[Dark Schala]

schala, i'm further than 30 minutes into XIII for once. the world is ending. i'm actually about 6 hours in now.

Whoa, someone's finally going through his backlog. ;)

What do you think of it so far? I remember you weren't feeling it the first time you picked it up.

[Gravijah]

Whoa, someone's finally going through his backlog. ;) What do you think of it so far? I remember you weren't feeling it the first time you picked it up.

i'm actually quite enjoying it. just had to force myself through the first hour or so, which is kind of a drag.

[Dark Schala]

i'm actually quite enjoying it. just had to force myself through the first hour or so, which is kind of a drag.

The first 1-2 hours are pretty boring because you don't get various jobs and skills yet. Just remember to use all of 'em to your advantage when you have certain people in your party so you can make the game easy.

To be honest, the part of the main game between Chapters 7-8 is probably the bit of the main game that I enjoyed the most since lotsa things happen. Really, the game isn't godawful unplayable; it just has its share of flaws, some of which have different weight to different people so that they receive the game differently in general.

[CorvoSol]

Ugh, so, among the many TERRIBLE design choices the guys behind FF7NES made was this: You cannot purchase any but the most rudimentary equipment in the game. Everything else in the game is essentially a rare drop. So basically, if you ever want a sword that ISN'T the utterly worthless Buster Sword, GOOD LUCK. I mean, I guess you could build it up forever, but even then it likely caps out well before it matters. Also, while the game ALLOWS you to have more than 10k HP, a character at level 99 barely breaks 1k. It is . . . amazingly difficult. I want to know if there is anybody out there, any one person who ever really beat it without any cheat codes. The number of ones who even beat it is staggeringly low, but sans cheats? I can't fathom it. My entire party is level 100 and have had their stats augmented with all the stat augments the game will permit, but STILL I am beginning to run into trouble because, even though Cloud's STR stat exceeds 400, his ATK is less than 30.

God have mercy on the children of China.

[ActStriker]

I ended up beating FF1 yesterday. Chaos went down pretty easily, but yeah the game as a whole was definitely pretty easy. Your party is a walking group of death. I didn't do any of the extra content, but I don't think I will for now anyway.

On to FF2, PSP version

[Glass Rebel]

I posted first in the community thread but this one seems to be more fitting:

I just finished my first FF after starting and abandoning most of the pre-PS2 ones, namely Final Fantasy I on iPhone.

Went with Warrior, Thief, White Mage, Black Mage and enjoyed it a lot except for the ridiculous amount of random encounters which made me level up to almost 50 when I finally fought Chaos, making it almost piss-easy.

I don't think I can say anything about it that hasn't been already said before but something I need to mention is that you basically have no chance to beat it if you're some new-age ADD gamer since you have to find every single pointer in this game by yourself and most aren't that obvious. Especially the Rosetta Stone had me dumbfounded for a moment. I got impatient somewhere around Tiamat's dungeon, said fuck it and read a walkthrough. It wouldn't have been half as awful if there weren't as many battles.

I'm waiting for FFII to drop in price before I buy it, until then I'm gonna tackle the optional dungeons and probably finish Final Fantasy IV on DS.

Edit: Totally didn't see your post, ActStriker.

[chris-013]

I finished FF12 IZJS two week ago !

Really great game with awesome battle system.
I really like the strong game and weak game and with the turbo that really help the replay value.

[mr stroke]

Looking to replay Final Fantasy 6


Outside of the SNES version(too expensive on ebay)

which is the best version to play-GBA,PS1,VC,PSN, etc..?

[chris-013]

Best version are SNES = VC.
I heard the GBA version has awful sound and the PS1 = PSN have loading time issue.

[Jucksalbe]

Hey, chris, you're back! Did you finish FFT by now?

Best version are SNES = VC.

Did they fix any bugs in the VC that were still in the updated SNES version?
The SNES is a bit harder to get into, just because the old translation has a lot of stuff named very differently from what they use nowadays, takes a bit to get used to.

[kunonabi]

Hey, chris, you're back! Did you finish FFT by now? Did they fix any bugs in the VC that were still in the updated SNES version? The SNES is a bit harder to get into, just because the old translation has a lot of stuff named very differently from what they use nowadays, takes a bit to get used to.

old names are better anyway.

I'm in the middle of FFIX and I'm loving despite how restrictive the ability system is. Not sure what other games I'll get to. I beat FFIV and I'd like to play VI again. I attempted XII but I still didn't like it. I'm not going to have my ps2 with me when I move so I won't be able to replay X/X-2.

How are the psp version of 1 and 2?

[chris-013]

Hey, chris, you're back! Did you finish FFT by now? Did they fix any bugs in the VC that were still in the updated SNES version? The SNES is a bit harder to get into, just because the old translation has a lot of stuff named very differently from what they use nowadays, takes a bit to get used to.

No, I'm still at the same point in FFT. I put it in hold while I was playing FF12.
If I have some time I will update my playthrough.

[Jucksalbe]

How are the psp version of 1 and 2?

Both are great. Their biggest flaw is that you can only play on the newer easier difficulty. And while it looks great (especially in battle), the graphics lack a bit of charm compared to the PSX versions.

