Portable titles aren’t THAT important, its just that right now its easier for me to flick on the DS while my baby is playing than to try to fight him off of my ps2 controller 
My focus right now would really be on 1. enjoyability 2. relatively easy to play.
Im not stupid or anything, but Im not in the mood to play a game right now with overcomplicated controls and a too-vagie storyline that leaves you wondering what the hell you’re supposed to do next.
I really want to get into this series so I can feel like I’m part of the community
Seems like almost every gamer I know has played FF, and I’d like to be able to partake in conversations about it
I forgot to mention it above, but one place that could definitely help you choose which FF to play is our own Cidolfas’ FF Compendium. Though he’s no longer updating it, it still has over a decade of FF material, neatly classified for reference. Just skip the story sections (if you want to avoid spoilers) and check the character/art sections, that should help you decide what to try first.
But honestly, ALL FF games are worth playing. Some are better than others, sure, but in general they’re all above average, thus their popularity. Just remember, the stories go all over the place from happy-go-lucky to “Dear God, Why, Why??” emo stuff. 
FFs I - III are old school and unless you get one of the later ports of I which have had it’s fangs all but completely removed.
FF IV is a decent game with an okay for it’s time story, but it hasn’t aged as well as other FF games have (and in my previous post your experience with vary depending on the port).
FF MQ is fun and easy but you’re going to need a SuperNES to enjoy it (or emulation).
FF V is a fun game. Granted its a bit long, but it gives you the chance to play through a couple of classes without needing to grind.
FF VI is an excellent game to start into. It’s really easy to get into (though there is exactly one hangup that occurs early on, but should you have any trouble we’ll be there). The story is interesting for a number of reasons (namely for stuff like experimenting with different methods of plot progression & a large cast of interesting characters).
FF VII is where things start to get complicated. The story is interesting enough (though it can get a bit incoherent at times), but the Materia system starts off with a steep learning curve. Fortunately it pays off in the end with the number of possible combinations you can pull off.
FF T is definitely the golden standard of SRPGs that many SRPGs aspire to, but like all SRPGs they’ve all got a steep initial learning curve that definitely takes time to get used to. Also this game has the tendency to kick ass and take names on a regular basis so if you’re looking for an easier SRPG to ease yourself into this would not be it.
FF VIII is really complicated both in system and in story (though it all boils down to the same simplistic god modding that the rest of the series is prone to).
FF IX goes back to the basics and is very accessible to even newbs. I’d recommend it if you can find it.
FF X is a game you already have (and you probably didn’t need me to tell you that either). Still you’ll never get lost in this game (if all else fails go north) and the growth system (i.e. the Sphere Grid) is simplistic enough to handle easily enough. Another one I’d recommend to start with.
FF XI is an MMORPG. Unless you’re into or can afford to get into an MMO I wouldn’t recommend this (especially since XIV was just announced and is also an MMORPG).
FF TA is a game that’ll definitely ease you into SRPGs but don’t expect too much of a story (what little there is can be all right but the key emphasis is on the word little).
FF CC is an action adventure game in a similar venue as the Mana games. Its alright with multiple people but you’re going to need either a GC or a Wii and several GBAs to play it.
FF X-2 is said to have the best version of the class system used throughout the series but the story is pure fluff. If you liked the recent Charlie’s Angles movies you’ll get a kick out of the story. Otherwise your millage will vary.
FF VII DoC is a third person shooter. You can do much better than this one anyways.
FF XII is ultimately a hit or miss game. The gambits are a bit complicated but rewarding (unless you’re a hands on type in which case you’re screwed since the game isn’t really built for hands on types). The story however is pretty much a piece of the scenery but what little there is can be good (when it isn’t totally ripping off Star Wars).
FF TA2 is basically more of the same FFTA.
FF XII RW is an RTS RPG. I have not played this game but I’ve played similar, and you could definitely do better in terms of RTSs.
FF VII CC is better than DoC but that’s not saying much. Still its supposed to be alright but I haven’t played it yet.
FF CC MLaaK is a city builder and that’s it. Simcity says hello.
FF CC RoF is better than CC purely due to the lack of an expensive barrier to entry. Otherwise I haven’t played it yet.
FF CC EoE is both for the DS and Wii but again I haven’t played it though so don’t ask me about quality.
