Best Final Fantasy Games, Ranked - Switch 2 And Nintendo Systems

I'll admit that Final Fantasy II at #10 (as of this writing) made me do a double-take as this is widely regarded as the worst mainline Final Fantasy. Then I remembered that FF II (SNES) = FF IV. Good grief the West made the title localizations weird back in the day.

I’m finally working my way through these games via the Switch. I thoroughly enjoyed Final Fantasies I and III, hated II, and am loving IV so far. Looking forward to the other entries soon.

So the whole top 3 is Final Fantasy VI...? Oh please. It's not even among my favorites lol, and Final Fantasy is one of my favorite series ever. I can clearly see here this is a Nintendo site hahaha. Not many PSX kids around here, I guess...

@the_beaver I didn't like VI myself either. I enjoyed IV much more than VI. I Still need to try V though. 7 and 9 are my top picks personally.

Can't say as I agree with this list... Dunno, localization of the number changes could be throwing me off too, but even then that top ten is still missing some pivotal entries. Should make games with multiple incarnations like FF VI all count as one entry and take the one with the highest score instead that way these lists have less clutter.

Still sad how much they fumbled FFCC on Switch. It could have been so much more.

I really don't like VI - the bloated cast and the magic system that made every character interchangeable in battle. The incredible first half was all I used to play back in the 90s. I usually lost interest after the world blew up. However, even a FFVI hater like myself recognizes Kefka as a great villain.

The people who liked FF6 probably voted it high in all three incarnations. I agree that one entry per game, with notes about the average the other versions got, would have been better.

I'm hoping someday we get an offline version of XI just so that people have access to that game without having to play a very old, outdated MMO that still charges a sub fee...I'm fairly confident especially since Dragon Quest X just got an offline version

I don't understand why you'd spend three slots on three versions of the same game, especially when two of them are rendered immediately redundant by the Pixel Remaster. Well, I suppose the same applies to more than just VI, but still. Also, VI is really overrated by the fandom, which is surprisingly more defensive of their favorite game than even the VII fans.

Personally, I think IV, IX and X are all much better games than VI could ever hope to be. And it remains a shame to this day that VI is as lackluster as it is given modern advancements that could very easily smooth out the game's terrible pacing and story delivery.

Final Fantasy 6 takes the top 3 lol. It’s my favorite and the only one i would ever recommend to anybody, so that’s sweet.
9 is next at 4, which is coincidentally the score i gave it. Just for you guys. It deserves a 2. Double the points!
I wonder if 7 would be higher if the new versions didn’t exist.
As always, fun to see the culmination of everyone weighing in!

I am glad, Final Fantasy IX is that high. My favourite Final Fantasy, which originally released on a Nintendo console is propably Crystal Chronicles.

VI, VII, IX, VIII, IV, III, V, X, I, II.

I'm 100% certain there are no mainline games after X.

Final Fantasy 6 is still king … it’s well deserved

The entire list is actually quite good. Spots 1-3 belonging to FF6 are spot on. I enjoyed 7 & 8 more than 9, but I can't argue with that too much as they are all close. Glad to see the original FF3 really low on the list. FF1 focused entirely on random battles but it was revolutionary for the time. FF2 went to a story heavy open world (similar to 4-9), then FF3 reverted back to just random battles with little to no story for some reason. 4-9 are the best of the series. FF10+ feels like a completely different series as too much changed in the formula.

Final Fantasy VII is one of the worst RPGs I've ever played. It actually turned me off from RPGs and they were my favorite type of games up to that point. VI is my favorite out of the 4 I played (1, 4, 6, and 7).

I wish there would've been more 3D remakes like they did for 3 and 4. Would have been so awesome to have 5 in 3D, officially localized.

FF6 is consistently high on these “GFFOAT” Lists.

Yet it’s never had any kind of spin-off or remake (barring Pixel Remaster, which, while glorious, is basically still a glorified SNES Port).

What gives? I wonder why SE doesn’t do something else with these characters they own use of likeness for? People seem to really dig them some FF6, but it’s always just sort of been “there.”

My guess is, when the FF7 glamour finally wears off…Plan B begins…

FFX alone would be number 1 but since it's bundled with FFX-2 the drop to number 12 is more than justified

Man, it was really was too bad FFCC Switch was such a hot mess. My brothers and I played the demo and felt the spark of our youth, only to realize just how much was missing --or changed for the worse.
We would have bought three copies on the spot. Now...none.

