My Top 50 Favourite Sega Mega Drive Games: #1 + More

Hey there. Welcome to the final part in my Top 50 Favourite Mega Drive games list. Every day for the past 50 days I’ve been revealing one game per day, in my biased opinion, my favourite games on this absolutely amazing console. I’ve had a blast, reminiscing over these 49 amazing games. I hope you’ve enjoyed it too, and maybe remembered some games you may have forgotten before, or even, found new games in this list you never heard of, and enjoy. We’re at the end now.

Here’s quick recap of my list from #50 to #2…

• #50 - Columns III – 1993 - ***1/2 
• #49 - World Cup Italia '90 – 1990 - ***1/2 
• #48 - Virtua Fighter 2 – 1996 - ***1/2 
• #47 - Jurassic Park – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #46 - Road Rash III: Tour de Force – 1995 - ***3/4 
• #45 - FIFA International Soccer – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #44 - Mega Bomberman – 1994 - ***3/4 
• #43 - Golden Axe III – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #42 - Micro Machines – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #41 – Columns – 1990 - ***3/4 
• #40 - Zombies Ate My Neighbours – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #39 - Sylvester and Tweety in Cagey Capers – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #38 – Flicky – 1991 - ***3/4 
• #37 - Taz in Escape From Mars – 1994 - ***3/4 
• #36 – Aladdin – 1993 - ***3/4 
• #35 - Alex Kidd in the Enchanted Castle – 1989 - ***3/4 
• #34 - Sonic 3D Blast – 1996 - **** 
• #33 - Streets of Rage 3 – 1994 - **** 
• #32 - Ayrton Senna's Super Monaco GP II – 1992 - **** 
• #31 – Lemmings – 1992 - **** 
• #30 - Golden Axe – 1989 - **** 
• #29 - Mortal Kombat – 1992 - **** 
• #28 - Splatterhouse 3 – 1993 - **** 
• #27 - Sonic the Hedgehog – 1991 - **** 
• #26 - Theme Park – 1994 - **** 
• #25 – Ghostbusters – 1990 - **** 
• #24 - Micro Machines: Turbo Tournament 96 – 1995 - ****1/4 
• #23 - Blood Shot – 1994 - ****1/4 
• #22 - Super Hang-On – 1988 - ****1/4 
• #21 - Sonic the Hedgehog 3 – 1994 - ****1/4 
• #20 - Gain Ground – 1992 - ****1/4 
• #19 - Street Fighter II: Championship Edition – 1992 - ****1/4 
• #18 – Worms – 1995 - ****1/4 
• #17 - Speedball 2 – 1990 - ****1/4 
• #16 - Super Monaco GP – 1990 - ****1/4 
• #15 - Shining Force II – 1993 - ****1/2 
• #14 - Streets of Rage – 1991 - ****1/2 
• #13 - Dr. Robotnik's Mean Bean Machine – 1993 - ****1/2 
• #12 - Shinobi III: Return of the Ninja Master – 1993 - ****1/2 
• #11 - Ultimate Mortal Kombat III – 1996 - ****1/2 
• #10 - World of Illusion Starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck – 1992 - ****1/2 
• #9 - Micro Machines 2: Turbo Tournament – 1994 - ****1/2 
• #8 - Michael Jackson's Moonwalker – 1990 - ****3/4 
• #7 - Sonic the Hedgehog 2 – 1992 - ****3/4 
• #6 - Shining Force – 1992 - ****3/4 
• #5 - The Revenge of Shinobi – 1989 - ****3/4 
• #4 - Quackshot starring Donald Duck – 1991 - ****3/4 
• #3 - Streets of Rage 2 – 1992 - ****3/4 
• #2 - Sonic and Knuckles – 1994 - ****3/4

Okay then, this is it. My favourite game on the Mega Drive is…

#1 – Gunstar Heroes

Released: 1993

Genre: Action

Rating: ****3/4 stars

Best Moment: Black’s Dice Maze. It’s just lots and lots of fun.

