Introduction

Update: 2nd April 2024 is the 30th anniversary of Final Fantasy VI — originally known as Final Fantasy III — on the SNES. And to celebrate, we’ve completely revamped our Best Final Fantasy Games list to include not just the mainline games, but also the spin-offs.

Don’t worry, though, this is still a user-ranked list — we’ve just expanded this massively. Now you can vote for every version and every spin-off in the Final Fantasy franchise. Enjoy!

About Final Fantasy

As one of the premier RPG franchises globally, Final Fantasy boasts a plethora of titles spanning back to its inception in 1987 with the original Final Fantasy on the NES. Over the years, the franchise has experienced exponential growth, introducing numerous groundbreaking RPGs to the gaming world.

Not content with adhering to a turn-based system, Final Fantasy has consistently been at the forefront of innovation. From the Active Time Battle system in Final Fantasy IV to the Materia customization in Final Fantasy VII and the Gambits in Final Fantasy XII, each title has brought something unique to the table.

Ranking Criteria

To meticulously rank every Final Fantasy game released on a Nintendo system, we are considering not only the mainline RPGs but also the spin-offs, various releases, and more! Have you ever questioned if Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster surpasses the DS Remake? Or perhaps pondered if Theatrhythm stands as the ultimate Final Fantasy game? Dive in to uncover the answers.

User Rankings

We invited you, our esteemed Nintendo Life readers, to rate each Final Fantasy game you’ve experienced as long as it graced a Nintendo console and was released in English. While titles like Final Fantasy V landed on the GBA and Switch in the West, the SNES version isn’t eligible for votes here. Additionally, several FF installments have never made their way to a Nintendo platform.

For clarity, we have omitted the Final Fantasy Legend games (part of the SaGa series), Final Fantasy Adventure (initial Mana game), and the Bravely series (evolved from The 4 Heroes of Light into its own entity).

Keep in mind that the ranking presented below dynamically updates based on each game’s User Rating. Your input can influence the list even as you peruse it. Simply click on the ‘star’ icon next to your preferred game to assign a score.

Now, Warriors of Light, it’s time to unveil the top Final Fantasy games on Nintendo systems…