[PixyJunket]

I started up my Final Fantasy III DS (sorry, Aeana) game and made it past the intro stages.

I forgot about the dumb DS WEP only thing, or I'd have a friend code to share for the Onion Kinght quest, perhaps tomorrow (if anyone else is playing, that is).

[Aeana]

Why would you choose the DS version over the incredibly super-superior Famicom version?!

Does not computeee.

[PixyJunket]

Why would you choose the DS version over the incredibly super-superior Famicom version?! Does not computeee.

My NES is not setup well and won't be until we get our house and I have my own game room.

I'm also too lazy to drag it around to the main TV. AAAND I can take my DS to work with me. :)

I'll be playing the NES FF II and III next year for sure, though.

[Ultratech]

My NES is not setup well and won't be until we get our house and I have my own game room. I'm also too lazy to drag it around to the main TV. AAAND I can take my DS to work with me. :) I'll be playing the NES FF II and III next year for sure, though.

BOOOOooooo....

You're missing out not playing the superior Famicom version.

On that note though, good luck playing FF2j if you ever get around to doing that.
You'll need it.

[PixyJunket]

You're missing out not playing the superior Famicom version. On that note though, good luck playing FF2j if you ever get around to doing that. You'll need it.

I've played both of them before. :)

[Mxrz]

I'm liking FF13 more and more. Whatever else it is, it sure is relaxing. My only real complaint right now is the lack of gil. I gather I'm suppose to sell materials for gil, but most aren't worth anything, and I'm a bit of a hoarder in games. Seems like I blew too many potions fighting the Pulsework Soldier things.

I'm trying to play with the mini-map off, so I won't ignore the scenery, but I imagine I've missed a chest or two.

Think I had 13-2 spoiled for me. Very annoying if so. I'd plan to pick it up after snagging the platinum to 13. Blargh.

[Dark Schala]

I'm liking FF13 more and more. Whatever else it is, it sure is relaxing. My only real complaint right now is the lack of gil. I gather I'm suppose to sell materials for gil, but most aren't worth anything, and I'm a bit of a hoarder in games. Seems like I blew too many potions fighting the Pulsework Soldier things. I'm trying to play with the mini-map off, so I won't ignore the scenery, but I imagine I've missed a chest or two. Think I had 13-2 spoiled for me. Very annoying if so. I'd plan to pick it up after snagging the platinum to 13. Blargh.

Ehehe... don't sell a lot of stuff yet. Don't sell any accessories or weapons either; you're going to need them for the Treasure Hunter trophy if you're planning on getting the platinum. I'd suggest holding onto some of your organic/inorganic upgrade stuff until you're ready to upgrade, since they're free and they help out a lot. You should just be using stuff like this (posted a few pages back, but it gets lost in the shuffle, I guess...):

The items you really need are the sturdy bones/vibrant oozes/barbed tails to increase the multiplier to x3 and just use Superconductors/Perfect Conductor/Particle Accelerators/Ultracompact Reactors to increase the XP on the weapons. Those are all the ingredients you ever need. Hold onto the bomb cores/fragments/bomb whatevers and the chocobo feathers in case you need quick items to increase the multipliers. Basically, the weapon system works like this: -> all of the weapons get XP from the items -> the items are divided into two groups: organic items and synthetic items -> organic items like bones, oozes, tails, feathers, etc can be used to INCREASE XP multipliers. This is what you should do first. Usually, it takes 36 sturdy bones/vibrant oozes/barbed tails to increase the multiplier to x3 (which is the highest). I suggest using these ingredients to increase the multiplier because they're the cheapest items in the shops. -> synthetic items like conductors, accelerators, and reactors gives lots of XP, but they DECREASE XP multipliers. This is what you apply after you increase the weapon multiplier to x3 with the organic items to level up your weapons quickly. -> so basically, you apply the organic items to increase the multiplier to x3, and then apply the synthetic items to level up the weapons. You can't really use the weapon/accessory items for anything other than levelling those things up. They're sellable, though I wouldn't advise just doing that yet if you want to level the weapons up in the future. The items don't drop a lot, so it's best to hold onto them.

A lack of gil isn't going to hurt you in this game at all, and you should be trying to heal with Medics in general more than Potions (which you won't start expending until postgame). You should be selling the chips you get from soldiers, gold nuggets from treasure chests/digging/Long Guis, and Platinum Ingots from Adamantoises/treasure chests to get money.

The FFXIII platinum takes far more (annoying) effort than the XIII-2 platinum; the Treasure Hunter trophy in particular (arguably the L'Cie Paragon trophy might be one, but that isn't hard if you know what to do).

[CorvoSol]

I started up my Final Fantasy III DS (sorry, Aeana) game and made it past the intro stages. I forgot about the dumb DS WEP only thing, or I'd have a friend code to share for the Onion Kinght quest, perhaps tomorrow (if anyone else is playing, that is).

I have several copies of the game, like 2-3, so I might be able to lend you a hand with that. Or, you can do like I did in Echoes of Time, and just go to the GameFAQs boards and search for friend codes people have posted. I don't recall needing to receive letters in order to advance the plot, just send them. I could be wrong though. This last playthrough I cheated to have 99 from the get go.

[idlethreats]

Why would you choose the DS version over the incredibly super-superior Famicom version?! Does not computeee.

