Final Fantasy's First Ever Town

[@gnosis_gaming]

Have you ever played FF1? Which system did you experience it on, and what memories of it stick out?

[@diogenes3300]

I only played the pixel remaster which is pretty enjoyable

[@A-Spoto]

I played it initially on NES and bounced off it hard. It wasn't until years later that I played through Dragon Quest 1 & 2, which came out before FF1, that I decided to revisit Final Fantasy and found that I loved it. You gotta have that NES RPG taste. The love of the grind! But honestly, FF1 has very minimal grinding for levels in comparison to the Dragon Quest series and is balanced pretty dang well for an NES RPG!

[@gnosis_gaming]

@@A-Spoto I was surprised I beat the first boss without any grinding or even any equipment.

[@HandheldHandle]

Everywhere but Wonderswan Color (includes Pixel Remaster), I first played the PSP and it's the game that got me into Turn Based RPGs. unnecessary part of this reply: I loved every version of it but Pixel Remaster, it's too easy but atleast has a great sountrack, also my favorite version is PlayStation because it's the Wonderswan Color remake which improves the original game and retains the same difficulty (with an easy version), it also introduces unlockables and a collection such as Bestiary and Treasure list (or something) which are also present in PSP (treasure lists replaced with sound player) and Pixel Remaster (gallery and sound player unlocked at start) (Gameboy Advance only had Bestiary but introduces sound player)

[@shytendeakatamanoir9740]

Dawn of Souls (the GBA Version). I played through the PSP and just finished Pixel Remaster, but never went through the original, actually

[@SaltyChickenDip]

You need to remember that the game came with a manual that explained all the mechanics like talking to everyone , party comp, equipping items. It included a guide through the first part of the game. It also had a map of the world, a map of dungeons and a chart showing the stats/effects and who can equip for every item/spell in the game. So you weren't going in as blind as it seems.

[@gnosis_gaming]

That's a good point! Manuals were a lot more of a thing back then. But I actually really like how the game 'throws' you into things.

[@heavymetalelf]

If I recall, it was 80 pages and walks you through most of the first half of the game

[@diogenes3300]

@@heavymetalelf it’s a lot more fun to speak with the npcs and feel the world and story unfolding organically, but some people don’t do that and then can’t figure out what to do

[@heavymetalelf]

@@diogenes3300 my first time was blind as a 13 year old. I managed to find everything, beat the bosses, get the class change etc. I've technically never seen the manual, but I did recently see a video about FF1 and it showed some scans and talked about the manual.

[@diogenes3300]

@@heavymetalelf I did love manuals just as a thing to have and look at though. I looked at my ff7 manual a lot

[@alwolschleger7242]

Pretty much every NES game just "threw" you into the game because memory was very limited. In order to give as much gameplay as possible, extras like opening scenes were often cut before the final release. NES games also always came with manuals that explained the backstory, the game's controls, what common items were and did, and usually had a bit of info on strategies. This was true for everything from Metroid to random shmups to RPGs. In the case of Final Fantasy, the manual was pretty elaborate and gave maps and a lot of other info. The manual and the cartridge were a package deal and designed to work together. The other thing is that often your friends were playing the same games, so whatever you didn't get, they often did or vice-versa. It was pretty common to talk about games with your friends at school and exchange tips and whatnot. Sadly, boxes and manuals usually went missing after awhile. For a long time it wasn't a big deal because if someone picked up a game (say, at a garage sale) there was still enough "common knowledge" out there for the new player to figure out what to do and what was going on. Now, though, we're so far removed from that era that new players picking up a game either have to search out what's going on on the internet (and have the whole thing spoiled) or hope they bump into someone born in the 1980s that played this stuff the first time around. (yes, I still have my copy of Final Fantasy that I got for Christmas in 1990, with the manuals. Box is long gone, sadly.)

[@gnosis_gaming]

It's very interesting how the form of the system had an influence over the story-telling decisions.

