User Reviews (1 - 11 of 47)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

Nostalgia Fans Need Only Apply

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 28
Date: April 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

From a nostalgia perspective, FF VI may only appeal to an older group of foks who have played this game when they were younger on more primitive gaming platforms. However, for people like myself, some be turned off.
I offer up this analogy: If your first car was an old beat up Chevy Nova that you have a lot of fond memories in, then taking a ride in that car for old times sake can bring back those great memories. However, if you delayed getting your license until later in life and your first car was a new BMW, taking a drive in a beat up Nova now is going to feel pretty lame. If your first experiences in RPGs include Knights of the Old Republic, Final Fantasy X & XII, and Elder Scrolls III & IV, then FF VI is going to be that Chevy Nova.
I tried to like this game, but I am also playing it on a DS Lite, thereby further tarnishing my opinion of the game. The graphics and sound are basically limited. The story is incredibly overrated and just didn't grip me in the least. To boot the battle system just pales in comparison to the aforementioned RPGs.
Sorry, I don't want to offend anyone, this is just a humble opinion from someone who has only experienced RPGs in the last three years, so please take that into consideration.

EXTREMELY Overrated

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 11
Date: May 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I have play every single Final Fantasy game out other than 2, X-2, and XI, and this is by far my least favorite. Not to say that it sucks, because I know I am in the minority, but hear me out.

1. If you want nostalgic effect, go ahead and play this game. You may like it because of your bias.

2. Final Fantasy V did a better job of AP distribution. Although what makes FF VI good is that you keep whatever you learn in terms of spells, you can only use summons once per battle (when they aren't even that helpful), magic is easily better than weapons, and only a few characters will have a high enough magic stat to make it worthwhile.

3. I played this hearing that is was better than FFVII (which people say is overrated; I've played it and to be honest, it was my first FF game, but even after playing most other FF games, I still think it's the best), I decided to buy it and play it. If you are a completionist in terms of game series, then it'd be a good experience. I am one of those people, and this game was really disappointing. I was expecting much more than FFVII quality than this, and I got less.

4. Character development sucked. People say it's good because there are a ton of characters and each character is defined, but I want quality of quantity. You couldn't grow on a character since they weren't built upon very much.

The only good thing I can say about this game is that this FF sports probably the GREATEST villain of ANY game I've played; he actually SUCCEEDS and is the most cold-hearted character to meet. I really only enjoyed this game whenever HE was around (or IT).

TL;DR, If you want something of FFVII calibur (or if you think FFVII sucked), don't consider buying this game. If you liked it waaay back and you want to play it again, don't bother. It isn't that different.

Good game, honors the original in a portable format, but not without flaws.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 8
Date: June 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

As a previous reviewer stated, if you enjoyed the SNES version, you'll enjoy playing this one. However, it does leave some things to be desired.

The dialogue has changed, and as a result, Kefka isn't as funny. Kefka's funny-ness was one of the things that made the SNES version great! Who would have thought that a character could be the ultimate evil villain and the comic relief all in one? That didn't quite happen here.

The other thing that irked me was the final battle music, although there were musical snags that bugged me in all of the GBA remakes. (And I'm a musician, so I would notice this) During the final battle, the music was programmed such that even when you beat one stage of the crawling tower, the music kept playing until it reached the end of the section and _then_ started the new section, so that it felt like you were hearing one continuous piece of music. Not here. In this case, when you finish one section, the music immediately switches. It would be analagous to if the conductor, in the middle of a repeating section of music, just suddenly had his orchestra jump to the next one.

Finally, the bonus features got rather confusing, like when I was trying to figure out how to get Gilgamesh to appear in the Coliseum. And don't get me started about the Dragon's Den!

So yeah, I bought it, I enjoyed it, I don't regret that I did, and there were some things I didn't like about it. Not all that uncommon, I suppose. But if you really want to see what FF6 was about, play the SNES version.

Good, but not as good as SNES version

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 4
Date: March 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is similar to the original SNES version. The dialog has changed a bit, and they renamed lots of items, monsters and espers. The game play is not nearly as fast as the SNES version and when casting some spells during battle it is down right slow.

