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[Beth Cyra]

Yeah, seems like IV, V and VI are the best. I'm interested in VII too, I'll try it eventually to see what all the hub bub is about.

IV for PSP seems like the definitive edition for IV. What about V and VI? Any word of them getting a PSP port? Or should I just go for the GBA versions? What about the PSN versions? I'm guessing they have loading times =/



That's this week. And Sonic 06 is happening.

IV, V and VI are only going to be the best in certain circles. Even more so IV and V. Most often you would see that IV and V wouldn't be mentioned there but VII and IX in there place.

As for V and VI.

The best are the GBA games, though some people prefer the SNES version of VI. V is no contest though.

And unless a surprise announcments I wouldn't count on a V or VI for PSP at this point.

 

[Professor Beef]

Yeah, seems like IV, V and VI are the best. I'm interested in VII too, I'll try it eventually to see what all the hub bub is about.

IV for PSP seems like the definitive edition for IV. What about V and VI? Any word of them getting a PSP port? Or should I just go for the GBA versions? What about the PSN versions? I'm guessing they have loading times =/

That's this week. And Sonic 06 is happening.

The GBA versions of V and VI are (so far) the definitive versions. The PSN versions are fine (despite loading times) if you have no other alternative however.

And I cannot WAIT for that LTTP thread for Sonic 06. >

 

[Electivirus]

You are a witchdoctor or something I swear!

I think the SNES version of Final Fantasy VI is still the best. The GBA version suffers from bad audio and some slowdown.

Never seen any slowdown in the GBA version. The music change is negligible to me and likely won't be noticed by anyone not specifically looking for it. The extra content and semi-retranslation are more than enough reason for me to prefer the GBA version over the original.

 

[Aeana]

Yeah. I prefer the GBA version if I'm going to play the game in English. The updated/proper item/spell/monster names are wonderful. The music change is audible but tolerable with most songs in the game.

 

[Emitan]

The music change is audible but tolerable with most songs in the game.

I just can't deal. I'm a stickler when it comes to music. Being a musician has it's drawbacks. I adore the new lyrics for the opera, though. They match much better.

 

[kunonabi]

I can't stand the gba version of VI. I've always preferred the original names for spells and such and the original translation. The poor audio and extra censorship just completed my distaste for the gba version.

I picked up FFXII. I wanted to form a proper opinion and it a completed super saver offer from Amazon.

 

[Aeana]

I just can't deal. I'm a stickler when it comes to music. Being a musician has it's drawbacks. I adore the new lyrics for the opera, though. They match much better.

There's a patch for the GBA version that restores a lot of the SNES audio (but ruins the opera scene by trying to shoe-horn in the Japanese live recording, which does not fit).

 

[Dark Schala]

Yeah, seems like IV, V and VI are the best. I'm interested in VII too, I'll try it eventually to see what all the hub bub is about.

IV for PSP seems like the definitive edition for IV. What about V and VI? Any word of them getting a PSP port? Or should I just go for the GBA versions? What about the PSN versions? I'm guessing they have loading times =/

Go for the GBA versions of V and VI, especially for FFV. I generally prefer the SNES version of FFVI for the audio, though.

That's this week. And Sonic 06 is happening.

I am envious that you get a fall reading week! :O

If you start up that LTTP thread, I... *might* join you

Spoiler

in your suffering

if I get time. We'll see since I might be busy. It's not a game that I would like to go through ever again, though. :/

...The music's good...

 

[Riposte]

XIV is the dirtiest / most adult Final Fantasy by far. The stuff I read in that game is fucking hysterical, mainly in the cities of Ul'dah and Limsa Lominsa.

Do XI and XIV have the same writers(well, localization) for NPCs and stuff? Favorite worlds of the series.

 

[Emitan]

There's a patch for the GBA version that restores a lot of the SNES audio (but ruins the opera scene by trying to shoe-horn in the Japanese live recording, which does not fit).

Doesn't do my physical cart any good! Maybe I should get a flash cart for my Micro...

 

[Gibbles17]

Having played IV on SNES, playstation, DS, and PSP I can say that the DS version is probably the best, revamped visuals, augments, etc. just make it feel like a fuller game. The voice-acting was absolutely atrocious on all fronts though. Cecil and Kain sounded especially bad, auditory diarrhea in the fullest sense.

If you're looking for a complete package though I'd say the PSP version is clutch as it comes with the interlude and the sequel game bundled. Still haven't made a dent in The After Years yet, maybe it was playing IV twice in the span of a year but I'm a little burnt out >< IV didn't age as well as I thought. I'll definitely complete TAF at some point for story's-sake, anyone wanna tell me how the game is overall?

 

[Man God]

Watch this conversation from every discussion I've ever had on NeoGAF about FF VI and the font.

