Final Fantasy IV for Game Boy Adv Reviews by Gamers

Having played all the way through Final Fantasy IV on more than a dozen occasions, I know the game pretty well. In fact, I've experienced the adventures of Cecil, Kain, and Rosa so many times that I can quote almost their entire dialog sequences word for word. Nerdy as that may be, it's something that's grown out of a true love for the product as Final Fantasy IV is the one great RPG that truly cemented my passion for the genre -- and because of that, my level of respect for the thing is pretty much off the charts.

But that's just one of the reasons I can so thoroughly recommend Final Fantasy IV Advance. Not solely because of nostalgia or a pre-disposed affinity mind you, but because it's the best version of Final Fantasy IV yet released. In other words, it's one of the best role-playing games you'll ever play; and even for longtime fans like myself, the number of additions that Square Enix and Nintendo have added is enough to warrant yet another purchase (and that's really saying something when you consider that the game has seen a healthy number of re-issues in recent years).

Based on the original Final Fantasy IV "Hard" version released for the Super Famicom in Japan (not the "Easy Type" version that came later, which was then the basis for the further-edited U.S. Final Fantasy II), Final Fantasy IV Advance is one of the most polished GBA ports around. The script has an absolutely terrific translation and is much, much closer to its original intention than before (the opening theft of the crystals in Mysidia was supposed to be a flashback, for example, while the "package" that Cecil delivers to the town of Mist is correctly labeled as the "Bomb Ring", etc, etc).

This stronger conversion means that each character has... well... more character, and the personalities that support them feel a lot more authentic. Sadly, the translation isn't quite perfect, which means that Gilbert is still referred to as Edward, and Tellah's "Spoony Bard" line is still in there. Then again, hardcore freaks like me are probably the only ones that will care.

Now if you've never played Final Fantasy IV before, then you probably don't know what I'm talking about, and that's okay because this is a game best left to discover without the spoiler treatment. Just for the sake of thoroughness, however, I will let you know that that FF4 is essentially a story of redemption, friendship, and self-sacrifice. Lead character Cecil is a Dark Knight and the Captain of the Airship Squad known as "The Red Wings." He's been charged by his master, the King of Baron to hunt down and capture all the crystals of the world for an unknown reason and has the authority to do so by any means necessary. Eventually all the killing and maiming catches up to him and Cecil questions the king's decision. Of course, the king sees this as insubordination and demotes Cecil before sending him off on a peon mission to the town of Mist... and that's where things start to get interesting.

As always the story in Final Fantasy IV is great, and the pacing, characterization, and plot twists are all very solid. The narrative actually has characters that you'll care about too, and whether it's the karate fighter Yang, the ninja prince Edge, or the conflicted dragoon Kain, there's enough variety in personality here to keep the plot from ever feeling too generic.

Aside from the excellent storytelling, Final Fantasy IV also has a simple and quick battle system that lends itself well to the handheld format. Giving players the option of using the Active Time Battle system instead of the classic turn-based fare also adds some speed, and with the all-new quicksave feature, you can halt your progress just about anywhere if the need arises. The retouched graphics look pretty solid on the GBA's smaller screen as well, and relative short length of the game (between 15-25 hours) is fitting for a portable role-player.

Other than its excellent portability, another reason that Final Fantasy IV is worth checking out again is because of its extra features. Some are small (the rear and front battle formations from the Japanese version are back, and character portraits have been redone) while others are much bigger. Several new boss characters and two exclusive dungeons, for instance, add a nice bit of replay to a game that's already been played to death -- while the ability to recruit additional party members near the final moments is a welcome addition. Throw a couple of cool mini-games, a bestiary, and a harder difficulty into the mix, and you can see why old fans will enjoy this just as much as the new ones.

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