Hasn't aged as well as I'd liked

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 3
Date: April 17, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Most people are gushing with praise, so I guess I'll be a lone dissenter. Here are some basic facts to know about me and this game:

1. I played this game on the original SNES 13 years ago and loved it.
2. I played the #1 on the Nintendo, 2 on the SNES, and 7 and 8(briefly) on the PS.
3. I have only played this Advance version near to the half-way point so far.

Therefore, there may be issues like later games in the series being exceptions, or the latter half of the game having more changes from the original version, etc.

Good Points:
*This is a pretty good conversion of the original game, and brings back nostalgic memories. I haven't noticed many sound or music changes thus far like other reviewers have noted. The largest difference I've seen is the Opera, with a much better song that matches the new lyrics.

*This game shows a lot of effort on the part of the developers with trying to create a varied game, that you're always doing something new. This isn't, "Do the same thing from level 1-50 for 40 hours".

*I grinded a lot in the original, but am a little more impatient these days, and was pleasantly surprised to find that grinding really isn't that necessary for the most part. The game displays a lot of what one person referred to as self-balancing. You CAN level up all of your characters to 99, learn every spell, dance, etc. or you can try to just go straight through the game, albeit with a higher but tolerable level of challenge.

*This game has, in my opinion, the best combination of customizable versus pre-defined characters of the FF games I've played. FF 2(IV) had characters that did specific skills or magic, and 7+8 were mostly vanilla characters that you could customize as much as you wanted. The main differences were whether they had ranged weapons and the character personality. This game, has characters with specific unique skills *but* with the added ability to customize with magic.

Things I didn't like so much

*The battle-screen of the series seems very out of date, compared with all other games these days having the monsters and fights in the exploratory environments. Essentially, there is no separate "battle area" and "explore area". If this doesn't bother you, then this point doesn't matter.

*This game has been lauded for its very large and diverse cast of characters. However, some of them are fairly extraneous, and I think they could have made a stronger story with only 9 or so characters instead of 14. Characters like Umaro, Mog and Mimic are unnecessary, and a few of the characters seem to all be built around the same concept of emulating Monster skills. You have one character who can pretend to be like a monster, one who can use the same specific magic that monsters use, and one that can duplicate/control monsters. It's a little redundant.

*The story seemed a little childish and simplistic to be playing it at 17, and now seems extremely so at 30. A lot of people loved the over-the-top aspect of Kefka, but I just found him too 1-dimensional. His sudden philosophical musings at the end fight have also landed on the CRPG list of gaming cliches.

*The story seems to involve a lot of fantasy, as in the complete nonsensical denial of reality. A character who happens to look just like a famous opera singer has to replace her in the opera on the spot, despite no singing or acting experience, or even the chance to rehearse. Several of the characters jump off a waterfall and swim to the other side of the sea using the SAME air helmet. An empire dominates the land with the most insidious methods possible, practically kicking old ladies and dogs around, yet the empire's generals are an honest, compassionate and honorable lot. Apparently they are VERY clueless. The entire army(except said generals, is all in a conspiracy against the party by pretending to want peace, and the PCs pretty much buy it. Once again, this might bother some people, and others not so much.

This is a historic and landmark game for its time, but it's since been eclipsed by better titles.

A Decent Port of a Fantastic Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 65 / 68
Date: February 15, 2007
Author: Amazon User

As a fan of the original "localized" version of Final Fantasy VI (named Final Fantasy III to keep with the American Final Fantasy numbering scheme), I have long awaited a portable release of this game. I can say, with certainty, that Final Fantasy VI is and always has been one of the best (if not the best) games in the series. While I'm overall very pleased with this re-release, there are a few caveats to the port that fans of the original might notice.

To speak of the game itself, it is a masterpiece.

The story is captivating, keeping the player interested to the very end. The plot involves many of the traditional Final Fantasy themes (balances of natural forces, quests for power, a floating continent), but weaves them in subtly without being overbearing.