I'm sure you've already answered this before but I'm new to GAF, so...why is the Famicom version superior?

[linko9]

Just started XIII-2, seems aight so far. The nature of the world and the people in it (not the main characters) is really weirding me out. Why is everyone seemingly under the age of 20? And why did no one grow up at all in the past 3 years? Also, I just got to lake Bresha, which is on Cocoon, and all the people there are saying "Hmmm.... looks like there's some evidence that there was an advanced civilization on Cocoon." WTF, you all lived there 5 years ago, you know exactly what the nature of this civilization was. I hope I'm just missing something, but it seems pretty nonsensical at this point. Also the design and voice of Mog is horrible, IMO.

[Glass Rebel]

Why would you choose the DS version over the incredibly super-superior Famicom version?! Does not computeee.

Being too poor/stupid to buy a NES/JP Cartridge/apply a translation patch.

:(

[CorvoSol]

I'm sure you've already answered this before but I'm new to GAF, so...why is the Famicom version superior?

People don't like the DS version because its easier. Like, there can't be as many monsters per fight for instance. Also, the cool classes all got nerfed. Ninja and Sage were beasts in the NES version, but in the DS version they're just two other classes. Cloud of Darkness also doesn't seem to hit as hard. The game's really easy. Like, I was doing 5000 damage per character before leaving the Floating Continent, and all I'd done was taken the time to grind my characters' job levels, which isn't that time consuming compared to leveling up.


That said, I still like the DS version more.

AAAANYWAY I just bid farewell to my bloodstained past in FF4DS, and it finally occurs to me that Tellah is a major d-bag for trying to steal Cecil's scene there. Like, c'mon Tellah, your big moment's still a comin'. Also, I find it kinda sad that Tellah hates Golbez so completely, but all of his friends will one day be hangin' out with Golbez. Also, for the record, Golbez is like, the classiest villain in the entire series. Others might seem cooler or scarier or more powerful, but Golbez is by far the classiest and most stylish. Like, he's all, "Oh Cecil, do you like this girl? I'll take good care of her for you," then he all waves his cape Batman style and boom, Rosa's gone. And he brought Cecil a gift for their first meeting! He's also like, one of two characters in Dissidia who became way cooler in that game (the other being The Emperor).

in FFL2 I finished Apollo's World and I'm ready to say that "Dad" is one of the worst fathers in video games ever. Like, dude never explains nothin' to his kid, who is freakin' out seein' his dad with another family, and then he leaves all kinds of scars on the poor guy when he falls through some explosive rift in space and time. Also, he dressed up in a paper thin disguise and forced his child to call him "Mask*deMasque" for a dungeon. Dude is a massive jerk. Like, compared to this guy, Jecht is a pretty okay dad.

FF7NES I've made it to Corel. I'm gettin' ready for my big show-down with Barret's buddy, who I hope drops a new gun for Barret, because really I need new weapons something fierce at this point. After that it'll be the Gold Saucer and Cait Sith.

[Nocturnowl]

So I have obtained the PSP version of Final Fantasy 4 for just under £5, glorious bargains!
Initial thoughts having played up to the desert town...

- The PSP version has some pretty sharp and pleasant visuals, while I imagine it's not to everyone's tastes i'm liking the cleaned up 16 bit look quite a lot.
- Music has been set to the original SNES music because I have faith in SNES soundtracks to deliver the goods
- the standard battle theme is pretty enjoyable, I think i'm liking it more than the one from FF6, upon hearing the boss theme I was like "CULEX!", of course I already knew SMRPG swiped the boss theme from here for that one fight but i'd almost forgotten about that little cameo.
- Bah Gawd it's the big blue monster KAIN! I like this man already based on his name, with what little events that have transpired so far i'm having some suspicions about his allegiance, oh the intrigue!
- Taking a glance at the beginning of Schala's SNES version run posted earlier I can see that this translation is leaps and bounds ahead of that.
- The general hook of Cecil having done questionable things in his line of duty for the king is basic but effective, colour me intrigued though i'm not expecting much of a sweeping tale from this outing.

[PixyJunket]

I have several copies of the game, like 2-3, so I might be able to lend you a hand with that. Or, you can do like I did in Echoes of Time, and just go to the GameFAQs boards and search for friend codes people have posted. I don't recall needing to receive letters in order to advance the plot, just send them. I could be wrong though. This last playthrough I cheated to have 99 from the get go.

I'll check the GameFAQs forum if I need to but it would be nice to do it through GAF.

My friend code for FFIII is 5072.0614.0690.

[itzknickknac]

I've been putting of FF and instead playing MHFU on the PSP and Deus Ex on the PS3. SOMEONE, help me get back into playing the FF series!! I started and needa beat 2,8, and 4.

[Gardios]

I just finished FFVI Advance today. I'll probably hold off on doing my FFIV/The After Years playthrough for a bit so I don't end up wearing myself out.

[CorvoSol]

UPDATES ABOUND!

FINAL FANTASY III FINAL STATS:
Luneth:Lv99 9999HP, 212MP (Total), STR99,AG99,VT99,IN99,MN99,ATK312,DEF150,MDF105 Onion Knight.
Jobs: Freelancer, Red Mage, Viking, Dark Knight, Black Belt, Onion Knight.