Me: The only real hangup I have about FF VI GBA/ Chrono Trigger DS is that it doesn't have that sweet, sweet SNES Font.

 

[Seven Force]

I want to try playing IV DS sometime, but I honestly don't think I could muster up the will to play IV for the umpteenth time.

 

[Aeana]

Watch this conversation from every discussion I've ever had on NeoGAF about FF VI and the font.

Me: The only real hangup I have about FF VI GBA/ Chrono Trigger DS is that it doesn't have that sweet, sweet SNES Font.

The Chrono Trigger DS font is absolutely atrocious. It is way too small. I hacked the game to fix it. I also did the same with the GBA FF ports.

 

[Man God]

The Chrono Trigger DS font is absolutely atrocious. It is way too small. I hacked the game to fix it. I also did the same with the GBA FF ports.

Right poster, wrong response. You're supposed to start with FF III SNES font is a modified Chicago.

You are losing your touch, Aeana!

 

[Aeana]

Right poster, wrong response. You're supposed to start with FF III SNES font is a modified Chicago.

You are losing your touch, Aeana!

I'm not following. Are you referring to past conversations we had? I don't really remember.
I figured everybody already knew about FF6/CT SNES using a modified version of Chicago.

 

[Electivirus]

The Chrono Trigger DS font is absolutely atrocious. It is way too small. I hacked the game to fix it. I also did the same with the GBA FF ports.

Eh, I liked Before much better. The After font looks...well, I dunno how to describe it, but it just doesn't look right to me.

 

[Man God]

I'm not following. Are you referring to past conversations we had? I don't really remember.
I figured everybody already knew about FF6/CT SNES using a modified version of Chicago.

It was a bad joke. Basically any time I've ever brought up the font you've come along sometime later and noted that very obvious fact.

I used that font so very much on various Macs back in the day.

The only game font that has ever really bugged me was EO1. That one was actually hard to read.

 

[Aeana]

Eh, I liked Before much better. The After font looks...well, I dunno how to describe it, but it just doesn't look right to me.

Well, I don't know what that means, but I abhor the fonts they used in the English version of CT DS. Especially the classic battle menu font, which is barely legible.

Before/after

 

[Seven Force]

I don't think I ever played classic mode in CTDS. That's seriously the font they used?

Wow.

 

[Aeana]

On the subject of FF, I did find some screenshots I took of the font edits I did for the GBA games as well as FF4 DS. I don't have 'before' screenshots, though.

Yes, I used the same font, but I'm very fond of it. I just do these for myself since I'm totally anal about stuff like this.

 

[Emitan]

If I can still prefer the SNES version of VI solely due to the music, I guess I can't make fun for you replacing all those fonts. But still!

 

[Seven Force]

Speaking of which, I recall seeing quite a few FFVI Advance videos online, but a good amount of them used a font different from what I remember. (This one, to be precise) Did VI Advance have different fonts between the EU and NA regions, or is it just a widespread font hack that I'm unaware of?

 

[Emitan]

Speaking of which, I recall seeing quite a few FFVI Advance videos online, but a good amount of them used a font different from what I remember. (This one, to be precise) Did VI Advance have different fonts between the EU and NA regions, or is it just a widespread font hack that I'm unaware of?

The font at the top is used in my NA copy and I think the menu font there is the same as well. Which version is this a screenshot of?

 

[Aeana]

Speaking of which, I recall seeing quite a few FFVI Advance videos online, but a good amount of them used a font different from what I remember. (This one, to be precise) Did VI Advance have different fonts between the EU and NA regions, or is it just a widespread font hack that I'm unaware of?

I believe the European version has a different 8x8 menu font than the NA version. It was most likely changed to accommodate the extra languages.

EDIT: See here, you will notice some of the letters of the smaller font at the bottom are slightly different. They're thinner.

 

[Seven Force]

The font at the top is used in my NA copy and I think the menu font there is the same as well. Which version is this a screenshot of?

I recall the NA font being the same as the V Advance font, but I see this font in videos/screenshots online a lot, so I wasn't sure if the font was changed between regions or if it was a font hack.

Edit: Ah, I see. Thanks for clarifying.

 

[lastendconductor]

I'm about to break down and get FFXII but I'm trying to decide on the standard version or international. Do the jobs have brand new abilities or are they just the original license board split into pieces? Which version is better for playing manually without gambits?

You should totally play with gambits, you'll learn to love them believe me.

 

[Boss Man]

While I may be biased because it was my first FF, I think Final Fantasy IX has the best atmosphere of any of the games in the series.

If I'm not mistaken, it might also be the last 'proper' Final Fantasy (i.e. an open role-playing world where you can actually make decisions, move freely across the world, and do stuff).

