Final Fantasy 1

In 1987, Japanese Game Company Square was on its last legs and on the verge of bankruptcy. Game developer Hironobu Sakaguchi would create one final game, one he would call his "Final Fantasy". Along with composer Nobuo Uematsu, and artist Yoshitaka Amano, the trio would save the company from its demise, and ironically, craft one of the game industry's most successful and longstanding franchises. It would be far from the last "Final Fantasy".

The original Final Fantasy had players naming four "Warriors of Light", each assigned a specific character class. Classes, heavily influential in later Final Fantasy titles, gave characters specific traits and abilities, making them unique in battle, forcing the player to make strategic decisions. The original Final Fantasy has six base classes, each of which can be upgraded at a specific point. The original six classes are Warriors, strong in physical attack, Monks, which fought empty handed, Thieves, skilled in agility, Black Mages, which used powerful black magic spells, White Mages, whom had healing and restorative powers, and Red Mages, which were a combination of the two. These could be upgraded to Knight, Master, Ninja, Black Wizard, White Wizard, and Red Wizard respectively.

Gameplay is simple - players travel from area to area to complete their objective in the story. In dungeons battles are initiated against enemies and fiends. The battle system is turn based, with each character selecting specific options such as Attack, Use Spells, Use Items, or Flee. The battle is over once either side is defeated, and if the players win, they obtain gold, which can be used for buying items or resting in inns, and experience, which helps them grow in level. Every time a player gains a level, their stats such as health and strength increase. The Warriors of Light lack distinct personalities, but Final Fantasy is nonetheless an epic game for its time. The overall purpose in the game is to restore four elemental orbs (Fire, Water, Earth, Wind), and defeat the evil Knight Garland.

Due to the series' eventual immense popularity, Final Fantasy would be remade many times on systems, such as the Playstation and Game Boy Advance.