32_Footsteps's Full Review: Final Fantasy Anthology for PlayStation 1
Do you remember, in 1990, when Nintendo held the Nintendo World Championships/Powerfest? It was basically a Nintendo-sponsored tournament, and in addition to competitions, there was a section devoted to new games to be shortly released. The one that caught my eye, which tempted me so much I had to get it when it came out (fortunately, right around my birthday), was the original Final Fantasy.
I and a small circle of friends were the only ones I knew about that played the game until Final Fantasy 7 came out. Then, every joystick cowboy and his brother were talking about how good at RPGs they were, and how great they were. I snorted, and thought to myself, "Newcomers. It's not like they ever got to play a REAL Final Fantasy game." (Worth noting is my low opinion of Final Fantasy 7.) I wondered what would happen if, to much fanfare, the old Final Fantasy games I knew and loved were released, as well as the Final Fantasy games that never were.
Fast forward now to last year, when word of the Japanese collection "Final Fantasy Anthology," containing Final Fantasy 4, 5, and 6, reached my ears. I was estactic. And now, as perhaps one of the oldest Final Fantasy fans on record, I'm going to lay out for you why any Final Fantasy player, if they really want to call themselves that, should want this collection.
Final Fantasy V -
Originally, this game was supposed to be released in the United States as Final Fantasy 3. However, translation delays proved too costly, and the game was never fully translated until now. This is perhaps a shame; Final Fantasy V has the most intriguing and most useful battle system ever. This game included the Job System, later perfected in Final Fantasy Tactics. The idea, introduced in the never-translated 8-bit game, Final Fantasy 3, is that you can change what class of skills your characters have, and they can suppliment their current class skills with one skill previously learned. This fluid style allows players to go through the game on their terms. Dislike Summoners? Don't use them. Love Monks? Have as many as you want. The fights themselves are no pushover. You are actually challenged at every point in the game. This is refreshing compared to other RPGs, in which you constantly blow over easy enemies until you gain absurd levels, and then fight the boss. Strategy is paramount, and you have to husband your resources, or you will never be able to advance. While the challenge is difficult, the game is not impossible.
The most likely reason that Final Fantasy 5 never reached the United States was the storyline. The characters are barely more articulated than the personality-less characters in the original Final fantasy. No character is much more than a two-dimensional personality. It makes you feel at times like you are watching a Will Smith movie - sure, they may be likeable, but they aren't great.
Graphically, the series shows a bridge between the days of Final Fantasy 4 and 6. While many people will complain that the graphics are inferior, I disagree. Pixelated graphics tend to be much cleaner than polygonal graphics, and there are very few games in which polygon graphics looks good. Final Fantasy 8 is about the only game I would say that polygon graphics actually look GOOD in. Musically, the game suffers, but not due to the actual music itself, which is beautiful. Rather, the loading time with the music and the sound channels (especially when layering the sound effects) makes the game suffer aurally. Turning down the volume and playing the free music CD that came with the game might be a better idea.
Finally, beware the translation. Faris (one of the main characters, so you get to see this alot) speaks in pirate-speak, and that gets annoying fast. The speech of the characters seems anachronistic, and sometimes, the lines do not make sense in context of the story. One has the impression that Square cobbled this effort in a hurry to make more money.
Final Fantasy VI -
Released as Final Fantasy 3 in the United States, this is perhaps has the strongest character lineup of any Final Fantasy. However, it is also the most ridiculously unbalanced. The Esper System, forebear of the Materia System, allows every character to gain every spell, and gives each character a unique ability besides. This heavily unbalances the game. Sabin, who gains a physical attack that can consistently do 6000 damage for free in every round, is obviously a much better party choice than Gau, who just imitates monsters, and poorly at that. The game's battles are seldom a challenge, and often degenerate into a "How many Instant Death moves/spells can I do before the enemy is dead?" deal. Many items in the game, very easily obtained, also can add to the problem. A combination of two easily obtained items, the Illumina and the Paladin Shield, makes a character nigh-invulnerable to anything. If you are looking for a challenge, this is not it.
The storyline is a mixed bag. Final Fantasy 6, without a doubt, has the most highly developed cast of characters in any Final Fantasy game. There is a cast of twelve main characters, and each of them receives some significant character development. While some characters, such as Terra, Locke, and Celes, are fully three-dimensional, others are a solid two-dimensional, such as Edgar and Sabin. Only Gau can be said to be highly lacking - one has the feeling Square was making excuses for you not to use him. However, the plot itself is disappointing. While the game is solid, strong gaming through the first half of the game, during the World of Balance, the plot deflates after the introduction of the World of Ruin (This is not a spoiler: maps with the game say the same thing). Square tried to create an open-ended affair to allow people to choose which way they wanted to finish the game, but the end result seems like the programmers were just too lazy to finish the game.
Graphics and sound are both very similar to Final Fantasy V. While stronger and more detailed, Final Fantasy 6's graphics do not use polygons - perfect in my book. Of course, Final Fantasy 6 is stronger - older by a year and a half, after all. However, both games shine graphically. If not for the problems the system has playing the sounds of the games, it would shine musically as well. In fact, Final Fantasy 6 was the first video game that had such impressive music, I bought the soundtrack to it.
The translation is pretty much the same as the Super Nintendo version. This is rather fun, and good at certain points. For example, one moment in the Japanese has a villain, Kefka, screaming out "You son of a b****!" (Starred to censor this opinion for the young'uns.) The American version has the much more creative and enjoyable line, "Son of a submariner!" Clever, and it makes you sit and think about what a submariner is (Fairly obvious, but you've just learned a new word. And they say video games rot your brains). Only one flaw: later in the game, you come across a "Book of Secrets." In the Japanese, this was a pornographic magazine (Don't worry, no such pictures were in the game). The magazine was there to show the degradation of one character's morals. However, this useful story device was neutered for the American audience. While generally an improvement, it's not always perfect.
Final Fantasy IV -
I know what you're saying right now. "Wait a minute, there was no Final Fantasy 4 in MY copy of the game." Mine neither. This is perhaps the biggest strike against the collection. Final Fantasy 4 is without a doubt the Final Fantasy game with the strongest storyline, and also a fairly strong battle system. In fact, many strong arguements exist to say that Final Fantasy 4 is the best of the whole series. In fact, the game was originally supposed to be in Final Fantasy Anthology. Why, you ask, was it taken out? Well, simply put, translation difficulties. Although the game was released in the United States as Final Fantasy 2, the American release was much different, with many items and abilities taken out. The translation was also rather poor due to censor interference. Thus, while the Japanese game was rereleased there, they would have needed to change either the version with the American version or come up with a new translation. They found it cheaper to release the game as is.
All in all, an nice collection, and one to get that Final fanatic you know. While not flawless, both are excellent in their own right, and even with their warts, they are both enjoyable. The music CD, containing all those great songs I already mentioned, is an excellent addition to the package. While it would have been perfect with Final Fantasy 4, we can all sit and appreciate the truly great Final Fantasy games, and hope that, in the near future, such plateaus of gaming can be accomplished again.
Includes both Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI Original 2-D graphics and 16-bit sounds For 1 player, Platforms: PlayStation, ESRB Rating: TeenMore at Amazon
Includes both Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI Original 2-D graphics and 16-bit sounds For 1 player, Platforms: PlayStation, ESRB Rating: TeenMore at Amazon Marketplace
Combining two titles from the highly acclaimed Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy Anthology offers PlayStation game console owners a glimpse into the...More at Buy.com
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