Kirk Foiden said:
Sounds good. By the way, is it basically the original or some improved version of it? I'm kind of even more psyched about the DS FF3 release only because I had no idea they were revamping any FF game that much. Still, IV might be a good pickup since the collection I have has 5 and 6 and I didn't get the one for IV since I already had Chrono Trigger.
http://www.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3146237&did=1
Remaking a classic is a risky prospect. Just take a look at Hollywood for example after example of how badly it can go. At the other end of the spectrum is Final Fantasy IV Advance, one of the rare successes -- a remake that easily exceeds the original.
As a matter of fact, it wouldn't be a stretch to call this the definitive version of the game. The Super NES version (aka Final Fantasy II) was good stuff in its time, but it's aged poorly -- the graphics were barely above the 8-bit standard, the translation was abysmal and the gameplay was massively simplified for America.
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Since FF4A is based on the original Japanese ("hardtype") version of the game, the journey may be more difficult than many gamers remember. The battles begin easily enough, but the challenge level soon kicks up a few notches and inventory space grows hard to come by. To compensate, most characters have extra skills that were cut out of the Super NES game, such as Porom's "Cry" (which lowers enemy accuracy). It's a faithful restoration, suffering only from a slightly reduced resolution, moderately rearranged music and annoying slowdown during combat -- the biggest flaw in this port.
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Best of all, FF4A is more than a simple port. Like Dawn of Souls, it offers a massive amount of bonus content. True, there's nothing truly new on tap -- the bonus material is almost entirely comprised of graphics and monsters drawn from the main quest, including the slightly disappointing bonus boss who mainly proves that, like a nomadic tribe, Square Enix will let no scrap go to waste. But despite the heavy recycling going on, the bonus material should be a major plus to fans who have explored every last nook and cranny of the game over the past 15 years; not only does it allow disused characters a chance to return to action, it also nearly doubles the play time with some genuinely challenging battles and character-specific events that provide a glimpse into what drives them. While some of the bonus trials are little more than straightforward battles, others are much more creative: A Crazy Taxi-style delivery service, a murder mystery and more.