Yes, my favourite Mega Drive game is Gunstar Heroes. I don’t think any game since Gunstar Heroes has been able to compactly put so much chaos on screen while maintaining a decent flow of entertainment. I really mean that. This game has so much stuff going on, you shoot through hundreds and hundreds of bad guys, but it just doesn’t get old, doesn’t get boring, and doesn’t get stale. It’s so entertaining, and the game has a brilliant sense of humour, awesome music and the sound quality is absolutely sublime. This game is so exhilarating it’s incredible. It’s simply one of the most action pumped games ever made and is a thrill to play, even 19 years later. Gunstar Heroes is a game you simply have to experience before you die. It’s such a shame the game isn’t acknowledged more, in comparison to other games in this list. Nothing against those games. But Gunstar Heroes is simply one of the best games ever made, and is my favourite game ever to be released on the Mega Drive.

Well that’s it! We’ve finished! I hope you’ve enjoyed this list, and reminiscing over these brilliant games, games released between 1988 and 1996, the epitome of 2D gaming. I love all 50 of these games and I’m sure there’s something in this list for everyone. If there’s any games here that have given you some great memories, please, comment below. Is there any games on here you’ve never played before and it being on this list made you try it? Let me know, comment below.

If you know me personally, you know I’m a stats guy, and here are two interesting graphs you may like.

This graph really interested me. I didn’t take into consideration the year of each game’s release until the list was fully complete. The year 1993 having 13 entries out of 50, that’s over a quarter of the list, was an intriguing statistic. It makes sense though. Sonic 1 was released in 1991, and that really set the Mega Drive off to not only compete but to equal Nintendo at one point in the video game wars. Two years later and game after game after game was released that were outstanding. I’m not really surprised that most of my favourite games were released in 1993, but it’s very interesting. If you were wondering, the earliest released game in this list is Super Hang-On, the only game released in the year 1988, and the latest game was Sonic 3D Blast, which was released on November 30^th 1996. Nine years of video games. Amazing.

This graph isn’t surprising at all, but it’s still cool to see what genres were included the most. No surprise really that its action and platformers that dominate my list. There were some awesome action games out on the Mega Drive, and five of the 10 platformers are Sonic games. Beat ‘em ups were high in tally inclusion as well, which isn’t surprising either as there were some solid beat ‘em ups on the Mega Drive.  I wasn’t expecting so many racing games mind, but it goes to show that racing games were pretty good on the Mega Drive too. My favourite genre of game is the RPG, but, as mentioned a few times, the Mega Drive really didn’t do RPGs, hence the lack of tally in the list.

To conclude, the Mega Drive is one of the best consoles ever made, and it’ll always have a strong place in my heart. It was my first ever console, and it really opened my eyes to the beauty of video games. It changed my life, quite simply. I love the Mega Drive. One day, I’d love to own all 50 of these games, preferably in Mega Drive format (bar Columns III, Golden Axe III, Splatterhouse 3 and Gain Ground, which weren’t released on the Mega Drive in the UK). It’s a long-term ambition, one I’ll hopefully be able to achieve when I can afford to! Thank you so much for joining me in this countdown. I’ve had a blast doing this list; it’s always a pleasure doing these listings. I hope you got something out of it too. Until next time!

If you liked this article you might want to read:

• Streets of Rage (Old School Game Review)
• Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection (Game Review)
• My Top 10 Favourite Levels on Platformer Games (Listing)

Continue reading the listing!

#50 - #41 |  #40 - #31 | #30 - #21 | #20 - #11 | #10 - #2 | #1 + More

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The Mercy Side: Why I Want a Final Fantasy VI Remake

Before I start this article, I thought I’d announce on my site that I’m currently working on another project, which is listing my Top 50 Final Fantasy Characters. That, fingers crossed, should be starting in a week or so if I can get it finalised and put online, we’ll find out in time. I don’t want to talk about it too much; I’m very excited about this project, and hope any Final Fantasy fans out there will like it too. Now onto the article.

Why I Want a Final Fantasy VI Remake

Warning: This article WILL contain many spoilers, as the content I wish to discuss in detail will have plot and character information. If you are interested in Final Fantasy VI AND VII are not familiar with it, just be aware there are spoilers and therefore, I recommend you don’t read it. Let’s move on.

