Final Fantasy III (DS)

Final Fantasy III! This was the DS version I played and I think I beat it in 34 hours or something at Level 58-60. I really can't remember.

Alright kats, this will probably be my shortest review ever.

This is my least favorite Final Fantasy game, right off the bat and one of my least favorite games of all time. NOW WAIT BEFORE YOU PISS AND SHIT IN THE COMMENTS! I'm specifically talking about this specific version of this game. Final Fantasy III on Famicom is a fucking phenomenal and absolutely fantastic game. But why did I dislike this version in particular? Well, let me tell you why.

I do not like the feel of the gameplay. The music is fine. (Sounds horrible on DS, though.) And characters and story are good, but the fucking gameplay is so boring. I don't even like walking around on the field. I don't know why, I start getting so bored and fall asleep. Maybe because it feels so slow compared to Famicom and it probably feels a lot better on iOS/Android & PSP. But the DS version is just boring. It's so slow and sluggish even in battles. Also this is nitpicky, but I would have like to have been able to use the Onion Knight class but it's so complicated to get. ._.

There are a few things I like about the DS version, though. The new ending is better and some of the jobs have better moves, opening is nice. It has a great song for it. That's really it.... I guess that's all I have to say.

My party was the Ninja, Dark Knight, Devout, and Sage. Don't suffer through the sluggish agony of this version of Final Fantasy III, if you guys wanna play the 3D version of Final Fantasy III get it on iOS/Android or PSP from the PlayStation Store. The PSP version is also playable on PlayStation Vita.

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Undisputed Verdict: 4/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Final Fantasy II

Final Fantasy II! Finished in 39 hours. This is my 4th time playing through Final Fantasy II. I played it 3 times on PSP and now for the first time on PSOne. Never beat it on GBA or NES, but I'd like to someday.

Final Fantasy II did not have the same director as Final Fantasy I and it came out in the "sequel-itis" era back on the NES with games like Zelda II, Mario 2, Castlevania 2, Dragon Warrior II, and so on. These games were different than their predecessors. This doesn't mean they were bad, but they had significant changes in content.

Final Fantasy II was the first Final Fantasy to tell a very well made narrative with dialogue, plot, and characters. The graphics of the NES were fairly good for it's time, on GBA/PSOne it was a step up to more visual improvement, but the PSP's visuals just knock it out of the park. Those super clean and sexy HD-style sprites and graphics. I REALLY wish Final Fantasy III was redone this way since Final Fantasy IV was. It'd be so beautiful.

It was also a very expansive game as well. You could walk out on the world map to far and just get pummeled by monsters. In order to be able to actually defeat some monsters, you had to battle yourself and gain experience and levels. However unlike Final Fantasy I, gaining experience and getting stronger was an entirely different beast. To have your weapons and magic get stronger, you had to literally use them until you win a battle and it says "Sword level has increased!" The same goes with HP and MP. You have to lose them to gain them. It seems weird, but works perfectly fine. A cool thing about Final Fantasy II is that you can have your characters be anything you want. Anyone can use any type of magic or weapon. They can even dual wield. But, say for example you use physical attacks a lot, your strength stat will go up, but your intelligence stat will go down and vice versa. Which is why you should watch how you raise your characters.

On the PSOne & NES version (I'm not sure about GBA) leveling up magic can be annoying unless if it's Cure which you use frequently. This is because you have to use a spell 50 times in order to level it up and there are 16 levels. This also goes for weapon levels, but you don't notice because you usually end up always pushing attack for every character. The EXP gain can differ on the enemies you're fighting, though. That said, you can use the EXP trick which is what I used in the PSOne version to level up my spells to higher levels. But, the PSP version really refines the leveling system. It uses gauges that fill up quicker. Like you only have to use a spell or weapon 5 times or so to get it to level 2 and it just gets slower to fill the gauge. This process is a lot easier and quicker, too. The item function in the PSOne version of Final Fantasy II was not so great. (Not sure about NES & GBA) You couldn't use items in battle, but you had to equip them and go to the Equip command in battle to use them. However, I never really took advantage of this because you could only equip two items. I thought it was stupid since I couldn't use all of items unlike in the PSP version. I actually didn't notice items worked like that until I needed to use a Phoenix Down on battle. I took a second and was like, "Holy shit! There's no item command!" It drove me nuts. Especially when I needed to use an Ether but I wasn't sure because they cost so much damn money. Another interesting thing about Final Fantasy II was it's Key Term system where you had to talk to specific characters to gain new terms and advance in the story. Really nice concept. Final Fantasy II was really an ambitious game back on the NES.

