Topic: Final Fantasy/Kingdom Hearts Fan Thread

I know we have a Tales of fan thread, so I figured we could have one for FF too. Both main series games & spinoffs (Tactics, Crystal Chronicles, Chocobo's Mystery Dungeon, etc.) are fair game. If there's already a thread for this, go ahead and point me in the right direction.

Anywho, Final Fantasy is a series I like, but have a hard time finishing, lol. As for the games I've played...

Main:

• FFI - Played on GBA, but got lost. Can't remember enough to really form an opinion.
• FFII - Also played on GBA. I remember quite liking it, but never completed the final dungeon.
• FFIV - Again, originally played on GBA. I really liked this one, but I got lost on the moon. However, I'm currently replaying it (the Android port of the DS version), and am really getting into it again (currently grinding for the boss on Mt. Ordeals).
• FFX - My introduction to the series, the only main series game I've completed, and my favorite in the series (one of my favorite games, period).
• FFXII - I was actually liking this one, but I got stuck in the chase section in the mines and never went back to it because I was distracted by the 360 & Wii, which we got later in the year.

Spinoffs:

• Kingdom Hearts - I'm going to condense this one as a series overall, because it's honestly big enough for it's own thread. Anyways, the first game is what convinced me to try out the FF series, and KH itself has become one of my favorite series as well (in fact, I've completed all that I've played).
• Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Crystal Bearers - I've beaten this one as well, and I quite liked it. It's more of an action adventure than a RPG, but I liked the adventure, and the different mini-games were a nice way to spice things up, IMO.

So, how is your experience with FF?

EDIT: Due to the direction of recent discussion, I updated the title.

I want Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts 3 really bad!

The first Final Fantasy I played was Final Fantasy IV (then called FFII) for SNES some time in the mid-90s. I loved it. It may have been my favorite game at the time, but after finishing it, I kind of just forgot about the series for years. It wasn't until the early 2000s that I actually got a PS1 and tried Final Fantasy VII. I was about 13 or 14 at the time I guess and it was a very defining part of my adolescence. My taste in video games and media in general began to skew towards Japanese stuff.

As I grow older, I still have a hell of a lot of respect for the games that defined my youth, but the spark has faded. Maybe due to FFXII being the only FF game that I consider great in the last... almost 15 years? Since PS1, anyway. Hironobu Sakaguchi, Yoshitaka Amano, Nobuo Uematsu, Akihiko Yoshida, Yasumi Matsuno, Hiroyuki Ito, these are the names that I associated with fantastic Final Fantasy games and none of them are working on Final Fantasy anymore.

Anyway, I would have a hard time picking out my absolute favorite, but XII has been growing on me so much lately. Currently doing another play through and I really forgot about how excellent the game is. It's like a mix between the SNES era and Tactics in terms of storytelling and presentation and all of the game's systems work very well.

Not really excited about any currently announced FF games or spin-offs. Final Fantasy Explorers had my attention a bit, but Japan's reaction to the demo and game has been pretty mixed and is concerning. Apparently, it's mostly just an ugly, watered-down Monster Hunter knock-off. Bravely Second should be fantastic though.

As for a bit of a FFIV update, grinding did the trick & I was able to beat Scarmiglione (That gas attack he uses in his second form that induces multiple status effects on everyone was a big pain, though).

Anyhow, Cecil is now a Paladin, & I can continue on.

Does anybody over the age of 10 still play Kingdom Hearts? Like really?

...Raises Hand

Last picked up KH3D, when I was 21. Here at 23, and I'm thinking about picking up KH1.5 HD ReMix if I get the chance.

LOL, OK, that was a little harsh. I know I hate on KH as much as any hater on Nintendo Life, but for me it isn't a maturity thing, it's a quality thing. It's like combining a medoicre beat-em-up (compare to Bayo2), a mediocre JRPG (compare to Xenoblade or Persona 3), and a mediocre fanservice crossover (compare to Hyrule Warriors)...and all of a sudden it's amazing? Eh, not to me, emo cloaks can't make up for it IMO...and it always seems like my favorite chapeters (Whinnie the Pooh) are the ones the actual fans seem to hate...definitely different tastes

It might of had to do with my age at the time, but I'm all about the "Golden" age of Final Fantasy: FFVI-FFX. It's not like other FF games aren't good, but it just doesn't feel the same, no matter how hard I try. It's like it's all trying to pander to common anime tropes lately, and less trying to be it's own thing. I felt Tales kind of went down the same path after Abyss...isn't it odd that Vesperia's "amazing" anti-hero appeared during the same time Code Geass's "amazing" anti-hero...when a once great series just seems to be following trends as closely as a Pop music group, I figure it's time to find other sources of entertainment...ugh, just look at FFXV characters...they ARE a J-Pop group...facepalm

Again, age could be a factor, but I still enjoy JRPGs...when they're as impressive as Xenoblade Chronicles X...

