If you want to explore the classic Final Fantasy games, but aren't sure where to begin, we can hardly blame you. In the almost three decades since its initial release, the original Final Fantasy alone has accumulated 17 ports, remakes, and rereleases. And many have certain advantages (or disadvantages) over the others, which makes finding the "best" a challenge. Thankfully, we've done the homework for you, and selected the best possible way to experience Final Fantasy's 8- and 16-bit eras.

If you're new to this legendary JRPG series and what to know the best place to start you won't find the answer on this list. Instead, the best entry point into Final Fantasy is definitely . If you want to see the origins of Final Fantasy - or are simply pining for some classic, JRPG goodness - then you've come to the right place. This list focuses mainly on the FF remakes (rather than the various ports and rereleases) to see which one offers the best experience in both performance and added content. Of course, new versions of these games are being released all the time, so be sure to leave your thoughts and feedback in the comments below.

The definitive version: Final Fantasy Origins (PSX) It's the perfect blend of classic difficulty and modern presentation. Unlike other remakes, Origins remains faithful to its namesake by retaining FF's unique spell system and difficulty curve. Should you find the game too tough, there's also the option for easy mode (which is made mandatory in later remakes). Origins also has redrawn sprites, a remixed soundtrack, a revised script, and some bug fixes that together make it a clear upgrade to the NES classic. And, because Origins was released on PSN in 2011, the game is very easy to find.

What about the rest? Final Fantasy I II: Dawn of Souls (GBA) and Final Fantasy (PSP) are both solid remakes with all the updates found in the PSX version plus some new dungeons and other extras. But they also replace FF's spell system with an MP-based magic system, and reduce the difficulty across the board. Considering the original FF is already light on plot and characterization, challenging combat should be the game's main attraction. Plus, neither of these remakes have been released on other platforms, making them difficult to enjoy on modern hardware.

The definitive version: Final Fantasy 2 Anniversary Edition (PSP) As Final Fantasy 2 is widely considered the worst in the series (or ), I have selected the version furthest from its source material. This remake takes the best from the previous two remakes - improved visuals and remixed soundtrack from Origins; bonus quests and dungeons from Dawn of Souls - and combines them with even more new content. And while Anniversary Edition is a bit easier than its originator, here it works in the game's favor as FF2's battle system is notoriously tedious and frustrating.

What about the rest? Final Fantasy I II: Dawn of Souls (GBA) and Final Fantasy Origins (PSX) are both perfectly acceptable remakes as well. As I mentioned before, the GBA remake doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the PSP version, but it still has more content and is slightly easier than Origins which closely resembles the original game.

The definitive version: Final Fantasy 3 (DS) As this is the only official English version of the game available in the West, it's the winner by default. Thankfully, it's also an excellent remake. The original game has been completely rebuilt using vibrant, 3D graphics along with a freshly remixed soundtrack. The basics remain intact - plot, dungeons, bone-crushing difficulty - along with some minor tweaks that help smooth out some of the original's rough edges: such as making more character classes viable during the end game. This remake is also available on PSN, Steam, and more, making it widely accessible.

What about the rest? Well, the only other version of Final Fantasy 3 is the original, released on the Famicom in 1990 and available exclusively in Japan. And I have no idea how you might acquire a copy, so I won't even speculate. But if you did, you would find FF3 holds up surprisingly well. Sure the characters have zero personality and the plot is kinda all over the place, but it is fun learning (and exploiting) the quirks of this game, such as which jobs are horribly overpowered, and which are completely useless.

The definitive version: Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection (PSP) FF4 has a TON of different versions, and no two are exactly alike. The Complete Collection wins out by combining a fabulous remake of the original FF4, the lengthy post-game epilogue The After Years, and Interlude: an all-new tale that ties the previous two together. The game itself features updated visuals reminiscent of the original art style and an updated score. It also addresses the myriad of issues plaguing FF4's original Western release, including missing spells, abilities, and censorship of certain images.

