original if that’s what we wanted.

A Good (if archaic) Game

Final Fantasy III was a game originally made in 1990 on the NES/Famicom. This pixel remaster stays true to much of the original game’s design philosophy, which can be both enjoyable and a hindrance. It uses the old Charge system of magic rather then the modern MP system, Inns don’t revive KOed party members, and airships not being able to fly over mountains are just some of the things in this game that might throw you for a loop if you come in after having played other FF titles. The plot is paper thin (it was originally an NES game, after all) and lacks some of the improvements/changes to gameplay and story that the 3D remake gave us. But at its core is a perfectly functional RPG. It expanded on the first game’s Job System with improved customization options. This is not a game that holds your hand and the difficulty can spike up rather suddenly at times. Its older design philosophy can be easy-to-hate at times, gimmick dungeons that require Mini or Toad are a sour point for me in this game, but the combat is enjoyable and it’s a solid experience if you’re in the market for an old school RPG experience.

Cool

Played the ds version, never got to play this one. It’s nice and love the music and everything but I also found a bug or glitch idk what to call it. Regardless it’s when you’re on the boat. If you get too close to an edge the character may look like he’s off the boat but you’re not in land. They won’t become unstuck at all. Have to shut the whole game down and come back in to the last save. DO NOT save while in that state because you will come back just stuck. Tried it out with the quick save option rather than my regular save.

Actually Pretty Great

I am a huge fan of this remaster. It hit a lot of the notes, but here’s a short pros and cons list. Pros: + Great control. I play on iPhone and iPad (only needed to purchase once), but mostly my iPhone. I haven’t had issues, and most of what I’ve messed up on in terms of control was my own fault save for one gripe (see cons). + This 2D title is a part of history. As far as I can tell, this is a solid rehash of the original, and I’m excited to keep clipping through it. It feels like the original with job changes, and that’s what I was hoping for. + This is what I expected. And my expectations were pretty high. They really did (sort of) re-invent the wheel here, and I haven’t been disappointed so far. + The music is OUTSTANDING. Industry reviews have said it all over, but still, it’s worth noting. Cons: - There’s an issue on my iPad: the game crashes. I am going to chalk it up to being an older iPad because it works flawlessly on my phone, but they should nip that in the bud. - 8-way movement is awkward. It’s the one grip I have about the movement. - If you’re not into touch controls, you probably won’t be a fan. It’s all touch controls—you should know that going in. Thank you, and if pick this up, I hope you enjoy it!

How is less content an improvement?

Final Fantasy fans are really easy to please. Square slaps new pixelated graphics and a remixed score on an inferior version of the game and FF fans act like they did them a favor. Oh course Square is just setting them up to sell them the “DEFINITIVE COMPLETE VERSIONS” in a few years with all the added content. Pixel remaster fans get mad at me for saying this now, then when the next versions come out they’ll claim those versions were always better. Just watch it happen. Let’s be clear about the pixel remasters. Only the first 2 FF games are improved. 3-6 have less content and less challenge. They are objectively inferior versions of the games because there isn’t as much to do. Whether you feel that the added content in previous releases was necessary or not is irrelevant. It’s *LESS CONTENT*. Not as much stuff to do and the game ends faster. This isn’t an improvement. Pixel remasters aren’t the pure classic versions anyway, there are lots of changes from the original releases 30+ years ago. So if they’re gonna alter the original games, why wouldn’t they include all the extra content released over the years? How can you call something a “definitive version” when it’s a barebones release? The 3D version is way better. More challenge, more content, more jobs, and an entirely new introduction.

Here’s a Gem…

This game is exactly what I hoped it to be! Here’s a gem for you guys… If you’re using an iPhone to play, and have a smart TV accessible, you can use “screen mirroring” (a feature on your phone) to play this game (or any game) on your smart TV! I have a 4K tv, and it does the game even more justice! I see the remastered colors even better on a larger screen! My phone then acts as a controller then… I would love to see this game add the actual controller usage, but it’s just fine for now. Thank you Square Enix for what you do for us fans! Can’t wait to see what else you come out with!

Great, but needs controller support

This surpassed my expectations, given Square’s track record with mobile releases. The game is absolutely lovely: Easy to control, with great graphics and a fantastic remastered soundtrack. (A slightly nicer font wouldn’t hurt, but it honestly bothers me less than I imagined it might.) One very clear downside is that there’s no controller support. Seems like an insane omission, especially given that other Square Enix RPGs support it. It’s not a huge problem in FFIII, but I think it will make the titles that use the ATB system (IV, V, and VI) sort of a pain. Hopefully they add it!

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