User Reviews (1 - 11 of 28)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

One of the Best Final Fantasies Reborn

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 12 / 12
Date: July 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Pros:

+Impressive Visuals
+Fantastic soundtrack
+Very likeable characters
+Augment systems helps gameplay along
+Fast paced battles
+Good storyline

Cons:

-A very difficult game, even those who mastered Final Fantasy IV previously will have a hard time if they don't go about battles right

In 2006 Square-Enix released Final Fantasy III on the Nintendo DS. It got by in America mainly because the game never had a prior release. The success of the game was such a surprise to Square that they decided to redo Final Fantasy IV. Unlike Final Fantasy III, though, Final Fantasy IV has had several releases. The original Super Nintendo, the Playstation version and recently, the Gameboy Advance. With so many versions out there already, Final Fantasy IV DS will need more than just a face lift to make it worthwhile, and it manages to do so. At its core its still the same classic game you've played before, but there are some additions that make the DS version worth playing, even for those who completely mastered previous releases.

The story of Final Fantasy IV is a classic and still holds up well more than fifteen years later. The game opens with Cecil, the leader of the Baron Red Wings. He has just completed a mission for the King of Baron to secure a powerful Crystal, but feels it was the wrong thing to do. When he returns and questions what has gotten into a King, the King strips him of his duty and orders him to deliver a ring to the town of Mist. Something has gotten into the King of Baron, and now Cecil questions his loyalty to the crown and ultimately decides he must do something about it. His journey will lead him not only to do what's right, but to eventually save the world.

The story is told through on screen text that's been redone to give the game a better feel as well as some dramatic cutscenes. There are even moments of voice acting in some of the games more dramatic moments. The voice acting and fantastic cutscenes help to flesh out the characters, who remain some of the most memorable in the series.

Battling is one of the best parts of Final Fantasy IV. It uses the ATB battle system, which means that the flow of battle is fast paced. Every character has an ATB gauge that must fill up before they can take an action. Every character also has unique standalone abilities to help you out. Tellah can use his "Recall" to cast spells he's forgotten, Rosa can pray and heal allies, Rydia can summon beasts. There are a ton of characters who join you, each with their own unique ability. However, when characters depart (as several will come and go throughout the story) they'll leave behind Augments to teach characters their abilities. Unfortunately you can only teach it once. Once a character learns it, they can't forget it or teach it to another character. Augments are more than just abilities departing characters used. There are also augments for standalone abilities like Auto-Potion and Counter. It's a good system that really forces the player to consider strategy. And you'll need to keep your wits about you, as Final Fantasy IV is a very hard game.

Final Fantasy IV has often been said to be one of the hardest RPGs ever made. Apparently Square-Enix took pride in that, as Final Fantasy IV DS is even harder than the original game. There's a strong need for strategy throughout Final Fantasy IV. The bosses in particular are brutal. Even those who mastered Final Fantasy IV time and time again will find this game to be very challenging. If you began with later installments (in particular, the Playstation games), Final Fantasy IV is a rude awakening.

When not battling, you'll be trumping through dungeons. The bottom screen of the DS displays a map of the dungeon. Uncover all of it and you'll get a reward. Usually an item that can be used. Final Fantasy IV also allows you to roam around using the stylus, but it feels like an after thought.

There's a lot of new stuff in Final Fantasy IV. The game has new secrets, new sidequests and new optional bosses for the gamer to tackle. It also has a new unique summon for Rydia called Whyt. Whyt, when summoned, basically takes Rydia's place in battle and uses the abilities learned by all the characters in your party. You can't control Whyt, however. You can raise Whyt's stats by participating in a series of mini-games, most of which are simple, but they're also not a whole lot of fun. It's necessary to bring out the best in Whyt, however. One neat thing about Whyt, however, is that if you power him up enough, you can go and battle friends online and see who has the stronger one.

Visually, Final Fantasy IV is easily one of the best looking games on the DS. The towns and environments all have the same layout as the original game, but they all look better than ever. The monsters in battle are equally impressive as are the games many cinematic moments. Some of the game looks a little pixelated in some spots, but it doesn't separate from the fact that its amazing looking. Final Fantasy IV DS is a visual masterpiece. If there was anything about the graphics to gripe about, it would be that the character models look a little too cute. This is especially strange when one considers the dark story and mature themes that Final Fantasy IV tackles. Regardless, it's still a beautiful game.

