Final Fantasy 1 & 2...

On the GBA!!

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.


It's about time!

Planet Gamecube (http://www.planetgamecube.com/news.cfm?action=item&id=5202)

Yay! I was going to post this earlier but was too lazy.

Hahaha! :D

Now let's hope they port over the FF PSX ports or something.

Yeah, FF7 on the GBA would be awesome.

Actually I was referring to the SNES ports... but then I realized that porting over the SNES versions and adding the changes that the PSX versions got would make more sense.

I'd love to see FFVII on the GBA, but a PSP port is more likely.

The only one that REALLY matters is FFIII... because it's still never come out in the US...

This is nice, but I won't be getting it. :)

This is nice, but I won't be getting it.

*hits ABF with the hilarity hammer* See, it's funny because it's made of foam...hard foam.

I hope the music is improved, since the Wonderswan Color's sound was about NES level. The PS1 got REALLY improved music, and it sounds great, but the GBA isn't capable of the same thing so it would have to be redone again.

I may not get this if they don't add anything. In fact, I believe it may end up having less than the PS1 version (likely they will strip out the gallary and the FMVs). Portability is nice, but not worth the price of getting a game I already own.

Anyway, the SNES games would be nice, since the PS1 ports had much to be desired. Only IV managed to eliminate the load times, and only the US version at that. Well, Chrono Trigger also managed to get zero load times, but they added them for the US version... Keep this in mind, only FFVI added anything. Many sites incorrectly state that FFV and FFIV added bonus modes, but that's because, as far as I can tell, they only read about it from some main incorrect source that just jumped to conclusions. The only thing added to FFIV and FFV is the ability to dash by holding down the cancel button. Actually, V already had it, but you had to use the theif ability, so now when you run around with the thief ability you run at quad speed. Same with FFVI and the dash boots equipped. VI added a gallary (with some pics from V and one from IV), as well as a beastiary, a colloseum trade list, an esper list, and a lore list. While no real extras can be expected, at least the games will run correctly with no load times. No issues with sound or slowdown either. (Oh, contrary to an early faulty review, the mode 7 emulation is actually flawless on the PS1 ports, of all the problems they could have talked about, I wonder why they had to pick a nonexistant one?)

The only other issue is the smaller screen size that'll be needed to maintain resolution. I will say this. I REALLY hope that the Gameboy Player, which IS capable of being detected by GBA games (hence the rumble support in some of them), is capable of allowing a specially designed game to run in full screen mode.

Anyway, as has been said, FF3 is the only one I REALLY care about since that's the only one that has yet to be released here.

"full screen mode"? Impossible. Sorry.

As for FF1 and 2, I don't know... they're so old and simplistic compared to modern titles for one thing... there are many games much more worth getting out there for certain.

How do you know that?

The Super Gameboy was capable of full screen mode support. I know the Gameboy Player is different, but it would just have to be designed to be capable of such a thing and the game itself designed with that in mind from the start. Where did you read the Gameboy Player doesn't have that sort of support? I wouldnt' be surprised if it didn't, but it's not something unreasonable, considering the SGB long before it had such support. I know due to playing a game where I destroy invaders, possibly from space.

Well not IMPOSSIBLE but quite unlikely. I haven't seen anything that says the game has control of the screen border... note no game-specific borders... and I'd think a fullscreen mode would need two full copies of the game graphics, for the two different resolutions -- with a cart I don't know if they'd spend space doing that... I doubt it.

I see your point, but when you consider that the FF remakes, originally made for SNES, are not really remade with lower resolution, but actually just parts of the screen are cut off to MAINTAIN the same resolution, well my point is that with the resolution being perfectly maintained on the TV screen, if the GBP does allow a game to control the border section, then they would only need to "open up" that area that was cut off. However, considering all the SGB supporting games had their own custom borders, even when the GBC took hold and they started cheaping out on the full color pallette support for SGB, yes it is fishy that none of the GBP supporting games have their own custom borders added to the selectable list.

Oh yes, http://www.gamespot.com/news/2004/04/09/news_6093287.html
This article says they ARE adding new gameplay elements. A whole extra dungeon full of new super powered weaponry (as if the Masamune isn't powerful enough) and the ability to face off against famous bosses from the whole series. And FF2 adds entire side story campaigns. To be honest it seems pretty cool. I didn't think they would do much, but now I have to get this game...

One thing though. One of the changes mentioned from the NES/WSC/PS1 version is that magic no longer works in the same way in FF1. In the original, each "level" of magic had it's own magic points. So, you really had to be strategic and know when to cast what (you max out at 9 per level, except on PS1's easy mode with 99 per level... CHEAP!). However, now the magic works just like every other FF game. Honestly I was annoyed when the PS1 version ditched the individual and limited equipment inventories for a "you can hold anything you want" party-wide pool, simply due to the change in tactics. I just hope an "original mode" is there where magic works the same way as before (and maybe even equipment).

