The Japanese role-playing games genre has brought the medium some of the finest experiences to date, and while some franchises are more critically praised than others, Final Fantasy forged a legacy that is hard to match. Several titles in the 35-year-old property are defining experiences for their respective console, be it the revolutionary Final Fantasy 7 or the huge strides that Final Fantasy 14 made in the MMO space. The origins are far humbler than the 3D spectacles that make up the series today, though, with the first six games looking, and feeling more simplistic. They have been reworked and re-released in the past, but the pixel remasters are now easily one of the best ways to play.
Final Fantasy's recent outings may be synonymous with PlayStation, but this wasn't always the case. Before the series fully embraced polygons and 3D environments, it was taking full advantage of the NES and Super Nintendo hardware with sprites and pixel art that is still a delight to behold today. The first six games were subjected to yet another makeover over the past few months, and while they were initially released on Steam, the absence of the remasters on Switch is puzzling, especially given their history with the publisher and hardware manufacturer. Squaresoft carried the banner for JRPGs on early Nintendo consoles, with Final Fantasy leading the charge.
Portability Makes Retro Final Fantasy More Accessible
In the 1990s hardware limitations meant that developers had to get creative with the way a game looked, and played. Going back to the likes of Final Fantasy 4 in 2022 is far from impossible as it holds up well, but keeping players engaged throughout is tough as it looks considerably retro by today's standards. Portability does well to make such games easier to manage, as titles like Persona 4 Golden and Fire Emblem: Awakening have shown. Bringing the Final Fantasy pixel remasters to the Switch would be a seamless transition.
Though the Steam Deck is a viable way to experience the Pixel Remasters on the go, the popularity of the system is far eclipsed by the sales of the Nintendo Switch. The Game Boy Advance release of Final Fantasy 6 shows that it can be played on a smaller, portable device and lose none of the charm and immersion. Knowing that the Nintendo Switch is powerful enough, popular enough, and has the history with older Final Fantasy games to easily support the pixel remasters makes it all the more depressing when they are nowhere to be seen on the eShop. Nintendo's hybrid system is one of the best ways to play JRPGs like Dragon Quest 11, Xenoblade Chronicles, and Monster Hunter, and though Final Fantasy is represented with the PS One trilogy's HD remasters available, they are far less worthy of a place on a Nintendo marketplace given the history between it and Sony.
Nintendo is Where Final Fantasy Began
It's been a while since a mainline Final Fantasy title released on a Nintendo system at launch, and the pixel remasters were a missed opportunity to rectify the issue. The announcement of the remasters was marred by the disappointment that it wouldn't be on the Switch, as it would surely be an enticing thought to have them back on a system from the company that housed the games when they released all those years ago. A Steam release was welcomed, but Final Fantasy is far more strongly linked to console gaming that it felt like a deliberate, and disappointing oversight that they weren't available.
Final Fantasy may have made the jump to Sony hardware in 1997, but Nintendo will forever be the home of the franchise's origins. Having six beautiful pixel-art Final Fantasy games not available on what has quickly become one of Nintendo's greatest console is a glaring omission and one that needs to be remedied for the good of the fans, Square Enix, and the series itself. The case for the pixel remasters to find a way to Nintendo Switch is strong, and it's a wonder they're not currently sitting proudly on the eShop.
Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is available now on Android, iOS, and PC.
