Final Fantasy Legend
Encyclopedia
The Final Fantasy Legend, known in Japan as Makai Toushi Sa·Ga (?, Warrior in the Tower of the Spirit World ~ Sa·Ga), is a video game released for the Game Boy
in December 1989 by Square Co.
It is the first game in the SaGa series and the first role-playing video game
for the system. Square translated the game into English on September 30, 1990 for worldwide release and renamed it, linking it with the Final Fantasy
series to improve marketing. Sunsoft
re-released it in North America during 1998; Square followed with an enhanced remake
released for the WonderSwan Color and mobile phones in 2002 and 2007 respectively.
Debuting in the wake of Tetris
s success, The Final Fantasy Legend operates on a turn-based system similar to that of Final Fantasy II
. The game's characters battle monsters and fiends using a variety of weapons, armor, and skills that develop through the player's actions. The game follows the story of four heroes who attempt to scale a tower at the center of the world that supposedly leads to paradise. The four heroes may belong to one of three character classes, each housing a unique customization path.
The Final Fantasy Legend was conceived by Nobuyuki Hoshino and developed under director Akitoshi Kawazu
; renowned composer Nobuo Uematsu
wrote its score. The game is Square Enix's first million seller with 1.37 million units shipped. Though released to mixed reception, it has since been described as one of the Game Boy's greatest games and cited as an influence for series such as the Pokémon
franchise.
In The Final Fantasy Legend, the player navigates a character throughout the game world with a party of up to four characters, exploring areas and interacting with non-player character
s. Most of the game occurs in towns, castles, caves, and similar areas. To aid exploration on the field screen, the game makes use of various signs within towns. The player is initially limited to the World of Continent to explore, and given access to later worlds as his or her party climbs the Tower. Players can save their game anytime and anywhere when not in combat to a save slot for later play.
Players can journey between field screen locations via the world map
, a downsized representation of Final Fantasy Legends various worlds. Players can freely navigate around the world map screen unless restricted by terrain, such as water or mountains. The goal in each world is to find the entrance to the next level of the Tower. Random enemy encounters
occasionally interrupt travel across the world map screen and hostile areas, as in other Final Fantasy related games.
, gender, and name for the group's "party leader". There are three available classes: humans, mutants (espers in the Japanese version), and monsters, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Character classes cannot be changed once the game has begun. The player may recruit up to three additional party members through a similar process via "Member Guilds" in various towns. Characters may also be recruited to replace fallen party members, though the party leader is irreplaceable. Higher-level party members may be recruited at later towns in the game.
A character's performance in battle is determined by numerical values ("statistics") for four categories. Each statistic has a range of 1 to 99. The categories are strength, the effectiveness of physical attacks; defense, the ability to reduce damage received; agility, the effectiveness of ranged weapons or skills and at avoiding attacks; and mana, the effectiveness of magical attacks. A character's health is measured in hit points (HP), consisting of a current HP statistic and a maximum HP statistic, ranging from 0 to 999. Character statistics are relative to their class—humans have higher HP levels, strength, and defense, and mutants are physically weaker but enjoy a higher mana statistic. Human and mutant statistics can be amplified by worn equipment of different types. Monster-class characters are dependent on their sub-class, and their statistics vary greatly.
Humans raise their statistics through items that grant permanent bonuses, such as "STRENGTH" or "HP200". Mutant attributes simply increase by random increments after battles, and new abilities may be gained (or lost) in the process. Monsters change in power by consuming "meat" dropped in battles; depending the monster's current sub-class and the meat's origin, the monster may transform into a stronger or weaker sub-class or fully recover health. Later versions of the game released upon the WonderSwan and mobile phones removed the latter effect entirely.
The basic function of equipment in SaGa games is to increase character attributes. Arming a character with a gold helmet increases his or her base defense statistic, for example. The amount of equipment that can be placed on any one character at any time depends on the character's class. Humans can hold eight, mutants four, and monsters none. There are five types of armor: shields, helmets, breastplates, gauntlets, and shoes. Only one of each at a time may be added to one character and cannot be added to monsters. Weapons, consisting of swords, hammers, whips, spell books, and guns, utilize either the strength, agility or mana attribute of a character, and can be used only a certain number of times before breaking and being removed from the player's inventory. Shields can be used as items in combat, most with a limited number of uses, and allow the user to evade enemy attacks.
Mutants and monsters have different spells and abilities depending on their battle experience and sub-class. These come in one of four categories: attack, non-combative, healing, and resistances/weaknesses. When used in combat, attack spells and abilities will damage a target by an elemental type, while non-combative spells and abilities inflict various status ailments (such as "blindness") or grant benefits upon a target. Healing spells and abilities restore a target's HP and can be used outside of combat. Certain spells and abilities have added traits, like affecting a group of enemies or draining HP from a target. Each spell and ability has a finite number of uses, and once depleted the party must visit an inn to recharge them. Resistances and weaknesses are abilities that are active throughout combat. Represented by an "O" or "X" next to the related element or status ailment, they respectively give the user either resistance or weakness to one or more types of attack; status ailments grant immunity against a particular ailment.
Curative items can be found or purchased in the game through various means, each with a limited number of uses and able to be activated from a character's inventory or the items sub-menu to restore HP or remove a status ailment in or out of combat from a single target. Like other inventory items, in order to be used during combat these must be placed in a party member's equipment slot prior to battle.
