Why Final Fantasy 4 and 6 Are So Often Confused

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In essence, the “Final Fantasy” series, now close to 40 years old, has seen only 16 main numbered games over this period. However, there are numerous spin-offs available, along with the expansive world of “Final Fantasy 14,” which offers countless hours of content. The naming scheme for each game’s release was not consistent in the past, leading to some confusion. For example, “Final Fantasy 4” and “Final Fantasy 6” are often mistaken due to their similar roman numerals, but they aren’t the only games that add to this uncertainty regarding the series order.

Initially, when Final Fantasy 7 debuted, games in both Japan and North America were launched more concurrently compared to earlier editions. Typically, North American players would wait for years after a game’s initial Japanese release, as was the case with the first Final Fantasy, which didn’t hit North American shores until 1990, three years following its 1987 debut in Japan. However, this trend changed significantly with the arrival of Final Fantasy 7, as releases in North America began to mirror those in Japan more closely.

Final Fantasy Wasn’t Released in Order in North America

In North America, it’s typically assumed that numbered series like Final Fantasy would follow a sequential release order for their games. However, for Final Fantasy, this wasn’t entirely consistent. Although the games were assigned the next number based on their release order in North America, these numbers didn’t correspond with the original Japanese production order. This mismatch resulted in a perplexing scenario that persists today, causing some confusion among North American players, particularly those who played the games as they were initially released in the 1990s.

Following the debut of the initial “Final Fantasy” game in North America, the subsequent title to be released there was actually “Final Fantasy 4” in 1991, but it was initially known as “Final Fantasy 2”. This naming choice led to some early-series confusion among North American players. In 1994, “Final Fantasy 6” appeared under the title “Final Fantasy 3”. Subsequently, “Final Fantasy 5” was released in 1999 but named as “Final Fantasy 4”. Eventually, the games that were originally released as “Final Fantasy 2” and “Final Fantasy 3” in Japan arrived in 2003 and 2006 respectively. By this time, the North American audience had become accustomed to the differences in release order.

As a gamer, I can certainly relate to the ongoing confusion some of us might have when distinguishing between certain games in the Final Fantasy series. It’s like trying to remember which book comes before or after in a sprawling epic fantasy novel. While the new numbering system is a step in the right direction, it would be fantastic if Square Enix could revisit the first six titles with the same level of care and detail they’ve given to Final Fantasy 7 Remake. I mean, who wouldn’t want to dive back into those classics with updated graphics and modern gameplay mechanics? But I understand that such a project would be quite an undertaking for Square Enix, even though it would undoubtedly bring joy to many players like myself.

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2025-07-26 14:09