"Happy 21st Birthday" by Shelz Keast

It's 1987, a game is released on the Nintendo System. It is a simple game, by today's standards, where one controled a band of heroes who beat up the badies, local wildlife and supported their exploits on the profits of antique hunting. It was called "Final Fantasy".

Now, in 2008, with more than 13 sequels and spin-off's under it's belt it is probably one of the most famous (and misnomus) RPG games of all time. And now it turn's 21, let's celebrate!

The characters, going aproximately left to right. Note that numbers in brackets after a character's name refer to which number Final Fantasy game the character comes from:

Characters: Seifer (8) complaining to Steiner (9) and Basch (12). He's probably complaining about Squall, his expulsion, Squall, the cafateria food and not to forget Squall. Basch doesn't seem to be paying much heed to Seifer, looks like he's in his own little world. Notice the stein infront of Steiner? Beside the trio lies Auron (10) passed out on Quina (9) who has found the triffle and is happily tucking in. Where would Final Fantasy be without the Chocobo? The giant normally yellow (other colours include blue, black and gold) chickens that serve as horses to the heroes of the games. Every party has to have it's nerds. Tidus (10) is looking rather put out at Vaan's (12) victory at the fighting game. Guess he's a sore looser. They aren't playing any game in particular, it's meant to be a generic fighting game- so the writting in the yellow blip on the TV reads KO. Though you can't hope to see it Vaan beat Tidus with 71 seconds and ~80% health remaining. Sephiroth (7) seems to have gotten himself drunk and it looks like he's trying to pick up Kuja (9). This is the almost obligatory stab at Kuja's rather femanine appearence and dress sense; Kuja and Sephiroth are actually my favourite characters. It's purely a coincidence that I had a picture up here once depicting a 'morning after' where Kuja and Seph had wound up on the same matress; I don't know what possed me to draw that, much less in my school art book. Meanwhile Kuja's watching on as Lulu (10) behaving in an unseemly manner dances on the table top. It looks as if Zidane (9) was also on the table top but has topples off into Tifa's (7) chest. Needless to say she's not exactly pleased with his choice on landing spot and has raised her fist to 'deck' him. Zidane's girlfriend, Dagger/Garnet (9), looks on rather unamusedly. Someone's going to get a talking to later. Red XIII(7) has mistaken Cait Sith (7) for a chew toy, or perhaps it wasn't so much of a mistake? (Three guess on which FF7 charcter I don't like). A moggle watches on with dreamy expression characteristic of the FFIX moggles. Edae (8), swaying very drunkenly, reaches out to Squall (8). Squall tries to back off. Squall grew up in an orphanage where Edea was the matron. Lenna/Reina (5) in pink and Maria (2) in purple hang of Irvine's (8) all the while smiling insipedly. Across from them is Baltheir (12) who's managed to pick up Quistis (8) and Yuna (10/X-2). I figured that Baltheir and Irvine were the two guys most likely to score at a party.

Notes: This picture is massive, I'll say that this is going to be the first and last time I even approach the new 2,000 px size limit. The initial drawings are spread over 9 A3 pages (I'd initally planed to only use 1!). You can find details of all 9 'plates' at my DA page.  There are 26 characters depicted, most of which I'd never drawn before. I've tried to get a representative sample of the characters, but obviously couldn't draw every FF character. I have it on good authority that scenes depicted are accurate for a 21st party (or an 18th in some contries); well maybe not past 2 a.m. but then that'd probably verge on inapropriate content for Elfwood. Any character drinking is over 21, I did make sure of that. Think that sums it all up.