An original Final Fantasy 7 fan discovered an old article with details about launching the game on the Nintendo 64. The article promoting Final Fantasy 7, a PlayStation exclusive at the time, also showcases an odd early design of the main protagonist in the game.
While most Final Fantasy 7 fans are waiting as patiently as possible for Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth news, the roots of the series reach all the way back to 1997 when the original FF7 was released. Production on the epic title started in 1994, shortly after Final Fantasy 6. The game itself was developed by the then-named SquareSoft with the title being the first Final Fantasy game to feature 3D graphics. During the development process, a deal was struck between Square Soft and Nintendo to release the tile to the tentatively named “Nintendo Ultra 64.” This deal fell through, but thanks to one Reddit user, original FF7 fans can now see a piece of history that was never fully realized.
Reddit user Inverse-skies posted an image from an old magazine displaying a prototype of one of the greatest Final Fantasy games of all time. In the image, the Nintendo 64 is clearly visible with a cartridge using the system’s original name, “Ultra 64.” Below, the system displays what only can be assumed as a prototype of a bandana-wearing Cloud, wearing an outfit straight out of an 80’s movie. The text on the page reveals how confident the company was about the release, stating, “If the seventh installment appears on the NU 64, [RPG fans] will buy Nintendo’s new machine, if only to play FFVII.”
The Final Fantasy 7 franchise has come a long way since 1997. Today, elements from FF7 are in PowerWash Simulator, as well as a dozen other properties. Knowing that decades later, this prototype could be what Cloud looks like today is a jarring thought, to say the least. Compared to modern standards, most gaming studios would never release a picture of an unfinished prototype to a magazine. Plus, it’s rare to see imagery of an older version of the Nintendo 64. In a world where the Switch 2 is as well-guarded as it is, Nintendo would never do something like that today.
Although Final Fantasy 7 never did release on the N64, if it did, it's easy to predict that there would be even more FF7 fans today. Plus, undoubtedly, the original Final Fantasy 7 would end up being one of the greatest N64 games on Nintendo Switch Online.
Final Fantasy 7 is available for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS1, PS2, PS4, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.