Winning battles may award the player money (GP) and items. Enemy monsters occasionally drop meat, which can be consumed by monster-class characters. Mutant classes may "evolve" at this point, randomly gaining either increased statistics or a new random magic spell or ability, possibly overwriting an existing one. Party members that lose HP during combat can have them restored via curative items, spells, inns, or elements of the world such as healing fountains. If a party member other than the starting character is defeated in battle, he or she loses a "heart" and must be resurrected in a town via the building with a large heart-shaped symbol on it. Defeated characters with no remaining hearts cannot be revived. Alternatively, a fallen party member can also be replaced completely with a new character recruited from a town guild, regardless of the number of hearts they have remaining.
in ancient times (God in the Japanese version) to link worlds. There are four unique major worlds that make up different layers of the tower: the World of Continent at the base, the World of Ocean on the 5th floor, the World of Sky on the 10th, and the World of Ruins on the 16th. Time does not flow at a constant pace between levels of the tower, rendering some worlds more technologically advanced than others. Various monsters come forth from the tower into each world; many are hostile, but some of them are friendly to humans and willing to coexist. An offshoot of the human race (named mutants) also exists in each world; they are the magic-attuned descendants of a union between humans and the World of Continent's older races.
The World of Continent is a large land mass ruled by three kings in constant war for control of their world. They each carry an object needed to open the tower's entrance. The World of Ocean consists of various small islands surrounded by water, each connected by small caves. Pirates roam the sea of this world, forbidding travel by ship. The World of Sky contains large land masses suspended in clouds, and is ruled by a powerful dictator from his flying castle. The World of Ruins is a technologically advanced cityscape
, reduced to a post-apocalyptic wasteland by constant monster attacks.
. They defeat him and use the power of the Sphere to enter the tower.
They climb the tower and come to another door; inside lies a second world surrounded by large bodies of water. By navigating caves, they find a floating island which allows them to travel around the world by air. They locate an old man, Ryu-O, and solve his riddle to obtain the Airseed, allowing them to breath underwater and enter the undersea palace. They encounter the second fiend, Sei-ryu; they defeat him and recover half of the second sphere. Upon returning to Ryu-O, he reveals himself to be the guardian of the other half of the sphere, and the two halves form the Blue Sphere.
Using the Blue Sphere to continue up the tower, the party comes to a world of clouds, dominated by Byak-ko
and an army of thugs. They learn that Byak-ko recently wiped out an underground resistance movement, except for Millie and Jeanne, the two daughters of its leader. The party temporarily joins Byak-ko's gang to find the girls, and attempt to defend them until Millie betrays Jeanne and the party is captured. Breaking free, they confront the fiend, who tries to kill Millie; Jeanne takes the blow and the party engages the fiend. They defeat him, recover the White Sphere, and continue their journey.
The fourth world is a post-apocalyptic wasteland; Su-Zaku roams the surface defended by an impenetrable forcefield. The party retreats to an abandoned subway for refuge and meets Sayaka, who directs them to the nearest town. There the party is confronted by the leader of a biker gang, So-Cho, but his sister Sayaka intervenes and the two groups agree to work together to defeat Su-Zaku. As they gather the needed parts for a device to deactivate the forcefield, So-Cho sacrifices his life to guide the party through an atomic power plant. Beasts then ambush the town, and Su-Zaku kidnaps Sayaka. The party defeats Su-Zaku, earns the Red Sphere and travels on.
Climbing the tower, the party discovers the remains of a family that attempted to reach Paradise but failed, and a library suggesting Ashura is controlled by someone else. They encounter him at the top, guarding the final door; he offers each of them control of one of the worlds, but they refuse and defeat him. Before they can pass through the door, a trap drops them to the bottom floor. Encountering the allies they made along their journey, they decide to rescale the tower. As they climb stairs that wrap outside of the tower, they engage each of the fiends revived and defeat them. They find the Creator at the summit, and learn that the fiends and the tower itself are actually part of a game created by him to see heroes defeat evil; for succeeding they would be granted a wish as a reward. Angry at his manipulation, they reject the reward and challenge the Creator, who insists that because he created everything he was allowed to use them as he saw fit. They then attack and defeat the Creator in a fierce battle. The heroes then discover a door leading to an unknown location; they consider entering, but decide to return to their own world.
two years after Final Fantasy
was released. It was the first installment of the SaGa series in Japan and the first Game Boy game produced by Square. Square president Masafumi Miyamoto
requested developers create a Game Boy game after he noticed the success of Tetris
and the popularity of handheld system. Kawazu and partner Koichi Ishii
decided that instead of creating a game similar to Tetris, they would produce what they felt customers desired most: a role-playing game.
Square's concept for the game was a title that could be completed in six to eight hours, based on the duration of an airplane flight between Narita, Japan and Honolulu, Hawaii. Developers sought to optimize the game for short bursts of gameplay, as if played by a train passenger between stations. Square raised random battle encounter rate relative to its other role playing games, ensuring players would have at least one enemy encounter during short playtime to maintain an interesting experience. The Final Fantasy Legend was designed to be difficult and feature advanced gameplay, described by Kawazu as the main difference between the SaGa and Final Fantasy series. Square implemented several other ideas to distance the games, notably the "meat" system to allow players to collect enemy abilities, though these proved difficult to portray at first.
