Final Fantasy III Review by Sky Render Tagline: Square learned their lesson with FF2, but forgot a few along the way when developing FF3. Graphics - 7/10 (DS: 9/10) FF3 marked the point when, finally, the FF series started using some new visuals. It is, in fact, one of the better-looking NES-era RPGs. It's still pretty sublime during battle, but the environs outside of battle are quite a sight. Also, real dungeon design! The DS version definitely improved on the visuals, and about the only complaint I can conceivably see about them is that the pologonal visuals are a bit... jaggy. Sound and Music - 8/10 (DS: 9/10) The tradition of FF music being good continued with FF3, and the DS version's remastered tracks only reinforce that FF3 had some really kickin' music. Gameplay - 7/10 (DS: 7/10) FF3 NES tried, it really did. The gameplay engine was an ambitious (for the time) attempt to give the player total control over their class. The big problem was, most of the classes were carbon copies of each other. As well, a few were so brokenly powerful (Summoners especially) that you'd never want to use anything else. On the bright side, the game is a lot more playable than FF2, and even a bit more than FF1. The DS version stayed as true to its roots as possible, but also made the classes less carbon-copy of each other. Which was a nice gesture, and now there's actually a reason to use some of the odd-man-out jobs like Viking. Of course, battles are now much more limited in scale (which is a blessing and a curse both), so the previously super-powerhouse classes like Summoner are no longer quite as badass as they were. Also, Ninja and Sage got a bit nerf'd, but those were the most broken classes anyway. Story - 6/10 (DS: 7/10) FF3's story was a bit of a step back from FF2's, and feels a bit like a rehash of FF1's. The DS version adds quite a bit of dialogue and additional character development, but the story remains a rather cliche'd one. Replay Value - 7/10 (DS: 8/10) FF3 is pretty damn replayable. There's many ways to replay the game, and with the DS release, there's an actual point to playing again with different classes. Overall - 7/10 (DS: 8/10) FF3 was a step up from FF2, but still pretty flawed. The DS version does its best to fix some of the more overblown flaws, but still keeps some of the more annoying ones. On the whole, the game is a fun experience, but there are better titles. Pros: + Surprisingly good graphics, and great music + A decent gameplay system with some flexibility + Good replay value Cons: - The story has reverted to less-than-impressive, ala FF1 - Most classes are useless in the NES version Target Audience: Fans of turn-based class-oriented RPGs, definitely. Oh, and a tolerance for level-grinding (class and character) helps a lot, too. Buy or Rent? No way to buy or rent the NES version, so we'll focus on the DS release. If the game's target audience fits you, then go ahead and give it a buy.