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Lkr · May 23, 2012

I have never really been into JRPGs, but at my friend's constant nagging, I started playing playing Final Fantasy X and enjoyed it. Now I am trying to get into some of the classics, but I don't know the best way to play them. For example, I was at Best Buy today looking for Final Fantasy IV. I had remembered it was released on DS, so I thought that would be perfect, but it wasn't there. I did see Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection for PSP however, at $20. I figured I'd give it a shot at that price, but I still don't know if this is a better version or if I should have looked online for the DS version instead.
I'm looking to tackle Chrono Trigger next, and there is a DS version as well as a PS1 port on the Playstation Store. Which one is the better version?

Man-is-Obsolete · May 23, 2012

Try an emulator?

NaturalHigh · May 23, 2012

Buying an SNES wouldn't cost you too much. But some of the classic RPGs can be a little pricey.

IMO it is the best way to play them and an SNES is always a good investment.

tiggerkiddo · May 23, 2012

The DS version is better. PS1 tends to lag and isn't all that great of a port (IMO). SNES is the best version but man does that get pricey.

Worthintendo · May 23, 2012

Lkr said:
I have never really been into JRPGs, but at my friend's constant nagging, I started playing playing Final Fantasy X and enjoyed it. Now I am trying to get into some of the classics, but I don't know the best way to play them. For example, I was at Best Buy today looking for Final Fantasy IV. I had remembered it was released on DS, so I thought that would be perfect, but it wasn't there. I did see Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection for PSP however, at $20. I figured I'd give it a shot at that price, but I still don't know if this is a better version or if I should have looked online for the DS version instead.
I'm looking to tackle Chrono Trigger next, and there is a DS version as well as a PS1 port on the Playstation Store. Which one is the better version?

DS version of Chrono Trigger doesn't have loading times plus a few extra features and the Anime cut scenes the Playstation version has.

As for FFIV I can't comment on the PSP collection, I'll admit that does seem to offer better value as its not just FFIV but its also the After Years so its going to be alot of gaming content for your buck. That said I'm currently playing through FFIV DS at the moment and loving it. I love the redone polygon graphics and think it looks great. Also I'm loving the augment system and I'm not overly sure if thats included in the PSP version of the game.

So yeah I'd go with the DS, just seem to be better versions of the games.

RobotHaus · May 23, 2012

There are a good amount on digital distro services like WiiWare and PSN. You could also try GBA games or some on DS, but you have to ask if you're playing them for the story, for the gameplay, or for the original experience. That should affect your decision on which version of a game to pick up. Some games have not aged well, like Final Fantasy 1 or some of the NES era RPGs.

Man God · May 23, 2012

Wii has decent versions of a lot of SNES classics on the Virtual Console. FF VI, Super Mario RPG, Chrono Trigger, Secret of Mana to be specific.

FF IV though isn't the best. I love the DS version. DS version of CT is the most feature rich.

Lkr · May 23, 2012

i have a snes but they really don't play nicely with hdtvs, so i would probably be better off playing a remake

edit: i guess WiiWare would be a good place to look.
What do people mean by augments when it comes to the DS version of FFIV?

Dark Schala · May 23, 2012

Lkr said:
For example, I was at Best Buy today looking for Final Fantasy IV. I had remembered it was released on DS, so I thought that would be perfect, but it wasn't there. I did see Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection for PSP however, at $20. I figured I'd give it a shot at that price, but I still don't know if this is a better version or if I should have looked online for the DS version instead.

FFIV DS is probably the most definitive version of FFIV I've played because of the augment system and extra difficulty. It also has some extra scenes and rearranged music. Edit: Ok. The augment system was added to FFIV DS. It lets characters inherit and equip certain abilities or attacks from other characters. Some of these are passive, and others are command-based abilities. Characters can have as many augments as the player grants them, but they can only have four commands equipped at a time. If you give more than one augment to a character who typically acts as a temporary member, they'll give you more than one Augment to use for other party members when they leave. You'll understand it if you play it. It's quite straightforward, and makes the game's cast feel more diverse in terms of movesets.

