Finale Fantasy

[*SQUEE*]

Keep your Finale Fantasy talks to this thread!

[Escaflown4]

So anyone looking forward to FFXIII?

[slym2none]

I don't know what *SQUEE* is talking about...





-slym

[Drift]

Final Fantasy rules.

Are you going to get both FFXIII games Squee?

[superman-prime]

final F 10 and 3 are the only ones i still play

[xodacia81]

final F 10 and 3 are the only ones i still play

By 3, do you mean the one on DS or the 3 from SNES, which is 6? I hope you mean 6.

[xodacia81]

Final Fantasy rules.

Are you going to get both FFXIII games Squee?

Drift...every time I hear about FF13, it makes me sad that I don't have a system to play it on. I'm going through withdrawl, man.

[xodacia81]

Well, with all the FF13 talk, I thought I'd dredge this up. I've always had a hard time choosing which of the games I do and do not like. I don't HATE any of them, but I do have those games which I do not care for as much as the others. That said, I will admit that I have not played but a few moments of Crystal Chronicles on the GC, and didn't like it. I haven't played the side games on any of the systems, except for FFX-2, which was an extremly odd game. I also haven't had much experience with 11 and am nervous about spending the coin on it, since I understand the monthly fee is still about 20$'s, and with school, among other things, I can't aford it. Having said that, here's my list and discussion of games. I'd like some feedback and maybe some personal thoughts on these games from any of the folks here who have played these games. I will also be using the "official" game numbers.


1. I didn't care for this one too much on the NES, but I did like the PS port, which I found to be a decent game. Just too basic for my tastes. I played up to the final boss and stopped short of beating it.

2. I still can't get into this one. I pick it up from time to time and just can't get more than a few hours in. The leveling system is just too random feeling, although I know it isn't.

3. I finally got this one and after playing through the first 10 hours or so, I put it up to take care of school. I haven't really thought about going back to it, although I probably should, just to finish it off.

4. I've loved this game since the day it arrived on shelves in 1991 on the SNES, in the USA, as FF2. The characters, the battles, the way it plays out...the music...great stuff. I love it. I liked the PS 1 port, which was the Japanese "hard" edition. I liked the GBA version, too, which added even more. And I like the DS edition, which has some cool features but is not a game I'd hand to people who have never played FF or an RPG before. Simply too difficult to tackle for noobs. I love the way the game is set in a traditional fantasy setting, but with enough Sci Fi twists to make it unique. The story is just a classic.

5. Um. Yeah. Ok. I said I didn't care that much for 2, but I might have a special place in my heart for coming close to disliking this game. It isn't bad, but it just doesn't grab me. The game-play often feels like a waste. However, I've noticed that with me, I preffer more story-rich games than ones relying almost soley on mechanics.

6. This is my favorite game of all time. I've loved it to death since it arrived in the USA, on the SNES, as FF3. I've spent more time with this game than I have any other game in my life. I hope the rumors about a DS port are true and that they do an even better job with it than they did with FF4. This game just has it all. Hell, I was playing through the SNES version last year and discovered a treasure box I never knew was there. With the amount of characters, the depth of those characters and the maturity of the story, this game holds a special place in my heart. As "bad-*SQUEE*" as Sephiroth was in FF7, I think Kefka is equally delicious as a villain. He's likely the most psychotic villain and the havoc he causes is perhaps greater and more widespread than just about any other character in FF lore. Oh, and did I mention the MUSIC? The soundtrack to this game is a symphony of awesomness. The story, a classic, is set in a world where Magic has vanished. But, has it totally vanished? From this simple premise, comes one of the most emotionally satifsfying games ever made, the best of the series and no worse than the 2nd best RPG I've played.

7. What can I say that hasn't already been said? It's great. It's tremendous. It brought FF and the RPG genre to the forefron in North America. It pushed the series in a new direction. I love it. BUT, as much time as I've spent with it, there are times it just doesn't feel exactly like FF. I've had that trouble with all the games from this point on. But, I loved this thing. The addition of the mini-games, now a staple of the series, was a brilliant move.

