The long-awaited Pixel Remasters of Final Fantasy I through VI finally arrived on Switch and PlayStation 4 on April 19th. Unfortunately for longtime fans, the physical editions of the collection sold out instantly on Square Enix’s website and there’s no sign of them being back in stock. Scalpers are now trying to sell them on eBay for hundreds.
The final fantasy Pixel Remasters came to Steam a couple of years ago, but the console ports include quite a few new features and improvements like a new font that isn’t perfect but is still a significant improvement over the modern look of in-game text on PC. Most importantly for collectors, this time there are physical versions. The $75 standard edition only has the games –Final Fantasy I, II, III, IV, vAnd VI–– and an anniversary edition includes vinyl soundtracks, artbooks, figures and more for $250.
While pre-orders were available from December last year, the release date for the PS4 and Switch versions was only revealed earlier this month. On the day of release, the Standard Edition was already sold out on Square Enix’s website, one of the few places where physical copies can be ordered. The Anniversary Editions are currently on the waitlist, which means that new orders will only become available when existing ones are cancelled.
Those who are late to the party and still want to grab the latest version of some all-time classics are now at the mercy of resellers. “This is crazy,” wrote user tuhbreezy696 in a post on a Subreddit for collecting games alongside a screenshot of outrageous listings of the remasters on eBay for up to $400.
Scalpers hitting the e-commerce platform with ludicrous offers have become commonplace, but a quick search reveals dozens and dozens of PS4 and Switch copies of the game, all costing double the sticker price or more. The lowest price at the time of writing was $175 and 17 people viewed it.
The pull of nostalgia is strong, especially for a beloved franchise whose stories and art helped define the NES and SNES console generations for millions of gamers. It still seems possible to order physical copies through Asian retailers like Play Asia, although the price with shipping is still around $100 or so. The earliest delivery some fans are reporting for these specimens is June, and that appears to be based on additional shipments from Square Enix.
There is a little consolation for a long time final fantasy Fans: the Pixel Remasters are not really the final versions. The previous ports on PSP and Game Boy Advance have undeniable advantages and players can of course access the new versions digitally. Nevertheless, as we have seen from the Metroid Prime Physical remaster copies are sold out, having a box and cartridge goes a long way in reviving what felt so special about those games.
