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Gameplay great, Variety fantastic, Story superb!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: April 22, 2006
Author: Amazon User

By the look of this game, I knew it was going to be maginificent. There are many towns, in which carry different armor, weapons, potions, and antidotes that is, mostly, specific to it's environment. That was a great show of CLASSIC RPG. I loved the classic-renewed graphics of the game, and even though the graphics aren't as good as some of the recent games like SOM or Goldensun, this game portrays many possible role-playing selections that neither of those games have had. In FFIV, you can switch characters swiftly, use various amounts of magic spells and summons, have specific weapons for specific characters, and has great and imaginitive settings.
Overall, this game is fantastic. It gets extremely challenging at the end, but that is what makes it more fun. In the beginning, the monsters are small, tiny, and weak. But soon, the monsters are big and the art is done fabulously.
I think that if you love fantasy, adventure, RPGs, action, or even tactical games, you should go buy this game RIGHT NOW! =)

Great update of a classic game.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: January 06, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I've probably played Final Fantasy IV (Final Fantasy II back on the SNES) around 10 times, for the SNES and the PS1 version, and even a Japanese version. I was originally not going to purchase or play this version.
A friend got it for me for xmas, and I am overjoyed with the changes to this version!

Besides some improvements to graphics and minor additions (and also some things that are worse... the in game portrait of Rosa is HIDEOUS!) the translation of the game is AWESOME. The dialog in the game is much closer to the original Japanese version, and what was intended. The voice and character added to what the characters say is so impressive that, even though I've played the game 10 times, I feel like I'm experiencing it for the first time again. I am that excited to keep playing.
I feel there is so much added to the story (sometimes by adding so little, or changing how something was said) that this is by FAR the best version of this game to hit the US.
Even if you own the SNES or PS1 version, you should highly consider purchasing this game.

In addition...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: October 04, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Since there are already several well written reviews already posted, I just wanted to add one huge thing that they've failed to mention.

This new version has an option for you to select and swap out different players in your party. This has never been available in any other version. Much like Final Fantasy III (ff6 in Japan) where you comprised your team from a pool of characters, Final Fantasy IV Advance lets you take Palom, Poram, Cid, & Yang to fight on the moon if you'd like!

There's also a new dungeon (Cave of Trials) in Mt. Ordeals that requires you to take each of those characters to face a boss in order to unlock their powerful end-game weapons. Each of these weapons (specific to each character. I.E. you can't equip Rydia with Palom's dagger even though they're both black mages) is ultra powerful and instantly makes them a worthy addition to your party (especially Yang's), well maybe not Edward. lol

Anyway, I'm sure that the vast majority of you who buy this game have played a previous versions and let me tell you that you will not be dissappointed. New fight scene/magic graphics, better music, reworked dialogue unique to this version, and new areas will make you feel like you're playing a classic for the first time!

PS- Playing this on the DS Lite

Square's first FF classic brought back again

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 6
Date: March 23, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Final Fantasy IV (originally "II" in America on the SNES) was probably the first time Square did an RPG that resembles the kind they do now. With a more ambitious story - well, at the time, anyway - and a whole host of characters, IV is often considered a classic by many RPGers. While I will admit this is way better than what most companies can do, there was something missing that set it apart from ones like VI or VII. Maybe it's too dated or maybe it just wasn't as compelling or better structured and while I did like IV, I didn't necessarily love it either.

Story: You play as Cecil, captain of the Red Wings, Baron's elite fighting force. Coming home from a mission which had questionable outcomes, Cecil disapproves and the King, infuriated, sends him on another mission to deliver a package to a nearby town. But when the package proves destructive, Cecil and a group of friends he meets along the way, have to somehow stop the King from what he's planning and figure out the mastermind behind it all.

Graphics: Since this is more improved graphics of a SNES release, you'll notice things look more sharper and cleaner than before but there are by no means wow-inducing. But having Amano artwork for character portraits is a nice touch and the game runs quite smoothly. But the environments are just as diverse and although not immaculately detailed, they're fine within the context of the game.

Sound/Music: Many would also consider IV's soundtrack to be the first classic soundtrack with Nobuo Uematsu at the top of his form. Personally, while the themes are lively and one track in particular ("Rydia") has a gorgeous melody, I can't really remember some of them. I could hum practically 3/4's of VI or VII's soundtrack yet if you would tell me what does the town theme sound like, I'd be hardpressed to even get it right. Just saying, it's a good soundtrack to have on but this was just the beginning, as they say.

Gameplay: IV was another instance where characters had specific classes whereas previous games either had the Job system or user-determined classes. From mainstays like dragoons to thieves to bards to white and black mages, all the familiars are here. Some aren't as useful as others but they're all memorable and despite one character you get super late into the game, they all have distinct personalities.

The Chronicles port was the Hardtype version which practically required characters to level up should they want to have a more comfortable playing and not get slaughtered. This port some would describe as easy and while there wasn't a lot of instances where it got frustrating, save some cheap shots, this isn't a game where it feels like a struggle just to get through. My one complaint is that sometimes enemies don't give as much EXP as they should and with 5 members of your team on hand, it makes levelling up a chore when you have to get into near 10-15 battles just for one guy to progress a level.

Part of what made me want to play and finish IV was that it was the only one out of the IV-XII series that I haven't beat. So while the game does have some memorable moments, themes and solid gameplay, this didn't hit me as hard as subsequent games.

How did this game make it past the debug team?

