The ancient War of the Magi....

[Julius Seeker]

Just letting people know that Final Fantasy 6 Advance is out. I just got it 20 minutes ago and am about to play (it was a day late in arriving here). I'll have impressions up soon. Without any spoilers of added leels an story and such (I personally have no idea what to expect, I didn't look up what is added to this game, and if I did, I have forgotten).

[Lox]

I ordered a copy off Amazon.com so hopefully it will arrive soon! I can't wait!

[Julius Seeker]

Alright, so far it seems much the same. Some of the music is the same, some of it has been redone, and some of the sound effects are different. This stuff I got used to fairly quickly. As for graphics, they are very similar to the SNES version with some minor improvements. The characters do not look pixelated anymore. The backgrounds and such have been sharpenned. Battles look a LOT better than I remember them looking. Colours overall look more vibrant. These cosmetic changes are apparent as soon as the intro screen comes up.

The translation is a different one from the original version, Vicks has become Biggs. The dialogue seems to be better written than the original, though, it also seems to make less sense; if I had been playing the game for the first time, I would totally misunderstand some of the references; things seemed to be better explained in the originl translation. It is difficult to explain, I haven't gone very far yet in he game.

I also checked out the menu a bit, under the config option, there seem to be additions and improevemnts. There is an auto-run option (forgot to metion this gameplay change, you no longer need to buy sprint shoes as a relic to run, FINALLY!!!!) which will allow you to run without pressing the Y button.

So far I have done the intro sequences, I just reached Figaro Castle.


Overall, I am quite pleased with the game =)

I'll have more impressions later once I have completed a significant chunk of the game.

[Julius Seeker]

I'd just like to add that this game doesn't really show a very large difference from the original aside from what I have mentioned so far. It is kind of like the FF1&2 remake in that way (though with FF1&2 I found some of the changes to be unwelcome, but the good ones outweighed the bad ones). This game does not see the massive improvement that FF4 received from its original version; though this is only because it didn't requir it (though they coul have fixed up the early game ATB like they did in FF4, luckily there is an option available to speed it up).

So there you have it, FF1-6 available for play on the Nintendo DS (and GBA in most cases), all fixed up to standard. Though, as I have said, I prefered the primitive FF1 magic system as opposed to the new "up to date" one (magic points plus Ether potion purchase makes things WAY easier than they need to be). Whether or not Square will give FF7-9 similar treatment remains to be seen, but I think we will find out very soon. Some of the changes I would request: Graphical and dialogue updates for FF7, along with fixed animations and load times; balanced economic and junction system in FF8; and lowered encounter rate in FF9 with a better stat improveent rate. Not to mention that there were certain things that can be added, the communication system in FF8 should be in every FF game from 7 onward: when you walk up to a character, that character begins to talk, you can move up to them and hit A for more in depth conversation. The FF12 battle system would be good in all of those FF games as well, but that is almost too much to ask as it would mean a re-doing of the environments which would cost a lot of money. We'll just have to wait and see.

[Eric]

Is there any slowdown during battles?

[Julius Seeker]

Is there any slowdown during battles?

None that I have come across. I forget if there was any during the SNES version either, but I do remember quite clearly there being a lot with the SNES Final antasy II.

[Chris]

I'm finding some problems. chocobo running looks like complete and utter shit......it looks like yer chocy is having a seizure.....terribly animated.....putting on sprint shous and holding the run button is essentially super duper ultra sprint shoes......causes some clipping too....but fun....there are also some areas that seem unanimated (boxes you can walk through stuff like that) other than that quite enjoyable

[Julius Seeker]

Yeah, the sprint shoes are crazy! This will mean that the game can be completed in a much faster time than before.

They have edited some stuff, just as a very early example: the scene where Celes got beaten was taken out.

[Lox]

They have edited some stuff, just as a very early example: the scene where Celes got beaten was taken out.

Really? That sucks. Why are they George Lucasizing the game? I thought it was fine the way it was.

[Oracle]

As long as they don't fuck with Kefka scenes, or if they add MORE (please please god), I'm happy.

[Julius Seeker]

Son of a Submariner = Son of a Sandworm now. Otherwise, just the same.

Oh yeah, I forgot that they added portraits into dialogue now rather than having a written name to show who is speaking.

[Lox]

Celes and Locke were always 2 of my favorite characters, so I don't want them messing with it.

[Oracle]

Son of a Submariner = Son of a Sandworm now. Otherwise, just the same.

Oh yeah, I forgot that they added portraits into dialogue now rather than having a written name to show who is speaking.

why do they have to go and fuck with good dialogue?!

[Julius Seeker]

The Celes beating scene edit probably had to be implemented. The political scene has changed a lot in many places: it is now not acceptale to show a woman in a helpless state being abused without the proper rating. Laws have been passed in a lot of places throughout the world since 1994. It's not really a huge deal, it dos not take away from the game overall.

