Friday, February 13, 2015

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest for SNES (1992)


Original ad published in EGM's 1993 Video Game Buyer's Guide (late 1992).
Press to view or download image in higher resolution.

Historical Background and Graphical Analysis


The ugly duckling of the Final Fantasy series, Mystic Quest (1992) was Square’s attempt to tackle the North American market with an dumbed-down Japanese style RPG. It was a feeble attempt, despite a strong marketing campaign that accompanied the game.

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest featured a very short, easy to navigate storyline and simplified battle system to, supposedly, entice American gamers into the lucrative subgenra of JRPG gaming. But the game was actually released after the moderate SNES hit Final Fantasy II (1991) (or IV in canon nomenclature). While the first 16-bit game was not particularly hard—actually, it was made easier for the North American players in relation to its Japanese brother—it was much harder than Mystic Quest.

This apparent rift, along with average graphics and a short storyline, made Mystic Quest a failure in commercial terms. Square would have to up its game with the memorable Secret of Mana and the awesome Final Fantasy III (1994) (or VI in canon nomenclature) to hold a firm grasp of the RPG market in North America. The latter is holds the title for best JRPG ever, I don’t care what anyone else says. 





Mystic Quest has some loose ties with Square’s own Saga series. And it does feature very good music. But otherwise, it’s a very forgettable game.


The ad was much better than the actual game itself. I like the clean design with lots of white and a decent photo of the actual box-art. And you can’t deny the appeal of a game that sold for at least 10 dollars less than other SNES carts of the era. No actual game screens, though. Square knew that in this game, visual impact would not be its headline feature. 



Final Fantasy Mystic Quest for SNES print ad copy


Brain Transplant, 
$39.99.

Here’s a brainy idea: Pick up Mystic Quest, the world’s first role-playing game especially designed for the entry-level player.

Easy-to-read icons put your head in the game immediately. Skull-tingling action keeps it there. Then there’s constantly changing 16-bit characters and enough heady combat to scramble your synapses.

All this for just $39.99.


Hey, you don’t need to be a brain specialist to see what a smart deal that is.

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