Game

Final Fantasy

Square's 1987 role-playing game for the Famicom, the first in the series.

draftAlso: FF, FF1, Final Fantasy IUpdated 2026-10-23
On this page
  1. How it plays
  2. Development
  3. Across the series
  4. Related
  5. Mechanics
  6. References
  7. Sources

Final Fantasy is a role-playing game by Square, released for the Famicom in Japan on 18 December 19871. Nintendo of America’s list of NES games dates its North American release to May 19902. Nintendo calls it the first game of the Final Fantasy series3. The player forms a party of four warriors and picks each one’s occupation from six, in any mix4. These Light Warriors set out to restore the light of four orbs, one for each element; Nintendo’s Japanese page calls them crystals5. Later in the quest each warrior can change class into an adult form that can use spells and weapons it couldn’t before6.

Hironobu Sakaguchi presented the concept at Square, and when only three people volunteered he recruited Koichi Ishii and Akitoshi Kawazu7. He has said the team made a deliberate effort to be different from Dragon Quest, and that the graphics and the crystal setting were Ishii’s work8. Nasir Gebelli, an Apple II programmer hired by Square’s president, programmed the game, though it was the first time he had programmed anything like an RPG9. Yoshitaka Amano designed the characters at Ishii’s suggestion10. Kenji Terada wrote the scenario11, and Nobuo Uematsu composed the music12.

Famicom Tsushin reviewed it in its issue of 25 December 1987. One of the four reviewers called it a tour de force that set out to surpass Dragon Quest; its leaning toward enthusiasts was a flaw, if any, that a willing player wouldn’t mind. Another called it well made in both story and design13. In 1994 Square’s publicity manager, Yusuke Hirata, put its sales at about 600,000 in Japan and 700,000 on the NES14,14. With its re-releases, Square Enix counted 1.99 million15 copies shipped by March 200315. Terada recalled it as a big hit that saved Square, then facing bankruptcy16. Announcing a remake in 2003, Jun Iwasaki, president of Square Electronic Arts, said the game and its sequel had established Square as a pioneering force in role-playing games17.

#How it plays

Fights come at random as the party walks. On the overworld’s open ground the chance is 10 in 256 per step (3 at sea)18,18, and each dungeon sets its own rate18. Every area draws from eight enemy groups, some far rarer than others19. A battle can open with the party surprised, losing its first round of commands, or striking first while the enemies lose theirs; the leader’s Agility and Luck tilt the odds20.

Each round, the four characters and up to nine enemies act in a freshly shuffled order, and no stat moves anyone up21. The NES manual says Agility sets the order22.

#Attacks

A physical attack is a flurry of swings, each rolled on its own and added into one total23. A character makes ⌊h/32⌋+1 swings24 for hit rate h24. Hit rate climbs with level and with a better weapon, so a seasoned fighter strikes several times a turn24,25. FAST doubles the swings, and an unarmed Black Belt or Master gets twice as many24.

Most swings land. Each one hits on a roll from 0 to 200 at or below 168 + hit rate − evade26, held within 1–255, and a roll of 200 always misses26,27. Dark on the attacker makes swings miss more, and Dark on the defender makes them land more26. A character’s evade rises by 1 at each level-up that raises Agility28.

A swing that lands deals from the attacker’s damage stat to twice it, less the target’s absorb, and never less than 123. The damage stat grows by 1 when a level-up brings Strength to an even number, and by the weapon’s damage when one is equipped25. A critical adds the swing’s damage again with no absorb taken off; it happens when the hit roll is low enough, and never more often than a hit29.

Against a sleeping or stunned target, hit rate and evade both drop out, leaving the base chance of 168, and damage rises by a quarter30. An evasive enemy is easier to hit once it is asleep30.

The game’s own battle code bears these rules out. With a low hit rate against a target that barely dodges, one swing lands 221 hits and 4 criticals in 25631 over every state of the random table31. Dark on the attacker cuts the hits to 170, and against a sleeping target to 216, since the attacker’s hit rate no longer counts31. A strong attacker’s four swings land 1,020 of 1,024 swings, 109 of them critical32,32, and with FAST, eight swings land nearly every time32.

#Randomness

Battle rolls come from a fixed table of 256 bytes read in turn, so the sequence repeats every 256 draws33. Each draw is scaled into whatever range a roll needs, as lo+⌊r(hi−lo+1)/256⌋34,34. The table holds 0 twice and skips one value35. With the lowest crit chance, that doubled 0 makes a swing critical four times in 256 where an even table would give three31. Encounters draw from a second table, which holds every value once36,37.

#Spells

A damage spell never misses. It deals from its power to twice it, and its own roll can double that, less often against a target with high magic defense38. Elements scale the power, resist ×½, weak ×1.539, and also move the chance of doubling39. Nothing about the caster counts, so Intelligence adds nothing to their damage40.

#Running

A character’s RUN pits their Luck against a roll that grows with level, but the game reads the level from the wrong place, so the odds don’t follow the runner’s own level41. Running always works when the party strikes first, and some battles forbid it41. The NES manual says escape depends on Agility42. Enemies flee too, when their morale is low against the party leader’s level43.

#Bugs

Disch’s commented disassembly marks each of these:

  • A weapon’s crit chance is its place in the item list. The crit rate in each weapon’s data is never read44.
  • Slaying and elemental weapons hit like any other weapon. The bonus for a match with the target’s weakness can never trigger, for either side45.
  • TMPR and SABR do nothing when cast on a character46.
  • XFER and the other spells that change an enemy’s resistances or weaknesses do nothing to enemies47.
  • An unarmed Black Belt or Master gets absorb equal to their level at each level-up, whatever armor they wear48.

#Development

Sakaguchi has said he began as the series’ main planner and took on directing too, as the team grew49.

Two accounts of the title disagree. In a 2015 talk reported by Famitsu, Sakaguchi said the name only had to abbreviate to “FF”, and that the first choice, Fighting Fantasy, was dropped because a board game had it. He denied the popular story that “Final” marked the team’s last project: they had their backs to the wall, he said, but any word starting with F would have done50. In 2009 Wired’s Chris Kohler reported Uematsu’s answer to the same question. Sakaguchi was going to quit, Uematsu told him, but the real reason was that Square was going bankrupt and the designers expected the game to be the company’s swan song51.

#Across the series

Final Fantasy II splits the single roll per swing in two: the attacker’s hit rolls against the defender’s evade rolls, whose successes cancel hits52.

Square Electronic Arts set Final Fantasy Origins, PlayStation remakes of the first two games, for North America on 8 April 200353. Nintendo of America released the Game Boy Advance collection Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls on 29 November 2004, with four bonus dungeons that the original lacks54. Square Enix’s Japanese site dates the Pixel Remaster’s release on Steam and smartphones to 29 July 2021, alongside those of the next two games55.