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 5 / 10
Date: February 23, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Though this is otherwise a remake of the SNES classic, "Final Fantasy II / IV," there are some things to consider before purchasing the game:

1.) There are many obvious bugs which will often ruin gameplay.
2.) These bugs never should have made their way past test play. The fact that they weren't even noticed / corrected during the North American localization leads me to wonder how lazy the developer really is, given the opportune amount of time to deal with such apparent issues.

I don't mean to bicker, though the technical issues completely ruined this re-release for me. First and foremost, there are a number of artificial speed-ups and slowdowns on the overworld map, and this is the first issue which I noticed during the opening sequence. Secondly, there is artifacting all over the map, which is the result of unproperly adjusting the map's proportions to fit the resolution of the GBA. (This shouldn't even be a problem, because any half-wit who knows how to use Photoshop can avoid artifacting.) Third, we move in to the newly-implemented battle system, which is an adaptation of the infamous ATB system. A few of the problems here are lag times, commands failing to register and shifty turns. These problems are quite annoying, and can make combat unnecessarily frustrating. I honestly don't know how other people manage to overlook these things...

Now, I have a few other serious issues with this game which aren't necessarily related to bugs. One of the new features, the bestiary, allows the player to add defeated monsters to its databank for later viewing. Simple enough? Well, it seems that the developers redid the encounter rates to make them pre-determined upon starting a new game. In this sense, there are no solid rare or common encounters, as the encounter rates become subjective to the individual game itself. Considering that I've played through the game roughly 3 times, I've never been able to complete the bestiary due to uncommon encounters being too common, and common encounters being too uncommon, vice versa. Doesn't make sense? It doesn't have to -- the developer took a cheap route to make players invest more time in completing the game.

Moreover, many of the new features are completely unecessary, ridiculous, or both. Without spoiling the game, I can say that the difficulty, though advertised as being based on the hard-type release, is significantly nerfed by these additions. Overall, the game barely resembles the original in this right. Albeit, I have no reason to detail much else about this release, as just about all the other details are generally covered in other reviews.

FF Legends returns!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: January 16, 2006
Author: Amazon User

First, do not mistake this title with the Final Fantasy tactics gameplay engine. Final Fantasy IV was patterned off the Active Time Battle system. I was amazed with the quality of the graphics and sound in this game. The soundtrack is easy to listen to with a hint of digital.
As you play the game with your main character, other characters will join and leave. After eight hours of gameplay I am still
enjoying the game waiting for more level ups. The game has a strong plot line which keeps you involved.

I would recommend this game to any new or experienced gamers.

Pros:
1) The game is so well laid out, you will not need to read the manual.
2) Remixed audio from previous decade old Final Fantasy Legend gameboy titles!
3) Pushes the graphics for the GBA platform to the edge with no problems.

Cons:
1) Got time?

For the hardcore only

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: November 13, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The classic Final Fantasy games (1-3 [not 6]) are NOTORIOUS for their difficulty. This does not hold true until you reach the center of the moon. Then, you will find yourself guzzling Elixirs, Potions, and Ethers just to kill ONE monster. For example, the Behemoths (found past B5 in the center of the moon, and in Bahamuts cave) will counter every spell and attack with a brutal 2300 hit on one party member. Most of the boss fights (Asura, Bahamut) and tough monsters (Behemoths, Wicked Masks) are gimmick fights. Bahamut is actually one of the easiest fights in the game, just cast Reflect on all of your party members.
Let me reinstate what the previous reviewers have said about this game
+ Crisp graphics
+ Great music + sound
+ Fun
+ More to do once you beat the game
- Somewhat short (beat EG Zeromus in 18hrs 42mins)
- Very difficult
- Prepare to grind 10-15 levels once you reach the center of the moon!

I enjoyed this, and you can bet I'm getting FF3 for the DS. Great blast from the past, a must-buy for any Final Fantasy fan, RPG lover, or GBA owner!

Another re-release of a classic game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

So this would be the 3rd release of the game, only it's been more enhanced, which is pretty fun, even though it's mostly the same game.

PROS: More advanced graphics and music, better dialogue.

CONS: The pause feature is kind of annoying during battle.
It's also good to have it be more faithful to the Japanese original, but the constant purchase of remedies for every health ailment gets on my nerves personally(in the SNES original, only Heal potions were created).

OPINION: I actually played the original when I was 11 or 12, which I didn't understand at first until I realized it had a storyline. The original for SNES was what got me into RPG's in the first place, which makes me different since everyone else on the planet got into it from FF7.

But anyway, if you haven't gotten the general game yet(not for SNES or PS), it's a good purchase.

INTERESTING TRIVIA: This was the only FF game so far that has a 5-person party.

Continuation of a great series

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'm not the most hardcore of gamers; it is something I do when I am sick and can't leave the bed. But something about the FF series is really fun to me. I don't get as "into" these games as many fans of FF do, but I can still appreciate them for what they are, and this title is no exception.

Not the most insightful of reviews, I'll admit -- but just because you are not a hardcore gamer doesn't mean you need to be intimidated by the FF titles.

RPG Classic now imported to Game Boy Advance!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 5
Date: December 21, 2005
Author: Amazon User

I think this game is cool because for fans of the Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy 4 has been rereleased on Game Boy Advance which it was originally released for the Super Nintendo since 1991 and it was rereleased for the Playstation1 back in 2000 and now rereleased on Game Boy Advance. I like the storyline and it reminds me of the old days when we played video games in 2D graphics. Besides this is one of the best Final Fantasy games ever released on Game Boy Advance!

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