Final Fantasy VI, or in America , Final Fantasy III, was released roughly in 1994, on the Super Nintendo (SNES). It was the final 2D Final Fantasy game and it was the last on the SNES. It’s currently never been remade; however it has been ported on the Playstation and Game Boy Advance. The game was received remarkably well, citing the best points of a great character set list, a grand soundtrack and a magnificent villain in Kefka. 3 years later, Final Fantasy VII was released on the Playstation, and was not only well received, but is considered the best Final Fantasy of all time. By all means Final Fantasy VII trumped everything Final Fantasy VI did, and is seen as an “inferior brother” of sorts.

In 2005, when working on the Playstation 3, a “technical demo” was released for Final Fantasy VII. It showed the introduction of original game, the first FMV, done with the graphics of the Playstation 3. Fans went, to put it nicely, ape shit, and for the past 5 years, and probably going into the future, have done everything in their power to make their thoughts heard on a total remake. Square-Enix have many times in the past 5 years have said that it’s going to be very difficult; all the members who worked on FF7 are on separate projects and like true professionals, they have ruled out a remake until everyone is on board to see a project happen. As a side note, I’d like to praise Square-Enix for their responses, the last thing I personally would like as a huge fan, is a chopped and changed team, or worse, a separate team altogether, working on such a prestigious and wonderful game. However it really bugs me, no one asks for a full Final Fantasy VI remake. Why?

Before I explain further, I’d like to say I actually, believe it or not, prefer Final Fantasy VII to VI. But the main difference between these games, the thing that separates the three years between them, is the graphics. Between the years of 1994 and 1997, the world of gaming changed forever. Everyone wanted the next generation console, everything was going 3D. Squaresoft (at the time, they are now Square-Enix) were actually going to release it in 2D on the SNES, but with Chrono Trigger’s imminent release (another absolute classic), and it being a priority, the game got postponed. When work resumed, it was too late, 3D was THE thing, and in order to keep up with the market, Squaresoft would have to make the game 3D. After a few tests on some Final Fantasy VI characters (see FF6 tech demo), they realised that it would be better on a CD Rom. With Nintendo still wanting to use cartridges, Squaresoft had no choice but to move to the Playstation. Taking all this into consideration, you can easily see the differences between FF6 and FF7. There may be 3 years apart in time, but in those 3 years, EVERYTHING changed.

You see, Final Fantasy VII does need a remake. Because in 1997 the power of the graphics is nothing in comparison to now, it just looks blotchy and buggy, and, well, inferior. However what people forget, is that it was so close to actually being a 2D game. Can you imagine Final Fantasy VII being 2D? All that made FF7 so memorable was in 3D. Aerith’s death, Sephiroth walking through flames, Cloud on his motorbike. None of these FMV’s would be that great in a 2D game, not to look at anyway.

Now think about what COULD be an FMV in Final Fantasy VI, that wasn’t. What about the War of Magi, which was only referenced but never shown? That could be in FMV. Terra apparently destroys 50 soldiers when she was under control by the Empire – you could show her kicking ass. The opera singing scene with Celes, could be blown up in full FMV, it is after all, one of the most iconic scenes in Final Fantasy history. When Terra transforms into a full Esper, which could be done in FMV. How about the poisoning of the waters of Doma? That could be done in FMV. Most importantly, the end of the World of Balance could be done justice to how important it is, in full FMV.

This epic scene could be so amazing in 3D.

Final Fantasy VII in my opinion was before it’s time, but Final Fantasy VI was WAY before it’s time. The story and the events need a complete overhaul. What really annoys me is that some stubborn modern FF fans won’t even contemplate looking at FF6 because of the graphics. They are missing out on a lot, because of this. At least FF7 has been played by millions and millions of fans, now AND in ’97. Only the hardcore fans really have bought the ports of pre FF7 games. Final Fantasy VI is head and shoulders above the previous 5 games, and even in 2D, holds its head above water amongst the modern games. This is why Final Fantasy VI, in my opinion, should be a priory remake over Final Fantasy VII.

What I Want in a Final Fantasy VI Remake

If there is one job I envy in the world, it’s the people who create video games. I’d love to be a video game designer, but my problem is that I have an imagination, but no contacts, and no physical ability. My imagination is a strong point, but you need more than that to make a video game, you need to be multi talented. But I will give my thoughts to what I personally think a Final Fantasy VI remake should include, or in some cases, should not.