See also

Mentioned in

Mechanics

MechanicKindHow
Damage formulaAttack minus defenseeach hit deals between the attacker's damage stat and twice it, less the target's armor, and never less than 1
Hit chanceHit rate against evademost swings land unless the target's evade outweighs the attacker's hit rate
Multi-hit attackSwings from a stata character swings more times per attack as their hit rate grows, and each swing can hit or crit
Critical hitFrom equipmentthe weapon's place in the item list, not its listed critical rate, sets how often it crits
Elemental weaknessScaled powerspells hit a weakness harder and a resistance softer; elemental and slaying weapons get no bonus at all
Random number generatorFixed tablebattle rolls come from a fixed table, so they repeat every 256 draws
Random encounterBy areafights come at random as the party walks, rarely at sea, at a rate each dungeon sets
FleeingLuck against levelrunning rests on Luck against a level the game misreads, and always works when the party strikes first
Turn orderShuffledeveryone acts in a fresh random order each round, and no stat moves a character up
Every claim about this game, by concept (68)
generalFinal Fantasy (developer and publisher Square) came out for the Famicom in Japan on 18 December 1987.Wikidata
The NES version's title screen reads "© 1987 SQUARE" and "© 1990 NINTENDO".Code
Final Fantasy came out for the Famicom in Japan on 18 December 1987.Publisher
Nintendo of America's list of NES games dates Final Fantasy's North American release to May 1990, with Nintendo as licensee.Publisher
Nintendo calls Final Fantasy the first game of the role-playing series of that name.Publisher
The player makes a party of four warriors, choosing each one's occupation from six, in any combination.Manual
The four Light Warriors set out to restore the light of four orbs, which governed the elements of earth, fire, water, and wind; Nintendo's Japanese page calls them crystals.Manual
Later in the game each character can change class into an adult form, which can buy some spells and equip some weapons it couldn't before; some classes gain magic this way.Manual
Hironobu Sakaguchi presented the concept at Square, where only three people volunteered for the project, and he then recruited Koichi Ishii and Akitoshi Kawazu.Interview
Sakaguchi said that he began as the series' main planner and, as the team grew and needed a director, took that role too.Interview
Square's president hired the Apple II programmer Nasir Gebelli, who programmed the game; Sakaguchi said it was the first time Gebelli had programmed anything like an RPG.Interview
Yoshitaka Amano designed the characters, at Ishii's suggestion.Interview
Sakaguchi said the team made a deliberate effort to be different from Dragon Quest, and that the graphics and the setting with the crystals were Ishii's work.Interview
Kenji Terada wrote the scenario, at Sakaguchi's request.Web
Nobuo Uematsu composed the music.Magazine
In Famicom Tsushin's cross review of 25 December 1987, one reviewer called Final Fantasy a tour de force that, aware of Dragon Quest, showed the will to surpass it; being too geared to enthusiasts was a flaw, if any, that a player willing to enjoy the game wouldn't mind. Another called it a well-made RPG whose story and design both cleared the bar high.Magazine
Square's publicity manager Yusuke Hirata told Electronic Gaming Monthly in 1994 that the game sold about 600,000 copies in Japan and its NES version about 700,000.Magazine
Square Enix counted 1.99 million copies of Final Fantasy shipped by 31 March 2003 across its NES, PlayStation, and other versions, 1.21 million of them in Japan and 0.78 million abroad.Publisher
Terada recalled that Final Fantasy became a big hit and saved Square, which had been facing bankruptcy.Web
In a 2015 talk reported by Famitsu, Sakaguchi said the title was chosen to abbreviate as "FF", that Fighting Fantasy was dropped because a board game had the name, and that any word starting with F would have done; he denied the story that it was named Final because the team meant it as their last project, while granting that they had their backs to the wall.Web
Wired's Chris Kohler reported in 2009 that Nobuo Uematsu told him Sakaguchi was going to quit, but that the real reason for the name was that Square was going bankrupt and the designers believed the game would be the company's swan song.Web
Square Electronic Arts announced in February 2003 that Final Fantasy Origins, PlayStation remakes of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II, would ship in North America on 8 April 2003.Web
Square Electronic Arts' president Jun Iwasaki said in 2003 that Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II established Square as a pioneering force in the role-playing genre.Web
Nintendo of America released Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls for the Game Boy Advance on 29 November 2004; its Final Fantasy adds four bonus dungeons not in the original.Publisher
Square Enix's Japanese site dates the Pixel Remaster of Final Fantasy, with those of Final Fantasy II and III, to 29 July 2021, on Steam and smartphones.Publisher
Critical hitA swing is critical when its roll is at most the crit chance, which is capped at the hit chance; a critical adds the swing's random damage again, with no absorb taken from it.Code
A character's crit chance is the equipped weapon's index number, not the crit rate in the weapon's data (no code we read touches that byte); an unarmed Black Belt or Master gets twice their level.Code
Damage formulaA character's damage stat rises by 1 whenever a level-up raises Strength to an even number, and by the weapon's damage when it is equipped; the weapon's hit bonus adds to hit rate the same way.Code
Each swing that rolls under 200 also rolls damage from the base B to 2B, capped at 255; a hit subtracts the defender's absorb, with a minimum of 1, and the swings' damage adds up to one total.Code
A damage spell always connects, for a random value from its power E to 2E; its roll of 0–200 against 148 + the spell's hit rate − the target's magic defense doubles the damage instead of deciding a hit.Code
A damage spell's damage and its chance to double come from the spell's power, hit rate, and element, the target's magic defense, resistances, and weaknesses, and two random rolls. No stat of the caster enters either, so Intelligence adds nothing to spell damage.Code
TMPR and SABR, whose spell effect adds the spell's power to the target's attack, do nothing when cast on a character: the routine that loads a character's stats for a spell doesn't load attack, and the routine that saves them back skips it.Code
At each level-up, an unarmed Black Belt or Master gets absorb equal to their level and a damage stat of twice their level, whatever armor they wear.Code
Elemental weaknessA physical attack gains 40 hit chance and 4 base damage when its category or element matches the defender's, but neither side of a battle can trigger it: a character's attack reads the character's own category and weakness bytes instead of the weapon's, and a monster's attack is matched against a character's, and all four bytes are always 0.Code
A resisted element halves a damage spell's power and drops the 148 from its doubling chance; a weakness multiplies the power by 1.5 and adds 40 to the chance.Code
Spells that change an enemy's elemental resistance or weakness, such as XFER, have no effect on enemies; the change is never saved, and attacks read those bytes from the enemy's data in ROM.Code
FleeingA character's RUN always succeeds when the party strikes first and always fails in a formation marked no-run; otherwise it succeeds when the character's Luck exceeds RandAX(0, level + 15), but the level is read from the wrong place: Disch notes the code reads another character's ailment byte or unrelated memory.Code
The NES manual says running depends on agility: "There is no guarantee that your escape will be successful — it depends on your agility level."Manual
On an active enemy's turn, it flees when its morale is below twice the party leader's level, or when morale minus twice that level plus RandAX(0, 50) is below 80.Code
Hit chanceA physical attack's hit chance starts at 168; Dark on the attacker costs 40, and Dark on the defender gives 40. Unless the defender is asleep or stunned, it then adds the attacker's hit rate and subtracts the defender's evade. The result is held within 1–255.Code
Against a sleeping or stunned defender, base damage rises by a quarter, and the attacker's hit rate and the defender's evade drop out, so the hit chance stays at 168 apart from Dark's 40 either way.Code
Each swing rolls 0–200 with RandAX; a roll of 200 always misses, and any other roll hits when it is at most the hit chance.Code
Measured in the ROM over all 256 battle-RNG states, one swing with base damage 20, hit rate 10, and crit chance 1 against evade 6 and absorb 4 hits 221 times and is critical 4 times; with the attacker in Dark it hits 170 times, and against a sleeping defender 216 times.Verified
A level-up that raises a character's Agility also raises their evade by 1, up to 200.Code
A new character's hit rate is 10 as a Fighter, 7 as a Red Mage, and 5 in the other four classes; evade is 53 for the Fighter, Black Belt, and White Mage and 58 for the Thief, Red Mage, and Black Mage.Code
Each level-up adds 3 to the hit rate of a Fighter, Black Belt, Knight, or Master, 2 for a Thief, Red Mage, Ninja, or Red Wizard, and 1 for a White or Black Mage or Wizard, up to 200.Code
A new game zero-fills every character's stat page, weapon and armor slots included, so the party starts unarmed, with 400 gold.Code
The 40 weapons add from 0 to 50 to hit rate: 0 for both nunchucks, the Iron Hammer, and four of the six staves; 10 for early blades such as the Small Knife and Short Sword; 35 for the Defense, CatClaw, Katana, and Xcalber; and 50 for the Masmune.Code
Shop 1, the first weapon shop in lut_ShopData, sells the Wooden Staff, Small Knife, Wooden Nunchuck, Rapier, and Iron Hammer, with hit bonuses of 0, 10, 0, 5, and 0 and damage of 6, 5, 12, 9, and 9: the most accurate of them, the Small Knife, deals the least damage.Code
Shop 1 is the weapon shop in Coneria, the town beside the starting point; Nintendo Power's guide lists Coneria's weapons as shop 1's five.Magazine
Across the 128 enemy records, evade runs from 0 (Scum) to 144 (the Air elemental), with a median of 48; 31 records sit below 25, and six reach 100 or more: Air, Nitemare (132), Frost D and Sphinx (120), Wraith (108), and Chaos (100).Code
A new game puts the party at overworld tile (153, 165), in land domain $2C, whose eight formation slots all hold 3–5 Imps (evade 6). The domain to its north, $24, gives 3–5 Imps in 48 of 64 battles; its other slots hold 1–3 GrImps (evade 9), 1–2 Wolves (36), a lone Madpony (22), and, 1 time in 64, 3–6 Imps with up to 4 GrImps.Code
The Air elemental (evade 144) is in the random battles of five standard maps, $2F, $30, $32, $33, and $3A, as 2–4 or 3–6 of them in one 12-in-64 slot of the last three, to which $32 and $33 add a second, smaller slot of 1–3 (15 and 18 of 64 in all); Wraith (108) fills 42 of 64 chances on map $25, Frost D (120) 30 of 64 on map $34, and Sphinx (120) 24 of 64 on map $0E and 12 of 64 in four overworld domains.Code
Nintendo Power's 1990 strategy guide paces the party by level: about 3 for Garland, "Wait until Level 8 or 9" for the Marsh Cave, and "Level 27 or above to have a good chance against Chaos."Magazine
Nintendo Power's guide places Wraiths in the Ice Cave and Air elementals in the Sky Castle.Magazine
FF1Randomizer names the standard maps by index: $0F, $25, and $26 are the Ice Cave's B1–B3, $2F–$33 the Sky Palace's five floors, $34 the revisited Temple of Fiends' first floor, and $3A and $3B its Air and Chaos floors.Web
Multi-hit attackAn attack swings ⌊h/32⌋+1 times for hit rate h, times a multiplier that FAST raises from 1 to 2; an unarmed Black Belt or Master swings twice as often.Code
Measured the same way, four swings with base damage 40, hit rate 100, and crit chance 20 against evade 40 and absorb 10 land 1,020 of 1,024 swings, 109 of them critical, for 129–413 damage; with FAST, eight swings land 2,040 of 2,048, 213 critical.Verified
Random encounterOn the overworld, a step onto a tile marked for fights starts a battle when the battle-step generator returns less than 10, or less than 3 aboard the ship; in dungeons and towns the threshold is a per-map rate.Code
GetBattleFormation picks one of the area's 8 formations by indexing lut_RNG with a counter that rises by 1 per battle; the low 6 bits select formations 0–3 with 12 chances in 64 each, 4 and 5 with 6, 6 with 3, and 7 with 1.Code
Random number generatorBattleRNG returns the next byte of a 256-byte table, indexed by a counter (btl_rngstate) that wraps, so battle draws repeat every 256 calls.Code
BattleRNG's table holds $00 twice and never $95, so a battle draw is never $95.Code
RandAX scales a table byte r into a range: lo+⌊r(hi−lo+1)/256⌋.Code
lut_RNG, the 256-byte table at $F100, holds every byte from $00 to $FF exactly once.Code
BattleStepRNG returns lut_RNG[i] for a counter i that steps by 1 per call; each time it wraps to 0, a sign byte gains $A0, and its top bit sets the direction of the next pass.Code
Turn orderEach round, DoBattleRound lists the 9 enemy slots and 4 characters and shuffles them with 16 swaps of two random positions; no stat enters the order.Code
The NES manual says agility sets the order: "Each character's agility, regardless of enemy or ally, dictates the order of execution."Manual
At the start of a battle, unless the formation is marked no-run, the game draws V=S+RandAX(S,100)−surprise rate with S=⌊(Agility+Luck)/8⌋ of the party leader: below 11 the party is surprised and loses its first round of commands, and from 90 the party strikes first and the enemies skip the first round.Code