Kawazu took a direct hand in shaping the game's scenario development, working alongside Ishii, Takashi Tokita
, and Hiroyuki Ito
, who were involved in other Square projects at the time. Ishii and Ito developed the game's world layout and geography as well; Ryōko Tanaka
designed the background graphics. Tokita developed character concept art and handled the in-game sprites
. The monochrome screen of the Game Boy proved an obstacle, as some graphics such as fire were more difficult to portray without color. As a result, they had to develop a world that "works in black and white". Tanaka later revealed that the 2-megabit
capacity of contemporary Game Boy cartridges severely limited their designs; the team removed some elements from the finished game to ensure peak performance.
and consists of sixteen tracks. Uematsu struggled with composition at first, as the Game Boy's sound hardware was different than the Famicom's
, featuring a new stereo option, unique waveforms, and only three musical notes. Kawazu wanted the game's music to resemble that of Square's two preceding Final Fantasy titles, but Uematsu chose to develop new waveforms. Despite Game Boy's limited audio capabilities, Uematsu expressed desire to compose music for it again in 2000, though added regarding the notion of a remake "it would be better to have high quality music and graphics, but we need to make sure that the users enjoy the game."
Square has reused several songs from the game (notably the "Battle" theme) in later titles and released them on compilation soundtracks. The introductory music, titled "Prologue", appeared remix
ed as the opening for the next two SaGa games. "Heartful Tears" (also known as "Wipe Your Tears Away") became a staple for later SaGa titles, used in five of the games and arranged differently each time. Fifteen tracks were later included in the 1991 two-disc All Sounds of SaGa soundtrack
, encompassing the Game Boy SaGa series and re-released by Square Enix in December 2004 as SaGa Zenkyoku Shu. The final track of the set, "Journey's End", is a synthesizer-arranged version of six of the game's tracks combined into one by Uematsu. In the liner notes for All Sounds of SaGa, Uematsu states he enjoys listening to the track while remembering scenes from the game. The Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra played the song in the Press Start 2008 -Symphony of Games- concert as part of the "When Nobuo Uematsu Was Young" medley, while the "Main Theme" was played alongside "Save the World" from Final Fantasy Legend II on July 9, 2011 at the Symphonic Odysseys concert.
Square released the game December 1989 in Japan as Makai Toushi Sa·Ga and included a map for the four major worlds in the game; a revised version followed shortly after. Square translated it to English in March 1990, and planned to release it in North America with new artwork as The Great Warrior Saga. Square retitled it The Final Fantasy Legend before releasing it on September 30, 1990 to tie into the popularity of the Final Fantasy video game. Developers made slight modifications for this version, such as removing the game's credits and adjusting the longevity of certain weapons. Changes to the text were also made, including the omission of some of Ryu-O's riddles, removal of mention about self-sacrifice and a hint of the Tower's true purpose, and alterations to the Creator's dialogue to make him less sinister. In 1998, Sunsoft acquired the license to the Game Boy "Final Fantasy" games, re-releasing them in North America the same year. Despite advertising compatibility with Nintendo's Game Boy Color
handheld, the re-released version featured no enhancements.
Square announced in September 2001 a re-release of The Final Fantasy Legend for Bandai
's WonderSwan Color unit; the Japan-exclusive port
debuted March 2002 under the Japanese title. Toshiyuki Itahana redrew the concept art and graphics, and Square added animated cutscenes. Developers also enabled players to see in advance what a monster would transform into before eating meat left behind after battle. The port allowed playthrough of the intact original Game Boy version. Among other changes and additions were gameplay tweaks, a bestiary
, and an added feature that allowed players to automatically target an enemy for attack in combat.
As of January 30, 2007, Square Enix had renewed their trademark on the Japanese name for the game, and at Square Enix's 2007 Tokyo Game Show in September made a mobile phone port of the Wonderswan version available for play. Square released the game for download in late 2008 for Japanese i-mode
, EZweb compatible phones, and Yahoo! Mobile compatible phones. The port removed the bestiary mode and original Game Boy version of the game, and condensed some of the in-game cutscenes. It added Chinese language support and extra shops with new equipment throughout the quest.
founder Satoshi Tajiri
cited the game's influence behind the Game Boy Pokémon series, stating it gave him the idea that the system could handle more than action games.
The game garnered mixed reception and an aggregate review score of 50.63% on GameRankings. IGN
called The Final Fantasy Legend a "compelling RPG with a complex gameplay system and a solid soundtrack", but complained about the game's difficulty and "dated" graphics. German gaming magazine Power Play gave the game a score of 78%, and praised it for showing potential for the Game Boy as the first role-playing game on the platform. Allgame
praised the title on its merits as a role-playing game, but criticized its high difficulty and lack of a sense of direction. The Chicago Tribune called the game "a little slow in spots, but, like Final Fantasy, worth your patience", and a "good quest". 1UP.com
's Retronauts described its gameplay as a successor to Final Fantasy II
s, though added that the systems involved were not properly refined until its sequel; they further stated that the randomness of the mutant and monster character classes made the game very difficult.
Other publications reacted to The Final Fantasy Legend more favorably. Author Jeff Rovin heavily praised the title in the book How to Win at Game Boy Games, citing the thorough manual and considering the game a "masterful achievement for the Game Boy unit, and a superlative game of [its] kind", though not as complex as The Legend of Zelda. Spencer Yip of Siliconera named it as a game he was thankful for playing, citing it as opening his mind to story-based games moreso than titles like Dragon Quest
, and in part led to the creation of the website. In May 1991, Nintendo Power
named the game the third all-around best Game Boy game of the previous year, and in September 1997 they ranked it 70th on their list of the "Top 100" games to appear on a Nintendo system, stating that it had "stayed true to the Square Soft tradition". 1UP.com's Jeremy Parish called it one of the "essential" games for the Game Boy as well as one of the best of 1989, noting its introduction of new ideas that contrasted the Final Fantasy series and calling it "a pretty decent portable RPG in its own right". GameDaily
named it a definite game for Game Boy alongside the related Final Fantasy titles, describing it as providing "hours of role-playing excitement, whether you were waiting in a dentist's office or on the way to Grandma's house." Andrew Vanden Bossche described the game as "unusual" amongst Japanese roleplaying games, describing its narrative as "loosely connected experiences rather than the sort of epic narrative the RPG genre is commonly thought of". As a result the off-screen deaths of non-player characters felt more "poignant" and an example of memento mori
. However, he also felt the monster class system as counter-intuitive, as frequently said classes emphasized the point of enemies as "designed to pose challenges, not overcome them". Electronic Gaming Monthly, Pocket Games, and GameSpot
shared this sentiment; the latter two named it one of the top fifty games for the Game Boy.