2 things:
One, I'm sorry I enjoy colorful and fun games and I'm mature enough to enjoy "childish" things without feeling like I have to prove something.
Two, are you REALLY trying to put people down for enjoying "childish" things, ON AN NINTENDO SITE? The irony is strong with this one.

@R_Champ, yeah, I can see where you're coming from when it comes to newer FF games.

Something just seems... off, to me when it comes to XIII & XV. I personally don't mind anime clichés at all, but if you're going to do them, give the game an anime art style to go with it. As it stands (with their realistic art styles), the characters look like a bunch of real people running around in cosplay, lol.

That said, I have my hopes up for XV. I like that they're finally going full action with the combat system (I'd like full turn based just as well. Anything is better than the sort of turn based, sort of action, but not really, system they've used for the past couple games), and as for the car? True, it seems odd, but it's like they're trying to capture the road trip feel of Route 66 in it's heyday or something, which is certainly unique for an RPG, if nothing else.

If all turns out well, FFXV may be a good enough reason for me to get a PS4...
As long as the story makes sense, characters are likable, and there's actual level design, it may be able t avoid being as disappointing XII was in my book.

So are you telling me that Nintendo games are childish?

Kid Friendly is the term you're looking for, not Childish (as in acceptable for kids, but there are reasons older gamers can enjoy it as well). "Nintendo is the Disney of gaming" is a saying that exists, and I think it's a big clue as to how large their demographics are.

That's all I'll say on the matter. You won't hijack this into yet another "Nintendo is (isn't) kiddie!?!" thread. We've had enough around here to last a lifetime.

To be fair, Kingdom Hearts is the epitome of teen literature...and I've yet to see anyone get into it that didn't start during their teenage years. Granted, I could say that about a lot of Final Fantasy games these day.

Only if Kingdom Hearts is. In case you didn't notice the large "childish" stigma Nintendo seems to have trouble dispersing.

Honestly though, neither are REALLY childish. It's really stupid people feel the need to label things that allow children as part of their audience as childish because it's not super adult. The Kingdom Hearts franchise's story is too unnecessarily complicated and confusing for children to really get anymore, and it's meant to be fan service and nostalgia towards the older crowd of DIsney fans in the same way Smash Bros does. Like Nintendo games, it's not really meant for children, so much children can enjoy it too. Sorry if I came off as a d*ck earlier, I just get tired of the stupid "childish" stigma.

Nintendo games are not, in my opinion childish games. I feel that Nintendo create high quality games that caters to a much older demographic group. The Legend of Zelda and F-Zero and Pokemon are many franchises that I believe strongly emphasizes Nintendo's growing ties with the older demographics.

With that being said, from what I've seen on YouTube Kingdom Hearts just seems like Disney characters running around in a fantasy world. Not saying that only kids would enjoy this, I'm sure there are adults who enjoy this too. But it just seems to me like the developers only had kids in their mind when developing the game.

^No. Kingdom Hearts is about a bunch of original characters going through a series of obtuse events that occasionally involves Disney characters sometimes. I'm 5 hours into my replay of KH2 and I have yet to see a single Disney character. In fact, I've seen more obscure Final Fantasy characters than Disney characters. (Setzer?! Who the hell would remember him?!)

@DisasterLink
As someone who has actually played the games, there's more to it than what first observations lead you to believe.
But really, I don't feel like trying to dragging the thread out with pointlessly bickering on a subject that you've already made your mind up on.

What? Setzer is awesome. Who doesn't remember him?

I didn't remember him, and I've played up to the World of Ruin several times, and saw the rest on a marathon stream. Wasn't he just the guy you get the airship from? EDIT: Wait, he was playable? Jesus, was FF6 so unmemorable I don't even remember all the playable characters?...actually, yes, yes it was. Okay.

That doesn't change the fact that the game is trying to appeal more to children with the inclusion of Disney characters.