References

  1. ^Final Fantasy came out for the Famicom in Japan on 18 December 1987.PublisherNintendo, VC Final Fantasy · Famicom Tsushin 39 · Electronic Gaming Monthly 63
    How we know
    1987年12月18日にファミコンで発売されました
    p. 1, first paragraph · archived copy ↗
    12月18日発売
    p. 19, Final Fantasy title card · archived copy ↗
    The original FF was launched in December 1987.
    p. 172, interview with Yusuke Hirata · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-27.

    In the claim ledger

  2. ^Nintendo of America's list of NES games dates Final Fantasy's North American release to May 1990, with Nintendo as licensee.PublisherNintendo, NES Games · Nintendo Power 17, Final Fantasy guide
    How we know
    Final Fantasy Nintendo May 1990
    PDF p. 5 · archived copy ↗
    Final Fantasy: TM&© 1990 Nintendo
    p. 3, contents and credits · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

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  3. ^Nintendo calls Final Fantasy the first game of the role-playing series of that name.PublisherNintendo, VC Final Fantasy
    How we know
    RPGシリーズ『ファイナルファンタジー』の第1弾となるこのゲーム
    p. 1, first paragraph · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

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  4. ^The player makes a party of four warriors, choosing each one's occupation from six, in any combination.ManualFinal Fantasy NES manual · Nintendo, VC Final Fantasy
    How we know
    There are six different occupations to choose from.
    p. 34, Selecting Your Characters · archived copy ↗
    Each of the Four Warriors in your party must have an occupation.
    p. 35, Character Occupations · archived copy ↗
    4人の職業の組み合わせは自由で
    p. 1, occupations · archived copy ↗

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  5. ^The four Light Warriors set out to restore the light of four orbs, which governed the elements of earth, fire, water, and wind; Nintendo's Japanese page calls them crystals.ManualFinal Fantasy NES manual · Nintendo Power 17, Final Fantasy guide · Nintendo, VC Final Fantasy
    How we know
    These are the Four Orbs that you must restore.
    p. 13, The Menu Screen · archived copy ↗
    four orbs of power controlled the four elements of Wind, Fire, Water and Earth, but then the light drained from the orbs
    p. 8, Rise & Fall · archived copy ↗
    4つのクリスタルに、光を取り戻す旅に出ます
    p. 1, story · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

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  6. ^Later in the game each character can change class into an adult form, which can buy some spells and equip some weapons it couldn't before; some classes gain magic this way.ManualFinal Fantasy NES manual
    How we know
    Each character will mature into an adult state after certain conditions are met. … After class change some characters will become magic users
    p. 75, Class Change · archived copy ↗

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  7. ^Hironobu Sakaguchi presented the concept at Square, where only three people volunteered for the project, and he then recruited Koichi Ishii and Akitoshi Kawazu.Interview1UP, Sakaguchi on FFI
    How we know
    That's where I presented the concept for what became FF … only three people volunteered to help out with the project … that's how I got Koichi Ishii and Akitoshi Kawazu
    Sakaguchi on Square's team system · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

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  8. ^Sakaguchi said the team made a deliberate effort to be different from Dragon Quest, and that the graphics and the setting with the crystals were Ishii's work.Interview1UP, Sakaguchi on FFI
    How we know
    We made a concerted effort to be different … The graphics were part of that effort, as was the game setting with the Crystals. That was all Ishii's work.
    paragraph beginning "What was Sakaguchi aiming for" · archived copy ↗

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  9. ^Square's president hired the Apple II programmer Nasir Gebelli, who programmed the game; Sakaguchi said it was the first time Gebelli had programmed anything like an RPG.Interview1UP, Sakaguchi on FFI
    How we know
    The core FF project team was completed when Square's president hired Nasir Gebelli
    paragraph beginning "The core FF project team" · archived copy ↗
    It was the first time he had programmed anything like an RPG, though, so it was tough. … he did a great job getting a lot of performance out of the hardware
    Sakaguchi on Gebelli · archived copy ↗

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  10. ^Yoshitaka Amano designed the characters, at Ishii's suggestion.Interview1UP, Sakaguchi on FFI
    How we know
    The addition of Yoshitaka Amano, character designer for the entire FF series, was another bit of serendipity.
    paragraph beginning "The addition of Yoshitaka Amano" · archived copy ↗
    He's the guy to go to for character design.
    Sakaguchi on Amano · archived copy ↗