The difficulty and significance of the game's final boss, the Creator, has elicited several mentions. GamePro
named him one of the "47 Most Diabolical Video-Game Villains of All Time", placing him 37th on the list and adding "You gotta wonder... how many hit points did the developers give God?" 1UP.com
described the battle as "epic", considering it part of a recurring theme of Japanese role-playing games in which characters band together to kill God. Comedian Jackie Kashian referenced the Creator on Comedy Central Presents
, describing the game's final battle as "the worst premise ever of any video game", and recalling how she still tried for eight months to defeat the boss. Despite the final boss' difficulty, it can be killed easily by the instant-death "chainsaw" weapon. In 2009, Square Enix battle planner Nobuyuki Matsuoka paid homage to the fact in the game Final Fantasy XIII
, by deliberately giving the title's final boss a similar vulnerability.
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
in December 1989 by Square Co.
Square Co.
was a Japanese video game company founded in September 1983 by Masafumi Miyamoto. It merged with Enix in 2003 and became part of Square Enix...
It is the first game in the SaGa series and the first role-playing video game
Role-playing video game
Role-playing video games are a video game genre with origins in pen-and-paper role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons, using much of the same terminology, settings and game mechanics. The player in RPGs controls one character, or several adventuring party members, fulfilling one or many quests...
for the system. Square translated the game into English on September 30, 1990 for worldwide release and renamed it, linking it with the Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy
is a media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, and is developed and owned by Square Enix . The franchise centers on a series of fantasy and science-fantasy role-playing video games , but includes motion pictures, anime, printed media, and other merchandise...
series to improve marketing. Sunsoft
Sunsoft (company)
is a Japanese video game development company founded on April 16, 1971 as a division of Sun Corporation, itself a division of Sun Electronics, or in Japan is a Japanese video game development company founded on April 16, 1971 as a division of Sun Corporation, itself a division of Sun Electronics,...
re-released it in North America during 1998; Square followed with an enhanced remake
Enhanced remake
A video game remake is a game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game for newer hardware and contemporary audiences. Typically, a remake shares essentially the same title, fundamental gameplay concepts, and story elements of the original game...
released for the WonderSwan Color and mobile phones in 2002 and 2007 respectively.
Debuting in the wake of Tetris
Tetris (Game Boy)
Tetris is a puzzle video game that was included as a pack-in title with the Game Boy at the handheld's release in 1989. It is a portable version of Alexey Pajitnov's Tetris. It was the first game compatible with the Game Boy Game Link Cable, a pack-in accessory that allowed two Game Boys to link...
s success, The Final Fantasy Legend operates on a turn-based system similar to that of Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
. The game's characters battle monsters and fiends using a variety of weapons, armor, and skills that develop through the player's actions. The game follows the story of four heroes who attempt to scale a tower at the center of the world that supposedly leads to paradise. The four heroes may belong to one of three character classes, each housing a unique customization path.
The Final Fantasy Legend was conceived by Nobuyuki Hoshino and developed under director Akitoshi Kawazu
Akitoshi Kawazu
is a Japanese game producer who was born in Kumamoto Prefecture. He studied ceramics at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Kawazu joined Square in 1985...
; renowned composer Nobuo Uematsu
Nobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
wrote its score. The game is Square Enix's first million seller with 1.37 million units shipped. Though released to mixed reception, it has since been described as one of the Game Boy's greatest games and cited as an influence for series such as the Pokémon
Pokémon
is a media franchise published and owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri in 1996. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy role-playing video games developed by Game Freak, Pokémon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video...
franchise.
Gameplay
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s. Most of the game occurs in towns, castles, caves, and similar areas. To aid exploration on the field screen, the game makes use of various signs within towns. The player is initially limited to the World of Continent to explore, and given access to later worlds as his or her party climbs the Tower. Players can save their game anytime and anywhere when not in combat to a save slot for later play.
Players can journey between field screen locations via the world map
Overworld
An overworld is, in a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other video game genres....
, a downsized representation of Final Fantasy Legends various worlds. Players can freely navigate around the world map screen unless restricted by terrain, such as water or mountains. The goal in each world is to find the entrance to the next level of the Tower. Random enemy encounters
Random encounter
A random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby encounters with non-player character enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random...
occasionally interrupt travel across the world map screen and hostile areas, as in other Final Fantasy related games.
Classes
At the beginning of the game, the player must choose a character classCharacter class
In role-playing games, a common method of arbitrating the capabilities of different game characters is to assign each one to a character class. A character class aggregates several abilities and aptitudes, and may also sometimes detail aspects of background and social standing or impose behaviour...
, gender, and name for the group's "party leader". There are three available classes: humans, mutants (espers in the Japanese version), and monsters, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. Character classes cannot be changed once the game has begun. The player may recruit up to three additional party members through a similar process via "Member Guilds" in various towns. Characters may also be recruited to replace fallen party members, though the party leader is irreplaceable. Higher-level party members may be recruited at later towns in the game.
