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Exactly what I wanted

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 19, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game(s) is exactly what I wanted in a portable game. It has the fun you need to pass the time, yet isn't going to take all of your attention so that you miss your stop when on the bus.

The game play is simple and they did a great job at these remakes. True, many of the "true rpg'ers" as they now call themselves might thing the game is lacking, but it was made to be lacking. I'd recommend this to anybody who wants something to do to pass time while out and is sick of all those stupid cell phone games.

A Classic

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 16, 2008
Author: Amazon User

A classic but not great... Probably the reason why the games are priced at $[...]

"Restore the Crystals to grace..."

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: June 22, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This is a great game (or two if you wish to be technical). Okay, before I begin, I must apologize to vintage Final Fantasy players. I AM SO SORRY! I used to own and play the NES and SNES systems avidly. But, I NEVER PLAYED ANY FINAL FANTASY! And I could have. If you wish to find me and smack me, you can. I deserve it.

Alright, now. Onto Final Fantasy I.

This game is better only in the respect of the stats system and the customization of the characters. As the game starts, you can choose up to four out of six character classes: Warrior, Thief, Monk, White Mage, Red Mage, and Black Mage. However, each character will only have one class change, thus making the difficulty of this game already tough (though not that tough). You can also name your characters with absolutely no preset name(another customizable attribute). Yet again, the customization ends there.

The story is simple. Four Warriors of light must defeat the Four Fiends of Darkness and restore light to the Crystals. The first plot twist of the series, however, is rather interesting. The story, though, does not have to be very in depth as this is the first game, adapted from the NES. So, newcomers expecting an in-depth storyline, give this game a break, okay?

The battle system is part of what makes this game strategical. You give your characters their commands and let the battle unfold. Depending on your characters' stats, whoever hits fastest and strongest (you or enemies) will come out on top. This provides for great strategy time. After you win a battle, you gain experience which, when you gather enough, you level up.

Now, for Final Fantasy II.

This game provides you with actual written characters with a decent (and recurring) storyline. You can rename your characters if you wish, but the main characters' names are Firion, Maria, Guy, and Leon. They are the victims of a conquering empire bent on world domination, led by feminine-looking Emperor Palamecia. (Seriously, he looks like a chick.) After they are attacked and left for dead, Firion wakes up at the rebel base. All but Leon are there, and so they embark on an adventure to find Leon and destroy the empire.

The battle system is exactly the same as number I. However, the level up system is different. While number I had the experience points, number II has an odd system, the system which gives this game a four rather than a five. For example, if you are attacked, your health, stamina, and defense will increase at the end of the battle. Do the math and you can figure out how to raise the other stats.

Now, as a whole, this game is great. Coupled with music from the stupendous Nobuo Uematsu and the extra dungeons guaranteed for more hours of fun, this is one great start for the new and upcoming Final Fantasy fan. Definitely worth it.

Almost as Good as the Original

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: October 10, 2007
Author: Amazon User

The remake of Final Fantasy is almost as enjoyabel as the original. It may even be more fun for some. With changes to the magic system as well as to the leveling system (you have MP instead of spells per rest and you can level up way more than the original ever made readily possible), your party can become far too powerful for the enemies in the game. That is, the enemies in the game other than those in the special dungeons that were added in. The special dungeons have some extremely difficult bosses, but they also have some extremely powerful items. I managed to beat all of them and get all of the special items. Once I did, there was no challenge to the game. Even the end boss was a joke when compared back to the uber bosses of the special caves. Overall the game was really fun, though. Most everything else was kept true to the original.

Final Fantasy 2 was a great game with a fun story. I don't have as much to say about it as I never played the original. I enjoyed it as much as any of the classic Final Fantasy games, though.

A must own, even if you have the originals

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

I've owned Final Fantasy I ever since it came out in the states. And I've had a version of FFII emulated for a long time. Frankly, I was never impressed with them; FFI seemed clunky and slow, and FFXI was largely the same, not to mention unusual. So when Dawn of Souls came out, I wasn't too excited. But it far surpassed my expectations.

Let me just say off the bat that I realize that there have been a lot of Final Fantasy re-releases lately. This is probably the best one I've played though. Here are the reasons why;

PROS
- No loading time! Unlike the playstation collections, the Dawn of Soul has no load time. This makes the game MUCH more smooth playing and a hoy to play.

- Portable. Unlike most other versions of FF (whether that be Playstation, original NES, or emulation on a PC), Dawn of Souls is utterly portable. That means you can work your way through the storylines on lunch, between classes, or anywhere else you choose to.

- Wonderfully updated sound and graphics. Dawn of Souls makes great use of the GBA's capabilities and has updated the old classics so they're a treat to the eyes and ears.

- Vastly improved gameplay; both games have gotten a much much needed update in controls, battle systems, and playability. The slowness and awkwardness that plagued the original releases is 100% eliminated.

Unfortunately, there are bad parts about this release that keep Dawn of Souls from being a indespensible part of my GBA collection.

CONS
- Re-releases; as if you weren't already aware, Dawn of Souls is a re-release of Final Fantasy I and II. If you played though these games already and don't feel like doing so again or you despised the games, this game might not change your opinion. Also, those who already own the originals might feel cheated paying so much for games they bought in the past. That said, Dawn of Souls versions are vastly superior to the originals, and are worth a look even if you have such problems.

- FFI's storyline; Being such an old game, Final Fantasy I doesn't present much of a storyline. While new dungeons and items have been added to the game to give it more depth, there is no increase in the depth of the story, and the game still largely feels like series of sogging through dungeons with faceless heroes.

- "Where to go" syndrome. Both games have many points in their stories where you will liekly get lost with no idea where to go next or what to do. A lack of hints will make many players wishing they'd shelled out the money for the guide, or at least making trips to GameFAQs. It would help to have more hints, a journal, or at least somethign of the sort.

- FFII. Final Fantasy II is the weakest game in the entire Final Fantasy series to many people, including me, and Dawn of Souls does little to fix that. While improved gameplay and presentation go a long ways towards improving the general experience, the basic problems of the games poor advancement system, boring story, and uneven challenge plague the game to no end still.
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In the end, if you liked FFI or FFII at all, it is worth it to get Dawn of Souls. If you've never played either, I would still say it is worth it to get the long and well done remake of FFXI; story or no story it plays smoothly and is an engrossing challenge to play through. FFII is just an odd little bonus to this wonderful remake cartiridge.

The two games that started the Final Fantasy Dynasty!

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Reviewed for Big Boss Games by: T.R.C.

--- Final Fantasy I Prologue ---

The world lies shrouded in darkness. The winds die... The seas rage... The earth decays... But, the people believe in a prophecy, patiently awaiting its fulfillment.

"When darkness veils the world four warriors of light shall come..."

After a long journey, four young travelers did at last appear... and in hand of each was clutched a crystal.

You start out by selecting your four heroes. You can select from six different classes. The heroes will change after you complete a side quest that is about a third of the way through the game.

Warrior = Knight
Thief = Ninja
Monk = Black Belt
White Mage = White Wizard
Black Mage = Black Wizard
Red Mage = Red Wizard

My team consisted of a Warrior, Monk, Black Mage and a White Mage. This group is the most balanced between strength and magic.

You will have to buy your spells. So save your money!

Story 6/10 - The story was re-written with much more detail than the original Nintendo version.

Music 7/10 - You will find yourself humming along to the background music.

Graphics 6/10 - The graphics were updated from the original Nintendo days. Looks more like an SNES game.

Battle System 5/10 - Your typical turn based battle system with updated spell graphics.

Game play 6/10 - This game took me 25 hours to complete.

Special Feature - In the original NES Final Fantasy you had to walk everywhere you went. In this wonderfully remade version of Final Fantasy they added the run button. Hold it down and you can run. This cuts down on travel time in towns and dungeons.

Overall 7/10 - For Final Fantasy I, all the updates to this game have truly made a great game into a classic.

--- Final Fantasy II Prologue ---

A long-lived peace is at an end. The Emperor of Palamecia has called forth monsters from the underworld and begun his campaign for world conquest.

A rebel army arose in the kingdom of Fynn to thwart the emperor's plans. But the rebels' castle fell to an all out assault by the remote town of Altair.

Four youths from Fynn also found themselves fleeing the imperial forces. They had lost their parents at the hands of the empire. But their escape wasn't over...

Your party will consist of four people. Three of them will stay with you throughout the game, but the forth member will change throughout the game.

You start with Firion, Maria, and Guy.

The forth wheels are:
Leon - A Dark Knight
Minwu - A White Wizard
Josef - A Monk
Gordon - A Prince
Ricard - A Dragoon
Leila - A Pirate Captain

You will have complete control over how you mold your team. So, take some time to think how you want them to grow. "E.g. to be a wizard or a sword fighter?" You will be fighting a lot in this game, so take some time to attack your own team with your spells and weapons. This will help your team members to grow strong and powerful. You don't gain experience points in this game, you grow by casting spells, fighting, and taking damage.

Story 8/10 - This game has betrayal, revenge and redemption. This game was well written and a delight to read. So far, this is my third favorite Final Fantasy story.

Music 6/10 - I enjoyed the midi style of music that was used in this game.

Game play 6/10 - This game took me 22 hours to complete the main quest.

Graphics 6/10 - Were like some of the best graphics seen on the SNES. Eye candy is out there for you to find. The spells also gain levels by using them over and over, by doing so the animations also become flashier every 2 to 3 levels.

Battle system 5/10 - Typical turn based attack system. Note: Building your team is slow and painful, but well worth the effort.

Special Mention--- After you complete Final Fantasy II watch the credits till they end and the game will ask you to save. Save your game and you will return to the main Final Fantasy II start screen with 3 options, "Congrats!" You just unlocked the "Soul of Rebirth" mini quest!

This Soul of Rebirth side quest is tough, it also added 10 hours of game play and a great side story to Final Fantasy II.
I would like to see more of this kind of treatment to the remakes of RPGs.

Overall Time: 32+ hours to finish this game and 57+ hours to finish Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls is a great length for a GBA game.

I truly liked this game. It was a challenge to complete and that is its charm.

PS: Don't forget to get a copy of the strategy guide for this game. Official Nintendo Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls Player's Guide

It's a nostalgia game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: June 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Just Nostalgia, I bought it since I remembered it as a great game, and in fact it was a great game, but it is not now.

Final Fantasy I & II Dawn of Souls

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: May 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

If you played the original on the Nes you will like this one, the added caves are a very nice feature, just having FF II is nice.

Great Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: May 14, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Had a alot of fun with this game. I had it since I travel a lot for work. Both games kept my interest and game me well over 100 hrs of play to complete both games. Well worth the price.

Great start to 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.

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