In addition to that, much of the music is reworked and sounds better than ever. Most of the voice acting is quite good. The voices themselves really fit for the characters. There are some instances where the voice work isn't as good as it could be, but it's still very memorable.

Final Fantasy IV DS is how an old school Final Fantasy should be done. It's old school charm comes out a lot (particularly in the difficulty), but at least Final Fantasy IV gets more than just a facelift. With new quests, story sequences, an ability system and a refined script, Final Fantasy IV is worth picking up even if you played the original to death. This is how Final Fantasy IV was meant to be played. If you haven't played Final Fantasy IV, this is a good version to pick up. If you have, it's worth reliving again.

The greatest nostalgia trip I ever took.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 19
Date: August 19, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Hardcore RPG gamers of the old school variety will know what I'm talking about. When this game was originally released in the U.S. as "Final Fantasy 2" on the Super Nintendo; this genre barely existed stateside. But those of us that picked it up had our tastes in video games -if not in all entertainment- permanently changed after playing FF4. There were two kinds of people I showed this to back in the day: people who couldn't even comprehend a game where instead of controlling a character directly you issued them orders and watched them carry them out, and people who became instant hardcore RPG fanatics. Type B: this one's for you.

FF for the NES was a cute little adventure where you handpicked your party out of a small array of cookie-cutter archetypes and set about hunting treasure and fighting monsters and such. It was a start. That and "Dragon Quest" were the only games in town at that time. Then, along with the SNES came this mindblower. Having been skipped over by two Japanese sequels, Americans were treated to their first video game that was on par with other mediums of entertainment. Mario could jump around, Sonic was fast, Samus had cool weapons, and Link had massive worlds to explore, but did you ever really FEEL for them? Did you ever have to watch them die for reals, knowing that you wouldn't be playing as them again in this playthrough? this game made me feel loss, excitement, accomplishment, and a genuine NEED to see what was going to happen next. FF4 has a story that could compete with the best novels, great art designs, wonderful characters with unique abilities and personalities, epic powers at your control, and what I still consider to be the finest score ever in a video game. This one changed video games from a childhood diversion to a lifelong obsession for me. I've spent nearly two decades wishing for a direct sequel (FF: Mystic Quest" was a HUGE letdown), a cartoon series, a movie, something/anything to pay homage to the video game that deserves it most. Final Fantasy VII on Playstation was the first huge hit of the series and the one that gets most of the love from younger fans, but it lacks the flawless execution, focus, and originality of 4. Nonetheless, it's popularity earned it a cool CG movie and spin-offs. But my prayers have been answered in a way with this ground-up remake of my favorite game of all time. I bought the Nintendo DS just for this game. Now let's just hope it catches on this time around and gets the FF7-like treatment it deserves.

I showed the opening animation to a woman at work and her jaw dropped. "SO COOL!" were her exact words. That barely begins to describe how much I enjoyed seeing my favorite characters realized in 3D glory after some 17 years of picturing it in my head. FF4 has been faithfully reproduced in it's entirety with completely redone graphics, new character models, actual cutscenes, some voice-acting, and many more new additions that only make this classic better. You can now raise and train your very own monster who can be conjured to battle in your summoner's place using techniques learned from your party. The training consists of several mini-games that use the DS's stylus in interesting ways. You can even draw the monster's face however you like. Very cool. The dual-screens make using the mini-map extremely handy. The augment capability adds some customization to the game and assures that even when you say goodbye to your favorite characters, some of their talents can still help you out. The only way I could be happier with what I got was if it had been given the full-on next-gen treatment on the Xbox 360. And yes, I would buy this game yet again to experience that. It is that good. A hundred bloated Lost Odysseys, Legend of Dragoons, and Blue Dragons as well as subsequent Final Fantasy games have tried and failed to recapture the one-of-a-kind character work, epic story, unforgettable score, and perfect pacing of this almost-forgotten relic of a genre that is still going strong in part because of the groundwork laid by this title. This is the most fun one can have with one tiny game cartridge.

I spend most of my free time watching genre films, reading comic books and novels, playing story-based video games, and watching any outstanding television series out there, so rest assured that I know a great story when I see one regardless of the medium. Playing through FF4 -even for the dozenth time- gives me the same feeling I get when watching the Star Wars Trilogy or reading The Lord of the Rings. Great fiction is great fiction and this is the kind of game, dated as it is, that reminds me why I'm still doing this at age 30. If you've ever enjoyed a role-playing game in any way, shape, or form don't hesitate to pick this up. It is the best Japanese RPG of all time and it accomplishes that without mindblowing graphics, dozens of lengthy cutscenes, or even decent voice-acting. Buy it!

