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[pauljeremiah]

I have a love of old JRPG's from the SNES and NES era and would love to play Final Fantasy VI again. Just wondering what's the best way to play it today? Steam version? PS1 version and play it on my Vita? GBA version? or iPad/iPhone version?

Or should I just go and dig out my SNES and my copy of FF3?

 

[LewieP]

OG Snes.

Edit: PS1 version has massive load times, GBA version has worse audio and the graphics are somewhat cropped, mobile/PC versions have hideous graphics.

 

[georly]

I'm not too hardcore on 'best' versions, but I enjoyed the GBA version the most. I'm sure someone has a complaint about why it's not the best, but who knows. Maybe it doesn't do the music as well? I enjoyed the bonus dungeon (because it was something new after having played the game like 10 times prior on snes). PS1 = SNES but with loading times, I think?

 

[antitrop]

Dig out your SNES or play it on an emulator with a fan translation.

 

[diaspora]

GBA Restored

 

[Arzehn]

Dig out your SNES and play on a crt.

 

[Pinky]

I've only ever played the SNES and PS1(Anthology) versions. Based on that, SNES wins hands down.

 

[jschreier]

The GBA version has some sound issues but a way better script, so I'd recommend it over the SNES version. Enjoy it! One of the greatest games ever made.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

SNES or VC version is ideal, IMO.

PSX version is bad in many ways, mobile/PC port has some horrific sprites, and the GBA version is likely to be expensive, fake, or both, and has some less than ideal sound (which is bad for a game with music as good as FFVI).

 

[Shift Breaker]

The answers you'll get are a toss up between the SNES and the GBA, based on translation opinions, fixed glitches and sound.

GBA with a patch for higher quality audio is the best though, it's got all the new features without the awful mobile graphics.

 

[super-famicom]

OG Snes.

This is correct. Although, i don't like the evade stat bug. Vanish + X-Zone combo is pretty silly.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

This gets asked from time to time. In general:

Avoid the PS1/PSP/PSN version at all costs. Long loading times and emulation bugs throughout.
GBA Version is the best playing version, but GBA sound is not the best. There are patches to fix it if you buy the cart and emulate.
Wii VC version is basically the SNES rom, so it's fine but it has all the bugs and translation issues it originally had. Not a bad way to play it if you can't be assed to hunt down the GBA cart in god knows what condition.

 

[Sephzilla]

SNES or the GBA version are the ones I'd recommend. Avoid the PS1 and iOS versions like the plague.

 

[potatohead]

You get FMVs but bad load times on PS1.

You get the original version and smooth load times on SNES.

 

[AuthenticM]

The GBA version with the rom hacks that fixes the colors, and some other things I forget.

 

[MacGurcules]

If you've got a way of playing the GBA version with the sound restoration patch, it's your best bet. Otherwise go OG FFIII on the SNES all the way.

 

[kromeo]

I think the ps1 version might have had long load times from memory, but on the vita is still the way I'd play a game like this..

The GBA version looks horrible playing on an emulator, I tried a few years back

 

[pje122]

What about Brave New World?

 

[univbee]

The best version overall is Japanese-only, and that's the Super Famicom version.

The SNES version is probably the next-best but has a wonky translation in quite a few ways, they were on a crazy deadline.

The GBA version has an amazing translation (including FIGS translations on the Euro version) but the music isn't great, and the "Restored" patch still doesn't bring it up quite to the level of the SNES original.

The mobile and PC releases have HD graphics which kind of clash weirdly in a lot of ways, but I think the music and translations are good.

So ultimately there's no one version which checks all the boxes unless you're fluent in Japanese, you have to pick what's least important to you between graphics, sound and translation and go with whichever version has that as a weak point.

 

[KojiKnight]

SNES version still best, GBA version is pretty good with the patches out there to fix it, but if you don't have the hardware to dump and then play back the game it would be very time consuming. The mobile port isn't nearly as bad as purists make it out to be, so if you need cheap and easy access it's still a good choice.


Before I get hated on for the mobile comment: Is it better for someone to hold out and maybe not experience the game at all since the best versions are much harder/more expensive to come by? I don't think so, the game even in mobile form still holds up well (I made it to the WoR before my phone died and I didn't back up the save).

(edit) Totally forgot this was on steam now, I eventually need to aquire it there as well.

I think the ps1 version might have had long load times from memory, but on the vita is still the way I'd play a game like this..

The GBA version looks horrible playing on an emulator, I tried a few years back

The load times on FF6 PS1 are hard coded and will be the same regardless if you set the faster loading in the menus, just to make sure no one gets the idea that it plays better there than it did on a real PS1.

 

[shark sandwich]

I know this is an unpopular opinion, but I'd go with iOS. The higher-resolution graphics really grew on me. It's the best looking, best sounding, best playing version.

The fast forward/auto-battle feature is such a huge improvement and makes repetitive/unchallenging battles far less tedious. And the new control scheme makes it easy to give commands to any member whose ATB is charged at any time instead of having to cycle through them. It also makes Cyan's bushido abilities less shitty because you can command other party members while it's charging.