Theatrythm is my favorite ever FF game, though, even if it could seriously use more FFCC songs, and less arrangements of the same exact tunes over and over again. Over 500, and still no (insert one of any hundreds of FF songs here)??

Bump VIII and IX to the bottom and move III PR way up lol.

@saiyantrunks79 FFT: WOTL is one of my favourite games ever. The iOS port is great - all they need to do is put that on Switch. No “remastering” necessary.

Hail to the king, baby! Or the three kings, in this case.

A bit silly to have the same game in the top 3, yes it’s clearly the best final fantasy game not much doubt about that, but why not entry per game?

As I said in the poll, Final Fantasy Adventure is called Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden in Japan. It's a true Final Fantasy spinoff and should have been included.

I just wanted to say how proud I am of this community for putting Final Fantasy 3/6 in the top 3 spots. Good job.

I will always be a staunch defender of Final Fantasy VIII. I don't care what anyone says. it is my favorite.

And people say FF VII is overrated… no way three versions of VI should take the entire top 3 spot.

My choices:
1. FF 8
2. FF 9
3. FF X/X-2
4. FF 12
5. FF 3 NDS
6. FF 4 NDS

FF6 is so overrated. Easily the second worst, least interesting gameplay when it comes to FF1-6. The worst system is in FF4.

@BlackenedHalo hey now.... OK, yeah if you count not having a system as the worst system.

@FunGuy Plan B is clearly Final Fantasy IX. It has so much more potential than VI, in my opinion. That atmosphere...
Xenogears would be a great contender too. Wow, what a game, and it's the one that needs a remake the most.
I'd also buy more Chrono Trigger stuff, even though it's perfect the way it is now. Same with Terranigma.

With that said, I'd really appreciate a FFVI remake ala Star Ocean 2nd. That'd be great!

@BlackenedHalo I love 6, but i agree with you about the gameplay. In that it’s not great.

chocobo gp is my favorite

Why are people saying Final Fantasy VI are all in the top three? I am assuming Final Fantasy IV was in the top 3, and people thought it was VI I guess? Anyways, now III is in the top 3.

@the_beaver FF6 should take the entire top ten!

My top 15 best Final Fantasy games on Nintendo consoles in no particular order except the first five:

• Final Fantasy VI (Super NES)
• Final Fantasy IX (Nintendo Switch)
• Final Fantasy X & X-2 (Nintendo Switch)
• Final Fantasy IV (Nintendo DS/Game Boy Advance)
• Final Fantasy Tactics A-2 (Nintendo DS)
• Final Fantasy: The Four Warriors of Light (Nintendo DS)
• Final Fantasy Legends III (Game Boy)
• Final Fantasy V (Super NES)
• Final Fantasy III (NES, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Switch)
• Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls (Game Boy Advance)
• Final Fantasy VII & Final Fantasy VIII Remastered: Twin Pack (Nintendo Switch)
• Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (Game Boy Advance)
• Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles (GameCube)
• Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (Super NES)
• World of Final Fantasy Maxima (Nintendo Switch)

FFVI is bork-able beyond belief but is still a fun romp and loaded with amazing moments. But it'll never get better for me than IV, the only game in the series to balance difficulty right, was brave enough to change up the party regularly with very distinct character types, and had a story which was the right parts serious & camp.

FF II SNES should not be higher than any of the other FF IV versions; it's the most watered down version. DS version should be the highest (and VI winning is right).

Hurts to see Four Heroes of Light so low (or high?) on this list. It's such a fun game, with unique mysteries and characters. The storybook aesthetics, challenging gameplay, crown system, wizard mouse, it's all so good. If my DS would hold a charge, I'd replay it today

That's a shocker for the great debate of FF6 vs 7...

I always thought that FF6 was the best game in the series. I didn't know it was the best three though.

I suppose it has to be said that, from 7 onward, the games aren't at their best on Nintendo platforms, when available at all.

@alanahagues could it be that I’m missing Final Fantasy IV advance in the list?

I’m actually playing that one currently and was wondering where it sits compared to the pixel remaster and the original SNES (II).

