Final Fantasy I & II Dawn of Souls
by Nintendo
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Video Game Reviews of Final Fantasy I & II Dawn of Souls
Customer Review: Chaos lives to die again!
Summary: 5 Stars
Final Fantasy 1 was the first RPG I ever played and I loved it. The new GBA release is the same game, but SQUARE ENIX have expanded it to about three times its original size by adding extra caves. There have been many improvments since the NES release. I always hated how the game forced you to buy potions one at a time. I remember leaving an ash tray or something on my NES controllers 'A' button while I made myself a cheese sandwich and waited for my potion supply to top up. There is now an option to buy as many as you like! The cheesy old dialog has been replaced with new cheesy dialog (you gotta love it), and there are new cinimatics at key points in the game. Names of almost everything have been updated (monsters, spells, weapons, armour, items), the magic points system has improved, and the graphics are AMAZING! I played this game for a week straight before I ran out of things to do! I am now half way through FF2, which is just as awesome. FF2 was never released in America until now, and I'm glad they finally did because I couldn't find the rom anywhere. This game would have been worth the money even if they had not included FF2.Customer Review: Another New Thought For Final Fantasy....
Summary: 5 Stars
If you have read my review on Final Fantasy Tactics for the GBA the title is similar. Now the first FF game I played was FFT. I thought that the bangaas, moogles, and the other races were FF all the way. I was wrong. My parents are super strict about video games, but I managed to squeeze my GBA in, so that's why I haven't played other FF games. So sorry if this review isn't what you thought it would be.
Like FFT there is the turn taking battle system. It's kinda dull, yet fun at the same time. Get my groove? Anyway the FF 1 is more of a "fun" game. The story line isn't so hot and the characters you play(The Warriors of LIght) never talk. So there isn't a character "build up". The game is still a blast though. Also the game moves a bit slow...well for us experienced GBA gamers * smooths hair back *. Anyway, it's a great game, loads of fun, the improved graphics are pretty cool to, and it's good for beginners.
Now, personally my favorite, FF 2. GOOD story line. Thank god....I hate those other cheesy NIntendo story lines. When a person is talking, by the way the people you play as talk ( Yes!), it shows a face next to the text, the face sometimes makes expressions to! The battle system is the same, the turns. One thing I love is the weapon and magic levels! Each time a skill level increases the weapon does more damage and it's defense raises. For magic it will say"Thunder Lvl. 1" and when you advance a level it will say"Thunder Lvl. 2" and a cooler image of thunder will appear. Pretty sweet, eh? This game is MUCH better than the first, but the first is STILL fun. Don't worry.
These to classics are must buys for FF fans, or RPG fans!
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Customer Review: Not What I Thought It Was Going To Be...
Summary: 1 Stars
This game is made out to be a masterpiece but in my opinion the game lacks a good storyline, and REALLY lacks good graphics. The old Pokemon games had better graphics than this game. The graphics seem like they were just thrown together. I dont reccomend this game to anyone, unless you dont care about the graphic quiality, and will be returning mine.Customer Review: Just like I remember it...
Summary: 5 Stars
Last year saw the release of Final Fantasy Origins on PSOne. A compilation pack of the first two Final Fantasy titles, the second of which had been previously unavailable in America, Origins gave gamers the chance to play through the first two entries in the series with a new coat of paint. Featuring updated graphics, full motion video cutscenes, several optional gameplay tweaks and more, Origins carefully walked the fine line of pleasing both veterans and newcomers to the games. With Dawn of Souls, Square continues to refine the old classics.
As with Origins, the versions of Final Fantasy 1 & 2 present in Dawn of Souls are based off the Japan-only WonderSwan Color remakes. This time around, the scripts were re-written and numerous additions and tweaks to the games themselves were made. Most noteworthy of these changes is the ability to save anywhere outside of battle, an important feature in a handheld RPG.The focus of Final Fantasy 1 is less on the story and more on exploration and fighting. Those that have played prior versions will note that the GBA edition is more balanced in that it doesn't require players to stop and level up their characters to survive the next dungeon, resulting in a much more streamlined experience. The flipside is that the revamped FF1 ends up lacking the challenge of past iterations, a virtual cakewalk for those familiar with the game. The only real challenge is in the form of the four new dungeons. These randomly generated dungeons, which feature bosses from Final Fantasy 3-6, reward players with rare and powerful items once cleared. With each dungeon unlocked after the defeat of the respective Chaos, some may find themselves questioning if it's even worth the time and effort to reach the new content. Of course, it's this lack of difficulty that makes the title perfect for handheld gaming, as you can fight a few battles, save and then restart where you left off hours, days, weeks or even months later without worrying too much about having to start over. The other major change in FF1 comes in the form of spell use. Previously dependant upon a character's level, magic now utilizes the more popular MP system, helping to make the game more accessible to newcomers. Spells, much like weapons, must be purchased and require a user to be a specific level before they can be equipped.Notorious for its unique leveling system, Final Fantasy 2 has also undergone several alterations. While characters still gain strength as they use an ability, you'll no longer need to rely upon attacking members of your own party to increase their hit points as this aspect has been more carefully balanced. A brand new epilogue, entitled "Soul of Rebirth," has also been added.