[@A-Spoto]

Its also worth noting that the intro to FF1 was most likely a knock at Squares greatest rival Enix and their very popular game Dragon Quest. A large part of the story of that game involved saving a princess where in Final Fantasy its barely the tip of the iceberg illustrating to Dragon Quest fans that Final Fantasy will be so much more than Dragon Quest. This rivalry can also be seen later in Elfland where the player can find a grave of the legendary hero of the Dragon Quest series, "Erdrick".

[@disistheway2010]

Which is changed to “Link” in the pixel remasters 💀

[@gnosis_gaming]

I was thinking that! It felt a little subversive to start the game with this 'save the princess' plot and then have it be over a half hour later. It reminds me of when Hitchcock hired the blond Hollywood sex icon for Psycho and then killed her in the first 30 minutes.

[@HandheldHandle]

​@@disistheway2010 don't forget the PlayStation (NTSC only), Gameboy Advance and PlayStation Portable versions

[@jonothanthrace1530]

@@disistheway2010 It was Link in the original version, it's only Erdrick in the NA NES version.

[@shytendeakatamanoir9740]

The reveal that Chaos Shrine was literally at the center of the plot (it's the cross point of all 4 Elemental dungeons) is really neat ngl. The story is kinda bad, both needlessly complicated and way too simple according to today's standards, but at the time, it probably was pretty unique. There's two other things Final Fantasy has over Dragon Quest I (and II) at the time of release : - Customisable team of 4. Dragon Quest I has only 1 hero, II has a fixed team of 3. Here, you can build your team however you like. - Aerial transportation. The ship is really limited, but it offers a greater contrast compared to the airship, giving you a quick and easy way to explore the map.

[@-Keith-]

Zoomers never grew up with the experience that reading the game manual was meant to be how you got your introduction to the game backstory, controls, and game mechanics. Some NES/SNES game manuals could be as thick as a small paperback novel. Illusion of Gaia comes to mind.

[@kidrobot.]

nice try

[@vladv5126]

​@@kidrobot.Try? It's a fact that it used to be the norm but nowadays we expect all the content to be in the game itself.

[@-Keith-]

@@kidrobot. Tutorial levels largely weren't a thing until they stopped producing game manuals. There's a reason why "RTFM" used to be a common response to people who complained that they couldn't figure out how to play a game due to a lack of in-game tutorial.

[@gnosis_gaming]

I grew up in the 90s and loved manuals, but sadly they're sort of inaccessible at this point and now the games stand on their own

[@-Keith-]

@@gnosis_gaming I'd argue that the reverse is true, manuals are more accessible than ever thanks to people scanning them and uploading them to the internet. Not to mention the online presence of FAQs, game guides, and walkthroughs. I grew up in the 80's and 90's and I remember the pain of going to the movie rental store, renting several video games, and not having the manuals included with the rental. If none of my friends had the game at home and the public library didn't have a printed copy of the Nintendo Power issue that explained how to play the game, you had to figure it all out on your own.

[@Sabin184]

I don't know why but I want to chill in these 1987 pixel art towns real bad.

[@kidrobot.]

cuz they're so plain and you can see everything

[@FaelCacilhas]

You can, and should, play them! Currently Im playing Zelda Oracle of Ages and its so good to spend some time in that world

[@androsh9039]

I don't think I've ever seen a thorough analysis on something taken for granted like this. Well done!

[@gnosis_gaming]

haha, that's the niche I'm trying to fill 🤣

[@MichaelBacaArtist]

I waited for months for this game to come out. I called my local ‘Service Merchandise’ almost every other day, so much that they started to call me by name when they answered the phone. This was truly a unique and fun experience at the time and I truly enjoyed it. I also wanted to say I really enjoyed this break down and hope to see more.

[@tren380]

Having owned this game originally I can tell you the manual tells you everything you need to know to get started. And of course Nintendo Power and friends sharing tips on the bus to school.

[@gnosis_gaming]

sadly they're sort of inaccessible at this point and now the games stand on their own

[@BaxiTube-b9z]

thes games had ALOT more in commen with tabble top rpgs like pathfiunder and dnd back then. I love core books in both those systesm becouse it REMINDS me of these times. I spent 4 hours reading the pathfinder core rule book cover to cover the other night. then moved on to the gunns and gears expansion book.felt a bit like I was reading those old game manuals but at a larger scale.

