801: Final Fantasy III
Summary
Retronauts revisits Final Fantasy III, the game that pioneered the series' job system, with hosts Bob Mackey, Jeremy Parish, and Brian Clark. They compare the original Famicom release to the DS remake and the new Pixel Remaster, discussing the unique CP-based job switching mechanics and puzzle-like combat design. The episode also covers the game's development history, including programmer Nassir Ghabra's remote work via fax, and clarifies the origin of the "Final Fantasy" title.
Topics discussed
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Intro and Retronauts 20th Anniversary
Personal experiences with Final Fantasy III
Final Fantasy II and Japanese language challenges
Early podcasting history and equipment
IGN acquisition and early job system basics
Comparison to Dragon Quest and Famicom RPGs
Origin of the Final Fantasy name
Odd vs Even numbered games myth
Story elements and game-breaking exploits
Yasumi Matsuno and Final Fantasy II legacy
Fan translation testing and glitches
Pixel Remaster interviews and world design
Moogle debut and job system overview
Job switching mechanics and penalties
Endgame class balance and boss fights
Stat growth and job independence
Koichi Ishii's design contributions
Ishii's multi-faceted role at Square
Overview of the 22 available jobs
Onion Knight glitch and leveling
Warrior and Red Mage viability
Red Mage and challenge run classes
Ranger and elemental arrows
Thief stealing and escape mechanics
Scholar and Libra ability split
Geomancer and environmental magic
Dragoon jump command and history
Localization quirks and Dragoon lore
Viking level-up exploit
Dark Knight and Evoker roles
Summoner and hunting horn mechanics
Sage and Ninja endgame dominance
Final Fantasy IV character class comparisons
Narrative differences between FF3 and FF4
Silly tone and early airship acquisition
Lack of narrative consequence
Final boss design and developer comments
Yasumi Matsuno's systems vs mechanics
Matsuno's narrative density and hooks
Dragon Quest III job system comparison
GamePro review score and dungeon difficulty
Missing letter in original release
Sakaguchi playing Famicom Mini live
DS remake development by Matrix Software
Matrix Software's other Square Enix work
Criticism of early mobile remakes
DS version character design changes
DS version difficulty and QoL changes
Visual quality on modern platforms
Critique of expanded story content
Prediction for Dragon Quest IX remake
Pixel Remaster release and difficulty
Job switching penalty removal
Pure translation of original story
Podcast length growth over time
FF3 as essential for series evolution
Context for later games and Ishii
Job system incentives and limitations
Host social media and translation work
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