What about the rest? Like FF3, this game also received a complete overhaul on DS simply called Final Fantasy 4. Cutesy 3D visuals, voice acting, and the divisive Augments mechanic give this remake a very different feel from the original game. Also worth mentioning are Final Fantasy IV Advance (GBA) and Final Fantasy Chronicles (PSX). Advance brings new content, updated visuals, and allows for party compositions that weren't previously available towards the end of the game; however, the North American release has bugs that were later fixed in the European version. Finally, Chronicles is a straight upgrade to the SNES release of FF4, with a fixed translation and restored difficulty (the SNES version was easier than its Japanese counterpart).

The definitive version: Final Fantasy V Advance (GBA) This is where the well of remakes and rereleases dries up. You only get two options when it comes to FF5, and the choice is obvious. Advance stays true to the style and spirit of the original, while sporting a revised script and new content. But most important are the four new Job classes - Gladiator, Cannoneer, Oracle, and Necromancer - which further enhance the game's already stellar class-switching mechanic. This version includes everything that was great about the original, plus a little extra.

What about the rest? The other version of FF5 available in the West is Final Fantasy Anthology on PSX, where it is bundled with Final Fantasy 6. Unfortunately, minor-but-annoying load times and awkward translation make this version inferior in almost every regard save music, which sounds richer on PlayStation hardware. Also worth mentioning is the mobile release of FF5, which has a redrawn (and bizarrely out-of-place) art style that would later pollute FF6. Otherwise, the mobile version plays just like the GBA version and is available on Steam.

The definitive version: Final Fantasy 3 (SNES) If you've never played FF6 (which was released as FF3 on the SNES), start with the original. There's some '90s-era censorship goofiness in the game's translation and sprites - such as 'Holy' becoming 'Pearl' - but it's ultimately the most enjoyable version overall. As the SNES is pretty rare (and expensive), a better alternative might be the Wii Virtual Console. As for FF6's three remakes, each introduces some sort of problem not found in this version that spoil the game in their own unique ways.

What about the rest? Despite being the , Final Fantasy 6 has yet to receive the definitive remake it deserves. Final Fantasy VI Advance is the best attempt so far, with an updated translation as well as new dungeons and summons. However, a reduced screen resolution and poor audio compression hurt its overall presentation. By all means, stay away from the Final Fantasy Anthology (PSX) and any mobile versions of the game. Anthology introduces load times and slowdown during battles - which is inexcusable given this is a SNES game. Not to be outdone, the mobile remake is a Frankenstein's monster of artistic styles.

When I first met Mario in the arcade version of Donkey Kong, he was but a simple carpenter, wearing red overalls, a matching red hat, a blue shirt, and work boots. He may have been fighting a giant monkey, but Mario still felt too common to have a dense collection of costumes, let alone become a cosplayer. What a difference three decades makes.

This November sees add a cat outfit to Mario’s already huge collection of special power-enhancing clothes. A new addition to the dozens of costumes Mario makes this fitting time for GamesRadar to recount the dozens of different super-powered clothes Mario has worn over the years. Believe it or not, even I had forgotten a couple of these, though it’s hard to forget...

First seen: Super Mario Bros.

For many players in the west, Fire Mario was their introduction to the plumber, as the hero is wearing the outfit on the Super Mario Bros. box art. The fire-hurling combo of red and white have appeared in the majority of core Mario games, though the colors flipped post-Super Mario Bros. Super Mario Bros. 3 was one of the few times the red and white design was replaced, though remakes of SMB3 exchanged the all-orange attire with the standard look.

First seen: Super Mario Bros. 3

The second Super Mario Bros.--both US and Japanese versions--didn’t add any new costumes, so Super Mario Bros. 3 chose to bring them back with a vengeance. Chief among them was the cover-featured Raccoon Mario. Like a sexy Halloween costume, Mario simply adds ears and a tail to normal clothes, but with the added benefit of flight. The raccoon outfit lay dormant for years until it returned in New Super Mario Bros. 2. The reappearance was likely hastened by the popular return of...

First seen: Super Mario Bros. 3

Tanooki Mario doesn’t believe in half measures. If you’re going to dress as a magical raccoon, it’s best to go all the way with the furry getup. Based on Japanese myth, Tanooki Mario can not only fly, but also transform into a statue, and both those skills were recreated in Super Mario 3D Land. While the Tanooki Suit was pretty rare in Super Mario Bros. 3, the useful transformation was everywhere in 3D land, and it returns in Super Mario 3D World.

