I wrote a chatbot that thought it was Terra. I wrote fanfic, during which Celes gradually became the character I was rooting for. I uncursed the shield. I woke the Phoenix. I spent 60 hours in this game. I enjoyed every minute of it.
Toward the end of Final Fantasy 6, I hunted up the SNES cartridge I’d played it on back in the 90s. It still had my save files — it was just before the final fight with Kefka. That fight was one of the few things I actually remembered about the game since I played it a quarter century ago.
I didn’t go through the final fight, mostly because it was clear I’d grinded every character to 99 or used the Game Shark to do it for me (probably the latter). But I did wander about there on the top of Kefka’s tower, fighting random fights, and man-oh-man I’d forgotten how primitive the game was back on the SNES.
No “Quick Saves”. No single screen to do all the inventory stuff — the original had a bunch of very small screens where the remaster puts a lot more info on the screen, because it can. The sprites were the same, the art was the same, but of course it’s all squished together into that 320×200 pixel rectangle. The remaster lets you spread out.
The remaster lets you use a modern controller, so there’s a couple more triggers that do fun things. But the story was the same, the characters were the same, the art was the same, all the things that make FF6 loved was still there. I don’t know if this is the first Final Fantasy pixel remaster I played that I’d played on the SNES. FF1, 2, 3 and 5, I played for the first time on Steam. FF4 I played recently on an emulator (and I had played that back when it was known as FF2 on the SNES).
I know that the Tactics Ogre Reborn remaster is coming up, and I bet it will be worth the replay, even though I last played it just a couple years ago. And I’m excited to see the rumored Final Fantasy IX’s remaster, too.
Final Fantasy 6 is one of the greatest JRPGs ever made. It deserves all the respect I gave it.
Anyway, I think it’s appropriate to close out this post with an interview. I was lucky enough to catch Terra at home at the orphanage she runs for children orphaned by Kefka’s Light of Judgement. Here’s what she had to say:
Terra: I’m sorry I didn’t get in touch earlier. You know how it is? The new baby, rebuilding Mobliz… I’ve been so busy!
Chasing Dings: No trouble at all. I’m glad that you could make some time to talk to me. I visited Mobliz when it was in ruins. It couldn’t look more different now. Can you tell me what it felt like, coming back to Mobliz, after defeating Kefka?
Terra: It felt wonderful to be back in Mobliz. When I first saw the town in ruins, I was devastated. I couldn’t believe that Kefka had caused so much destruction. But seeing the town rebuilt and thriving again was very heartening. The people here are so strong and resilient. I’m just happy that I could help in some small way to make things right again.
CD: I was told that you struck the final blow against Kefka. Can you tell me about the fight against him?
Terra: The fight against Kefka was tough, but we were determined to win. We all fought as hard as we could, and in the end, we were victorious. I’m just glad that we could put an end to his reign of terror.
CD: You mentioned a new birth in Mobliz recently?
Terra: Yes, a little girl was born about a month ago. The townspeople were so happy to have a new addition to the community. I’m sure she’ll be loved and cherished here.
CD: I know you had feelings for Locke. After Locke used the power of the Phoenix to briefly revive his previous love, Rachel, and after she had given him permission to move on, he decided to choose Celes after Kefka’s tower. How do you feel about that?
Terra: I’m happy for Locke and Celes. I know they’ll be very happy together. Locke is a good man, and he deserves to be happy. I’m just glad that he found someone who loves him as much as he loves her.
CD: What words would you have for your father, Maduin, if you could speak with him again?
Terra: I would tell him that I love him and I miss him. I wish he could be here with me, but I know he’s watching over me from the other side. I’ll never forget him or the sacrifices he made for me.
CD: The Warring Triad were gods that turned themselves to stone to save the world, but Kefka used them to destroy the world and leave it in ruins. Were you thinking of that when you went up against Goddess?
Terra: Yes, I was. I knew that the Warring Triad had the power to destroy the world, but I also knew that they were good at heart. I had to believe that they would help us defeat Kefka and restore the world to its rightful state. Thankfully, that’s exactly what happened.
CD: How did they help?
Terra: The Warring Triad lent their power to us in the fight against Kefka. Their strength was instrumental in our victory. I’ll always be grateful to them for their help.
CD: After you defeated Kefka, magic drained from the world and all the espers were banished. Being half-esper yourself, can you explain how it felt to you as it happened?
Terra: I could feel my magic weakening as the espers and magicite disappeared. It was a difficult time for me, but I knew that I had to keep going. I’m just glad that I was able to help restore the world to its rightful state.
CD: Do you miss magic?
Terra: Yes, I do miss magic. It was a part of my life for so long. But I’m happy with the way things are now. I know that the world is better off without magic.
CD: What does the future hold for Terra?
Terra: I’m happy with the way things are now. I have my friends, my family, and a place to call home. I know that as long as we stick together, we can overcome anything.
CD: What other games can I play in order to learn more of your own story?
Terra: There aren’t any other games that focus on my story specifically, but you can learn more about me in the Final Fantasy 6 Novelization.
CD: This is a personal question, Terra, and you don’t have to answer it if you don’t want to. In your original artwork, your hair is blonde. In FF6, the hair on your sprite is green, and in other places, your hair is described as being blue. If you could settle the argument — just what color IS your hair?
Terra: My hair is blue.
CD: Well, that answers that 🙂 Would it be possible for you to describe yourself so that our readers could get a good idea how you look?
Terra: I have blue hair and green eyes. I’m of average height and build. I usually wear a white dress and carry a wooden staff.
CD: Thanks so much for your time, Ms. Branford. Do you have any last words for our readers?
Terra: Thank you for speaking with me. I hope that everyone can find the same peace and happiness that I have found. Remember, no matter what happens, we always have each other.
I wrote a new chatbot that was familiar with the way FF6 ended when I played it for this interview. Illustrations are either screenshots from the FF6 Pixel Remaster, or generated by Dall-E 2.