Of the two games, Final Fantasy 2 is the more story-driven, with a greater emphasis on character development. The stories seem a little tired and cliched, though that's mostly due to their age and influence on the role-playing genre. Fighting is handled by a traditional turn-based battle system, with random encounters occurring every so often outside of towns.It's also worth noting that Dawn of Souls includes some of the most impressive music on the Game Boy Advance to date, ranking right up there with Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. With two games and a bestiary on the cartridge, it's a testament to Square's prowess that they were also able to accommodate such rich and detailed sound.Though they may lack the depth and complexity of the modern games they inspired, Final Fantasy 1 & 2 are still quite enjoyable, and definitely worth playing if you're a fan of RPGs.
Customer Review: Final Fantasy Dawns with its first two games
Summary: 5 Stars
Final Fantasy is a legendary series. It seems that with "Dawn of Souls" Final Fantasy I and II have finally been perfected. If you have "Final Fantasy Origins" you might as well toss it and pick up this title before it becomes a relic!
Both Final Fantasy games are basically ports of "Final Fantasy Origins" but they look a bit better on the GBA. For starters, the graphics look more crisp and clear than they did in Final Fantasy Origins. There's more to see and the enviroments look more decorative.
Final Fantasy I, the earliest in the series, is about four warriors who come forth with the crystals to save the world. Light warriors, they're called. But being the first in the series it suffers from age. The main characters don't talk much at all and the characters remained undeveloped throughout the entire game.
Final Fantasy II however, is about three orphans escaping the Emperor. They later join a rebellion against the Emperor and set out to take him down once and for all. Final Fantasy II has a twist when raising characters. Rather than raising character based on level-ups, they're raised based on their actions in battle. This is both good and bad. It's good because its "different" than what we usually see. It's bad because when stats go up, others go down. It's impossible to have a perfectly balanced character. That and magic will almost never amount to anything.
Both games sound beautiful from the GBA. Many gamers will recognize their favorite tunes. The sound effects are a little changed up from the original NES titles. But I'm sure that's nothing to go crying home to mom about.
Also, both games have a set of extras. In Final Fantasy I after you defeat the four fiends of chaos, four optional dungeons open up. These dungeons are brutally hard. You'll also run into enemies seen in later Final Fantasy games. You'll even run into a few bosses that'll look familiar. Final Fantasy II, presents an extended epilogue. Unfortunately FFII doesn't present much more than that.
However, the problem is... both games still suffer from their drawbacks. Final Fantasy I paces much too slowly and you'll often times feel bored or robbed of your money. Final Fantasy DOES pick up the pace and you'll be glad you did spend you cash on it. Final Fantasy has also been toned down in its aspects of difficulty.
Final Fantasy II's level up system still has bugs that just don't work out well. Unless you subject to attacking your own characters you won't benefit from their actions. Final Fantasy II also doesn't tell as good of a story, even with the new extended scenes to better explain it.
As a whole the games are excellent. But there's also the problem of whether or not you already own Final Fantasy Origins. Are the extras worthwhile just to spend more money to buy two games that are virtually the same as "Final Fantasy Origins"?
However, putting that last con aside, the GBA is where these two classics belong and is where they should've gone in the first place. So I say this: Dump your Final Fantasy Origins and pick up Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls. It's much more worthwhile and worth the money.
The Good
+Delicious graphics!
+Great sound
+Remake of two classics: They're PERFECT this time
+Extras... not many but extras!
+Most of the bugs from the NES and Origins packages are worked out
The Bad
-Final Fantasy I still paces too slow
-The level up system in Final Fantasy II still needs work
-If you have Final Fantasy Origins you'll ponder whether the extras alone make it worthwhile to buy virtually the same game.