The first thing I’d recommend Square-Enix do is to cut some of the characters out of the game, not completely, but out of the main cast. There are 14 main characters in the game, some very important to the plot, some have very little if anything. Final Fantasy VI has the most main characters in a Final Fantasy game ever. They “boast” about this achievement, but I don’t think it’s a boast-worthy feat. The reason why no game since has had this many characters is because it’s too many characters to balance. Since FF6, there usually are two, three or maybe four core characters to the plot, and then maybe around four or five more characters that make a circle around those people. That’s the best way to build an RPG if you ask me, and it’s worked for Square-Enix since then.

So what do you have with FF6’s characters? Well there are three major characters, that’s for sure. There’s Terra, Locke and Celes, who all in turns take the player through the game. The great thing about these three characters is the debate that fans make about who actually is the main character. Most would agree it’s Terra, but all three can make a claim. I say further this debate, by emphasising and concentrating on all three characters individually throughout the game. Terra and Locke are primarily playing baton in the World of Balance, and Celes is the clear baton holder in the World of Ruin, however I think that you should mix the three throughout both games. That’s obviously difficult due to the plot on the World of Ruin and that’s fine, however when (or if, of course) Terra and Locke join the party, maybe you could have cut scenes made which switches the game’s baton holder on purpose. I don’t need to make an example of what, it could be trivial, or something else that may add extra layers to the plot. But I think that it should be further emphatic that this is a game with not one, but three main characters and I think further fan debate would add to the game.

This scene is still considered a very memorable moment in FF history.

It can be worked on in a remake. I slightly touched on it before, but in the original you have a choice whether or not to recruit the Scooby Gang for the finale against Kefka. You have to have Celes, Sabin and Edgar with you; everyone else is up for grabs. I say cut this out completely, and force the player to find all the characters. It’s fun and required in the original anyway, so remove the choice and force the extra chapters onto the player, giving you more opportunities to do the above paragraph.

Now that the debate is over with regards to the three main characters, I want to talk about the other eleven. I said I want to cut some of them out, so who should be cut out? My answer is to cut out Gao, Mog, Umaro, Gogo and possibly Strago. Why? Well who out of those characters have a huge say in the plot of the game? Possibly Strago, but barely. Gao gives you a diving helmet in the Veldt, Mog and the other moogles help Terra and Locke out in the start of the game. That’s it. These characters, and some I actually quite like, need to be cut out of the main cast, so we can concentrate and prioritise the other characters. I’m not saying get rid of them, just let them be characters in the game, like everyone else. Gao can still give you the diving helmet, hell; you can include the scene where he meets his father, just don’t make it mandatory, and don’t make them into main characters. The same applies with Mog, in fact, I’d think a Mognet would be awesome in this game, and maybe Mog can be a moogle to help you save on the world map, both taken from Final Fantasy IX. It would make Mog useful in another way, and Mognet could add letters similar to the ones in FF9. The others barely have a thing to do in the plot, apart from Strago.

Strago is a difficult one, because of his connections with Relm. Relm is a character I’d like cut out of the game if I had my way, however she is far too important to the plot, particularly Shadow’s plot, and don’t ever make me think about getting rid of Shadow! However Strago could be cut out, if we change the plot slightly. If we make Relm “want” to join the party, and Strago not let her, similar to the original, only for Relm to run away, it can work. It’s the other way round in the original, Strago joins the party, and then Relm wants to. Cut the scene out where Strago wants to join, and you can add Relm in, when she runs away, and sketches Ultros’ portrait, showing her worth to the rest of the party. Have Strago reluctantly agree to this, and it works. If we get rid of all the above characters, that leaves us with 9 characters, which is still a lot, but it’s much more manageable than 14.

Another use of having less main characters to worry about is one of the major flaws in the original game, which is the balance of the characters. Characters like Locke, Celes and Terra, the main characters, are no where near as useful as players like Sabin, Edgar and Cyan. The latter three have very useful individual techniques that don’t require MP, where as the former three can do minor special techniques and magic. I think they should balance it out a bit, either by expanding the former’s techniques, or make the latter techniques MP based.