[@marscaleb]

With all the detail you went into, I'm a little surprised that you didn't mention the invisible woman in the castle.

[@VencabotArchive]

Man, I would love to hear you follow up on this regarding how FFX, by your estimation, changed this formula. I also wonder why this structure is less popular today. When I go back and play NES-era JRPGs, I find it so ingenious that talking to the NPCs is actually a core part of the gameplay. It makes you feel like a detective in such a simple way.

[@gnosis_gaming]

That sounds like a great idea!

[@hypnometal]

One big way it changed in FFX is there’s no overworld map to wander around. You just move from area to area to area, with no space in between. That was a big change from FF 1-9.

[@otakubullfrog1665]

The harbor just to the south also serves to solve the question of how the light warriors got to Coneria in the first place, although I'm still not sure why they happened to pick that as a starting point. Maybe they heard that it lot a lot of very affordable equipment and spells.

[@abraxaseyes87]

Was gifted this in 98 and loved figuring out such an oldie on my old tube.

[@Typical.Anomaly]

I love EVERYTHING about this game! ... ...except for the fact that three's only ONE SAVE SLOT!!! I have a whole folder with several different iterations of FF1 on my Everdrive, just so I can have more than one game going at once.

[@gnosis_gaming]

Haha yeah that was always my childhood gripe with the Pokemon games.

[@MogofWar]

I was today years old when I found out Arlyon had any diologue other than "I am Arlyon, the dancer."

[@felman87]

You know, I never noticed that about the dancer. Just goes to show the kinds of things you miss when you don't stop and take a gander around town. (And, yes, causing your leader to fall will replace the sprite with the next in line. Whoever is in the top spot becomes the sprite representing the group.)

[@OliGaming-d1u]

The Cornelia Castle theme is so nostalgic to me!

[@8bitboss929]

You also gotta remember that the game tells you a lot through it’s 87 page manual that basically gives you a walk-through of the game, as well as the map of all the dungeons in the world that came with the game as well. But yes, you’d be very limited on your knowledge of what to do next if you just have the game cartridge.

[@gnosis_gaming]

I miss the good old days of video game manuals

[@AbstractM0use]

This was one in the new batch of games my cousin brought over during summer break from school the year this came out. I had only played Dragon Warrior at that point and thought it was pretty cool, but I wasn't an RPG fan quite yet. I walked around a bit and fought some imps barehanded, but after a while it was getting tedious. I bought new weapons from the shop, but it didn't seem to make a difference. Then I discovered I had to equip them. Combat suddenly became fun, and it was cool that I could see the weapons, unlike Dragon Warrior. After finding out I had to go rescue a princess from a knight and succeeding, then crossing that first bridge, the real adventure began. I was an RPG fan (and Final Fantasy fan) from that day on. We spent the rest of the summer playing it until beating it, taking turns writing down notes and drawing maps for the caves while the other played. Great times.

[@Trovor47]

True fans remember that bridge's real name: "King Steve's Kick-Ass Bridge".

[@WaldoBagelTopper]

Wow man, seeing this is like a memory flash bang went off. I had to be maybe 7 or 8 when my eldest brother used to play this in the early 90s. I hated it because I didnt understand it. And of course, being the little brother 1) I couldn't participate because its a 1 player game, and 2, even if it was 2 players, I still couldn't play. So I watched a lot. One day, he just started explaining it to me. The stats. Turn based combat. The story (he had a strategy guide). He played this. Like ALOT. And sometimes he began to include me by letting me name one of the warriors. And he would tell me that "thats my guy", so that I would feel some sense of participation or ownership in the game lol. Ultimately, I didnt play a FF for myself until 7 came out on Playstation. But everytime I see FF1, I think about sitting in my brothers room marveling at every new major boss fight and his frustration when perhaps he was outmatched or didn't grind as much as he thought he did. It was frustrating to watch him grind before I understood stats. Then when he grinding, it was something we would constantly look at the numbers and do math over. "Kill 15 more of those guys and you level up!" 😄 I havent seen him since our other brother passed away. What I wouldn't give for 10 minutes with both of them in the same room blasting music and playing video games and arguing like we used to.

