Many of the more experienced gamers may fondly remember the memories that involve a Nintendo GameBoy, widely considered the most popular handheld gaming device in the world.
With it, gamers of the time managed to play Pokemon games, Super Mario Land, and most notably, Metroid II: Return of Samus.
However, the video games that can be played on the GameBoy that isn't from Nintendo can be hard to come by, and as such, a game as good as Square's Final Fantasy Adventure on the GameBoy can be quite the find.
However, why is this game deemed worth playing back in the day in the first place?
Final Fantasy Adventure History, Gameplay
Final Fantasy Adventure is a spin-off title from the main Final Fantasy games developed and published by Square in 1991 for the Nintendo GameBoy, per the Final Fantasy Wiki.
For those unaware, Square, more formally known as Square Co., Ltd., is a Japanese video game company that developed and published the first Final Fantasy games. It continued to do so until it was merged with Enix, a Japanese video game publisher, to form the Square Enix we know and love.
It was first released for the GameBoy in Japan on June 28, 1991, while the Western markets got it at a later date. The North American release was scheduled on Nov. 1, 1991, while the European release was set on Feb. 15, 1993.
The game has players explore the game's world as Sumo, as he fights back against the Dark Lord of the realm, who is on a quest to seize incredible power to help him rule over the entire world.
Final Fantasy Adventure's gameplay is similar to the original Legend of Zelda for the NES, with it featuring a bird's-eye view angle and combat happening in real-time. Unlike the main Final Fantasy titles, however, Final Fantasy Adventure has players solve puzzles in dungeons as opposed to fighting hordes of creatures, though they are still present as moving sprites, per IGN.
The game also has RPG elements, with players having the ability to choose how to increase a character's stats. This feature is useful when players want to specialize in a role; armor and weapons provide different stats, much like different armor and weapons provide distinct advantages in real life, per Venture Beat.
Critical Reception And Revival In The Modern World
Critical reception for Final Fantasy Adventure was average to positive, with critics, like Patrick McCarthy of Nintendo Game Zone, praising the game's puzzles, graphics, and immersive soundtrack. However, they found the game's action and RPG elements not working as much as intended, with changing weapons and accessing items interrupting the game too much that it feels like a chore to do.
Rachel Steiner of RPGamer rated the game with a 3/5, with their chart showing that everything aside from its story is average. Despite that, they recommend the game for any RPG collection.
The game is well-liked enough that Square Enix relaunched the game for Japanese mobile phones in 2006 and for the Nintendo Switch worldwide in 2019.
It even retitled the game to Adventures of Mana in 2016 for the game's iOS, Android, and PS Vita release.