FFIVCC, however, is perfectly competent, especially for $20. I picked it up and was pretty satisfied with what I got (FFIV with the GBA additions, the Interlude (which is only an hour or two if you're playing for the story), and The After Years, which can be long and fun).

It's up to you, but I'd go for the DS version, tbh. Both versions are quite competent, though.

I'm looking to tackle Chrono Trigger next, and there is a DS version as well as a PS1 port on the Playstation Store. Which one is the better version?

Do not get the PS1 port. It's the worst version out of the three. The DS version has better audio and has the stuff in the PS1 version + the (needless) extra dungeons/quests exclusive to that version.

You can also try the SNES version on WiiWare. It's $8.

we.are.the.armada · May 23, 2012

Lkr said:
I have never really been into JRPGs, but at my friend's constant nagging, I started playing playing Final Fantasy X and enjoyed it. Now I am trying to get into some of the classics, but I don't know the best way to play them. For example, I was at Best Buy today looking for Final Fantasy IV. I had remembered it was released on DS, so I thought that would be perfect, but it wasn't there. I did see Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection for PSP however, at $20. I figured I'd give it a shot at that price, but I still don't know if this is a better version or if I should have looked online for the DS version instead.
I'm looking to tackle Chrono Trigger next, and there is a DS version as well as a PS1 port on the Playstation Store. Which one is the better version?

FFIV DS is a very good and difficult version of the original game. If you care about story/VO then go with this version since the cutscenes are cinematic and voiced. This version also has the "Augment System" - it allows character/class abilities to be used with any character.

FFIV PSP is moreso an HD version of the original FFIV Famicon version, which is a harder (higher encounter rate, monsters have higher stats, etc.) than FFII SNES. It's good and has the extra dungeons/events from the FFIV GBA remake.

I own and have beaten all versions of FFIV (it's my favorite game!) and I personally think that FFIV DS is the superior version of the game. For 2D purists, FFIV PSP is a damn fine port of the FFIV GBA version.

RobotHaus · May 23, 2012

Lkr said:
i have a snes but they really don't play nicely with hdtvs, so i would probably be better off playing a remake

edit: i guess WiiWare would be a good place to look.
What do people mean by augments when it comes to the DS version of FFIV?

It's a bit of a different experience, the story is the only thing that has stayed the same. Different graphical style and though the music is the same, it's composed differently.

I would say if you can emulate an older TV on some emulators then try that so it. Looks much better and can get that retro feeling down.

Lkr · May 23, 2012

I guess I'll go return PSP version(I was smart enough to post on gaf before opening!) and find the DS version tomorrow. although before I do that, is there any reason to play both versions of the game?

Fou-Lu · May 23, 2012

I found FFIV DS was very slow in battle. Took a long time to do anything. Great game though. I preferred the PSP version, it even includes the After Years.

Man God · May 23, 2012

Play FF IV DS and then any other version of the game and you'll notice they tweaked quite a bit of the actual story and even added in quite a decent amount of backstory in the end game portion.

It's not a total story remake but it is something of a makeover.

Man God · May 23, 2012

Lkr said:
I guess I'll go return PSP version(I was smart enough to post on gaf before opening!) and find the DS version tomorrow. although before I do that, is there any reason to play both versions of the game?

PSP version has all the content of the GBA version+the wiiware/cellphone sequel the after years+an all new interlude between the two games all done in the same Flash looking animation style from the previous PSP FF ports. Some people enjoy it, others loathe it. I personally can't stand it, but its a good version if that doesn't bother you. Lots of content here, though some people find the after years a bit too grindy or liken it to a weird fan hack.

RobotHaus · May 23, 2012

Lkr said:
I guess I'll go return PSP version(I was smart enough to post on gaf before opening!) and find the DS version tomorrow. although before I do that, is there any reason to play both versions of the game?