Arc:Lv99 9197HP, 339MP, STR45,AG45,VI52,IN99,MN98,ATK118,DEF101,85 Summoner.
Jobs:Black Mage, Thief, Geomancer, Evoker, Magus, Summoner.

Refia:Lv99 9662HP, 212MP, STR48,AG48,VI73,IN98,MN99,ATK195,DEF67,MDF81 Sage.
Jobs:White Mage, Ranger, Scholar, Bard, Devout, Sage.

Ingus:Lv99 9284HP, 0MP, STR80,AG99,VI60,IN57,MN57,ATK272,DEF90,MDF64 Ninja.
Jobs:Warrior, Monk, Knight, Dragoon, Ninja.

In Final Fantasy IV I have just escaped the Tower of Babil and am making my way into the Eblanese caves. A few things have finally stuck out to me: Where is the Tower of Zot? You never ever see it. What a waste of time the trip into the Tower of Babil is! You go for Crystals, then fail to get them. You go to stop the cannons, but Yang takes care of it. And what was he thinking going in there? Like, the cannons were gonna blow ANYWAY, right? At least in the DS version it looked that way. What could a Monk from Fabul do against sophisticated Lunarian technology? And who is Dr. Lugae? Is he a human, Lunarian, dwarf, or just another one of the monsters Golbez has been employing? Whatever the case, Golbez remains a total boss for pretty much besting Cecil every step of the way. Shame his minions suck so much.

In Final Fantasy VII NES I cleared Cosmo Canyon and subsequently haven't the slightest idea where I'm supposed to be going. I made my way to Nibelheim, and Sephiroth has invited me into Mt. Nibel to the reactor, but my memory of what I'm supposed to be doing at this point is incredibly fuzzy. Patiently waiting to get Cid, who is, by the way, the last character in the game. Yuffie and Vincent did not make the cut. I'll get them when I play the game for realsies. For which I'm actually pretty pumped. I've played the SNES era a million times, but I confess that the PSX era I've only played maybe twice, and none of those are recent.

In Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles: Echoes of Time (mouthful, huh?) I'm pretty sure I'm almost to the final dungeon. I've uncovered the gory details concerning my hometown and the main villain, and am ready to go and hunt the guy down. I'm genuinely impressed by the quality of this game, and how a corny looking Crystal Chronicles game manages to have one of the most twisted and evil villains in the series. Seriously, Larkeicus is one messed up guy. My party, which is an ethnically diverse team of walking death gods, is armed to the teeth, and I've got most of the mercenaries to back 'em now. I detest the "Love Interest" in this game, though. Sherlotta isn't a very nice person, and frankly she's treated the people in town worse than the villain ever did, and HE'S A MURDERING PSYCHO.

In Final Fantasy Legends II I finished the Dragon Races after a painful sidetrip to pick up some better weaponry. Zero now has 750 HP and the Xcalibr. Like, my MAIN GUY is a pathetic wimp compared to the God of Destruction now. Oh, and I met Apollo again and there was more OMINOUS FORESHADOWING about the fact that he's the main villain. Whatever. Fought Venus, too, and there was some SICK TUNES playing during that fight. I now get attacked every step, and it's becoming a pain.

And I started a fourth run of Final Fantasy Type-0. I'm off the first disc, but haven't taken Ace to class yet to pick up Machina and Rem. Every subsequent playthrough of this game makes me like it more, but also allows me to appreciate that there are some flaws in its story-telling. It has a VERY strong opening. The scenes with Izana and the battle to repel Milites and save Rubrum is a potent and powerful way to kick things off, but the three endings take some serious piecing together via the History option. In any case, during this playthrough I intend to at last max out levels and attempt Agito Tower and face Dark Suzaku. It'll be a pretty quick run-through, though, because I don't think I'm going to bother with alternate missions or combat exercises. Not sure yet. Game's the very back burner of stuff for the moment.

This is where I am at the end of the week. Some of these games I haven't played much at all. Please don't make me feel terrible Jaxword! Hahaha.

[Scythian Empire]

So I just started Final Fantasy 6 for the first time yesterday, and I'm up to the bit where I have to sail back to Narshe from the Returner Base.

Firstly... Wow this game is beautiful -



My jaw dropped when I got here. And I'm also blown away at the fact that I now GET TO CHOOSE what scenario to play between Locke and Sabin. My shit is just constantly being blown away by how amazing this game is. Fuck knows why I hadn't played it sooner. Absolutely loving it.

[Nocturnowl]

- Bah Gawd it's the big blue monster KAIN! I like this man already based on his name, with what little events that have transpired so far i'm having some suspicions about his allegiance, oh the intrigue!

No not this way dammit! heel turn, I knew this was coming! KAAAAAIIIIN! Even if he is having an internal crisis or something.
Encounter ratio in FF4 is strange, sometimes you run around for like a minute and no one bothers you then when you finally hit one battle you get swarmed and are barely able to take 2 steps after each fight.
Wondering why Golbez didn't you know just kill Cecil in his debut scene, he seemed up for it at first and then just decided to walk off, then again that wouldn't make for a good game if he did.

