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Final Fantasy IV, One of the Finest Fantasies ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 70 / 77
Date: December 13, 2005
Author: Amazon User

While the more recent Final Fantasy games stick out in peoples mind, those who have been gaming for a long time will, no doubt, praise Final Fantasy IV as being the Final Fantasy that made the series what it is! Originally, it was released as Final Fantasy II in the United States in 1991. It later had another release on the Playstation in Final Fantasy Chronicles in 2001. Final Fantasy IV truly does define what Fantasy is, and it's nice to see that after fifteen years, the game is still a blast.

Cecil, a dark knight, is the leader of Castle Baron's airship fleet. As Castle Baron's motives become more warlike and disturbingly unjust, Cecil begins to question his morals. And when he brings about question to the King, he is stripped of his rank, and is ordered to deliver a package to a nearby village. Cecil doesn't suspect that what's happening to the kingdom could be real. He soon sets out to conquer whatever evil it is that has taken over his kingdom, as well as pursuing a more justified course in his life by ultimately giving up being the dark knight.

The story is a classic in the RPG world, said to be one of the best. It's full of memorable characters, and was the first Final Fantasy to incorporate a love story.

Aside from the story, the most memorable thing about Final Fantasy IV were the characters, bringing about some of the most well developed characters that had more than just a name, but a story of their own. The story is told in text on the screen just like any RPG. It has been updated from the original release of Final Fantasy II on the Super Nintendo. The text, for example, is more legible, and it is also a little bigger. This is perfect for the Gameboy Advance. Some backgrounds are also redrawn and made bigger for the GBA.

Those who played the original Final Fantasy II on the SNES will also notice changes in the battle system. Each character, for example, has a special attack. Cecil, for example, has the "Dark" technique which is fairly powerful. If you played Final Fantasy IV in the Final Fantasy Chronicles package, this is no surprise to you at all.

Final Fantasy IV was the first RPG to use the Active Time Battle System (ATB). When entering battle, all your characters have a gauge displayed below them. When it's full, they get to select a command and attack. The difference between this battle system and the original turn based is that your enemies can attack as you're selecting a command. This adds new challenge to the game, and Final Fantasy IV takes advantage of it by being one of the hardest RPGs you'll ever play. Battles do, however, come to a swift conclusion, despite how challening they are.

If you're new to the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy IV is not the first game you should play. Likewise, if you didn't play the Final Fantasy Chronicles version of Final Fantasy IV, you'll also find the game a little too challenging at first glance. This is simply because in Japan Final Fantasy IV had two versions. Easy Type and Hard Type. Easy Type was sent to the states as Final Fantasy II in 1991, and Hard Type was sent to the states as Final Fantasy IV in 2001 with the Final Fantasy Chronicles package. Easily enough, those who started with Final Fantasy VII will be amazed at how quickly Final Fantasy IV escalades into being what is widely considered one of the hardest RPGs ever made.

Graphically, Final Fantasy IV is right on par with GBA graphics. They look a lot better than they did on the SNES and the PSX. Places look a lot smoother, the backgrounds in combat are also incredible to look at. The enemies are about the same however, meaning they don't move, but rather flash when they do something. Despite that, the graphics are a fine update.

Where Final Fantasy IV truly shines is the music score. Branded as one of the best in the series, the music clearly captures the dramatic sequecences. Each character also has his or her own theme (a staple that would go into later Final Fantasy games as well). Final Fantasy IV has a captivating music score that any gamer will love.

It's nice to see Final Fantasy IV on the GBA, but the question has to be, why so long for the wait? The GBA isn't dead, but it certainly isn't lively anymore. It is better than waiting for a revamp on the Nintendo DS, though. Fans old and new alike will enjoy Final Fantasy IV on its new home.

