An excellent game in the series, and a fresh taste of what america missed all these years.

I have no idea why this game didn't get better scores. It is probably the best FF remake I have ever played, it's perfect for the DS, and is incredibly fun. Maybe the reviewers thought it was too hard or forgot to level up or something. The story isn't shakespeare but it's better than FFX.

Hey! A Final Fantasy game that's actually difficult? Sounds good to me. The mechanics may be old, but they still work and are well repaid by the incredible number of different battle strategies: many jobs, many party assets, a whole lot of different approaches to battle. Doesn't get a 10 for the weak storyline, but the gameplay and the graphics are more than enough for a GREAT game.

The less than excellent reviews simply don't get it. This is meant to be more of a remastering than a remake of the original -- and what it has done, is done brilliantly. The musical score has been improved and expanded and graphically, the DS has seldom looked better. The game is centered around a job/class system that, if effective teams are built, greatly minimizes any grinding you'll have to do. My first time through the game, I did all the side quests I could find and I never had to grind -- it did take three attempts on the final boss, though. (And what a final boss this is -- keep in mind they made her easier this time around.) The story does have some major holes and searching for crystals was old even when FF III was originally released over a decade ago. Still, this adds to the old school charm. Nothing this epic has appeared on the DS before.… Expand

Totally worth the PRICE! A great storyline and fun enough to milk out all the little details Spent 45 hours on my game so far and planning to spend alot more.

I loved this game. I'd recommend it to for a good hand held game for a good game on the go or just playing when you get bored. But it's still good for playing it whenever.

Class system is innovative and lets you experiment i.e. choose different jobs at any time w/o too much of a penalty. Lands and missions are vast but don't feel overwhelming, and each give enough satisfaction (reward) upon completion. Graphics are good for the DS. Hard to find any fault in this game it's in my top5 of all time. If you like RPG's it's a must have title.

It's more difficult than most FF games which is a good thing. I love the graphics and the opening before the game start is so pretty looking! It's extremely easy to die in this game and Phoenix Downs are limited, making the game harder. I hate that you can't save at all in dungeons though. I was at the last boss and I died. I nearly pulled my hair out!

The negative reviews of this game really goes to show how gamers are being spoonfed and led by the hand in games these days. The lack of save points added a bit more excitement for me...every battle was crucial, one wrong move and you're in deep trouble. Although being beaten by the final boss aafter slugging it in the tower for 3-4 hours is a hard pill to swallow...Regardless, it�39;s nice to see an RPG that properly challenges the gamer. It's looking and sounding beautiful on the DS now. Brilliant remaster.… Expand

Truly an impressive remake. How to begin a review of a game like this, which brings such a great style of game play back to life while still feeling fresh? I suppose I should start with the presentation. Presentation/Graphics: Wow, what to say about this game? In terms of what the DS is capable of, and what its been seen to do, this game in a tribute to the power of the DS. From the opening cut scene to the in game action the game never ceases to amaze. The graphics are similar to what you found in Final Fantasy VII, but with more detail in the models,though not on the scale of a game like FFVIII or more recent role-playing games on other systems. In terms of screen layout and positioning, the game does a fine job. All the action takes place on the lower screen, including menus. When entering a menu the game play screen (on which the characters appear) switches the the top screen and the menu moves to the bottom, allowing for touch screen control. In addition, while on the world map, a complete world map (sin town positions prior to finding them) appears on the top screen with a flashing arrow representing your location and direction, making for easy navigation around the world. All in all the system works nicely,though the time it takes to switch menus can be somewhat annoying if you are in a hurry, but this doesn't really hurt to much. Gameplay This game is truely a blast from the past. To often in games today the actions and battles are made excessivly fast with no consideration for stratagy. This is not the case with Final Fantasy III. The main hook to the game is the extensive job class system. Each character has a "Character Level" and a "Job Level." The character level stays constant throughout all jobs you choose to play, making it possible to move around jobs without losing your ability to move through the game. However, each job also has its own level which helps determine the power of your job. This level is indepentent by job and requires a bit of work to achieve the max potential. In addition, there is an adjustment period between switching jobs, during which your character will not gain exp to the job. The battle system in similar to most Final Fantasy games of its original era, using a "Front and Rear" set up for the player's party, adjustable on the fly, which determines various damage throughout combat. There is an extensive amount of grinding needed to make it through the game with realitive ease, but the joy of actually preforming this act helps the time fly quickly. The storyline moves fast and flows well, which helps keep the game interesting. To wrap it up, the game has its quirks (i.e. Grinding, ect) which may turn off the casual gamer, but wont bug any rpg fan. Music: Nobuo Uematsu. Enough said right there to please any long time fan of Final Fantasy. For the casual gamer, however, this may require some explination. Nobuo Uematsu is a world renound composer who is best known for his work in the Final Fantasy series. The music is wonderful to say the least. However, as wonderful as the music is, the game has a sub standard sound effect selection. It makes due, but it could have been better. Extra: The game also includes a nifty email system called Mog Net which can be used to send messages between two owners of Final Fantasy III via the internet. This requires the users to exchange friend codes (as with all NWC games) and is only mildly entertaining. Its novelty will soon wear off. Conclusion: This game is a wonderful remake, not because of itss faithfulness to the original, but rather because of its faithfulness to the series. This game truely embodies the spirit of Final Fantasy and helps show new gamers what gaming used to be.… Expand

Despite its flaws which you can read about above, the game is absolutely fantastic in actual play. If you want a great RPG then this is a must have.