 

[Aeana]

While I may be biased because it was my first FF, I think Final Fantasy IX has the best atmosphere of any of the games in the series.

If I'm not mistaken, it might also be the last 'proper' Final Fantasy (i.e. an open role-playing world where you can actually make decisions, move freely across the world, and do stuff).

Can you elaborate on that last part? I don't tend to associate "open role-playing/decisions" with any Final Fantasy game.

 

[Dark Schala]

The Chrono Trigger DS font is absolutely atrocious. It is way too small. I hacked the game to fix it. I also did the same with the GBA FF ports.

That second one looks so much better.

CT DS made me feel like my vision had gotten even worse. -_-

Having played IV on SNES, playstation, DS, and PSP I can say that the DS version is probably the best, revamped visuals, augments, etc. just make it feel like a fuller game. The voice-acting was absolutely atrocious on all fronts though. Cecil and Kain sounded especially bad, auditory diarrhea in the fullest sense.

If you're looking for a complete package though I'd say the PSP version is clutch as it comes with the interlude and the sequel game bundled. Still haven't made a dent in The After Years yet, maybe it was playing IV twice in the span of a year but I'm a little burnt out >< IV didn't age as well as I thought. I'll definitely complete TAF at some point for story's-sake, anyone wanna tell me how the game is overall?

The VAs who recorded lines in FFIV are good VAs (Kain was Liam O'Brien and Cecil was Yuri Lowenthal), but I did not like how the audio was in FFIV DS very much.

The Interlude is underwhelming and in retrospect, I feel like it was a waste of time. It sets up a little bit for The After Years, but it's really short, and you can't really backtrack. If you're filling out your Bestiary and getting summons, do so before you move on (this means artificially prolonging the Interlude and you might get bored).

The After Years is a game that I enjoyed more on PSP than on WiiWare. probably becaues I could carry it around everywhere and also because I didn't have to wait every few months for new episodes before I lost interest in it. It is episodic. There are EX dungeons after you complete each episode, and they go towards getting up to the characters' level caps so you can transfer those over to the final episode. The characters also have Band Attacks where they team up with other characters to unleash attacks or heal the party.

I did like the Lunar system, though, because you had to shift your strategies around a little every time the moon phase changed. So sometimes black magic wouldn't be effective so physical attacks should be used instead. Sometimes physical attacks are more effective, but you have to bear in mind that your enemies' attacks are strengthened as well. It also affects what kind of monsters are in an area to battle if you want to complete your bestiary. I thought it was pretty good fanservice, and the new Nakano tracks aren't bad (The Mysterious Girl melodies, in particular). I thought it was fun.

Speaking of TAY--did anyone play FFLegends (the retro throwback cell phone game), and if so, how is the ability system in that? I've only read about it, and it intrigues me a lot. I've been hoping that they'd bring it to PSN/XBLA/WiiWare since it just wrapped up in Japan a few months ago because I want to see for myself whether it's executed well or not.

 

[Boss Man]

Can you elaborate on that last part? I don't tend to associate "open role-playing/decisions" with any Final Fantasy game.

Well, you can go to some isolated part of the world and start breeding chocobos until you get one that can fly, and you can dig around in a marsh to get a big chef-woman/monster thing that's a blue mage.

Maybe freedom/exploration is a better way to describe it? There's definitely something that was there, began to fade off sharply at FFX, and then disappeared completely though. Adventure/exploration is probably it.

 

[Aeana]

Well, you can go to some isolated part of the world and start breeding chocobos until you get one that can fly, and you can dig around in a marsh to get a big chef-woman/monster thing that's a blue mage.

Maybe freedom/exploration is a better way to describe it? There's definitely something that was there, began to fade off sharply at FFX, and then disappeared completely though. Adventure/exploration is probably it.

Would you not say that FF12's hunts and optional areas like the Necrohol of Nabudis count?
I'd agree that the amount of side content has dropped off, though, certainly.

 

[Man God]

FF VII had a ton of sidquests and mini games, VIII had a bit less, IX had a crapton, X had a little less, X-2 was 3/4 sidequests, XII had one really huge one, and XIII has that one area at the end of the game.

 

[Aeana]

FF10-2 definitely has a lot of side content. <3 Sphere break.

 

[Electivirus]

I loathed X's sidequests. Almost all of them were terrible, tedious, or both. :|

 

[Shadow780]

Lightning dodge is the worst mini-game of all time.

 

[ULTROS!]

Does FFXIII have the least side quests compared to the rest of the FF games?

 

[Diablos]

Lightning dodge is the worst mini-game of all time.

But the music...

 

[Aeana]

Does FFXIII have the least side quests compared to the rest of the FF games?

Certainly not. It does at least have some, unlike many of the early FF games.