The Good
+Classic RPG
+Compelling story
+Loveable characters
+Fantastic music score
+Good graphics

The Bad
-It's short. Ranging from 15-25 hours
-The game, for some gamers, will be overly difficult

Even better than the original!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 18 / 19
Date: March 25, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I just bought this game last month, and have played all the way through it, including the unlockable side quests.
I'm not going to write much about the games story here, there are plenty of other reviews for that already. All I'm going to write about is the game itself.
Anyway, after playing all the way through the game, I have to say that I like it even more than the original. The script is much better, and the music sounds much better on the GBA.
One thing that I particularly liked about this game was all of the new unlockables! After beating the game, you unlock a new dungeon to explore, as well as a really cool music player! If you go down to extra and select "Music Player" in the main menu, you can listen to all of the tunes and melodies that you heard throughout the game! My personal favorites include, Hey Cid!, Rydia, Theme of love, Chocobo-chocobo, and Dancing Calcobrena.
The unlockable dungeon, Lunar ruins, is very cool! To fully unlock every room in the dungeon, you have to beat Zeromus once as each character. After that, you get to do some really cool extra tasks as each character! I wont spoil them for you, but just having them in the game highly increases the overall replay value of this game.

Now for the pros & cons of this remake...

Pros:
It's the same old game that you used to love, but with some cool upgrades and additions to game play.
New Quick Save feature allows you to save inside of dugeons and towns.
Some of the text from the old game has been fixed so now all of the magic spells aren't abreviated. Example: Meteo has been fixed to read Meteor.
Has new unlockable Music Player and side quest dungeon!
The music sounds much sharper on the GBA, you can really hear the seperate instruments playing in unison.
This version has the old, unedited script, which is far more convincing durring game play.

Cons:
Unlike Final Fantasy Chronicles, this game does not include Chrono Trigger.
They changed the sound effects for some of the moves, and changed the names of some of the moves. For example, Meteor doesnt make that screechy noise anymore, (which I thought sounded cool) and Nuke has been changed to Flare.
In battle, there seems to be a lag in reaction time when pressing down the buttons... (You press the button, but it takes a second to register the command.)

50/50:
None of the graphics have been upgraded, but if you're like me, that doesnt really matter.

If you're like me, and have already played Final Fantasy II for the snes or Final Fantasy Chronicles for the PSone, buy this game! It's well worth the price!

The classic comes back...advanced!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 11 / 13
Date: December 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I've grow up playing the Final Fantasy series like Final Fantasy for the NES and Final Fantasy IV for the SNES (used to be Final Fantasy II in US) back when I was 8. That was 15 years ago! Those were the good days. I also play the Playstation version of Final Fantasy IV. It was okay, but at least it has some cool video clips. And when I play the Gameboy Advance version of Final Fantasy IV, I was full of joy and happiness since it has LOTS of new stuff. But what's new in the Gameboy Advance version? You can finally switch characters (that are alive) before the final dungeon, new bonus dungeons, better translation, new enemies, new equipments, a bonus dungeon after you beat the game, and much much more!

Also, Final Fantasy V Advance and Final Fantasy VI Advance are coming soon as well along with Tales Of Phantasia which was a Japanese only game for the SNES is now coming soon to Gameboy Advance! So what are you waiting for? Bring back the memories by picking up your copy of Final Fantasy IV Advance and check out all the changes, today!

Awesome port of one of the best RPGs of the 16-bit era

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 9 / 10
Date: July 20, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Final Fantasy IV - Game Boy Advance port

INTRODUCTION:
The Final Fantasy RPG series was one of the finest to dominate the NES, back in its eight-big heyday. There were three awesome games released for that classic system in Squaresoft's legendary RPG series (only the first of which initially made it stateside.) But in the early nineties, Nintendo unveiled the Super Nintendo - twice as strong as its predecessor. It was time to take Final Fantasy to the next level, and that's just what they did. The fourth installment in the series, and first for the Super Nintendo, has now been reissued for Game Boy Advance.

OVERVIEW:
Final Fantasy IV Advance is a new port of the old Super Nintendo game (which was erroneously called Final Fantasy II in its American form originally.) The game adds several new features/quests/dungeons/bonuses etc.

REVIEW:
This was one of the finest of the Final Fantasies. I'm glad to see it get the proper reissuing treatment at long last. After the Game Boy Advance port of Final Fantasy I and II, Squaresoft serves up another winner. Aside from some flaws, this is an excellent port of an old classic.