Speaking of battles, one thing I really want kept in this game is the ATB battle system. Just including the main series, it’s not been used since Final Fantasy IX, which is now 10 years old. I think adding or changing the battle system might make the game less playable, and it would be nice to include the old school ATB system, it’s still my favourite and cannot be beat in my opinion.

The one thing I don’t want disappearing is the multiple party’s function that appears in three parts of the game. I think that could work, even in a 3D FF6 game, and would be quite interesting. If it works out, then maybe we could add it in a future FF game, it’s a unique feature that FF6 carries that emphasises its individuality.

There’s three characters that I believe deserves an expansion in the game’s plot, and they are Celes, General Leo and Ultros. Celes is accused of being an Empire spy at one point in the game, and leaves the party. I think we should expand on this, by actually having Celes have a dilemma about doing what’s right, and her loyalty to the Empire. When Locke saves her, I think there should be a major hint of reluctance on her part to join him, because despite them torturing her, it’s all she’s known. Make her character more complex this way, because then when Kefka debates if she is an Empire spy, you could raise a further case for her to be one. I think Celes shouldn’t be entirely sure of what side she is on through the entire game up until she stabs Kefka on the Floating Continent and finalises her decision on whose side she’s on. I think it would make a great layer to add to the game.

General Leo is probably towards the top of a hypothetical list of underutilised characters in FF history. The great General Leo is a character sworn to do what’s right, he is a very honourable man and never shows any signs of evil. I think his character should be used much more, and have a very similar role to the game that Beatrix has in FF9. I also think General Leo’s death should be in FMV, showing a grave in the sequence at one point, I think his death is one of the most tragic in FF history. You just want to kick Kefka’s ass there and then when he does it.

And last but not least, I want Ultros to have more moments, and more to do with FF6. I don’t want him directly involved in the plot, he is purely comic relief in the game and want him remain that way. However I think he should be in the game more than he is, I want him to randomly appear out of nowhere to annoy the player, and he’s just brilliant at it. He is one of my favourite unimportant characters in FF history and deserves more recognition for being one of the best at his role in the series.

Ultros deserves a bigger role in this game - he's too comical and great not to.

I’d just like to quickly talk about Kefka. When I’ve ever thought about a FF6 remake, I’ve always been concerned about Kefka in full 3D. His cackle is so legendary, and his voice would always be difficult to do. He also, as a clown, looks very odd and doesn’t look like a major villain, more of a joke villain. However all these thoughts disappeared when I played Dissidia, I must give Square-Enix credit for their reincarnation of Kefka, and his full 3D and vocal debut, they did an absolute splendid job and made me want to see this game remade even more.

I now want to talk about making an impact with the scenes in the game. To do this however, I’d say make the game aimed slightly more towards adults, that’s not to say I want it an 18+ game or anything close, but borderline 15+, on the 12+ side. I want some graphic detail in the game, particularly in three scenes. Firstly, I think that an FMV of Terra transforming to Esper form is required, and I think that they should do a full motion sequence of the event. Make it very “American Werewolf in London ”-esque, just slightly less graphic obviously due to the age rating. I really want people to see the transformation; after all, when Terra does change, she can’t control her actions; similar to a werewolf is incapable. I think taking advantage of modern visual graphics would really make the scene quite shocking, and very scary, because in the original the scene doesn’t live up to how important and striking it really is.

The other two scenes in the game I’d like done more maturely have to do with Kefka. The first one is the poisoning of the waters in Doma; I think this could be done in FMV form and make it really bad. I’d compare it to maybe the ending of Blade Trinity, where the Daystar (the vampire poison) kills all the vampires, just slightly less graphic. Really make the player feel sorry for the Doma people, and make it Kefka’s first major crime in the game. I think it would straight away cause great impact, which is what I want more of in this game.

