Cloud Strife in Final Fantasy VII in a dark setting

The Game That Was Too Big for the Nintendo 64 – Retro Replay FYI

When gamers think of the PlayStation era, one title stands above the rest. Final Fantasy VII was a landmark release that defined a generation, blending cinematic storytelling, massive environments, and unforgettable characters. But what many people forget is that this legendary RPG was almost a Nintendo 64 game.

(HEY YOU!! We hope you enjoy! We try not to run ads. So basically, this is a very expensive hobby running this site. Please consider joining us for updates, forums, and more. Network w/ us to make some cash or friends while retro gaming, and you can win some free retro games for posting. Okay, carry on 👍)

In the mid 1990s, Square had been a long time Nintendo partner, releasing every mainline Final Fantasy title on Nintendo hardware. Naturally, they began planning Final Fantasy VII for the Nintendo 64. Early tech demos were even created to showcase how the game might look on the console. But there was one huge problem. Cartridges.

The Nintendo 64 used cartridges for its games, which were fast but extremely limited in storage space. A single cartridge held around 64 megabytes at most. Final Fantasy VII on PlayStation required three full CDs, each holding about 650 megabytes. The epic cutscenes, sprawling worlds, and massive soundtrack Square envisioned simply could not fit on the N64 without gutting the experience.

Square made a bold move. They abandoned Nintendo and shifted development to Sony’s PlayStation, which used the cheaper and more spacious CD format. The result was a game that not only lived up to Square’s vision but also pushed the PlayStation into the spotlight. Final Fantasy VII went on to sell millions, becoming one of the most iconic RPGs ever made and cementing Sony’s dominance in the late 90s console wars.

Nintendo lost a franchise that had been tied to its brand since the 8-bit days, while Sony gained a defining weapon in the fight for market share. All because the game was simply too big for a cartridge.

Do you think Final Fantasy VII would have been the same game if it had stayed on the Nintendo 64, or did the move to PlayStation make it legendary?