-THE GOOD:
-FINAL FANTASY IV - REISSUED AT LAST! The classic first entry in the series for the Super Nintendo is readily available on a Nintendo system once again! And this time around, it's even portable!
-THE PRESENTATION HAS BEEN REWORKED. The graphics have been retouched slightly, and the script has been totally redone to be more accurate to that of the original game (though some of the bad script from the old translation was left in for a good laugh.) Attack names are no longer edited/altered, so they days of Nuke and Fire1/Fire2/etc. are at an end.
-FIRST APPEARANCE OF THE ACTIVE TIME BATTLE SYSTEM. This system set the standard for combat not only in the Final Fantasy series for years to come, but other RPGs as well, such as Square's time-traveling classic, Chrono Trigger.
-EXTRA DUNGEONS AND BOSSES! One great thing about the Final Fantasy series has always been the side quests - which are totally optional but great for gaining experience/abilities/etc. The Game Boy Advance version even throws some in that weren't in the original game, further enhancing the game play. There's even extra dungeons, bosses, and a new final boss after you beat the game!
-FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE SERIES, TRULY THREE-DIMENSIONAL CHARACTERS. The games on the NES were big on game play but small on story. Only Final Fantasy II on the NES had a decent plot-driven storyline. Finally, we get a game with characters who grow and evolve over time.

-THE BAD:
-WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO THE SAVE SYSTEM!? In the Final Fantasy I and II port, you could save anywhere you wanted, anytime you wanted. This is no longer the case. You can now only save on the world map or in dungeon save points. This is nowhere near as bad as the DS port of Final Fantasy III, but still a flaw that needs to be brought up.
-MANY PARTS ARE STILL EDITED. No, there's nothing here that's a big deal, but still worth mentioning. It's just stuff done to block out partial nudity that isn't even revealing at all, so I'm not really complaining. I just wanted a true, unedited game that was as true to the Japanese version as possible. But for the most part the game does that.
-LAG TIMES AND OTHER BUGS IN BATTLE. No other port of this game (to my knowledge) has this problem. It gets extremely annoying in the heat of a fierce battle when everything just stops suddenly. Likewise, due to the active time battle system not being perfected yet, enemies are sometimes able to squeeze in multiple attacks on a single turn - and cheese you to death.
-HORRIBLY UNEVEN DIFFICULTY. This game is challenging, but most of the challenge comes from the game's uneven nature. You'll be leveling up just fine, and beating any challenge that comes your way - only to suddenly find yourself facing enemies who overwhelm you instantly. Most of the other Final Fantasy titles gradually get more difficult - whereas this game has its moments that will hit you all at once.
-WHAT HAPPENED TO THE JOB SYSTEM? This was one of my favorite elements introduced in Final Fantasy III, and I was disappointed to see it not make a return here. Your characters in this game are not at all customizable, which is a shame, and all come with a class already assigned. Their class can't be changed unless the story calls for it, and even then, it's NOT optional.
-NINTENDO DS PORT ON THE WAY. With a DS port on the way from the same company that produced the DS Final Fantasy III port, this Game Boy version will soon be obsolete.

OVERALL:
Overall, this is an excellent port - easily the best version of Final Fantasy IV on the market - and it will remain such until the DS port arrives. If you can find this game for a good price, by all means make the purchase. It's a role-playing masterpiece.

EDITION NOTES:
Most game retailers still have copies of this game available. It's not known of Square/Enix still produces it or will continue to do so after the DS port arrives.