The final thing is the most climatic scene in the entire game – Kefka’s Apocalypse. Kefka is the first (and as far as I’m aware, no FF13 spoilers please, only) major villain to achieve Godhood, and he’s the only major villain to completely destroy the main world of a game. This is very important, and also very dramatic. Squaresoft have done the best they could with what little graphics they had in comparison to now, however they can make it even better. I really think that Kefka’s Apocalypse should be a very long FMV, maybe 5 minutes long, really show the player how big a deal it is. Show them the destruction of all the locations that are not in the World of Ruin being destroyed, think of Final Fantasy X where Sin destroys part of Kilika, just much, much worse. Really hit home the idea that this world will never be the same. I also think that when the destruction scenes are finished, turn the screen to pitch darkness for maybe, 20 seconds, just to give the player that horrible urge that it may be game over. I really think this would be one heck of an impact on the person playing the game, especially for the first time. It’s already an iconic moment in Final Fantasy history – but I think in full 3D in modern times, it could be an iconic moment in video game history, seen as possibly more shocking as Aerith’s death in Final Fantasy VII. Square-Enix have an opportunity to do this, and if I were them, I’d grab it with every chance. They could also make Kefka's final battle, all four forms, look even better than it did when it was 2D. In 2D it looked brilliant, but in 3D, it could be even better.

Conclusion
I want a Final Fantasy VII remake, like a lot of people do. But I want a Final Fantasy VI remake to be prioritised, not because I like the game more, as I said before, I actually don’t. I prefer VII to VI. But at the same time, the three years between these two games were possibly the most important 3 years in video game history. 3D gaming revolutionised the video game history, and that major change in video games made one of these games much more memorable than the other. Final Fantasy VII IS out of date and DOES need a remake. But Final Fantasy VI deserves one before, because it was way before it’s time, and scenes in the game could be much more memorable and effective in a 3D remake. Final Fantasy VII being remade would be nice, but it’s only going to be a crisper version of what it is now. This is a 2D game that deserves a 3D remake. Please Square-Enix, read this article and think about it very carefully. If you don’t, then in the words of Kefka, “I hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate hate HATE you!”

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Retro Review: Final Fantasy VIII

8 days to go...

Hey there, I found two game reviews on my GameSpot account, horribly named "TheManThatYouFe", I didn't even post these on GameFAQs which is bizarre. I'm not going to post it there now either, I'm not satisfied with my older work, I'd rather re-review it. Anyhoo, this is the first one, my review on Final Fantasy 8, an interesting read nevertheless. I did this review in February 2006, that would have made me 16. Enjoy.

"It's one of the best games out there, and some might say better than VII."

Introduction
Final Fantasy games have been going since 1987. They have been very successful every since its first release. However its major breakthrough was in 1997, when Final Fantasy VII was released. This game, Final Fantasy VIII followed. After a dramatic change of style, graphics and sound from VII, which was the first Sony Playstation release of the series, people wondered what Final Fantasy VIII was going to be like. Was it going to be like the old games? Or like Final Fantasy VII? The answer was, neither.

Gameplay
First of all, unlike the previous Final Fantasy games, there is a minimum of characters available to play. Final Fantasy VII had nine characters, where VI had too many to count. Final Fantasy VIII has only six characters. However, the six characters have all got a strong personality and presence throughout the game. Maybe having only six main characters in a game, could be in a negative view a little tedious and not as in depth as other games. However, having a minimum of characters concentrates on these characters individually, and lets you get to know them a lot more than twenty. 
Every other Final Fantasy before VIII had many shops, selling weapons, armour and even magic. This is completely different in VIII. Yes, there are still item shops in the game. However there are no magic shops, or armour shops. There isn’t even any armour in the game at all. As for weapons, there is a junk shop, where you can remodel your current weapon, to a stronger one by getting items. Some of these items are hard to get, so it adds complex searching in the game. As for magic, another new addition to the series is the ‘Drawing’ system. This new command allows you to extract different magic from enemies. Also draw points are scattered around the world. The magic you receive can be cast on the enemy, however more importantly you can ‘Junction’ your magic. The new Junction system is essential to Final Fantasy VIII. The stocked magic can be stored on a characters stat. An example would be your ‘Strength’ stat. You can put a magic (example, Bio) to your strength stat and your strength will increase, depending on how much of that certain magic you have stored. 
Another change in the game is the monsters. As you level up throughout the game, so do the monsters, so the fights will become more difficult and more in depth. In Final Fantasy VII, there was a limit break bar, which increased as you got attacked. This has also changed in VIII. The lower your HP (hit points), the higher the chance you can use your limit breaks. Limit breaks are special moves that can be used only at rare times. Each character has their unique limit break, like the other Final Fantasies. 
In general, the gameplay is magnificent in Final Fantasy VIII. Final Fantasy VII is a very different look at basic FF gameplay, which is very effective from start to finish. 
Gameplay: 24/25