First seen: Super Mario Bros. 3

This green ensemble was fun, but it was also hard to handle. Frog Mario moved pretty well underwater, but his stuttering half-steps weren’t all that useful on land. About as rare as the Tanooki Suit, Frog Mario has yet to make a return outside of an allusion in Paper Mario: Sticker Star. If it ever does, we hope Nintendo can find a better approach to the controls.

First seen: Super Mario Bros. 3

This costume gave Mario a more sinister edge, with him stealing the powers of one of his most annoying enemies to use against them. Also hard to find, Hammer Mario could fling his unlimited supply of hammers as well as his enemies, plus it gave him a handy shell to hide in. Later games had spiritual successors to this costume, but the Hammer Bros. Suit has yet to truly return.

First seen: Super Mario World

Nintendo pushed all of Mario’s animal wardrobe to the back of the closet for Super Mario World. Almost all the old power-ups took a break to make room for Yoshi, and Mario’s flying ability was now tied to a simple yellow cape. The look certainly made Mario look more “Super,” but it was a little too simple for the then-new 16-bit console. Outside of Mario’s reflect move in Smash Bros., the cape has made few recent appearance, which is odd given how many retro powers appeared in recent Mario titles.

First seen: Super Mario Land 2

Super Mario Land was one of the few traditional Mario games headed by someone other than Shigeru Miyamoto, and that situation lead to some odd, one off outfits. The most prominently featured was Rabbit Mario. The bunny ears affixed to his head slowed descent on jumps just like the raccoon tail, but without the added benefit of flight. Because, as we all know, rabbits can’t fly, unlike raccoons.

First seen: Super Mario Land 2

Super Mario Galaxy seems to suggest that Mario can easily breathe in space, but Super Mario Land 2 makes that look like a recent development. In SML2’s few outer space stages, Mario dons a traditional space suit that would likely meet NASA regulations. Perhaps back then Mario could breathe in space, he was just being overly cautious.

First seen: Super Mario Land 2

Fire power-ups in Super Mario Land 2 gave the developers a real challenge. Without any colors beyond spinach green available for the Game Boy, how could the game tell players about the fire ability without red and white coloring? That’s where Mario gaudy feather comes in. It works great as a visual indicator of the power-up, but once Game Boy’s color pallette died out, so did this outfit.

First seen: Super Mario 64

Super Mario 64 brought Mario (and the platforming genre) into three dimensions, but in the switch over he lost much of his flare for fashion. The full bodied outfits and matching power-ups were replaced by timed abilities like the understated wing cap. Even if the flight was incredibly freeing, later entries ditched the cap when Mario took to the air.

First seen: Super Mario 64.

CGI graphics were still pretty novel in 1996, so Mario’s new invincibility power-up bit the style of Terminator 2’s T-1000, making his body a metallic, reflective surface. It made Mario temporarily safe from harm, but it also slowed him down considerably. Though Mario has dropped that power-up, Metal Mario has been spun off into his own character, one that frequently appears in Smash Bros. and sports games.

First seen: Super Mario Sunshine

Look, let's not insult the guy, but Mario just looks weird in short sleeves. He may be on vacation, but it feels odd to see that much bare skin on the guy, particularly when a talking water tank is on his back. Despite Mario’s attempts to accessorize with F.L.U.D.D., the item has only made a return appearances as a special attack in recent Smash Bros. games.

First seen: Super Mario Galaxy

After more than a decade of subtler transformations, Super Mario Galaxy was a welcome return to Super Mario Bros. 3’s tradition of introducing a ton of new power-ups. First up is Mario’s fuzzy new bee outfit, which gives him limited flight and the ability to stick to walls, though it isn’t very useful outside the honeycomb. And then there’s the unfortunate side effect of the costume vanishing when it touches water.

First seen: Super Mario Galaxy

The first Galaxy showed players that Mario looks great as a ghost, and we were able to see it happen without Mario dying. This recent addition changed Mario into his classic ghostly enemy, giving Boo Mario the power to turn invisible and float through walls. And it’s such a convincing outfit that it even scares Luigi (though he’s pretty high strung to begin with).

