Mobius Final Fantasy is finally out on western App Stores, giving us a slick slice of JRPG-inflected card battling. It's rather good.
But for many people, Mobius Final Fantasy may well be a bit of a disappointment. To those of a certain age, it's far from the traditional Final Fantasy experience they may remember from the '90s, with all of the hours spent exploring and chatting and fine-tuning your party.
Fortunately, iOS is home to a whole bunch of excellent Final Fantasy conversions - usually with enhanced graphics and features. Here are our favourites.
Final Fantasy IX is the unheralded gem of the series, falling between the peak-popularity years of VII and VIII and the franchise's shift to a more serious, cinematic style from X onwards. But it's actually one of the best.
It bridges the gap between the charming adventures of the early games and the technical wizardry of the more recent entries, and it does so with a compelling plot, likeable characters, and a zippy battle system. This iOS conversion is one of the best, too.
There continues to be a heated debate among Final Fantasy fans as to the best game in the series. Number VI seems to be the connoisseurs' choice, and it's easy to see why.
This was the final 2D entry to the mainline FF series, so it has all the charm and '90s magic of the early games, yet it also has the kind of weighty plot, steampunk setting, and stunning soundtrack that you'd associated with the 3D era. The conversion job is pretty good here too, with sharpened sprites and a sympathetic UI overhaul.
The other game that frequently gets put forward as the best in the series is Final Fantasy VII. This set the template for the series as we know it today, with epic 3D worlds and cinematic CGI cut scenes added to the mix.
It's also got one of the most famously engrossing plots in gaming, with a number of stand-out moments that left indelible impressions on a generation of gamers. The only problem here is that Square Enix's iOS conversion job is one of its worst to date, with particularly unsympathetic controls.
The fourth Final Fantasy game is a fascinating addition to the series, with an atypically mature lead character troubled by a dark past. Don't worry, though - this is still an early '90s JRPG, with a colourful cast of characters and a generally upbeat tone. It also sees the introduction of the ATB battle system, which adds a little more urgency to its random scraps.
This version of FFIV taken from an earlier Nintendo DS revamp, which means it features chunky 3D graphics that are closer to VII and IX than the original. Whether that's a good thing or not is a matter of preference, but there's this remains a strong entry to the series in any form.
The conversion of Final Fantasy V is a little different to that of its predecessor. There was no 3D Nintendo DS version to call upon here, so Square Enix instead opted to offer sharpened 2D visuals that remain truer to the source material.
The game itself is lighter on plot than its immediate predecessor and successor, but its free-wheeling job system continues to be one of the most involving and empowering in the series. Think of V as a deep breath before the series takes a turn for the epic.