[Eric]

They have edited some stuff, just as a very early example: the scene where Celes got beaten was taken out.

[Zeus]

As long as they don't fuck with Kefka scenes, or if they add MORE (please please god), I'm happy.

Imagine if they remade the best FF with current-gen graphics and we got to see Kefka in his 3D HD glory? *drools*

[Chris]

ok gotta say. the further I get the more dissapointed I get. hate saying it but it's true. this is easily the absolute worst of the ports so far. it plays and feels like the same game. I'm still loving it I'm just not loving the shit out of it like it did the others in the series up till this point....the glitchiness in places is really detracting me. some glitchy sound, the chocobo graphics, some of the remastered tracks just don't work as well as they did before for me, the whole celes and phantom punching....the animation for her getting hit is still there so it just looks kinda funny when she myteriously collapses.....still great but I think I might hook up the snes if I I ever feel the need to play for more than a waiting room period

[Don]

Cid in FF12 beats Kefka on the craziness meter and he's also a lot cooler.

Heck, his special attacks seems to be more trying to illustrate how crazy he is than actually doing real damage.

[Oracle]

Meh, Cid is crazy because he is under the influence of the nethicite/whatever the fuck that being's name is.

Kefka's craziness is more authentic

[Kupek]

Don't they explain Kefka's madness from the magicite, too?

Anyway, here's an interesting thread talking about probably reasons for why the scene was taken out: http://hg101.proboards92.com/index.cgi? ... 1167256193

FF3US came out right before the ESRB started rating games, and it was rated Teen when it came out on PS. FF6 Advance is rated Everyone. So the removals probably has at least something to do with ratings.

[Zeus]

Cid in FF12 beats Kefka on the craziness meter and he's also a lot cooler.

Heck, his special attacks seems to be more trying to illustrate how crazy he is than actually doing real damage.

But Kefka's cooler I bet :-)

Haven't played FF12 I'm just trying to get your blood boiling

[Julius Seeker]

ok gotta say. the further I get the more dissapointed I get. hate saying it but it's true. this is easily the absolute worst of the ports so far. it plays and feels like the same game. I'm still loving it I'm just not loving the shit out of it like it did the others in the series up till this point....the glitchiness in places is really detracting me. some glitchy sound, the chocobo graphics, some of the remastered tracks just don't work as well as they did before for me, the whole celes and phantom punching....the animation for her getting hit is still there so it just looks kinda funny when she myteriously collapses.....still great but I think I might hook up the snes if I I ever feel the need to play for more than a waiting room period

Well, there was not nearly as much that needed to be fixed in this game than in the others (FF4 needed A LOT of fixing, which happened). Essentially they were bringing the older games up to FF6's standards, that's why FF6 didn't see huge additions, it was already on par. They should have done the FF6 port to the DS instead of the GBA though, the GBA's technical limitations caused a few problems which would not have been there with the DS (mostly with the music, the DS could have handled the original tunes all fine). Though the graphics have been sharpenned on the GBA, in some scenes (like the phantom train, which is the only one I have found so far) there is slowdown; it is not a tremendous amount, and I didn't find it took much away from the game since the scene is very short anyways. Overall, the port is actually quite a bit better done than what I thought the GBA was capable of. It is better than the SNES version in some respects, but not as good in others.

On the chocobo stuff, I haven't really noticed, I never use Chocobos in that game; the scene where the player is forced to use chocobos, I didn't actually notice the difference, but I probably wasn't paying close enough attention.

[Don]

The only thing Cid was possessed by is power, not Nethicite or Venat.

[Flip]

Who cares about posessing? Crazy is crazy and Kefka was one awesome crazy sonofabitch.

[Julius Seeker]

One thing that I would have asked for in a remake would be a MUCH better explanation of how Kefka managed to go over the top and get Celes imprisonned for execution as a traitor; she was a General.

Kefka was an interesting villain many of his targets were within the Empire, Celes was the first, then General Leo, and finally General Gestahl himself. Kind of like Delita, Kuja, and Cid all rolled into one =P

[Julius Seeker]

OK, I am going to agree with the post on that forum that Kupek posted. It is not about violence against women, it is violence against prisoners that is the issue. None of the other scenes in the game that depict violence against women, or even violence against helpless women have been edited out. It is just the prison scene with Celes.

In short, the post suggests that the reason is due to Japanese citizens being held prisoner and tortured by guerrilla forces in the middle east. Seeing as how that was the reason for the editing of the FF12 scene in Japan (where Panelo was in prison) I am going to say that it is probably the same reason for FF6 Advance.

