First Fantasy

There are two constants on this page:

• Constant 1 encompasses my constant reminding that I haven't played every game on this planet and consequently don't associate nostalgic feelings with everyone of them.
• Constant 2 states that these reviews reflect my subjective oppinion.
• Constant 3 states that I like to break with expectations.

For this reason, and in line with points 1 and 2, I am logically and contrary to popular belief not of the opinion that Final Fantasy is pure delight cast in game form. How I can assess this without having played it is another question.

What I wanted to express with this: I have no points of contact with the series. Of course, I know characters like Sephiroth, Tifa, and Cloud from Final Fantasy VII, because they are part of pop culture. And also a few trivia points, like that it is a fantasy RPG that represented the Hail Mary by developer Square (now Square Enix) to financially recover from a streak of bad luck, which ultimately justified the name. But on the grand scale, I don't really know anything about Final Fantasy.

The score

However, if like me, you can derive joy from soundtracks, that's no problem at all. It's no coincidence that some of the most famous tracks in video game history stem from this gigantic series, which began back in 1987. The first installment was released on Nintendo's in-house console, the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System), which is why the game had to assert itself against giants like Super Marios Bros. (1983), The Legend of Zelda (1986) and Mega Man (1987). After this preamble it won't come to you as shock you that it did so successfully, right?

Whoever says FF must subsequently say NU ... or something like that. Nobuo Uematsu, probably the most influential Asian composer, accompanied the series from the beginning until he slowly faded into the background with Final Fantasy X. Which is a shame, because his creations are rightly considered milestones of the gaming cosmos. Ironically, Uematsu originally composed only for TV commercials and got the job at Square more by chance. But those are pieces of information that you can read in other, more comprehensive articles.

Uematsu's genius can also be found in this OST. It comprises 20 tracks, reaching just under the 20-minute mark. No wonder, as the game was subject to the technical limitations of the console, thus making it necessary to squeez the chiptune sounds into compact, loopable 8-bit pieces. But that doesn't matter for now, because on the one hand, the beeping exudes delightful retro flair that can still inspire today. On the other hand, it depends on how you use the technical limitations and what melodies you conjure from them. And Uematsu is a true wizard at that.

In general, it is remarkable how the composer manages to elicit a fantasy touch from the NES sound chips. The score feels well rounded, coherent, even though, in my opinion (and understandably), it does not yet reach the quality of later iterations. Nevertheless, there are some nice pieces. It starts with the magically cascading PreludeNobuo Uematsu4, in which the notes ascend and descend in stair-like fashion, and continues with the Opening ThemeNobuo Uematsu4, which in an almost majestic manner not only introduces the game but also serves as the initial theme of the series.

Other noteworthy pieces, in my opinion, are the initially dark Sunken ShrineNobuo Uematsu4, which then becomes somewhat more hopeful towards the end of the loop, the playful Mt. GulgNobuo Uematsu4, the moving Game OverNobuo Uematsu4 and of course the BattleNobuo Uematsu4-track, which invites you to sway along. And with VictoryNobuo Uematsu3 an evergreen of the hall of fame of video game music gets introduced right here! The highlight for me, however, is Chaos ShrineNobuo Uematsu5, das sowohl treibend wie lieblich daherkommt und dessen Stil heutzutage von Scores wie dem zu The Messenger gewürdigt wird.

Meanwhile, the remaining tracks tend to lean towards fantasy standard (Castle CorneliaNobuo Uematsu3, TownNobuo Uematsu3, Menu ScreenNobuo Uematsu2) and range between Animal Crossing (Matoya’s CaveNobuo Uematsu3) and Pokémon (Final FantasyNobuo Uematsu3, DungeonNobuo Uematsu2, ShopNobuo Uematsu3). Ironically, I had to check with the latter piece if there might have been a mistake in my labeling, as the subsequent Sailing ShipNobuo Uematsu3 sounded less like seafaring than the undulating business theme ... but it's supposed to be that way.

Let's get to the conclusion. With an average rating of 3.25 points, the OST lands exactly in the delicate rating field where I now have to decide on up- and downgrading its rating. Is the score a 3.5? Not really, because I simply lack the big hits. Even if I take into account that it is the start of the Final Fantasy-series and I really like some of the melodies, I can't conscientiously give it anything higher than a 3 - because I know what's to come. However, if you feel like taking a short trip down memory lane, you may want to give it a listen.