An astonishing journey through the creation of the seminal role playing epic, officially available in English for the first time ever! This holy grail of Final Fantasy fandom is packed full of original concept art, process pieces, and notes from the original artists and designers chronicling the creation of these timeless games.
Dark Horse and Square Enix are thrilled to offer the first of three volumes celebrating the entrancing lore and exciting development of the initial six entries into the Final Fantasy saga. Totaling over three-hundred pages and collected in a high-quality hard-cover binding, Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 1 remains faithful to its original Japanese source material while simultaneously offering unparalleled accessibility for Western readers. No Final Fantasy collection is complete without this beautiful tome of art, lore, and history.
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2012 reviews for Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 1
4.9out of 5
★★★★★
★★★★★
11
★★★★★
0
★★★★★
0
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1
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★★★★★
Jonathon Burke –
One of the best final fantasy books
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★★★★★
Maleena White –
My brother in law has played many of the original Final Fantasy games and has always enjoyed the art style. My husband purchased this book for him as a birthday gift and my brother in law has thoroughly enjoyed flipping through this book. The hardback cover is very sturdy and the entire book is beautiful with interesting character facts throughout.
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★★★★★
Matthew Torrens –
Está increíble, la calidad de todo el producto se nota que las personas involucradas le tienen un respeto a la saga, definitivamente es un must para todo fan de FF. Me sorprendió el tamaño del libro, aún no le encuentro espacio para acomodarlo.
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★★★★★
Anthony C. –
This is a quick review of the book from darkhorses latest production the Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive.
This book coves covers final fantasy 1-6 in various sections. The various sections for all the final fantasy games are listed as follows : 1. Art 2. Final Fantasy (Insert number here) Story 3. Characters 4. World 5. Monsters 6. Extra Content – goes into different sub catagories and varies from final fantasy to final fantasy. 7. Last section is – Final Fantasy (Insert number here) Memories.
I have to say I really like this book a lot, but then again It’s a dark horse bool publication of course it’s going to be good. The pages are THICKKK. When I thought they were glued together or something by accident but nope, these pages are just really that thick. The hardcover is nice, although best to keep it clean since it’s mostly all white.
My favorite section is probably the character section. Not only does it list which character is conected to who in some way as well as the villians but also it shows Yoshitaka Amano complicated and beautiful artwork bellow each of the characters pixilated forms. It really gives you a perspective in how Amanos art work was translated into these sprites. Even though the section on art is nothing special seeing as I own “The Sky The Art Of Final Fantasy Slipcase Edition” which I recommend btw, It is still no less nice to see his work here too. I do think we get to see more of his monster desgins here though, but also the art covers for each variation of the game like from the Famicon to Android to PlayStation. It also shows the different logos that were in other platforms/handhelds or media devices. Really cool stuff here.
The story section is OK, doesn’t really go indepth about it though. Nice but overall just an OK section.
The world section is pretty cool, showing the entire map of each game. The final fantasy 1 map is super basic, with some green here, dots of green for bushes, some yellow there, etc. Overall a neat little section.
The monster section does the same thing with the characters section in the sense that it shows you Yoshitaka Amano fantasic drawings along side the pixel forms they take in the games. Incredibly fascinating if I do say so myself.
The extra content section is were you see the technical side of what went to making into these games like the sprite data, the map, color list and so on and so forth. This section varies from final fantasy to final fantasy but it gets really technical about it, really cool.
The final section the memories section is just that, memories of the game with random images and quotes of the game.
Final Verdict – 10 out of 10 I did check in the back of the book for a final section called creators voices which are short interviews with the grand masters of the final fantasy series itself and how they feel about their work. Really nice. Overall this is a well done book by dark horse books, yet another fantastic release guys. I highly recommend buying this book regardless if your a collector or not.
My recommendations? Pre-order Volume 2 of The Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, it comes out in december but still. As well as Pre-Order any of the upcomimg dark horse books, they are all really good regardless if you played the games or not.
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★★★★★
TM –
We had the other two books 2 & 3 so now this completes our collection. The art work and knowledge in these books is unreal, it really breaks down the design of the game characters.
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★★★★★
Erik Guzmán –
Io ho comprato tutti e tre i volumi, la recensione è unica perché sono strutturati ovviamente in maniera uguale. Storia accennata all’inizio. Se volete sapere cose specifiche della trama non è il libro giusto. Ma se volete vedere i personaggi, i mostri da battere, le armi e tutti gli altri dettagli, questo libro è molto bello.
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★★★★★
Erik Guzmán –
Das Buch ist massiv und sehr schön bearbeitet. Qualitativ top. Der Inhalt wird für Fans der Spiele sehr interessant und lehrreich sein. Die Artworks von Amano sehen unglaublich aus. Dieses Buch kann man nur weiter empfehlen
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★★★★★
GeminiGeek –
GeminiGeek’s Honest Review!
