Topic: Final Fantasy I & II to GBA!

[Dragona Akehi]

Two classic games, one cart!

It appears that the original Final Fantasy series will be resurrected on the GBA. Square-Enix has unveiled its latest release of Final Fantasy I&II Advance.

The titles appear to be retooled ports of the WonderSwan Colour remakes, and will be released as a single cartridge.

Final Fantasy, as many gamers fondly recall, had the Light Warriors fighting the evil machinations of CHAOS. By choosing from a variety of classes, there were multiple ways of playing the game.

Final Fantasy II, on the other hand is a much more story-centric title. With four pre-defined characters and a variety of weapons to master, it took the series in an entirely new direction.  

Special thanks to jonnyram of GA Forums

[Berny]

WOO FREAKIN HOO!!!! I wanted this so badly. The only thing that would make me happier are ports of MG 1 and 2.

[Ian Sane]

I could say "what about FF3?" but this is still great so I won't.

Now this is the kind of GBA port I like.  It's TWO games so it isn't a rip off, one of those games has never been available on a Nintendo console in the US before and the first game is really hard to find on the NES.  Sure they're available on the Playstation but it's a non-Nintendo console so unlike something like Super Mario World it isn't like every Nintendo fan already has it.

I do however hope this isn't the start of portamania for Square Enix.  They're released some good new games on the GBA and I want the trend to continue.

[CaseyRyback]

Quote
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
I could say "what about FF3?" but this is still great so I won't.

Now this is the kind of GBA port I like.  It's TWO games so it isn't a rip off, one of those games has never been available on a Nintendo console in the US before and the first game is really hard to find on the NES.  Sure they're available on the Playstation but it's a non-Nintendo console so unlike something like Super Mario World it isn't like every Nintendo fan already has it.

I do however hope this isn't the start of portamania for Square Enix.  They're released some good new games on the GBA and I want the trend to continue.

I just got FFIII today from Gamestop for really cheap so I will not complain. To me this is awesome as I have been wanting some FF action and lack a Sony system

[Bloodworth]

Wait number overload here... You got FFIII without a Sony system??  If it's on SNES and in English, that's FFVI.

[Pale]

III has never even been translated has it??

Now I have to decide if Origins is good enough, or do i need the games on the road as well... =P

[CaseyRyback]

Quote
Originally posted by: Bloodworth
Wait number overload here... You got FFIII without a Sony system??  If it's on SNES and in English, that's FFVI.

yea I know that it is 6. I was just following what was on the box since I know the whole number thing is very confusing.

[mouse_clicker]

Quote
Wait number overload here... You got FFIII without a Sony system?? If it's on SNES and in English, that's FFVI.

Was FFIII even actually released on the PSX or PS2? Final Fantasy Anthology had FF5 and 6, Final Fantasy Chronicles had FF4 and Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy Origins had FF1 and 2- I think FF3 is the only installment that never had a North American release.

[GoldShadow1]

Now if only they could release Chronicles... portable FFIV *and* Chrono Trigger for $30?  I'll take it!

[Jonnyboy117]

There is no official English release of Final Fantasy III, for those who were asking.

[Nemo]

I'm wondering what the diferences will be between FF Origins for PlayStation (which had FF1 & 2) and the GBA version.  If they're exactly the same, except for the GBA version lacking FMV(the PS version added FMV, right?), I might just get the PS version... maybe.

[Bloodworth]

Judging from some of the other PlayStation games, I wouldn't touch Origins now that cartridge versions are on the way.  The FMV was rather terrible, the sound effects were off, and there were load times in despicable places like pulling up the menus.

[ruby_onix]

Final Fantasy naming rundown, to head off any potential naming confusion.

FF1, FF2, and FF3 were on the original Famicom (Japanese NES). Nintendo translated and published the first one, but didn't want to translate 2&3, which caused some later complaints and accusations. Oddly, at one point Square re-released FF1&2 in Japan on the same Famicom cart.

FF4, FF5, and FF6 were on the Super Famicom (SNES). Square brought over FF4 as "FF2", skipped FF5, and brought over FF6 as "FF3".

The general concensus seems to be that when specifically referring to the American SNES games, you should call them "2&3", but clarify that you're deliberately using their original "American SNES" names. Also, the "real" FF2&3 are rightly called "FF2&3", but it's a good idea to call them "FF2j" and "FF3j" to avoid confusion.

FF7 to FF9 were on the PSOne, yadda yadda yadda, you know the rest. BTW, it's "proper" to use roman numerals with FF names, but ordinary "numbers" are usually easier and quicker to understand.

Square re-released ports of FF4 to 6 (and Chrono Trigger) on the PSOne. They mostly just suffered by the move to the CD format, and bugs in the porting led to FF4 being released after the other two games in America.

Square "remade" FF1 and FF2j on the Wonderswan Color (a console initially designed by the late Gunpei Yokoi, and roughly comparable in power and design philosophy to the simultaneously-developed GameBoy Color, which had also employed Yokoi as a freelance consultant). Square had intended to remake FF1 through FF3j on the WSC, as well as rumors about remakes of Seiken Densetsu (later remade on the GBA as "Sword of Mana") and the "SaGa" games that appeared in America as the Final Fantasy Legends series. An "unknown mystery problem" prevented Square from remaking FF3j on the WSC. So they decided to shoehorn FF4 onto the WSC in it's place, and the results convinced Square's president to reconcile with Nintendo, to get access to the GBA.

Then Square "re-remade" the WSC versions of FF1 and FF2j for the PSOne, which puzzled many, as Square had eventually gotten things cleared up with Nintendo. As full-on "re-remakes", they seemed to suffer less from being on the CD format than FF4 to FF6 did (IMO).

Now those two seem to be getting "re-remade" from the WSC versions again, on the GBA, and in one cart. The ports of FF4 to 6 were all on self-contained disks, but packaged together, while the three WSC games were all sold-seperately, and the PSone versions of 1&2 were on the same disk.

FF2j and FF3j for the Famicom, and FF5 for the Super Famicom, all have walkthroughs and fan-translations abundandly available on the internet, in case you'd like to import. If you see any "prototype" carts of these games on eBay, they're 100% BOGUS. Don't fall for them.

[joshnickerson]

*head explodes*

[JonLeung]

I'd always thought it'd be neat to have Final Fantasy's first two 'trilogies" (if you could call it that) available as GBA compilations, just 'cause the games have always come out that way per console.

I guess releasing the first six in twos (assuming that they do the remaining 2D ones) might be okay too, most people who haven't played the originally Japanese ones would get a new one with each cartridge....  II with the classic (I), III with the classic IV, and V with the classic VI.

Despite not having III in this cartridge, I called it...kind of like when I thought one of the DS's screens might possibly be a touch screen.

[mkc]

 Final Fantaisy 1 was also Mystic Quest (GB) ?

[Koopa Troopa]

No, Final Fantasy I was just Final Fantasy I.

Quote
Judging from some of the other PlayStation games, I wouldn't touch Origins now that cartridge versions are on the way. The FMV was rather terrible, the sound effects were off, and there were load times in despicable places like pulling up the menus.

Yup, this is precisely the reason I've held of buying most of the PSone remakes. I can't tell you how much it hurt playing Chrono Trigger and FF3(6)  with about 5 second lags everytime I needed to change equipment or using a potion.  

[mkc]

... and Mystic Quest is just Mystic Quest ?

[Joey]

Actually there are two possible games that can fall under that name. There was Final Fantasy Mystic Quest which was released as a beginner RPG for the Super Nintendo. I also remember hearing that Fianl Fantasy adventure was released as Mystic Quest in Europe. In short, it depends on what game you are talking about.

[ruby_onix]

Yep, "Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest" for the SNES was a "beginner RPG" Square made to try and help get Americans interested in RPGs. It was later released in Japan as "FF USA: Mystic Quest".

"Final Fantasy Adventure" for the GameBoy was actually "Seiken Densetsu" (loosely translated, "Legend of the Holy Sword"). It was the game that came before Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu 2) for the SNES. For the European version, Square reused the "Mystic Quest" name and logo.

Some screenshots after a quick Google search.

When it was remade on the GBA, it became "Sword of Mana".

"Final Fantasy Legend" 1 to 3 on the GameBoy were the first three "SaGa" games.

[skyfire]

I already have Origins for PSone so there is no point in getting this. I never noticed any major load times in it as someone here said there were problems with it amongst other things. I found Origins to a be a PERFECT update to an already sweet game. I have only played through FF1 and not FF2 so I cannot say much on it, but playing through FF1 again this time in 16-bit style splender was the best $40cdn I ever spent.

I know it's a pipedream but seriously I would love to see FF1-9 (Origins, FF3j, Anthology, Chronicles, no chrono ofcourse and 7-9) be brought to the GC with faster/no loads times etc. etc. Now that could be one heck of a promotion!

[Djunknown]

Hell freezes over. Again. The devil goes on record saying "I've had it.  Too many god-damn miracles happening over the years. I'm going to Vegas!"

Now if it were released at a budget price...

[jasonditz]

The Japanese Launch price is 6090 Y. They better get that WAY down for the US market if they want to sell any at all. $60 GBA titles aren't going to cut it over here.

[Berny]

That's $60?! Wow. I had no idea that the Yen was worth so little compared to the USD and I also had no idea they were going to try to market that game at that price. Knowing how much the Japanese love their RPGs though, I'm sure it'll bread a million in 3 hours. If they market that same price in the US, Square-Enix (or did they break up again? I thought I saw something to that effect somewhere. Whateva.) will rot in financial failure. MWAH HA HA HA HA—HACK! Sorry.

[mouse_clicker]

It used to be worth a lot less, but the Yen's been getting stronger and the dollar's been getting weaker. That's the main reason Nintendo has to keep dropping their profit forcasts. I never knew Japan paid so much for games, though. I guess us North Americans really don't have a whole lot to complain about when it comes to game prices.