[quote name='Rei no Otaku']If VIII is any higher than last on your list you've failed.[/quote]
My list sadly ends with VIII because it was so awful I gave up on Final Fantasy. I owned 12 for a short time, but since it didn't really sound very Final Fantasy-ish I dumped it sealed. Should I grab X at some point? IX has always looked like something that would float my boat, but PS1 graphics now? Yuck.
So, my short list:
VI, IV, VII, V, I, III, VIII
1 gets the nod over 3 due to nostalgia.