If I had to review this Ultimania Volume 1 with a single word, I’d simply say: “FANTASTIC!”. This first volume of the Final Fantasy Ultimania books covers the first six Final Fantasy games, and has an enormous amount of details and content. Each game has it own individual section, complete with images of each character’s classic sprites, and even their official Yoshitaka Amano art work as well. Aside from being visually appealing, the book is overflowing with unique story details, character bios, and even an encyclopedia of items and monsters! This volume of the Ultimania series is thick, it is huge, but not to the point of being a pain to carry around or hold. If you enjoy any of the six Final Fantasy games that this volume covers, you’ll find something to love in this book, there is just so much information and artwork contained within this tome.
This is a must-have for anyone who enjoys the Final Fantasy series, I can’t recommend it enough. As a long-time Final Fantasy fan myself, I love this book, and I can’t wait for Volume 2 to come out this fall.
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★★★★★
Berkant Zilifli –
Love final fantasy and thought that this book could give some new insight about the games. There was nothing ”new” in this book if you have played the games. No developer stories or surprises.
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Christopher Barrett –
The media could not be loaded.
This book has a ton of great information for fans of the first 6 Final Fantasy games. It includes artwork, sketches, maps, computer renderings, and more! Check out the video flip through of the book that I added. If you are a fan, you won’t be disappointed!
Note: many characters, monsters, and locations are shown with Japanese language (Katakana or Hiragana most often – sometimes Kanji) with a Romaji translation (such as Kokaturisu for Cockatrice) and a final English translation. Note that much of this book is based off multiple versions of the games – often the PSP / PS1 versions for 1, 2, 4, 5 and DS for 3. Just a note because translations are different for each version. Also some of the sprites shown in character models are from later releases, not original. But it is certainly forgivable since they often show the sprites for multiple versions.
I am just pawing through it non-stop. I feel like a kid when I got the first Final Fantasy and literally wore out the map/monster chart that was included!
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★★★★★
TM –
The Ultimania is a nice collection of background info and original artwork for the series, and this book details the first six entries that appeared on Nintendo systems between 1987 and 1994. For fans of the 8-bit era, you may be a bit disappointed to find their sections a bit light on content, but they do feature gorgeous artwork from Yoshitaka Amano, Akihiko Yoshida, and other artists who worked on the remakes for the Wonderswan and PSP versions. There is also some neat background info like notes and outlines from the titles early development.
The real meat of the book comes from the 16-bit era entries which detail some interesting info not usually seen, such as artwork of the characters by the staff, dungeon design details, and a few minor cut content. If you’re a serious fan of the franchise and can’t read Japanese making the 20th and 25th anniversary Japanese Ultimania books nothing more than an art book for you, then this is a great buy for super fans.
Helpful(0)Unhelpful(0)You have already voted this
★★★★★
Petros Koutoupis –
I love this book. Note that it only covers the first 6 games of the franchise by providing game artwork (even from the portfolio of Yoshitaka Amano), in game specifics and behind-the-scenes information (including interesting bits of trivia).
Jonathon Burke –
One of the best final fantasy books
Maleena White –
My brother in law has played many of the original Final Fantasy games and has always enjoyed the art style. My husband purchased this book for him as a birthday gift and my brother in law has thoroughly enjoyed flipping through this book. The hardback cover is very sturdy and the entire book is beautiful with interesting character facts throughout.
Matthew Torrens –
Está increíble, la calidad de todo el producto se nota que las personas involucradas le tienen un respeto a la saga, definitivamente es un must para todo fan de FF. Me sorprendió el tamaño del libro, aún no le encuentro espacio para acomodarlo.
Anthony C. –
This is a quick review of the book from darkhorses latest production the Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive.
This book coves covers final fantasy 1-6 in various sections. The various sections for all the final fantasy games are listed as follows :
1. Art
2. Final Fantasy (Insert number here) Story
3. Characters
4. World
5. Monsters
6. Extra Content – goes into different sub catagories and varies from final fantasy to final fantasy.
7. Last section is – Final Fantasy (Insert number here) Memories.
I have to say I really like this book a lot, but then again It’s a dark horse bool publication of course it’s going to be good. The pages are THICKKK. When I thought they were glued together or something by accident but nope, these pages are just really that thick. The hardcover is nice, although best to keep it clean since it’s mostly all white.
My favorite section is probably the character section. Not only does it list which character is conected to who in some way as well as the villians but also it shows Yoshitaka Amano complicated and beautiful artwork bellow each of the characters pixilated forms. It really gives you a perspective in how Amanos art work was translated into these sprites. Even though the section on art is nothing special seeing as I own “The Sky The Art Of Final Fantasy Slipcase Edition” which I recommend btw, It is still no less nice to see his work here too. I do think we get to see more of his monster desgins here though, but also the art covers for each variation of the game like from the Famicon to Android to PlayStation. It also shows the different logos that were in other platforms/handhelds or media devices. Really cool stuff here.