First seen: Super Mario Galaxy

This Mario transformation reminds me of the pretty, but functionally useless outfits that define artsy, high fashion. Mario looks avant garde wrapped in metal, but he can’t really get around all that well. That’s likely a reason that Spring Mario only appears in a handful of stages.

First seen: Super Mario Galaxy

How did it take until 2007 to have an Ice Mario? Despite it being the logical response to Fire Mario, the Ice Power didn’t appear until Super Mario Galaxy. Not only could Mario freeze enemies with balls of ice, he also became a skilled ice skater. When this power appeared in New Super Mario Bros. Wii, the icy skin was replaced with a more traditional red and blue pattern.

First seen: Super Mario Galaxy

Galaxy granted Mario the limited ability to fly whenever he shot out a star portal, but his black and red ensemble greatly expanded that power. It functioned pretty much like 64’s Wing Cap, but appeared even less. And unlike the other Galaxy powers, this form did not return in the sequel.

First seen: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

New Super Mario Bros. Wii marked the first original 2D Mario game on a console since World, and it made up for lost time by adding a couple new abilities to Mario’s wardrobe. First up was the propeller power-up. It dressed Mario in jumpsuit akin to a skydivers and added a large helmet with a propeller on top. Not only could the power send Mario into the clouds, but other characters could grab onto his feet to ride along with him.

First seen: New Super Mario Bros. Wii

Ice Mario is all well and good, but wouldn't you like to throw ice balls and slide on your tummy at intense speeds? That’s what the adorable Penguin Suit offered Mario and friends. It’s also pretty tough, as it can smash through blocks without scratching a flipper.

First seen: Super Mario Galaxy 2

Galaxy 2 brought back virtually every ability from the first game, plus it added Yoshi to the sub-series, and yet it still found room for a couple more new outfits. First up the rough and ready Rock Mario. The change of clothes wasn’t too useful when walking around, but if you give Rock Mario enough space, he can transform into a huge boulder, propelling himself forward at high speeds.

First seen: Super Mario Galaxy 2.

On the other end of Galaxy 2’s weight spectrum is Cloud Mario. The fluffy, cottony garb made Mario light enough to walk on clouds with little effort, and with a little shake of the Wii Remote, he could create happy little clouds of his own. The power-up hasn’t appeared since, save for an unlockable Mii costume in Mario Power Tennis.

First seen: Super Mario 3D Land

3D Land was primarily a celebration of the long-awaited return of Tanooki Mario, but the devs found time to create another transformation, one that’s been long overdue. Boomerang Bros. have been attacking Mario since the third game, and Boomerang Mario gave players a chance to finally return the favor. Let’s hope this one makes more returns than Hammer Mario.

First seen: New Super Mario Bros. 2

The Wu Tang Clan once rapped ”Cash rules everything around me,” and that’s very true for New Super Mario Bros. 2. The games hook was challenging players to collect as many coins as possible, which the Gold Mario transformation really helps with. It grant Mario with the Midas touch, changing every block his fireballs touch into coins. And in a strange insult to Luigi, this power-up turns the green one silver, further illustrating his second place status to Mario.

First seen: New Super Mario Bros. U

You’d think Mario wouldn’t need anymore flying rodents after raccoons and tanookis, but Wii U launch game New Super Mario Bros. U added squirrels to the menagerie. To be honest, the gliding powers of Flying Squirrel Mario might be the most logical flight ability he’s ever had. Even more logical is the power-up’s ability to hold onto walls, something its has in common with...

First seen: Super Mario 3D World

Mario’s cat transformation reaches new heights of cuteness, and it even changes Mario’s behavior. He starts meowing, running on all four, and climbing walls with his new claws. Cat Mario is also great at destroying things, though he mainly uses it on Goombas, unlike real cats, who choose to focus on ruining your most prized possessions.

First seen: Super Mario 3D World

The only thing better than one Mario is two Marios, right? Or three, or four - depending on how many Double Cherry power-ups you can snag without losing any of your doppelgangers, you can amass the beginnings of a small clone army. It's also handy to know that any fatal touch won't bring you to a halt as long as you've got a backup Mario waiting in the wings, and making it to the end of a level with all your copies still intact feels amazing. Go team!