[@gnosis_gaming]

Thanks for sharing this story! I'm glad that Final Fantasy can bring back happy memories for you of your childhood with your brother.

[@chrislevack405]

Andross is attacking Corneria!! Starfox WE NEED YOUR HELP!

[@PartnershipsForYou]

“I’ll do my best, Andross won’t have his way with me!” * G O O D L U C K!*

[@ElevenDollarCheese]

First game I can remember where you could actually grind. Was the first true RPG, not an adventure game with token "leveling", you could actually get stronger by taking more time fighting randoms. Maybe Dragon Warrior came first, but I had FF1 first in 88.

[@Zirbip]

Great breakdown of the first town. I'd love to see this sort of video for the rest of FF1 and even FF2 and FF3.

[@gnosis_gaming]

Thanks! Which one's your favorite?

[@Zirbip]

My favorite out of all the FFs? Oh man, it's like you're making me choose which one of my children is my favorite. I'd have to say FF4 due to nostalgia (its the first one I beat) or FF6 because its a masterpiece. Don't even get ne started on FF Tactics!

[@adameves5970]

you don't need the "1" when referring to the original. It's simply called "Final Fantasy"

[@Zirbip]

​ @gnosis_gaming and your favorite?

[@gnosis_gaming]

@@Zirbip I have a soft spot for 9!

[@RwnEsper]

Wouldn't recommend running straight to the Chaos Shrine. In the NES version at least, you started with NOTHING equipped. I think the PR fixes this so all characters have basic equipment to start, but you probably still want to buy some spells and better weapons. I used to do mini-challenges with my friend to see if we could rush Garland with various teams at level 1.

[@gnosis_gaming]

Yup, the characters are basically naked in the NES version 🤣

[@wizcatcheslightning]

Great breakdown of the game design here

[@gnosis_gaming]

Thanks! Are you a fan of FF1?

[@wizcatcheslightning]

@@gnosis_gaming huge fan of the entire series!

[@DSMyOpinionCounts]

Such great game. So basic yet FUN. no dlc, ingame shop, nft, just pay once have it all. And FUN. such games wont get made nowadays anymore. Ff1 was simply the best in the entire series till today ❤ and the first town in ff1 was simply PERFECT. everything you need is there. A genious masterpiece.

[@ObsidianContraption]

Nice analysis. I was always mesmerized by this game as a kid

[@adventureoflinkmk2]

1:05 Cornelia. Fourth planet from the lylat system. The evil andross was exiled to the once barren and deserted planet, venom.

[@michaelhgravesjr9608]

I love that the party you showed at the beginning is specifically the party from 8-bit Theatre. 😂 I should try giving that team comp a playthrough.

[@steverempel8584]

That is the default party in the original version of FF1.

[@steverempel8584]

Oh, and that Party, Fighter, Black Belt, Thief, Red Mage, is one of the best party compositions, but starts out weak, and isn't the most beginner friendly.

[@michaelhgravesjr9608]

@@steverempel8584 I could see that working out really well, actually. I tended to go with weird comps, myself.

[@JoelGloade]

the first thing you say is immediately out the door, the game has an intro about the wind stopping, the earth rots, fire fizzles out and the water becomes tumultuous and here comes 4 young people with orbs

[@gnosis_gaming]

this is part of the intro before the start screen, which I mentioned at 0:24

[@Echidneys]

Couldn't watch for even a minute before going "Um ackshually..."

[@Igones]

Great video as always! The game really does have a great design, good point you’ve made. Never saw the FF games before 7, so seeing the very first one was very interesting!

[@adameves5970]

FF is awesome. This is where all the iconic music, characters, and storyline began!

[@83Chrisaaron]

I've watched a few videos and enjoy how deep you go with certain aspects. Keep them coming! I'm playing the pixel remaster version right now and it's....a slog. I do want to beat it since it was so intimidating back when I was a semi-literate kid with a NES.

[@JohnCrawford1979]

Because FFI and DQI (DragonWarrior at the time) were my introductions to RPGs, I didn't realize that not all games of this genre advance in this somewhat linear format. It took me a while to appreciate TES and similar, where you can wind up getting off track with side quests that may or may not return you back to the main quest.