A character's performance in battle is determined by numerical values ("statistics") for four categories. Each statistic has a range of 1 to 99. The categories are strength, the effectiveness of physical attacks; defense, the ability to reduce damage received; agility, the effectiveness of ranged weapons or skills and at avoiding attacks; and mana, the effectiveness of magical attacks. A character's health is measured in hit points (HP), consisting of a current HP statistic and a maximum HP statistic, ranging from 0 to 999. Character statistics are relative to their class—humans have higher HP levels, strength, and defense, and mutants are physically weaker but enjoy a higher mana statistic. Human and mutant statistics can be amplified by worn equipment of different types. Monster-class characters are dependent on their sub-class, and their statistics vary greatly.
Humans raise their statistics through items that grant permanent bonuses, such as "STRENGTH" or "HP200". Mutant attributes simply increase by random increments after battles, and new abilities may be gained (or lost) in the process. Monsters change in power by consuming "meat" dropped in battles; depending the monster's current sub-class and the meat's origin, the monster may transform into a stronger or weaker sub-class or fully recover health. Later versions of the game released upon the WonderSwan and mobile phones removed the latter effect entirely.
Equipment and abilities
Mutants and monsters have different spells and abilities depending on their battle experience and sub-class. These come in one of four categories: attack, non-combative, healing, and resistances/weaknesses. When used in combat, attack spells and abilities will damage a target by an elemental type, while non-combative spells and abilities inflict various status ailments (such as "blindness") or grant benefits upon a target. Healing spells and abilities restore a target's HP and can be used outside of combat. Certain spells and abilities have added traits, like affecting a group of enemies or draining HP from a target. Each spell and ability has a finite number of uses, and once depleted the party must visit an inn to recharge them. Resistances and weaknesses are abilities that are active throughout combat. Represented by an "O" or "X" next to the related element or status ailment, they respectively give the user either resistance or weakness to one or more types of attack; status ailments grant immunity against a particular ailment.
Curative items can be found or purchased in the game through various means, each with a limited number of uses and able to be activated from a character's inventory or the items sub-menu to restore HP or remove a status ailment in or out of combat from a single target. Like other inventory items, in order to be used during combat these must be placed in a party member's equipment slot prior to battle.
Combat
Combat is initiated when the player encounters an enemy, which changes the map to the "battle screen". The enemy appears at the top, above the current party characters; each battle uses a menu-driven turn-based system. At the beginning of each turn, the player selects whether to fight or attempt to run. If the fight option is selected, the player selects an action for each party member from his or her equipment or skills to attack, defend, use magic, or use equipped items. Once the player has chosen actions for each player character, the player characters and enemy begin battle. Participants move one at a time determined by their agility statistic. If the player tries the "attempt to run" option and it fails, the party skip their turn and the enemy attacks. Combat ends if the party successfully flees, all enemies are defeated, or all player characters are defeated; in the last case, the game ends and must be reloaded from the last save.Winning battles may award the player money (GP) and items. Enemy monsters occasionally drop meat, which can be consumed by monster-class characters. Mutant classes may "evolve" at this point, randomly gaining either increased statistics or a new random magic spell or ability, possibly overwriting an existing one. Party members that lose HP during combat can have them restored via curative items, spells, inns, or elements of the world such as healing fountains. If a party member other than the starting character is defeated in battle, he or she loses a "heart" and must be resurrected in a town via the building with a large heart-shaped symbol on it. Defeated characters with no remaining hearts cannot be revived. Alternatively, a fallen party member can also be replaced completely with a new character recruited from a town guild, regardless of the number of hearts they have remaining.
Setting
The Final Fantasy Legend takes place on several worlds centered around a large tower, built by the CreatorCreator deity
A creator deity is a deity responsible for the creation of the world . In monotheism, the single God is often also the creator deity, while polytheistic traditions may or may not have creator deities...
in ancient times (God in the Japanese version) to link worlds. There are four unique major worlds that make up different layers of the tower: the World of Continent at the base, the World of Ocean on the 5th floor, the World of Sky on the 10th, and the World of Ruins on the 16th. Time does not flow at a constant pace between levels of the tower, rendering some worlds more technologically advanced than others. Various monsters come forth from the tower into each world; many are hostile, but some of them are friendly to humans and willing to coexist. An offshoot of the human race (named mutants) also exists in each world; they are the magic-attuned descendants of a union between humans and the World of Continent's older races.
The World of Continent is a large land mass ruled by three kings in constant war for control of their world. They each carry an object needed to open the tower's entrance. The World of Ocean consists of various small islands surrounded by water, each connected by small caves. Pirates roam the sea of this world, forbidding travel by ship. The World of Sky contains large land masses suspended in clouds, and is ruled by a powerful dictator from his flying castle. The World of Ruins is a technologically advanced cityscape
Cityscape
A cityscape is the urban equivalent of a landscape. Townscape is roughly synonymous with cityscape, though it implies the same difference in urban size and density implicit in the difference between the words city and town. In urban design the terms refer to the configuration of built forms and...
, reduced to a post-apocalyptic wasteland by constant monster attacks.
Plot
Standing in front of the tower, the hero and party learn that they cannot climb it to paradise without first unsealing its base door. In the base world, three kings named Armor, Sword, and Shield fight for dominance using a piece of legendary equipment corresponding to their names. Visiting King Armor, the party learns that he is in love with a girl who returns his feelings, but cannot marry him, as a bandit holds her village hostage in return for her love. They defeat the bandit, and the king gives them his armor in gratitude. King Sword attacks the heroes, who vanquish him and take the sword. Lastly, King Shield is murdered by his own steward, and after a short fight, the party recovers his shield. Restoring the items to a statue of a great hero, they receive the Black Sphere, but are attacked by Gen-bu,the first of four fiends controlled by AshuraAsura
-In Hinduism:In Hinduism, the Asuras constitute a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes considered sinful and materialistic. The Daityas and Danavas were combinedly known as Asuras. The Asura were opposed to the Devas. Both groups are children of Kasyapa...
