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My custom black NES, since I didn't have a regular one handy for the photo.
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As you should know by now, Final Fantasy first appeared on the Nintendo Entertainment System (Famicom in Japan). The NES is probably my favorite game system ever, and at the time it had the best controller ever. It originated many classic series, such as Zelda and Mega Man. Final Fantasy 1-3 all started on the Famicom (and 1+2 got rereleased together), but only FF1 made it to the NES, and only in North America. Even if you have a copy of the actual cart, you may run into some difficulties in playing it. Here are some issues involving the NES.
The Blinking!
Anyone who's owned an original NES has run into this problem at some point. You turn the power on and the game refuses to run, sometimes showing you the title screen before resetting itself, repeat, repeat, repeat.
This is caused by the NES' lockout chip. When it doesn't get a good connection it resets the system. Most often this is because of dirty contacts. Back in the day you'd blow in your games, and if you were lucky they'd work. This was only a temporary solution however, as the moisture from your breath could cause problems later in life. What you really should do is clean the game.
While cleaning kits are perfectly fine, you can do the job cheaper with stuff you have around the house. Just get yourself some cotton swabs to clean the games, and a cheap game (like Super Mario Bros) to clean the system.
I like brand name Q-Tips the best, they strong like mighty boar.
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To clean a game get one end of the swab wet with alcohol, water, or an alcohol-water solution. Scrub each side of the contacts thoroughly with the wet end and then the dry end. There should be enough room to do this twice for each swab. The swab should be black or brown after this, especially the dry end. Repeat this process with more cotton swabs until they don't get dirty.
For cleaning the system, (make sure you unplug it!) clean your cheap game first. Scrub it with the wet end, then insert and remove it from the system a few times and scrub it with the dry end, repeat. You may need to clean the cart again fully between insertions, depending on how dirty your system is. It's best to give it time to dry before plugging it in again.
If cleaning is not enough, more drastic procedures may be necessary. You could purchase the newer, redesigned, top-loading NES; or you could replace the 72-pin connector in your original NES.
People say the newer NES fits in more with the SNES. I think it looks more like some sort of super toaster from the future.
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Top-Loader
Abandoning the problematic, spring-loaded, front-loading mechanism of the original NES, the NES 2 or "top-loader" makes playing NES games much less headache-inducing. The lack of a lockout chip causes the games to work a lot more often, and it opens up the possibility of playing European games without an adaptor. I almost exclusively use my top-loader to play NES games. I was lucky enough to pick up 2 of them at reasonable prices in the wild, but they can get pretty expensive on eBay. They aren't perfect either. There are no A/V jacks, so you have to use RF. The system also causes faint vertical lines on the screen that the original NES did not have. Both of these problems can be fixed by modifications to the system, but it's probably not worth risking the life of your top-loader to do it. The top-loader is also not compatible with the Game Genie without an adaptor (pretty rare), and I've heard it's not compatible with some unlicensed games, but I've never run into that problem myself.
72-Pin Connector
If you can't find/can't afford/don't want a top-loader, replacing the 72-pin connector in your original NES may get it working like new. People sell them on eBay a lot, but you can get them cheaper from mcminone.com. The part # is 83-3785. I haven't performed the procedure myself, but I've heard of plenty of people who've had good results. It should be easy enough to replace, but it'll take some time since there are a lot of screws to remove. You'll just need a standard philips screwdriver (or flathead if that's all you've got) to open up the NES case, remove the RF shield, and remove the spring-loading mechanism. The 72-pin connector can then be pulled off of the motherboard and the new one pushed on in its place. I've heard that the new connector will be tight and it will be harder to get games in, but it shouldn't really be a problem.
Instead of actually replacing your 72-pin connector, you may be able to repair your existing one. Taking it out and cleaning it would be a good start, but the real problem comes from the fact that the pins become bent with use. Bend each pin out using a screwdriver so they'll make a tight contact with the game.
Batteries & Screws
If your game no longer saves or saves unreliably, you may need to replace the battery. To save your game data NES games (like Final Fantasy) use a CR2032 battery (like you'll find in a PC, Sega Saturn, or Dreamcast VMU), but getting inside can be a problem.