After 15 Years, Bards are Still Spoony

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 12
Date: July 02, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Here is a blast of nostalgia for your Gameboy Advance. Final Fantasy IV Advance aka Final Fantasy II aka Final Fantasy IV Hard-Type is a treat for old-school RPG players. Back in its hayday, Final Fantasy IV was the gold standard for what an RPG should be. The first in a series of remakes of that wonderful streak that was the SNES Final Fantasies, Final Fantasy IV is back and better than ever.
The story is as good as it ever was. Final Fantasy 4 did what Final Fantasy 2 (Japanese numbering) tried to do: mixed a well developed story with memorable characters with good if simple gameplay. This is the story of Cecil the Dark Knight who renounces his loyalty to the corrupt kingdom of Baron. Baron has been making war against the other nations of the world to capture four elemental crystals. When his king commands him to kill the innocent, Cecil sets out on a quest to make things right that will take him around the world, to the center of the earth, and to the moon. As he unravels the mystery of who is really behind the actions of Baron, he is joined by a cast of over ten playable characters. Each of them has a reason to join the fight. Characterization may not seem much by today's standards, but this game was made in an age when Square believed less was more. You revealed a motive once and then you moved on instead of going over and over the same psychological problem again and again.

Unlike the Playstation port that had absolutely no upgrades beyond its retranslated script, FF4Advance has a few minor visual tweaks. Some of the game sprites seem to have been tweaked abit to have more definition and character portraits have been redrawn and put in the dialogue boxes to indicate who is speaking. Most of the new portraits are fairly close to the old ones, Edge's and Rydia's are actually an improvement, but the new one's for Rosa, Paladin Cecil, and Edward in particular aren't so nice to look at. There are also two new dungeons and the ability to tackle the final boss with any of the other (still living) playable characters than with the fixed party of five like in the original. All of these new features are very unobtrusive so you can take advantage of them if you'd like the extra challenge or ignore them altogether. Instead of using the script from the original release that contained numerous spelling and grammatical mistakes and was censored due to Nintendo of America's then extremely strict guidelines, FF4A contains a more accurate revamped version. Of course, the "You spoony bard" line has, thankfully, been left intact. It's a classic.

If not for one issue I'd say that this is undoubtedly the best version of the game available. Final Fantasy IV was a really hard game. FF4A is not that hard at all- at least early in the game. I don't know if the difficulty was scaled back because they thought that people didn't want to waste GBA battery life on hours of leveling up or because I've played this game many times before, but it just seemed too easy. Anyone whose played it when it first came out should remember at least super tough boss battle be it Baigan, the Magnus Sisters, Evil Wall or something else. This time through they where like a cake walk. Also it seems that the Active Time Battle is set up in such a way as it gives your party the advantage. Your party seems to regain their turns twice as fast as the enemy. About half-way through the game, that legendary difficulty starts creeping back and by the final trek to the core of the moon you'll be thankful for any break the game will give you.

Final Fantasy IV shows in this port that it stands the test of time. Instead of feeling hoary, old, and outdated, it feels just as much fun as it was fifteen years ago.

a re-release of a classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: December 13, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Final Fantasy IV was originally released here in the US, in an extremely edited form, as Final Fantasy 2. then later it was re-released onto the psx along with chrono trigger as Final Fantasy Chronicles. the PSX version had "new" features such as the restoration of most of the features cut out in our final fantasy 2. But enough of the past, let's get to this edition: this latest iteration features many new features that were not in any of the previous editions. for starters, they have increased the quality of the music and visuals. on top of that, they have added the ability to choose from several different characters to fight through the final dungeon, and to go along with them, new weapons and armor have been added. To top it all off, once the game is completed a new dungeon will be unlocked with 50 levels of randomized dungeons that will be tailored to your characters levels. all in all, my opinion is that if you already own any of the past models,it is worth picking this up and giving it a playthrough just to see some of the new features. if you have never played any of the others, and you like old school RPGs, definately pick this one up.

Disappointing remake

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 10 / 16
Date: December 20, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Don't get me wrong, this game is by no means a disappointment, it just is not as good of a remake that I thought it would be. I'm not sure if the other reviewers who've posted before me are actually talking about this version of the game, or Final Fantasy IV in general.

Final Fantasy IV (when it came out as II here) was and has remained one of my favourite games of all time, even in comparison with some of the more recent games for the SNES/SFC, PS, and PS2. Over the years I have played through various versions of this game countless times, and have tried to get my hands on many versions of the game, even the original Japanese version for the Super Famicom. This version, however, has turned out to be somewhat disappointing (not in all ways, but certainly in some).

