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Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive #1
Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive Volume 1
Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive is an astonishing journey through the creation of the seminal roleplaying epic, officially licensed 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. Containing a total of over three hundred pages 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.
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. Containing a total of over three hundred pages 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.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published July 24, 2018
29 people are currently reading
479 people want to read
About the author
Yoshitaka Amano
225 books294 followersYoshitaka Amano (Japanese: 天野 喜孝) is a celebrated Japanese visual artist, illustrator, and character designer known for his ethereal style and cross-genre influence in anime, video games, literature, and fine art. He began his career in 1967 at the age of 15 with Tatsunoko Production, where he contributed to iconic anime series such as Speed Racer, Gatchaman, and Tekkaman. In 1982, he became an independent artist, illustrating acclaimed fantasy novels including Vampire Hunter D and The Guin Saga, and later provided character and logo designs for the globally popular Final Fantasy video game franchise, which brought him international recognition.
Amano’s distinctive aesthetic combines intricate linework with vivid colors, drawing on Western comic books, Art Nouveau, Orientalist painters, and traditional Japanese ukiyo-e. He has published numerous art books and illustrated graphic novels, including The Sandman: The Dream Hunters with Neil Gaiman, which won the Bram Stoker Award.
In addition to his work in illustration and design, Amano has contributed to stage and film productions, created album art for musical artists, and exhibited paintings in galleries worldwide. In 2010, he founded Studio Devaloka to develop animated and multimedia projects, including the illustrated novel Deva Zan. With a career spanning over five decades, Amano remains one of Japan’s most influential and visionary contemporary artists.
Amano’s distinctive aesthetic combines intricate linework with vivid colors, drawing on Western comic books, Art Nouveau, Orientalist painters, and traditional Japanese ukiyo-e. He has published numerous art books and illustrated graphic novels, including The Sandman: The Dream Hunters with Neil Gaiman, which won the Bram Stoker Award.
In addition to his work in illustration and design, Amano has contributed to stage and film productions, created album art for musical artists, and exhibited paintings in galleries worldwide. In 2010, he founded Studio Devaloka to develop animated and multimedia projects, including the illustrated novel Deva Zan. With a career spanning over five decades, Amano remains one of Japan’s most influential and visionary contemporary artists.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
February 22, 2020
Ultiman archive es una maravilla para los coleccionistas y fanáticos de Final Fantasy, aquellos que han jugado las primeras 6 entregas podrán disfrutar con este libro sobre el arte y desarrollo que tuvieron.
July 26, 2021
The first volume on this trio collects Final Fantasy games 1-6 and is filled with art, character descriptions, maps, and everything connected to the games. I think I would have enjoyed this one more if I was a big fan of the early ones but I only have a connection with the sixth entry so a lot of this volume was sort of cool but didn't really speak to me on a deeper level. It was cool so see the series progress though. I loved the design documents section for each game as it included notes and information from the actual development phase. While I am feeling a little lukewarm on this volume, then the next two are filled with games I have a deep connection with so I expect to like them much more.
August 9, 2018
To celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of Final Fantasy (2012), Square Enix in conjecture with Dark Horse had released the Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, a three-volume set, chronicling all the main titles of Final Fantasy to date (Final Fantasy I – XIV). It has finally been translated into English with the first volume collecting the first six games in the series (Final Fantasy I – VI).
Full Disclosure: I am a tremendous aficionado of the Final Fantasy series since when it made it across the shores to North America in 1990. I have been a major fan ever since and each successive Final Fantasy was an instabuy for me – it even determined which console I would buy would eventually buy so I could play the game. So, this review would have that fanboy bias, but just because it is severely biased doesn't mean that the review isn't true.
Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, Volume 1 is a collection of original concept art, process pieces, and notes from the original artists and designers chronicling the first six installments in such a timeless and beloved franchised. It has an overview of the plot for each series archived with useful character bios and other lore that is essential to Final Fantasy – in short, it is an excellent reference book for any Final Fantasy fanatic.
All in all, Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, Volume 1 is a beautiful tome of art, lore, and history that is the wonderful franchise of Final Fantasy and I can't wait to read the next volume.
Full Disclosure: I am a tremendous aficionado of the Final Fantasy series since when it made it across the shores to North America in 1990. I have been a major fan ever since and each successive Final Fantasy was an instabuy for me – it even determined which console I would buy would eventually buy so I could play the game. So, this review would have that fanboy bias, but just because it is severely biased doesn't mean that the review isn't true.
Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, Volume 1 is a collection of original concept art, process pieces, and notes from the original artists and designers chronicling the first six installments in such a timeless and beloved franchised. It has an overview of the plot for each series archived with useful character bios and other lore that is essential to Final Fantasy – in short, it is an excellent reference book for any Final Fantasy fanatic.
All in all, Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive, Volume 1 is a beautiful tome of art, lore, and history that is the wonderful franchise of Final Fantasy and I can't wait to read the next volume.
April 27, 2024
This book gives some great character sketches and profiles. For someone with little involvement in Final Fantasy (just one game), I wanted more than the single paragraph story summary on each game. They are such great stories! But I appreciated the depth to the character profiles that makes the series accessible to someone with little background knowledge even if you have to piece a lot of the plot together from each characters perspective. The notes at the end of the book from the creators were fantastic! The depth from of story and character from NES days is wild.
November 1, 2019
This first volume of the Final Fantasy Ultimania Archives is an incredible collection of stuff concerning the first six numbered entries in the not-very-aptly named RPG series, and I greatly enjoyed going through the archives to learn more about them. Some of them are my favourites in the series (IV and VI), some of them are my least favourite (III), but all are incredible in some way or another.
This archive, then, is a mix of various things. It has some workings of an encyclopaedia, though the information about the games and their characters don't cut very deep. In this respect it's mostly limited to a synopsis and some short character biographies, complemented by the gorgeous character and concept artwork by Yoshitaka Amano. This is accompanied by even more art, showcasing the world and monsters of the games.
The parts of the book that had me interested the most were the Extra Content sections. These sections went into things like ideas from the early planning stages, storyboards, and sprites. Outside of the upcoming FF Dot: The Pixel Art of Final Fantasy, this book probably contains the most Final Fantasy sprites available in an English book. For games with a heavy emphasis on character customisation (and costume-isation!) like Final Fantasy III and V, this is a great thing, and had me poring over the initial designs and their final looks, going back and forth through the different games to compare job class designs between instalments.
Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive volume 1 works great as a book to go through in order, as well as a tome you can pick up and leaf through at random. This works out very well for people who have a deep-rooted interest in the series and those who have a more general interest in the games both, and definitely deserves a spot in the Video Game section of anyone's book collection.
This archive, then, is a mix of various things. It has some workings of an encyclopaedia, though the information about the games and their characters don't cut very deep. In this respect it's mostly limited to a synopsis and some short character biographies, complemented by the gorgeous character and concept artwork by Yoshitaka Amano. This is accompanied by even more art, showcasing the world and monsters of the games.
The parts of the book that had me interested the most were the Extra Content sections. These sections went into things like ideas from the early planning stages, storyboards, and sprites. Outside of the upcoming FF Dot: The Pixel Art of Final Fantasy, this book probably contains the most Final Fantasy sprites available in an English book. For games with a heavy emphasis on character customisation (and costume-isation!) like Final Fantasy III and V, this is a great thing, and had me poring over the initial designs and their final looks, going back and forth through the different games to compare job class designs between instalments.
Final Fantasy Ultimania Archive volume 1 works great as a book to go through in order, as well as a tome you can pick up and leaf through at random. This works out very well for people who have a deep-rooted interest in the series and those who have a more general interest in the games both, and definitely deserves a spot in the Video Game section of anyone's book collection.
January 26, 2023
A creative retrospective on the first six Final Fantasy games, spanning the series’ rudimentary debut on the old 8-bit Famicom to its early apex on the SNES. Stuffed full of Yoshitaka Amano originals, everything from quick-and-silly chibi sketches to breathtaking finished masterpieces, it’s an eye-opening document that shows just how much of the old master’s work actually made it into the end result.
The surprising answer: quite a lot! Between the games’ various remasters and re-releases, I’d seen many of the better-known pieces before, but chalked those up as stylish doses of inspiration with only a fleeting influence on the final product. And, while the heroes do bear very little resemblance to those seen in his sweeping, fantastical visualizations, that hardly tells the whole tale. In fact, Amano was also quite deeply involved with designing the random monsters and foils routinely encountered by players, and Squaresoft’s digital artists really pushed the hardware to accurately translate his work to the screen. Very enlightening to see the two presented side-by-side, especially for the goofier monsters that I’d always considered at-odds with Amano’s gracefully ethereal style.