Now, let me get into what I think the nitpicky things or whatever. Personally, I think it should be easier to get Gil because it really takes a while unless if you went through a dungeon or something. Upon beating the game there should be a Hard Mode option. I think they should get rid of the Flee command (because it never fucking works in Final Fantasy II...) and replace it with "Skills". These "Skills" would relate directly to weapon mastery. Like if you get to Level 6 with the Bow & Arrow, you get Straightarrow and other abilities as your weapon levels up. I got this idea from Dissidia Final Fantasy. Straightarrow is one of Firion's Square moves. And for mastering each weapon you get a "Mystic Arte/Limit Break"-esque ability with it. I got this idea from one of my favorite games which is Grandia on PSOne. These two are very similar. One thing I loved about Grandia was that the characters would gain new abilities for leveling up their specific weapons and their abilities would get stronger just by using them like Final Fantasy II.

I know this is so nitpicky, but I wish I could set who I want as the party leader or at least set the formation. In RPGs, I love to walk around as my favorite characters. While I love the protagonist Firion, I would have liked more of an opportunity to control one of the other party members as well. And finally, I think at the end of the game you should be able to choose your party out of the characters you could play with. I'll elaborate more when I get to the story.

Final Fantasy II has a fantastic soundtrack. Especially the PSOne/PSP soundtrack with songs like: Battle Theme, Rebel Army, Ancient Castle, Main Theme, Prelude, Castle Pandemonium, Battle 2, and lots of others. I honestly believe that this game has the best Prelude in the series. It's so elegant with the PSP version's logo...

I love Final Fantasy II, but there's one thing I have yet to talk about and I feel it's the most important and that is the story.

Final Fantasy II tells a surprisingly great tale of rebels trying to fight against a warring empire. The thing about Final Fantasy II that really surprised me was it's story and the fact that people actually died in it. Some of the deaths actually made me cry. I always wanted to be able to make the party I want out of the party members that are left at the end of the game like in Final Fantasy IV, VI, or VII. The party members that die end up in the afterlife and after you beat the game, you get to play a mode call Soul of Rebirth which is literally a whole game kind of. You get to play with 4 characters who died in the main story. The story of Soul of Rebirth actually ties in directly to the main story in a very serendipitous way. I've never beaten Soul of Rebirth, but I've watched the ending on YouTube and... it's really something else. I loved it. Soul of Rebirth came out on the GBA remake and was carried onto the PSP remake as well. Another reason this game reminds me of Grandia so much is because just like in Grandia, you stay with the main cast, while the other party members come and go until you finally get the last party member.

But... I'm not done yet. The PSP version actually expands more in the back story of the world more by introducing a multi-area dungeon known as the Arcane Sanctuary. By exploring it, you get to see mini cutscenes and get new Key Terms to access new areas. The later areas tell more about the world of Final Fantasy II featuring a character called Deumion who is actually a superboss! I've done the dungeon to completion but there are times when you reach the end of the dungeon and Deumion gives you a certain weapon. This weapon is the ultimate weapon for a specific character in the party. This makes the dungeon really accessible because even the first party member's ultimate weapon is there. You don't have to be afraid of fighting the superboss, though, because it's stats depend on yours so it's not overly difficult. You can even do this for the party members that eventually die. Give them their ultimate weapon and they'll have it in Soul of Rebirth. I thought that was really fucking awesome. The main villain, Emperor Mateus is a badass motherfucker in Dissidia Final Fantasy.

This time around playing Final Fantasy II, I had my party as 2 physical attackers, a Red Mage, and a White Mage.