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  11. ^Kenji Terada wrote the scenario, at Sakaguchi's request.WebIGDA Japan, Terada seminar report
    How we know
    「ファイナルファンタジーI」「II」「III」のシナリオなどを手がけた寺田
    opening section, paragraph 3 · archived copy ↗
    『ファイナルファンタジー』のシナリオを書いて欲しいと依頼を受けたのでした
    section ファイナルファンタジーが生んだ、ゲームシナリオライターへの道 · archived copy ↗

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  12. ^Nobuo Uematsu composed the music.MagazineElectronic Gaming Monthly 63 · IGDA Japan, Terada seminar report
    How we know
    The man responsible for all the FF music is Nobuo
    p. 172, interview with Yusuke Hirata · archived copy ↗
    音楽を「ファイナルファンタジー」サウンドの代名詞ともいえる植松伸夫氏が担当することに
    section ファイナルファンタジーが生んだ、ゲームシナリオライターへの道 · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

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  13. ^In Famicom Tsushin's cross review of 25 December 1987, one reviewer called Final Fantasy a tour de force that, aware of Dragon Quest, showed the will to surpass it; being too geared to enthusiasts was a flaw, if any, that a player willing to enjoy the game wouldn't mind. Another called it a well-made RPG whose story and design both cleared the bar high.MagazineFamicom Tsushin 39
    How we know
    「ドラクエ」を超えようとする意欲がうかがえる … マニアックになりすぎているところが欠点といえば欠点だけど … 積極的にゲームを楽しもうという姿勢さえあれば気にならない
    p. 19, Final Fantasy, first reviewer's column · archived copy ↗
    「ファイナルファンタジー」はよくできたRPGと言えるだろう … 水準を上の方でクリアーしている
    p. 19, Final Fantasy, second reviewer's column · archived copy ↗

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  14. ^ abSquare's publicity manager Yusuke Hirata told Electronic Gaming Monthly in 1994 that the game sold about 600,000 copies in Japan and its NES version about 700,000.MagazineElectronic Gaming Monthly 63
    How we know
    Approximately 600,000 were sold in Japan. The NES version sold better, registering sales of approximately 700,000.
    p. 172, interview with Yusuke Hirata · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    In the claim ledger

  15. ^ abSquare Enix counted 1.99 million copies of Final Fantasy shipped by 31 March 2003 across its NES, PlayStation, and other versions, 1.21 million of them in Japan and 0.78 million abroad.PublisherSquare Enix IR shipments table 2004
    How we know
    NES/PS/Other 1,210 780 1,990
    p. 27, table of titles shipping over 1 million · archived copy ↗

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  16. ^Terada recalled that Final Fantasy became a big hit and saved Square, which had been facing bankruptcy.WebIGDA Japan, Terada seminar report
    How we know
    大ヒットを記録し、倒産の危機を迎えていたスクウェアを救うことになった
    section ファイナルファンタジーが生んだ、ゲームシナリオライターへの道, last paragraph · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    In the claim ledger

  17. ^Square Electronic Arts' president Jun Iwasaki said in 2003 that Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II established Square as a pioneering force in the role-playing genre.WebGameSpot, Final Fantasy Origins release
    How we know
    Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II established Square as a pioneering force in the role-playing game genre
    news item, Iwasaki's statement · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    In the claim ledger