The surprising answer: quite a lot! Between the games’ various remasters and re-releases, I’d seen many of the better-known pieces before, but chalked those up as stylish doses of inspiration with only a fleeting influence on the final product. And, while the heroes do bear very little resemblance to those seen in his sweeping, fantastical visualizations, that hardly tells the whole tale. In fact, Amano was also quite deeply involved with designing the random monsters and foils routinely encountered by players, and Squaresoft’s digital artists really pushed the hardware to accurately translate his work to the screen. Very enlightening to see the two presented side-by-side, especially for the goofier monsters that I’d always considered at-odds with Amano’s gracefully ethereal style.
October 3, 2020
This was nostalgia for my childhood, teenage years, and early twenties all rolled into one slick package.
I first saw Final Fantasy IV (II) at my cousin's when he was playing it. I didn't care for it, I was much more impressed by Super Star Wars and Super Mario World.
Three years later, I played Chrono Trigger. It blew my mind. I soon got Final Fantasy VI (III) and also managed to get a used copy of IV as a gift next Christmas. I was hooked on RPGs.
This book looks back at the story, systems, and behind the scenes development of the first six Final Fantasy games. I really enjoyed the behind the scenes information, there are design documents that I didn't even know still existed to be scanned in or translated. It was that content that I loved the most in this volume. The artwork by Yoshitaka Amano is stunning as always, but I have a few of his art books so that was not the draw for me here that it is for some other readers.
Definitely worth a read if you want a trip down memory lane, or want to know more about video game history.
I first saw Final Fantasy IV (II) at my cousin's when he was playing it. I didn't care for it, I was much more impressed by Super Star Wars and Super Mario World.
Three years later, I played Chrono Trigger. It blew my mind. I soon got Final Fantasy VI (III) and also managed to get a used copy of IV as a gift next Christmas. I was hooked on RPGs.
This book looks back at the story, systems, and behind the scenes development of the first six Final Fantasy games. I really enjoyed the behind the scenes information, there are design documents that I didn't even know still existed to be scanned in or translated. It was that content that I loved the most in this volume. The artwork by Yoshitaka Amano is stunning as always, but I have a few of his art books so that was not the draw for me here that it is for some other readers.
Definitely worth a read if you want a trip down memory lane, or want to know more about video game history.
April 25, 2019
A great encyclopedia of the first six Final Fantasy games and all the little elements that make them unique and fascinating.
The best part of the book is that it includes production notes and guides and just general production pieces that I'd never seen before. It really does give an ultimate view of the elements and work that goes into creating the games.
My one gripe would be that it doesn't really have a lot of art. I know that it's not an art book, but when you have Yoshitaka Amano and all the amazing illustrators that have worked with Square over the years doing pieces for your games, you HAVE to share them.
The best part of the book is that it includes production notes and guides and just general production pieces that I'd never seen before. It really does give an ultimate view of the elements and work that goes into creating the games.
My one gripe would be that it doesn't really have a lot of art. I know that it's not an art book, but when you have Yoshitaka Amano and all the amazing illustrators that have worked with Square over the years doing pieces for your games, you HAVE to share them.
December 31, 2019
The first six video games in the "Final Fantasy" series have been remade, revised, and re-released many times over the years, and this wonderful visual guide explores the art, design, characters, and memorable elements of each game. I was particularly interested in seeing the concept art for the characters and monsters, and the design documents at the end of each section show the thought that went into these games -- including elements left out or changed. Interesting from a game design perspective, I would imagine this is much less interesting volume to someone who hasn't played at least a few of the games before.
December 10, 2018
This is a must read for any fan of Final Fantasy, in particular the classic game. The book covers the first 6 games in the Final Fantasy series in depth. Each section includes character character, bios of the main and secondary characters, artwork for the monsters, memorable lines and moments and some extra content. The book is just a breathtaking display of the amazing artwork that goes into the games. I gave this 5 star for the overall quality; I have to admit that I really love Final Fantasys 4 and 6 the best so those sections were my favorite but all of the games received equal love.
August 6, 2019
This book was sitting on my cart at work so it took me a long time to get through. Anywho, this was a fabulous treasure trove of the concept art and original scenarios behind Final Fantasy games I-VI. I haven't played III or IV yet, so I glossed over those sections to avoid spoilers. It was fun revisiting games I hadn't played in a while (I & II) and also getting a more in-depth look at some that I finished recently (V & VI). For example, I didn't realise that Relm was supposed to be Shadow's kid! Consider my mind blown!
