Final Fantasy IV Advance
by Square Enix
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Video Game Reviews of Final Fantasy IV Advance
Customer Review: FF4 Advance
Summary: 5 Stars
This is one of the earliest memories I have for modern RPG gaming. There is a lot of nostalgia associated with this title. It plays just as well as I remember it, if not better. The graphics are good, although lacking the detailed animation found in modern titles.
After completing the basic path of this game, I have so far found the additional levels to be particularly engaging and quite challenging.
You get a lot of game for the price.
Customer Review: Continued challenges
Summary: 5 Stars
Great for the Final Fantasy fanatics! Must have if you want to be continually challenged!Customer Review: It's still Final Fantasy II to me
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a port of Final Fantasy II from the Super Nintedo, with the addition of a massive cave at the end. You get the chance to play with all the party combinations you couldn't have in the classic SNES version. Loads of fun.Customer Review: An OK Fantasy
Summary: 3 Stars
Background: I have played most of the Final Fantasies, including FFVI (released as III on SNES in the US), which definitely showed that 16 bit RPGs can mix excellent gameplay and a compelling story. I did not play this one when it came out as Final Fantasy II.
The gameplay for this FF is your usual RPG fare of random battles and an ATB bar. However the ATB system is broken. There were many times in battle where my characters were completely skipped over, so their bars would just refill. Even more often, I would enter a command and the game would either take awhile to execute the action (after I entered in commands for others and they acted before the first character) or just completely skip the action that I entered. Always in battle, the game does not respond right away to buttons being pressed, so commands are even more delayed.
The story was alright. I did not find myself really caring about any of the characters (as I have in most). There was no loving relationship between any of them either (a kind of Cloud/Aeris or Squall/Rinoa relationship). The ending seemed to just have that "slapped together at the last minute" feeling.
I did enjoy acquiring the summons and ultimate weapons (for the few characters that had them). However, once getting them and having the characters at 50+ levels, the final boss is incredibly easy compared to most of the monsters found in the final dungeon. And the game is still very short after all that. I find no incentive to do the Lunar Ruins.
If this was your first FF back in the SNES days, then I understand why you like this one so much, but after VI-X (well VI-IX really) the bar for an excellent RPG has been significantly raised.
Customer Review: Updated, But Never Overrated or Outdated
Summary: 4 Stars
I remember buying FF2/4 the day it came out and playing it for 12 straight hours. The combination of the graphics and lush (for that time) scenery was almost too much to handle and the music is STILL stuck in my head to this day. Much like FF3/6, this game is one of the classics that's in the Top 10 RPGs of ALL time. Here is a breakdown of the game according to my rating system, with the original being the perfect standard:
Graphics: The GBA/DS doesn't disappoint with the sharper resolution and what seems to be slightly enhanced colors. The portrait redraws are OK and the sprites all seemed to have at least been retouched with some more saturation. The Mode 7 effects and all the magic effects are still the same. There wasn't much improvement in this area and since GBA games are almost direct copies of SNES games, this isn't a big deal. I was a little disappointed that they didn't add some richer textures and patterns in the games to make it sort of like the eye-popping visuals of FF3/6, but since it copies the original, that's OK. 8 out of 10
Sound: This is where the limitation of the GBA hardware comes into play. The sounds are tinny, with none of that rumbly bass the SNES sound engine had (even with high quality headphones.) The songs haven't been changed, but they're running through a different wavetable and it is obvious to those who remember the old SNES sounds. It's still good, though. This is one of the nicest soundtracks ever made to a game and it holds up well to anything today. 7 out of 10
Translation: I've played the full Japanese and original versions and I have to say that I am both pleasantly and unpleasantly surprised by the new dialogue. While it DOES flow smoothly and articles are in place (i.e., THE Sand Ruby, instead of Sand Ruby), the translation takes minor liberties with the dialogue that can sort of spoil the original feel. For example, fans of the original will be disappointed to learn that the magic spells are changed from FIRE 1, FIRE 2, FIRE 3 to the modern standard of Fire, Fira and Firaga. It's not a huge deal, but I kind of miss the old names. While "spoony bard" is still there, the package from the original is replaced with Bomb Ring. Part of the mystery and sadness of Mysidia's destruction was that Cecil and Kain had no idea what was in the package and were just dupes. Well...if you can't guess what a BOMB RING does, then you are as dull as a...well, Dark Knight's buttplate. The text can be tiny at times...for old folks like me with bad eyesight, this can be troublesome. Overall, the story hasn't changed and is as good as ever. 7 out of 10
Gameplay: This is where the game shines, as nothing has been subtracted from the original. Rather, things have been added: easier gameplay through the first half, additonal dungeons, and bestiary. 10 out of 10.
If you liked the SNES version and need a portable one, then you need this game. However, unlike FFI&II: Dawn of Souls, you're not getting a huge upgrade over the original and, in cases like the music, you're getting a little shortchanged. If you don't need this to take on a trip, I'd recommend just playing the SNES version. I know I still have mine!
Overall, I'd highly recommend this: 32 out of 40. Grade: A