Very good outing. But not as good as it could have been.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 11
Date: July 27, 2008
Author: Amazon User

"What do you mean?"

That's likely the first thought crossing your mind, so you clicked into my review. Don't worry, reader...I will explain in clear terms. But first, some history, so you know I'm not full of it.

Final Fantasy IV is actually the sixth Final Fantasy game, but the fourth to be released as part of the official series. If you didn't know, the Final Fantasy games (with the exception of X and X-2) have little to do with each other and are not true sequels. Think of them as separate books under a brand; each one tells a different story, even if they might use slight pieces concurrently (such as spells). There were Final Fantasy games released on GameBoy, as well as "Mystic Quest" which didn't really count, but since it held the name, I list it here.

Back in the days of Super Nintendo, Squaresoft released this game as "Final Fantasy II". There were two separate versions, referred to as "Easy Type" and "Hard Type". The SNES version was allegedly the "Easy Type", though I can't fathom why that was...*cough*EvilWall*cough*...Final Fantasy IV was then re-released on the Final Fantasy Chronicles game set along with Chrono Trigger, replete with new CGI cutscenes to further the gameplay. This version was allegedly the "Hard Type". As if that weren't enough, Square Enix (as they were now called) released Final Fantasy IV on the Game Boy Advance - again, allegedly the "Hard Type". And now here we are.

But wait - this isn't the same as either previous version. This is a remake, not a port. The game has been converted to full 3D. Some of the spell and summon names have been changed. And Square Enix has added some features to the game to make it just enough "new" as to make it interesting. So I'll go down the list of good and bad, and then elaborate.

*** THE GOOD ***
- The difficulty is now more in line with some of its latter forefathers, especially with the Active Time Battle system. Bosses such as the Mist Dragon (the first "boss" you'll encounter) are actually challenging if you don't know what you're doing. New gamers might actually get whooped repeatedly. Veteran gamers who understood the patterns will find challenge, but not nearly as much as new gamers. Oh, and by the way...Dr. Lugae? He's no longer a pushover. That's all I got to say about that.

- Certain characters who where difficult to use because they just weren't useful were given additional skills to help them contribute in battle. One character's ability was so blatantly useless as to be laughable, yet he was one of the final characters in the game. This has been changed to where his skills contribute almost as well as Rydia's spells.

- "Augments" add a whole different dimension to the game. With these, you can effectively take the natural skills of other characters and apply them to anyone you want. SO for example, you could have Cecil set up with Counter, Kain set up with Draw Attacks, and have Cecil cover, which effectively makes Cecil a tank while Kain is free to dish damage. That's just one example of the various combinations you can employ to go through the game.

- Item limit is removed - no more relying on the Fat Chocobo to store excess Elixirs.

- Summons, now referred to as Eidolons, have been powered up substantially. In the older ports there came a time when your summon could barely do the damage of Fire 1, so by the time you got Fire 3, there was no point in using Ifrit. (There is a negative to this though, more later)

- The graphical detail of the game is top notch for the DS, especially in certain caves and dungeons. It's clear they put some work into making the game as visually appealing as they could.

- The audio has been remixed, and even improved in some areas. FFIV's music had always been quite good, but the remixes are even better (negative here, more on that later).

*** THE BAD ***

Yes, there are some not-so-good things to this, I'm sorry to say.

- Eidolons. Remember how I just got done praising them for what they bring to the table now? Well, there's a new problem. With the exception of the Four Fiends there's really no point to using them over spells except to watch the scene. This has more to do with how slowly it takes Rydia to call them than anything else.

- Some tracks were remixed with added instruments that totally kill the spirit of the original song/atmosphere it was used in. Troia comes to mind.

- The "sudden death" set of notes was removed. This is what plays the moment someone dies as part of the story, usually at a point when Cecil is yelling their name out. I have no idea why they removed this.

- Cecil's "Darkness" ability was nerfed. On the SNES version, he didn't have this ability. On the PS1 and GBA versions he did. It sent out a wave of dark energy to hit all enemies and caused you damage when you used it, but it was quite useful. Here, it just makes his attacks stronger and takes energy when you attack, but you can only hit one enemy.