[@gnosis_gaming]

I think this kind of game design is something we take for granted now

[@astrapsy]

great video man, just started dabbling in FF1 a few days ago

[@GigalassII]

I forgot they changed the name from Coneria to Cornelia

[@RPLAsmodeus]

My first Final Fantasy was Mystic Quest I never played FF1 I'm gonna get that collection

[@anonymousm9113]

The story behind Final Fantasy is amazing, especially the theories behind how it got its name. To think that Coneria, the kingdom I first visited over 35 years ago, was the opening setting for such a massive franchise is beyond belief. We take FF for granted these days. There are the core games, remakes, spinoffs and sequels, mobile games, and even MMOs. I can't vouch for the newest games, but FFIV and VI were my favorites. FFVII marked the turning point for me as a gamer (I was starting a family), with FFVIII holding my interest the least, then FFIX sparking renewed interest for a short while. Over the years since then, I've played many of the remakes on GBA, DS, PS1, and even mobile, and spent a while fixated on FFX and FFXII, but of course I'll never recapture the magic of experiencing the first three NA releases for the first time.

[@MrVariant]

5:38 did Jack Garland ever say the line in that frustrating stranger of paradise ff origin? Cant believe dlc jobs were post game hard mode only. Gotta knock you all down 😂

[@tommyboulet]

i sure didn't know the lady dancer was giving clues later on regarding where to go next. That would have helped for sure lol.

[@iiviigames]

I did a podcast (which we never released) on this game and series, and I completely missed the first town for a long time during my first playthrough. I walked straight to the castle, and didn't realize the town and castle were separated. Did anyone else experience this? I have a ton to say about this game in particular but I'll leave it there.

[@Adamismmyname007]

i remember slaying countless imps around that town on NES lol

[@Drekal684]

Would be intrigued to see something similar for each of the other FF games.

[@Voliharmin]

Can you make series out of it? Going trough whole game with this amazing narrative style?

[@gnosis_gaming]

that would be cool!

[@Calintares]

I was sort of expecting you to say something about the invisible lady in the castle

[@gnosis_gaming]

I don't think she was in my version! :(

[@Marc_Araujo]

Fighter, Thief, White Mage, Black Mage

[@lonewanderer7926]

8-bit Theater

[@GreenMan19961]

I've played this in my Nokia express music before and I loved it

[@benjamincarrillo6328]

I rented this sucker from a blockbuster video back in the day and played it in the original NES, not a great experience, got stuck coming back from the earth cave to Elfland in a resupply run, had to use a tent to not die and tents save your game in the spot you use them on. So I got stuck in the middle of nowhere with no spells and not enough HP to get back to civilization. I swore off the game FOREVER! So anyway, a few years later I found a cartridge for cheap on street stall, bought it, and finished it no problem. Sometimes your brain just needs some time to properly understand things.

[@arcturax]

**SPOILER WARNING** A lot of people don't know, but there's an exploit where you can use the canoe to reach the first dungeon in the northern continents, the one the dragons send you to that you get tested in to become grownups. You can raid it for the items if you're brave and some of the chests yield items that make the volcano and ice dungeon much easier. You can also grind quickly for XP and gold up there, dangerous as it is at that point of the game.

[@mickeym4278]

Funny enough, something I was doing since the early '90s. Also, I discovered the peninsula of power by accident because I was hoping that there was a way across, and instead ended up fighting overpowered enemies. Such a good game for its time.

[@thadatkins9792]

It's been a long time since I've seen the original game. It really takes me back. FF1 promted the imagination so well. True artwork at its best.

[@mitch4904]

So you didn’t play the game when it was relevant. The game came with an extensive manual that did all the heavy lifting for lore, explanations and even guidance on playing. Zelda was the same way. The game didn’t let the player down at all, it was all gameplay and the story was mostly front loaded in the manual.

[@gnosis_gaming]

I was born in 91. I never owned FF1 physically

[@ThisismineIguess]

"Welcome to Corneria!" "I like swords."

