The Final Fantasy series is invading the Nintendo Switch

Another Nintendo Direct has rolled around and with it some pretty exciting announcements concerning one of gaming’s longest running RPG series; Final Fantasy. Not content with just announcing the release of a single game, Nintendo has gone all out and announced the arrival of 5 Roman numeral main titles and 4 additional spinoff titles also! With a number of the Checkpoint staff members being fans of this beloved gaming series, and Switch owners to boot, we can’t wait until they all arrive.

The five main games coming to Nintendo Switch are Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy IX, Final Fantasy X, Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, and Final Fantasy XV (Pocket Edition HD), a surprisingly delightful and “lite” version of the original release. The four spin-offs, also coming to the Switch, are Final Fantasy X-2, Final Fantasy Fables: Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition, and lastly World of Final Fantasy Maxima. Each game is an epic quest, full of memorable characters, malicious monsters, and vibrant worlds to experience.

Starting first with the announcement of Final Fantasy VII, coming to the Switch in 2019. This classic from the original PlayStation is arguably the most recognised game in the series. With several fan favourites like Cloud, Tifa, and Aerith, and a captivating story that takes a good 45 hours to complete, this port makes perfect sense. Let’s not forget the inclusion of Final Fantasy IX, the first PlayStation console’s swan song, which was a beautiful homage to older titles of the 30 year old series.

Final Fantasy X and X-2 will come together as a package, just like they did on the PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4 and PS Vita, so gamers will get two games for the price of one. Players will get to enjoy the tales of Tidus and Yuna as they explore the world of Spira, first by saving the world from a technophobic monster, and then by going on the most epic “all-girl” road trip. On top of this comes Final Fantasy XII: The Zodiac Age, which is the updated international version of the game, with all the handy improvements added to the game including the fast forward option and updated job system.

Of course we can’t forget to mention the inclusion of Final Fantasy XV: Pocket Edition HD, which originally was released for smartphone devices. Providing the entire epic story of Prince Noctis and his quest to become King, this “chibi-fied” version of the game is a light hearted alternative to the original. Of course the announcement of World of Final Fantasy Maxima for the Switch is also quite exciting, as this title was exclusively a PlayStation console title originally. The updated version will also include an updated feature called avatar change, allowing players to transform their characters into heroic characters from across the Final Fantasy series.

Additionally we have the inclusion of Chocobo’s Mystery Dungeon Every Buddy, the 2007 role-playing dungeon crawler. Originally released on Nintendo Wii, this intriguing title places players in the shoes of series mascot Chocobo as he attempts to regain his lost memories and uncover the mystery of the town Lostime. The updated version will allow players to befriend every kind of creature found in game and take them along on your journey through the hazardous dungeons.

Last, but certainly not least, is Crystal Chronicles Remastered Edition, originally released on the Nintendo GameCube in 2003. This unique title, and subsequent spin-off series, was very much a black sheep of the series, garnering great interest for its multiplayer mechanics and fresh take on the role playing genre. Players from around the world will be able to play together with the addition of a new online multiplayer mode. Additionally, those who’ve played the game before will still have incentive to play once again with new dungeon areas built in to explore.

Noticeably, not every game has made it onto the Switch, with the first six titles being looked over completely and additional titles like VIII and XIII being left out. However, the inclusion of 9 games shows promise that the remaining titles from the series may yet make their way across to the Nintendo Switch sometime in the near future.