So I just started Final Fantasy 6 for the first time yesterday, and I'm up to the bit where I have to sail back to Narshe from the Returner Base. Firstly... Wow this game is beautiful - [IMG]http://i.minus.com/jbfOrpanrJLRHe.png[IMG] My jaw dropped when I got here. And I'm also blown away at the fact that I now GET TO CHOOSE what scenario to play between Locke and Sabin. My shit is just constantly being blown away by how amazing this game is. Fuck knows why I hadn't played it sooner. Absolutely loving it.

I was surprised myself at how nice that section looked, the lack of music so only the sound of water is heard creates a nice atmosphere. Though elsewhere I do sometimes have a bit of trouble telling which areas are elevated or not due to the graphics, mainly a town thing.
And the Sabin route was one of my favourite parts of the game.

[Scythian Empire]

I was surprised myself at how nice that section looked, the lack of music so only the sound of water is heard creates a nice atmosphere. Though elsewhere I do sometimes have a bit of trouble telling which areas are elevated or not due to the graphics, mainly a town thing. And the Sabin route was one of my favourite parts of the game.

Yeah, the running water was really atmospheric. Such a nice calm before the chaos that will no doubt come when I get to Narshe.

Would you recommend playing the Sabin scenario over the Locke one then? Isn't Locke supposed to be helping South Figaro from the Empire? That sounds pretty damn awesome to me.

[ErasureAcer]

First time FFVIer. Awesome dude. Hope you like the slight gameplay spoiler team battle options later on where you make 3 different squads. . It befuddles me how this was never copycatted as it's awesome.

[Nocturnowl]

Yeah, the running water was really atmospheric. Such a nice calm before the chaos that will no doubt come when I get to Narshe. Would you recommend playing the Sabin scenario over the Locke one then? Isn't Locke supposed to be helping South Figaro from the Empire? That sounds pretty damn awesome to me.

I left Sabin until last so it doesn't really matter what order you do them in but it's worth pointing out Sabin's scenario is the longest of the lot, Locke's one is much shorter but has an interesting take on things.

[Dark Schala]

No not this way dammit! heel turn, I knew this was coming! KAAAAAIIIIN! Even if he is having an internal crisis or something.

Hahahahaaaaa. That scene could cut a WWE-esque promo if it had some awesome dialogue.

I think I'll continue my playthrough when I finish analyzing and organizing some numbers today. It won't take too long.

[Mxrz]

Up to chapter 9 in FF13. I was surprised chapter 8 was so short.

I started liking Snow a little more in Chapter 7. Sazh a little less in Chapter 8 (That seemed kind of forced.) Fang is immediately one of the best characters of all time thanks to jiggling. But she has a bit of a technical advantage over Lulu.

[Nocturnowl]

Hahahahaaaaa. That scene could cut a WWE-esque promo if it had some awesome dialogue. I think I'll continue my playthrough when I finish analyzing and organizing some numbers today. It won't take too long.

I'm sure the SNES version has the best promo making dialogue of all time, in fact now I look forward to it.

Analysing and organising numbers? sounds like a JRPG to me *chortle*...okay maybe not.

[jaxword]

It befuddles me how this was never copycatted as it's awesome.

Likely because, overall, it has zero impact on the story. So it's just the illusion of choice, which is actually copycatted quite often in games, jRPGs or otherwise.

[speedpop]

Playing Theatrhythm has forced my hand. I need to go back and play through the series again after a self-imposed sabbatical that reaches all the way back to never finishing FF12 and barely getting anywhere on FF3 DS back in late '06. I'm one of those fools who buys the games in the hopes of finding time and passion to go through them again.

Anyway, what versions should I choose? I want to start from the beginning of the series and spend an hour or two every day trucking through it (hopefully). I've got every system available so just list them off.

I was initially going to go boot up the PSP and go through a majority of them that way, but the prospect of playing the PSN versions of FF5 and FF6 don't sound comforting when I recall how dreadful the loadtimes were when I played them on the PS1 many moons ago.

GUYS. I just found out there are "sound restoration patches" for FFV and FFVI GBA versions, which put in the SNES music and SFXs, and are supposed to be great. Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this? I guess next time I replay these games it will be the GBA versions. Anyone have experience with these? Very excited.

Well I guess this has sorta helped make up my mind.

[Labadal]

Played a little bit of FFV and man I got reminded of how bad the loading times are for the PS1 version. For someone that has more insight than me: What the hell went wrong?

[Bladenic]

So instead of making a new topic I figure I can ask here.

Is Dissidia Duodecim worth getting if I poured close to 100 hours in the original but CAN'T find the damn memory stick which had my save? It's so annoying. I had like 6 level 100 characters, lots of others between level 20-60, and nobody at level 1.

[Professor Beef]

So instead of making a new topic I figure I can ask here. Is Dissidia Duodecim worth getting if I poured close to 100 hours in the original but CAN'T find the damn memory stick which had my save? It's so annoying. I had like 6 level 100 characters, lots of others between level 20-60, and nobody at level 1.

It's worth it for all the new content, but you'd have to level up those characters all over again without your previous save.

[Dark Schala]

Last time on Final Fantasy IV, Cecil was expelled from the Red Wings and thus he cannot remember what articles are. I think the King banished all articles from the world.

