Final Fantasy

Hironobu Sakaguchi called the game 'Final Fantasy' because it would be Square's last attempt before bankruptcy. The irony is exquisite: that 'final fantasy' spawned one of the longest-running and most profitable franchises in history. The class system with four customizable characters, the vast world with ship, canoe and airship, and the Four Crystals created a template JRPGs would follow for decades. Nobuo Uematsu's soundtrack, his first major work, immediately established his legendary style.