Final Fantasy VI (ファイナルファンタジーVI Fainaru Fantajī VI) is the sixth installment in the Final Fantasy series, first released in 1994 on the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was directed by Yoshinori Kitase and Hiroyuki Ito, who took over from series creator and producer Hironobu Sakaguchi, director of the five previous installments of the franchise. Long-time series contributor Nobuo Uematsu composed the musical score, while Yoshitaka Amano contributed to the image design.
Final Fantasy VI was the third installment in the Final Fantasy series to be released in North America (after Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy IV). As a result, it was first released in North America as Final Fantasy III to maintain naming continuity. Due to various content guidelines imposed by Nintendo of America at the time, several other changes were made to the original North American version including restrictions against nudity and profanity.
The game's story focuses on a conflict between the Empire and magical beings known as Espers. It features fourteen playable characters, the largest cast of any game in the Final Fantasy series to date, excluding spin-off titles. The game is set in a fantasy steampunk-styled world, at a technological level roughly corresponding to Earth during the Second Industrial Revolution. Railroads appear here for the first time in the Final Fantasy series.
Final Fantasy VI is the last title in the series to be released for the Super Nintendo console. It was remade for the Sony PlayStation and released in Japan in 1999, both individually and as part of the Final Fantasy Collection. In North America, this remake is available as part of the Final Fantasy Anthology. In 2002, the PlayStation remake was released individually in Europe and Australia.