While i strongly agree with 97% of this dissertation, i find myself noticing one glaring error in regards to FFX

FFX was my first PS2 game and i bought this remaster on switch as well. I was mortified to learn that the tedious luck-based nature of acquiring Tidus' Sun Crest to unlock his ultimate weapon Caladbolg was never fixed

Let me give 3 words tnat will cause completionists to relive the mortifying trauma this game offered.

Balloons & Birds

To acquire the Sun Crest, you had to play the Chocobo race minigame at the entrance of the Calm Lands. The Crest being the final challenge's prize. The game was all about grabbing Balloons before the NPC while dodging homing missle birds that would stall you out for 2 seconds if they hit. Every Balloon would lower your final time. Crossing the line first was not mandatory.

Oh and controlling your chocobo? What you thought it would be intuitive? NoNoNo! Your only controls are left and right! See you could only use a wild caught chocobo for this race. And while yes it always ran, it wouldn't always want to go the same way you did.

The final challenge? Achieve a final time of 00:00.00

Even now this doesnt seem THAT bad to most. But this race hides a terrorizing secret!

For every race, Balloon Count, Balloon Placement, bird count, bird placement, and bird homing correction % were completely and totally decided by a RNG. Its impossible to determine if you can actually achieve this goal until youre at least 1/2 through the race.

And the cherry on top! Even when all of these were to align, one single overcorrection of the chocobo's route or being hit by any more than 4 birds would force you to start it over.

My playthrough of OG FFX saw me get lucky and it took me less than hour.

But the remaster...it was at least 4 hours in when i finally passed. The final cost of which was only 1 cheapy wired controller that lost a high speed confrontation with my wall

One game taking the top 3 spots is a bit daft - maybe a Nintendo thing as it's a snes classic? It's a good game but the PSOne trilogy, 10 and 12 I prefer personally. 8 is so underrated. I don't understand why the story is dismissed so readily in this article - it has a great story.

I don't know why I bother with these lists because we all know what the top 3 always is-on hold, FFIV beats FFVII?!

"How is Final Fantasy 7 in 6th place?? ... Oh by putting 6 in the top 3 spots..."

Crystal Chronicles are very good games. Even Crystal Bearer is very fun. I would love to see this series back. The DS games are absolutely top notch. Some of the best games on the console period. I can't even imagine what they could do with a FFCC game on the switch. It's just the absolute perfect hardware for this and somehow SE still butchered that opportunity.

Also I see the only 10/10 of the whole series for me is still criminally underrated. That's alright FFXIITZA, you know I love you.

@Tyranexx

I'll admit that Final Fantasy II at #10 (as of this writing) made me do a double-take as this is widely regarded as the worst mainline Final Fantasy. Then I remembered that FF II (SNES) = FF IV.

Uh? Sorry, but if you had read the text beyond the title, you would not be confused, since the first sentece is "Final Fantasy IV (originally known as II) ".

@Joriss
Haha yeah lucky you, you're amongst educated people.
I'm joking of course but I've always said 6 was the better game.

@AlanaHagues thank you!

Apparently ranked below the SNES and Switch versions, although the most complete of them all.

Blows my mind they haven't ported Final Fantasy Tactics yet. My guess is they're doing a 2d-3d remaster for it and that's why we haven't seen the original.

Very dumb list though when you add the same game multiple times to the top spots?

@Rozetta I did read all the text. That was my knee jerk reaction when I read the game title. It only took a sec for my brain to catch up.

A lot of you seem to misunderstand how these lists come about.

They are rated by us. It doesn't take into account different versions like that. I gave the SNES version a 9, the Advance one a 10, because of the better localisation... though I might change my mind on that one...

In the same way, I gave the FFCC remaster a 4, the original a 7. They are different versions after all...

But since most people who played any of these FF6 versions regard them so high, they snagged the top spots. Because they got a lot of very high votes. Independent from one another.

Just regard them as one and adjust the list accordingly for yourself.

You can easily view the number 2 and 3 spots to not exist for being multiples of the number 1 spot, so view spots 4 and 5 to be 2 and 3.

Beautiful top three, but I agree with other comments, just that one top spot would've been enough 😉

@Tyranexx
Well it could be worse...it could be Tales or Destiny II the sequel to Tales of Destiny or Tales of Destiny 2 the direct sequel to Tales of Destiny.
Or how MEGAdimension Neptunia VII is the forth game in the HYPERdimension Neptunia series.