  18. ^ abcOn the overworld, a step onto a tile marked for fights starts a battle when the battle-step generator returns less than 10, or less than 3 aboard the ship; in dungeons and towns the threshold is a per-map rate.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    1187  @Fighting:
1188    LDA #10              ; 10 / 256 chance of getting in a random encounter normally
⋮
1192       LDA #3            ;   ... 3 / 256 chance instead  (more infrequent battles at sea)
⋮
1195    JSR BattleStepRNG    ; get a random number for battle steps
1196    CMP tmp              ; compare it to our chance
1197    BCC @DoEncounter     ; if the random number < our odds -- do a random encounter
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 1187–1197 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    3298SMMove_Battle:
⋮
3302    JSR BattleStepRNG      ; get a pseudo-random number from the battle step RNG
3303    CMP battlerate         ; if that number is >= the battle rate for this map...
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 3298–3304 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    3756    LDA lut_BattleRates+1, X    ; get this map's rate (+1 because first entry is for overworld [unused])
3757    STA battlerate              ; and record it
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 3756–3757 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  19. ^GetBattleFormation picks one of the area's 8 formations by indexing lut_RNG with a counter that rises by 1 per battle; the low 6 bits select formations 0–3 with 12 chances in 64 each, 4 and 5 with 6, 6 with 3, and 7 with 1.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    1293    INC battlecounter    ; increment the battle counter
1294    LDX battlecounter    ; and put it in X
1295    LDA lut_RNG, X       ; use it as seed to get a random number
⋮
1297    AND #$3F                    ; drop the 2 high bits of the random number
1298    TAX                         ; and put in X
1299    LDY lut_FormationWeight, X  ; use that to index the formation weight LUT to know which formation to use
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 1293–1299 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    1357lut_FormationWeight:
1358  .BYTE 0,0,0,0,0,0, 0,0,0,0,0,0    ; 12/64 chance of formation 0
⋮
1365  .BYTE 7                           ;  1/64
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 1357–1365 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  20. ^At the start of a battle, unless the formation is marked no-run, the game draws V=S+RandAX(S,100)−surprise rate with S=⌊(Agility+Luck)/8⌋ of the party leader: below 11 the party is surprised and loses its first round of commands, and from 90 the party strikes first and the enemies skip the first round.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    383    AND #$01                ; see if "no run" bit is set.  If it is, there is no strike first/surprised check
⋮
389    ; S = (leaders_agility + leaders_luck) / 8
390    ; V = random[S+S, S+100] - surpised_rate
⋮
393    ; if V >= 90, party strikes first
⋮
399    LDA ch_agil
400    CLC
401    ADC ch_luck
⋮
422    CMP #11
423    BCC @Surprised          ; if < 11, SURPRISED!
424    CMP #90
⋮
430      INC btl_strikingfirst             ; set flag
⋮
437    JMP BattleLogicLoop_DoCombat        ; skip over first round of player input, and just do combat
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 381–437 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    3259      LDA btl_strikingfirst     ; if the party is striking first
3260      BNE @NextTurn             ;   skip their turn
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3259–3260 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  21. ^Each round, DoBattleRound lists the 9 enemy slots and 4 characters and shuffles them with 16 swaps of two random positions; no stat enters the order.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    3181lut_InitialTurnOrder:
3182  .BYTE $00, $01, $02, $03, $04, $05, $06, $07, $08     ; enemy IDs
3183  .BYTE $80, $81, $82, $83                              ; character IDs
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3181–3183 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    3199DoBattleRound:
3200    LDY #$0D                        ; initialize turn order buffer
⋮
3211    ; Shuffle the turn order.  This is done by looping 16 times, each time
3212    ;  it will pick 2 random entries in the turn order table and swap them.
⋮
3214    ; Note that this is suboptimal, since it's more likely for an entry to
⋮
3227    JSR RandAX                  ; pick two random indexes
⋮
3231    JSR RandAX
⋮
3236    LDA btl_turnorder, Y        ; swap those entries in the turn order
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3199–3244 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  22. ^The NES manual says agility sets the order: "Each character's agility, regardless of enemy or ally, dictates the order of execution."ManualFinal Fantasy NES manual
    How we know
    Each character's agility, regardless of enemy or ally, dictates the order of execution.
    p. 26, Battle Techniques, Run as a Strategy · archived copy ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  23. ^ abEach swing that rolls under 200 also rolls damage from the base B to 2B, capped at 255; a hit subtracts the defender's absorb, with a minimum of 1, and the swings' damage adds up to one total.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    4312    LDA btl_attacker_strength   ; base damage of attacker's strength value
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4312–4313 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    3994    LDY #btlch_dmg                  ; IB damage
3995    LDA (btl_ib_charstat_ptr), Y
3996    STA btl_attacker_strength
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3994–3996 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    4482  : LDX $6BAD
4483    LDA #$00
4484    JSR RandAX
4485    CLC
4486    ADC $6BAD
4487    STA math_basedamage     ; random between [basedmg, basedmg*2]
⋮
4500    JSR MathBuf_Sub                         ;   subtract defender's absorb
⋮
4510      INC math_dmgcalc
⋮
4520      JSR MathBuf_Add
⋮
4526    JSR MathBuf_Add16               ; total damage += dmgcalc
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4482–4526 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  24. ^ abcdAn attack swings ⌊h/32⌋+1 times for hit rate h, times a multiplier that FAST raises from 1 to 2; an unarmed Black Belt or Master swings twice as often.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    5657    LDA (btl_ob_charstat_ptr), Y        ; num hits = hitrate / 32 + 1
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 5656–5666 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    4407  : LDA btl_attacker_numhits            ; get proper number of hits (numhits * mult)
4408    LDX btl_attacker_numhitsmult        ;  the mult is essentially the multiplier for the FAST spell
4409    JSR MultiplyXA
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4407–4415 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    8618    INC btlmag_defender_numhitsmult ; Increase hit multiplier
⋮
8625      LDA #$02                      ; and max the multiplier at 2
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8616–8627 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    5745    LDY #btlch_numhits              ; unarmed BB/master gets 2x as many hits
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 5745–5748 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    897    LDY #ch_hitrate - ch_stats      ; assign Hit Rate bonus
⋮
900    ADC lut_LvlUpHitRateBonus, X
901    JSR CapAAt200                   ; cap hit rate at 200
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0B.asm lines 897–901 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  25. ^ abA character's damage stat rises by 1 whenever a level-up raises Strength to an even number, and by the weapon's damage when it is equipped; the weapon's hit bonus adds to hit rate the same way.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    1060    LDY #ch_str - ch_stats      ; damage goes up 1 pt for each 2pts of strength
⋮
1066      LDY #ch_dmg - ch_stats    ;    if yes, add 1 to damage stat
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0B.asm lines 1060–1072 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    10921    ADC (tmp), Y           ; add to it the weapon's hit bonus
⋮
10927    ADC (tmp), Y           ; add weapon's damage bonus
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 10919–10928 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  26. ^ abcA physical attack's hit chance starts at 168; Dark on the attacker costs 40, and Dark on the defender gives 40. Unless the defender is asleep or stunned, it then adds the attacker's hit rate and subtracts the defender's evade. The result is held within 1–255.CodeDisch, FF1 disassemblyrevised
    How we know
    4309    LDA #168                    ; base hit chance of 168
⋮
4318    LDA btl_attacker_ailments   ; if attacker has DARK status, penalty of 40 to their hit chance
⋮
4326  : LDA btl_defender_ailments   ; if defender has DARK, bonus of 40 to attacker's hit chance
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4309–4332 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    4378      LDA #MATHBUF_HITCHANCE            ; add their hit rate to their hit chance
⋮
4383      JSR CapXYAtFF                     ; cap at 255
⋮
4388      LDX btl_defender_evade            ;  the hit chance.
⋮
4399      INC math_hitchance                ; minimum hit chance of 1
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4377–4399 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  27. ^Each swing rolls 0–200 with RandAX; a roll of 200 always misses, and any other roll hits when it is at most the hit chance.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    4474    LDX #200
4475    JSR RandAX                  ; [0,200]
⋮
4480       JMP @NextHitIteration    ; skip if got 200 exactly (guaranteed miss)
⋮
4484    JSR RandAX
⋮
4493    CMP math_randhit        ; if hit chance is < randhit value, then this was a miss.  Jump ahead
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4471–4494 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  28. ^A level-up that raises a character's Agility also raises their evade by 1, up to 200.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    1074  : LDY #ch_evade - ch_stats    ; evade goes up 1 if agility went up
1075    LDA @statupbuffer+1
1076    BEQ :+                      ; did agility go up?
⋮
1080      CMP #201                  ; cap at 200
1081      BEQ :+
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0B.asm lines 1074–1082 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  29. ^A swing is critical when its roll is at most the crit chance, which is capped at the hit chance; a critical adds the swing's random damage again, with no absorb taken from it.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    4404      LDA math_hitchance                ; crit chance cannot exceed hit chance
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4401–4405 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    4515    LDA math_critchance     ; see if hit value is <= crit chance  (this will be impossible if the attack was a miss)
⋮
4519      LDX math_basedamage                   ; add random damage to our total
4520      JSR MathBuf_Add
4521      INC battle_critsconnected
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4514–4521 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  30. ^ abAgainst a sleeping or stunned defender, base damage rises by a quarter, and the attacker's hit rate and the defender's evade drop out, so the hit chance stays at 168 apart from Dark's 40 either way.CodeDisch, FF1 disassemblyrevised
    How we know
    4363  : LDA btl_defender_ailments
4364    AND #AIL_STUN | AIL_SLEEP
4365    BEQ @DefenderMobile         ; if defender alseep or stunned....
4366      LDA math_basedamage       ; apply 25% bonus to base damage
⋮
4379      LDX btl_attacker_hitrate          ;   This seems strange to me.  Shouldn't this be done even if defender
4380      JSR MathBuf_Add                   ;    is immobile?  Is this BUGGED?
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4363–4380 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    4309    LDA #168                    ; base hit chance of 168
⋮
4318    LDA btl_attacker_ailments   ; if attacker has DARK status, penalty of 40 to their hit chance
⋮
4326  : LDA btl_defender_ailments   ; if defender has DARK, bonus of 40 to attacker's hit chance
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4309–4332 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  31. ^ abcdMeasured in the ROM over all 256 battle-RNG states, one swing with base damage 20, hit rate 10, and crit chance 1 against evade 6 and absorb 4 hits 221 times and is critical 4 times; with the attacker in Dark it hits 170 times, and against a sleeping defender 216 times.Verified“Final Fantasy (USA)” · Disch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know

    In the cartridge (“Final Fantasy (USA)”): bank $0C $A68C-$A8D3, the math of DoPhysicalAttack the probe runs, skipping the animation at $A775-$A7C8. We don't reproduce the bytes.

    4310    STA math_hitchance
⋮
4319    AND #AIL_DARK
4320    BEQ :+
4321      LDA math_hitchance
4322      SEC
4323      SBC #40
4324      STA math_hitchance
⋮
4327    AND #AIL_DARK
4328    BEQ :+
4329      LDA math_hitchance
⋮
4332      STA math_hitchance
⋮
4364    AND #AIL_STUN | AIL_SLEEP
⋮
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4307–4591 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Measured by a script in MesenCE 2.2.1 (build 4b8a196), on Final Fantasy (USA) (SHA-1 e8f34d935760…). It fails if the result disagrees with the claim.

    The numbers come from the run; its author, an AI model, checked the script measures what the claim says, 2026-10-25.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

    In the claim ledger

  32. ^ abcMeasured the same way, four swings with base damage 40, hit rate 100, and crit chance 20 against evade 40 and absorb 10 land 1,020 of 1,024 swings, 109 of them critical, for 129–413 damage; with FAST, eight swings land 2,040 of 2,048, 213 critical.Verified“Final Fantasy (USA)” · Disch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know

    In the cartridge (“Final Fantasy (USA)”): bank $0C $A68C-$A8D3, as in hit-loop-measured. We don't reproduce the bytes.

    4409    JSR MultiplyXA
4410    STA math_numhits
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4407–4415 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Measured by a script in MesenCE 2.2.1 (build 4b8a196), on Final Fantasy (USA) (SHA-1 e8f34d935760…). It fails if the result disagrees with the claim.

    The numbers come from the run; its author, an AI model, checked the script measures what the claim says, 2026-10-25.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

    In the claim ledger

  33. ^BattleRNG returns the next byte of a 256-byte table, indexed by a counter (btl_rngstate) that wraps, so battle draws repeat every 256 calls.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    13817BattleRNG:
13818    LDX btl_rngstate
13819    INC btl_rngstate
13820    LDA @Scramble_lut, X
13821    RTS
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 13817–13824 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  34. ^ abRandAX scales a table byte r into a range: lo+⌊r(hi−lo+1)/256⌋.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    5893    TXA
⋮
5895    SBC $68AF       ; subtract to get the range.
⋮
5898    JSR BattleRNG_L
5899    LDX $68B6
5900    JSR MultiplyXA  ; random()*range
⋮
5902    TXA             ; drop the low 8 bits, put high 8 bits in A  (effectively:  divide by 256)
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 5888–5905 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  35. ^BattleRNG's table holds $00 twice and never $95, so a battle draw is never $95.Code“Final Fantasy (USA)” · Disch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know

    In the cartridge (“Final Fantasy (USA)”): bank $0F $FCF1-$FDF0, the table; `$00` sits at positions 97 and 110. We don't reproduce the bytes.