 

[warheat]

either SNES or PSX with emulator to fix loading time.

 

[Dimitri LH]

Wasn't there a thread recently about a GBA sound hack that fixes the sound issue for this game?

Im currently playing it on GBA, its good enough imo.

 

[Zophar]

Load times on the PSX version aren't completely intolerable - my first time through the game in 1999 was on the PSX version. Recently picked it up again for the Vita and the faster loading improves it pretty well too. In every version there's some tradeoff you have to make, unless you track down the GBA restoration hack.

 

[Deadpool_X]

The retraslation of Shadow's description makes me hate the GBA version. How do you go from, "He'd slit his own mamma's throat for a nickel" to, "He'd kill anyone, if the price was right"? That takes an emotional edge away from the character, and this is far from the only bad change in the new translation on GBA.

 

[SkyOdin]

The SNES version is my top choice. The slow loading and sound issues with the PS1 version sour the experience a bit.

 

[KojiKnight]

The retraslation of Shadow's description makes me hate the GBA version. How do you go from, "He'd slit his own mamma's throat for a nickel" to, "He'd kill anyone, if the price was right"? That takes an emotional edge away from the character, and this is far from the only bad change in the new translation on GBA.

I think Ted Woolsey actually did a great job on the original SNES translation all things considered. Is the translation perfect? Nah, but it stands up pretty well even today.

At least I think we can all agree that the fan retranslation (Sky Render I believe was his name?) of FF6 was garbage... right?

 

[diaspora]

Load times on the PSX version aren't completely intolerable - my first time through the game in 1999 was on the PSX version. Recently picked it up again for the Vita and the faster loading improves it pretty well too. In every version there's some tradeoff you have to make, unless you track down the GBA restoration hack.

Damning with faint praise.

 

[Pasta_Soup]

I finished it several months ago for the first time - played the SNES version.

And I wish I had played the GBA version. I thought the SNES translation was awful, resulting in everyone sounding like children speaking in awkward sentences. Was really off-putting for me. Granted, I know it was due to translation issues that plagued Japanese games at the time - so I understand why.

I remember looking up a couple of scenes from the GBA version to compare the translation - it just read so much better.

 

[Cleve]

I remember the PSX version running a lot better on vita with the fast loads option on, but it's been a while.

 

[entremet]

Reposting from another thread:

My favorites are SNES/PC/Mobile

Mobile/PC looks terrible, but it probably plays the best actually.

The PC version is just the mobile version.

The original SNES/SFC versions have the least compromises.

They're available on the Wii VC.

SFC/SNES
+Beautiful Spritework
+Original soundtrack made for the SNES sound chip
-Some battle bugs (Evade stat does nothing; Vanish plus X-Zone/Doom kills all bosses)
-No extra content found in GBA/moblie/PC version

PS1
+Beautiful Spritework
+Faithful version of SNES soundtrack
+Bestiary
+Art Gallery/CG movies
-Persistent loading in menus and in battles. This is a huge minus

GBA
+Beautiful Spritework, although it has a brighter palate, common with SNES port to GBA
+New translation that fixes the spell names to a more general consistency established in FFVIII
+New Espers, Ultimate Weapons, and 2 new bonus dungeons
+Music Player
+Bestiary
-Poor quality soundtrack by default. You can patch the ROM for the SNES analog.

Mobile/PC
+Has the new translation, GBA content, music player, and bestiary.
+Auto battle
+SNES quality soundtrack
+Achievements
+Fixed Cyan's Bushido/Swdtech to charge passively
+Optional hint system to show next steps in the story
+Journal system that operates as a quest log, documenting completed scenarios
+Towns and locations are marked to coincide with storyline to prevent any wandering
-Ugly reskin.

 

[Spyder_Monkey]

SNES

 

[inner-G]

SNES, absolutely.

The GBA version seems tiny in comparison, from the screen size, to the backgrounds to the music. The additions aren't worth the concessions, imo.

 

[elkniwcire]

The mobile port isn't nearly as bad as purists make it out to be, so if you need cheap and easy access it's still a good choice.

This. The iOS/Android version is actually REALLY good. Purists hate the updated graphics, but they are actually kinda nice if you don't nostalgia vision. The iOS/Android version has high-res wide screen graphics, all of the extra content and improved translation from the GBA version, the best version of the music from the SNES version, none of the lag from the PS1 version, and it has things like quick-save, controller support, and cloud saving. Plus its with you all the time! And the touch controls are actually pretty great once you get used to them (I recommend switching to dpad mode and tabbed menus).

There is a strong case to be made for the iOS version. I recently just played through it myself as a first timer and it was AMAZING. I listened to the naysayers out there and tried emulators, etc to tried and get the "true" experience, but I kept going back to the iOS version because it just felt and played the best of all of them.

But really though, this game is so good that no matter which version you play you'll have a great time. People will find a reason to hate on every version of this game, but just pick the platform you prefer to play on and you'll have a great experience no matter what. Nothing can ruin the experience for this game.

 

[Interfectum]

The mobile reskin kills that version immediately, IMO. Totally changes the feel of the game.