Today, we’re going to town to gather supplies, and to request a name change.

Main Theme of Final Fantasy IV

So, um, this is one of my favourite Final Fantasy map themes. It’s the best form of the Final Fantasy IV theme used in many different pieces in the game. It has a lovely ascending synth harp, and a flute which carries the melody smoothly. The loop is even set in a good place. It isn’t too long and it isn’t too short either, so it fits well as a catchy and pure world map theme.



On this screen, you end up seeing a lot. This is most of what Final Fantasy IV’s overworld presents to the player outside of grottos, dungeons, and caves. The very first shot of Final Fantasy IV shows the player a lot in terms of the world organization, geography, and places you can probably go, and the very first shot you see outside of the castle when you’re able to play the game is a way of showing the player, “yeah, you can totally journey around in this world; look, we’ve included a lot of what you see in the world right near the first place you start out at.” In the upper-right hand side of the screen in the water, you see something like ‘shallows’. This becomes relevant to the game pretty soon, but it’s nice that you get to see it.

Geographically, you see a lot – mountains, desert, forests, water, shallow water, bridges, and regular field. You also see a castle and a town you can go into. Well, we can’t go to the castle because:



So let’s go to town now. Kain told us to get supplies, so we’ll do that.

Welcome to Our Town!



The Town of Baron has a lot of juicy dialogue for us to see. Let’s read some!



I think the King stole one of Cecil’s Red Wings. Now he only has one!



Yeah, you’re so dumb, Cecil. No wonder you got expelled from the Red Wings.

Final Fantasy IV EasyType has tutorial buildings in each town. It’s kind of like Chrono Trigger’s tutorial area, only really really text-based and not as fun to go around and interact with because all you’re doing is reading and reading.

For example:



Final Fantasy IV: the game for people who can’t tell left from right and north from south. :D



…I think they’re trying to pound the significance of the A-button into my head. This game was the first game in the west to feature Chocobos, so we weren’t very familiar with our feathered friends yet. The original Final Fantasy II (ex: Final Fantasy IIj / NES) was the first game which featured Chocobos.

Other cool things that people taking the beginner’s class say to you (do note that I am not editing anything they’re saying; I’m transcribing word-for-word):

To make a record of your journey is called Save. You can make a Save on the field map or Save Points all around the world. It is better to Save before taking a rest or going to unknown places. Even if your party is wiped out, you may restart from the point in which you Saved. When walking, only one person will be shown. You can select that person by the R-button. You can make a total of 4 Saves. You’d better make more than 2 Saves, in case a Save should be lost. Specifying where to save the data, your family can enjoy the game in turn. When your items get too many to carry, go to the Big-Chocobo and leave items in their care. When it smells like Chocobos, use Carrot. Big-Chocobos will surely appear! If you wanna read the words slowly during the battles, reduce the Battle Message speed. Recklessness, often proves to be damaging. When you are losing a battle, don’t hesitate to run away by pushing L and R-buttons at the same time. Don’t keep running away from your enemies! You may drop some money when escaping from them. You should always move the people with less HPs to the back by using the Change command. During the battles, you can Change the front and rear row by pushing the left of the Control Pad when in turn. By pushing to right, you can select Parry. You need to decide quickly in battles. If you’re not confident or not used to it yet, use the menu screen to reduce the Battle-speed! Monsters living in water are weak against the attacks of thunder. Monsters like Zombies and Skeltons receive great damage from Fire and Cure magic. You can equip weapons on a certain hand. There are some who can equip on both hands, though. Some weapons can be used as items during battles. You have to Equip them on the hand first though.

I imagine that a Chocobo will smell like a barn. Barns can smell pretty bad…

Also, running’s for suckers. I have never ever liked running away from a fight. We’re fighting everything and anything that gets in our way!

And “thunder” is the sound! Lightning is the light/bolt! >:|



This mage seems to be so flustered that he or she’s missing a few words and articles.



I don’t even know what this guy’s talking about. If you’re using “monster” in the singular, it needs to be accompanied with an article. Surely you meant the plural where you needed an “s” at the end, right?



Oh, this is where all of that mage’s articles went.

Before we move on, we need to fill out the paperwork for a name change with a fellow named Namingway. As much as I like Kain’s name (heck, I named my Lapras that in Pokemon Red for some dumb reason), I think I’ll change his along with everyone else’s.



Cecil only makes me think of the Simpsons character, and FFIV’s Cecil is certainly not as cool as that particular Simpsons character, so we can’t have him retain the Cecil name. Cecil’s a Dark Knight, so…



And Kain reminds me of the Green Power Ranger (you’ll see this later), but GrnRgr isn’t a cool name, so we’ll just call him:



With that said, I was tossing “Jason” or “RedRgr” around in my head for Cecil for better contrast between him and Kain, but I like Batman better. If anyone has an issue, bring it up, but I’m going to be pretty hard to budge.

And yes, they really did use “who’s” instead of “whose”.

Moving on.

Welcome back to the 1990s where people use to censor lotsa stuff like anything related to religion, language, acknowledgement of death, and sexuality. The 1990s was a cool era since we got a ton of cool music, some cool TV, and great games. But censoring was a result of a family-friendly approach to videogames, so FFIV, along with other games, got censored to remain friendly to kids. Castlevania got any references to crucifixes censored, Mortal Kombat’s fatalities and blood were censored, etc.