FF IV TAY is out now but only for the WiiWare.
Dissida FF isn’t out yet.
And neither are FFs XIII, XIII V, XIII A, & XIV.
Also FF CC MLaaDL.
A Couple of Notes.
FF = Final Fantasy. Numbers are represented in Roman Numerals.
CC = Crystal Chronicles (unless proceeded by a VII in which case CC = Crisis Core).
RPG = Role Playing Game (this is for the sake of others who ask).
SRPG = Strategy Role Playing Game.
RTS RPG = Real Time Strategy Role Playing Game.
MMORPG = Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game.
Also Note: I did not include other spinoffs like the Chocobo games or Vagrant Story otherwise I’d be here all day.
Nor did I include the Legend and Adventure games since they belong to completely different series (the SaGa and Mana series respectfully).
Since Killmore mentioned some of the other spinoffs, I can elaborate on some of them.
FF:CC - Action adventure; pretty good game, but it only truly shines in multiplayer action. However, you need GBAs for that (and the GC-GBA link cables), so actually getting that whole mess together is far more trouble than it’s worth. But if you could, it’d be totally awesome. Otherwise, not worth it for single-player.
FF:CC Ring of Fates - Takes elements from the 1st game, and utilizes it for the DS. It’s a decent game and has some interesting puzzles you have to solve in dungeons/areas in order to move on. However, your ally AI is damn near braindead and does very stupid things like getting themselves killed by walking into pits or spikes. I don’t reccomend it since the next game improves on it.
FF:CC Echoes of Time - Takes the previous game and improves upon it quite a bit. The AI is no longer braindead, nor does it relentlessly kill itself. However, it’s still pretty stupid as far as some things go. You also make your own character(s) for this one, so you have pretty good customization options availible. More levels, bosses, and tons of equipment. Almost seems Diablo-like…plus it’s got Wi-Fi co-op! (But it’s semi-laggy depending on who you play with.) I reccomend it, but don’t get the Wii version. It’s just the DS game in an odd emulator-type thing.
The main theme with the CC games is multiplayer mostly.
[QUOTE=Killmore;633877]
Also FF CC MLaaDL.
QUOTE]
Nothing should ever, ever be so complicated that it gets abbreviated down to this.
I really like that you threw an index in there. My fiance was like, lol they think ur a noob. But seriously, when it omes to FF an index seems more than necessary.
I didn’t think you were going to need it, but with all the acronyms and abbreviations I was throwing around I thought it might be best to stay on the safe side (it can get a bit confusing).
As for FF CC MLaaK. That comes out as Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King.
Also I forgot to add FF CC TCB to the not out list (and that comes out as Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: The Crystal Bearers).
And to nip this one in the bud FF CC MLaaDL comes out as Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a Dark Lord (which is a tower defense game that’s also not out yet).
It bears mentioning that FF TA is s-l-o-w.
Tangentially, a game that’s both enjoyable and easy is a part of Squeenix’s other big series, Dragon Quest IV (DS). There is grinding in the beginning (only twice in the rest of the game after your party is complete), but even though I’ve come to dislike grinding, the battle system is fun and quick-paced enough - old-school done right. It’s also easy to pick up and play between breaks (clocked in my 30-something hours in the military).
The best ones to start with are FFIX or FFX (which you said you have) because they are simple games with good story lines.
FFIII DS and FFIV DS should be left until later once you’ve gotten into the series.
FF5-8 should definitly be played if possible…
my only advice is to leave the KH titles til after you’ve played 7-10 so you can get most of the references and characters.
FF12 (although my personal favorite) is an aquired taste so risk playing at your own peril/expense
lol omg qft
Seriously, though, this is essentially my opinion. VIII has a lovable "cheap melodrama’/Soap Opera vibe, though, and the gameplay is fun enough.
VIII is great when you’re an angsty teen. Seriously.
it’s still good, I enjoy it. I think the main problem arises if you try to get 100 of every spell. I don’t think you’re really supposed to. You just draw sometimes and then play through the game as you go along. I find when people complain about the draw system because of the boredom induced by drawing 100 spells, I want to just smack them.
IV is alright, VI is damn good, I still enjoy V** despite the stupid graphics. VIII is fine, worth a play through but not that great. What I played of IX seemed good.
