Squaresoft's groundbreaking RPG Final Fantasy VI was released 30 years ago today.
The critically acclaimed title was originally launched for the Super Famicom on April 2nd, 1994 in Japan, and has since gone on to become regarded as one of the finest entries in the long-running fantasy series — in part thanks to its emotional story, gorgeous pixel art, and its beautiful soundtrack from the series regular Nobuo Uematsu.
Notably, it was the first mainline Final Fantasy game to be directed by someone other than the series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi — with Hiroyuki Ito and Yoshinori Kitase stepping into the role — and also featured a more industrial/steampunk setting than the one fans were familiar with.
Its story saw players taking control of a misfit band of warriors and rebels who are thrown together by circumstance. United by a common goal, they must join forces to foil the plans of an evil empire and a villainous mage named Kefka, who is intent on destroying the world using a long-forgotten magic.
North American players had to wait until October of 1994 to experience the game on the SNES for the first time (under the slightly misleading title "Final Fantasy III"). European players, meanwhile, missed out entirely at the time (having to either import it from elsewhere or wait until Tose's 1999 PlayStation port).
Since its original release back in 1994, the game has been reissued across a number of different platforms in various different forms. This includes ports and remasters for the PlayStation (as mentioned above), Game Boy Advance, Android and iOS; as well as the Nintendo Wii (as part of the Virtual console), Nintendo Switch, and PS4.
How did you first experience Final Fantasy VI? We'd love to hear your stories below.