Story
This is another epic storyline from another Final Fantasy game. Many twists and turns during the whole game. Square Enix developed the characters perfectly. The main character is Squall, a student in Balamb Garden (kind of like a fighting school), who is completely isolated from everyone else around him. He meets Rinoa, and falls for her, with her free attitude and social life sharing her emotions. These two are the main characters throughout the game, along with four others. The love story, like in every Final Fantasy is very emotional with a twist around each corner. In the start of the game, not much depth is in the characters. However you get to know them more and the story gets bigger and more complex the more you play it. I can’t really explain the story too well, as the first disk isn’t very deep. Disk two is when the game starts to blend in. In the end you have an amazing story, full of realistic characters, interesting events and it will make you feel emotional throughout. A masterpiece. 
Story: 20/20

Graphics
The Playstation at the time had the best graphics a console could get. Before Final Fantasy VII, the Nintendo Company had the Final Fantasy games, on the NES and SNES in particular. The graphics on these consoles weren’t as strong, as it wasn’t as developed. Then, the Playstation came out. The graphics improved immensely, and Final Fantasy VII was one of these games that had an amazing improvement. However, even Final Fantasy VII can’t compare to the graphics Final Fantasy VIII has. Final Fantasy VIII has quite possibly the best graphics on any game on the Playstation console. The characters look very realistic, and the FMV’s are totally mind blowing. 
Graphics: 15/15

Sound
The music blends in perfectly with each location, and event. As soon as you press the ‘New Game’ button in the start, the music draws attention. The fight between Squall and Seifer, who is Squall’s rival in the game, fits in perfect with the classical music in the background. The whole musical score is an instant classic. The music is another brilliant aspect of Final Fantasy VIII. 'Liberi Fatali' is the name of the song played in the start of the game. 
As for other small things, while fighting the weapons clashing against the enemies fit in perfectly. Unlike Final Fantasy VII, the sounds of footsteps are heard as you walk and run. The audio and sound in the whole game is completely perfect. 
Sound: 10/10

Controls
The controls aren’t that much different from Final Fantasy VII. Final Fantasy VII had very unique controls, as the circle button on the Playstation control pad was the main action button, and the cross was the cancel button. Most games on the Playstation use the cross as the action button. This is what Final Fantasy VIII uses. The flow of the buttons is quite impressive, and every button on the whole control pad is used throughout the game. Zell’s limit break ‘Duel’ makes you press certain buttons in an order, before the time runs out. The more advanced you are with the control pad, the more moves you can fit in the timer. If you don’t like the controls you can always change them around in the ‘Config’ menu anyway. Overall the controlling system is very good, not many negative aspects in the game. 
Controls: 4/5

Extras
The side quests in Final Fantasy VIII are immense, like every other Final Fantasy. The series have always let you access the world map, and navigate and search around it for side quests. There are both obvious side quests, and rare ones that are very hard to find. The most fun side quest would be ‘Triple Triad’, a card game. You can collect cards in the game by beating certain enemies or winning games against other people in the game. ‘Triple Triad’ is addictive, fun and complex all in one. There are other side quests in the game, but I’ll let you find them out for yourself. The extras in the game are ranged, and there is almost always something to do. 
Extras: 10/10

Challenge
I don’t really consider Final Fantasy VIII a difficult game. Once you have found out the easiest way of playing, you can develop your characters very easily. The side quests can be difficult, however the main plot of the game is very easy, if you collect the correct magic and Junction them to the right stats. The challenge in the game is probably the downfall, as it should have been a lot harder. Final Fantasy VII and VI have a stronger difficulty level, and probably more ranged. 
Challenge: 3/5

Replay
Once you have completed this game, I’m almost certain you will want to play it again. Unlike other genres, RPG’s are very long and enduring. Once completed, you will probably not play that certain game for a few months or years. When you feel like playing the game again, you would have missed the game and want to play it all again. This game will stick with you for years, as one of the best classic Playstation games of all time. You might have mastered the game by then, but even so, you would want to do it all again. 
Replay: 10/10