. They defeat him and use the power of the Sphere to enter the tower.
They climb the tower and come to another door; inside lies a second world surrounded by large bodies of water. By navigating caves, they find a floating island which allows them to travel around the world by air. They locate an old man, Ryu-O, and solve his riddle to obtain the Airseed, allowing them to breath underwater and enter the undersea palace. They encounter the second fiend, Sei-ryu; they defeat him and recover half of the second sphere. Upon returning to Ryu-O, he reveals himself to be the guardian of the other half of the sphere, and the two halves form the Blue Sphere.
Using the Blue Sphere to continue up the tower, the party comes to a world of clouds, dominated by Byak-ko
White Tiger (Chinese constellation)
The White Tiger is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is sometimes called the White Tiger of the West , and is known as Baihu in Chinese, Byakko in Japanese, Baekho in Korean and Bạch Hổ in Vietnamese...
and an army of thugs. They learn that Byak-ko recently wiped out an underground resistance movement, except for Millie and Jeanne, the two daughters of its leader. The party temporarily joins Byak-ko's gang to find the girls, and attempt to defend them until Millie betrays Jeanne and the party is captured. Breaking free, they confront the fiend, who tries to kill Millie; Jeanne takes the blow and the party engages the fiend. They defeat him, recover the White Sphere, and continue their journey.
The fourth world is a post-apocalyptic wasteland; Su-Zaku roams the surface defended by an impenetrable forcefield. The party retreats to an abandoned subway for refuge and meets Sayaka, who directs them to the nearest town. There the party is confronted by the leader of a biker gang, So-Cho, but his sister Sayaka intervenes and the two groups agree to work together to defeat Su-Zaku. As they gather the needed parts for a device to deactivate the forcefield, So-Cho sacrifices his life to guide the party through an atomic power plant. Beasts then ambush the town, and Su-Zaku kidnaps Sayaka. The party defeats Su-Zaku, earns the Red Sphere and travels on.
Climbing the tower, the party discovers the remains of a family that attempted to reach Paradise but failed, and a library suggesting Ashura is controlled by someone else. They encounter him at the top, guarding the final door; he offers each of them control of one of the worlds, but they refuse and defeat him. Before they can pass through the door, a trap drops them to the bottom floor. Encountering the allies they made along their journey, they decide to rescale the tower. As they climb stairs that wrap outside of the tower, they engage each of the fiends revived and defeat them. They find the Creator at the summit, and learn that the fiends and the tower itself are actually part of a game created by him to see heroes defeat evil; for succeeding they would be granted a wish as a reward. Angry at his manipulation, they reject the reward and challenge the Creator, who insists that because he created everything he was allowed to use them as he saw fit. They then attack and defeat the Creator in a fierce battle. The heroes then discover a door leading to an unknown location; they consider entering, but decide to return to their own world.
Development
The Final Fantasy Legend was conceived by Nobuyuki Hoshino and developed under director Akitoshi KawazuAkitoshi Kawazu
is a Japanese game producer who was born in Kumamoto Prefecture. He studied ceramics at the Tokyo Institute of Technology. Kawazu joined Square in 1985...
two years after Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy (video game)
is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, developed and first published in Japan by Square in 1987. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series...
was released. It was the first installment of the SaGa series in Japan and the first Game Boy game produced by Square. Square president Masafumi Miyamoto
Masafumi Miyamoto
was the founder of Square in 1983. Initially, he was the president of the company which was a subsidiary of Denyuusha . While at the time game development was usually conducted by only one programmer, Miyamoto believed that it would be more efficient to have graphic designers, programmers and...
requested developers create a Game Boy game after he noticed the success of Tetris
Tetris (Game Boy)
Tetris is a puzzle video game that was included as a pack-in title with the Game Boy at the handheld's release in 1989. It is a portable version of Alexey Pajitnov's Tetris. It was the first game compatible with the Game Boy Game Link Cable, a pack-in accessory that allowed two Game Boys to link...
and the popularity of handheld system. Kawazu and partner Koichi Ishii
Koichi Ishii
, sometimes credited as Kouichi Ishii, is a video game designer perhaps best known for creating the Mana series . He joined Square in 1987, where he has directed or produced every game released in the Mana series...
decided that instead of creating a game similar to Tetris, they would produce what they felt customers desired most: a role-playing game.
Square's concept for the game was a title that could be completed in six to eight hours, based on the duration of an airplane flight between Narita, Japan and Honolulu, Hawaii. Developers sought to optimize the game for short bursts of gameplay, as if played by a train passenger between stations. Square raised random battle encounter rate relative to its other role playing games, ensuring players would have at least one enemy encounter during short playtime to maintain an interesting experience. The Final Fantasy Legend was designed to be difficult and feature advanced gameplay, described by Kawazu as the main difference between the SaGa and Final Fantasy series. Square implemented several other ideas to distance the games, notably the "meat" system to allow players to collect enemy abilities, though these proved difficult to portray at first.
Kawazu took a direct hand in shaping the game's scenario development, working alongside Ishii, Takashi Tokita
Takashi Tokita
is a Japanese video game developer working for Square Enix. He has worked there since 1985, and has worked as the lead designer for Final Fantasy IV as well as the director of Parasite Eve and Chrono Trigger.-Biography:...