First of all, the sound is not that great (well, it is the Game Boy Advance, so it's about as good as it will get here). The music of this game is actually good for the system, but is still sub-par in comparison with the original (keep in mind the original came out in 1991...we're not talking highly-complex synthesised sounds here). The sound effects themselves also suffer in this remake. I might be more willing to let this slide if the sound and music had not been one of the most captivating qualities that kept me glued to my first play-throughs of the game. In 1991 the only games to compare to Final Fantasy IV (II here) were those for the original NES and the few first games to come out for the SNES, so this was a MAJOR leap in quality that seemed impossibly good for the time. Those that haven't played through the original FFIV/II might not care as much as the same technological leap in quality does not exist today.

Secondly, there is an unacceptable amount of lagging and system slow-down, especially at critical times such as battles where the fast pace of the original provided an exciting and enjoyable experience. Yes, the original had slowdown, too, but not at this level, and it did not detract noticeably from the overall playing experience. In FFIVA it actually gets frustrating at times, and does take some of the fun of playing the game out.

That being said this game is not entirely a negative experience. Many of the graphics have actually been updated, and the menu system has been updated some (positively). Some things have been magnified to better suit the small Game Boy screen. A bunch of new stuff, including a new dungeon, have been added to this one that did not appear in the original, even the ability to have characters in your party at the end of the game that were not possible beforehand. There is also a quicksave feature on this one that lets you make a save and quit the game anywhere outside of battle, and start back up exactly where you left off (this is nice when you have to stop playing immediately and you are not near a saving spot).

Most importantly, this game is based on the original FFIV Japanese game, not the American FFII. In Japan, when FFIV was released, there was a "Hardtype" and an "Easytype", where the Easytype was a simplified version of the Hardtype. Unfortunately, the American FFII was a stripped down version of the Easytype version (i.e., even more simplified from the Hardtype). Many of the items in the original were taken out, and the difficulty level was decreased significantly. The translation of the text was also horrendous. This version, like the PS remake, includes all of the items and abilities missing from the original American release, and fixes the terrible translation. However (and this is a big negative for me), the difficulty level on this one so far seems to be suspiciously easy. Some of the other reviewers have stated that this game is very difficult, and indeed the original and the PS remake are, but I think that that does not apply to this remake in particular as I am about halfway through this game so far and am blasting through it with almost no problem at all (I had some trouble with the PS remake...this is not nearly as difficult).

I'm still giving the game four stars just because it's Final Fantasy IV, and I love this game, even when it's not perfect. On top of that there is some new content that may warrant a playthrough by veteran players. I'm just baffled that, after all these years, a faithful remake of this game cannot be made. This game is almost 14 and 1/2 years old, and it's unbelievable that I have yet to see a remake that matches the original Final Fantasy IV in quality. The PS version came close (as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles), but that one had some issues with sound-effect quality and loading times. I had been under the impression that the GBA was designed to make faithful remakes of SNES/SFC games, and the fact that a first-generation game cannot be faithfully remade on this system is unbelievable. I've been playing this game on the Game Boy Player for the GameCube, and even that does not make the sound/music nor the playing experience as good as playing the original. If you do want to play Final Fantasy IV as it was meant to be, get the PS remake. It's not perfect, and does not have all of the added features that FFIVA has, but it is as close to a true translation of the Japanese FFIV that Americans have so far. If the sound and slowdown don't bother you as they do me, then this one will be good enough for you. I just hope that in the future we will have a faithful remake of this game that at least meets the quality of the original, or better yet exceeds it. Until then enjoy this game, as it is still the great Final Fantasy IV, and is outstanding even when not as good as the original.

The best Final Fantasy you've never played

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: January 25, 2006
Author: Amazon User

This title marks the point where the folks at Squaresoft finally hit their stride. Though previous FF titles offered battle systems, story elements, and world designs that were unique enough to sustain a loyal fandom, FFIV was the first home run.

Though FFIV, originally released in the U.S. on the Super Nintendo as "Final Fantasy 2", lacks the complexity of proceeding titles such as FF6 and on, this game offers much to RPG fans. I'll add that if you've never played an RPG before, FF4 is a wonderful choice as an introduction balancing challenge and simplicity well.

