The third FF on Famicom introduces the Job system, still in use in the series. Vast, ambitious, technically breathtaking for NES. One of the greatest J-RPGs on the console.
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Category
RPG1 player7+
Description
Third Final Fantasy featuring six characters and a Job system allowing free class changes. Published by Square, released in Japan in 1990. Job system allowing free class changes, underground and surface worlds to explore, summons including Syldras and Leviathan and colossal bosses. Third Final Fantasy on Famicom, perfecting the Job system.
Final Fantasy III review
4/5
Art direction
★★★★★
"Striking"
MAX
Music
★★★★★
"Legendary"
4/5
Story
★★★★★
"Captivating"
The apex of the NES era, Nobuo Uematsu's score deploys a stunning epic breadth, from "Eternal Wind" to the monumental final battle theme. Each melody, rich and heroic, pushes the limits of the sound chip. This musical mastery makes the entry one of the finest RPGs ever conceived on the console.
Gameplay
"Solid"
Fun
"Mild"
Addictiveness
"Obsessive"
Switching freely between dozens of jobs to fit your party to each dungeon offers a tactical depth that holds you for a long time. Unlocking a class, testing its synergy, then facing the next boss chains rewards and fresh challenges. The lack of saving in the final dungeons grates, but this job system stays a peak of inventiveness that remains gripping.
Difficulty
"Balanced"
Lifespan
"Massive"
Juggling six characters and freely swapping their jobs opens a playground that keeps stretching the adventure: mastering each class, exploring surface and underground worlds, calling summons and felling colossal bosses fills long hours. The hunt for the ideal party drives you to try a thousand combinations. Perfecting the job system, this third entry retains great prestige.
Complete: box, manual and disc/cart very clean. Lightly handled.
Q1 damagedQ6 completeQ10 new
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Collector interest
Square's third Famicom entry, never released outside Japan in its original form (the DS remake being a different game). The Japanese cart is less scarce than FF II thanks to a massive final print, but boxed CIB with original cardboard sleeve and intact manual remains the central target for Final Fantasy collectors. The cote is pulled by the persistent lack of any official reissue of the original 8-bit version.
Is Final Fantasy III still worth playing in 2026?
Final Fantasy III on Famicom introduces the Job system, still alive in the series today. Vast, ambitious and technically dazzling for the NES with animated combat, lively towns and a huge world, Square's title stands as one of the console's greatest JRPGs. Pacing stays slow, grinding occasionally heavy, but the variety of situations and the beauty of the journey more than compensate. Originally Japan-only. A major step to discover today.
