Final Fantasy
Image: Nintendo Life

Now that Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster is out on Switch, it means that 11 of the 15 (soon to be 16) mainline games are now available on Nintendo's hybrid console, some of them in multiple forms. That's mad.

Given the sheer breadth of the franchise's history since the release of the first game back in 1987, we imagine there are quite a few jumping-off points for fans. After all, the beauty of Final Fantasy is that, beyond a few choice recurrences here and there, each mainline game is its own beast; a contained story that requires little to no knowledge of the other games.

With that in mind, we'd love to know where you started with Final Fantasy. Have you been there since the beginning? Did you start with Final Fantasy VI? How about VII? Or have you been putting it off until the launch of the upcoming Final Fantasy XVI on PlayStation 5? There are so many options; it's going to be fascinating to see your Final Fantasy origin story.

As for us? Well, we asked around the office and the results are pleasingly varied. "I started with IV on DS," said editor Gavin. "Not sure I actually finished it, to be honest. Don't put that bit in, though." Sorry, Gavin. On the other hand, Alana says she's played "all of the mainline games at this point (except XI), but my first was Final Fantasy IX on the PlayStation. Don't worry, it wasn't too long before I played a Nintendo-based FF - that was the original thanks to the GBA remake". And finally, "I started out with a rather obvious one: Final Fantasy VII," says Ollie. "I needed a lot of help from my brother, because my exposure to JRPGs was severely limited at the time".

Something to keep in mind with this one: we've only included each game once in the below poll to avoid any unnecessary confusion. So for example, if you started with the DS remake of Final Fantasy IV, just choose 'Final Fantasy IV' from the poll and perhaps leave a comment with your platform of choice. We've included a wide range of titles here, but there are most certainly a few missing. So for example, if your first game was randomly Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo Tales, then simply choose 'Other (Comment!)' and let us know!

With all of that out of the way, let's get cracking!

What was your first Final Fantasy game? (3,712 votes)

  1. Final Fantasy16%
  2. Final Fantasy II  0%
  3. Final Fantasy III2%
  4. Final Fantasy IV10%
  5. Final Fantasy V1%
  6. Final Fantasy VI11%
  7. Final Fantasy VII24%
  8. Final Fantasy VIII6%
  9. Final Fantasy IX4%
  10. Final Fantasy X7%
  11. Final Fantasy X-2  0%
  12. Final Fantasy XI: Online  0%
  13. Final Fantasy XII1%
  14. Final Fantasy XIII1%
  15. Final Fantasy XIII-2  0%
  16. Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII  0%
  17. Final Fantasy XIV: Online  0%
  18. Final Fantasy XIV: A Realm Reborn  0%
  19. Final Fantasy XV1%
  20. Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII  0%
  21. Final Fantasy Tactics1%
  22. Final Fantasy Tactics Advance2%
  23. Final Fantasy Tactics A2: Grimoire of the Rift  0%
  24. Final Fantasy XII: Revenant Wings  0%
  25. Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition  0%
  26. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles2%
  27. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Ring of Fates  0%
  28. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King  0%
  29. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time  0%
  30. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Darklord  0%
  31. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers  0%
  32. Final Fantasy Explorers  0%
  33. World of Final Fantasy  0%
  34. Other (Comment!)3%
  35. Final Fantasy XVI will be my first  0%
  36. I haven't played any of them4%

Once you've cast your vote in our poll, why not leave a comment with your first Final Fantasy game along with your favourite? What's your least favourite? Which of the Pixel Remasters will you be starting with? We want to know everything!