Anyway, I might just want this game now... Dangit Square! You shoulda done this with the PS1 version! Then again, there's ALSO the whole issue with NEW games being released that take precedent... This is one EXPENSIVE hobby...

What they were originally made for is irrelevant! They need to redo all the game graphics for the GBA, or at least resize some things, rearrange some screens (to cope with the lower height), etc... even at minimal changes it will require a redo, and would require two sets of graphics at the very minimum... depending on how much it changes to cope with the screen size it could be more than that. And companies like to save money by using the smallest cart size they can.

And anyway as I said I don't think the GB Player can change screen size (resolution) anyway... I think if they could they would have before now. Why it's in the SNES addon but not the Cube is something I'll never understand, but there it is.

No I'm saying the res is maintained in those cases, and if the game is already doing the stuff "outside" the visible image (program it to do so), then just drop the invisible "border" that's kinda in place. You just aren't seeing what I'm saying here.

We really need FF3 for GBA. FF1 and 2 are fine, but they've already been brought over. (FF1 twice, FF2 once.) As ABF said, FF3 has never touched American soil and needs to be imported more than any other FF game.

I imagine it's only a matter of time before Square ports over the other FF games.

I've played some poorly translated ROMs of FF3 and it's not bad for its time. "You guys kicking of the ass so cool!" I think it might actually be the best of the NES FFs gameplay-wise, but that could just be me. I haven't played it in years, so my opinion may very well be different now.

*yawn*

Let me know when they port FFIV.

Seriously.

That FFIV, V and VI, not to mention Chrono Trigger, haven't been given the GBA treatment deserves a giant-sized WHAT THE FUCK.

If any of them get ported, with the exception of the boring FFV, I'll probably lose my job playing it so much.

FFIV was ported on the PSX a long time ago with Chrono Trigger on Final Fantasy Chronicles... I guess you want a GBA port of it though, don't you? :D

(This was to EdenMaster, BTW, and was posted just seconds after Weltall made his post.)

I liked FFV. The story wasn't as good as most FF games (though better than FF1), but the whole ability system was great, and later replicated many times over in later FF games.

The class system in FFV was excellent, but the overall game did get boring after a while. Not much as far as storyline goes.

Storyline can be a great thing, but in my opinion FFV wasn't really a storyline kind of RPG, the sort where the gameplay is designed to emphesize the story and visa versa. The battling and exploring were plenty to keep me entertained the way it was done. I will say that leveling up classes got tiring after a while.

FFIV was ported on the PSX a long time ago with Chrono Trigger on Final Fantasy Chronicles...

I know, I own it.

I want to have Cecil and the gang with me EVERYWHERE I GO!!!!!

Is that so much to ask? Really, is it?

Mario RPG is another one that needs GBA porting.

I wouldn't be surprised if we see a Mario RPG port at E3. Cross your fingers!

I'm going to cross my toes as well!

A bunch of sites have posted an interview with some Squeenix guy about remaking FF3 for the GBA, but I'm too lazy to post it.

Cool.

So... you gonna post it?

I haven't played Chrono Trigger in a long time. I'd love to own a copy of it on GBA for road trips and if I ever decide to sneak off to the bathroom at work.

Whoops, did I say that out loud?

:D

That's the first thing I did when I bought Mario World for the GBA. Playing it in my work bathroom was extremely satisfying.

Squeenix is MY word! You don't have the right to use it!

You weren't the first one to say that, DJ.

I know I was! I had to be! I said it right when the merger was announced!

So did ten bajillion other video game nerds.

Well, I'm the first NOT to say it!

Oh I was TOTALLY the first to invent it! I mean, I even patented it!

Nuh-uh!

Yes-huh! I even invented the phrase "Nuh-uh"!

did not!

Did to did two did too!

...

really?

I invented a word one time.

Bojacksome?

I invented the internet.

I created startrek

Bojacksome?

Yeah, that. I also invented "carlaflandersons".

Wait... but I invented Coloradarnfandersons or something like that... or did I?

OR DID YOU?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

http://www.nuklearpower.com/comics/040422.png

:D

8-Bit Theatre is the best webcomic ever. They make me feel so pathetic with my barely mediocre comics. (Which I stopped making and may not ever start up on again.)

8-Bit Theatre is the best webcomic ever.

No way! The Tendocity Ava-Comics are by far the best webcomic ever...and I'm not just saying that because I made them!

It's either 8BT or Megatokyo... 8BT is the winner for humor, though, for sure.

TC Ava-Comics, fools!!! Penny Arcade is a close second, of course.