Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth is just over a month away from launching on PlayStation 5. While, yes, we’re a Nintendo-centric site, I still have to admit I have a soft spot for everything Final Fantasy. And while, yes, Rebirth isn’t coming to the Switch (yet…), the game’s main character, Cloud Strife, is no stranger to Nintendo. So today, in celebration of all things Final Fantasy, let’s take a look at every one of Cloud’s appearances on Nintendo consoles.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories – (GBA | 2004)
Cloud first jumped from the PlayStation to a Nintendo console just seven years after the release of Final Fantasy VII. Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, released all the way back in 2004, and was a card-based RPG that took place right after the conclusion of Kingdom Hearts 1. While the gameplay was vastly different from the action-RPG of the first installment, the developers did a fantastic job of translating a the complex story to the small screen.
What makes Chain of Memories so great are the amazing cameos from both Disney and Square’s massive backlog, including Cloud Strife himself. If you have a copy of the game on GBA, the re-releases on PS2, or included in 1.5 HD ReMix, you’ll be able to challenge Cloud to battle in Olympus Colosseum. Just keep in mind, he’s not going to go down easily.
Kingdom Hearts Re: Coded (DS | 2010)
Kingdom Hearts Re:Coded follows the events of Kingdom Hearts II, and once again, Cloud makes an appearance in Olympus Colosseum.
Theatrhythm Series (3DS, Switch | 2012-2023)
The music of Final Fantasy is adored the world over, so it was only a matter of time before Square Enix made a game focused entirely on its iconic tunes. Final Fantasy VII is just a part of a greater whole, but it’s obvious in both games that the developers have something of a bias to the compilation, with multiple characters and tracks from across the original game, Advent Children and Crisis Core.
Final Fantasy Explorers (Nintendo 3DS | 2014)
Final Fantasy Explorers allows players to transform into a number of iconic characters from the franchise’s history, and of course Cloud is among them. If that isn’t enough, you can even unlock his outfit and equip the iconic Buster Sword as your normal avatar.
Super Smash Bros. (Wii U, 3DS, Switch | 2015-2018)
Cloud was announced as one of the last DLC fighters for Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and 3DS, and boy oh boy, was it an iconic moment. Cloud has always been one of my favorite video game characters of all-time, so seeing him alongside Mario and Link really made my heart sing!
Just a few short years later in 2018, Cloud would return to the Smash stage in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, alongside every fighter that has ever graced the Smash stage in the past. Once again, Cloud would don both his classic Final Fantasy Soldier uniform and the updated Advent Children outfit he wore in the 2005 feature film.
Cloud Player 1 & 2 amiibo (3DS, Wii U, Switch | 2017)
If you know me, you knew I had to talk about these babies! Unlike most characters in the Super Smash Bros. universe that get a measly one amiibo, my boy Cloud here ended up with two. For whatever reason, Nintendo only ever game the Player 2 amiibo honor to three amiibo — Cloud, Corrin, and Bayonetta — with every other character stuck in their traditional costumes. With that said, I’ll leave you with this:
BRING BACK PLAYER 2 AMIIBO, NINTENDO!
-Amiibo Jason
World of Final Fantasy Maxima (Switch | 2018)
World of Final Fantasy was one of those games that never really landed with me. What was essentially Square Enix’s second attempt at a multiverse game, it opted for an interesting chibi-like art style for almost all of the returning Final Fantasy characters. Once again, Cloud could be recruited to join your party and battle baddies. It wasn’t my favorite Final Fantasy game, but it did have a few moments that put a smile on my face.
Final Fantasy VII (Nintendo Switch | 2019)
Over 20 years after the release of the PlayStation classic, Final Fantasy VII finally made its way to a Nintendo console on March 26th, 2019. This updated version added several quality of life features including a 3X speed mode, the ability to turn off random battles, and a battle enhancement mode. While it wasn’t Final Fantasy VII Remake, it was still beyond exciting to see a game that was rumored to be in development on the Nintendo 64 before moving to the PlayStation, come home to Nintendo after all of these years.
Chocobo GP (Switch | 2022)
Oh boy! A microtransaction-filled Nintendo Switch Kart racer, with Final Fantasy characters! While Chocobo Racing GP wasn’t a perfect game, at its core it was still a fun little racing adventure. Sure, Cloud wasn’t unlockable at the very beginning, but he was available as part of a Season Pass. Unfortunately, the path to unlock him was honestly a royal pain in the butt. No joke, the unlock system in Chocobo Racing GP, at least at the very beginning, was an absolute chore.
KINGDOM HEARTS – HD 1.5+2.5 ReMIX – Cloud Version
Hey, kid. I heard you like Cloud. So we put Cloud up in the Cloud so you can stream him on your Nintendo Switch. Isn’t technology amazing!
For those of you out of the loop, Cloud is present in both Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2 as AN optional boss encounter. You can also square off against Sephiroth, voiced by NSYNC’s Lance Bass. (No joke. Look it up)
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Reunion (Switch | 2022)
Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII: Reunion is a prequel to Final Fantasy VII that was originally released on the PSP all the way back in 2007. The game follows Zack Fair, a member of Shinra Company’s legendary warrior group, SOLDIER. The game was re-released (and practically remade) for modern consoles, including the Nintendo Switch, in 2023.
While Cloud isn’t playable in Crisis Core, he is a pivotal part of the games story. Not only do we see a whole lot about Cloud’s backstory, we also see events that unfolded in the original Final Fantasy VII through a whole new lens. I can’t recommend this one enough for fans of Final Fantasy!
Honorable Mention: Sephiroth in Smash Ultimate
Final Fantasy VII is probably my favorite game of all-time, so seeing not one, but two representatives from the game in Smash Bros. was a dream come true.
Now, even without my personal bias, I believe it’s fair to say that the Sephiroth reveal was the most epic, fantastical, and all-around badass reveal for Smash to date. Sephiroth didn’t come to Smash to have a good time — he came to Smash to bring despair! In his fury, Sephiroth slices through Galeem like butter and even appears to impale Mario through the shoulder with his sword, Masamune, a direct homage to a classic scene in Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children.
And who could forget Cloud and Sephiroth’s Advent Children style rematch? Man! What a trailer!
What’s Next for Cloud?
With Final Fantasy VII: Rebirth on the horizon for PlayStation 5, I think it’s more than fair to say that Cloud will be talked about more than ever. But what about his journey with Nintendo? Well, with a Switch 2 rumored to be dropping sometime this year, maybe we’ll see more of Cloud and friends with ports of Remake and Rebirth sometime in the near future. A boy can dream, can’t he?
Special Thanks to Tom Brown for his work on a previous version of this feature.
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Written by Jason Ganos
Nintendo super fan since birth, Jason is the creator of Amiibo News and editor-in-chief at Nintendo Wire. One of his life goals is to provide the latest Nintendo news to fellow gamers with his natural know-how.