I’d like VIII a lot more if it weren’t so damn slow (my endgame build had two of my characters ATB gauges filling so fast that it took longer for them to change their stance from standing around to I’m ready to attack).
It’s boring drawing that many spells, but it’s so worth it to me. If I could suffer through the lightning dodging in X, I can do this.
edit - Oh, damn, every spell? I misread… that’s lame, but I ended up getting them over the course of the game regardless.
I know pretty much every abuse method for stocking spells via cards and refining, to the point where I can make an ungodly overpowered setup in minutes, but I STILL think it’s a tremendously shitty system. It’s still a long, boring, process of stacking crap and using half a brain cell to determine which 100 spells give the biggest bonus, and your reward is a game devoid of any semblance of difficulty because you’ve got 5k HP as soon as you get Diablo. There’s no middle ground between “boring grind” and “oops, where did the difficulty go?”.
Only, there is. It’s called “Oh hey, I’m just playin’ the game as I go along, not really bothering to maximise my stats”. This means the game still has challenge and also, it feels like what would actually happen (since technically you’re supposed to roleplay it, it should be somewhat realistic). You are correct that it was a flawed system, but you could easily enough just not take super advantage of it, not grind and still have a challenge that wasn’t impossible. I’d rarely be in danger of losing fights in the game and I never really bothered with refining cards or drawing spells that much. They stacked up as the game went along in anatural progression.
So yeah, basically I think most people misplay the game. I don’t think they made it for people who go “MUST HAVE MAXIMUM STATS” but for people who go “oh hey now I’m a bit stronger guess I’ll draw some more spells”. I’m not sure I’m making myself clear.
- The game isn’t so hard that you need to max your stats.
- If you go to the effort of doing so, you will need to grind.
- If you do, the challenge is taken from the game.
- So just don’t do it. The game will still be fun and beatable.
I need a walkthrough for that. Seriously. I need a guide on how not to get too strong. If I use any of the processes alternative to boring myself shitless with Draw, I kill all difficulty. All it takes for me to get more HP than any boss will be able to deplete in the course of a regular battle until the third quarter of the game is get a single ability available very early on with no grinding and buying ten tents. Sure, it’s possible to get balance, but you’re asking me to devise a well-thought setup and refrain from doing stuff that’s readily available so I don’t break the everloving shit out of the game. When you make a system where players need to be very careful with stuff they can do in less than a minute least they destroy it, you fucked up.
My thread, it causes anger.
I really like that people really care and have strong opinions about this game- not only do I feel like the suggestions are really sincere, but it makes the games all the more attractive.
Strong opinions? FFVIII is the bringer of strong opinions. It’s the game where fighting for XP weakens you after a part of the game as the enemies get stronger following your level. It’s the game that has a great first cd, flounders, regains its footing, has a scene that makes people either disgusted or laugh quietly and a “you didn’t see this coming” ending. It has character concepts that are incredibly silly, yet they work in a trainwreck kinda way. It has a dream sequence with [spoiler] that’s the best part of the game. Dude swinging Indiana Jones-style into a battle with a dragon carrying an automatic weapon. A story that doesn’t know when to quit. And this thing is probably my more memorable FF despite cursing at times when playing. Don’t play this first. But if we’re going personal favorites, play it. Cheap melo, aye. And then come back asking for a certain fanfic recommendation.
Btw you don’t need to draw too much. I remember drawing mainly to use the spells, then junctioning Ultimas to Squall and later drawing the big-name spells to junction without facing any problem. If you keep your party in the yellow to use limit breaks, you need even less drawing.
The worst part about VIII is undoubtedly the double-whammy involving the card game. I liked the card game. It was sort of fun.
And then…the weird rules spread that makes it not fun. And then you find out that to decent numbers of the really good items, you need the rare cards. Just awwwwwwwwww.
The worst part about VIII is undoubtedly the double-whammy involving the card game. I liked the card game. It was sort of fun.
And then…the weird rules spread that makes it not fun. And then you find out that to decent numbers of the really good items, you need the rare cards. Just awwwwwwwwww.
Also the Card quest becomes uncompletable after a certain point (along with a ton of other side-quests) which makes it so much harder to get some of the rare items from it.
At least VIII’s card game was far better than IX’s.