WTF Final Fantasy?

Really Square Enix...

What's the deal Square Enix? Why have you chosen to make the Final Fantasy series so complicated to follow? From Final Fantasy II up to Final Fantasy VII is a scrambled mess. Okay the original Final Fantasy came out in Japan in my birth year of 1987 for the Nintendo Entertainment System. It didn't drop in North America until 1990. Then Final Fantasy II rocked Japan in 1988 but never touched North American soil. In fact this is where the confusion starts, FF-II and Final Fantasy III (1990) never came out in North America. When Final Fantasy IV debuted in 1991 in Japan, we were already way behind. Since neither FF-II and FF-III were never released in North America, Final Fantasy IV was label as Final Fantasy II for us westerns. Confused yet? Well it doesn't stop there.

Final Fantasy V was released in Japan back in 1992 and two years later, 1994, came Final Fantasy VI. I have no fucking clue what happened to Final Fantasy V, but Final Fantasy VI was released here as Final Fantasy III. Now Even I am getting lost,... What Final Fantasy games have I played as a child? I guess the first one, FF-IV and FF-VI. Did we missed out on FF-II, FF-III and FF-V? I feel cheated! Actually I knew nothing about it until a few years ago when I was playing the remake of Final Fantasy IV for Nintendo DS. Considering it was my first time seeing, hearing or thinking about Final Fantasy IV, I was a surprised to see that it was just FF-II! My friend tried to explain how FF-II for Super Nintendo was just basically FF-IV for Super Famicom in Japan.

Once the Sony Playstation came out the Roman Numerals started to make more sense and we quit missing out on games. Final Fantasy VII (1997), FF-VIII (1999), FF-IX (2000), FF-X (2001), FF-XI (2002), FF-XII (2006), FF-XIII (2009) and even FF-XIV (2010) are all in order and are the same both in Japan and North America. The spin-offs though! My holy fucking science there is lots of Final Fantasy games. Then there is the remakes of a new of the new ones like Final Fantasy X-2 and the soon coming Final Fantasy XIII-2. Let's not to forget the spin-offs... the numerous spin-offs. Final Fantasy Tactics, Crystal Chronicles, Kingdom Hearts and the Chocobo Series, just to name a few.

Okay now my head is truly spinning. It might be all the mixed up Roman Numerals and spin-offs, or the mickey of rye I just drank. None the less, the Final Fantasy series is a truly a epic saga and has changed the face of video games forever. Good Luck remembering the order though...