8. Not your father's FF. What makes this one unique is the Junction system and the way in which your characters make money. The main character, to put it mildly, is a PRICK. The story is much more SciFi than even FF7, and that is saying a lot. The series has always had a "high technology" aspect, what with the airships and all. But, this took that to the extreme. This is not a game to start off playing FF with. For that, I'd start with 4,6,10 or 12. This game, to be blunt, can be extremly tricky to navigate. I put it down after a week or so and didn't pick it up again for 6 months. Now, mind you, starting with FF 6 (3, on the SNES) I have gotten them the day they arrived in stores and played them non-stop. Well, when I picked it up again-this time with a guide, something I only purchase after either beating the game or getting damn close to it-I began to discover just how rich this game is. I know it isn't for everyone, but I think it's pretty cool.

9. Great stuff, this one. But it is just too short. It has perhaps the weakest villain of the modern series. (1-3 being the pre-historic games) It has the best graphics and most "series-like" music to be found on the PS1. This is a fun game, with a ton of mini-games. Vivi is an AMAZING character. Steiner is like a modern Falstaff. Simply hilarious. There are some highly emotional moments, like the attack on the city in the trees, but as much as they tried to create this game to serve as a "farewell" to the old school games, it just seemed to miss something. After much thought, I think that in their haste to put in "nods" to the past they forgot to add the depth of play that FF, as a series, is known for. Not a bad game, but a little slight.

10. Oh, man oh man. This is where FF took a huge step forward in terms of becoming a modern-feeling game. Even after nearly 8 years of release, this thing still holds up. While it has one of the smaller casts of characters among modern FF games-only 5 is smaller in terms of characters-I think this game is a joy. Yes, the voice acting is disconcerting at first. This is mostly due to the fact that the graphics were modeled for Japanes words, rather than English. I guess Square didn't feel like taking the time to redo that and given how expensive and long it would have been, I don't blame them. I remedied this issue by turning off the subtitle option. Otherwise, I have next to nothing to complain about this game. I loved the sphere grid. I loved the story. I think there are some BEAUTIFUL moments in this game, amongst the best in the series. This is also a deep game, with well over 100 hours of play to be found without really repeating yourself too much. Some people think the last act or so was a let down. I think that is bogus. I believe it made perfect sense within the story as told.

12. Ok. This is a game that, like 8, has gotten knocked around a LOT because of how big a change the designers made to the play mechanics. But, for this long time player and fan, I think they retained what keeps FF special and, frankly, FF. The spirit and essence was intact, simply given a facelift. The elimination of random battles was seen as a bad thing by only a very few. I am not among them, as I think being able to see your foes makes perfect sense and adds an entire new level of strategy to the game. That is another thing. The game takes more strategy to beat then 1-5, 9 or 10. Some feel the gambit system, which is mostly optional, cheapens things. I saw it as a great wrinkle, like Materia in 7 or Junctioning in 8. There is soo much customizing possible in the great games, 6-8 and 10 & 12. But, I think 12 might trump all of them in this regard. It also doesn't hurt that the graphics are among the best on the PS2.

[ian_house]

OOOOOooooooh I promise to reply Xodacia... just don't have time at the mo.

I can never keep myself away from chatting about the merits of each of the FF games.

[Drift]

Well, with all the FF13 talk, I thought I'd dredge this up. I've always had a hard time choosing which of the games I do and do not like. I don't HATE any of them, but I do have those games which I do not care for as much as the others. That said, I will admit that I have not played but a few moments of Crystal Chronicles on the GC, and didn't like it. I haven't played the side games on any of the systems, except for FFX-2, which was an extremly odd game. I also haven't had much experience with 11 and am nervous about spending the coin on it, since I understand the monthly fee is still about 20$'s, and with school, among other things, I can't aford it. Having said that, here's my list and discussion of games. I'd like some feedback and maybe some personal thoughts on these games from any of the folks here who have played these games. I will also be using the "official" game numbers.