Then outside of video games you have Halloween the sequel to Halloween not to be confused with the remake of Halloween which had a sequel Halloween II...which isn't a remake of Halloween II.

Or the title that takes the crown in stupidity. The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia

@JungeRoemer Fair point. Media titles - ESPECIALLY when it comes to localizations - can be very weird. The long-winded ones are some of my favorite oddities lol.

I'm not surprised by anything on this list, despite having never played a single FF game. The reputation of the franchise speaks for itself.

FF 3 being number 1 is certainly a take...

Basically every title here is worth playing. If you like turned-based battles, grab yourself a copy of Final Fantasy X and don't look back.

Final Fantasy Tactics is my favorite one.

@fenlix It's 6 but it was called 3 in the West.

Final Fantasy VIII has the best intro and the best final stage and boss fight in the series. The OST is incredible. The junction system is also really enjoyable if you know how to use it. There's no way it's 23:rd in the list behind some crappy spinoffs. Also Final Fantasy VI is overrated as hell. Almost all the cities in the game look the same and most characters are one dimensional. It should be nowhere near FFVII, VIII and IX which should be the top 3 in that order.

@Fenlix
FFIII is FFVI in Super Nintendo.

Three versions of Final Fantasy VI in the top 5 makes me happy.

FF 3 on #1 and 8 so far behind...

Yeah this is certainly not a list I can agree with.

@roy130390 yeah FF8 should’ve been dead last and 9 should’ve been 1st

• Final Fantasy Explorers is so underrated. A new one could add as many classes as Tactics, flesh out the hub towns you can visit, a storyline along the lines of MH4, and you've got yourself an excellent hunting game with Final Fantasy flavor. Bonus points if they make the UX extra crunchy and cozy like Kingdom Hearts.
• Wii graphics have the coziest art styles of all the games listed. It's the perfect meeting point between clean, fully-proportioned 3D and that nostalgic pixelated appearance.

Seeing FFVI stealing 3rd, 2nd and 1st spot makes me very proud of this community.

However some games in there are still very underrated. The FFCC games are all good, perticularly the DS games it's insane to see them this low. And my boy FFXII is still overlooked when it is in my eyes the best in the whole series.

Also come on Nintendo Life we gotta talk.
Are you really going to let Remake rank higher than OG FFVII?
This is an absolute travesty, it does not even makes sense and you know it.

Ranking Remake at 5, over the original, is an absolute joke. People have no damn taste anymore.

@darkswabber Yeah... no

I'm a big fan of the original FF7 but I have to admit that Remake is a much better experience. It's different, and it's part one out of three, but they're still so much more involved and full of life with the voice acting.

Chocobo GP is also incredibly underrated, it's good now!

lol top three are FF6, FF6, and FF6.

I still plan on playing the rest of the FF games but from what I have played I'd rank it in this order:

1. FF 6
2. FF 7 Rebirth
3. FF 7 Remake
4. FF 4
5. FF 5
6. FF 16
7. FF 7 Original Version Remastered
8. FF 3
9. FF 1
10. FF 2

I own 8, 9, 10, 12, 13 and 15 but haven't had the chance to play through them yet. The best part is most of the series is available on Nintendo and Square Enix has been a great supporter of the Switch/Switch 2.

It’s a good list, and I think I mostly agree. I was 10 years old when my older brother and his friend played Final Fantasy 1 on the NES during weekend sleepovers at my house, followed by my own obsession with Final Fantasy 2 and 3 on the Super Nintendo in the years to come.

While FF3 (FF6) will always be the greatest, I actually enjoyed Final Fantasy 16 a lot, with Clive being my favorite protagonist in the series. Ben Starr deserves so much credit for that role.

@FX29

So good to see FF V in a top 5, that game was so fun

FF7 Remake just come out and already #3?

@the_beaver PS FF is bad, that is why.

@jobvd Yeah, sure, whatever you say.

@the_beaver It really is though.

Im just sit here, waiting for Square and YoshiP to drop XIV on the Switch 2 and make this list useless.

@Classic603
FF V is the most underrated Final Fantasy game that I've played. It gets overshadowed by 4 and 6 but it's such a fun game. The job system is awesome.

Jeez, I knew Final Fantasy is a popular series, but I didn't realise it has this many spinoffs on Nintendo systems alone. How many FF games are there in total if you count all platforms?