My first experience with Final Fantasy II was on PSP. I don't even remember how old I was. I think I was 10. XD And I was so excited when I first got it. I thought it was really amazing but really hard too. I used to end up running out into the world map and dying instantly. I never really understood the game to the point where I ended up grinding for days. I had 2000 HP at the beginning of the game. Final Fantasy II was my first numbered Final Fantasy game. Crystal Chronicles on GameCube was my first Final Fantasy game, though. I have a lot of nostalgia for Final Fantasy II. I seriously just start to tear up listening to that amazing world map theme.

Final Fantasy II is a unique turn-based JRPG originally released for NES only in Japan. It was remade in English for the first time on PSOne as Final Fantasy Origins which came with Final Fantasy I and they both had unlockable artwork that you could obtain after beating the game. It was also released on GBA, MSX, Wonder Swan Color, PSP, and iOS/Android. The PSP has the most definitive version but the most accessible way to play Final Fantasy II is purchasing it from the PlayStation Store as Final Fantasy Origins which is a PSOne Classic playable on PlayStation Portable, PlayStation 3, & PlayStation Vita. Or you could purchase it on the iOS Store or Google Play Store which is a port of the PSP version.

My favorite version is the PSP version. Which is also known as Final Fantasy II Anniversary Edition. It's one of my favorite games of all time and it's the best version, but it's sadly not on PSN/Vita. I wish more people could enjoy it. Most people consider it the black sheep of the series and scoff at it, but Final Fantasy II really is a unique game in it's own right and I had a lot fun reliving it.

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Undisputed Verdict: 9.5/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita

Final Fantasy I

Final Fantasy I! I beat it in one day. Just kidding, I beat it in 24:00 as my play time said. I've played the original Final Fantasy 6 times. 3 times on GBA, 2 on PSP and now for the first time on PSOne.

Now I suppose I'll start off with the gameplay and graphics. Exactly the same as PSP, gameplay-wise. But the PSOne has that Final Fantasy VIII/Final Fantasy I NES style of magic with the charges/limited uses instead of MP like on GBA & PSP. Personally, I like the MP style better because charges can be annoyingly hard to not use. Especially in dungeons, on the world map, or at the beginning of the game. You get used to it though. I also liked the Memo File. I used it in Final Fantasy II as well. It basically is like quicksave, but you're still playing. It creates a "Memo" that is there until you turn the system off. It came in handy in dire situations like in Chaos Shrine. I'd make a Memo File in the middle of a dungeon just in case if I died and if I did then I wouldn't have to start back too far. It's really a cool concept. Just don't turn your console off while using it. XD

Now, let me talk about the stuff I don't like about in Final Fantasy I/the things I wish could be in a remake possibly before I get to the stuff I love.

Okay, this goes for really any old RPG, but I much prefer to take a turn and have it execute rather than choosing everyone's turn. Just because it feels more fluid and progressive. This is more nitpicky I guess, but there should be a choice to pick male or female for each class. The Warrior should be able to use Cover and gain the ability to use Guard when becoming a Knight as well as up to Level 5 White Magic. The Thief should be able to use Steal (and Sprint when he's the leader) and gain the ability for Throw and Dual Wield as a Ninja. The Monk should be able to use Kick and Mantra and gain the ability of Focus as a Master. I say this because I have always HATED the fact that the Monk/Master, Warrior/Knight, Thief/Ninja has a Magic command, but it just sits there because they can't do anything with it! That always irritated me.

Anyway, there should also be more Nunchuks for the Monk/Master instead of having to resort to Haste/Saber/Temper and Barehanded.  The Red Mage should be able to learn spells up to level 8 but just have higher MP than the White or Black Mage. The Red Wizard should be able to use Dualcast thus making use of that high amount of MP. The White Mage should be a lot more proficient/powerful with their exclusive weapon, the Hammer. I think that could be a really cool and unique weapon. The White Wizard should be able to exclusively learn Aeroja and Drain as useful attack spells. The Black Mage should be able to learn Osmose and the Black Wizard should be able to learn more extremely powerful spells like Freeze, Burst, Break, and Meteor. I will also say that those two classes should be renamed Devout and Magus as well as Sage for Red Mage's class up. Honestly, I feel like this is kinda hinting at why I love Final Fantasy III so much. XD I didn't like how you couldn't save anywhere like on the PSP version. There doesn't need to be a "Flee" command. There should just be buttons in the command menu that show "L1 + R1 = Flee/Escape" or whatever. To end this, there should be no "levels" for magic. You should just be able to buy it at a specific level. (I.e White Mage can only buy Cura at Level 10 and up.)