The characters are very memorable and grow as the story progresses. Each of the protagonists has their own quirks and weaknesses, and many of them have to overcome their personal demons in order to face the final challenge of the game. In addition, Final Fantasy VI provides a quirky antagonist. While the Final Fantasy predecessors all served up vague, devil-like antagonists with little personality other than to state that they are the source of evil, Kefka is quirky. His dialogue is written with a sense of humor where necessary, and his back story provides further impetus for the protagonists. Kefka is the first Final Fantasy villain that fans truly love to hate. Also, the gameplay is fun and varied. The esper system (used to learn magic in the game) is powerful and customizable, yet still simple enough for everyone to pick up and understand. The addition of a special armor / accessory class (relics) provides a simple way for players to know what equipment will cause what effects. The dungeons are challenging but not frustratingly long or inaccessible.

With all that said, this port of the game is decent enough but does have its drawbacks.

The graphics are just as beautiful as in the Super Nintendo / Famicom version and don't suffer a significant slowdown as with the Final Fantasy IV advance remake. The sharper screen of a Nintendo DS best showcases the visual beauty of this game, and those playing on an older Gameboy Advance or even SP might miss some detail.

The soundtrack to this game is one of Uematsu's masterpieces, and the port does a decent job of recreating the experience with the Game Boy's limited hardware. The music has been slightly remixed to fit in the fewer channels that the portable system allows. While many of the tracks have been "jazzed up" to cover the lack of extra instrumentation, the transferred soundtrack is still a slight downgrade from the original. While new fans of the game are not likely to notice, old schoolers who played the original incarnation will stand to be slightly disappointed.

Lastly, the game has been retranslated and relocalized, overwriting some of the heavily criticized decisions made by original translator Ted Woolsey. In many aspects, this serves to help the game. The vagueness that came from Woolsey's Western-interpretation of the plot has been somewhat cleared up. In addition, some of the character interactions that would have once seemed vague and misleading now show clear direction. Not all of the changes are for the better, however. The new translation also censors a few of the games scenes, seemingly for brutality (ie, Celes's incarceration). Also, and this will probably only affect those familiar with the original, the new translation has changed the lyrics of "Aria di Mezzo Carattere." While the new translation better fits with the music, the Aria is considered one of the most memorable moments in the series, and the difference is likely to irritate old fans.

Final Fantasy is a brilliant series with many brilliant games, but in my opinion, the true beginning of Final Fantasy as a dynasty is here. The game is more grown-up in many aspects than those before it and still shines as brightly as some of those that have come after. While this is an imperfect port of the original, porting a game always requires some sacrifices. The developers made decent choices, given the options that they had.

Whether you're an old fan back to reminisce or new to the series, Final Fantasy VI Advance will provide hours of intrigue and fun.

I don't get it..

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: February 07, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Why are all these people saying that the sound is not that great? I've played the SNES version and yes I do notice that it sounds different; but it's not BAD at all. Some tracks may sound a bit goofy; but it's just different. There's nothing wrong with the sound of this game at all.

The only problem I have with it is the texture of the graphics.. It's too bright for me. The SNES version had a darker more earthy feel to it; this is just bright and in your face!!

I do love this game; it's quite possibly my favorite game of all time.. but I was expecting more.

The additions are nice; 4 new espers, a fully rehauled game script, item names, spell names, hey you can even see full item descriptions now! No idea that a Plumed Hat had a "chocobo plume" in it!! Nice additions all around! :)

The best RPG on the market.

Son of a what?

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: March 08, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game was amazing back when I first played it and the original charm is FOR THE MOST PART still there. It's one of the greatest stories ever told in my honest opinion, but the new translations lack the punch of the original one. Specifically, if you ever thought "son of a submariner!" was the best insult ever fangled, you'll be very disappointed with this new iteration of an old classic.

But I'm nitpicking. This is indeed an excellent game if you're into that whole nostalgia thing. I am.