The PSP comes with the sequel, but if you have a Wii you can download it on that, I think it might be on some other platforms (maybe?), but not sure. Even then still, it didn't get the greatest of acclaim, so only look into it if you really dig the FFIV story.

Dark Schala · May 23, 2012

Lkr said:
I guess I'll go return PSP version(I was smart enough to post on gaf before opening!) and find the DS version tomorrow. although before I do that, is there any reason to play both versions of the game?

I have both versions and they offer different things to the player. I'd say that if you're not tight on cash, you could hang onto the PSP version since that is a complete collection of all the stories involved in the FFIV universe.

FFIV DS excels in terms of ability distribution and cross-class attack distribution. It also has VO and some extra story bits that weren't in other version of FFIV (ex: the SNES/GBA/Wonderswan versions). If you're into that, go for it.

But FFIV PSP, as previously stated by other people in this thread including myself, has three sections to it:
- FFIV + GBA additions
- FFIV Interlude (which was the "new" addition, even though it didn't add much)
- FFIV: The After Years, which can be pretty grindy if you want to get everything, but I thought the combo attacks were pretty fun. I didn't think it was too bad, but it wasn't that great either. If you end up liking the FFIV universe, you can probably play TAY and get something out of it. I think it's better than the WiiWare version, though, since it's portable, and you get the original divisions of chapters from the original mobile version of the game.

I think it's well-worth your $20 since you're getting a lot of content with it. I don't really like the look of it, but it isn't really that bad. At $20, I think you're getting TAY for a steal as opposed to the original price on WiiWare.

The version of FFIV in the PSP Collection is really easy too. You can probably just auto battle your way through sometimes. Hence my preference for the DS version.

Aeana · May 23, 2012

Dark Schala said:
The version of FFIV in the PSP Collection is really easy too. You can probably just auto battle your way through sometimes. Hence my preference for the DS version.

I did this for almost the entire game. But it's not like the PSP version is significantly easier than the originals, FF4 has just always been braindead easy. That's why the DS version is such a godsend.

Eusis · May 23, 2012

Lkr said:
i have a snes but they really don't play nicely with hdtvs, so i would probably be better off playing a remake

edit: i guess WiiWare would be a good place to look.
What do people mean by augments when it comes to the DS version of FFIV?

Get S-Video cables if you can, made a world of different for me. Wonder if there's an s-video-to-component converter actually, though I guess the TV would see 240p or something and not display, but who knows.

I think FFIV's a good introductory RPG, but if you're already cutting your teeth on FFX you may be spoiled by newer games already. Didn't care much for the DS remake, but the PSP one sounds good. Maybe I'd be more favorable to the DS version had the battle pace been faster like on the SNES though, or at least they cut the bullshit and allowed main instant death attacks and the like to actually work in the final dungeon.

A Twisty Fluken · May 23, 2012

Play all versions of FF4. It's one of the bestest RPGs there ever done was.

The DS and PSP versions complement each other nicely, though the DS one is the one I'd choose if I only chose one. I'd even still play the GBA or SNES version as well to enjoy the original pixel art.

Chrono Trigger on DS is the way to go for that one.

Eusis · May 23, 2012

A Twisty Fluken said:
Play all versions of FF4. It's one of the bestest RPGs there ever done was.

Curious, but when did you first play FFIV? I feel like it's a game you can love more due to nostalgia, without that (or if you're able to put it aside) it's not really that amazing, though it's still a fun breezy RPG at least without the DS's difficulty.

Coolio McAwesome · May 23, 2012

The Virtual Console is a great source for classic RPGs. The emulation is about as flawless as you can get, but the output is vastly superior to what was available when the games were first released. You really can't go wrong with paying $8 for Chrono Trigger or Final Fantasy 6.