- The ability to equip weapons has been altered. Characters who could easily equip certain weapons no longer can or the way they equip said weapons has been changed. For example, Cecil could always equip a bow and arrow as an alternative to a longsword, which was particularly useful in one specific cavern, but now he can only equip daggers and swords, making him effectively useless when you get to that part except to Cover. Plus, depending on how you equipped Rosa's bow/arrow combination, her power went up a bit. This has been removed as well.

- Because everything is in 3D it makes navigating caverns and towers extremely difficult. I'm sure this was intentional, but because you can't change the camera, you can't easily tell which way you're going. Some might actually like this as it forces you to learn the paths all over again, but I don't care for it. The camera is almost directly in front of you, you don't get a "top down" view and can't tell which path leads to a dead end and which does not. I don't mind the camera angle, as long as I can move it at will. This also causes a minor annoyance at one castle where someone is eavesdropping on the throne room: in the older version you can clearly see the perpetrator as they jump up momentarily. This adds suspense that is missing on this version.

- A brief cutscene plays before almost every special ability. It detracts from the fluidity of combat to have to watch Kane for two seconds before he executes the Jump command. I really wish you could disable this.

- The placement of "Switch Rows" has nearly cost me battles. It should be on the left rather than right under "Defend". Because I'm used to fast paced battle, I'm used to pressing right to defend and left to switch rows. No idea why they would change this.

So...do I recommend this game? Absolutely. My negatives are personal nitpicks based on my extensive knowledge of this game, for the most part. I would say if you're a vet like I am who remembers the game from SNES, just don't expect the exact same experience. Square Enix has tried hard to freshen the game in quite a bit of areas. A lot is the same, but a lot has changed, including the names of things.

Simply spectacular

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 8
Date: July 24, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Like Final Fantasy III before it, Final Fantasy IV has undergone a complete makeover for it's transition to the DS, and the game as a whole is a simply spectacular achievement. Completely remade in lush 3-D, Final Fantasy IV returns players to familiar faces like Cecil and Rosa as your journey begins. And what a journey it is. Final Fantasy IV for the DS blows the previously released, and well done, version for the GBA that came out a few years back, and despite the game's transition to 3-D, the core gameplay remains the same, and the overall experience has become all the better as well. The game looks great for a DS game, and while it hardly takes advantage of the DS' touch screen capabilities, there's really no reason for it to either. Customizing your characters is enjoyably addictive thanks to the new augment system, and the game seems more challenging as a whole as well. If there's any downside to Final Fantasy IV, it's that the voice acting is pretty weak. While it's nice to finally hear Cecil and his crew talk, the voice acting just comes off as kind of lame. That aside, there's a spectacular story here (one of the best of the entire Final Fantasy series) and deep, engaging gameplay that doesn't disappoint on any level whatsoever, so this is a minor gripe at the very best. All in all, Final Fantasy IV is a brilliant re-imagining of a classic game that any and every DS owning Final Fantasy and/or RPG fan should definitely pick up, and may very well be the best RPG available for Nintendo's dual screened handheld at this time. Thanks Square, you've done it again.

PERFECTION DEFINED

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: July 24, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Never before has a remake of a video game been done with such care and precision, Square-Enix has achieved a wonderful thing with this game. For those of you that played FFIV back in 1991, prepare to be amazed. At last, the most ground breaking and engrossing RPG of all time has been revamped in full 3-D with EXCELLENT voice acting. Everything that you remember from the original is here, all of the characters look perfect, the voices fit them, the layout of the towns is EXACTLY the same as it was, even the treasure chests are in the same location as they were in the original. Some new features have been added as well, the Augment system allows you to assign abilities from characters that leave your party to other characters...and it comes in quite handy. The story has been expanded, and it really improves the overall depth of an already wonderful story (but all of those memorable moments are untouched...YOU SPOONY BARD!). The music has all been redone, but fear not, it's the same as it ever was, only better! For those of you that started playing Final Fantasy with FFVII, prepare to get a serious lesson in what a REAL RPG is like (not to knock VII, i enjoyed it too, but this is what Final Fantasy is all about). Back in the glory days, RPGs were incredibly difficult, and this one will take everything you've got. Don't be discouraged if you lose to regular monsters at the early portions of the game, just level up, and you'll be untouchable. All in all, I couldn't be happier with this game, it has everything that a good RPG should have. I encourage every gamer out there, both old-school and new-school to buy this immediately and embark on the unforgettable journey with Cecil, Kain, Rosa, Rydia and Edge. You will NOT be disappointed, in any way.

