The Birth of Final Fantasy | The Complete History of Square (Part 2) [Documentary]

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Here's Part 1: • The Complete History o...
In Part 2 of The Complete History of Square, we're exploring what happened after Square decided to support the Famicom and the Famicom Disk System and how the performance of games like Crystal Dragon, Highway Star (Rad Racer) and The 3-D Battles of WorldRunner led up to the birth of Final Fantasy.
Written & Narrated by Darryl
Edited by ChrisB Crisps ( / chrisbcrisps )
Twitch: / lozzadar
Patreon: / ffunion
Website: www.finalfantasyunion.com
Twitter - / ffunion
Discord: / discord
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[@timthetoolpool]

One thing about Square games that is consistently good is the music. Nobuo Uematsu always delivers.

[@Maria_Erias]

As much as I love music from the FF series (especially IV and VI), the crowning pinnacle of Square music for me will always be Chrono Trigger.

[@timthetoolpool]

@@Maria_Erias Can't argue with that. Both Chrono games' soundtracks are unforgettable.

[@Mitchiro]

Are there any Square RPGs that didn't have awesome soundtracks? They knew how to choose the best composers

[@GooseGumlizzard]

@@Maria_Erias Mitsuda, Uematsu, and Shinomura are the holy trinity of JRPG music

[@TheCldmstrsn]

and sakimoto and mitsuda and shimomura just to name a few more.

[@matthagen67]

I've been breathing Final Fantasy for the last 25 years. This series genuinely made me a happier man. I love it wholeheartedly

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

Thank you so much! We're so glad to hear it's delivering on your expectations :) ~Darryl

[@z.s.n.]

I feel the same way. This was a great way to spend Sunday afternoon.

[@eckitronix]

Kinda funny how Square's story sounds similar to what they did with some of their Final Fantasy titles. Honestly, a few decades from now, and with combat added in, I could absolutely see a Final Fantasy game about a group of storytellers who came together to save their dreams and ambitions. Thanks for making this cool video!

[@FLIK510]

Can't wait to watch this later. I know it's a ways off but i'm really interested to see your guys coverage of the late 90's / early 2000's era when a lof of their main staff leaves and they merge with Enix. I know some details but have never heard it covered in full detail

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

That's definitely going to be a VERY interesting period to cover. Fingers crossed it won't be too long until we get there! ~Darryl

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

Thank you all so much for watching the video and for your patience! If you want to see more content like this, please do consider supporting us on Patreon (www.patreon.com/ffunion ) We'd also like to give a huge thanks to ChrisB Crisps (kzbin.info ) for helping us out with production! They have done such a fantastic job and really came through for us. Please do check out their videos and consider subscribing if you like what you see!

[@Vicioussama]

Why not link to the first one in the info box or your comment? :O Just for convenience of others.

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

@@Vicioussama thanks for making the suggestion, I've added to the description! :) ~Darryl

[@itzurboyjc4117]

@@FinalFantasyUnion When's the next one coming out? I just discovered these awesome vids.

[@Kelvryn]

Still waiting on Part 3. Is it coming?

[@vladimirmlotschek3265]

ChrisB Crisps, your editing is top-notch! Definitely going to use this video to learn some new tricks. Thanks for coming on to the team to help with the production of this video. Wonderful work! - Vlad, video editor :)

[@Disastra]

this has been a masterful series so far. Very well edited, meticulously researched, and exceptionally presented. Cannot praise it enough, and cannot wait for future installments. Terrific stuff!

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

Thank you so much! It means a lot to receive such praise and we hope future installments will continue to deliver as much insight and quality :) ~Darryl

[@MysticChrono]

I have dreamed of this day, I get to sit back and learn some more super awesome details and see where the birth of FF began. Thanks Final Fantasy Union for this awesome content!

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

You're most welcome! :)

[@rvfiasco]

Excellent job! I enjoyed this throughly! I remember the day I got Final Fantasy. Our family had gone to a Flea Market and this was after seeing the Nintendo Power with the game in it and beating Dragon Warrior. (Which at 11 years old was a challenge!) So seeing the black case on a table with other Nintendo games made my heart skip a beat. To be sure, I begged my Mom to get it and because it was at a Flea Market it was cheap, she did! What followed was an epic tale of hours long grinding sessions between my cousins and I who would get up early and just kill monster after monster! That was 34 years ago. I've been a FF die hard ever since. It seems like I'm in good company! Congrats and may we always be united!

