To Square Enix: Please create a new 16-bit Final Fantasy

To Whom it May Concern,

We have signed our names to this petition because we all want to play a new 16-bit Final Fantasy game. We believe that the greatest RPG games, if not the greatest games ever created, were Final Fantasy IV, V and VI on the SNES/Super Famicom. While we enjoyed playing the titles in the series released on the Playstation and beyond, they never matched the magic of the early Final Fantasy games. You at Square Enix have the power to grant our wish and bring back Final Fantasy to its roots, and we hope that you hear the voices of your loyal fans.

First off, we want to make clear that the purpose of this petition is not to deride, mock, or offend anyone at Square Enix. We simply believe that the high point in console RPG gaming was the 16 bit era, although we understand the reason for Square focusing on creating games with cutting edge graphics. Final Fantasy VII was an undeniable commercial success and of course an incredible game. While for many gamers Final Fantasy VII was their entry into the series, for many more of your fans who had been playing your games for years it marked the end of an era.

Final Fantasy VII, VIII and XI were undoubtedly incredible games. We all played them and enjoyed them. But, the switch from 16-bit to 32-bit graphics and more cinematically focused imagery and soundtracks took away more than it added to Final Fantasy games. While this may not necessarily be true, it seems to many of us that the developers of the later Final Fantasy games focused on having the most up-to-date graphics at the expense of story and plot. The fact is though, just because a game looks more realistic it doesn't make it more enjoyable.

Part of the magic of both the three 8-bit and the three 16-bit Final Fantasy games was due exactly to their lack of realistic graphics. This caused the player's imagination to be more active while playing the game, and made for a more immersive experience. When everything in the game already attempts to look real, as in today's installments in the series, that spark of imagination where the gamer can picture a castle town or a favorite character in their mind's eye is missing. Furthermore, the world map is a crucial element to Final Fantasy games and its removal in favor of a more linear type of gameplay took away a lot from Final Fantasy X, XII and XIII.

Recently Capcom released Megaman 9 and Megaman 10, two new 8-bit games that recreated the fun of the original series on the NES/Famicom. Both games were huge successes. Many other developers are also releasing retro style games on Virtual Console, XBLA and PSN. Add to that the fact that a 2D platformer, New Super Mario Bros. Wii, was one of the best selling games on the Nintendo console and there is just no doubt that there is a market of fans hungry for fun games that hearken back to the 8 and 16 bit eras. Is there any reason why you at Square Enix cannot listen and make so many of your fans immensely happy by creating a new 16-bit Final Fantasy game?

Since the beginning of console gaming, systems have increased in their capabilities with each new generation. The key of any game is fun. And, there were a ton of fun games released on 16-bit systems. Just because Playstation and Sega Saturn marked the end of the cartrigde era, it did not mean that there couldn't be any more fun 16-bit games created. Square Enix now has the opportunity to be innovators of a new paradigm shift in game development. While Megaman 9 and 10 certainly made a splash, Square Enix could be the ones to begin a new era of retro gaming with a new 16-bit Final Fantasy. Let developers be free to create games for a huge variety of platforms, not just the most current ones. Final Fantasy IV, V, and VI were awesome games. There no reason why Square Enix can't have success with more 16-bit games.

By signing this petition we are saying this: We are hardcore Final Fantasy fans and the game we MOST want to see more than anything is a NEW 16-bit Final Fantasy game that matches the quality of IV, V and VI. If you listen to us and create this game, we WILL buy it no matter what the price. We ask you to please take a chance and do something fresh and new with the Final Fantasy series by going doing what worked before and will work again, making an awesome 16-bit Final Fantasy game.