[@gwgux]

Every series had to start somewhere. The first FF game saved Squaresoft from going out of business and created one of the most famous series of games in video game history. It's pretty amazing what they managed to pull off with 7 people working on it. Now they have huge teams spanning multiple office buildings. lol

[@xenxander]

i didn't know NPCs could speak more than one dialog save for some very specific story ones.. this is because the game never eludes you to this at all.

[@hyattbusbey3563]

I was in the final dungeon after many many hours of play over weeks... and we had a window give out and leak onto my NES.

[@mark6302]

This shit blew me away when I was a kid

[@roeuth]

I’m not sure if it’s FF1 or FF2 but I remember I was moving around as a lab one unit and encountering lv 30 monsters just because I wondered off too far I guess? I was never told that high level monsters was just across the way from the starting point 😅

[@Louis_Varga]

Yes, that's Final Fantasy II that has the higher leveled monsters if you wander too far from the area you're supposed to be in.

[@RickyIcecubes]

Rocket Town in FF7 will always be my favorite.

[@Grogeous_Maximus]

Great video. The music is a bit louder than your mic

[@blondesummer7980]

I remember visiting Corneria... in Stranger of Paradise.

[@Rendarth1]

It's remarkable how much the early final fantasy worlds felt open, even though they weren't at all. When the linear 3D spaces of 10 and 13 made people angry, it was important to point out that it's *always* been that way even if it didn't feel like it. Though 13's lack of towns kind of took things to another level...

[@BranBal]

Those guys are like "since I have nothing worth noting to complain I gotta invent something" 😂

[@steverempel8584]

You are only half right. FFX was just as linear as the previous games, except maybe a little more, due to fewer side quests, and only getting the airship at the very end of the game. FFXIII on the other hand is another level of linearity, even compared to FFX. Chapter 10, 12, and 13 are more open though, like FFX. Chapter 11 is open world. But the first 9 chapters are just a giant corridor, it's almost an artform how much of a straight line that part of the game is.

[@AD3SPG]

CHAOS - JACK

[@ShadowCthulhu]

Dam someone used Open World correctly in such a long time, it does get old when people mis-use open world for sandbox games. The original Final Fantasy is still one of my favorites along with FF8.

[@NFITC1]

There is opening exposition. As soon as you power on the game it gives exposition. THEN you get the option to select new game or continue. You just keep skipping the exposition because it's slow and skippable.

[@gnosis_gaming]

this is mentioned in the video around 0:24

[@stevenglowacki8576]

I'm disappointed you didn't show the "dialog" that pops up when you try to talk to the fountain. It says something about your face being dirty and that you should wash it.

[@gnosis_gaming]

I wanted to do that but I forgot to add it to my script when I did the recording! Also, the message that pops up when you examine the well...

[@ben_sisko2149]

You forgot a very crucial aspect of games back in that time that gave quite an important amount of information: the instruction manual. These sort of games, RPGs, and the experience they provided back in the day cannot be fully appreciated if you don't mention the manual.

[@mychalevenson7710]

Be sure to normalize your audio. I had to crank my volume on each my audio interface, my monitors, and my pc to hear you.

[@Morgan423Z]

Yes, I remember hearing about the legend of AAAA the Monk when I was but a boy....

[@MemphiStig]

I played this the first time not long after it was released, and I've played it several times over the years since. In the rest of the series, I've only played 7 once and parts of X and X-2, but none of them ever made me want to come back like the original. And none of them, even 7 as good as it was, made me feel the same way while and after playing it. It was very innovative, and set a standard that everyone (including Squaresoft) has been trying to match, mostly unsuccessfully, since. Tales of Symphonia is the only other game of its kind from bitd that equaled it, much moreso than FF7. IMHO (which is of course correct) One of the best things about it to me was the D&D-esque choose your own party. I loved the ability to make a party of all monks or mages or whatever weird combos i wanted to try, and I missed that in later FF's. And most imitator games that let you do that weren't nearly as good. I still love this game, and it still holds up as an excellent game in its own right.

[@holidayinn4293]

You weren't really about ever going to get that experience out of Japanese games. You should have checked out western pc ports if all you had was console. Like Might and Magic or Wizardry back then.

