Final Fantasy was the first Final Fantasy game released on the Nintendo Entertainment System outside Japan.
Square released the original game in Japan for the Famicom in 1987, then localized it for North America in 1990 under the title Final Fantasy. It introduced Western console players to the series’ party-based role-playing, turn-based battles, character classes, spell charges, and world-map exploration.
The numbering of later games created a famous source of confusion. Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III were released in Japan for the NES, but neither received an original North American NES release at the time. The Japanese Final Fantasy IV was instead localized in North America as Final Fantasy II for the Super Nintendo, making the title numbering differ between regions.
The original North American release therefore came before any Western NES versions of the numbered sequels. Final Fantasy III’s first worldwide release arrived much later through its 2006 Nintendo DS remake, while Final Fantasy IV’s Western debut used a different number and a newer console.