[Don]

Explaining why Kefka is crazy would be like explaining why excess GF use in FF8 leads to memory loss. You're supposed to just take for granted that this guy is totally crazy. What do you expect they to say, that Kefka is crazy because Leo beat him up as a kid and Celes dressed him up as a clown?

I'm not a big fan of Kefka, but the whole character make sense only because he simply is who he is.

[Don]

On the subject of authentic craziness, the whole point of Cid is that even though it looks like his insanity was due to supernatural force, it was not. When Balthier warned Ashe that she better not become another Cid he didn't mean if Ashe start inhaling Nethicite she might become the next Cid.

[Zeus]

Who cares about posessing? Crazy is crazy and Kefka was one awesome crazy sonofabitch.

Best RPG main bad guy ever IMO. Only he can look like a clown and still be badass

[Julius Seeker]

Ultima Weapon has been properly named (used to be called Atma Weapon due to character constraints).

On the topic of Kefka, this new translation definately paints him as a character who lusts for power. It establishes him as a character who is moving up the ranks of the Empire by any means necessary, he is shown at Doma as wanting to eliminate General Leo, and the Doma situation also factored into General Celes getting charged for treason. Later on, it is quite apparent that he lusts for more magic powers, and that he wants the power of the "Warring Triad."

In the original translation, it is said Kefka went insane due to something going wrong with the Magitech infusion. Kefka was the prototype for the Magitech Knight.


As for FF8's GF memory loss thing, it was never established that it was the reason for the memory loss (Like what happens to Jonny Mnemonic when he acquired too much knowledge and forgot large portions of his earlier life), just a strong rumour. Likely the reason why they needed a reminder is because they were like 3 when they actually did know each other. Cid and Edea were beginning to establish them as warriors armed with GF powers to destroy the Sorceress Ultimecia; who Edea had discovered would be a major threat down the road.

[Oracle]

On the subject of authentic craziness, the whole point of Cid is that even though it looks like his insanity was due to supernatural force, it was not. When Balthier warned Ashe that she better not become another Cid he didn't mean if Ashe start inhaling Nethicite she might become the next Cid.

I thought the entire point of Balthier attempting to draw a parallel between Cid and Ashe was the fact that they all witnessed in some way or another the power that the nethicite had over Ashe (how the shard tried to represent itself as her lost husband Rasler). Nethicite undeniably helped to drive Cid into the crazy bastard he turned out to be, whether it was through the lust he had for the power the nethicite held, the power the nethicite directly held over Cid himself, or both.

Every character that had strong ties to nethicite and the willingness to use it tended to be a bit off their rocker (Cid, Judge Bergan, the viera Mjrn).

So, when Balthier warned Ashe about not becoming another Cid, I think he did indeed believe that if she gave into the power lust that the nethicite instilled in her, that she would become another Cid. She tried to justify needing the nethicite by saying it was necessary to combat the Empire, but it looked like it held a supernatural power over her as well, whether it was from something the nethicite possessed itself (i.e. sentience and free will), or by design of the Occuria.

Then again, I could have misinterpreted your post :p

[Don]

Larsa, the voice of reason, uses Manufacted Nethicite and it doesn't affect his judgment at all. Vayne was still more or less the same after using Nethicite. The cat people react stronger to the Mist/Nethicite compared to normal people so them going crazy is expected. There's no doubt Cid uses it more than others but you got to remember he's an old man (~58?) and this isn't the Ivalice of FFT where people somehow got way more powerful the older they get (like T.G. Cid).

Maybe you can say people with a weak willpower gets controlled by the Nethicite but that doesn't apply to the game's protagonists or anatgonists.

[Don]

If Celes is charged with treason due to Doma, wouldn't the split into 3 parties part not make sense chronologically if you do Locke's part first? It'd be kind of like in Saga Frontier 2 where you can play a scenario where a guy died before you play the scenario to get that guy.

[Oracle]

If Celes is charged with treason due to Doma, wouldn't the split into 3 parties part not make sense chronologically if you do Locke's part first? It'd be kind of like in Saga Frontier 2 where you can play a scenario where a guy died before you play the scenario to get that guy.

I was always under the impression that the split into three parties took place simultaneously with respect to the time line.

[Oracle]

Larsa, the voice of reason, uses Manufacted Nethicite and it doesn't affect his judgment at all. Vayne was still more or less the same after using Nethicite. The cat people react stronger to the Mist/Nethicite compared to normal people so them going crazy is expected. There's no doubt Cid uses it more than others but you got to remember he's an old man (~58?) and this isn't the Ivalice of FFT where people somehow got way more powerful the older they get (like T.G. Cid).

Maybe you can say people with a weak willpower gets controlled by the Nethicite but that doesn't apply to the game's protagonists or anatgonists.

Don't read if you don't like spoilers....

Vayne was batshit in the first place (conspiring with a whacked out scientist to overthrow his own father and send the Archades Empire into an unwarranted war), he was just very... professional? ... about it.