1. I didn't care for this one too much on the NES, but I did like the PS port, which I found to be a decent game. Just too basic for my tastes. I played up to the final boss and stopped short of beating it.

2. I still can't get into this one. I pick it up from time to time and just can't get more than a few hours in. The leveling system is just too random feeling, although I know it isn't.

3. I finally got this one and after playing through the first 10 hours or so, I put it up to take care of school. I haven't really thought about going back to it, although I probably should, just to finish it off.

4. I've loved this game since the day it arrived on shelves in 1991 on the SNES, in the USA, as FF2. The characters, the battles, the way it plays out...the music...great stuff. I love it. I liked the PS 1 port, which was the Japanese "hard" edition. I liked the GBA version, too, which added even more. And I like the DS edition, which has some cool features but is not a game I'd hand to people who have never played FF or an RPG before. Simply too difficult to tackle for noobs. I love the way the game is set in a traditional fantasy setting, but with enough Sci Fi twists to make it unique. The story is just a classic.

5. Um. Yeah. Ok. I said I didn't care that much for 2, but I might have a special place in my heart for coming close to disliking this game. It isn't bad, but it just doesn't grab me. The game-play often feels like a waste. However, I've noticed that with me, I preffer more story-rich games than ones relying almost soley on mechanics.

6. This is my favorite game of all time. I've loved it to death since it arrived in the USA, on the SNES, as FF3. I've spent more time with this game than I have any other game in my life. I hope the rumors about a DS port are true and that they do an even better job with it than they did with FF4. This game just has it all. Hell, I was playing through the SNES version last year and discovered a treasure box I never knew was there. With the amount of characters, the depth of those characters and the maturity of the story, this game holds a special place in my heart. As "bad-*SQUEE*" as Sephiroth was in FF7, I think Kefka is equally delicious as a villain. He's likely the most psychotic villain and the havoc he causes is perhaps greater and more widespread than just about any other character in FF lore. Oh, and did I mention the MUSIC? The soundtrack to this game is a symphony of awesomness. The story, a classic, is set in a world where Magic has vanished. But, has it totally vanished? From this simple premise, comes one of the most emotionally satifsfying games ever made, the best of the series and no worse than the 2nd best RPG I've played.

7. What can I say that hasn't already been said? It's great. It's tremendous. It brought FF and the RPG genre to the forefron in North America. It pushed the series in a new direction. I love it. BUT, as much time as I've spent with it, there are times it just doesn't feel exactly like FF. I've had that trouble with all the games from this point on. But, I loved this thing. The addition of the mini-games, now a staple of the series, was a brilliant move.

8. Not your father's FF. What makes this one unique is the Junction system and the way in which your characters make money. The main character, to put it mildly, is a PRICK. The story is much more SciFi than even FF7, and that is saying a lot. The series has always had a "high technology" aspect, what with the airships and all. But, this took that to the extreme. This is not a game to start off playing FF with. For that, I'd start with 4,6,10 or 12. This game, to be blunt, can be extremly tricky to navigate. I put it down after a week or so and didn't pick it up again for 6 months. Now, mind you, starting with FF 6 (3, on the SNES) I have gotten them the day they arrived in stores and played them non-stop. Well, when I picked it up again-this time with a guide, something I only purchase after either beating the game or getting damn close to it-I began to discover just how rich this game is. I know it isn't for everyone, but I think it's pretty cool.

9. Great stuff, this one. But it is just too short. It has perhaps the weakest villain of the modern series. (1-3 being the pre-historic games) It has the best graphics and most "series-like" music to be found on the PS1. This is a fun game, with a ton of mini-games. Vivi is an AMAZING character. Steiner is like a modern Falstaff. Simply hilarious. There are some highly emotional moments, like the attack on the city in the trees, but as much as they tried to create this game to serve as a "farewell" to the old school games, it just seemed to miss something. After much thought, I think that in their haste to put in "nods" to the past they forgot to add the depth of play that FF, as a series, is known for. Not a bad game, but a little slight.