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

That's such an amazing story Ron, thank you for sharing! Have you also kept-up your enthusiasm for Dragon Quest as well? ~Darryl

[@wesin_]

I believe this will become the best Square Enix documentary series ever

[@montelvontaviouspore]

Could listen to you talk about Final Fantasy all day honestly 😊 thank you for the amazing content

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

You're most welcome, glad to hear you enjoyed it :)

[@Renegated27]

Can’t wait to put my son to sleep so that I can watch this without any interruptions! 😆

[@mariancho19]

the moment I saw this uploaded I just had to watch. Already can't wait for part 3! Keep up the good work :)

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

Thank you so much :) Fingers crossed you won't have to wait too long for Part 3! ~Darryl

[@SventFulgur]

This is by far one of my favorite documentary series. Honestly ranking up there with the NoClip one for FFXIV. Keep up the solid work and I can't wait for the next one!

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

Wow, thanks so much for the kind words Steven!

[@joshuatealeaves]

7:14 omfg this is the game that got me into gaming in 1998. I used to play this on my computer all the time until I got a PS1 for my 4th birthday. This video unlocked a 26 year old memory. Damn

[@zeroattentiongaming820]

KZbin recommending a video just a few minutes after it went up? You know you've done well when that happens

[@DarkMagiciansMaster]

I love this series. So excited to get into the Final Fantasy section of history in the next part!

[@kyocobran1463]

This documentary is amazing. I've always wanted to see a documentary on Square and I'm so happy to see that not only is there one it's great. I love the details, the depth, the visuals and even the music fits the mood of each scene well. The little anecdotes such as Nasir's time adjusting to Japan, and Uematsu's little trick to get back at Sakaguchi were delightful. I can't wait for Part 3!

[@jarradbilliot3618]

This video was amazing. The tone, the sound, and the information was so great to experience. I listened in one sitting because I was so enthralled. Thank you for putting out an amazing video! I cannot wait for the next!

[@jimmygrenier9668]

I just watched both videos with utmost interest and I'll be completely honest, it didn't fail me in any way. That was both a lesson in perseverance and a journey through time and passion. I really appreciated every seconds of it. You did a wonderful job and I'll watch it again for sure, as there's a lot to unpack here! :) Thanks for taking the time to make such a good, comprehensive documentary.

[@princesepheus6574]

Fantastic! I enjoyed every minute of this and I look forward to part 3. Final Fantasy Union is hands down my favorite KZbin channel.

[@rleeton1]

This is is such an amazing series. Love the attention to detail, you guys are absolutely smashing it!

[@Beryllahawk]

I was so excited to see this post at last and let me just say Absolutely Worth the Wait! The hard work shows and you've once again done a fabulous and thorough job, with an even handed treatment of the causes and reasons and interactions involved in the decisions made. It's become so common (in some circles anyway) to try and "sensationalize" the explanation of such histories, to make things seem more dramatic, or set up one personality as a kind of "antagonist" to the other folks on the team...and sometimes perhaps that's also true to life, but your presentation makes so much more SENSE. You acknowledge the struggles of the company, the teams, and the individuals, without losing focus on the overall narrative or downplaying the importance of anybody. It's beefy and complicated and long and I LOVE THAT. Thank you so, so much for this video, and this series. It's a labor of love for sure - and something to be proud of!

[@frankmarano1118]

This deserves way more views. Absolutely fantastic documentary. Really caught the vibe of the era well

[@ColinthePulkrabek]

so excited for part three, I appreciate the level of research that has gone into this series and I am excited for the next one already!

[@shivamchouhan5077]

By far the best documentary of square and final fantasy

[@regreegg]

This is incredibly interesting content. Thank you for taking the time to create this!

[@DaRkLoRd-rc5yu]

Man this is fascinating. You did an absolutely amazing job. I cant wait for the next part.

[@theguywonder]

Video was amazing. And I cherish these deep research videos into the history of my favorite things, so I'm happy you did it too for Square!!! Looking forward to the next one!