An old school Final Fantasy gamer's dream come true

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 13, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Let me start off by saying I have played every Final Fantasy (including the Legend and Adventure series) since I was seven years old and the original Final Fantasy was released.

Final Fantasy 2 (4) for the SNES was always in my opinion the best Final Fantasy and was high above all the other titles in terms of gameplay, plot, music, characters, etc. No other title in the series was capable of dethroning it no matter how good the graphics, in fact the series gradually got worse as the graphics improved and the plot and characters became dilluted. When those graphics improved, I imagined always how it would be to have a remade version of this title with better graphics, and improved features. Many years later, it has arrived.

But this review is not about the series, it's about this specific game. This game is absolutely amazing. The only negative about the re-release was that it wasnt ported to the Wii or a home console and we must stare at a small screen. Even so, for die-hard fans of the game it is well worth your money.

As many have pointed out, there are a lot of new bells in whistles in thsi release. First off, the game is very difficult. An experienced Final Fantasy gamer would have very little to no challenge breezing through the SNES version or the other ports. In this one you have to watch your HP very carefully, because the fights are no joke -- especially with the bosses. This, overall makes for a much better gaming experience.

GRAPHICS -- A huge jump from the previous releases. Think Final Fantasy 7 style graphics and thats what you have. The sprites are not realistic looking, but they are not meant to be. However, what they have done with the technology is an impressive change and adds a lot to the game.

MUSIC -- The music got a minor facelift. Some tunes have added sounds, which overall was very well done. For the most part, the sounds are not tampered with very much and it sounds excellent.

SPEECH and CUT SCENES -- This part to me was what made this remake EXCELLENT. The cut scenes and way the characters talked are almost how I imagined in my mind playing the old version with 2D sprites. It invokes a certain sense of nostalgia that can only be felt by experiencing it for yourself. For example, the scene in the beginning when the ring is delivered to the village of Mist and the encounter with Rydia. Square-Enix has decided to use these cut scenes at perfect moments, and with flawless translation. This will really grab your attention and keep you playing and for me was the best part of this game.

NEW FEATURES -- Quite a bit was added to the game that was not before seen. I will list them:
1. Maps on one of the screen of the dungeons and world maps
2. Character "paper doll" for when you equip weapons with ability to rotate view.
3. Rydia gets a new summon, with multiple mini games and upgrades to enhance it.
4. New translation of the entire dialogue.
5. Added scenes. A lot more is explained as 2/3 of the original dialogue was cut out for the US version. This is all added back in and we learn a lot more about the story.
6. Augment system. You can now change abilities of characters after they leave your party.

The list goes on and on....

In short, if you are a huge fan of this game, or even remotely interested buy this title. Anything said about it not being "quite different" or the upgrades not being worth it nitpicking because this title deserves nothing short of absolute praise.

Still a great game with sme interesting new features.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

When this game was first released here in the states a group of us got together and powered through it over the first 24 hours (give or take) of having. We'd each take turns playing for a couple of hours. Eventually everyone else fell asleep and I kept on playing. By dawn the next morning I was in the last dungeon marching through the multitude of mini-boss battle to the final boss. Some great memories there.

Now I get to play this awesome game again, just at a more leisurely pace this time. One of the reasons to take more time with the game is the inclusion of mini-games for you Eidolon Whyt. These mini-games are pretty fun, reward you with items, and increase the strength of Whyt when you summon it for battle. Also new to the game is some nice cut-scenes and voice acting. It brings the game up in the epic feel while still retaining everything that the great offered when it first came out.

If you are an FF fan and a DS owner you probably don't need these reviews to know the game is worth buying, but if you are on the fence rest assured the game is definitely worth buying.

Mostly Great - But Certainly Not Perfect

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I am a major fan of Final Fantasy games and I have always thought FFIV to be the best in the series. The story is outstanding, the characters are varied and interesting, and the game is just a lot of fun to play.

I have two major gripes with this version, however.