December 20, 2019
This tome contains a wealth of information on the first six FF games. It's not an encyclopedia, but it includes character profiles, plot descriptions, monster illustrations, game highlights, and details on each entry's development. Yoshitaka Amano, who did most of the character art, has a style very different from Toriyama's for Dragon Quest. While the latter are bold and often goofy, the former are kind of wispy and fluid, but no less detailed. There's what I might call a sort of ethereal beauty to them.
September 9, 2021
Very cool book for someone who grew up with these games (back when IV was FF2 and VI was FF3...) and enjoyed seeing some of the rarer artwork and assets. My one complaint, however, is that it's a massive coffee-table tome, heavy, and hard to support comfortably to read. Even given that size, especially given the sheer amount of information crammed in, even someone only in their late 30's has a verrrrry hard time reading some of the tinier details, like the recreated pages of scenario planning notes... :< Need a reallllly good magnifying glass...
May 4, 2020
Very cool. I've never played the original 6 games, I started off in 96 with FF7 (and now I'm playing the remake!)
Thought I'd go back in time and read about some of the characters, locations, stories, etc.
Very interesting. Some convoluted storylines, creative characters, fun villains...
But seeing original concept art for characters, as well as sprite models for them all, and maps, and wow there's a lot.
Makes me wish I had taken the video game creation path a long time ago!
Thought I'd go back in time and read about some of the characters, locations, stories, etc.
Very interesting. Some convoluted storylines, creative characters, fun villains...
But seeing original concept art for characters, as well as sprite models for them all, and maps, and wow there's a lot.
Makes me wish I had taken the video game creation path a long time ago!
September 28, 2021
I grew up on RPGs for the Super Nintendo. I knew of Final Fantasy but it wasn’t until my cousin invited me over and we played FFVII all summer. It is still my favorite game of all time. Since then I’ve played a d beaten all of these ones that I could find before it. This is a fun book to learn more about each game’s story, characters and behind the scenes stuff as well. This is definitely a fun companion book to fans kf the series.
February 1, 2024
"And so their journey began. The four Warriors of Light felt overwhelmed by the great task destiny had placed upon them. They did not know the true significance of the four crystals they held in their hands... The crystal that once, long ago, shone with a light so brilliant. The time for their journey had come. The time to cast off the veil of darkness and bring the world once more into the light..."
January 1, 2021
The main draw here is the vast collection of artwork and design from Final Fantasy I-VI put out in such a large and luxurious tome. As information goes there is nothing new to learn if you're familiar with the games from before. I expected to find more interviews and behind the scenes insights on the development of these games.
June 8, 2021
As a Final Fantasy fan, especially the first six titles, this Ultimania is a must have for me! From Amano works to game develop, this book has it all (I especially love the "behind-the-scenes" parts). I got some chuckles on the memorable pages on each series. This is translated and written by a fan for a fan. Definitely will buy the next second volumes
August 27, 2018
This made me want to play the original games. I really didn't know much about the earlier games, considering the first two Final Fantasy games I was exposed to, once I was old enough to be interested, were X and X-2. What's nice, though, is that all the early games are re-released as downloads.
October 23, 2022
This volume was such a cool trip into Final Fantasy history. These games are classics and the content of this book brought many aspects of the game's origins to light. Great book for fans of the franchise.
May 6, 2024
This is really cool. It's got same amazing art in it and I love how it includes some storyboarding and little snippets of moments from each game. I wanted a little more stats and info about the world and characters, but I'm not disappointed with this.
July 30, 2018
As a long time Final Fantasy fan, I adored this.
September 20, 2018
Tons of great artwork and trivia on Final Fantasy. If you love the series give it a shot!
January 2, 2019
Everything I wanted in a book like this.
March 22, 2019
While not spoiler-free, it keeps enough of the stories of each game as nebulous as possible while remaining as good a jog down one of the dorkiest chapters of my life I can remember.
October 3, 2020
Good to see concept art and designs for some amazing games!
January 11, 2021
A bit disappointed. Beautiful artwork but the text offers no insight at all; it is pure member berries.
March 1, 2022
Very thorough. Brought back so many good memories!
January 9, 2023
Phenomenal artwork.
March 25, 2024
A great look at the development, story, & characters of the games which got me hooked on the series. Great nostalgia. Part of me wished it had more “strategy” but I’m ok with the nostalgia.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews