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A Classic Reborn Again

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 33 / 36
Date: June 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

It's hard to review a re-release of the first Final Fantasy. On one hand, the game is pretty good; great for it's time. The keywords being: For it's time. On the other hand, with yet another re-release of Final Fantasy, you kinda wish by now that Square-Enix would do something to make it more "modern." Regardless of where you fall, Final Fantasy is a good game. The problem is that for the more modern day gamer, there's no assurance that you'll really get into this if you can't deal with the 20 year old mechanics. The other bad thing about Final Fantasy on the PSP is simply that if you've already got Dawn of Souls or Origins, then there's no real incentive to pick up the PSP version. The fact that the other re-releases included Final Fantasy II can also be a sting to the PSP version of the game.

Final Fantasy is a simple basic storyline. Four warriors must come forth and save the world by using the power of the crystals. Your main characters don't say a word, and you begin the game by choosing their character classes. There's no narrative to drive the story along either, and like a ton of RPGs made in the 80's and early 90's there's also no way of telling where you're supposed to go next without talking to lots of people and then running around aimlessly, while gathering tons of levels in the process. To me that spells fun, but if you're an RPGer who began with the later games in the series (particularly from the Playstation era), it's hard to say you'll really love Final Fantasy if you can't let those little tidbits slide. The game is also incredibly slow paced. Again, it's something that RPGers who began with later Final Fantasy games or later RPGs will have to take time to get used to.

Gameplay wise, Final Fantasy hasn't changed a bit. Not in the slightest. Battling is as basic as ever. Completely turn based. However, Final Fantasy is usually pretty fun to battle in. Provided you don't mind that sometimes combat is sluggish (or that you could be attacked by nine enemies at once). The music in battle is upbeat, and the enemies are really nicely drawn. Just the same, it's pretty strategic. You choose a class for each of your characters at the beginning of the game. You can make them a Warrior, White Mage, Black Mage, etc. It makes a huge difference in how hard or easy the game can be as a whole. For example, only Red and White Mages can heal, but only White Mages can learn the more advanced White Mage spells. So battling remains pretty fun, even if it is pretty straightforward.

What will probably annoy gamers is the unforgiving random encounter rate. There are times when you just don't feel like battling. It also doesn't help that the failure rate of running is also somewhat high. If you've been playing RPGs since the SNES days, the slight dip in difficulty might annoy you. The game is still challenging, but not nearly as challenging as its 1987 original, or the 2003 version. It's even easier than the Dawn of Souls remake.

The biggest problem that Final Fantasy on the PSP suffers from is that if you've already played through the adventure in one of the other remakes, there's really nothing here that justifies doing it again. Final Fantasy is a gem; a game everyone should play at least once... but some of its aspects have not aged very well. For PSP owners the only plus they get (aside from all the extras in the GBA version) is one new dungeon. It also doesn't help that the other re-releases of the game came with Final Fantasy II, and they were priced at the same value.

On the positive side, however, the PSP version is the best looking version of the game yet. Everything is given a lot of artistic detail. The sprites and enemies have never looked better. It doesn't quite push the PSP to its limit, but it's still really beautiful to look at. Just the same, the music also sounds really good. It's also really cool that you'll be seeing the game in widescreen too.

Really, the only big problem with Final Fantasy is that it's a remake of a remake of a remake that doesn't offer enough new content to justify a buy to those who've already played it before. Also, like the re-release of Final Fantasy III, its age is really starting to show. There are just some aspects of the gameplay you wish Square would've thrown in for the sake of updating the game. What it boils down to is simple: You're buying an NES game. Expect the NES limitations.

Regardless of whether you believe it needed a more "modern" update or not Final Fantasy isn't a bad game, but investing in another remake if you've already got Origins or Dawn of Souls? That's hardly worth it.

Even if you haven't played Final Fantasy before, the PSP one is hard to justify when you put into account that the other remakes also came with Final Fantasy II, and they were priced at the same value. If you absolutely MUST play Final Fantasy and you haven't done so, I suggest heading on down to your local used game store and picking up the GBA version. It may not be as pretty, but you get Final Fantasy II with it, and it's cheaper.

Pros:

+The prettiest version of the game yet
+Still sounds good
+There's a bonus dungeon

Cons:

-The pacing of the story is really slow
-The random encounter rate is really high
-There are just some aspects of the game that don't age very well
-It's another remake of Final Fantasy... but this one offers little in the way of new content. You get all those GBA extras, but the only PSP exclusive extras are some enhanced graphics and a brand new dungeon. It's hard to urge a gamer that already has the GBA version or even the Origins version to go out and get his one.

Bascially the Dawn of Souls port all over again

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 40 / 48
Date: July 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Final Fantasy Twentieth Anniversary Edition. A Playstation Portable port/remake of the classic NES/Famicom game.

NOTE: This review is ONLY for the Playstation Portable port of the game, not for the game itself. If you want to read my comments on the actual GAME, I'll be writing one for the original NES game, posted on the proper Amazon page for it.

INTRODUCTION:
The Final Fantasy series knows no equal. From the glory days of the NES, this has been the best damn RPG series around. It has more than stood the test of time, with countless sequels, side-stories, clones, ports, and everything in between. The original game was released in Japan for the Famicom by Square in 1987. Numerous ports of the game have been released over the years, most recently the Playstation Portable Twentieth Anniversary port.

OVERVIEW:
The Playstation Portable port of Final Fantasy was released in the early summer of 2007. This port features improved graphics, play control/equipment settings, bonus dungeons, bestiary, and several other extra additions.

REVIEW:
I LOVE the original Final Fantasy - it's the first game in the flagship RPG franchise. And the recent ports have been kind to the game. However, I expected more from this Playstation Portable port of the game. This is exactly the same of the Game Boy Advance Dawn of Souls port just with better graphics and one extra dungeon! At least the GBA version included FFII also, in one package.

NOTE: This review is for everything that has been altered/added/etc. from the original game, and some improvements that have been made from port to port. Most of these same changes exist in the Playstation One and Game Boy Advance version, as well.

THE GOOD:
-SEMI-MODERNIZED GRAPHICS. The original NES game had pitiful, blocky graphics that looked weak, even by NES standards. This game uses new, better-looking hand-drawn graphics that are far superior to those on the game's original system. Simple but not too overblown, the game looks better than ever. And this particular port looks even sharper than the PS1 or GBA reissues.
-MODERNIZED GAME ENGINE. Attacks against a dead target are redirected, correcting one of the biggest, most annoying bugs of the original game. Several other little things have been tweaked as well, nearly all of which for the better.
-ABILITY TO DASH IN TOWNS. It was a bitch to get around in towns in the old games since your character walked so slow. Finally, that's been fixed! This is an optional feature, but you'll always want it on.
-ITEM/WEAPON/EQUIP MENUS GET A REVAMP. These menus were cumbersome and difficult to navigate in the original game, which is fixed here. The game even includes an "optimal" setting, to instantly equip your character with the best-possible equipment you have. Similarly, stores will tell you who can equip what weapon, and whether its better/worse/etc. than your current equipment.
-BONUS CONTENT. Numerous bonus features were added to the game when these ports were made. Bestiary of all the monsters you've battled, new dungeons with bosses from other Final Fantasy games, and plenty of other little extras make the old experience new again. This PSP port even features an extra dungeon not seen in other ports!
-BETTER TRANSLATION THAN THE NES GAME. I'm glad they went back and retranslated, since the old NES version's translation was horrid. Some of the bad jokes from the poor translation are left in, but it's all in good taste.

THE BAD:
-THIS IS EXACTLY THE GAME AS THE GAME BOY ADVANCE VERSION! If you already bought Dawn of Souls for the Game Boy Advance, don't get this version. A sharper picture, better graphics, and a single new dungeon aren't reasons worth buying the whole, exact same game again.
-DOES NOT INCLUDE FINAL FANTASY II. This is ONLY the first game. All other recent ports have BOTH of the first two games. That means, at $30 MSRP, this is the WORST VALUE of all of the ports. The PS1 and GBA versions can be gotten for cheaper, and they have both games.
-EASIER THAN THE NES VERSION. Not necessarily a bad thing, but die-hard gamers will argue that a lot of the tweaks ruin the challenge.
-WHY DIDN'T SQUARE DO MORE WITH THE GRAPHICS? Why didn't they do a full three-dimension style port, like they did with the DS version of Final Fantasy III? They should have done that instead of just rehash the previous ports.
-NO "EQUIP EQUIPMENT AT THE SHOP" OPTION. This means you have to buy equipment, exit the shop menu, equip it, re-enter the shop, and then sell your old equipment. One of Square's other games, Super Mario RPG, included this "equip while shopping" option, and it really made shopping/equipping a lot nicer and easier. Why can't they use this option in Final Fantasy?

OVERALL:
This game deserved better for its twentieth anniversary. If you already own Dawn of Souls, don't get this game. Even if you don't own this yet, Dawn of Souls is cheaper AND it includes Final Fantasy II as well. Only buy this version if you don't own a GBA/DS and therefore can't play Dawn of Souls. This PSP port is, certainly, the best port to date, but it's a bad value.

EDITION NOTES:
This reissue is recent, so most game stores will have it.

