Every once in a while, Shaun and I stumble upon a really good find here in Brisbane. First it was the talking Pikachu and Rilakkuma plush keychain at the local vintage shop, then it was the Japanese Harvest Moon: Friends of Mineral Town strategy guide from the used bookstore in the city. Now, I dare say we’ve uncovered the crown jewel of awesome game-related discoveries: the Final Fantasy 20th Anniversary Ultimania File 3: Battle. Where did we find this rare tome, you ask? In the discount bin of our local comic book store for only $25! To get an idea of what a steal this is, $25 is pretty much on par with what you’d pay for this beast if you bought it from a bookstore in Japan… yet it was originally listed here at a whopping $70!
Now, the Final Fantasy Ultimania series is basically a bunch of glorified guide books for, you guessed it, the Final Fantasy games. They don’t generally contain step-by-step walkthroughs of the game, but instead act as a catalog for everything from weaponry to enemies, with in-depth character profiles and exclusive developer interviews containing all sorts of nuggets of information about the world of Final Fantasy.
The 20th Anniversary trilogy of books was released in 2008 (on that note, it’s kind of scary to think that Square Enix is celebrating Final Fantasy‘s 25th anniversary this year), each book focusing on a separate facet of the Final Fantasy world –– one for characters, one for battle-related information, and one for scenario, or the game’s story/world. As you can see, this particular volume is of the battle persuasion, meaning it catalogues everything pertaining to Final Fantasy battles from Final Fantasy I all the way up to Final Fantasy XII (including X-2!).
I have to say, I never thought I would be compelled to pick up a Final Fantasy Ultimania, but flipping through 20th Anniversary Ultimania File 3: Battle is a real joy. There’s everything from character stats and enemy information to summon lists and all sorts of neat comparison charts for all the different Final Fantasy games… I think anyone who’s a fan of a series will soon see what I mean!
Character profiles certainly aren’t as in-depth as they would be in the character volume, but the short descriptions featuring Amano or Nomura’s art, along with sprites and alternate versions, if available, is a nice touch.
I’m glad they didn’t actually localize his name as “Balflear” |
All of the different job sprites from Final Fantasy V |
I’m really happy they included Final Fantasy X-2. The dress spheres were something else! |
Shaun has played Final Fantasy VII at least seven times, but he says he’s never seen this enemy! Hard to believe, isn’t it? |
A fun comparison page detailing a variety of common enemies in the Final Fantasy series. |
All sorts of interviews are scattered throughout the book. I can’t wait to read them! |