[@Wise_Crack17]

I always wonder how you two (plus/minus other staff that you may have) are going to continually step up your game. Then you drop a series like this. Awesome work, I really love these!!

[@mooboy]

Great video! I was surprised how emotional I got while following this documentary. It really is special!

[@kellynine7438]

I remember when Nintendo went on their US tour for the World Championships in 1990, they had a bunch of demo kiosks set up in the convention center to show off upcoming games, and there was one for Final Fantasy. It played through the prologue, and I must have played is 6-7 times. As a D&D nerd it was everything I wanted in a NES game, and I was probably bothering the guys at my local Babbage's weekly asking if they knew when it was coming out. 31 years later, I'm watching this video on one monitor while playing Final Fantasy XIV on another. It's safe to say they made an impression.

[@ericasencio9515]

I just have to say that this documentary is absolutely amazing. I'm genuinely enjoying learning about my favorite video game company and its making me happy. I quite literally enjoyed every second of this. Thank you.

[@ElTaitronAnim]

Amazing work documenting all this, and the video editing is great too! :)

[@maggiebrinkley4760]

I have been so looking forward to this! Part 2 is even better than Part 1! Thank you!

[@johnnymontalvo5620]

What a great series of videos. Great job. Thank you. Makes one appreciate the company all the more!

[@Vasioth]

This was amazing! Really high quality documentary, well done.

[@kdemographic8109]

Quite the journey to get to the first Final Fantasy journey! Already looking forward to the next part.

[@benseal3072]

Learning about Nasir Gebelli's journey into video games was wonderful as well as his fumbling with adjusting to japanese culture. It is so cool that he is also an Iranian and brought something unique into programming as well as Square! Excellent series!

[@RockerDanM]

Love the series so far; you are all doing a fantastic job!

[@redpyre]

I subscribed just for part two of this! I have been checking almost every week now just to see if I missed it's upload!

[@Flamsterette]

Thanks for the upload. I've loved FINAL FANTASY for 25 years or more.

[@OyanKen]

Maaaan, what an amazing video!! I'm really excited for part 3!! Keep going !

[@DrewD9]

Really a phenomenal job! Can’t wait for the next part!

[@joecelbetonio7110]

It was really a well searched documentary. I really hope the waiting for part 3 is shorter than the wait for part 2. Good job FFU

[@lordpoundcake2317]

Oh boy an hour long documentary on SE, you know this is gonna be good. Been waiting for part 2. Thank you 😊

[@chrisludwig2733]

Excellent, meticulous, intricate, and personal. Thanks for this!

[@darrenfletcher2586]

Thank you for your hard work and tireless commitment!

[@AndSpaceY]

Thank you for this masterpiece. Another high quality documentary. Amazing work!

[@shanebullock3441]

Can't wait for the next part. Great job!

[@stevenh.4108]

Wow! You guys really went in on this one! Great work!

[@michaelnovack1731]

Absolutely incredible documentary. Keep it up!

[@ReaverPrime]

31:54 "Coming thick and fast..." I laughed far harder, far louder, for far longer than I know full well I should have.

[@ManAtPogo]

Almost an hour of quality content. Wow. Loved it!

[@maplelief_dreaming]

Can't wait for part 3. Thanks for the video!

[@michaelgeorgalas6724]

This is some of the best content I’ve ever seen anywhere. It’s fantastic.

[@FinalFantasyUnion]

Thank you so much for the kind words Michael! ~Darryl

[@damikki]

I loved this video, so much work and so interesting. I can't wait for the next part !! Thank you :)

[@GrimMetropolis]

Really digging this history of square series!!!! Stoked for the next installment!!!

[@LullyJo]

Absolutely love this! Thank you so much for all your hard work ~

[@mario_maniac9368]

Awesome video guys I love the documentary style your going for keep up the great work

[@djbcut76]

What a great Documentary! Great work you two :D and more.

[@novustalks7525]

Thanks for all the information. This is exactly the type of history breakdown I was looking for

[@DeBeOtaku]

So much information I didn't know!!! Great video!

[@dungeonmasteromega]

Excellent work. It's interesting to see how Final Fantasy wouldn't have gotten made without the success of Dragon Quest, it's then future step-sibling.

[@dakotawinston7677]

Yes!!!! I’ve been waiting so patiently for this!!!