 

[Zophar]

Damning with faint praise.

Nah, just tired of the hyperbole regarding it. FF6 on PSX is perfectly playable, and I still have a 100% completion file floating around. It's much, much better than the terrible FF5 port.

 

[atbigelow]

GBA version, probably. The music is wimpy but if you use the sound restoration patch, it's pretty solid.

But the translation and UI updates along with bug fixes make it good.

 

[inner-G]

The mobile reskin kills that version immediately, IMO. Totally changes the feel of the game.

Yep. Totally shits on the great work that the original sprite artists did

 

[diaspora]

Nah, just tired of the hyperbole regarding it. FF6 on PSX is perfectly playable, and I still have a 100% completion file floating around. It's much, much better than the terrible FF5 port.

But I mean it's by far the worst version regardless. Telling people that the loading isn't super shitty isn't great if they can just.play the GBA Restored or SNES versions instead.

 

[Linkark07]

If you don't care about the old sprites then go with the PC version.

 

[Kanann]

beat me


Mobile/PC is the best version.

 

[Vincent Grayson]

This. The iOS/Android version is actually REALLY good. Purists hate the updated graphics, but they are actually kinda nice if you don't nostalgia vision. The iOS/Android version has high-res wide screen graphics, all of the extra content and improved translation from the GBA version, the best version of the music from the SNES version, none of the lag from the PS1 version, and it has things like quick-save, controller support, and cloud saving. Plus its with you all the time! And the touch controls are actually pretty great once you get used to them (I recommend switching to dpad mode and tabbed menus).

There is a strong case to be made for the iOS version. I recently just played through it myself as a first timer and it was AMAZING. I listened to the naysayers out there and tried emulators, etc to tried and get the "true" experience, but I kept going back to the iOS version because it just felt and played the best of all of them.

But really though, this game is so good that no matter which version you play you'll have a great time. People will find a reason to hate on every version of this game, but just pick the platform you prefer to play on and you'll have a great experience no matter what. Nothing can ruin the experience for this game.

One doesn't need "nostalgia vision" to recognize how ugly the FFV and VI sprites are. What's especially galling is that FFRK has very nice looking sprites from every single FF game, including those that never had sprites, but they still went with those awful ones for the mainline game ports.

 

[Lionheart1827]

SNES imo, then GBA. People will argue over the translation, but dem Woolseyisms is what I'm used to in the SNES version. Had a little bit more charm imo.

 

[Pejo]

This. The iOS/Android version is actually REALLY good. Purists hate the updated graphics, but they are actually kinda nice if you don't nostalgia vision. The iOS/Android version has high-res wide screen graphics, all of the extra content and improved translation from the GBA version, the best version of the music from the SNES version, none of the lag from the PS1 version, and it has things like quick-save, controller support, and cloud saving. Plus its with you all the time! And the touch controls are actually pretty great once you get used to them (I recommend switching to dpad mode and tabbed menus).

There is a strong case to be made for the iOS version. I recently just played through it myself as a first timer and it was AMAZING. I listened to the naysayers out there and tried emulators, etc to tried and get the "true" experience, but I kept going back to the iOS version because it just felt and played the best of all of them.

But really though, this game is so good that no matter which version you play you'll have a great time. People will find a reason to hate on every version of this game, but just pick the platform you prefer to play on and you'll have a great experience no matter what. Nothing can ruin the experience for this game.

If you enjoy pixel art in the slightest, there's no way you're giving that garbage a pass. It makes you feel like you're watching a flash animation.

As others have said, the original on SNES on a CRT is probably best, or emulated with fan translation.

 

[KojiKnight]

The mobile reskin kills that version immediately, IMO. Totally changes the feel of the game.

Some of the art is actually much closer to Amano's originals.

You can also make the case that the blurring does more damage than good...

And it could have always been worse...

Even the new map sprites that people hate are based on official artwork from the time...

 

[True Fire]

Has anyone fixed the PC version yet? Namely the sprites, but it also needed a really good filter to get rid of the Candy Crush aesthetic.

 

[kromeo]

I've actually been holding off replaying this for a few years now in case they did a complete collection style update but I guess the mobile version killed any chance of that..

 

[entremet]

If you enjoy pixel art in the slightest, there's no way you're giving that garbage a pass. It makes you feel like you're watching a flash animation.

As others have said, the original on SNES on a CRT is probably best, or emulated with fan translation.

I replayed both SNES and iOS version last year. I enjoyed iOS more. Go figure. ¯\_(&#12484_/¯

And SNES was on CRT via component.

The QoLs improvement on iOS/PC are massive.

 

[antitrop]

SNES imo, then GBA. People will argue over the translation, but dem Woolseyisms is what I'm used to in the SNES version. Had a little bit more charm imo.

Yeah. I do have a certain fondness for the Woolsey translations of FFVI and Chrono Trigger. There's a bit of charm to the goof.

 

[TK-421]

Here's the patch to fix the translations for the SNES versions:
http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/1386/

And here's the graphics and sound fixes for the GBA version:
http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/657/
http://www.romhacking.net/hacks/765/