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: A must own, even if you have the originals
Summary: 4 Stars
I've owned Final Fantasy I ever since it came out in the states. And I've had a version of FFII emulated for a long time. Frankly, I was never impressed with them; FFI seemed clunky and slow, and FFXI was largely the same, not to mention unusual. So when Dawn of Souls came out, I wasn't too excited. But it far surpassed my expectations.
Let me just say off the bat that I realize that there have been a lot of Final Fantasy re-releases lately. This is probably the best one I've played though. Here are the reasons why;
PROS
- No loading time! Unlike the playstation collections, the Dawn of Soul has no load time. This makes the game MUCH more smooth playing and a hoy to play.
- Portable. Unlike most other versions of FF (whether that be Playstation, original NES, or emulation on a PC), Dawn of Souls is utterly portable. That means you can work your way through the storylines on lunch, between classes, or anywhere else you choose to.
- Wonderfully updated sound and graphics. Dawn of Souls makes great use of the GBA's capabilities and has updated the old classics so they're a treat to the eyes and ears.
- Vastly improved gameplay; both games have gotten a much much needed update in controls, battle systems, and playability. The slowness and awkwardness that plagued the original releases is 100% eliminated.
Unfortunately, there are bad parts about this release that keep Dawn of Souls from being a indespensible part of my GBA collection.
CONS
- Re-releases; as if you weren't already aware, Dawn of Souls is a re-release of Final Fantasy I and II. If you played though these games already and don't feel like doing so again or you despised the games, this game might not change your opinion. Also, those who already own the originals might feel cheated paying so much for games they bought in the past. That said, Dawn of Souls versions are vastly superior to the originals, and are worth a look even if you have such problems.
- FFI's storyline; Being such an old game, Final Fantasy I doesn't present much of a storyline. While new dungeons and items have been added to the game to give it more depth, there is no increase in the depth of the story, and the game still largely feels like series of sogging through dungeons with faceless heroes.
- "Where to go" syndrome. Both games have many points in their stories where you will liekly get lost with no idea where to go next or what to do. A lack of hints will make many players wishing they'd shelled out the money for the guide, or at least making trips to GameFAQs. It would help to have more hints, a journal, or at least somethign of the sort.
- FFII. Final Fantasy II is the weakest game in the entire Final Fantasy series to many people, including me, and Dawn of Souls does little to fix that. While improved gameplay and presentation go a long ways towards improving the general experience, the basic problems of the games poor advancement system, boring story, and uneven challenge plague the game to no end still.
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In the end, if you liked FFI or FFII at all, it is worth it to get Dawn of Souls. If you've never played either, I would still say it is worth it to get the long and well done remake of FFXI; story or no story it plays smoothly and is an engrossing challenge to play through. FFII is just an odd little bonus to this wonderful remake cartiridge.
Customer Review: The two games that started the Final Fantasy Dynasty!
Summary: 4 Stars
Reviewed for Big Boss Games by: T.R.C.
--- Final Fantasy I Prologue ---
The world lies shrouded in darkness. The winds die... The seas rage... The earth decays... But, the people believe in a prophecy, patiently awaiting its fulfillment.
"When darkness veils the world four warriors of light shall come..."
After a long journey, four young travelers did at last appear... and in hand of each was clutched a crystal.
You start out by selecting your four heroes. You can select from six different classes. The heroes will change after you complete a side quest that is about a third of the way through the game.
Warrior = Knight
Thief = Ninja
Monk = Black Belt
White Mage = White Wizard
Black Mage = Black Wizard
Red Mage = Red Wizard
My team consisted of a Warrior, Monk, Black Mage and a White Mage. This group is the most balanced between strength and magic.
You will have to buy your spells. So save your money!
Story 6/10 - The story was re-written with much more detail than the original Nintendo version.
Music 7/10 - You will find yourself humming along to the background music.
Graphics 6/10 - The graphics were updated from the original Nintendo days. Looks more like an SNES game.
Battle System 5/10 - Your typical turn based battle system with updated spell graphics.
Game play 6/10 - This game took me 25 hours to complete.
Special Feature - In the original NES Final Fantasy you had to walk everywhere you went. In this wonderfully remade version of Final Fantasy they added the run button. Hold it down and you can run. This cuts down on travel time in towns and dungeons.
Overall 7/10 - For Final Fantasy I, all the updates to this game have truly made a great game into a classic.
--- Final Fantasy II Prologue ---
A long-lived peace is at an end. The Emperor of Palamecia has called forth monsters from the underworld and begun his campaign for world conquest.
A rebel army arose in the kingdom of Fynn to thwart the emperor's plans. But the rebels' castle fell to an all out assault by the remote town of Altair.
Four youths from Fynn also found themselves fleeing the imperial forces. They had lost their parents at the hands of the empire. But their escape wasn't over...
Your party will consist of four people. Three of them will stay with you throughout the game, but the forth member will change throughout the game.
You start with Firion, Maria, and Guy.
The forth wheels are:
Leon - A Dark Knight
Minwu - A White Wizard
Josef - A Monk
Gordon - A Prince
Ricard - A Dragoon
Leila - A Pirate Captain
You will have complete control over how you mold your team. So, take some time to think how you want them to grow. "E.g. to be a wizard or a sword fighter?" You will be fighting a lot in this game, so take some time to attack your own team with your spells and weapons. This will help your team members to grow strong and powerful. You don't gain experience points in this game, you grow by casting spells, fighting, and taking damage.
Story 8/10 - This game has betrayal, revenge and redemption. This game was well written and a delight to read. So far, this is my third favorite Final Fantasy story.
Music 6/10 - I enjoyed the midi style of music that was used in this game.
Game play 6/10 - This game took me 22 hours to complete the main quest.
Graphics 6/10 - Were like some of the best graphics seen on the SNES. Eye candy is out there for you to find. The spells also gain levels by using them over and over, by doing so the animations also become flashier every 2 to 3 levels.
Battle system 5/10 - Typical turn based attack system. Note: Building your team is slow and painful, but well worth the effort.
Special Mention--- After you complete Final Fantasy II watch the credits till they end and the game will ask you to save. Save your game and you will return to the main Final Fantasy II start screen with 3 options, "Congrats!" You just unlocked the "Soul of Rebirth" mini quest!
This Soul of Rebirth side quest is tough, it also added 10 hours of game play and a great side story to Final Fantasy II.
I would like to see more of this kind of treatment to the remakes of RPGs.
Overall Time: 32+ hours to finish this game and 57+ hours to finish Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls is a great length for a GBA game.
I truly liked this game. It was a challenge to complete and that is its charm.
PS: Don't forget to get a copy of the strategy guide for this game. Official Nintendo Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls Player's Guide
Customer Review: It's a nostalgia game
Summary: 4 Stars
Just Nostalgia, I bought it since I remembered it as a great game, and in fact it was a great game, but it is not now.Customer Review: Final Fantasy I & II Dawn of Souls
Summary: 5 Stars
If you played the original on the Nes you will like this one, the added caves are a very nice feature, just having FF II is nice. Customer Review: Great Game
Summary: 5 Stars
Had a alot of fun with this game. I had it since I travel a lot for work. Both games kept my interest and game me well over 100 hrs of play to complete both games. Well worth the price.