This first release in the SaGa series, it was known as Makai Tōshi SaGa in Japan, but in order to boost sales, it was given 'Final Fantasy' name for the Game Boy North American releases. It is however NOT a true Final Fantasy game.
This RPG series has separated itself from its fellow Square franchises such as Final Fantasy and the Mana series due its non-linear and sometimes apparently experimental gameplay.
The SaGa series follows the more traditional model of western role-playing games established by the Ultima series; its open-ended plot and free style of character development separate it from the more linear Final Fantasy series. Like the Final Fantasy series, however, the story in each SaGa game is independent of its counterparts.