 

[Boss Man]

Would you not say that FF12's hunts and optional areas like the Necrohol of Nabudis count?
I'd agree that the amount of side content has dropped off, though, certainly.

I'll admit that this is probably just subjective, but no those don't count to me. I really think it's "adventure" that's gone missing.

I guess, to me, stuff like hunts and "optional areas" feel like exactly that; designed optional content, rooms that you can step into as you walk down the hall of the game. Sort of like a big neon sign that points down to HIDDEN AREA/OPTIONAL CONTENT: PRESS X TO ENTER.

Whereas in a game like FFIX, it feels like there's an actual cohesive world to explore and no one is really telling you whether or not it's what you should be doing- optional or not. You feel like the world is there, living and breathing. Whether you're at a particular location or not, those characters are there living their life. There's something really immersive about that and I miss it.


Example 1: You gain access to a boat. This is exciting, now you can travel across the ocean and see what's on the other side! I hope the monsters there don't slaughter my party though... Maybe I need to level up first...well, I'll go ahead and take a peek...
-Exciting

Example 2: Would you like to go on a hunt?
Yes.
Which area would you like to go on a hunt in?
Brown Desert. ** (level 5) Prize: Earring.
Green Valley. *** (level 10) Prize: Shoes.
*Proceed to cross the appropriate dashed-lines to load the correct area*
-Boring

The first example is how the older games feel to me without even considering optional content, the second example is why I don't like Final Fantasy anymore.

 

[Man God]

FF has the rat tail and xcalibur sword, FF II has sequence breaking and that one dungeon, FF III has something I can't remember, IV has quite a few actually, V has a couple, though most of it is presented as stuff you should do (the stuff you need to get all the tablets) and VI also presents it as a bunch of main story subquests that you really really should do.

 

[Aeana]

FF has the rat tail and xcalibur sword, FF II has sequence breaking and that one dungeon, FF III has something I can't remember, IV has quite a few actually, V has a couple, though most of it is presented as stuff you should do (the stuff you need to get all the tablets) and VI also presents it as a bunch of main story subquests that you really really should do.

Well, I meant significant side events or systems, not just like a secret weapon or two to find. All FF games have optional equipment.

 

[Diablos]

So, what's everyone's favorite FF OST? Rank if you want.

I really think XIII's OST transcends game music; the bar has been raised. Masashi Hamauzu did a phenomenal job. I can't think of a better FF OST.

No, I did not just start playing the series and I'm not jumping on any kind of bandwagon; this is near flawless, and I'd be shocked if anything better ever comes from the series.

My top 5 OST's:

1. XIII
2. X
3. VIII
4. Tactics
5. VII

After that it gets kind of sketchy, but that's just me.

 

[Man God]

XIII has about three good tracks!

 

[ULTROS!]

No specific order + my favorite songs:

1. VI: Tina, Celes Theme
2. VIII: Where I Belong, The Castle
3. IX: Loss of Me, Mystery Sword
4. X: To Zanarkand, Someday the Dream Will End
5. XIII: Prelude, Blinded by Light

 

[Emitan]

Final Fantasy VI is my choice for almost every category, including soundtrack. The super long ending theme still can make me tear up a bit.

 

[Beth Cyra]

FF VIII has the most amazing set of tracks.

Maybe I'm a Lion
The Extreme
The Oath
Eyes on Me
Force Your Way
Don't Be Afriad
Man With A Machine Gun.

So amazing.

I also really loved Advent Children's set of tracks as well. Advent Jenova is probably the single best song from FF to me.

FF XIII didn't have as many standouts as VII, VIII and X to me but it had an overall better OST as far as keeping the mode and adventure going. Plus Blinded By Light was an amazing battle theme.

So for me it probably goes

FF VIII
FF XIII
FF VII/Advent Children
Dissidia
FF V.

 

[Lebron]

I ain't ranking, but:

VI
X
XIII
IX
IV
VIII

Probably get the most plays from me. Yall should check out the Distant Worlds tour if it ever comes to your city. Amazing stuff. Masashi Hamauzu came to the Houston one I attended.

Final Fantasy VI is my choice for almost every category, including soundtrack. The super long ending theme still can make me tear up a bit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0s8n3lvsFQ

 

[Electivirus]

So, what's everyone's favorite FF OST? Rank if you want.

I really think XIII's OST transcends game music; the bar has been raised. Masashi Hamauzu did a phenomenal job. I can't think of a better FF OST.

No, I did not just start playing the series and I'm not jumping on any kind of bandwagon; this is near flawless, and I'd be shocked if anything better ever comes from the series.

We're friends now. Just so you know.

 

[Emitan]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m0s8n3lvsFQ

I meant that actual ending, but yeah, that's awesome.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvCsHCF-LLo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YBMRB3qZT-U&feature=related