Case in point, the dancers. In the DS/GBA she says something akin to being against the king or hearing negative rumours about him so she gives Batman and Tommy a nice dance in return for their silence. Can’t have something like that in a game in the 1990s. It implies sexual stuff.



You can find stuff in pots and hidden treasure chests in this game. I always thought this stuff was fun until I memorized where stuff was in this game…

Let’s check out more NPCs.



Quality dialogue, folks. Batman’s actually a decent dude. He’s just misunderstood because of the costume he’s wearing.



My dad used to watch a lot of western (cowboy) movies, so naturally I thought this was a Wanted poster. >.>



Holy crap, spoiler tag that stuff!

Rosa’s mom lives in Baron, so let’s pay her a visit. Since Rosa (name soon to be replaced), Batman, and Tommy grew up together, you’d think she’d give us something to wish us well on our mission.



I guess not. Well, we could always take the Tent and Ether1 she’s keeping in her house.



Cid also lives in Baron with his daughter. His house is actually pretty big but for some reason they only have one bed and heckuva lot of bookshelves there. Also, a fireplace for Batman to put his hand in. The books Cid owns are: “The Guide of World Birds”, “The History of the Shipbuilding”, and “Buoyancy and its Principles”.



As usual, people keep telling us to purchase supplies. I actually don’t do this much at the beginning of Final Fantasy IV because both party members can hold their own and you’re going to get a bunch of free stuff in terms of spoils and stuff you find in town/dungeons anyway.



As you can see in this, there’s a ton of stuff missing, right? Well, in this version of Final Fantasy IV, you don’t have several different items intended to heal status effects. The Remedy is now replaced with the much cheaper Heal which does the same thing.



This used to be a link between Baron and Mysidia. If you’ve played The After Years, you’ll know this isn’t just a warp or anything; it’s just one big maze of stupid stuff to go through. Here, you’ll see that it’s very easy to walk through it. There’s a reason why NPCs in Mysidia say it’s draining as heck.

There are a few locked doors but we don’t have to worry about those yet. Weird that the weapon shop is locked, though.

I’ve had enough of Baron. Let’s go somewhere else. But first, stats.



Tommy is a quick guy, and a definite asset to the team since he can basically do what Cecil does but with one added ability. For some reason his Will stat is pretty darn high (and anyone who’s played The After Years will tell you that this is an asset for Kain), and since there is a sprite in Final Fantasy IV of Tommy casting a spell, perhaps he was supposed to gain magic in this game. Anyway, it isn’t very important.

Tommy’s equipment is pretty cool because he comes with a Wind Spear. Flying enemies are typically weak vs wind, so you’re going to want Tommy to target flying enemies. But it doesn’t really matter since both characters can kill an enemy in one blow at this point.



Batman’s a’ight. He has high attack and adequate defense and agility. All we need to do with him is attack. He’s not going to be interesting to use until much later. For now, he’s one of two tanks.

Let’s battle!!

Battle 1

Er, I’ll be using different battle themes throughout this playthrough. I’m not too fond of Battle 1.



Tommy’s battle setlist looks just fine, right? He has the Fight command, which is just a physical attack. He also has a Jump command, where he takes a round to jump in the air, and then on the next, he lands on the opponent to dish out some damage. At the time when he jumps, he cannot be attacked or take damage from group attacks. If Kain has a spear equipped, he will deal out more damage with Jump, so it’s best to keep a spear on him if you are going to use the Jump command in battle.

Batman, on the other hand… his setlist certainly looks different. If you’ve played any other version of Final Fantasy IV, you’ll note that the Dark/Darkness command is missing. This means that Cecil is extremely boring to use in this version since he can only do two things. In other versions, the Darkness command will take a certain amount (an eighth) of Cecil’s HP in exchange for a group attack on enemies.

Darkness certainly still appears in this game, but not in the form you’d expect. You’ll see this later.

Oh, right. I don’t think I’m going to grind for drops like summons or the Pink Tail because that gets boring and I just want to play through the game as painlessly as possible (as if holding down A is painful). I’ll talk about them, sure. But I don’t think I’ll go through the effort of trying to get one. (I say this now, but when I encounter summoners and conjurers…)

Let’s go to a Chocobo Forest. Chocobo Forests are round(ish) forests on the world map. I didn’t capture an example, but it’s pretty obvious on the map and sticks out like a sore thumb.



You saw the tutorial so you know what Carrots are. I’m not going to waste one because I don’t need to right now. They’re really Gysahl Greens. You can find White Chocobos which restore your (currently nonexistent) MP, and regular Chocobos which are land-based. Later on, you’ll encounter another type of Chocobo which allows you to cross oceans.



We don’t need to use one because we’re going to fight and get some XP.

Into the Darkness



In the Misty Cave, you’ll find Larvae and Sand Moths. Both are rather unremarkable. Use Kain’s Wind Spear against the Sand Moths since they’re flying.



You’ll also have some random guy tell you to go away. We’re not going to listen to him!

