Should I play the original Final Fantasy?

The long and short of it: Probably not
When was it made: 1987 (Japanese release), 1990 (American release)

Developed by Squaresoft before it joined up with Enix to form SquareEnix, Final Fantasy was the first game in the Final Fantasy franchise (I would say series, but it has it's own line of drinks now, so, franchise). The game has defined RPGs for the last 20 years, establishing the concepts of parties, classes, and levels. Well, ripping them off is more accurate. The game plays very much like video D&D, going so far as having spell levels and spell slots, an interesting system that most future games have abandoned (even D&D has left it in the dust). While fun, this game suffers a lot of the problems of being a first: while the combat mechanics are mostly pretty solid, character interactions are far from complicated. The only time your characters names are even mentioned are in the menus, but at the time that didn't really matter.

The original Final Fantasy doesn't get too much hype, I'll admit. However, the main series is 12 games strong and still going and there are several side projects with multiple games under their belts. This legacy, combined with several remakes, has kindled a little curiosity into some as to what the original game was like, and whether they should play it.

First of all, unless you have a ton of money, you're best bet is to get a rom. The game still sells for 20-60 bucks used, quite a feat considering most NES games go for less than a dollar. Ooh, that reminds me, you'll need an NES too, though more and more independant companies are making new, better consoles that run older cartridge games for those people like me who never sold or threw away the old NES and SNES games. Now, this is an old game, and it runs a bit slow. Combat can get pretty tedious sometimes: to be honest, when I play a rom of this game the fast forward button is my greatest friend. Also, the graphics aren't that great, and because this is one of those older games, they don't tell you where to go. You have a mission, and an overall idea of what you're supposed to be doing, but you had better talk to everybody in town and be prepared to do a lot of exploring-the strategy guide can be your best friend, as can Let's Play videos on youtube (HCBailly is awesome, I'd watch his). So if you really like old games, and you're looking for one with a lot of walking and fighting to spend a good chunk of time on, get the original Final Fantasy. If you want a quick paced no brainer, must have good graphics, or hate older games in general, avoid this game.

Now I personally liked the game. But I am not everyone when it comes to these things. I don't mind sitting around for long periods of time and I don't usually get frustrated when I get stuck and have to go talk to everyone I've met to pick up a missing clue. That being said, most people shouldn't play it. It was great at the time, but a lot of its biggest flaws are those things that plague all older games. If you absolutely must play this game, I would actually recommend a remake. Personally I think FF: Origins is the best remake because it updates a lot of the flaws by improving combat speed, graphics, and dialogue, while leaving the game at it's core mostly untouched. It is still pretty difficult and requires some grinding. I would not recommend the GBA version because they replaced the spell slot system with a MP system, making you able to use way more spells, which then had to be nerfed, and making most of the monsters very pathetic. Those were actually my favorite moments in the original game, when I'd save my Black Mage's spells, rendering him practically useless for a lot of fights, and then a boss would appear and I'd unleash him, turning him from marginally useful to my biggest damage dealer. It really cheapens the experience by taking a game that's difficult in a fun way and making it super easy. So, to wrap this up, if you feel the need to see where it all started, find a copy of FF: Origins to get all the experience with far fewer of the problems.