Post by: Dragona Akehi on April 08, 2004, 06:42:42 PM
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
Post by: Berny on April 08, 2004, 06:59:05 PM
Post by: Ian Sane on April 08, 2004, 07:47:36 PM
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.
Post by: CaseyRyback on April 08, 2004, 08:00:43 PM
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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
Post by: Bloodworth on April 08, 2004, 08:01:59 PM
Post by: Pale on April 08, 2004, 08:05:16 PM
Now I have to decide if Origins is good enough, or do i need the games on the road as well... =P
Post by: CaseyRyback on April 08, 2004, 08:07:02 PM
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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.
Post by: mouse_clicker on April 08, 2004, 08:09:31 PM
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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.
Post by: GoldShadow1 on April 08, 2004, 08:50:30 PM
Post by: Jonnyboy117 on April 08, 2004, 09:36:33 PM
Post by: Nemo on April 08, 2004, 09:57:22 PM
Post by: Bloodworth on April 08, 2004, 10:03:07 PM
Post by: ruby_onix on April 09, 2004, 12:40:58 AM
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.
Post by: joshnickerson on April 09, 2004, 03:37:00 AM
Post by: JonLeung on April 09, 2004, 04:21:56 AM
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.
Post by: mkc on April 09, 2004, 06:44:38 AM
Post by: Koopa Troopa on April 09, 2004, 08:21:41 AM
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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.
Post by: mkc on April 09, 2004, 09:30:32 AM
Post by: Joey on April 09, 2004, 09:48:34 AM
Post by: ruby_onix on April 09, 2004, 12:07:20 PM
"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.
Post by: skyfire on April 09, 2004, 01:28:04 PM
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!
Post by: Djunknown on April 09, 2004, 04:13:20 PM
Now if it were released at a budget price...
Post by: jasonditz on April 10, 2004, 11:08:15 AM
Post by: Berny on April 10, 2004, 12:54:23 PM
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.
Post by: mouse_clicker on April 10, 2004, 01:17:04 PM
Post by: ruby_onix on April 10, 2004, 04:53:55 PM
I remember seeing them justify it once in an interview, saying "Yeah but, you have to realize that this FMV we keep putting into our games costs an arm and a leg. It's REALLY expensive stuff."
Remember when Shinji Mikami complained that Kingdom Hearts didn't deserve to sell as many copies as it did for the price that it did? A LOT of American fans got all "How dare he say that about my Kingdom Hearts?" without having any idea of how much the game actually cost in Japan.
(Of course, I'm not saying that we should expect FF1&2 GBA to be any cheaper in America.)
Post by: Ian Sane on April 10, 2004, 05:16:17 PM
Post by: jasonditz on April 10, 2004, 08:43:59 PM
Post by: Infernal Monkey on April 10, 2004, 10:22:19 PM
Final Fantasy I and II on the same cart is quite nifty, I may get it. It'd beat the hell out of trying to play them on the PSone, where it takes a good five seconds everytime you want to go to your menu screen.
Post by: Shift Key on April 10, 2004, 11:00:48 PM
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I guess us North Americans really don't have a whole lot to complain about when it comes to game prices.
You really have no idea Mouse
And I'd hate to think how much it will end up being in Australia, where most GBA games are $60 already. So they'd better not make it $100 or I am just gonna snap!
Post by: ruby_onix on April 11, 2004, 12:33:55 AM
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Final Fantasy I and II on the same cart is quite nifty, I may get it. It'd beat the hell out of trying to play them on the PSone, where it takes a good five seconds everytime you want to go to your menu screen.
Actually, FF Origins on the PSOne isn't nearly as bad as you'd expect.
For reference, I popped FF5 from Anthology into my PSOne. You're right. Counting steamboats, it literally took four to five steamboats to open or close a menu.
But FF1 from Origins only took about one to two steamboats.
FF2 was even faster, usually taking less than one steamboat. Any faster and it probably would've felt uncomfortable.
It took a bit longer when entering or leaving a town (around four seconds), but you don't need to do that very often (unlike menus, where you have to get from one, to another, to another), so it's not that bad.
And the fights aren't bad either. About three seconds of loading (entering or leaving the fight scene), and part of that is covered up by one of those swooshy fades to black, which passes by a LOT faster than any of the ones you've seen in an FF game since FF7. If you just hold down the button, "fight" commands are entered at lightning speed, and the characters respond in quick movements, wasting very little time. The whole fight scene "feels" faster than it is. And it's not very long in the first place.
If anyone's thinking about playing Origins, you'll much more likely be frustrated by how intolerably "old school" it is at it's peeking-through core (which should still affect the GBA versions), than any complaints about the hardware. Square did a really good job in "remaking" the games on the PSOne. I'm curious to see if they CAN add anything to them on the GBA. Adding FF3j would seem to be the most obvious decision, but they don't seem to be doing that. According to RPGFan, they're reworking the MP system (MP in FF1 was kinda odd, having different levels), and adding some new levels and story elements.