The story section is OK, doesn’t really go indepth about it though. Nice but overall just an OK section.
The world section is pretty cool, showing the entire map of each game. The final fantasy 1 map is super basic, with some green here, dots of green for bushes, some yellow there, etc. Overall a neat little section.
The monster section does the same thing with the characters section in the sense that it shows you Yoshitaka Amano fantasic drawings along side the pixel forms they take in the games. Incredibly fascinating if I do say so myself.
The extra content section is were you see the technical side of what went to making into these games like the sprite data, the map, color list and so on and so forth. This section varies from final fantasy to final fantasy but it gets really technical about it, really cool.
The final section the memories section is just that, memories of the game with random images and quotes of the game.
Final Verdict – 10 out of 10 I did check in the back of the book for a final section called creators voices which are short interviews with the grand masters of the final fantasy series itself and how they feel about their work. Really nice. Overall this is a well done book by dark horse books, yet another fantastic release guys. I highly recommend buying this book regardless if your a collector or not.
My recommendations? Pre-order Volume 2 of The Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, it comes out in december but still. As well as Pre-Order any of the upcomimg dark horse books, they are all really good regardless if you played the games or not.
TM –
We had the other two books 2 & 3 so now this completes our collection. The art work and knowledge in these books is unreal, it really breaks down the design of the game characters.
Erik Guzmán –
Io ho comprato tutti e tre i volumi, la recensione è unica perché sono strutturati ovviamente in maniera uguale.
Storia accennata all’inizio. Se volete sapere cose specifiche della trama non è il libro giusto.
Ma se volete vedere i personaggi, i mostri da battere, le armi e tutti gli altri dettagli, questo libro è molto bello.
Erik Guzmán –
Das Buch ist massiv und sehr schön bearbeitet. Qualitativ top. Der Inhalt wird für Fans der Spiele sehr interessant und lehrreich sein. Die Artworks von Amano sehen unglaublich aus. Dieses Buch kann man nur weiter empfehlen
GeminiGeek –
GeminiGeek’s Honest Review!
If I had to review this Ultimania Volume 1 with a single word, I’d simply say: “FANTASTIC!”. This first volume of the Final Fantasy Ultimania books covers the first six Final Fantasy games, and has an enormous amount of details and content. Each game has it own individual section, complete with images of each character’s classic sprites, and even their official Yoshitaka Amano art work as well. Aside from being visually appealing, the book is overflowing with unique story details, character bios, and even an encyclopedia of items and monsters! This volume of the Ultimania series is thick, it is huge, but not to the point of being a pain to carry around or hold. If you enjoy any of the six Final Fantasy games that this volume covers, you’ll find something to love in this book, there is just so much information and artwork contained within this tome.
This is a must-have for anyone who enjoys the Final Fantasy series, I can’t recommend it enough. As a long-time Final Fantasy fan myself, I love this book, and I can’t wait for Volume 2 to come out this fall.
Berkant Zilifli –
Love final fantasy and thought that this book could give some new insight about the games. There was nothing ”new” in this book if you have played the games. No developer stories or surprises.
Christopher Barrett –
The media could not be loaded.
This book has a ton of great information for fans of the first 6 Final Fantasy games. It includes artwork, sketches, maps, computer renderings, and more! Check out the video flip through of the book that I added. If you are a fan, you won’t be disappointed!
Note: many characters, monsters, and locations are shown with Japanese language (Katakana or Hiragana most often – sometimes Kanji) with a Romaji translation (such as Kokaturisu for Cockatrice) and a final English translation. Note that much of this book is based off multiple versions of the games – often the PSP / PS1 versions for 1, 2, 4, 5 and DS for 3. Just a note because translations are different for each version. Also some of the sprites shown in character models are from later releases, not original. But it is certainly forgivable since they often show the sprites for multiple versions.
I am just pawing through it non-stop. I feel like a kid when I got the first Final Fantasy and literally wore out the map/monster chart that was included!
TM –
The Ultimania is a nice collection of background info and original artwork for the series, and this book details the first six entries that appeared on Nintendo systems between 1987 and 1994. For fans of the 8-bit era, you may be a bit disappointed to find their sections a bit light on content, but they do feature gorgeous artwork from Yoshitaka Amano, Akihiko Yoshida, and other artists who worked on the remakes for the Wonderswan and PSP versions. There is also some neat background info like notes and outlines from the titles early development.
The real meat of the book comes from the 16-bit era entries which detail some interesting info not usually seen, such as artwork of the characters by the staff, dungeon design details, and a few minor cut content. If you’re a serious fan of the franchise and can’t read Japanese making the 20th and 25th anniversary Japanese Ultimania books nothing more than an art book for you, then this is a great buy for super fans.
Petros Koutoupis –
I love this book. Note that it only covers the first 6 games of the franchise by providing game artwork (even from the portfolio of Yoshitaka Amano), in game specifics and behind-the-scenes information (including interesting bits of trivia).