The first (and most major) is the difficulty. I am used to the SNES version, which in my opinion had the right level of difficulty. As long as you fought all of the random battles along the way and reserved running only for desperate situations, you could play through the whole game without too much difficulty. That's not to say you would never be bested by a boss or even a random encounter, but a second try would usually find you successful, as long as you knew the right strategy. In this version, I found myself fighting the same boss battles 4 or 5 times before wandering around to earn more experience points to give myself at least a chance at winning. Now before going on, let me say I have no problem with "level grinding" per se, and I gladly do it in other RPGs. My problem with this in FFIV is the fact that characters join and leave your party so often, in some cases never to return, that it seems a terrible waste of time. Why spend an hour or two increasing the level of a character you know will be permanently leaving the party after the next boss battle (or even worse, before the next boss battle)? Another frustrating aspect to the difficulty is the fact that when you have to replay the same boss battle a dozen times, you have to watch the same cut-scene and go through the same dialogue a dozen times, which slows down game play and can make a person disenchanted with this version of the game.

The other problem I have with this version is relatively minor, but still bothersome. The reworked 3D graphics are nice but they aren't wonderful. The character designs are slightly childish and cartoon looking. This is ok, but the problem comes at the beginning of the game. I sit and watch several minutes of amazing full motion animation featuring most of the characters in the game. In this animation, the character designs are awesome. After this, the actual game graphics (which aren't bad in and of themselves) are disappointing. I enjoy the opening video, but it would have been better if it had been left out. You can't show someone a steak then feed them meatloaf.

Other than these two issues, the game comes through as still being an excellent RPG. I would have liked to see it possible to enter commands using the touch screen instead of the directional pad, but the controls work pretty well the way they are. This version of the game is definitely recommended to all RPG fans, whether or not you are familiar with earlier versions. Just don't expect to win every boss fight (or any boss fight, for that matter) on your first try, and don't be too disappointed when the game itself falls short of the opening animation, and you should really enjoy it.

Fan-freaking-tastic!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 11, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I couldn't be more pleased with this version of Final Fantasy IV. I played the US SNES version many times in the early 1990s, and find this one to be a pleasant update. The CGI sequences, voices, and overall 3D character and environment rendering are top-notch for a DS game. Despite the facelift, the core gameplay and story remain the same, and were among the best created in the 16-bit era.

There are numerous changes to the game, actually. The translation is different--subtly in some places, and greatly in other places, such as the original's puzzling "One to be born from a dragon" poem--but it still has Tellah's great line "You spoony bard!" The cutscenes are now rendered in 3D, with some of them having spoken dialog (which was well-done). The battle system is tweaked a little bit, and even includes an auto-battle option, which automatically plugs in your most-used commands. It's great for grinding/leveling up, which you have to do periodically.

It IS more difficult than the 1992 US version, but there are some compensating measures that make it easier, too. First, characters have additional special abilities that make them more useful. Second, there are special ability modifiers you can give to your characters, to make them stronger and more versatile than in the old version. Third, the auto-mapping feature makes navigating dungeons FAR easier than before.

If you like RPGs with good stories, fun combat systems, and don't mind leveling up your characters between boss battles (that's what the game is all about, after all), then I would recommend picking this game up immediately.

One of the finest fantasies reborn once again!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 14, 2008
Author: Amazon User

After it's original launch on the SNES in 1991, "Final Fantasy IV" (re-named II in North America at the time) proved to be a very enthralling RPG for its time. In late 2001, it was re-released for the original Playstation, bundled with "Chrono Trigger" in "Final Fantasy Chronicles". The translation was better and CG-rendered cutscenes were added. For purists, it was a return to the nostalgic days on the SNES. In 2006, the game was re-released for the Game Boy Advance, under the name, "Final Fantasy IV Advance". The translation and graphics were better than ever and it became one of the most popular portable RPGs available! Finally, in 2007, FFIV is reborn once again for the Nintendo DS.

The graphics, translation, and music have received a complete makeover and the end result is amazing! The game has gone completely 3D with new voice-overs, but with the original gameplay intact. In addition, there are new secrets, such as New Game+ mode, which allows you to replay through the game a second time, with rare items and weapons collected from the last playthrough. However, there's no denying that this is the hardest version of FFIV by far! Enemies and bosses are stronger than ever and you'll have to use good strategy if you're determined to get past them. This may frustrate some gamers, especially those new to the genre. Cons aside, this is an excellent remake of FFIV! Fans of the SNES/PSX/GBA releases will enjoy playing through the game once again. Highly recommended!

Review Page: 1 2 3 Next 

Actions