Customer Reviews

Final Fantasy Chronicles: Final Fantasy IV / Chrono Trigger

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I only bought this for Chrono Trigger, since my copy of the original SNES game is unfortunately long gone. It is still an awesome game--classic and magnificent, but there are just two little things that can potentially irritate one enough to stop playing. The first is the FMVs. This is entirely a matter of opinion--some people love the art for the FMVs. I am not one of them. I find the artwork on the FMVs rather ugly. And there is one scene, right around when Queen Zeal summons Lavos (for the sake of storyline I will not explain it further), where there is text left untranslated (though by the context it is easy enough to figure out what is probably being said). Fortunately, none of the original game is cut out, so you still see all the scenes as they were in the SNES, in addition to the FMVs.

The other thing is loading time. It's ridiculous. Wait a few seconds before battles start, and wait a few more when they end (which is really "fun" in some sections of the game when you have a lot of battles in a row). Then opening the menu or switching party members takes even more time. In the context of how many seconds it is, it sounds insignificant, but in the video game world, these transitions should be seamless. It is unfortunate that this problem exists. Not even the rom version for your computer does this.

I recommend that, unless you really love the previews you've seen of the new artwork, you play the original SNES game if you can. I prefer this version over the rom, because I dislike playing video games with a keyboard, but you can get a controller to hook into one of your USB ports if you believe this lag time will be a significant irritation and you can't get your hands on the original game.

But despite all that, this is still Chrono Trigger, and therefore the most fun RPG ever made. And since it's so much less expensive than the original game, it's quite worth considering buying this product, even if you only want one game from it like me.

I bought this game for Final Fantasy IV. I first notice the game when I remembered it from the SNES version as Final Fantasy II. This game is one of my favorite classics. I played it all the time on SNES when I was younger and I am still playing it to this day. There is alot I like about FFIV such as the battle music, the short cinema's they added, and especially the plot.

Thanks for providing quick an acurate service. I didn't expect this shipment to get to my house this fast but those guys and gals at the Post Office seem to be doing an outstanding job. The 2 games purchased took me back to the days when video games were simplier and had outstanding soundtracks. All you old Super Nintendo lovers out there check these games out.

For a long time, I really wanted to write another review, and there's a ton of things I wanted to cover. After doing Chrono Trigger last October, I became a little bit game crazy and decided that there were some games from my past that needed to be completed. While Chrono Trigger is my favorite RPG of all time, Final Fantasy II---as we all know by now is actually IV---is not far behind. Part of it is nostalgic love; I encountered it way back in '93 or '94 at my friend's house in Alabama, and it was my first introduction (aside from Zelda) to the video game genre called the "RPG." After all, I reviewed one half of Final Fantasy Chronicles, so I think it's time I reviewed the other half...And while I'm not too crazy about video games like I was in the past, Final Fantasy IV was a trip worth revisiting and finishing.

Here's the story...
Taking place on Earth, the game centers around Cecil, a young dark knight from the kingdom of Baron. He is ordered to capture the Water Crystal from Mysidia, which he does so...but upon returning, he openly questions his king's motives. For defiance, he's stripped of his rank and sent to deliver a package to the Mist Village, along with his friend Kane. However, the contents destroy the village and leave Rydia to be its only survivor. Through a series of events which include saving his lover Rosa from Desert Fever, he learns that Golbez has taken over his Red Wings squadron and is after the remaining three Crystals. The plot gets a little complicated and enriched with various playable characters; Rosa joins the party as a white mage/archer. Kane is a Dragoon knight who is under intense control by Golbez and must be saved. Rydia grows up rapidly (play the game and find out!) and becomes a powerful Summoner. Edge is a ninja and the prince of Eblan, and has a charismatic crush on Rydia. Yang is the head monk of Fabul and has a variety of special attacks. Cid, the pilot of the Enterprise, is an engineer. There are other characters that are playable but in more minor fashion, such as Tellah (a legendary mage), FuSoYa (a Lunarian that reveals Cecil's hidden past), Palom and Porom (two young twins from Mysidia that train in magic), and Prince Edward, who is a bard...and without spoiling too much, Cecil becomes a Paladin, which totally rocks.

The game uses up to five characters in battle as opposed to the common 3-4. I personally like this since a lot of the characters are very memorable; even in Chrono Trigger, you're only allowed three, and that means you have to make harder decisions on what combination of characters to use. This was also the first game I saw the "Active Time Battle" system, something that can make the game harder but it also has its advantages. It is also the first RPG to have a complex plot with characters weaving in and out of the storyline (Edward's eloped wife was the daughter of Tellah, FuSoYa knew the Lunarian father of Cecil and Golbez...oops, story spoiler!, and etc.). The lovelines of Cecil/Rosa and Edge/Rydia are polar opposites and make the contrast more interesting and playful. The music score by the legendary Nobou Uematsu is among his finest and is commonly covered on websites like [...].

Let's see...complex (and interesting) plot, memorable characters, majestic score, and old school battle system (antique by today's standards, but who am I to knock nostalgia?). What's not to like? Well, the only thing I can nitpick about it is its weapons list. Buying new weapons has to be done with great care in this game; in later games, it will reveal status changes to your character's existing weapon/armor (at the very least, the attack and defense aspects), but here, it never actually tells you. It's very easy to buy a weapon thinking it will improve your character's stats, but half the time, you will have likely spent a lot of money when you could've saved it for something down the road. I don't judge this game too harshly because of it, but if you are playing it for the first time, I highly advise you in getting a strategy guide or a walkthrough (hint hint: GameFaqs!) simply to counter this deficiency.

All in all, Final Fantasy IV was a stepping stone in RPG history, and a first for many gamers growing up in the early 90's. True, some games would take what FF4 had to offer and expand upon them (like the aforementioned Chrono Trigger and even future Final Fantasies like 6 and 7...), but 4 is not a bad place to start at all. Sure, it's antique compared to later games and is fairly difficult, but its rousing music score and intricate characters will be the two factors that will win you over. I highly suggest it to any RPG fan, and thus I encourage you to drive the nostalgia factor up to warp ten, kick your arse into medieval overdrive, and experience one of the greatest adventures of all time. You have nothing to stop you now since you can A) obtain it through the Final Fantasy Chronicles on the original PlayStation, or B) obtain it on the Nintendo DS.

Recommended games, besides this one:
1. Chrono Trigger (classic SNES gem)
2. Final Fantasy 6 (known as 3 on the SNES)
3. Castlevania: Symphony of the Night (classic combo of RPG elements and Super Metroid-like action and exploration)
4. Final Fantasy 9 (a more modern nostalgic game that combines elements from 4, 6, and 7)

The loading time in this game is outrageous. You press "menu" and wait for TWO SECONDS... THREE SECONDS for it to change. In between you get a black screen. It is unacceptable. The game is absolutely bomb, but I suggest you get it on SNES if you have the oppurtunity. Or get the ROM, if you own the original but it is not working -_0