Final Fantasy III - Reception

The Famicom version Final Fantasy III was thought to be typical of RPGs of its day, with a high degree of difficulty requiring a significant amount of grinding. In 2006, readers of the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu voted the original Final Fantasy III the eighth-best video game of all-time. As of March 31, 2003, the game had shipped 1.4 million copies in Japan.

The remake's reception has been mostly positive with high sales and fair reviews from video game critics. IGN notes that "interest in FFIII should come as no surprise given...the popularity of the DS". The game sold 500,000 units within the first week in Japan, beating Square Enix's original prediction that they would only sell 350,000. As of August 6, 2007, the game has sold 990,000 units in Japan and 460,000 units in North America. As of August 8, 2008, it has sold 480,000 units in Europe. Figurines of the characters from the game have been created.

Reviews of the DS remake of Final Fantasy III have been mostly positive, with the game holding an aggregate score of 77% on GameRankings. 1UP.com described the gameplay as "an RPG for dedicated RPG enthusiasts", and noted that while the job system had been heavily improved over the original title, it still felt at times "very limiting". The review however stated that it was important to remember Final Fantasy III as "a slice of history and a missing piece of a blockbuster series", citing that "hardcore RPG players" may enjoy the title more than other Final Fantasy games and calling it "one of the best portable RPGs to date". GameSpy stated enjoyment hinged "entirely on your desire to play a game with decidedly archaic game mechanics that may seem primitive and uninviting" compared to other recent Square Enix titles, noting the game as "quite challenging" and adding "Some people live for this stuff, but others may be annoyed at the game's often unfriendly nature."

GameTrailers noted that while the plot was simple and the party members generic, the game's scenarios were "top notch". It additionally noted that while players should expect to have to do some level grinding, the game offers "lots of little areas to explore." IGN described the game as one that may be "amazingly frustrating for the now mainstream Final Fantasy fan", and noted that while at the time the unique concept of the job class was one that "simply blew gamers' minds", comparing it to Final Fantasy XII's license board system was "literally no contest". The review additionally argued that the remake hampered the game, citing that battles that would take "mere seconds to scroll through" to now be "lengthened to nearly a minute". Another complaint was in the game's presentation on the Nintendo DS, noting that the handheld's top screen was inactive for "75% of the game", and that even displaying only artwork on the screen during those periods would have been a preferable outcome. However IGN described the game as "graphically phenomenal and is set to a simply beautiful musical score", and that the transition from 2D to 3D was "a good call".