10. Oh, man oh man. This is where FF took a huge step forward in terms of becoming a modern-feeling game. Even after nearly 8 years of release, this thing still holds up. While it has one of the smaller casts of characters among modern FF games-only 5 is smaller in terms of characters-I think this game is a joy. Yes, the voice acting is disconcerting at first. This is mostly due to the fact that the graphics were modeled for Japanes words, rather than English. I guess Square didn't feel like taking the time to redo that and given how expensive and long it would have been, I don't blame them. I remedied this issue by turning off the subtitle option. Otherwise, I have next to nothing to complain about this game. I loved the sphere grid. I loved the story. I think there are some BEAUTIFUL moments in this game, amongst the best in the series. This is also a deep game, with well over 100 hours of play to be found without really repeating yourself too much. Some people think the last act or so was a let down. I think that is bogus. I believe it made perfect sense within the story as told.

12. Ok. This is a game that, like 8, has gotten knocked around a LOT because of how big a change the designers made to the play mechanics. But, for this long time player and fan, I think they retained what keeps FF special and, frankly, FF. The spirit and essence was intact, simply given a facelift. The elimination of random battles was seen as a bad thing by only a very few. I am not among them, as I think being able to see your foes makes perfect sense and adds an entire new level of strategy to the game. That is another thing. The game takes more strategy to beat then 1-5, 9 or 10. Some feel the gambit system, which is mostly optional, cheapens things. I saw it as a great wrinkle, like Materia in 7 or Junctioning in 8. There is soo much customizing possible in the great games, 6-8 and 10 & 12. But, I think 12 might trump all of them in this regard. It also doesn't hurt that the graphics are among the best on the PS2.

List of FFs I have and what I thought of them:

1. As you mentioned, very basic. I missed this first time around as I didn't have a NES. Didn't get on with it to start with when it was released on PSX but the GBA version I did right through to the end. Didn't really try the additional dungeon though. Only main FF title I have actually finished. I feel that this style of RPG really belongs on a hand-held as I get along much better with the basic sprites looking at them on a smaller screen.

2. Didn't like it very much at all. I am not an errand boy, which this game made me feel like.

3. I got the boat and promptly got lost. Cool game but a bit to samey in terms of scenery.

4. I loved this one. Probably my favorite FF. Still never finished it.

5. Never played it but watched my bro play through a large chunk of it so know the basic gist of the story.

6. Didn't really get very far with this one. I get bored easily if I have seen too much of something and my bro took control of this one so I couldn't be bothered to play what I had already seen.

7. Amazing. First RPG I really played and like most gateway products sent me spiralling down a slipery slope to having a fairly large RPG collection. Because of this game I primarily play RPGs now.

Crisis Core. Really cool game if somewhat samey. I like the story and the characters and it was good to see the backstory of how Zach and Cloud met.

Dirge of Cerberus. My brother thought it was cool but I have yet to get round to this one. Story focuses on Vincent who I always found to be quite an intriguing character.

8. I liked more than 7. It was much better style wise than 7 and I liked the characters more on the screen. Much more pleasing to the eye.

9. Disc 1 was the biggest let down on this game. I could easily overlook the recycling of the story from 5 if it weren't for the fact that it takes so long to get into the game.

10. Really like it and will one day finish it but two words let down the whole game: Mihen Highroad.

X-2. Sitting on a shelf until I finish 10. May be there a while.

12. Brilliant. Fresh system. Looks good. Plays well. I like the use of Ivalice from FF Tactics as I like the setting.

Tactics. Really cool little game. Quite a big story which was ambitious at the time on this type of game.