The fact it takes until entry number thirteen on this list to get into 8/10 territory with player reviews goes to show just how much forgettable dross has been squeezed out of this franchise by Square over the years.

FF VI in the top spots certainly brings faith back to me in this community. You sirs have shown good taste.

Imagine a remake of FF6 with a turnbased battle system instead of this action button mashing nonsense that has been ruining the series from FF15 and forward. Feel free to modernize it like Clair Obscure.

When I saw mention of FF4 The After Years, and mention of value for its price... did they remember that was one of the more expensive WiiWare games since like each character (chapter) was DLC. I forget how much exactly it cost but I'm pretty it was over $30 to get the entire game (when you could).
I guess you can say at least the PSP version gave it all in one package (with the original game).

SNES and earlier: VI/III
Post-SNES: VII
Modern: VII Remake.

Do VI in Remake style and I would be all over it.

My top 30 best Final Fantasy (it has to had this name on the title for it to count) games ever on every Nintendo platforms, if there's a Final Fantasy game that's not on this list then that Final Fantasy game is just garbage and doesn't deserve to be here ever:

1. Final Fantasy VI (Super NES, GBA, Switch)
2. Final Fantasy IX (Switch)
3. Final Fantasy Tactics: The Ivalice Chronicles (Switch)
4. Final Fantasy IV (Super NES, GBA, Nintendo DS, Switch)
5. Final Fantasy V (Super NES, GBA, Switch)
6. Final Fantasy III (NES, Nintendo DS, Switch)
7. Final Fantasy VII (Switch, N64)
8. Final Fantasy X & X-2 (Switch)
9. Final Fantasy VIII (Switch)
10. Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age (Switch)
11. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimore of the Rift (Nintendo DS)
12. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion (Switch)
13. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (GBA)
14. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fate (Nintendo DS)
15. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (Wii, Nintendo DS)
16. Final Fantasy: The Four Heroes of Light (Nintendo DS)
17. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles (GameCube)
18. Final Fantasy Adventure (Game Boy, Switch)
19. Final Fantasy Legend I, II, & III (Game Boy, Switch)
20. Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls (GBA, NES, Switch)
21. World of Final Fantasy Maxima (Switch)
22. Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest (Super NES)
23. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King / Darklord (Wii)
24. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers (Wii)
25. Final Fantasy Fable: Chocobo's Dungeons (Wii, Switch)
26. Final Fantasy Explorers (3DS)
27. Final Fantasy IV: The After Years (Wii)
28. Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings (Nintendo DS)
29. Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call (3DS)
30. Theatrhythm: Final Fantasy (3DS)

FFVII remake better than the original? I think not.

FFVI Advance is my all time fav. Adored it. Looking fwd to revisiting it as Pixel Remaster on the backlog train, lol

I would have given the top five places to FFVI but I guess three is enough.

It's interesting seeing the effects of time on the rankings. The highest rated version of FFVI is the oldest, because it's the first one we experienced. The next versions were the GBA, then Switch versions. Technically the Switch version is superior to the others, but the experience isn't as good because we've played it before. Most of the list I agree with. Personally I would rank FFX higher than FFIX, but to each their own.

I think in most cases the answer is "my first FF that I played when I was able to understand it", or within a couple years of it at least. Some entries are better than others, but it's really about the first story that really captured you, which speaks to the mainline series' power.

Kidding, the correct answer is FFIII with the Woolsey translation.

FFVII is the most overrated game of all time. the material system was fantastic, everything else not so much. the writing is awful, the characters are obnoxious stereotypes, and the villain's a whiny mommas boy.

playing remake on the Switch 2 right now (I got a free copy) and so far it isn't much better. Cloud went from whining emo to obnoxious douche. Tifa is still just eye candy. Barrett went from racist 80s stereotype to racists 2000s stereotype. The combat is trash. the writing and dialogue still sucks. The Roche encounters are not fun and he is obnoxious. also the pacing is terrible. Jessie is the only positive thing to come out of it.

now don't get me wrong, FFVII was never a bad game, it had enough positives to make it worth a play through. the game is just not the great thing people make it out to be, it is walking meciocrity

I'm really just waiting for Mewgenics. In the meantime I'm wasting time with Monster Train 2 and building some Lego. I might dip into Final Fantasy Tactics, Blue Prince, or Divinity: Original Sin 2 if I feel ambitious.