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.
Enjoy fast, free delivery, exclusive deals, and award-winning movies & TV shows with Prime
Try Prime
and start saving today with fast, free delivery
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Something went wrong. Please try your request again later.
Browse the latest deals and special offers on digital comics and graphic novels from Marvel, DC Comics, Dark Horse, Image, and many more. See more
Frequently bought together
$30.48
Get it as soon as Thursday, May 16
In Stock
Total price:
To see our price, add these items to your cart.
Choose items to buy together.
More items to explore
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
From the Publisher
An astonishing journey through the creation of the seminal role-playing epic, officially available in English for the first time ever!
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.
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!
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|
|
Totaling over three-hundred pages, and collected in a high-quality hardcover binding. |
Faithful to the 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! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 1 | Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 2 | Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 3 | Miniature Final Fantasy | FF DOT: The Pixel Art of Final Fantasy | Final Fantasy XV Official Works | |
| Customer Reviews |
1,923
|
2,040
|
1,637
|
76
|
707
|
385
|
| Price | $30.48 | $25.28 | $26.24 | $19.99 | $20.71 | $21.99 |
| Packed full of original concept art, process pieces, and notes from the original artists and designers chronicling the creation of these timeless games. No Final Fantasy collection is complete without this beautiful tome of art, lore, and history! | Collecting concept art, design notes, creator retrospectives, and more, Dark Horse's journey through the creation of the role-playing masterpiece continues. This compendium is a must-have for any Final Fantasy enthusiast! | Collects art, commentary, and lore from a transformative era in the role-playing franchise. Foray into one of gaming's most iconic properties, exploring art and incisive commentary behind five of the most memorable entries in the Final Fantasy saga! | A whimsical collection of iconic scenes from the Final Fantasy series, cheerfully realized by miniature photographer Tatsuya Tanaka. This joyous collaboration celebrates the Final Fantasy series from a wholly unique perspective! | A hardcover volume showcasing the evolution of pixel art from the Final Fantasy series with sprite sheets, maps of highlighting tools and an interview with Kazuko Shibuya. FF Dot immerses readers into an iconic aspect of the Final Fantasy experience! | Final Fantasy XV's world of Eos is filled with wonderous scenery, larger-than-life creatures, diverse cultures, and treacherous foes. This volume collects lore, commentary, data, and concept art, beautifully bound in this richly detailed hardcover! |
About the author
Follow authors to get new release updates, plus improved recommendations.
Reviews with images
Great book, fast but shoddy shipping
The book is exactly what I knew it would be: a translated version of the Ultimania books released for the first six Final Fantasy games. These books are heavy on artwork but also contain many factoids about the games. Don't expect the amount of info that was in the Zelda Encyclopedia or Hyrule Historia books from Dark Horse, but significantly more than what was in the Zelda Art and Artifacts book. Lots of art but also a decent amount of info on the first 6 titles in the Final Fantasy series.More distressing was the shipping method of the book. The book was shipped in a cardboard box, non-form fitting so it shook around a lot. Book was shipped by Amazon Warehouse and condition was listed as Very Good. It may have been Very Good when it left the warehouse, but it took a beating on its way here, as shown by the photos on this review. The book is still quite readable, and the damage is not so severe as the book is falling apart, but it definitely took a few hard hits on its way that would have been not nearly as damaging if it had either been shipped in bubble wrap or at least a form fitting box.
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2018
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on July 26, 2018
Reviewed in the United States on July 24, 2018
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on April 1, 2024
Reviewed in the United States on January 23, 2023
Top reviews from other countries
Erik Guzmán
Gran calidad
Reviewed in Mexico on April 14, 2022
Erik Guzmán
Reviewed in Mexico on April 14, 2022
Images in this review
