The earliest console variation for the Final Fantasy series seems to date back only to the early 2000s. This was around the PS2 and Game Bot Advance era. For a series that started in 1987 in Japan, that’s a bit surprising although that’s the case for many series. Â
This trend of variations seems to have sprouted up most predominantly after the 2000s. For Final Fantasy since this beginning, the series has seen tons of console variation releases afterward. Unfortunately for Western fans many of these consoles and games have remained exclusive to Japan.
10 Final Fantasy IV GBA
This GBA port of Final Fantasy IV was released on December 15, 2005 in Japan. This is funny because this was three days after the North American release and usually it goes the opposite direction. Dates aside, what Japan did get over the West was this Game Boy Micro which not only features Kain and Cecil on the front, but it comes with the game too. It was sold as a wide release.
9 Final Fantasy XII PS2
This PS2 Slim marked with a sigil came out with the Japanese date for Final Fantasy XII which was March 16, 2006. The special edition console also came with the game.
It may not be as fancy as some other collaborations between console manufacturers and Square Enix. In fact, one can barely see the symbol on the cover. That said, it’s still a collector’s item even as a wide release.Â
8 Final Fantasy III DS
This DS bundle launched on August 24, 2006 in Japan and did come with the game. The cover art is rather nice as it features all four main characters in random jobs. To put things into perspective, this remake was 26 years in the making as Final Fantasy III released for the NES in 1990. This was Japan-only too so Western fans had to wait that entire time although the NES version did get fan patched.Â
7 Final Fantasy XIII-2 PS3
This PS3 console released alongside the game in Japan on December 15, 2011. This special console really pops out with the pink on black being a great contrast of colors. The one downside is that the controller is normal but the bundle did come with the game. The original release of Final Fantasy XIII may have left a sour taste in the mouths of longtime fans, but this sequel is considering much better. It’s kind of like Pokemon in that the two-player party can be assisted by a monster helper. Â
6 Dissidia 012 Duodecim Final Fantasy PSP
This PSP bundle released on March 3, 2011 in Japan. The game launched at the end of March in North America sans the special edition handheld. For those unaware of the characters on the front of the PSP, the left side is Chaos while the right side is Cosmos. The game is all about Cosmos gathering good warriors from the series to face off against Chaos’ army of villains. The logo is also printed on the back cover of the PSP.
5 Final Fantasy Theatrhythm: Curtain Call 3DS
This 3DS coincided with the release of the music rhythm game spinoff on April 24, 2014 in Japan. Unlike most bundles, the game did not appear to come with it. That’s actually not that strange as there were a lot of special edition Nintendo consoles in this time that didn’t come with their appropriate game tie-ins. Either way, the 3DS has another nice contrast of colors between the gold and black.
4 Final Fantasy XIV Heavensward PS TV
This one was wild because Square Enix releases three special edition console variants to coincide with the release of Final Fantasy XIV’s first expansion. This was in June 2015 and to note these consoles were once again exclusive to Japan. There was a special edition made for the PS4, PS Vita, and PS TV. The weirdest thing about this collaboration is the fact there was no PS Vita release, so in turn no PS TV release, of the game. It could be streamed on either device though.
3 World Of Final Fantasy PS Vita
This also had multiple released handhelds. Firstly, the game released on October 27, 2016 in Japan, with the game bundles inside, which was another funny oddity as it released two days earlier in North America.
There were no PS Vita bundles over here though. On that note, there was a white and black version of the bundle. One featuring classic Final Fantasy characters and the other featuring the new sibling stars of the game.Â
2 Final Fantasy XV PS4
Final Fantasy XV was the first time a main entry in the series would release on the same date worldwide. That was on November 29, 2016. This special edition console, while advertised beforehand, would not be rewarded until January which is usually the case for contests.
This version comes with a special edition of the game and a PS4 with Leviathan on the cover which looks awesome. Not only that but it was signed by the director, Hajime Tabata. It’s a one-of-a-kind release and is thus super rare especially considering this was a North American limited console.Â
1 Final Fantasy XV Xbox One
Not to be outdone, Microsoft had three Xbox One consoles commissioned for a contest for the release of Final Fantasy XV. They would come with the game along with Xbox Live Gold for a year.
The green one was themed off of Magitek Armor but looks more like a Fallout tie-in. The one with the mishmash of colors was themed off of Magitek Soldiers and looks like a real mess. The last one was themed off of Noctis’ sword and is the sleekest model of the bunch although it too doesn’t scream Final Fantasy XV.Â