Play it again for the first time

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 6 / 6
Date: August 06, 2007
Author: Amazon User

A few years back, Final Fantasy I & II were ported to the GBA under the title Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls. Now the game that started Square's long running RPG series has been re-made again, this time for the PSP. Though there are a few differences between this version and other remakes, this edition of Final Fantasy is basically the Dawn of Souls game minus Final Fantasy II and a little charm. Naturally the graphics have been quite enchanced and are indeed gorgeous to look at on the PSP screen, and the soundtrack is enhanced as well, but the game remains the same in virtually every other department. There are a few extras including a brand new dungeon in addition to the four made for the Dawn of Souls release, but there isn't enough here to warrant picking up if you already own Final Fantasy in one of it's previous incarnations. Not to mention that for new gamers or those who have only played the more recent installments of the series, the old school style of ultra random battles and mechanics will turn you off. That being said though, if you are a long time Final Fantasy fan and have never played any of the previous remakes and you own a PSP, then by all means pick this up and experience it all over again. If you're not a longtime fan of the series though, you could do better as far as RPG's on the PSP go.

same old classic with 6x better graphics and sound

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 24, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I owned PSX and GBA versions (FF Origin and Dawn of Souls)
exactly same gameplay and storyline
however, the graphics is re-designed, and looks pretty clear, like playing higher definition version, you can see the crack on the ground way easily (in Icy Cavern)
it's 2x price than Dawn of Souls/FF Origin (buy 2 separate games), the superior graphics worth the price
if you're die hard FF fans, add these (I and II PSP ver) into your collection

It's a fair remake of the original 80's version.

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: August 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Compared to the original version, the graphics in the anniversary edition on the PSP are fantastic!... It also includes one new dungeon called the labyrinth of time, wich boasts nothing challenging at all... There aren't any epic items or new and interesting stuff that you can find in it... just a lot of wasted time... in fact, the dungeon boss, for whom you have to wait a long, LOOOOOONNNNGGGGG TIME till you reach him, isn't much harder that the ones that you can find in the soul of chaos dungeons, particularlly in the sea shrine.
The random engaging in battles sucks... You have the option to escape the ones that become insignificant for your lvl, but you get to lose some time in the process. It's quite ridiculous to have lvl 60 + and keep fighting enemies lvl 2 or around that... you don't get experience from fighting them or any interesting drops.
Generally, if you haven't played the original version, it's a good game to buy. If you have experienced it already, don't waste your time, the new bonus levels are not that exciting or challenging, just long... very long!!

Keep the fantasies coming!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 7
Date: July 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I haven't been able to put this one down! It is totally fun and the graphics are very good. Finally, a real game to play on the PSP!!

Great game for what it is.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game a few days ago and I just have to say that I'm very impressed with the way this game was re-done. I have never played the previous remake on the Nintendo DS, and although others have said it is pretty much the same game, I was thrilled to see the improved graphics and hear the improved sound. I played this game religiously when it was first released on the NES, and I feel that the updates were necessary while at the same time not too overbearing. The gameplay has been tweaked just enough to keep it from being tedious which FF-NES was at certain times.

The only reason I give it 4 stars is because although it is definitely a step up from the original, it could have potentially been better if SquareEnix had completely re-done it and taken advantage of the capablitiies of the PSP. However, if you are a Final Fantasy fan and have not played it on the DS, pick this up.

Pretty Good

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 30, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I had been told to not expect much from this game, but it is much more fun that most people review it for. I have never played the origional ps1 version, and so as a fan of the final fantasy series (7 is the best) it's great to be able to play the early games with modern graphics. Don't expect this to be as well done as today's rpg's and especiall not as good as a final fantasy today, but its fun in it's own right

Final Fantasy for the PSP

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 01, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Most are saying/thinking, "Great, another remake of Final Fantasy 1". Me, I am excited to see this ported yet to another system! The graphics are much better, as well as the game is now in widescreen. The music has the quality of the PlayStation version, which is fine by me. The controls and menus are much better though. Overall, this is a great game for the PSP, especially if you are a Final Fantasy hardcore.

On a side note, I see lots of people complaining its a remake/port and that the game is not for every one... as for porting/remaking: how else do we improve the games we played as kids for the next generation? And who ever said that any given game on this planet is for "everyone"?

Enjoy the adventure which I fall in love with over and over again :D

A Game Remastered

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: March 11, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Since 1987, Final Fantasy was one of the games that got Square out on top and is one of my favorite franchises to date. Twenty years later, Final Fantasy is back and redone for the PSP. The game is much better with a 16x9 Widescreen which is perfect for a larger horizontal perspective. The sprites look way much better than ever and all the extras from Dawn of Souls are there along with an additional dungeon that can put your skills to the ultimate test. Sure the game is a bit easy but the fun is to relive a game that has went through the test of time. Nonetheless, if you are a Final Fantasy fan and own a PSP, this is for you.

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