Random voice: Do you still wish to go on? Yes/No *I choose Yes because there’s no point in choosing No. This is Final Fantasy IV; there is no “no”.* Batman: We must deliver this Package to the village of Mist!

Is the random voice telling me that the mist is gathering, or is this a third party narrator?



Battle 2

(Same thing’ll apply here; I’ll probably use different boss themes too.)

The Mist Dragon is an easy as heck boss which will not cause you too much trouble. Think of it like Final Fantasy VII’s Guard Scorpion. Its attacks are hilariously weak in this version, and you can just keep jumping around with Kain here.

There will come a point where it will disperse into mist and you should not attack it (see picture 2). If you do, you’ll be counterattacked, and that’ll do more damage than you want it to do. Thus, it’s best to jump around with Kain and physically attack with Cecil when it’s in dragon form.



Finally. That entire ordeal was rather bori--…



What.

Bomb Ring



So we did our job, right? Let’s cut and run!



Aw shit.

Tommy: I’ve heard of the people with the power to summon monsters. They are Callers! Batman: We defeated the dragon, so her mother is gone also. Girl: You! You’ve beaten my mother’s dragon! Batman: We didn’t mean to do this to your mother.

You know, if this were all voice-acted, I think I’d be criticizing the dialogue even more. At least the DS/GBA dialogue sounds more genuine.



That asshole just turned heel on me! Or not?

Batman: Forget it! Never again will I follow such an order! … Tommy: Well, Batman. I knew you’d say so. I won’t let you do it alone. Batman: Tommy? Tommy: I owe His Majesty much. Still, I cannot disgrace the Dragoons. Batman: Then will you… Tommy: But Baron is the mightiest country in the world. It’s impossible for us to challenge his might alone. We must gather other countries. And you know… We must save Rosa! Batman: Thank you, Tommy. Tommy: Not for your sake.

Alright, there’s some stuff wrong with this dialogue already. I’ll use their default names to discuss this.

Kain has just established that he's willing to defect and rebel against Baron with Cecil. But he isn’t doing it because he was raised alongside Cecil; he’s doing it because he has his own reasons. The "we must save Rosa!" bit is kind of awkward because Rosa isn't imprisoned by anyone. In the GBA version, the script says something like, "I owe the King much, but I won't disgrace the Dragoons any further; we have to do this for Rosa!" In this version, when I first played it a few times, anyway, I thought his bit about disgracing the Dragoons referred to his defection from Baron as opposed to doing what Baron told him to do. Also, the utilization of "we have to do this for Rosa!" sort of shows that he has some feelings for Rosa.



Alright you guys. Think of this carefully. How would you approach this situation and talk to a child to make her calm and come with you willingly?



Tommy, you maroon.



You’re just as bad! This isn’t bloody “good cop, bad cop”!



Nice going, dumbasses.



Don’t even bother trying to win this. Just progress the story.



This Caller is out of control here and is merely powered by her own emotions at the moment. The Titan’s power ends up causing a massive earthquake which splits the land apart and raises mountains in its place. That’s some crazy tectonic shifting right now.

Now we’re in the middle of nowhere.



And Tommy’s nowhere to be found. Either he abandoned us or he’s deader than dead.



This was a fantastic day.

Next time: We make a level 1 kid fight.

[jaxword]

If only Cecil had known the Dragoon-only path back over those mountains...

[APZonerunner]

Playing FF8; on Disc 3 (where I feel things fall apart until the final dungeon). Ploughing on... I can very barely play this game now without having my thoughts dominated by the Squall's Dead theory, though....

Oh, and... this thread seems like a good place to post this; If anyone has a real burning love of FF, is confident in their ability to write and wants to be involved in an (entirely for the love) project myself and Kagari are planning for the 25th, drop me a PM.

[SHarris78]

ok, deep breath............

I've NEVER played ANY FF game. EVER. I can't help but think i'm missing out on something pretty big, and as a result am thinking of 'getting into it', starting right at the beginning. I don't own a PS3 so i know later down the line i may need one to complete my 'quest', but for the early games my Vita should suffice. As an older gamer with only really pick up and play games for my handhelds, can these games fill a gap I have for a story driven 'big world' game?

[CorvoSol]

It's worth it for all the new content, but you'd have to level up those characters all over again without your previous save.

If you still have your save, you don't have to worry about it. If you DON'T, though, you can always do the fast level up trick. The real pain is reunlocking everything.

[The Praiseworthy]

ok, deep breath............ I've NEVER played ANY FF game. EVER. I can't help but think i'm missing out on something pretty big, and as a result am thinking of 'getting into it', starting right at the beginning. I don't own a PS3 so i know later down the line i may need one to complete my 'quest', but for the early games my Vita should suffice. As an older gamer with only really pick up and play games for my handhelds, can these games fill a gap I have for a story driven 'big world' game?

Hmmmm... if you don't own PS3 and have VITA, then this is your answer:



But you really should get the PS3 and start with the PS1 FF games ( VII - VIII - IX ) because they are the best in the series.

[gketter]

Finished up FF1 this afternoon. It's the first time I played FF1 and it was fun! I went with the PSOne version (on normal difficulty). Once you get items with spells in them things really open up.

Time to look at FF2. Another of the FF games I haven't played or beaten (it's down to ff2,3 and 5)