Final Fantasy I has a timeless soundtrack. Absolutely fantastic. Many great themes like Lute, Prelude, Dungeon, Battle Theme, Sunken Shrine, Chaos Shrine, Mt. Gulg, Airship Theme, World Map, Boss Theme, Ruined Castle, Town Theme, Shop, Boat, Matoya's Cave, Flying Fortress, so many other good songs. Oh, and don't forget the PSP version has the absolutely kick-ass versions of Final Fantasy III, IV, & V Battle 2, Battle on the Big Bridge from Final Fantasy V, and The Decisive Battle from Final Fantasy VI. I love Final Fantasy I's soundtrack. The GBA soundtrack especially is also really good with those GBA sound effects. Especially Chaos Shrine, Battle Theme, and Sunken Shrine.

Oh, and btw, I liked the Super Saiyan look for the Master class on PSP, but the design for the Master was bitchin' on GBA and PSOne with dat awesome bun on his hair and the cool robe, dammit.

In the PSP and GBA version, I thought it was really cool that there were dungeons and secret bosses representing Final Fantasy III, IV, V, and VI. However, I never really understood why Final Fantasy IV Battle 2 plays even though you're fighting the Four Fiends....

Okay, I explained a lot of what I like in Final Fantasy I and what I wish for but not I'm gonna talk about what I fucking LOVE about the original Final Fantasy.

Final Fantasy I is an incredibly nostalgic game for me. I first played it on the GBA when I was like, 11 years old. It wasn't my first Final Fantasy game, but it really touched me. What with the beautiful GBA prelude coming up as soon as you turn on the game, to the game's simplistic and fun gameplay. I always loved going to new towns. The first thing I'd do is, "Oooooh! Where the magic shop? I wanna see all the new spells!" And I loved that feeling of discovering the spells and choosing the ones that I want for my mages. The world of Final Fantasy I is also surprisingly big. I always loved getting to new dungeons. Especially the offset ones like Waterfall Cave. I like the idea of "classing up". I always thought it was such a cool moment once you get those awesome new clothes for your characters and they walk around looking fucking badass.

When I was a kid, and I still do now, I thought the simple story of the game was so cool because I always liked to imagine what the warriors of light were like before they came to Cornelia.

Well, Final Fantasy I. It was a joy to play through it again. My team was the White Wizard, Knight, Master, and Red Wizard. Named Tori, Ashley, Eden, and Angus, respectively.

Luckily since the game retains your memory and has several unlockables if you beat the game a second time, I'll be playing the game again on Vita with a new party in New Game Plus on Easy Mode. Final Fantasy I is always fun to play because it is simply a classic and very well made JRPG. Especially for it's time back on NES. Final Fantasy I is one of my favorite Final Fantasy games, in my Top 5 favorites for the series and it's one of my favorite games of all time. It's hard to choose a specific version because the GBA has the nostalgia, while PSP has the added content/difficulty and amazing visuals & music. But I'd have to go with GBA because it how I first enjoyed this phenomenal game. Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls.

You can play Final Fantasy I on many different platforms because it's been rereleased many times since the original came out on NES. Accesibly, it can be purchased as Final Fantasy Origins which comes with Final Fantasy II on the PlayStation Store as a PSOne Classic playable on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Portable, & PlayStation Vita. You can also buy it on the iOS Store which is the PSP version (I'm not sure about the Google Play Store) and the NES version is available on the Wii Shop Channel/Wii U eShop.

Final Fantasy I is a revolutionary and classic JRPG inspired by Dragon Warrior and other role-playing games of the time. It is a legacy of Squaresoft which was it's developer. The company was about to go bankrupt and they made one final game that was a fantasy RPG for the NES. Thus being called "Final Fantasy". The gane did so thst it went on to create an entire franchise and revived the company. The result was one of the most recognizable and influential franchises of all time: Final Fantasy

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Undisputed Verdict: 8/10

Thanks for reading and I'll see you next time!! ~Gothorita