A Pretty Good Port of a Fantastic Game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Final Fantasy VI is one of those few games that I will buy over and over; I owned the original release (as FFIII) for the SNES and also the PS1 rerelease, making this my third time buying this excellent game. Since this is a port, I'll let the greatness of the original game speak for itself and focus on how well it was adapted to new hardware.

Issue #1: Playability
There are some slight loading times, but nowhere near the nigh-unplayable mess that was the PS1 version. You'll also notice some slight chugging during the more elaborate spell effects in battle, and your character seems slightly less responsive in towns and dungeons than in the original. In an action game this would be unforgivable, but since FFVI is an RPG that seldom requires precise control anyway, you'll barely notice it.
It's also worth noting that they've added the ability to run at any time, whether you have Sprint Shoes equipped or not. (This ability can be mapped to a button or enabled at all times, or just ignored for you purists out there.) IMO this is a long-overdue and welcome change. You'll also note that if you run while Sprint Shoes are equipped, your character will dash wildly about at twice the normal running speed. This is fun to try out for giggles, but not recommended for normal play, as it makes your character nearly impossible to control.
A "save anywhere" feature is also implemented, another long-overdue and welcome change that can safely be ignored by anyone wanting the "pure" experience of the original game.

Issue #2: Censorship
To my surprise and bafflement, there is some slight censorship in the scene in which you first meet Celes. In the original version, she is beaten (from what we can see given the basicness of the sprites, quite severely) by her Imperial guards. In the Advance version, this beating is completely excised. I am against censorship in all forms, so if I had known this in advance, I would not have purchased the game. Many players will not be so bothered, however.

Issue #3: Translation
The game has received a completely new English translation from the ground up. Players new to FFVI, of course, won't even notice, but veterans of the SNES and PS1 versions will find many of their favorite lines changed. What gets me is that this new translation is seldom actively BETTER than the old one, nor is it really any worse; it's just different for the sake of being different. I'm not sure why Squeenix would go to the expense and trouble of hiring another translator when it serves only to alienate fans of the original and dampen the game's retro appeal, but there it is.
That said, only complete and utter purists will find this a game-breaking change; most players either won't notice or won't care.

Issue #4: Sound and Music
Astute fans of the original will notice quite a few differences in the music and sound effects. Some of these are obviously unintentional byproducts of moving the software to different hardware. SNES sound (and for whatever reason, FFVI in particular) is notoriously difficult to emulate, and no port has gotten it perfect so far. This one does better than most.
But much of the music is also intentionally remixed. The effect is subtle, and often the changes are positive; adding extra MIDI instruments that were probably beyond the capabilities of the original hardware in order to flesh out some of the sparser pieces, for example. But it does beg the question: why mess with perfection?

At the end of the day, though, the greatness of the source material and the convenience of having it in a portable package outweigh any issues in translation, leaving me unhesitant in recommending this to any fan of FF or console RPGs in general.

*Smiles*

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game really does take an old-time player back. Each character in FFVI has their own personality, and the storyline is just as good.

There are, however, some details.

1) The first time you use Sabin's Blitz in the game. The instructions are very unclear, and because I hadn't played it in a while, I really did not know what to do. A simple: <--, -->, <--, A would have sufficed and been more efficient. Also, and I know this was probably on the original SNES version of the game instead of Down, Down left, Left for the Aura move, it would have been a lot more efficient to mention IN GAME that it was really Down, Down, Left and then A.

2) The Celes scene should not have been cut out. I got this game because I thought it would be in good faith with the original. There was no reason to cut out that scene with her and the soldier. I did not want to buy an abridged or censored copy of a Classic. By the same token, they had no problem leaving the scene with Cyan and his family. So I'm not really sure what is going here, but that did disappoint me as an old-time player, and fan.

3) The music sounds very odd on this system, but it could just be the system itself and how it translates sound.

These are my only observations so far. The Celes part is kind of disappointing, and FF purists should consider this before spending money on owning this product. But the over all story is the same, and some elements of the game are in fact easier to access. So overall rating 4/5.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 Next 

Actions