Most NES games are held together by security screws, and you can't just walk into a hardware store and buy the kind of screwdriver that opens them. You can order the necessary screwdriver bit from mcminone.com. The 3.8mm bit (part # 22-1145) can open NES, SNES, and N64 carts and other things, and the 4.5mm bit (part # 22-1150) can open some Genesis carts and SNES & N64 systems. They also sell a set which includes both bits, a screwdriver, and several other useful bits (part # 22-1476). You can also pick up the bits or screwdrivers on eBay
 or Lik-Sang.com .
The inside of Final Fantasy.
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I've never replaced one of these batteries, but I know it involves desoldering and you have to be careful not to overheat the battery. Nintendo claimed the batteries should last five years, but many of them have lasted much longer. With some NES games nearing the ripe old age of 20, many batteries are more than due to die and I'm sure I'll be needing to perform this operation eventually. I'll give you more details once I've been through it.
Famicom Converters
You know Final Fantasy 2 and 3 were originally only released on the Famicom. (FF3 still has never been released on any other system.) Did you know that you can play them (and the Japanese version of FF1, and any other Famicom game) on your American NES? You can buy 3rd party adaptors on eBay, but they aren't necessarily as good. I had one stop working after about a month, and I've heard they aren't compatible with some games. I don't want to completely dissuade you from them though. If you can find one cheap, or from a source you can trust, they could be worth it.
What I'm really here to talk about though is Nintendo's own adaptor. They never sold them, but they were found in some early NES games. (The story goes that they used the Japanese boards with these adaptors to get more games out in time for Christmas.)
Gyromite, a game that is much more common than the accessories you use to play it.
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The adaptors can be found in some of the early Nintendo-published NES games such as Duck Hunt, Gyromite, Excitebike, Super Mario Bros, and Wrecking Crew. You used to be able to get Duck Hunt for 9 cents at FuncoLand. If you were lucky you could've gotten several adaptors for a buck or two. From what I understand, every copy of Stack Up has an adaptor in it, but the game is so rare it might be easier/cheaper to buy about 10 other games to get the adaptor. (I own over 300 NES games and I've never even seen Stack Up.)
Flat top, the earliest games had these.
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Hook top, most games have these.
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You'll only find them in games with flat tops and with five flathead screws on the back instead of the newer kind with the hooks on top and three security screws on the back (so you won't need that bit I mentioned earlier).
Once you take it apart you'll have a cute little game card that works on a Famicom or your new adaptor, and the adaptor itself. It won't fit onto games as it is though. The easiest thing to do is to take off the black part and flip it over so the games go onto the longer end. Some games still will not fit, so you can either cut or grind off some plastic from the sides.
Fun Stuff
One benefit to playing on a real NES is that you can use a real NES controller, or other interesting controllers such as the NES advantage, NES Max, or Power Glove.
Looks like a freaking droid from Star Wars.
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ASCII made a one-handed RPG controller for the Playstation, and a Japan-only one for the SNES/S.Famicom, but I don't think too many people have heard of this one by Quick Shot for the NES. It's perfect for RPGs like Final Fantasy. It frees up your other hand for things like drawing maps, writing stuff down, operating a mouse, eating, or just being lazy. It's also one of the very rare controllers that left-handed players can use as comfortably as right-handers. It's not loaded with extra features, but it does have turbo.
Often referred to as the dogbone controller.
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The controller that came with the new-style NES was rounded and resembled an SNES controller. Some people prefer the original, but I'm too used to newer, rounder controllers so this is what I use the most.
Never seemed all that advantageous to me.
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The NES Advantage can be good if you prefer an arcade style joystick over a pad. It sports slow motion and adjustable speed turbo, useful for buying many Heal Potions without thinking. It can also be plugged into both controller ports allowing both players to use it on turn-based games.
Whoa, it's NES gaming... TO THE MAX!
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Here's a unique idea. They made a controller with the stalks that later found their way to PSX controllers, and a sliding wheel thingy for the pad. The pad isn't analog, so it doesn't really add much. It is a little easier on the thumb than a standard pad though. It also has turbo.
I tried to live life to fullest and use it with Rad Racer in 3D mode. Unfortunately, activating 3D make Power Glove angry.
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Why am I including this here? I don't know. The Power Glove is really more of a novelty than actually being useful. So I guess that's why it's here, as a novelty. Watch your Light Warriors not go where your hand tells them to. Woo! At least you can use it as an uncomfortable standard controller with slomo and turbo.
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