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Final Fantasy IV (Game Boy Advance)
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February 22, 2007 - Chris "Chocobo" Alt (Columnist)
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Is there anything in video games more convoluted than the numbering for Square Enix's blockbuster Final Fantasy series? II and III were released in Japan but not the United States so when IV was released Stateside we called it II even though it was really IV and then Japan released V there but not here so when VI came out here we called it III even though it was- ah, screw it. I'll let Marty and Doc Brown worry about this one.
Final Fantasy IV on the Game Boy Advance was originally known as Final Fantasy II on the Super Nintendo and is pretty much an exact port, albeit with a fresh coat of paint. The graphics, although still SNES quality, have been updated just a little bit so that this game looks more 2006 than 1991, and some of the poorly translated to English text in the game has been worked on (although the classic line "You spoony bard!" was left in for the fanboys). A few extra touches have been added, including new dungeons and weapons, making this worth picking up and playing again.
The story takes place mostly through the eyes of our hero Cecil, a dark knight (not to be confused with Batman) who has been ordered by his king to slaughter innocent people to collect a group of crystals that are supposed to bring great power to he who wields them. When Cecil begins to question the king's orders, the king sends him, as well as his best friend Kain, to deliver a package to a nearby village. The package, however, is a bomb, which destroys the city and separates Cecil and Kain, and the story picks up from there, with Cecil trying to redeem himself for the evil that he has done while trying to liberate the people of his town from his tyrannical king and rescue his love interest, Rosa. Of course, this is a Final Fantasy game, so you can expect a cast of about a dozen supporting characters as well as super powerful magic wielding bad guys, and the adventure spans not only the globe, but underneath the earth and the moon, as well.
This game is widely considered among the best in the FF series, falling short of the love and acclaim for VI and VII but generally considered superior to the later games due to its engaging storyline and memorable characters. It's also among the easier games in the series, making it a perfect place for gamers who have never picked up a Final Fantasy game to start out. Although it is now 16 years old, it holds up surprisingly well today, making this game a must-buy for any GBA or DS owners who are Final Fantasy aficionados or people with vague interest in RPGs alike.
9/10
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Briefly, how we rate the games we play...
| 10 |
_Perfect
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| 9 |
_Excellent
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| 8 |
_Great
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| 7 |
_Very Good
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| 6 |
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| 4 |
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| 3 |
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| 2 |
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| 1 |
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_Feces
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