It’s time for another Retro Ad Replay post! This is the series where we head back in time to reminisce and celebrate the anniversary of some of the most significant moments in gaming. If you find yourself hungry for more content like this, be sure to visit Mandatory.com.
In this January 31 edition of Retro Ad Replay, we’re going back 23 years in time to when Final Fantasy VII first became available. Launching first in Japan on January 31, 1997, this PlayStation 1 (timed) exclusive is the seventh main installment of what was already a critically-acclaimed franchise. Of course, it was be Final Fantasy VII that would elevate the IP into top-tier status, with the game topping many gamers’ “Best Games of All Time” lists.
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The original Final Fantasy VII GameRevolution review, published all the way back in 1998, gave the game a 4/5, praising its “fabulous graphics,” “amazing spells,” and “good depth.”
Here’s a snippet from this GR review:
Final Fantasy VII is hundreds of hours of visually beautiful gameplay, but its frustrating incoherence will make many people cringe and put the game aside before they have even finished.
22 years later, we reviewed the Nintendo Switch version, which we called “the best version to take on the go”:
The one thing the Switch port of Final Fantasy 7 has over all the others is that it’s the best version to take on the go. It’s superior to the Android and iOS versions by virtue of better controls and processing power. The only thing that comes close to matching it is the PS Classics version on the PS Vita, but the Switch wins out because of its bigger, higher resolution screen.
What’s next for Final Fantasy VII? Why, it’s the remake, of course! Square Enix is set to release the first episodic installment of Final Fantasy VII Remake on April 10, 2020 for PlayStation 4 owners to enjoy. (Support for other platforms has not yet been detailed.)
Take a trip back in time with the Final Fantasy VII original trailer, embedded below (via GameTrailersUnited on YouTube):