, and Hiroyuki Ito
Hiroyuki Ito
, also credited with the spelling Hiroyuki Itou, is a Japanese game producer, game director and game designer who has been working for Square Enix since 1987. He is famous for being the creator of Active Time Battle and Active Dimension Battle...
, who were involved in other Square projects at the time. Ishii and Ito developed the game's world layout and geography as well; Ryōko Tanaka
Ryoko Tanaka
is a female Japanese voice actress from Tokyo, Japan. She works for the company Pro Fit.-Anime:*_Summer as Kasumi Suda*3000 Leagues in Search of Mother*Agent Aika as Blue B; White Delmo S*Battle Athletes Victory*Chūka Ichiban*Coji-Coji...
designed the background graphics. Tokita developed character concept art and handled the in-game sprites
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
. The monochrome screen of the Game Boy proved an obstacle, as some graphics such as fire were more difficult to portray without color. As a result, they had to develop a world that "works in black and white". Tanaka later revealed that the 2-megabit
Megabit
The megabit is a multiple of the unit bit for digital information or computer storage. The prefix mega is defined in the International System of Units as a multiplier of 106 , and therefore...
capacity of contemporary Game Boy cartridges severely limited their designs; the team removed some elements from the finished game to ensure peak performance.
Audio
The Final Fantasy Legends soundtrack was composed by Nobuo UematsuNobuo Uematsu
is a Japanese video game composer, best known for scoring the majority of titles in the Final Fantasy series. He is considered as one of the most famous and respected composers in the video game community...
and consists of sixteen tracks. Uematsu struggled with composition at first, as the Game Boy's sound hardware was different than the Famicom's
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
, featuring a new stereo option, unique waveforms, and only three musical notes. Kawazu wanted the game's music to resemble that of Square's two preceding Final Fantasy titles, but Uematsu chose to develop new waveforms. Despite Game Boy's limited audio capabilities, Uematsu expressed desire to compose music for it again in 2000, though added regarding the notion of a remake "it would be better to have high quality music and graphics, but we need to make sure that the users enjoy the game."
Square has reused several songs from the game (notably the "Battle" theme) in later titles and released them on compilation soundtracks. The introductory music, titled "Prologue", appeared remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
ed as the opening for the next two SaGa games. "Heartful Tears" (also known as "Wipe Your Tears Away") became a staple for later SaGa titles, used in five of the games and arranged differently each time. Fifteen tracks were later included in the 1991 two-disc All Sounds of SaGa soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, encompassing the Game Boy SaGa series and re-released by Square Enix in December 2004 as SaGa Zenkyoku Shu. The final track of the set, "Journey's End", is a synthesizer-arranged version of six of the game's tracks combined into one by Uematsu. In the liner notes for All Sounds of SaGa, Uematsu states he enjoys listening to the track while remembering scenes from the game. The Kanagawa Philharmonic Orchestra played the song in the Press Start 2008 -Symphony of Games- concert as part of the "When Nobuo Uematsu Was Young" medley, while the "Main Theme" was played alongside "Save the World" from Final Fantasy Legend II on July 9, 2011 at the Symphonic Odysseys concert.
Merchandise
Several items of merchandise have been released for the game, including books and telephone cards. Futabasha Publishers Ltd. released a book in February 1990 titled Makai Toushi Sa·Ga—Boukenshatachi no Rekuiemu (?, Requiem of their Adventures). Written by Misa Ikeda, the 287-page book was part of Futabasha's Game Boy Adventure series for children, and detailed a hero's trek to the top of the tower to reach Paradise. In August, Square featured the game in Final Fantasy Ryūkishi Dan - Knights (=?, Final Fantasy Dragon Knights), a fan book which consisting of reactions and artworks to the series. The game was one of four titles featured in October 1992 by Game Player's magazine on a video tape named Game Player's Gametape for Game Boy Games, which demonstrated the game and offered a gameplay tutorial.Versions and re-releases
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
handheld, the re-released version featured no enhancements.
Square announced in September 2001 a re-release of The Final Fantasy Legend for Bandai
Bandai
is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...
's WonderSwan Color unit; the Japan-exclusive port
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
debuted March 2002 under the Japanese title. Toshiyuki Itahana redrew the concept art and graphics, and Square added animated cutscenes. Developers also enabled players to see in advance what a monster would transform into before eating meat left behind after battle. The port allowed playthrough of the intact original Game Boy version. Among other changes and additions were gameplay tweaks, a bestiary
Bestiary
A bestiary, or Bestiarum vocabulum is a compendium of beasts. Bestiaries were made popular in the Middle Ages in illustrated volumes that described various animals, birds and even rocks. The natural history and illustration of each beast was usually accompanied by a moral lesson...
, and an added feature that allowed players to automatically target an enemy for attack in combat.
As of January 30, 2007, Square Enix had renewed their trademark on the Japanese name for the game, and at Square Enix's 2007 Tokyo Game Show in September made a mobile phone port of the Wonderswan version available for play. Square released the game for download in late 2008 for Japanese i-mode
I-mode
NTT DoCoMo's i-mode is a mobile internet service popular in Japan. Unlike Wireless Application Protocol, i-mode encompasses a wider variety of internet standards, including web access, e-mail and the packet-switched network that delivers the data...
, EZweb compatible phones, and Yahoo! Mobile compatible phones. The port removed the bestiary mode and original Game Boy version of the game, and condensed some of the in-game cutscenes. It added Chinese language support and extra shops with new equipment throughout the quest.