    13811;;    IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!  ChaosDeath in bank B assumes that calling this routine 256 times consecutively will
⋮
13823  @Scramble_lut:
13824    .INCBIN "bin/0F_FCF1_rngtable.bin"
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 13811–13824 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  36. ^lut_RNG, the 256-byte table at $F100, holds every byte from $00 to $FF exactly once.Code“Final Fantasy (USA)” · Disch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know

    In the cartridge (“Final Fantasy (USA)”): bank $0F $F100-$F1FF, lut_RNG. We don't reproduce the bytes.

    11326;;  RNG scrambling lookup table  [$F100 :: 0x3F110]
⋮
11328;;    This table is $100 bytes in size, and simply consists of every number
⋮
11333lut_RNG:
11334    .INCBIN "bin/0F_F100_rngtable.bin"
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 11326–11334 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  37. ^BattleStepRNG returns lut_RNG[i] for a counter i that steps by 1 per call; each time it wraps to 0, a sign byte gains $A0, and its top bit sets the direction of the next pass.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    1315;;    Random numbers are generated by stepping through a RNG LUT.  Once it
1316;;  cycles through the entire LUT, it cycles through it again -- potentially
1317;;  in a reversed direction.  Which direction it's going depends on battlestep_sign.
⋮
1323BattleStepRNG:
1324    BIT battlestep_sign    ; see if sign indicates a decrement
1325    BMI @Negative
⋮
1339    ADC #$A0
1340    STA battlestep_sign
⋮
1343    LDX battlestep         ; put battlestep in X
1344    LDA lut_RNG, X         ; use it to get a random number from the LUT
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 1315–1345 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  38. ^A damage spell always connects, for a random value from its power E to 2E; its roll of 0–200 against 148 + the spell's hit rate − the target's magic defense doubles the damage instead of deciding a hit.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    8284    JSR BtlMag_MarkSpellConnected           ; damage spells always connect
8285    JSR BtlMag_LoadBaseHitChance            ; load base hit chance (since damage always hits, this becomes more of a "critical" chance)
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8283–8286 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    8208    LDA #<148               ; base hit chance of 148
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8207–8211 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    8156    JSR MathBuf_Add             ; math_hitchance += spell's base hit rate
⋮
8160    JSR MathBuf_Sub             ; math_hitchance -= defender's magdef
⋮
8168    JSR MathBuf_Add             ; math_basedamage = rand[ spelldamage, spelldamage*2 ]
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8153–8171 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    8328    BEQ :+                          ; if the hit/crit roll was 200, this is NOT a crit
⋮
8331        ASL math_basedamage         ; ... do 2x damage
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8325–8332 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  39. ^ abA resisted element halves a damage spell's power and drops the 148 from its doubling chance; a weakness multiplies the power by 1.5 and adds 40 to the chance.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    8289    AND btlmag_defender_elemresist          ; see if the defender resists this element
⋮
8291      JSR BtlMag_ZeroHitChance              ; ... zero the hit/crit chance
8292      LSR math_basedamage+1                 ; and halve the damage
⋮
8296    AND btlmag_defender_elemweakness        ; see if they are weak to the element
⋮
8300      JSR MathBuf_Add                       ; crit bonus of +40
⋮
8302                                            ; damage *= 1.5
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8288–8313 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  40. ^A damage spell's damage and its chance to double come from the spell's power, hit rate, and element, the target's magic defense, resistances, and weaknesses, and two random rolls. No stat of the caster enters either, so Intelligence adds nothing to spell damage.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    7116    LDY #MAGDATA_ELEMENT        ; magic's element
7117    LDA (btl_magdataptr), Y
7118    STA btlmag_element
⋮
7120    LDY #MAGDATA_HITRATE        ; hit rate
7121    LDA (btl_magdataptr), Y
7122    STA btlmag_hitrate
⋮
7124    LDY #MAGDATA_EFFECTIVITY    ; and effectivity
7125    LDA (btl_magdataptr), Y
7126    STA btlmag_effectivity
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 7116–7126 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    8283BtlMag_Effect_Damage:
8284    JSR BtlMag_MarkSpellConnected           ; damage spells always connect
8285    JSR BtlMag_LoadBaseHitChance            ; load base hit chance (since damage always hits, this becomes more of a "critical" chance)
8286    JSR PutEffectivityInDamageMathBuf       ; Load spell effectivity into 'damage' math buffer
⋮
8288    LDA btlmag_element
8289    AND btlmag_defender_elemresist          ; see if the defender resists this element
⋮
8295  : LDA btlmag_element
8296    AND btlmag_defender_elemweakness        ; see if they are weak to the element
⋮
8316  : JSR BtlMag_PrepHitAndDamage             ; Get hit/damage stuff into math buffers
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8283–8316 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    8153BtlMag_PrepHitAndDamage:
8154    LDA #MATHBUF_HITCHANCE
8155    LDX btlmag_hitrate
8156    JSR MathBuf_Add             ; math_hitchance += spell's base hit rate
⋮
8158    LDA #MATHBUF_HITCHANCE
8159    LDX btlmag_defender_magdef
8160    JSR MathBuf_Sub             ; math_hitchance -= defender's magdef
⋮
8162    LDA #0
8163    LDX math_basedamage
8164    JSR RandAX
⋮
8170    JSR Random_0_200
8171    JMP WriteAToMagRandHit      ; math_magrandhit = rand[ 0, 200 ]
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8153–8171 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    8207BtlMag_LoadBaseHitChance:
8208    LDA #<148               ; base hit chance of 148
8209    STA math_hitchance
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8207–8211 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    8325BtlMag_ApplyDamage:
8326    LDA math_magrandhit
8327    CMP #200
8328    BEQ :+                          ; if the hit/crit roll was 200, this is NOT a crit
8329      JSR BtlMag_DidSpellConnect    ; See if the spell connected as a critical
8330      BCC :+                        ; if yes...
8331        ASL math_basedamage         ; ... do 2x damage
⋮
8337    JSR MathBuf_Sub16               ; HP -= damage
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8325–8338 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-25.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

