Final Fantasy III version differences

The following is a list of version differences between the various releases of Final Fantasy III. The Nintendo DS remake noticeably changed and overhauled much of the game. This version, barring direct ports of the Famicom game, has been basis of future re-releases.

Famicom

 * Released April 27th, 1990, the first release of the game.

Nintendo DS
The Nintendo DS version gave the game a complete overhaul. The graphics are rendered in full 3D and various changes have been implemented. The specific list of changes are as follows:
 * The Warriors of Light are given canon names and identities: Luneth Arc, Refia and Ingus. Consequently, a number of scenes are added and modified to accommodate for this.
 * An FMV plays upon starting the game.
 * The opening sequence of the game is changed: Luneth is the only one to fall into the Altar Cave and the rest of the party joins one by one. The Wind Crystal jobs are now obtained after defeating the Djinn (Final Fantasy III) in the Sealed Cave.
 * The designs for most of the characters are based on their Yoshitaka Amano designs.
 * The temporary fifth party members (Princess Sara. Cid Haze, Desch, Aria, Alus Restor, Doga and Unei) can occasionally aid in battle with physical attacks or magic.
 * The Job System is reworked. Various Jobs have been re-balanced and some even have new abilities. Each Job also has its own “Job Level” which determines its effectiveness. Replacing the “Job Points” is a mechanic known as the Job Adjustment Phase, which reduces the stats of a specific job until a number of battles have passed.
 * Certain jobs have been moved around. The Thief (Final Fantasy III) job has been moved to the Wind Crystal, the Geomancer (Final Fantasy III) Job has been moved to the Fire Crystal, and the Black Belt (Final Fantasy III), Sage (Final Fantasy III) and Ninja (Final Fantasy III job) jobs have been moved to the Earth Crystal.
 * The amount of enemies onscreen at any given point is reduced to three. To compensate, many enemies have increased stats.
 * This version of the game introduces Mognet (Final Fantasy III), a mail function which connects the majority of the remake's new content together. Using it, players can send mail to each other, both over wireless connection or Nintendo Wi-Fi, and to in-game characters. After sending a certain amount of letters to other players, it is possible to unlock letters from the in-game characters, which can lead to sidequests.
 * The Iron Giant (Final Fantasy III)) appears as a bonus boss accessible through Mognet.
 * A bonus dungeon, ??? (Final Fantasy III) can be unlocked via Mognet.
 * The Onion Knight (Final Fantasy III) job has been promoted to an unlockable job, via completing a Mognet sidequest. The Freelancer (Final Fantasy III) job replaces it as the default class.
 * A character exclusive to the remake, The Legendary Smith is tied to the Mognet sidequests. It is through her that the party is able to obtain Ultima Weapon. Additionally, the Smith can create Ultimate weapons for each Job, provided their Job Level is at 99.

iOS/Android/Steam
The iOS/Android/Steam version is based on the DS version.
 * The music is now CD-quality, matching the official soundtrack.
 * The Mognet (Final Fantasy III) sidequest has been tweaked to remove the Wi-Fi requirements. Now, the letters unlock over the course of the story and require a specific character to be in the lead to get them (Luneth for Topapa, Arc for Alus Restor, Refia for Takka and Ingus for Sara Altney. Cid Haze and the Four Old Men do not require a specific person at the front).

PlayStation Portable
The PlayStation Portable version was released in Japan on September 9th, 2012 and in other regions on September 25th 2012. This version was released exclusively through Playstation Network in most regions, but saw a physical release in Japan.
 * Improved graphical quality.
 * The option to use the english script, making it import-friendly.
 * An auto-battle feature
 * The ability to switch between the original and arranged soundtracks
 * An art gallery