kjell1979's Full Review: Final Fantasy Chronicles for PlayStation 1
This Ain't No Atari Rehash
The practice of re-releasing old video game titles on new systems has been very popular (and apparently very successful too) the past few years. I've seen old Atari games re-released for just about every modern platform. This is now the case for Square Soft's games. Square Soft now has their own re-released titles, to the original Playstation. Final Fantasy Chronicles bundles two of the most popular role playing game (RPG) titles (Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger) that were originally released for the Super Nintendo (SNES) platform. Although, I have a feeling that Square Soft wanted a part of this retro action (read: profits), I have a feeling this re-release to the Playstation had more to do with the company's severance with Nintendo. For fans of Square Soft titles and RPG games in general will rejoice even though they haven't added that much to the games.
My decision to get this game was because it was time for me to upgrade. I had an old SNES system I picked up in college. After a while my Final Fantasy and Chrono Trigger games were getting to the point where the batteries were dying and I couldn't save them. The only reason I had the system was these two games and Super Mario Kart. I decided that it was time to get a Playstation and sell the old SNES system. I got enough money from the sale of the whole package to buy a Playstation, Final Fantasy Chronicles and a memory card. I was glad that I did.
About Final Fantasy IV
This game was released shortly after the Super Nintendo was released in America. The game's real title was Final Fantasy II because the Japanese Final Fantasy II and III were never released outside of Japan. Therefore to Americans, this would logically be Final Fantasy II. The Playstation version uses the same graphics and sounds from the original game. I thought that they should have updated the graphics slightly to account for the power of the Playstation platform. Even though they didn't, I'm not too upset about it. The sound and music remains the same as well. I am grateful that they didn't touch this. I thought the sound and music on the original SNES version was tremendous despite the limitations of the SNES platform. If it weren't for the Playstation unit sitting on a shelf next to the TV, I would have sworn this was connected to an old SNES system.
Final Fantasy IV is made in the mold of its predecessors. The general idea is that you walk around and randomly fight monsters by using your weapons or magical powers. You gain experience from fighting monsters to make your characters more powerful. You find cash after winning battles and in treasure chests as well. Gold can be used to buy weapons, armor, items, and used to stay at Inns to recoup your health and magic. You advance through the game by completing quests in a relatively linear fashion. Dungeons, caves and enemy structures are maze-like, but that's the majority of the puzzle solving you'll be doing.
The story is what makes this game special. You are immersed in the life of Cecil, a dark knight who has trouble coming to grips with his evil king's wishes. Eventually, he lashes out against his king and is essentially banished. This story is about his redemption and quest to right the wrongs that he helped create ... that and save the world, get the girl, blah, blah, blah. The story is great and very captivating. There are many plot twists that catch even the most seasoned RPG veteran off guard. This game was definitely ahead of its time when it first came out. Even now, it is fantastic, yet easy to follow.
There were many new features added to the game. Square Soft added a bunch of cut scenes. I was excited at first, but after a while, they don't add much to the game. I thought graphical enhancements would have been a better improvement. The translations are much better this time around too. The original translation seemed a bit awkward at times. It was never so bad that you were left wondering what's going on story-wise, it just took a little bit away from the powerful story that's behind the game. This version is also a bit harder than the original. The Playstation version, difficulty wise, is the same one that appeared in Japan. The American version was made easier to help draw in more American gamers to the series. This version is harder, but not that much harder in my opinion. This is a good challenge, but not impossible with perseverance and good decisions.
Overall, this game is great. I don't know if I'd spend $40 for just this title alone. However, the addition of Chrono Trigger sealed the deal for me.
Chrono Trigger
I know many people who would consider Chrono Trigger the game of the decade (90's). Although a typical RPG on the surface, this game had one revolutionary feature that makes it truly special. This feature was it's non-linear story model. If you think of an RPG as a book, this would be a choose-your-own-adventure story written by your favorite author. Although, true to a choose-your-own-adventure story, it doesn't take very long to complete this game.
The game brings forth a battle system that was new to me when I first played the game. Instead of running around a bunch of different maps and randomly fighting a bunch of different monsters, you walk around a map where you can see preset monster locations. If you wish to avoid them, you can. Though, sometimes you have to fight them. Typical to the Final Fantasy series, you either use your weapons or your magic to defeat enemies for experience and gold. However, in Chrono Trigger, it seems like more of a real battle because you have a certain amount of time to recover between strikes. You can also see enemy creatures drawing closer to you as well. You might also have one or two other characters in your party with you. There are certain magical "combo" moves that you can perform with them for very powerful attacks. This is something that I haven't seen either and is a nice touch.
The story isn't as good as in Final Fantasy IV, but it does receive good marks from me. You assume the role of Chrono. You're a teenager who is just looking to have fun and get into a little trouble every once in a while. You are drawn into a big mess when a time machine presentation at the Millennium Fair goes awry. You travel through different time periods all the while meeting different people along the way. You must rescue your friend, but in the process you uncover a plot to tear apart the very fabric of time.
The key to this game lies in the time travel. Since you control what period of time you go to, you're the one in control of your own fate. You decide what to do next. This is a great premise because it allows an RPG gamer total control over his or her quest. Up to this point been locked into a preset quest where all they can do is keep from dying along the way. There are interesting aspects to this game as well. First off, you can leave items behind in the past, and they'll appear in the future, sometimes more powerful than before. You can also attempt to defeat the final boss at different points in the game as well. Finally, due to the openness of this game, you have many different possible endings depending on what you do. The multiple endings allow for a greater replay value of the game. It's not just about staying alive anymore.
The graphics and sound, which were once cutting edge, now seem dated. This might bother some people, but for the ones that adore RPGs for how fun they are to play, this won't matter. It would have been nice to update these things with this re-release, but it didn't factor in my decision to purchase this game. This game to me is the centerpiece of Final Fantasy Chronicles. This game is worth the $40 alone.
How Does These Game Stack Up?
As I said before, the graphics could use work on both games. However, these games were not successful because they were graphically pleasing. It was because they were fun.
The sound and music could use a little makeover in Chrono Trigger, but don't take that much into account unless it's something you must have. As I said before Final Fantasy IV is perfect with this regard.
The controls might seem a little awkward to those who owned the SNES versions. Otherwise, it doesn't take away anything from the game. Responsiveness of the controls is not an issue since these are just RPGs.
The replay value of Final Fantasy IV is somewhat limited. I could see myself playing it again after I've already beaten it, but not very often. The storyline is too linear for me to play the game over and over. Chrono Trigger is the exact opposite. This game has lots of replay value, though I won't say it's unlimited. It is possible to do everything there is to do in the game. It just takes you longer that's all. There are just many more combinations to do.
For any RPG newcomer or veteran, I would highly recommend buying Final Fantasy Chronicles. If you get sick of both the games, you can always sell them to someone else on Ebay. These RPGs rarely depreciate in value. My SNES Chrono Trigger game sold for $60 on Ebay.
This old school compilation from Square includes "Final Fantasy IV" (known as "FF2" as a 1991 US SNES release which introduced the Active Time Battle ...More at onSale
This old school compilation from Square includes "Final Fantasy IV" (known as "FF2" as a 1991 US SNES release which introduced the Active Time Battle ...More at MacMall
This old school compilation from Square includes "Final Fantasy IV" (known as "FF2" as a 1991 US SNES release which introduced the Active Time Battle ...More at eCOST.com
Final Fantasy Chronicles for the PlayStation Game System Brand New and Factory Sealed Game. This special bundle package includes updated versions of S...More at eBay
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