Final Fantasy Legend III

Infobox VG
title = Final Fantasy Legend III


caption =
developer = Square
publisher = Square (Re-released by Sunsoft in 1998)
designer = Chihiro Fujioka
engine =
released = ^JPN December 13, 1991 ^NA September 29, 1993 Re-released by Sunsoft in 1998
genre = Console role-playing game
modes = Single player
ratings =
platforms = Game Boy
media = 2 megabit cartridge
requirements =
series = "SaGa" series
"Final Fantasy Legend" series

"Final Fantasy Legend III" (Sa•Ga 3: 時空の覇者, "Sa•Ga 3: Jikuu no Hasha" or "Champions of Time and Space" in Japan) is a Game Boy video game. As the third game in the SaGa series, it was released in 1991 by Square and re-released in 1998 by Sunsoft. It was designed by Chihiro Fujioka.

Gameplay

Interface for the game is a basic menu system. Players can view status and information from a character menu pressing Start. During combat, the player gives battle orders with menu's for each character in turn. The directional pad moves an image of a character representing the party while not in combat. Information is learned by talking to people and monsters. The character can also open chests and activate items by pressing A while facing them.

Character classes

Final Fantasy Legend 3 differs from the previous two games in the SaGa series in the fact that instead of choosing character classes at the start of the game, a character's class may change by eating the meat of monsters and beasts, or installing the parts of cyborgs and robots after they are defeated in battle. Whether meat is eaten or parts are installed affects the change in the character's class. Each character starts at their default class (human or mutant depending on the character), and when fed meat will change towards beast (if fed any kind of meat), and then monster (if fed monster meat). When parts are installed into a character he will change towards cyborg (by installing any kind of parts), and then robot (by installing robot parts). Meat and parts counter each other: if a Beast has parts installed, he will revert to the default class; likewise, if a cyborg eats meat, he will also revert to the default class. Each class also has specific weak and strong points.

Monster

Monsters are quite strong but are not affected by equipped weapons or armor (nor can they make use of them in battle), and must use natural Talents such as "Bite" and "2-Swords". Monsters also do not change forms upon level-up, and only change forms when the character is fed more monster meat.

Beast

Beasts are a moderately strong, dynamic class that can equip weapons and armor, and the best weapon to equip to them are "Techniques" such as "Punch". A peculiarity about beasts is that when a character levels-up, the form of beast will change to another beast whose typical level is close to the character's level.

Human

Humans grow stronger through leveling-up, and are best equipped with regular weapons. This is one of the default classes.

Mutant

Mutants are physically weaker than humans, but make up for it with a stronger ability to use magic. This is one of the default classes.

Cyborg

Cyborgs are also moderately strong and can equip weapons and armor. Unlike the beast class, cyborgs do not change upon level-up. An interesting fact about this class is that the character's maximum HP and MP will change depending upon his equipment. Other classes do not exhibit this behaviour. In many ways, Cyborgs are in keeping with the Robots of the previous game in the series.

Robot

Robots, unlike monsters, are affected by their equipment, and can use equipped weaponry or natural Talents. Robots are incapable or poor at using magic, as they tend to have a low or non-existent MP statistic. Robots' other stats tend to also be poor, especially their HP stat. However, a robot's stats can be changed manually through the use of special capsules which can be purchased at some stores. These capsules are the HP, Attack, Defense, and Speed capsules, which affect the associated stat permanently, similar to Humans in the first SaGa game. Like monsters, robots do not change form until new robot parts are installed.

tory

Plot

A creature known as the Pureland Water Entity engulfed the world in a great flood. The entity drew monsters onto the land and low lying cities have been abandoned. As a party of four warriors sets out to confront the entity, several youths from the future arrive to help, and it is realized that the Entity's destruction is occurring in the past and future as well.cite web| url = http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/158/158023p1.html| title = Final Fantasy Legend III| publisher = IGN| author = Dexter Sy| date = 2000-06-16| accessdate = 2008-04-10] The group then collects pieces of the ship Talon in the past, present, and future to defeat the Entity.

Characters

Main characters

Arthur - The main character of the game. He was sent back in time from the "future" to the "present". He starts out as a human fighter.

Curtis - A mutant who was sent along with Arthur from the "future". He is proficient in casting black magic.

Gloria - A mutant who was sent along with Curtis and Arthur from the "future". She is an able healer and a skilled user of white magic.

Sharon - The granddaughter of the Elder of Dharm in the "present". She is raised by her grandfather, along with the three youths sent from the future. She starts out as a human fighter who appears to have a minor crush on Arthur.

Other party members

Borgin- An influential leader in the "future", Borgin masterminds the plan to combat Pureland by sending Arthur and the youths back in time, to the "present".

Myron- A powerful human warrior who grows up up with and trains the party.

Dion- A small boy of Dharm (possibly a relation to the Elder) who later grows up to be a rebel leader in the "future".

Faye- A small girl of Dharm (possibly Dion's sister) who later grows up as a powerful warrior and the only person who can take Xcalibur from Zhaakal.

Lara- A young girl raised by Granny of Elan. She is brainwashed by Dogra, but Arthur eventually saves her.

Other characters

Sol - The supreme being of the world. He fought in the Pureland civil war, and built the Talon. He is sleeping when the Entity appears.

Major villains

Xagor - A Pureland monster that is born of the ocean. Xagor attempts to rule both Pureland and the world though control of the masters, and by using the water created by the Pureland Entity.

Development

Unlike other titles in the "SaGa" series, Akitoshi Kawazu was not involved with the production of "Final Fantasy Legend III". Instead, a team of people including producer Chihiro Fujioka and music composer Ryuji Sasai were involved in the game's development. This team would go to collaborate on Square's "Final Fantasy Mystic Quest". [cite web | author=Rorshacma | title=Hardcore Gaming 101: SaGa | url=http://hg101.classicgaming.gamespy.com/saga/saga.htm | work=GameSpy.com | accessdate=2008-09-07]

The English translation of "Final Fantasy Legend III" was the first project of translator Ted Woolsey at Squaresoft.cite web | author=Cifaldi, Frank | date=August 29, 2005 | title=Playing Catch-Up: Ted Woolsey | url=http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=6361 | work=Gamasutra.com | accessdate=2008-09-07]

References

External links

* [http://www.lost-saga.com "Lost Sa・Ga"] Fan site of the entire SaGa series
*moby game|id=/final-fantasy-legend-iii|name="Final Fantasy Legend III"