[@glennrugar9248]

You should do the rest of the game.

[@Asterra2]

Nobody's talking about it but FF was copying Dragon Quest, and _Dragon Quest I_ was a gobsmackingly unabashed clone of Ultima. When DQ1 landed, Ultima had been kicking around for over 5 years and there were 4 games released. The format of starting directly outside of a combination of castle and town right along the shore-also aped in FF1 of course-is perhaps the most unambiguous copypaste in the franchise. In the same way that modern anime/manga is intrinsically influenced by Tezuka's body of work, which in turn was primarily influenced by Disney's output, there's a solid argument to be made for JRPGs springboarding from DQ/FF which in turn were chiefly influenced by Ultima.

[@gkoogz9877]

Nice video

[@Tassooow]

Love FF1, beat it a few years ago on the GBA port and it was a lot of fun. Now I'm going through 2 on the pixel remaster and it's also very good, albeit a little odd with the leveling system

[@heinrichagrippa5681]

Right, if I recall, it was that weird experimental system where your characters' stats would sort of "evolve" based on what they did the most. It was a cool concept in theory - that your characters would organically grow into whatever the equivalent of the class role you played them as - but kind of frustrating in practice, especially since neglected stats would actually _decrease_ as you progressed. It's not hard to see why they never used that system again. I also always found it hilarious that it immediately starts you off in an unwinnable fight in which your party is effortlessly curb-stomped - where you do pathetic damage (if anyone even gets a chance to attack) and all four get one-shotted by the dark knights or whatever they were.

[@lanatrzczka]

I don't think it is correct to say "the game just throws you into the overworld." The game's manual had like 75 pages of a walkthrough. If you followed it (which took like 6 hours) the player characters would class change into adults and then the game really took off.

[@gullpayne]

I am playing this for the first time and love it - on psp so the remake

[@Endarire]

FF1: Perhaps great for its time, but cumbersome to play in modern times. I know. I replayed it this month.

[@Soulintent95]

Ff1 is my favorite ff. I only like the nes and snes games. Yet ff1 still is my favorite. Honestly i think its flawless. Love the world, music, sound. Love how simplistic it is, yet at the time of release it was far from simple so knowing that makes it special. Also gotta say, coneria always drove me nuts. Because i read it as corneria. Like starfox, and its not corneria but coneria. My brain hates reading it.

[@fennecfox2366]

After playing this when ffiv came out I thought there was too many cinematic scenes.

[@jonothanthrace1530]

It's weird that you seem to be ignoring the pre-title text crawl, the literal first thing you see when you start the game up.

[@gnosis_gaming]

0:24

[@jonothanthrace1530]

@@gnosis_gaming Ah, my bad.

[@MerkhVision]

LMAO u couldn’t even go a full 30 seconds without making an uninformed critical comment!? Good lesson to watch the rest of the video before commenting. At least u handled it with grace.

[@gnosis_gaming]

@@jonothanthrace1530 It's okay 🤣 Thanks for commenting anyway!

[@jonothanthrace1530]

@@MerkhVision Settle down.

[@GUNDAMURX73]

Welcome to Corneria!

[@thomasgambroadamsson3650]

Haha! You were wrong! You said there are FOUR party classes in the first 20 seconds of your video. There are SIX!. Cancelled! Just kidding. Much love for examining this seminal NES title.

[@gnosis_gaming]

Sorry, what I meant was you can choose 4 jobs (of 6) 😅

[@hpgildwel]

i think you're forgetting the Game Manual

[@gnosis_gaming]

I never owned the game physically, so this is purely from what the game offers as an experience in itself, though it's interesting that manuals used to be so integral

[@yozarian86]

Oh my god.. even though I’ve seen ff1 enough times over the years, I just realized I’ve been biased against it while thinking of another game. Now I don’t even know what game that was lol. I did play Ff1, but I was too young to get far. The one I was thinking of has much much larger characters who all look the same. I don’t remember an overworld. No idea what game it was. I’d say it might’ve been for commodore Vic 20, but I’ve looked at all the games for that over the years and don’t recall an RPG like that. 🤔

[@thaneoflions975]

Opening cutscenes existed in this thing we called our “imagination” from “reading” what used to be called the included “instruction manual”

[@gnosis_gaming]

🤣

[@gnosis_gaming]

those were the days!

