Often considered not only the best entry in the Final Fantasy series but also one of the best- games of its generation, with a record of 7th best-selling Super Famicom game of all time, Final Fantasy VI first released in Japan 25 years ago on this day, April 2, back in 1994.
What made Final Fantasy VI stand out early in its release was its steampunk-style world amid industrial revolution that broke the mold of medieval fantasy settings seen in previous Final Fantasy games at the time. Its story revolves around the conflict between the Gestahlian Empire, led by Emperor Gestahl and his court mage Kefka, and an insurgent group known as the Returners who fight for an underground resistance movement dedicated to overthrowing the Empire.
Final Fantasy VI was the first Final Fantasy game to not be directed by series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi, who took on the role of a producer, while Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroyuki Itou took over as co-directors. Composer Nobuo Uematsu wrote the game’s score, which has released multiple soundtrack albums over the years. It featured art and design work from the likes of Yoshitaka Amano, Hideo Minaba, Tetsuya Takahashi, Kazuko Shibuya, and Tetsuya Nomura.
Here’s a look at a few live-action TV spots from Japan in 1994:
Final Fantasy VI first released for the Super Famicom in Japan on April 2, 1994. It holds the record as the 7th best-selling Super Famicom game in Japan. It released as Final Fantasy III in North America in October 1994. The game was ported to PlayStation in 1999 in Japan and North America, with Europe finally getting the game in March of 2002. Since then, the game has been ported to Game Boy Advance, iOS, Android, and PC.