Square pull it off once again with the DS remake of Final Fantasy III. An RPG that wasn't originally released in US and UK has now been remade into a 2-million-selling must-have for a wide audience. Perfect for the DS, this single-player old school RPG has a plot expected of a 20 year old game; 4 "chosen" orphans who go out on a mission when instructed by crystals to cave the world. Simple, effective, fun.
The game in itself has been described by many as too difficult for the casual gamer. I for one found it easy, but this may be due to the fact that I use the levelling system (the more battles you win, the stronger your characters become) and level up as much as possible before entering, for example, a new cave, or a new part of the landscape where monsters (who appear in "random battles", which occur while on the world map) may be tougher than in previous locations. This is a key feature in the game; if you do not level up enough, you will suffer and have increased difficulty progressing. Online features (such as mailing other players whose individual game codes you have collected) allow opportunities for side quests, of which there is many. This adds some extra hours onto the end of the game.
The game has a low age rating. There is no explicit language or scenes, but the violence which occurs with swords and other weapons could become a problem amongst younger players, earning the game a PEGI 12+ age rating.
The game includes about 25 solid hours of gameplay, and if one wishes, an extra 5 hours minimum of side quests. The dungeons aren't too long, and advancing doesn't take too much time, although increasing levels for ease of progression may become a chore, as enemies can be quite repetitive. There is often a case of tapping the A button repeatedly for as many battles as it takes to level up enough to be able to defeat the next boss. Boss fights can be hard, although the final boss was a disappointment, and at a character level that wasn't too drastic, I found the final boss relatively easy, defeating it about 5 minutes in on my first try. One can save at any point on the world map, as long as you are not in a battle or a conversation. There are also places in dungeons (often appropriately placed just before boss battles) where you can save the game and heal up your characters, which is often a point where you may find your self relaxing, knowing that you can retry a boss battle without having to go through the entire dungeon again. There is also a "Quicksave" feature; you can do this in any dungeon or town, which literally pauses the game, while you turn the DS off.
There is replay value in the form of Job systems and online-triggered side quests. The job system is a feature of the game where you choose what kind of skills you want each of your characters to gain with progress. These include general fighters, mages, ninjas, etc., all of which have different and vital abilities.
The game is easily controlled with the D-pad. I didn't at any point find myself wishing the touch screen had more use, which is admirable. It is easy to control, and you will quickly become accustomed to navigating through menus, the world map and the battle system.
Graphics are amazing; characters are distinctly different, and appearance changes with your choice of Job. The environment is amazing also, and while not realistic, the system makes full use of the DS' technicality and the developers have produced a graphics system which has been used in other successful games since. Computer animation is up to par and the colourful cartoon-esque world is perfect for DS and Final Fantasy.
There is no voice acting; one of the biggest disappointments of the game. On the other hand, a masterful soundtrack and appropriate sound effects live up to Final Fantasy standards.
CGI scenes are just the same graphically, but from different angles and close-ups. The amazing CGI scene which starts on the main menu is astounding. Realistic (for the DS) and just something every game needs; a perfect start-up video to give a taste of the entire game.
This game is greatly under-rated. Every aspect seems perfect, and the Square team have really done a great job, as is evident with 2 million sales. At the moment it is listed as the DS' 32nd best selling game. The game has been a success; over 1,000 games have been released for the DS and only around 60 have been million-sellers.
9/10. Why? Although being a brilliant and worthwhile game, and it is a remake so there is little expectancy for this, there is nothing new; nothing to make the player feel they are experiencing something no other game has done before.… Expand

The old school masterpiece Final Fantasy III finally gets localized and was it worth the wait? Yes!
Modern fans might be put off by its classic mechanics and rough difficulty spike but if things like that don't bother you, what will be found is a deep and rewarding nostalgic RPG with a good challenge.
The music and graphics are modernized but still have the intended classic feel which is always nice for a remake. The story although hasn't aged well over the years is still pretty interesting and even if it is rather predictable and the main characters who where not explained all too well in the original are given interesting personalities and are fleshed out in a great manner over the course of the storyline and you get a real sense of what each of them is going through. Any fan of Final Fantasy or fans of old school RPGs from the late 1980s to early 1990s should definitely take a look at this great title.… Expand