Worthintendo · May 23, 2012

Eusis said:
Curious, but when did you first play FFIV? I feel like it's a game you can love more due to nostalgia, without that (or if you're able to put it aside) it's not really that amazing, though it's still a fun breezy RPG at least without the DS's difficulty.

I'm playing the DS one at the moment and its the first time I'm really getting my teeth into it. I've kind of dabbled on it in the past with the GBA one. That said I'm absolutely loving it and can really see why some people may consider it one of the best Final Fantasy games. The story while nothing mind shattering is still a nice little fun tale with some great little twists and turns. I'd say its aged pretty well and all the other little details added to the DS version like voiced cutscenes and so on really make it feel like a nice modern handheld RPG.

Dark Schala · May 23, 2012

Aeana said:
I did this for almost the entire game. But it's not like the PSP version is significantly easier than the originals, FF4 has just always been braindead easy. That's why the DS version is such a godsend.

Yep.

When I got the Final Fantasy Chronicles version of FFIV, which was touted to be the "real and harder" version of FFIV and being a little disappointed with it. It had extra attacks cut out from the original version and some rewritten dialogue (I remember Cid swearing or something), but it wasn't as hard as I had expected it to be. And load times.

I don't like FFIV much, but it's a game I know well, so it tends to be one of those games I play whenever I want to turn my brain off and play something familiar. I generally ignore the story during playthroughs. >.>

BlueTsunami · May 23, 2012

I personally find it hard to sit in front of a TV and allowing these games that require a bit of repetition to take over my full attention now. So handheld all the way, with headphones if the music is good.

Raptomex · May 23, 2012

PC. Ultima 7 using Exult. Enjoy.

Drkirby · May 23, 2012

I find Emulators usually work good, thanks to save states allowing you to pick up and drop the game at a heart beat. For platform, the PC or PSP usually worked out the best, depending on the original platform (Earthbound was really enjoyable on the PSP, since I could ether sleep the system or do a save state)

Oh, general advice, if you do use save states, don't forget to do normal saves too. Lost hours of Progress on some games from not saving and doing a save state at a really crappy location.

If you don't want to use an Emulator, grab the DS version of Trigger. While both the PS1 and DS version have flaws, the PS1 flaws are worse IMO (Load times mainly, though I forget how bad they were.) If you don't mind sitting in front of a TV, the SNES version is still the best IMO, and you can get it on the Wii VC (I think the game also works well on PSP SNES Emulators, but I haven't tried it my self)

Oh, also, grab Suikoden I on the PSN store. The first few hours are a bit dry, but the game is overall fantastic. A great classic that is often over looked.

KittenMaster · May 23, 2012

FFIVDS is one of the hardest JRPGs I've ever played and one of the few FFs where most of the magic spell list is actually useful because of the difficulty and balance, a welcome apology for what happened to the GBA version of FF1.

If you hate difficulty though, pick a different version of the game because there is no easy mode.

Wolf Dawgz · May 23, 2012

Why is FFIV ds considered the harder version of the game?

chaosblade · May 23, 2012

FF4 on PSP, FF5 for GBA, Chrono Trigger for DS if you can find it cheap, VC version is fine too.

For any PS1 games the ones from PSN are fine, just avoid the SNES ports. Other SNES games are on the VC.

Edit: cut off my post for some reason.

Tabris · May 23, 2012

If someone doesn't use the augment system effectively, FFIV DS can be an incredibly hard game. With the augment system, it's not that challenging.

Dark Schala · May 23, 2012

Drkirby said:
Oh, also, garb Suikoden I on the PSN store. The first few hours are a bit dry, but the game is overall great.

It's awesome. I don't like recommending it to people willy-nilly because they generally come back and say it feels old or something like that. But if OP is willing to try anything, he can go for it. Edit: I generally prefer playing it on the PSP, but playing it on the TV isn't bad either.

Lkr · May 23, 2012

the only RPG games I've ever actually sunk my teeth into and completed are Pokemon games, so I'm not sure about the DS version since you guys keep saying its pretty hard :x

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