I can’t answer that because it’s never going to be just one generation. If mainline, it would be a tight run between SNES and PSX, as each console has two games I love (FF4, 6, 7, and 8), but also one I dislike (FF5 and 9). But, if we’re including spin-offs, PSX era wins because of FF Tactics bringing up the score.
As a note, I’ve replayed the first ten FF games this year, so they’re all fresh in my memory. FF11 onward are more hazy.
I generally love the even numbered FF games (FF2, 4, 6, 8, X) and am not a fan of the odd numbered FF games (FF1, 3, 5, 9).
The exceptions are FF7 that I love, and FF12 which I don’t really like.
I also should point out I didn’t dislike FF1 and 3, just liked them less than 2, but there are versions of FF1 and 3 I dislike (such as FF1 Dawn of Souls and the DS FF3). The NES FF games aren’t my favourites, but they’re like 5-10 hours long, so I can get by the fact they don’t really have interesting characters or stories.
As some notes:
FF7 has some of the pacing issues I genuinely hated in FF5 and 9, but to a much lesser degree, and mostly in the latter half. and not as bad as either of the other two. But FF7 feels big and important, with interesting story/characters like the even numbered FF games.
FF2 has a bunch of empty rooms, which I think could have been removed in Pixel Remaster, but weren’t. Otherwise, even though there’s not really any character development, it might have the most advanced story of any NES era game outside the Dragon Quest franchise—Dragon Quest 3 and 4 destroy all three Final Fantasy games on NES.
FF12 to me felt half baked, and where that game failed, Xenoblade Chronicles succeeded. I think FF12 had potential, but the team that could have made that game wasn’t at Square anymore, they’re with Monolithsoft.
Last edited by Jumpin - on 13 July 2023I describe myself as a little dose of toxic masculinity.