Reception
The Final Fantasy Legend is Square's first game to sell over a million copies; the Game Boy version alone shipped 1.37 million copies worldwide (1.15 million in Japan) as of March 31, 2003. Square quickly released two sequels for the Game Boy, and marketed subsequent SaGa games on other video game consoles. The one-eyed monster featured on the Japanese box art later became the series' mascot, appearing in the sequel as a character named "Mr. S". Game FreakGame Freak
is a Japanese video game developer that currently creates games exclusively for Nintendo. It has developed the Pokémon series of role-playing games and several other games.-History:...
founder Satoshi Tajiri
Satoshi Tajiri
is a Japanese video game designer best known as the creator of Pokémon and the founder of development company Game Freak, Inc. An avid fan of arcade games, Tajiri wrote for and edited his own video gaming fanzine Game Freak with Ken Sugimori, before evolving it into a development company of the...
cited the game's influence behind the Game Boy Pokémon series, stating it gave him the idea that the system could handle more than action games.
The game garnered mixed reception and an aggregate review score of 50.63% on GameRankings. IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
called The Final Fantasy Legend a "compelling RPG with a complex gameplay system and a solid soundtrack", but complained about the game's difficulty and "dated" graphics. German gaming magazine Power Play gave the game a score of 78%, and praised it for showing potential for the Game Boy as the first role-playing game on the platform. Allgame
Allgame
Allgame is a commercial database of information about arcade games, video games and console manufacturers.Allgame is owned by All Media Guide, along with Allmusic and Allmovie....
praised the title on its merits as a role-playing game, but criticized its high difficulty and lack of a sense of direction. The Chicago Tribune called the game "a little slow in spots, but, like Final Fantasy, worth your patience", and a "good quest". 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
's Retronauts described its gameplay as a successor to Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II
is a fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Square in 1988 for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. The game has received numerous enhanced remakes for the WonderSwan Color, the Sony PlayStation, Japanese mobile phones, the Game Boy...
s, though added that the systems involved were not properly refined until its sequel; they further stated that the randomness of the mutant and monster character classes made the game very difficult.
Other publications reacted to The Final Fantasy Legend more favorably. Author Jeff Rovin heavily praised the title in the book How to Win at Game Boy Games, citing the thorough manual and considering the game a "masterful achievement for the Game Boy unit, and a superlative game of [its] kind", though not as complex as The Legend of Zelda. Spencer Yip of Siliconera named it as a game he was thankful for playing, citing it as opening his mind to story-based games moreso than titles like Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
, and in part led to the creation of the website. In May 1991, Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
named the game the third all-around best Game Boy game of the previous year, and in September 1997 they ranked it 70th on their list of the "Top 100" games to appear on a Nintendo system, stating that it had "stayed true to the Square Soft tradition". 1UP.com's Jeremy Parish called it one of the "essential" games for the Game Boy as well as one of the best of 1989, noting its introduction of new ideas that contrasted the Final Fantasy series and calling it "a pretty decent portable RPG in its own right". GameDaily
GameDaily
GameDaily was a video game journalism website based in the United States. Launched in 1995 by entrepreneur Mark Friedler under the name Gigex and focused on free game demo downloads, The site changed its business model from a flat fee per download CDN distributed service network to an...
named it a definite game for Game Boy alongside the related Final Fantasy titles, describing it as providing "hours of role-playing excitement, whether you were waiting in a dentist's office or on the way to Grandma's house." Andrew Vanden Bossche described the game as "unusual" amongst Japanese roleplaying games, describing its narrative as "loosely connected experiences rather than the sort of epic narrative the RPG genre is commonly thought of". As a result the off-screen deaths of non-player characters felt more "poignant" and an example of memento mori
Memento mori
Memento mori is a Latin phrase translated as "Remember your mortality", "Remember you must die" or "Remember you will die". It names a genre of artistic work which varies widely, but which all share the same purpose: to remind people of their own mortality...
. However, he also felt the monster class system as counter-intuitive, as frequently said classes emphasized the point of enemies as "designed to pose challenges, not overcome them". Electronic Gaming Monthly, Pocket Games, and GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
shared this sentiment; the latter two named it one of the top fifty games for the Game Boy.
The difficulty and significance of the game's final boss, the Creator, has elicited several mentions. GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
named him one of the "47 Most Diabolical Video-Game Villains of All Time", placing him 37th on the list and adding "You gotta wonder... how many hit points did the developers give God?" 1UP.com
1UP.com
1UP.com is a video game website owned by IGN Entertainment, a division of News Corporation. Previously, the site was owned by Ziff Davis before being sold to UGO Entertainment in 2009....
described the battle as "epic", considering it part of a recurring theme of Japanese role-playing games in which characters band together to kill God. Comedian Jackie Kashian referenced the Creator on Comedy Central Presents
Comedy Central Presents
Comedy Central Presents is a half-hour long stand-up show that features various stand-up comedians in each episode.-DVDs:Starting in 2008, Comedy Central started releasing "Best of" compilation DVDs, with uncensored audio...
, describing the game's final battle as "the worst premise ever of any video game", and recalling how she still tried for eight months to defeat the boss. Despite the final boss' difficulty, it can be killed easily by the instant-death "chainsaw" weapon. In 2009, Square Enix battle planner Nobuyuki Matsuoka paid homage to the fact in the game Final Fantasy XIII
Final Fantasy XIII
is a console role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix for the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360. Released in 2009 in Japan and 2010 in North America and PAL regions, it is the thirteenth major installment in the Final Fantasy series...
, by deliberately giving the title's final boss a similar vulnerability.
External links
- Official Game Boy version info page
- Official WonderSwan Color version website
- Official mobile phone version website
- Tower Reversed, analysis and simulator of the game's battle system