    In the claim ledger

  41. ^ abA character's RUN always succeeds when the party strikes first and always fails in a formation marked no-run; otherwise it succeeds when the character's Luck exceeds RandAX(0, level + 15), but the level is read from the wrong place: Disch notes the code reads another character's ailment byte or unrelated memory.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    3755Battle_PlayerTryRun:
⋮
3762    LDA btl_strikingfirst           ; are we striking first?
3763    BNE @Success                    ; If yes, run success is guaranteed
⋮
3766    AND #$01                        ; if the 'no run' bit is set in the formation,
3767    BNE @Fail                       ;   then failure is guaranteed.
⋮
3771    ;   Run if:  Luck > random[0, level+15]
⋮
3773    ; The problem is... the game is BUGGED and reads the wrong value for the level.. it ends up reading
3774    ;  the ailment byte for 2 players after this one (for top 2 slots) or other garbage memory for the
⋮
3781    LDA (btl_ib_charstat_ptr), Y    ; BUGGED - Reading wrong value -- should be OB, not IB
⋮
3788    JSR RandAX                      ; random[ 0, level+15 ]
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3755–3790 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    3807    LDA btl_mathbuf+2               ; success if low byte was nonzero (if luck > randomval)
3808    BNE @Success                    ; failure if zero (luck <= randomval)
⋮
3811    LDA #BTLMSG_CANTRUN             ; on failure, print 'Can't Run' 
⋮
3815    LDA #BTLMSG_CLOSECALL           ; on success, print 'Close Call....' 
⋮
3819    STA btl_result                  ; Set the battle result to 3 (party ran)
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3807–3819 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  42. ^The NES manual says running depends on agility: "There is no guarantee that your escape will be successful — it depends on your agility level."ManualFinal Fantasy NES manual
    How we know
    If you are overpowered, you can try to RUN. There is no guarantee that your escape will be successful — it depends on your agility level.
    p. 19, RUN · archived copy ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  43. ^On an active enemy's turn, it flees when its morale is below twice the party leader's level, or when morale minus twice that level plus RandAX(0, 50) is below 80.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    6780    STA $9E             ; $9E = 2*level of party leader
⋮
6785    ;   V = X + Morale - L
⋮
6788    ;   X = random number between [$00,$32]
⋮
6792    ;   if V is less than $50, the enemy will run!
⋮
6798    BCC @RunAway        ; run if morale < 2*level_of_leader
⋮
6801    LDX #$32
6802    JSR RandAX          ; random between [$00-$32]
⋮
6806    CMP #$50
6807    BCS Enemy_DoAi      ; if >= $50, do not run
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 6778–6810 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  44. ^A character's crit chance is the equipped weapon's index number, not the crit rate in the weapon's data (no code we read touches that byte); an unarmed Black Belt or Master gets twice their level.CodeDisch, FF1 disassemblyrevised
    How we know
    5693    LDY #btlch_critrate
5694    AND #$7F
5695    STA (btl_ib_charstat_ptr), Y        ; BUGGED - this sets the critical rate to the weapon index,
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 5692–5697 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    27;;  byte 2:  Critial rate (BUGGED - not used .. see LoadOneCharacterIBStats for offending code)
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm line 27 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    10917    LDY #0                 ; zero Y (our source index)
⋮
10921    ADC (tmp), Y           ; add to it the weapon's hit bonus
10922    STA ch_hitrate, X      ; and write it back
10923    INY                    ;   inc source index
⋮
10927    ADC (tmp), Y           ; add weapon's damage bonus
10928    STA ch_dmg, X          ; and write back
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0F.asm lines 10916–10928 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    5721    CMP #$02
5722    BEQ @BB_Master                  ; is it a black belt?
5723    CMP #$08
⋮
5727    LDY #btlch_wepgfx
5728    LDA (btl_ib_charstat_ptr), Y    ; see if they have no weapon equipped
5729    BNE @Done
⋮
5734    STA (btl_ib_charstat_ptr), Y
⋮
5737    STA (btl_ib_charstat_ptr), Y
⋮
5739    LDY #ch_level - ch_stats        ; Unarmed BB's crit rate is 2x his level
5740    LDA (btl_ob_charstat_ptr), Y
5741    ASL A
5742    LDY #btlch_critrate
⋮
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 5719–5743 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-25.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Revised after a check by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

    In the claim ledger

  45. ^A physical attack gains 40 hit chance and 4 base damage when its category or element matches the defender's, but neither side of a battle can trigger it: a character's attack reads the character's own category and weakness bytes instead of the weapon's, and a monster's attack is matched against a character's, and all four bytes are always 0.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    4334  : LDA btl_attacker_category       ; see if attacker category matches defender category
4335    AND btl_defender_category
⋮
4338    LDA btl_attacker_element        ; see if attacker element matches defender elemental weakness
4339    AND btl_defender_elemweakness
⋮
4345      LDA #MATHBUF_HITCHANCE            ; +40 bonus to hit chance
⋮
4354      LDA math_basedamage               ; and +4 bonus to base damage
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4334–4357 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    3998    LDY #btlch_category             ; BUGGED - this is pulling a player's category (always 0).  It should be
⋮
4002    LDY #btlch_elemweak             ; BUGGED - uses player elemental weakness as attack element.  This is always 0
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 3998–4004 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    4167    LDY #btlch_category                 ; IB:  assigned category.  Always zero?  Players don't have categories.
⋮
4171    LDY #btlch_elemweak                 ; IB:  elemental weakness.  (Always zero?)
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4166–4172 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    5668    ; Players start with no elemental weakness or assigned category
5669    LDA #$00
5670    LDY #btlch_category
5671    STA (btl_ib_charstat_ptr), Y
5672    LDY #btlch_elemweak
5673    STA (btl_ib_charstat_ptr), Y
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 5668–5673 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  46. ^TMPR and SABR, whose spell effect adds the spell's power to the target's attack, do nothing when cast on a character: the routine that loads a character's stats for a spell doesn't load attack, and the routine that saves them back skips it.Code“Final Fantasy (USA)” · Disch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know

    In the cartridge (“Final Fantasy (USA)”): TMPR's 8-byte record in lut_MagicData (spell $0E, bank $0C $8250); its effect byte is $0D; SABR's record (spell $36, bank $0C $8390); its effect byte is $0D. We don't reproduce the bytes.

    60MAGDATA_EFFECT       = $04
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/Constants.inc lines 56–60 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    8118    @jumptable_MagicEffect:
8119        .WORD Battle_ShowIneffective        ; Spell has no in-battle effect
⋮
8132        .WORD BtlMag_Effect_AttackUp2
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8118–8132 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    8645    LDA btlmag_effectivity          ; Add the spell effectivity to the defender's attack power.
8646    CLC
8647    ADC btlmag_defender_strength
8648    BCC :+
8649      LDA #$FF                      ; cap at 255
8650  : STA btlmag_defender_strength
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8645–8650 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    8027BtlMag_SavePlayerDefenderStats:
⋮
8033    LDA btlmag_defender_ailments
⋮
8037    LDA btlmag_defender_magdef      ; magdef??  This is weird because not only does no magic actually change
⋮
8042    LDA btlmag_defender_hp          ; HP
⋮
8050    LDA btlmag_defender_elemresist  ; elemental resistence
⋮
8052    STA (btl_entityptr_ibram), Y
⋮
8054    LDA btlmag_defender_numhitsmult ; hit multiplier
⋮
8056    STA (btl_entityptr_ibram), Y
⋮
8058    LDA btlmag_defender_absorb      ; absorb/defense
⋮
8060    STA (btl_entityptr_ibram), Y
⋮
8063    LDA btlmag_defender_evade
8064    STA (btl_entityptr_ibram), Y
⋮
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 8027–8070 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-25.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

    In the claim ledger

  47. ^Spells that change an enemy's elemental resistance or weakness, such as XFER, have no effect on enemies; the change is never saved, and attacks read those bytes from the enemy's data in ROM.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    7976;;    This routine does not save 'btlmag_defender_elemresist' anywhere, and therefore
7977;;  spells which change enemy resistence (like XFER, AFIR, etc) have no effect when cast
7978;;  on enemies.
⋮
7982BtlMag_SaveEnemyDefenderStats:
⋮
7986    LDA btlmag_defender_hp          ; update their HP
⋮
7988    STA (btl_entityptr_ibram), Y
⋮
7990    INY
7991    STA (btl_entityptr_ibram), Y
⋮
7994    LDA btlmag_defender_absorb
7995    STA (btl_entityptr_ibram), Y
⋮
7997    LDA btlmag_defender_numhitsmult ; their hit multiplier
⋮
7999    STA (btl_entityptr_ibram), Y
⋮
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 7975–8017 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    7898    INY                             ; Y = ENROMSTAT_ELEMWEAK
7899    LDA (btl_entityptr_obrom), Y    ; elemental weakness from ROM
7900    STA btlmag_defender_elemweakness
7901    INY                             ; Y = ENROMSTAT_ELEMRESIST
7902    LDA (btl_entityptr_obrom), Y    ; elemental resistance from ROM
7903    STA btlmag_defender_elemresist  ;   BUGGED - loaded from ROM instead of RAM.  Contributes to XFER bug
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 7898–7903 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    4044    LDY #ENROMSTAT_ELEMWEAK         ; elemental weakness from ROM
4045    LDA ($86), Y                    ; BUGGED - it should be taking this from enemy RAM stats, not from ROM stats
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4044–4046 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-25.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-25.

