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"We are...hatred...we are...Zeromus..."

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 22, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is the second best Final Fantasy ever. Final Fantasy VI is the only one which beats it. This also has the second best array of characters (once again beaten out by VI).

Okay, the storyline is the best thus far in the series, starting out with a familiar theme: an oppressive empire plans to conquer and rule the world. However, this also mixes in another common element of Final Fantasy: the Crystals. The kingdom of Baron is plundering all of the Crystals for the ultimate power, unknowing that they are only a puppet. Cecil (one of the best main characters ever) is a Dark Knight who questions the authority of his king and his own struggles within himself. Rosa is a White Mage and his girlfriend who is constantly worried for him (not annoyingly, though). Kain is the leading Dragoon and Cecil's best friend who is also secretly his worst enemy for the love of Rosa, thus completing the love triangle. From here opens up a kaleidoscopic array of characters and their own struggles within themselves and the overbearing empirical rule of Baron.

This is the first game to institute the Active Time Battle system, the battle systems used in most Final Fantasy games. When one of your character's time line fills up, you can issue his/her commands. While he/she executes the command, you can choose another character's command and let the battle unfold. This is one of the best battle systems ever created for the RPG genre. While not as strategical as the turn-based system, it keeps you thinking on your toes.

The music is almost at its peak as Nobuo Uematsu once again captures the imagination of the deepest thinkers. The final boss battle music is the second best boss battle music in all of Final Fantasy (ONCE AGAIN behind VI).

This is the first game to incorporate the relationship between brothers. Cecil and Golbez are mortal enemies practically until they find out they are brothers. Then, it comes down to Cecil trying to find it in his heart to forgive him. This is one of the most touching stories in all of Final Fantasy. I certainly love it.

All in all, a great game and one that will surely stand the test of time with the best of the best. A treat for all fans, old and new.

Perfection!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: April 13, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is the reason I became addicted to RPGs. I first played this game when it came out on the Super Nintendo. I had no idea games could suck you in to the point that you actually cared about the characters. The story is compelling and intelligent, the characters are well rounded and with interesting back stories, and the combat is simple and quick.

If you have played RPGs for years and never tried this one then it may seem too simplistic or archaic compared to Mass Effect or The Witcher but if you are willing to sample a bit of history then you are in for a treat. The new content is interesting for long time fans and newbies will get hooked on a great story.

Get the game while you can and don't forget parts V and VI for the GBA as well. If you have a DS they just announced the remake of this with voice acting and a new combat system. Check that one out too!

fun old school rpg

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

i play my ds on the train every day to/from work, and i'd finished with the castlevania games, luminous arc, etc. i was looking for a really relaxing, fun, oldschool style rpg. this fit the bill perfectly, i haven't played it for *years* since the snes. it's a tad slower than even i like (and i really like slowpaced oldschool rpgs), but i'm glad i bought it.

One of the best of all time

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 09, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This was the very first RPG I played, back when I was about six or seven. I had no idea what to expect this game to be like, and I was totally blown away. I'm glad my friend introduced me to it, and it stuck in my mind ever since. I rented this repeatedly when I was a kid, even though I never finished it until a few years ago.

This is the only Final Fantasy where you have no control over your party composition - in earlier installments, you got to decide your party's abilities, and in later editions you could at least pick which characters you fought with. That contributes to this game being one of the most challenging Final Fantasy games as well, because the bosses were designed to play off of your weaknesses (and you had to learn to do the same to them). You can't make any of your characters ridiculously strong across the board like you can in other FFs.

The story is very engrossing, because the characters are some of the most interesting and convincing we see in video games. In this game, each of the characters is designed to complement the others. It also helps that the landscapes are colorful, and the battle system is addictive.

For those who played the ol' FF2 on SNES, this game is a little different. For starters, all of the abilities that were removed for the US version of that game have been put back in, which makes the game fresh even if you played the old version. Most of the dialogue has been re-translated and updated, which is cool. Apparently there is more content at the end, although I haven't had the priveledge of playing through it yet.

One minor bug that prevents me from giving this full stars makes certain characters go twice in a row during battles; this causes other characters to lose their turns which can be frustrating. Although overall this works in the player's favor, it's slightly disheartening to see this game flawed. The other thing that irks me is the fact that you can't pause during combat - a much-needed feature if you play on the go like most handheld gamers. They added the quicksave feature, so why not a pause feature? :(

I love this game. If you like RPGs, and especially if you are a Final Fantasy fan, this is a must-have for your collection. Even after having played it on and off for about 12 years, I still have trouble putting this down. See the game that showed great innovation in video game storytelling.

As good as I can remember

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: February 08, 2008
Author: Amazon User

What a great return to a SNES classic and portable in the palm of your hand!

Final Fantasy IV Advance

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

An excellent game, good update to an already excellent game. Reminded me of the good ol SNES days. A must have for any FF fan.

A story of redemption... slightly hindered by buggy gameplay

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I've seen several reviews that have gone into the basics of the slightly convoluted history of Final Fantasy IV in the English-speaking world, so I'll just cut through all of that and talk about the Game Boy Advance version of Final Fantasy IV.

The basic story is fairly simple -- you play Cecil, a Dark Knight who came to age in the care of, and who now works for, the King of Baron. The King develops a lust for the Crystals, and he preys upon Cecil's loyalty, and his skill as a Dark Knight, to take what he wants by force. Cecil questions the King's motives and is quickly relieved of his command of the Red Wings (air ships that act as the Royal Air Force for the kingdom of Baron).

