Final Fantasy 7 Remake series director Naoki Hamaguchi is pleading with fans of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate to check out the iconic RPG.
Despite Final Fantasy 7 never appearing on a Nintendo console (until its Switch port in 2019), Cloud Strife appeared in Super Smash Bros for Wii U and 3DS back in 2015, becoming only the sixth third-party character to appear in the series. And then, five years later, Sephiroth joined Cloud as DLC for Super Smash Bros Ultimate.
Speaking to Nintendo in a recent interview, Hamaguchi is asked if he has any message for players who will experience Final Fantasy 7 for the first time through the remake's arrival on Switch 2, and the director specifically points to fans of Super Smash Bros.
Hamaguchi says, "Even if you haven’t played or heard of the Final Fantasy 7, you might have encountered Cloud and Sephiroth in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and maybe you've been drawn to them without quite knowing who they are."
He adds, "Through the remake series, you can discover the origins and stories of these characters. It's a really tight, focussed, story-driven experience that allows you to delve into and understand these characters, and hopefully come to love and appreciate them even more."
Given how popular Cloud and Sephiroth are in Smash, he adds, "if you're at all interested in these characters, this is a really great way to discover where they came from. I very much invite people to try out Final Fantasy 7 Remake on Nintendo Switch 2 just to experience these really cool characters."