    In the claim ledger

  48. ^At each level-up, an unarmed Black Belt or Master gets absorb equal to their level and a damage stat of twice their level, whatever armor they wear.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly
    How we know
    174    LDY #ch_level - ch_stats        ; reaches here if no weapon equipped.  Get the level
⋮
178    LDY #ch_absorb - ch_stats       ; Absorb = Level -- BUGGED:  This is the infamous BB Armor Bug
⋮
183    LDY #ch_dmg - ch_stats          ; Damage = 2*Level
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0B.asm lines 174–184 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-20.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  49. ^Sakaguchi said that he began as the series' main planner and, as the team grew and needed a director, took that role too.InterviewSakaguchi, Famitsu 1998
    How we know
    In the beginning, I was the main planner, but when the production team increased, a director was needed, so I took that role as well.
    answer to the first question · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-27.

    In the claim ledger

  50. ^In a 2015 talk reported by Famitsu, Sakaguchi said the title was chosen to abbreviate as "FF", that Fighting Fantasy was dropped because a board game had the name, and that any word starting with F would have done; he denied the story that it was named Final because the team meant it as their last project, while granting that they had their backs to the wall.WebFamitsu, Sakaguchi talk 2015 · 1UP, Sakaguchi on FFI
    How we know
    最初は“ファイティングファンタジー”というタイトルにするつもりだったが、同名のボードゲームがあったため、変更したという … 確かに当時は背水の陣だったけれど、Fで始まる単語ならなんでもよかった
    section 『ファイナルファンタジー』の誕生 · archived copy ↗
    it was called Fighting Fantasy at the very start of it
    Sakaguchi on Square's team system · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    In the claim ledger

  51. ^Wired's Chris Kohler reported in 2009 that Nobuo Uematsu told him Sakaguchi was going to quit, but that the real reason for the name was that Square was going bankrupt and the designers believed the game would be the company's swan song.WebWired, Uematsu on the name
    How we know
    It’s true that Sakaguchi was going to quit, he said, but the bigger reason, the real reason, was that Square was going to go bankrupt and the designers believed that it would be the company’s swan song.
    paragraph beginning "So I asked Uematsu" · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    In the claim ledger

  52. ^Final Fantasy rolls once per swing against a single hit chance that already has the defender's evade subtracted; Final Fantasy II splits that into two sets of rolls, the attacker's against its hit % and the defender's against its evade %, and subtracts the defender's successes from the attacker's.CodeDisch, FF1 disassembly · everything8215, FF2 disassembly
    How we know
    4378      LDA #MATHBUF_HITCHANCE            ; add their hit rate to their hit chance
⋮
4388      LDX btl_defender_evade            ;  the hit chance.
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4377–4399 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    4474    LDX #200
4475    JSR RandAX                  ; [0,200]
⋮
4484    JSR RandAX
⋮
4493    CMP math_randhit        ; if hit chance is < randhit value, then this was a miss.  Jump ahead
    Final Fantasy Disassembly/bank_0C.asm lines 4471–4494 at cbb87d3 · upstream ↗
    162600C/AFF9: 20 2C BC  JSR $BC2C          ; check for hit
⋮
162660C/B006: B1 A1     LDA ($A1),Y        ; target's evade multiplier
⋮
162690C/B00B: B1 A1     LDA ($A1),Y        ; target's evade %
⋮
162790C/B020: 20 2C BC  JSR $BC2C          ; check for hit
⋮
162850C/B02C: A5 52     LDA $52            ; subtract evaded hits
    ff2j.asm lines 16260–16290 at 8d26190 · upstream ↗

    Checked against the evidence by its author, an AI model, 2026-10-21.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-21.

    In the claim ledger

  53. ^Square Electronic Arts announced in February 2003 that Final Fantasy Origins, PlayStation remakes of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II, would ship in North America on 8 April 2003.WebGameSpot, Final Fantasy Origins release
    How we know
    Final Fantasy Origins will begin shipping to North American retailers on April 8. The collection consists of remakes of both Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II
    news item, first paragraph · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    In the claim ledger

  54. ^Nintendo of America released Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls for the Game Boy Advance on 29 November 2004; its Final Fantasy adds four bonus dungeons not in the original.PublisherNintendo, Dawn of Souls press release
    How we know
    which launches today for Game Boy(R) Advance SP
    press release, second paragraph · archived copy ↗
    Players will discover a series of four bonus dungeons not found in the original game.
    press release, on Final Fantasy I · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-27.

    In the claim ledger

  55. ^Square Enix's Japanese site dates the Pixel Remaster of Final Fantasy, with those of Final Fantasy II and III, to 29 July 2021, on Steam and smartphones.PublisherSquare Enix, Pixel Remaster site
    How we know
    2021/7/29 Steam®/スマートフォンで本日発売！ 『ファイナルファンタジー』 『ファイナルファンタジーII』 『ファイナルファンタジーIII』
    news, entry for 2021/7/29 · archived copy ↗

    The quote matches our archived copy.

    Checked by a second AI model, 2026-10-27.

    In the claim ledger

Sources

Code

Primary

  • Co., Nintendo and Ltd. 2009. “VC ファイナルファンタジー (Wii Virtual Console product page).” Nintendo Wii Virtual Console, VC ファイナルファンタジー, game introduction page. Nintendo Co., Ltd. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • America, Nintendo of. n.d. “NES Games (Nintendo of America release list).” Nintendo of America. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • America, Nintendo of. 1990. “Final Fantasy Explorer's Handbook (NES instruction booklet, North America).” Nintendo of America. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • Kevin, Gifford, and Sakaguchi, Hironobu. 2011. “Hironobu Sakaguchi on Final Fantasy I's Roller-Coaster Development.” 1UP.com. Ziff Davis. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • Co., Square Enix and Ltd. 2004. “Titles of game software with worldwide shipments exceeding 1 million copies (as of 31 March 2003).” Square Enix IR explanatory material, p. 27. Square Enix Co., Ltd. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • Hironobu, Sakaguchi, and Coxon, Sachi. 1998. “Interview with Hironobu Sakaguchi (Shūkan Famitsu, 5 June 1998).” Shūkan Famitsu, 5 June 1998; English translation hosted at playstationjapan.tripod.com. ASCII Corporation. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • America, Nintendo of. 2004. “Nintendo Ships Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls (press release).” Nintendo of America press release, reproduced by Nintendo World Report. Nintendo of America. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • Co., Square Enix and Ltd. 2021. “ファイナルファンタジー ピクセルリマスター (official site news).” FINAL FANTASY PIXEL REMASTER official Japanese site, news. Square Enix Co., Ltd. original · archived · licence, all uses

Secondary

  • Famicom Tsushin editors. 1987. “Famicom Tsushin, no. 39 (25 December 1987): Final Fantasy cross review.” Famicom Tsushin (ファミコン通信), no. 39, pp. 18-19. ASCII Corporation. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • Electronic Gaming Monthly editors and Hirata, Yusuke. 1994. “Electronic Gaming Monthly, issue 63 (October 1994): Final Fantasy III feature and Square interview.” Electronic Gaming Monthly, issue 63, p. 172. Ziff Davis. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • Nintendo Power editors. 1990. “Final Fantasy (Nintendo Power Player's Strategy Guide, Volume 17).” Nintendo Power, vol. 17 (Player's Strategy Guide, Final Fantasy). Nintendo of America. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • OnoKenji and Terada, Kenji. 2016. “ゲームシナリオライターの活躍する場は無限大／寺田 憲史氏を迎えて開催されたSIG-GSセミナーレポート.” IGDA Japan, SIG-GS seminar report, 15 December 2016 (seminar held 26 November 2016 at Toyo Art School). NPO IGDA Japan. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • Justin, Calvert,. 2003. “Final Fantasy Origins release date announced.” GameSpot news. CNET Networks. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • staff, Famitsu and Sakaguchi, Hironobu. 2015. “『FF』はどのように世界に広がっていったのか？ 坂口博信氏と浜村弘一ファミ通グループ代表が“国際日本ゲーム研究カンファレンス”にて語る.” Famitsu.com, report of the keynote talk at the International Japan Game Studies Conference, Ritsumeikan University, 23 May 2015. KADOKAWA / Famitsu. original · archived · licence, all uses
  • Chris, Kohler,. 2009. “Why's It Called 'Final Fantasy'? Uematsu Explains.” Wired.com, Game|Life. Condé Nast. original · archived · licence, all uses