And I don't really see how you can compare Larsa's use of the Manufacted Nethicite to be anywhere near the degree that Cid and Bergan used it.

The way I interpreted the role of nethicite in FFXII was that people with ambitions of power were the ones to subcome to it's allure. Larsa had no such ambition. And, in the end, no matter how crazy/brutal Vayne was before hand, he fell to the Nethecite's power as well (where he used it in a similar way that Bergan did).

[Don]

There's no evidence Vayne ever used any Nethicite before the final battle. I don't really see any evidence that he was ever crazy.

Vayne used Nethicite to make magic glowing swords appear from thin air. Larsa used the same Nethicites to destroy them. If anything Larsa's been using them longer (he wears them) than Vayne. If you look at the last battle it sure looked like Larsa knew how to use those things better than Vayne.

When Penelo unknowingly used the Nethicite to stop Judge Ghis's fireball it did not have any adverse effect on her (though one can argue maybe the story just forgot she existed).

Back to the subject of FF6, I thought they took place at the same time too, but it sounds like in the remake one has to happen before the other.

[Julius Seeker]

If Celes is charged with treason due to Doma, wouldn't the split into 3 parties part not make sense chronologically if you do Locke's part first? It'd be kind of like in Saga Frontier 2 where you can play a scenario where a guy died before you play the scenario to get that guy.

Well the portion of the story is weaker than it should be. The explanation given is that Celes opposed Kefka's plan to poison the people of Doma (which is seen as bad even by Gestahlian Imperial standards) and somehow got charged for treason because of it. It doesn't say how Kefka managed to go over her head to accomplish her charge, especially since he has to poison the people without Leo's knowledge (a General, the same rank as Celes). It does not make a lot of sense.

[Blotus]

I picked this up on the same day as Valkyrie Profile 2. I wanted to do FF6 first but VP2 is owning me now.

[Chris]

I picked this up on the same day as Valkyrie Profile 2. I wanted to do FF6 first but VP2 is owning me now.

game is hard as shit but my lord it's a beautiful piece of work

[Blotus]

I haven't had too much difficulty with it so far but I'm only on chapter 3 I believe. Since I just got that sword from Kraad I've been raping everything. I fucking love it. I wish I hadn't sold my copy of the original before even beating it.

[Julius Seeker]

OK, after playing a bit further, I am going to say that I really enjoy this script; it's my favourite one yet (I didn't particularly like the new FF4 script, but I did enjoy the game overall a lot more). The script is certainly an improvement on the original version, but the original version was fairly good as well. One thing that bothers me is some of the character art; Kefka's eyes are not red in his portrait like they are on his sprite; wha's up wit' dat?!

I am currently just before the floating Island, picking up various things (just got Mog, Zoneseek, and Golem, about to run the circuit to get Mog his Water Rondo dance). I'm looking forward to the World of Ruin, the World of Balance is always a nice start, but there is somthing about the World of Ruin that just has so much more charm to it; it is kind of like the Future World in Zelda Ocarina of Time in that result.


Now, this leaves me wondering if they plan a Chrono Trigger and Terranigma remake soon? Because it was quite a treat getting FF1-6.

[Don]

I rather they move forward and come up with something new then just rereleasing old stuff. Shining Force Neo is a good example of how to remake a game.

[Lox]

Considering I have never played CT, I would love to see that on the GBA or DS!

I am playing through FFVI now. I just got out of Figaro and am on my way to meet up with the Returners.

One thing I noticed was just how much the music is a part of the emotion of the characters and the mood in this game. I can honestly say that the music in the last few FF games has been forgettable to me. With this one, since there is nothing to show a character's mood except the music and the limited animation, it really adds a lot. I'm enjoying it a lot.

[Blotus]

Good to know the music still impresses people who have never played the SNES version... 'cause it's downgraded for the GBA.

[Don]

FF6 is the last FF that didn't have a bloated soundtrack. From a quality point of view, I don't think it's necessarily better than any of the others but you get a lot more filler in the later ones.

FF6's also the last FF I can think of where most characters have obviously identifiable themes, which probably adds more to character development than anything else.

[Eric]

Considering I have never played CT

[Lox]

I never found it for the SNES. I could probably stand to play it as a ROM if I used my laptop and had a USB controller though.

[Zeus]

I never found it for the SNES. I could probably stand to play it as a ROM if I used my laptop and had a USB controller though.

Or you could just pay $10 and get it for the PSX/PS2

[Lox]

Is it that easy to find for the PSX?

[Julius Seeker]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Chrono-Trigger-SNES ... dZViewItem Buy the SNES cartridge =)


By the Way, in FF6A I just got through the floating Island sequence. Aside from that one line, it looks like all of Kefka's other classic lines are intact.