Today is the official launch of Final Fantasy XIII in Japan!

Well, technically, due to those pesky time zone things, the game actually launched yesterday in Japan, which is today in the US. Minor details, of course.

With the impending launch of FFXIII in nearly three months for those of us who speak English, and coupled with the fact that I, somehow, have never finished a single Final Fantasy game, I have decided to begin my own journey.

Earlier this year, I decided that I wanted to finally finish a Final Fantasy. And though I've played many of them, and own nearly all of them since VII, I could not decide where to start. At around this time I also purchased a copy of the first game, on the NES, complete with its cardboard box, maps, instruction manual and FOAM INSERT! A very nerdy, yet not really expensive purchase, the whole thing came for just under $50 on eBay.

This is when I also began to look at the rest of the series, including its spinoffs, re-releases and related titles. And then it hit me! I compiled a list of all the US release dates of games bearing the FF name, as well as the few ancillary pieces of FF material released in the US, such as anime, films and so on.

With this list of around 75 items, in chronological order, I am going to attempt to complete each one in its entirety. Whether or not I gain access to every single item and enemy encounter, will depend entirely on how this process goes. 

And as though this endeavor isn't ambitious and obsessive compulsive enough, I've also added one extra rule. I will have access to each game in their original form (no ROMS) as they were released, with all pack-in items. This may or may not stick depending on my success in tracking each game down.

As of right now, I have yet to find a complete copy of The Final Fantasy Legend on Gameboy in acceptable condition and at a reasonable price. What seems to make this one so difficult to find is the fact that Sunsoft re-released the game in 1998 and many copies that are listed are this version. I am aware they are identical, aside from the Sunsoft and Square logos printed on the box, but again, I will eventually get both.

Along the way, I plan on writing at significant points in this quest, mainly between games, or when I have some spare time. I have no time restriction on this. In a perfect world, I'd like to play through to completion in less than a year. However, I'm sure I'll get side-tracked with other games, as well as life itself. But this is something I'd like to return to, and hopefully get involved with other gamers in the process.

If anyone has copies of the games I am still looking for that they are willing to sell to me or trade for, please contact me through the comments, or on my profile at www.gametz.com. I will try to update in both places what I am still looking for, as well as any interesting stories I encounter along the way.

For the record, I have already started FFI. I believe I've already made it farther than I had in the past, thanks to actually having the map and items/magic list handy. So far, the battery backup in the cartridge is intact and working. It had a save file still on there when I booted it up, so I took that as a good sign.

And finally, if you'd like to comment on your favorite FF title, I'd appreciate hearing about why. I've played bits and pieces of the majority of the main series, with IX being my favorite thus far.