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Final Fantasy IV: SNES vs GBA vs DS vs PSP
- Thread starter Jonneh3003
- Start date
I played it only on psp and was kinda disappointed. Yeah the 2d sprites are nice but the game is boring and very easy until some final difficulty spike that will probably make you grind some levels. In After Years i liked jumping from character to character through the different chapters, but in the end you are just exploring the same locations you have already seen in the main game again and again, until the final ultra boring dungeon that's just an infinite sequence of boss fights with sprites from other ff games.
Like i said it's the only version of the game i played, and i wouldn't recommend to play it. I just think it's not a good game, or at least it didn't age well at all.
Like i said it's the only version of the game i played, and i wouldn't recommend to play it. I just think it's not a good game, or at least it didn't age well at all.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
It absolutely has aged.
It's pretty remarkable how Rosa just keeps getting knocked out and poisoned or kidnapped and you go "wow, really?", but then you reflect that the game is a quarter of a century old and indeed, comes from another era. And the general progression of the game is typical classic RPG: town, dungeon, bad guy confrontation. I'd say the series didn't break the storytelling mould until VI.
I have no problem getting into the mindset of the game. In fact I think I'm more getting into the headspace of the game than I did in the SNES era. But it's definitely not something you can just show to a newcomer and act like its timeless.
It's pretty remarkable how Rosa just keeps getting knocked out and poisoned or kidnapped and you go "wow, really?", but then you reflect that the game is a quarter of a century old and indeed, comes from another era. And the general progression of the game is typical classic RPG: town, dungeon, bad guy confrontation. I'd say the series didn't break the storytelling mould until VI.
I have no problem getting into the mindset of the game. In fact I think I'm more getting into the headspace of the game than I did in the SNES era. But it's definitely not something you can just show to a newcomer and act like its timeless.
There is no perfect version of FFIV, unfortunately.
The SNES version is classic, but it is hampered by some severe gameplay changes that strip away a lot of the game's options, particularly in the early game.
The PS1 version is fully faithful to the Super Famicom original, with the original spritework and all of the original gameplay. Unfortunately, it is badly emulated with long loading times. I like the original difficulty though; regular enemies can pose a serious threat to your party, which keeps you on your toes.
The GBA version has some sound issues, but is otherwise similar to the PS1 version, I think. This is the one version I have not played.
The DS version really spices up the gameplay for the better. Bosses are much more complex and exciting, while the augments give the player a lot more options. However, the cutscene direction is absolutely terrible, and I don't think the 3D models look as good as the old sprites. The DS version also makes some changes: weapon selection is more limited than in the old versions (Cecil can't use a bow or staff anymore), and some dungeons (such as the Antlion's den) have been noticeably simplified.
I've only played a little of the PSP version, but it is immediately apparent that they seriously reduced the difficulty. The random monsters and first boss pose significantly less threat than they did in the already nerfed SNES version of the game. The new spritework is passable, but it doesn't look spectacular either.
What I would give to have a proper translated version of the original Super Famicom game that was actually well emulated. Maybe throw augments and the DS version boss changes in as well.
The SNES version is classic, but it is hampered by some severe gameplay changes that strip away a lot of the game's options, particularly in the early game.
The PS1 version is fully faithful to the Super Famicom original, with the original spritework and all of the original gameplay. Unfortunately, it is badly emulated with long loading times. I like the original difficulty though; regular enemies can pose a serious threat to your party, which keeps you on your toes.
The GBA version has some sound issues, but is otherwise similar to the PS1 version, I think. This is the one version I have not played.
The DS version really spices up the gameplay for the better. Bosses are much more complex and exciting, while the augments give the player a lot more options. However, the cutscene direction is absolutely terrible, and I don't think the 3D models look as good as the old sprites. The DS version also makes some changes: weapon selection is more limited than in the old versions (Cecil can't use a bow or staff anymore), and some dungeons (such as the Antlion's den) have been noticeably simplified.
I've only played a little of the PSP version, but it is immediately apparent that they seriously reduced the difficulty. The random monsters and first boss pose significantly less threat than they did in the already nerfed SNES version of the game. The new spritework is passable, but it doesn't look spectacular either.
What I would give to have a proper translated version of the original Super Famicom game that was actually well emulated. Maybe throw augments and the DS version boss changes in as well.
The only one that's absolutely wrong to play is the GBA version. It has some pretty annoying glitches in the ATB system where characters get multiple turns in a row, while other abilities are useless because they take so long. I don't know if I ever managed to get off a casting of Palom and Porom's Twin magic.
And the PS1 version is fine. I think some people misremember it as having the terrible loading issues that the other SNES->PS1 Square ports (FF6 and CT are basically unplayable). I'll always have a soft spot for it because I love FF4 and it was the first chance I had to play it that wasn't the braindead easy US SNES version.
And the PS1 version is fine. I think some people misremember it as having the terrible loading issues that the other SNES->PS1 Square ports (FF6 and CT are basically unplayable). I'll always have a soft spot for it because I love FF4 and it was the first chance I had to play it that wasn't the braindead easy US SNES version.
Alex Stroud
Banned
Dug the sprites in the PSP version, but as others have said, the DS version brings it with the higher difficulty. GBA is hot garbage, only play that if every other version in existence disappeared off the face of the earth.
You're right about the psx version. The snes rom of 4 fits right into the 2mb memory on the psx so no need to load like every screen or the triangle menu unlike other snes conversions on the psx.
Steiner_Zi
Member
I recommend the Android/iOS version. Same as the DS remake but with high-res graphics and AA.
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
I also seem to remember hearing that the (then ancient) PS1 port of FF4 from 1997 was polished up a bit when it came to America in 2001 in FF Chronicles.