Tactics: War of the Lions. Played this one through to completion of the story but I still have plenty to do. Would like to go back through the game which is more than I can say about most games.

Fables: Chocobo Tales. Thought this one was cool. Obviously aimed at a younger audience but still has enough to do to keep me occupied.

Ergheiz. Good fighting game and good use of FF7 characters. Liked it a lot.

Chrystal Cronicles: Ring of Fates. Patronising nonsense. Gave up after less than half an hour.

[slym2none]

I played XIII first, and love it. I have played through at least 5 times (80+ hours each time through) and have a game currently underway with the "power-up" strategy so the most basic spells will, by the end of the game, be able to max your junctions out to 255 so you can use those cool spells instead of just sitting on them. I played XII after I had beaten 8, and didn't find it nearly exciting, and never finished it after 20 or so hours in. I bought X and X-2, haven't played but a few hours of 10 and -2 not at all. I heard 11 was going backwards, so I never checked it out. I own Tactics, but have never played it either.

That's it.



-slym

[xodacia81]

I played XIII first, and love it. I have played through at least 5 times (80+ hours each time through) and have a game currently underway with the "power-up" strategy so the most basic spells will, by the end of the game, be able to max your junctions out to 255 so you can use those cool spells instead of just sitting on them. I played XII after I had beaten 8, and didn't find it nearly exciting, and never finished it after 20 or so hours in. I bought X and X-2, haven't played but a few hours of 10 and -2 not at all. I heard 11 was going backwards, so I never checked it out. I own Tactics, but have never played it either.

That's it.



-slym

Do yourself a favor and try to OLD FF's...4 & 6. Excellent stories, music, battle-systems and characters. by XII...you mean 12? Wow...truly shockin. I love that one. 10 is great, as well.

[slym2none]

I played XIII first, and love it. I have played through at least 5 times (80+ hours each time through) and have a game currently underway with the "power-up" strategy so the most basic spells will, by the end of the game, be able to max your junctions out to 255 so you can use those cool spells instead of just sitting on them. I played XII after I had beaten 8, and didn't find it nearly exciting, and never finished it after 20 or so hours in. I bought X and X-2, haven't played but a few hours of 10 and -2 not at all. I heard 11 was going backwards, so I never checked it out. I own Tactics, but have never played it either.

Do yourself a favor and try to OLD FF's...4 & 6. Excellent stories, music, battle-systems and characters. by XII...you mean 12? Wow...truly shockin. I love that one. 10 is great, as well.

Oops, not XII but VII... my bad. And I don't have a system that I can play 4 or 6 on, that was Nintendo, no?



-slym

[xodacia81]

I played XIII first, and love it. I have played through at least 5 times (80+ hours each time through) and have a game currently underway with the "power-up" strategy so the most basic spells will, by the end of the game, be able to max your junctions out to 255 so you can use those cool spells instead of just sitting on them. I played XII after I had beaten 8, and didn't find it nearly exciting, and never finished it after 20 or so hours in. I bought X and X-2, haven't played but a few hours of 10 and -2 not at all. I heard 11 was going backwards, so I never checked it out. I own Tactics, but have never played it either.

Do yourself a favor and try to OLD FF's...4 & 6. Excellent stories, music, battle-systems and characters. by XII...you mean 12? Wow...truly shockin. I love that one. 10 is great, as well.

Oops, not XII but VII... my bad. And I don't have a system that I can play 4 or 6 on, that was Nintendo, no?



-slym

Yes. Now, you can get 4 & 6 on the PS1, but I would NOT suggest 6. Some complain about load times for # 4, which I never had an issue with, but the loads for the port of 6 were attrocious.

[slym2none]

you can get 4 & 6 on the PS1, but I would NOT suggest 6. Some complain about load times for # 4, which I never had an issue with, but the loads for the port of 6 were attrocious.

Well, I still (only) have my PS2, so I can play the PS1 games on it...





-slym

[superman-prime]

snes 3

[xodacia81]

3-the SNES version of 6-is very close to being my favorite game. I've mentioned elsewhere that I have played this game a ridiculous amount over the past 15 years. I've maxed out the game. I've had marathon sessions-when I first got it-which cost me precious sleep. The characters, the music, the story and the graphical presentation, are among the best of the era. At the time the game came out in October 1994, it had probably the best graphics of the 16-bit era. This would be surpassed by Donkey Kong Country, just a little later that same fall. But THIS game, was just about the deepest thing going on any platform at the time and remained so until Final Fantasy 7 hit the Playstation roughly 3 years later. This is a game that just last year, I stumbled upon a treasure chest I never knew existed, in an area that I was certain I had seen every part of. The large cast of characters and uniquely mature-for the time, at least-approach towards their presentation, helped cement this game as one of the major entertainment experiences of my youth. I know a lot of people are JUST about the graphics, but if one wants a finely wrought story that is endlessly fun to play through and as deep as any ocean in the world, then look no further. Not only the greatest early FF, but next to maybe only Chrono Trigger, the finest RPG of the 16-bit era.

[superman-prime]

thats 1 of the only reasons i have my snes still (mario cart is the other

[xodacia81]

thats 1 of the only reasons i have my snes still (mario cart is the other

Always loved Mario Kart. The only racing series that I never skip a chance to play.

[superman-prime]

we play dd all the time on the wi

[rawisokv]

I love FF 10. That was the first FF I ever played.
I even bought the toys lol
I played all DS versions so far and I am really looking forward to the new one on the PS3.

[Drift]

you can get 4 & 6 on the PS1, but I would NOT suggest 6. Some complain about load times for # 4, which I never had an issue with, but the loads for the port of 6 were attrocious.

Well, I still (only) have my PS2, so I can play the PS1 games on it...





-slym

Yes you can play PSX games on a PS2. The PS2 has been the only successful console to be fully backwards compatible. Xbox360 and PS3 only play select games.

[xodacia81]

you can get 4 & 6 on the PS1, but I would NOT suggest 6. Some complain about load times for # 4, which I never had an issue with, but the loads for the port of 6 were attrocious.

Well, I still (only) have my PS2, so I can play the PS1 games on it...





-slym

Yes you can play PSX games on a PS2. The PS2 has been the only successful console to be fully backwards compatible. Xbox360 and PS3 only play select games.

Thus the major reason why I am so hesitant to buy a new system if ever I get the money to do so.

[Daniel Jackson]

you can get 4 & 6 on the PS1, but I would NOT suggest 6. Some complain about load times for # 4, which I never had an issue with, but the loads for the port of 6 were attrocious.

Well, I still (only) have my PS2, so I can play the PS1 games on it...





-slym

Yes you can play PSX games on a PS2. The PS2 has been the only successful console to be fully backwards compatible. Xbox360 and PS3 only play select games.

Thus the major reason why I am so hesitant to buy a new system if ever I get the money to do so.

Another nice thing about the Wii. Even with it's inexpensive price tag for the system, they still made it so you could play all of the old GC games. And with the launch of their Virtual Console, you can play a lot of the older games too, going clear back to the original NES.

[xodacia81]

you can get 4 & 6 on the PS1, but I would NOT suggest 6. Some complain about load times for # 4, which I never had an issue with, but the loads for the port of 6 were attrocious.

Well, I still (only) have my PS2, so I can play the PS1 games on it...





-slym

Yes you can play PSX games on a PS2. The PS2 has been the only successful console to be fully backwards compatible. Xbox360 and PS3 only play select games.

Thus the major reason why I am so hesitant to buy a new system if ever I get the money to do so.

Another nice thing about the Wii. Even with it's inexpensive price tag for the system, they still made it so you could play all of the old GC games. And with the launch of their Virtual Console, you can play a lot of the older games too, going clear back to the original NES.

I.Will.Not.Be.Tempted....