Well I on the other hand, too, havent played any, and I mean any, Zelda game :B
I get what you mean, they’re definitely not the same type of game. The Legend of Zelda leans more into real-time action and exploration, while Final Fantasy is rooted in turn-based systems, party building, and storytelling. When I said “rival,” I wasn’t thinking direct gameplay competition, but more of a legacy thing, two of the biggest Japanese franchises shaping RPG/adventure experiences over decades. Even if Square wasn’t tied to Sony early on, both series still ended up defining eras of gaming in their own ways. As for popularity, yeah Zelda has massive reach, but Final Fantasy has also had huge global impact, especially with titles like Final Fantasy VII pushing JRPGs into the mainstream. Also, FFV is a solid pick - the job system in Final Fantasy V is still one of the best in the series. Incidentally, FF franchise has sold more copies than Zelda, but that's not what I had intended this thread to be. Like I said, both are rivals because both are so much fun defining their own genres(FF is RPG, Zelda is Action Adventure, I think) in their own ways. :>
