Final Fantasy Legend series

Liked the Final Fantasy legend series?
You might also enjoy Deadly Sin, or Eternal Eden.

These were inspired by FF. You can play them on your computer!

"The game's characters battle monsters and fiends using a variety of weapons, armor, and skills that develop through the player's actions. The game follows the story of four heroes who attempt to scale a tower at the center of the world that supposedly leads to paradise, ... [continue reading on Wikipedia]"

Final Fantasy Legend was one of the first gameboy games I had. Unlike most of the other RPG offerings on this Nintendo system (especially Sword of Hope & others with passwords), you could save anywhere on the battery! It was fantastic for traveling around as a kid. I'd pull it out in the car, and even in restaurants while waiting on food.

The story wasn't all that interesting unfortunately, which is something you'd have come to expect from a Final Fantasy game. This was the earliest to have that title. It also happened to be Square's first game that reached over a million sales. Unlike most RPGs, in FFL your equipment and spells were only temporary. They'd wear themselves down and break after a half-hundred uses. Monster characters also had limits on how often they could use abilities, but they recharged after resting at an inn.

Did I just say monster character? Yup. You could play as mutants, monsters, robots, or humans. Each had a slightly different way of advancing. Humans popped pills in the shops to gain stats. Robots were powered by their equipment. Monsters ate other creatures to grow (or shrink) into other forms.

I was disappointed by this one. It's not that it's a bad game, it just wasn't as good as the other two in the legend series. This was released back when Nintendo Gameboy games cost $50 on the store shelf. The story has the worst plot carrot of any FF: go around the world and collect 77 magi. I'm not making that sound any simpler than it actually was.

"This game is set in a magical world where the player assumes the role of one of eight different characters of varying race and gender who leaves on a journey to find their lost father and discover the secret of "Magi", a substance created by the gods that holds powerful magic, ... [continue reading on Wikipedia]"

You traveled to different levels of the world in this game. Each had a theme to it, making the area stick out from all the others. One was the realm of greek gods. Another had your characters shrunken, in a realm of giants. You even adventured inside of another group member's body.

My favorite game on the Nintendo Gameboy of all-time.

"The story combines fantasy and sci-fi elements, with the player assuming the role of four characters who were sent back in time to prevent a massive global flood caused by a being known as the Pureland Water Entity from destroying the world. To accomplish their mission, the four heroes, along with companions aiding them on their journey, must travel through time by augmenting their flying time ship, ... [continue reading on Wikipedia]"

The monster and mutant characters were one of the features of the Final Fantasy Legend series, but FFL3 puts a new twist on it. It's not only monsters who upgrade from eating meat. Your characters can shift from being a cyborg, human, beasts, or monster by eating parts of defeated enemies. Each type has many levels with their own strengths and weaknesses.

This final FFL title had my favorite story. You had multiple worlds, time travel, memorable characters, great music, *and* an airship that ... oops, almost spoiled it. There were also secret spells you could only acquire by adventuring in the sidemissions. These were bought by special magic currency that limited the amount you could have.