DESCRIPTION

Final Fantasy III is a role-playing game released in Japan in 1990, and it was the last Final Fantasy game to be released for the Famicom. In this game, you play the role of four teenagers, chosen by fate to be the legendary Light Warriors.

The party starts the journey wandering from town to town, performing several acts of heroism and becoming stronger. During their travels, they learn of the four crystals of earth, wind, water, and fire, and are told by ancient sages to visit these crystals to fulfill their destiny. From here, the quest leads to many far away places, including two different worlds, as the Light Warriors seek out an evil sorceror corrupted by power.

Like its predecessor Final Fantasy, travel on the world map and inside dungeons is done on a two-dimensional overhead map. The party will get various vehicles such as the submarine, canoe, and three unique airships. Combat consists of the party to one side, and the monsters to the other, with background scenery reflecting the terrain. Combat is turn-based, and characters choose from actions such as run, fight, magic, and jump.

As the story progresses, characters acquire "job classes." Characters obtain "capacity" points in battle, which allow them to change jobs at will. Like Final Fantasy Tactics, much strategy in this game comes from the selection of jobs your characters have. Some jobs include the Red Wizard, who can cast a little magic and fight well also, the Knight, who can cast no spells but can use heavy armor and weapons, or the Sage, who can cast all spells of any type.

Final Fantasy III will take most players around 10-15 hours to finish, which is a good amount for a Nintendo role-playing game. Fans of the series will notice that it mixes elements from the first Final Fantasy, and Final Fantasy II for the Super NES, along with a few unique qualities of its own. ~ David Borowski, All Game Guide