[@SethaaSchneegepard]

Great video! I hope there will be part 3 some day :)

[@0nearmedbandit]

FINALLY!!! YAY!! I've been waiting patiently! even got me to hit the bell... just for this video!!

[@havocbringer2100]

Fantastic work, I look forward to the next part. I'm surprised you managed to retrace the history of Square with so much detail. Where did you find this information?

[@SethWadeMelancon]

I can’t state enough how much this channel has done for me and how deeply it’s accentuated my knowledge and love for FF and Square as a whole. I’ve been waiting for a documentary like this since I was a teenager. Now my favorite FF content creator is making it happen for me. Thank you guys and bless you from the bottom of my heart for all your hard work and diligence in making this dream come true! I’ve become the artist I am today largely due to the influence of these individuals and their hard work and tribulations, so in a way, this makes me feel like I can more properly give them the respect they’ve always deserved as developers. I was hooked from part 1 and part 2 has me so eager for the next installment. Thank you guys and please keep it up!

[@alarsenal10]

Thank you so much for this amazing work!

[@keegandebruyn6567]

Can’t wait for part 3! Great job guys

[@koladearasanmi2005]

Looking forward for the next part, definitely enjoy this series about square past

[@first-law-fantasyabercromb7308]

amazing video, i cant wait until part 3!

[@andreyizotov5002]

Interesting documentary. You did great job.

[@nomadnibzz8918]

This is worth the wait, a lot of history of square and very interesting details or facts that you might have not known

[@ryanblackwell6402]

This is first class stuff! Well done 👍🏽

[@MichaelNealeYT]

I'm loving these Square documentaries! So interesting learn about their history.

[@kevinchong5424]

This video demonstrates how documentary shows are evolving themselves

[@joshramirez1335]

Definitely loving this style of video 👍🏼

[@xRocketzFighterx]

This is so well researched by everyone who has worked on this video. It's amazing to know more history that I've never heared from everyone who made square what it is today.

[@MasterpieceTheatreDM]

Great work on this

[@ty_sylicus]

I'm loving these and looking forward to the next part!

[@Amdecreations.]

This was a great documentary, thank you.

[@dankmaul4793]

Great videos, I watched both parts in one sitting. Better than a lot of movies and definitely the best documentary I've watched, but I may be biased lol

[@bashbunny313]

Quality Video, well done. Would love to see if they ever end up on Netflix or Amazon Prime video

[@maxhutchinson6425]

Keep up the incredible work everyone!

[@bryanfrye8770]

Damn, it doesn't feel like 3 months since I watched the last one. Good job man

[@brianp6637]

This was great!! Thank you!!

[@pacotorres5968]

This was yet another excellent continuation of square’s history thanks guys 👏👏👏👏👏👍👍👍👍👍

[@middle_pickup]

So this guy Nasir was the genius programmer who left in that well documented list of bugs, huh? Lol Really enjoying this series, and your channel! Keep it up!

[@fernandozavaletabustos205]

What an amazing documentatry!

[@kamikaze82]

I've been waiting for this!

[@drewp9819]

This was awesome!!! So much fun :)

[@Rose_J]

Loved it! More soon please! 😀

[@romeants8049]

This is incredible. I am loving this

[@kinloche]

I can't wait to get to the development of Xenogears. One of my favorite games of all time and wildly underrated (well, disc one at least.) I would also love a video specifically detailing Xenogears. Love the work!

[@jakemassa2359]

I am loving this series. Great work all around. But I am praying we get a character origins video on adelbert Steiner. His arc in ff9 was amazing. PLEASE make it it happen.

[@jcrowellz2000]

Been a Square fan since Kings Knight without even knowing it. The music and art work was what mainly got my attention. However, the one that will stay with me forever is Final Fantasy 6, which of course was Final Fantasy 3 here in the states.

[@mhiggs8001]

I haven’t finished the series yet, but based on the first one, I’m sure this one will be great as well. Mainly I’m commenting just to give the algorithm some user interaction or whatever to maybe give ya a teeny boost, everything helps right! Thanks for this though it’s been great so far!!!!

[@m3phist023]

Yes! I was so pleased to see this up today. It made the drudgery of the workday a bit less….drudgey.