[@koro527]

The original Nes FF1 was savage. Throwing you into the world with no equipment and you're wondering why your party is getting their asses kicked.

[@gnosis_gaming]

I love how savage NES games are in general!

[@willlauzon3744]

Not a problem if you brought a monk. It wasn't until later I realized that weapons just slow him down!

[@adameves5970]

You're being extremely redundant "original nes ff1" The game is called Final Fantasy. That's all that needs to be said.

[@koro527]

@@adameves5970 I guess so haha. My mind was thinking of the psp version and the pixel remaster on Steam. So yeah, the original nes version.

[@gnosis_gaming]

@@adameves5970 'Final Fantasy' can refer to any number of reiterations of FF1 over the years on numerous consoles, with different graphics and gameplay enhancements.

[@jesseerven4859]

manuals came with the game and explained it all .

[@iamthehobo]

I like your content

[@gnosis_gaming]

Thanks!

[@wtfsamusidk7574]

Star fox is in corneria also

[@ethervagabond]

You said "choose between 4 jobs." There are six jobs to choose.

[@gnosis_gaming]

I guess that I meant to say pick 4 jobs you want to use

[@Tribesshriker]

cool

[@IdeonFukkatsu]

The thing is, this town has a massive wall. And well, people say Donald Trump's wall idea won't work *shrugs*

[@internetuser969]

Trump's Fantasy 😂

[@adameves5970]

The description is inaccurate. The game is called "Final Fantasy", not FF1 or Final Fantasy I, or any other nonsense like that.

[@vladv5126]

When the series has 16 mainline titles, it becomes necessary to refer to the first one as "1" as to avoid confusion. Because saying "Final Fantasy " makes it seem like you're talking about the series as a whole.

[@danieladamczyk4024]

Want to know the story and what to do? Talk to npcs. Just like Dark souls.

[@fishhealthy1835]

listening to your voice with this much treble mixed in is pretty hard

[@gnosis_gaming]

Thanks for the feedback! I got a fancy mic not too long ago and can't get the sound quality quite right.

[@EdmondDantes224]

"The game begins with no introductory cinematic or exposition" THERE'S ONE AS SOON AS YOU BOOT THE CARTRIDGE UP.

[@diogenes3300]

The video explains this. The ‘new game’ option has no opening sequence.

[@DrCasey]

@@diogenes3300 Yeah, should have been obvious what he meant. FF1's cold opening is very unique, I can't think of another RPG that does it.

[@shytendeakatamanoir9740]

​@@DrCaseyIt is somewhat common from the time. Though, very few makes you start on the World Map. That part is pretty unique (Dragon Quest I makes you starts inside, for example)

[@EdmondDantes224]

@Dr.Quarex Might and Magic's title screen on the original PC version's wasn't static... but now I'm just nitpicking ;)

[@The_Gallowglass]

Remember, if you go out into the wilds right away...you don't have any gear. >:D MUAHAHAHAHA

[@ianbraun271]

Yeah, no. You are not going straight to the shrine and defeat Garland with no weapons, armor, or spells

[@gnosis_gaming]

I defeated him without buying anything or grinding.

[@analogmoz]

This is like someone reading one page of a history book and then giving a report. Not for me, I guess.

[@gnosis_gaming]

Thanks for trying and leaving a comment. My videos are usually either thematic analysis or gameplay design breakdowns.

[@adameves5970]

His report did exactly what the title suggested it would, and more. What, different, were you expecting and WHY? You were told exactly what you were going to hear and are still surprised? You generic derp people seriously need to stop interacting with society. We can't be having your tendencies rubbing off on our impressionable youths. You're setting the example that being a complete idiot is okay.

[@Jolis_Parsec]

Uhh, *four* jobs? Might wanna count them again, buddy, just sayin’. 😏

[@gnosis_gaming]

I think that I meant pick 4 jobs to use

[@Secretname951]

6 Jobs