In this game you control Cecil and his band of warriors as they attempt to thwart a powerful dark wizard and a corrupt kingdom from unleashing ultimate destruction upon their world. Cecil is a conflicted character who must betray his own kingdom and his whole way of life to wield the power to fight evil. (I'm not giving much away here, you find this out in the first five minutes or so).

When I say world I mean world. This game was one of the first to enable you to explore a mode 7 "globe" complete with continents, landforms, and towns. As you seek new powers to aid you in your quest, you will also make new friends, discover new weapons, more efficient forms of transport, and you will add and (gulp) lose beloved party members along the way. A new player could spend 40-60 hours playing this game before reaching the end of this tale.

Ultimately, FF4 delivers well designed gameplay and an easy to use battle system, a compelling story, memorable characters (slashdot.com still uses Tellah and Edward as icons for their gaming articles), and beautiful music to keep you playing to the finish. Trust me, you'll like it.

Pleasantly Surprised.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

There are numerous trends in the video gaming industry nowadays. Those developers sure have become sophisticated.

One of the tactics has been to release "classic games" on their consoles and see if they can re-milk the market. This, of course, has come with mixed reviews and mixed successes.

Final Fantasy IV for the Game Boy Advance is a champion game. Compared to the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) version (FF2), I believe this re-make is slightly better due to the increased/updated features of the game. (SquareSoft retooled some aspects of the game and added some nice features to please the classic RPG enthusiasts as well as the diehard Final Fantasy fans.)

I like to think of FF4GBA as the "upgraded" version to the original program - similar to downloading a patch for a PC game, only, of course, it still remains a console game.

The major stand-out benefit I gathered from this version of the game is that now the gameplay flows smoother into the Final Fantasy III version. (FF6 for you diehards that know the Japanese nomenclature.) That is, the switching of the party members - that was introduced in "FF3." Also, the unlocking feature where optional side quests result in more loot!

The last part of this review deals with the most important topic: the cost-benefit analysis. The question is, Do you want to enroll in this common tactic of the video gaming industry? Is $30 worth the SNES FF2 "patch?" Does having the portable version of the game (albeit a great game) meet your desires?

Probably for most of us, we got rid of our old NES and SNES a long time ago. (I didn't - they are right next to my N64 and GameCube.) A lot of us downloaded emulators a while back and now play these games on our PCs. And I would venture to say that almost all of us who love RPGs don't even care about video game consoles anymore and have gone to PC (more features in our games).

So my recommendation here is, leave your impulses behind. Yes, Final Fantasy II (and the FF4 GBA version) are classic, great, wonderful games. But nostalgia shouldn't cost this much or require special circumstances to be taken advantage of, in my opinion. Buy the game if you are a collector or have money to burn. But always remember, they can't take our memories away!

Old gold polished back to life...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: January 23, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Back in the late 80's - early 90's a lone game developer was out of money, out of luck, and out of time. He was on his last leg, and wasn't getting anywhere. Seeing his current state, he decided to go for broke and produce his goodbye present to his small, and probably dying group of fans, and produce what would soon become the greatest legacy of games to hit the market for going on two-decades now. It was his "Final Fantasy."

Hironobu Sakaguchi produced the finest saga of games and now has the largest fan-base of any game series to date. This current work "Final Fantasy IV Advance" is an attempt to let his old-school fans relive some of their most memorable moments in the Final Fantasy series over again in an all new updated format, and a VERY successful attempt at that.

Final Fantasy IV Advance brings in new character sprites, updated background mapping, smoother textures overall, and revamped musical score...well more-or-less touched up and re-formatted. The new musical score is beautifal, and is one of the finer points of this game. The changes are so dramatic yet at that the same time suttle enough as not to totally change this classic, that this remake pulled off without a hitch.

The revamped Final Fantasy IV is excellent and will serve as a collectors item. The game itself is a legend in it's own right, if anyone thinks it was a bad idea to re-vamp it, I can tell you from first hand-experience it was a very good idea.

Square took an old, yet still very valuable piece of gold and polished it up like new. A fresh breathe of life to a great game. 5 out of 5, hands down.

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