33/40

By Charles - May 18th, 2026

Final Fantasy is one of the original RPG series that defined what the genre would be like. This modern remake takes that NES game and turns it into a more refined experience that still feels retro. This game is a really solid first entry and I'm looking forward to reviewing more of these early Role-Playing games, like Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest and Phantasy Star.

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster

2021

~$12 Digital

Available on:

iOS, Android, Windows, PS4, Switch, Xbox Series X/S

Ranked 3rd in Role-Playing

Ranked 7th Overall

Presentation

8

At first glance, it doesn't seem like Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster enhances the graphics very much. The game appears to be perhaps a SNES game instead of an NES game, although it still has very simple animations and map design. The first few minutes feel somewhat weak and have a low-effort feel. 

Once I got out into the world map and started fighting in battles, the focus of this game is clear. While the maps are simple enough, the battle environments and special effects are at a level of pixelated detail not even possible on the original PlayStation. Magic attacks, water and fire are some examples where the developers did a great job with the pixel art.

Menus are all very clear and use high-resolution font to make things easier to read. You have the option to change the text back to a more pixelated version as well as an option to change brightness.

I think the music is the best aspect of this game's presentation. The arrangements are fantastic and convey a real sense of adventure. The overworld and main battle theme really carry the game as you will be hear them hundreds of times, but they never get old. The only part I didn't like was that the instrumentation in some dungeons made that section feel a little too peaceful. You can actually switch to the NES tracks, and they sometimes had a different tone, for better or for worse.

Pros:

• Detailed effects

• Music holds up

• Amazing backgrounds

Cons:

• Simple Maps

• Weird instrumentation in some dungeons

Ranked 4th in Role-Playing

Ranked 12th Overall

Controls

10

As in other Role-Playing Games, it's hard to mess up the controls and Final Fantasy does a good job here. The menus are great and it's very clear what buttons do what with little pop-ups.

Your character isn't restricted to up, down, left, and right, allowing you to move very freely through the map. 

The controls are very responsive and it never feels like I'm being held back by the speed of the menus. There is a fantastic auto-battle mode to help you get through tedious random battles a lot faster. This is set with a toggle, which is the same for running speed and even whether you want encounters on or off.

You can access a full map of each area to look for as well as a mini map that can be enlarged or shrunk. This game does a great job with its controls and quality-of-life features.

Pros:

• Fast Controls

• Auto-Battle

• Menus and Toggles

Cons:

• Perfect!

Ranked 1st in Role-Playing

Ranked 1st Overall

Content

6

Being based on an NES game, Final Fantasy isn't awfully long despite being an RPG. There are only five main bosses and the story progression feels fairly empty. There is quite a bit of story at the start and end, but for the most part, you are just exploring. I beat the whole game in a couple days, but I felt satisfied with my experience. This game follows the model of older RPGs where there is very little post-game content but a complete story experience to play almost like a movie. In this sense I think the developers did a good job. I think if the game ran on for too long, the random battles would get annoying.

The currency and experience systems are well done and I felt that I never had to do a ridiculous amount of battling. I was always moving along with the story but still stockpiled plenty.

The main issue I had with the difficulty, and the game in general, was how easy boss fights. The dungeons were very challenging with hoards of enemies, but as long as you fought everything you see along the way you should be able to beat them. The bosses were stronger than average enemies, but you had to be strong enough to fight about a hundred regular monsters on one health bar if you didn't want to spend all your items. This meant that, by the time you made it through a dungeon, you steamrolled the boss.

Pros:

• Manageable length

• Leveling and Currency

• Tough Dungeons

Cons:

• Bland story

• Easy Bosses

• No Post-Game Content

Ranked 4th in Role-Playing

Ranked 8th Overall

Fun Factor

9

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is a lot of fun. The atmosphere battling monsters on the overworld is impeccable. This game really feels like an adventure. While some of the game's more barebones elements may be a detriment, they also keep the game's focus on fun and exploration. You are left by yourself with the most simple RPG formula in a very polished system. 

I couldn't wait to keep playing this game to see what was around the next corner, and I liked how you needed to talk to every NPC to figure out clues for how to continue. If you're not careful, this can be annoying, but you shouldn't be trying to rush through these games in the first place. The most fun comes from taking your time, exploring every area, doing as many battles as you can, and watching the numbers go up.

I did get a little bored near the end of the story, but the final area, final boss and ending picked things up again. This doesn't feel like a remake of the first game in the series on NES. This could be Final Fantasy 3 or 4 and I would believe you. I think that Square set a great standard for the series on NES and did a fantastic job upgrading it here. 

Pros:

• One big level to explore

• Collectible items

• 2nd Playthrough

Cons:

• Repetitive sections

• Very easy bosses

• Difficulty Spikes

Ranked 1st in Role-Playing

Ranked 4th Overall

Worth the Money?

Worth the Time?

This is a very inexpensive and definitely worth it. If you get the game as part of the set, it's a bit cheaper, but it's worth it to buy the first one itself to make sure you enjoy the series before buying all 6.

The game isn't very long and is very addictive. The game is a perfect length and I finished just as I began to get a bit bored. You should have no problem seeing Final Fantasy through to completion.

Screenshots from [Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster] © [Square Enix], used for review purposes.