h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Just thought I'd add that there are two commercially released anime videos based off Final Fantasy V. If you are not familiar with this one, don't worry, it wasn't available outside Japan until recently when Squaresoft released the Final Fantasy Anthology for the Sony Playstation.

In fact the whole numbering issue is quite confusing (to those in the US, anyway) with this series. As is now indicated there are currently 8 main Final Fantasy Games...however, so far Only 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, and 8 have been commercially released in the U.S. for various video game system platforms. But this might be confusing for those of you who are saying "Wait a second! There was a Final Fantasy 3 released for the SNES!" You are correct, but you are also wrong. What was relesed in the US as FF3 was actually FF6 in disguise. Evidently, Nintendo of America didn't want to confuse us poor saps in the US who would apparently freak if there was FF6 but no 3, 4, or 5. (They were wrong as the release of FF7 proved) Additionally, there was another SNES game called "Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest" where this one falls in the series is anyone's guess, as are the Game Boy editions of this series. I invite anyone who can make heads or tails of this to clarify any of my statements.

---Erin M.

1. The FFV anime (called simply "Final Fantasy") came out on our shores before that. I had played a lot of FFV translated from the internet patch, so I rented it at a candian video store in Hinton, Alberta. It was there, and I watched it, and it wasn't until some months later that I saw the anime.

they pronounced it 'Meed'. Is CID supposed to be pronounced SEED?

FFMQ is just a 'side' tale they tried to sell as part of the immensely popular FF series. It pretty much sucked, - designed entirely as a 'don't know how to play RPGs' rpg.

the gameboy FF's, called FF Adventure, and the three FF Legend games, are not Final Fantasy games at all. As part of the feindish plot to confuse Americans, Final Fantasy Adventure was actually originally Seiken Densetsu 1, the prediessor to Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2). Final Fantasy Legend 1, 2, and 3, were all games in the SaGa series, now on the Playstation as SaGa Fronteir 1 + 2.

Final Fantasy Tactics is a Tactical RPG designed around Final Fantasy ideals- huge game with chocobos, Bombs, and all the other famous final fantasy things (like the big ol strawhatted Black Mage.)

Seiken Densetsu is an action-rpg series, basically a more RPG-like alternative to Zelda. SD3 was never released here, even though it is currently regarded (in translated state on the internet) as one of the best games Squaresoft has ever put out- with the best graphics ever on the SNES. It also has a wonderful plot, is amazingly playable, and is basically just all-around kick ass. Why we happened to NOT get this, and instead have the american-made Secret of Evermore is anyones guess.

Secret of Evermore is basically the Mysic Quest of the Mana series.

Fortunately, we are getting Seiken Densetsu 4 as Legend of mana sometime this year, along with the sequel to Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross.

Upcoming are Final Fantasy 9, 10, and 11. 9 will be the last on the Playstation and is supposed to go back to the 'swords and sorcery' ideal instead of the cyberpunk of FF7 and military-academy feel of FF8.

10 however, is going to be on the PS2. Nearly nothing is known except for the fact you can actually go on the internet throught he game and look at strategy guides. This saves the 10 seconds it usually takes to cehck GameFAQs.

11 will be "Final Fantasy 11: Online Another World" - a multiplayer game.

And, for all intents an purposes, the FFA translation of FFV is pretty much horrible.

Hope this helps.

Sorry, I should have clarified...the actual game of FF5 wasn't commercially released in the US until recently. The anime has been out for about two years now.

---Erin M.

I don't belive that the FF series happenen in multiple dimensions, but rather they all happen on Earth. I theorize that Earth undergoes a massive reshaping (contental drift, cataclysims, and the like) that "resets" the Earth, leaving few things (like crystals and humans) setting the stage for the next saga.
Final Fantasy 1-3: I have no idea when theres ocoured, as I have never played them (before my time).
Final Fantasy The Animated Movie: The elemental crystals exist, and Earth has two moons.
Final Fantasy 4: The elemental crystals are intact and the Earth only has one moon by the story's end.
(Final Fantasy Mystic Quest: I'm not sure about this, but the occours somewhere between the Anime and FF5)
Final Fantasy 5: The cystals break in this chapter, and are absorbed by the heros, which enable them special abilites, which leads me to...
Final Fantasy Tactics: The crysals and materia treasures lead me to belive this happens after FF5 but before FF7.
Final Fantasy 6: This is the hole in my theory; at the end of this story, magic had faded from the Earth, which would give credece to my theory that our time accededs this one, but how does magic come back for FF7?
Our Time: The following Squaresoft game occour in this order: Brave Fencer Musashi (does not occour on Earth), Secret of Evermore, Bushido Blade 1&2, Super Mario RPG (also not on Earth), Eirgiez, the Front Mission Series, Xenogears (not on Earth either, but I belive that it begets Chrono Trigger), and finnally Tobal No. 1.
Final Fantasy 7: It must happen after us, as evidenced by the downed fighter jet in the excavation site.
Final Fantasy 8: I don't know when this occours, but given Ellone's powers, you could be correct in say it is simeltanious with the rest.

I don't understand why people try and invent elaborate ways for Final Fantasy games to be set on Earth. Can't we just remember that half of the name is "Fantasy" and that maybe the games are set in their own little fantasy places?

What are you talking about? Magic still exists here. It is just rejected, as it is in FF6. However, the games are in a "Fantasy" realm. NOT HERE!