Cecil, along with his dragoon friend Kain, are sent on a menial task which ends up being more than they bargained for, and that's when the story really gets cooking.

The basic plot elements aside, Final Fantasy IV Advance is mostly the same game as it was in its earlier form. There are some nice bonuses in this version -- the script has been revised, two new dungeons have been added, there is a party swap feature later in the game, and there are some new boss battles. There is also a Bestiary and a Soundtrack Player.

I would have given the game 5 out of 5 stars, but there are some technical issues. The GBA version is a port of the Wonder Swan Color version, thus making it a port of a port. Sadly, this shows. The maps do not scroll with perfect smoothness while playing on the Game Boy Player (although it's not so bad on the actual SP). This is especially bad when you're using an air ship.

The battle scenes sometimes lag if there is a whole lot going on at once, and the menus also display some noticeable lag. This can create problems if you're trying to cast magic quickly.

The biggest issue that I noticed is a bug that allows a character to attack twice in a row, despite whether the ATB gauge is full or not. This can drastically alter the way battles unfold, and I personally found it bothersome to think that the monsters I'm facing might be getting the same benefits from this troublesome glitch. The last thing you want to think about is whether or not some Super Boss is about to strike twice when by rights it should only get the one attempt.

The above bugs were apparently fixed for the European cart, but buyers of the North American cart beware.

Despite the bugs, I would definitely suggest this cart to those who love classic SNES RPG titles, and to those who are curious to see the beginnings of what the Final Fantasy franchise is best known for today. The bugs and glitches aren't enough to make the game unplayable, but they're definitely noticeable. Thankfully, none of these issues seem to have carried over to the ports of Final Fantasy V or Final Fantasy VI.

To the Moon and Beyond...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 23, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Reviewed for Big Boss Games by: TRC

To the Moon and Beyond...

SquareEnix has re-released Final Fantasy IV (4) Advance for the GBA system, aka Final Fantasy II in the USA. This new and very improved version of the game takes you from the top of the Earth to the center of the Earth then the Moon and beyond?

In this retelling of a great story they use bolder language and more of the story is told.

You start out as a Dark Knight robbing innocent people, this starts you on a gripping tale of betrayal, love, loss, sacrifice and redemption.

Some of you might remember all those wonderful cheats like the duplication trick and the crystal trick in the dwarf?s castle, well they are all gone. No more cheats and that only adds to this game being even more of a challenge.

Just when you thought it was over, after you beat the game you get a 50+ Level dungeon you can explore that changes every time you go into the dungeon. One tiny detail, you can only go into the special rooms with the people that you beat the game with. So, you will have to complete this game 3 times. It sounds like a lot but I did it in 49+ Hours.

The music in this game is great! 8/10
Graphics are updated from the SNES version of the game. 5/10
Replay value is quite high because of it wonderful and gripping story. 9/10
Overall a must have RPG for any story driven person. 7/10

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.

A great port of one of the best RPGs ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 17, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First things first: Final Fantasy IV was first released in the United States on the Super Nintendo as Final Fantasy 2. There were two games between the first Final Fantasy game (on the original NES) and this one which were not released in the states, and thus this game was given the title FF2 in an ill-conceived attempt to avoid confusion. Now that the other games have been released in the US this game has been given its original title, and I will refer to it as FF4 throughout the remainder of this review.

This port manages to stay faithful to both the American and Japanese versions of the game. The Super NES version was easier than the original Japanese game, and this edition retains the difficulty of the Japanese version. And though there are a few new additions--a new dungeon, a quicksave feature, some new items--these serve to improve the overall quality of the game rather than detract from it and do not diminish the game's nostalgic appeal in the least.

When FF4 first appeared on the Super Nintendo almost 15 years ago the graphics were stunning, and while the visuals are not as impressive as they once were this game still looks great on a Game Boy Advance (or Nintendo DS) screen. The soundtrack to this game is also one of its strengths--this isn't one you'll want to play on mute if you can help it.

As for the game--well, it is one of the best games I've ever played, RPG or otherwise. The gameplay is fantastic--FF4 pioneered a time-based attack system that strays just a little from the typical turn based combat system prevalent in so many RPGs before it. Essentially this system gives each of your characters a time bar that, when filled, allows you to attack with him or her. Unlike strict turn based combat, however, the enemies can actually attack you while you're mounting your attack, which spices up the combat a little since you have to be more quick on your feet while fighting.

Final Fantasy 4 features a vast array of weapons, armor, and items. What really makes the game stand out, though, is the incredible storyline. The story revolves around Cecil, a Dark Knight who feels remorse for some deeds that, though done under orders, he feels were wrong. This puts him at odds with the King he serves, and eventually he finds himself deciding to protect a little girl the King wants dead, thus effectively making himself an enemy to the crown he once served.

The story quickly picks up after that and continues strong throughout the duration of the game. Final Fantasy 4 was unique (at the time) in that your party was always changing--there are a total of 12 characters who each have their own strengths and weaknesses and who come and go at various points in the game. They have unique abilities but also their own personality quirks and traits. The intent of some of the characters, such as Cecil's love interest Rosa and the loyal Cid, is usually pretty clear, while some, like the enigmatic Cain, will keep you guessing throughout the game. This is one of the great aspects of the story--you never know who is going to show up, who might have reason to leave, or who you might encounter next.

I cannot praise Final Fantasy 4 enough. In fact, I would recommend this game to just about anyone, whether in this format or in the Playstation release in Final Fantasy Chronicles. This is a time consuming game, and at times very difficult, but it is incredibly rewarding. If you're new to Final Fantasy or missed this title, do yourself a favor and pick it up.

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