I’m going to address this right out of the gate: This game is too low on the list of retro gaming essentials at No. 22.
That’s a statement of quality in itself, that a game can be underrated as a best-of list’s No. 22.
But it’s true. I can’t deny it.
And it’s not because of industry standards, or impact on the genre, or critical consensus, or anything quite so grand as all that.
No, it’s actually too low among my own personal favorites.
How? Why? What?
Well, I covered the why right here. I wanted variety at the top of any list of recommendations.
And the how is covered right here. I went with Final Fantasy VII up high (No. 12!)* instead by the slimmest of margins, leaving Final Fantasy VI in the uncomfortable position of having to tumble down the list to accommodate my “no series repeats” criteria.
* One might have a problem with the FF7 choice, and that’s fine. I can only say in my defense that it was a REALLY close call.
Well, that criteria of no repeats, I decided, should only apply to the top 20. The rationale being, yeah, you want some variety at the very top, but gosh, if a game is great, it still deserves to be advocated for.
And Final Fantasy VI is undeniably great.
Continue reading Final Fantasy VI: Retro Gaming Essentials (No. 22)Final Fantasy VI
Genre: RPG
Released: 1994
Platform: SNES
Electronic Gaming Monthly’s No. 9 console game of all-time