Overall
In the end, it’s all the matter of opinion. The Final Fantasy series is one of the most popular RPG series’ out there, and probably the best. Final Fantasy is like no other. The gameplay is completely different, the sound is perfectly matched, the graphics are beautiful and there is always something to do. The story is worth following, as it twists a lot during the game. Getting everything in the game will take along time, as it took me nearly 80 hours to do so! The card game is one of the best side quests in a game, and there was nothing like one at the time. This game is definitely worth the money, and if you have played Final Fantasy VII and thought about getting VIII, then do so! It’s one of the best games out there, and some might say better than VII. As the game has been out for a few years now, the prices are very cheap, and its definitely worth getting to add to your vintage collection. A Final Fantasy in perfection. 

Overall: 96%

Posted: 4/2/06

I was very particular about how I reviewed games back in the day. I like the star system much more, I don't want to get too technical when reviewing now. I just want to think of the pros and cons of a game, and think also outside the box, about how other people would view the game. FF8 was a very good game, but I prefer other FF games to it, those being 6, 7, 9 and possibly 13. I think I was too nice in this review, if I re-reviewed it now I'd rate FF8 as ****1/4 or ****1/2, but I don't see me re-reviewing it for a while. I'll post the other retro review tomorrow.

Retro Review: Final Fantasy VI

7 days to go...

Hey there, I posted my old FF8 review yesterday, the other old review I found on my GameSpot account was this little baby, a review of Final Fantasy VI. I posted both my FF6 and FF8 reviews on the same day, February 4th 2006, so I don't know when I actually reviewed either of them. I would have been 15 or 16 though, probably 16. The title of the review is really ironic, as I did an article for this site explaining why I want a remake (you can read that here). Anyway, enjoy.

"If they remake this game, it will probably be better than any other game I have ever played."

Introduction
Final Fantasy VI was the final in the series to be released on the SNES for Nintendo. It was called Final Fantasy III in the U.S., which lead to a lot of confusion. This game was never released in the U.K., until it was re-released eight years later in 2002 as a stand alone Playstation game. No changes were made to the actual game. (This is how I played it by the way.) 

Gameplay
Final Fantasy VI was the best in the series as far. The gameplay was improved pretty much in every game made, and VI reached the climax where Squaresoft/Square Enix knew what would make their games successful. In VI, this was the last game until Final Fantasy IX that would use four characters battling on screen at the same time. However, this game has the most playable characters out of all the others in the series, prior and subsequent to this title as far. Not every character in the game has an in-depth storyline, and this may be the downfall to the game. The majority of the characters have one main scene direct at them, of course excluding the more popular, used characters. 
The main rule of getting experience to level up is still used in Final Fantasy VI, like most if not every other Final Fantasy game. One difference however would be the Esper system. Esper is the name of the “summoned monster” of Final Fantasy VI (like Eidolons in IX, Guardian Force in VIII and Aeons in X). Espers are the key to learning magic, and the Esper system consists of a piece of Magicite (the remains of an Esper before passing away), that a character can equip, and thus leading to learning magic. For example, the Esper “Ifrit” allows you to learn the magic “Fire”, and points are gained from battles. One battle point is multiplied by the number next to the Fire move, in this case it would be 10, so if you gained 4 battle points, this would multiply to 40, meaning an extra 40% of Fire has been learned. Once reached 100%, the spell would be available for use. However, spells can be learned at different paces, for example, Fire can be learned 10 times as fast if equipped with Ifrit, however it can be learned 20 times as fast with the Esper “Bismark”. 
The gameplay has its advantages in some ways, and disadvantages in others. Some would say this game is a lot easier than any other Final Fantasy, for instance the magic system is far too simple to use, and makes the game a lot easier. Others would say that they do not like the fact that some of the character’s possess abilities that far outdoes other character abilities, meaning that the characters are not balanced. On the whole, I love the gameplay in Final Fantasy, and even though dated, the gameplay has an amazing flow throughout the game. 
Gameplay: 23/25

Story
As a story, this is slightly weaker than other Final Fantasies. The thing that drives this games storyline so well is the characters. There is not a main character in the game, but there are three characters that are higher than the rest. First is Terra, a half human, half Esper who has the power of magic. She wants to understand love. Secondly is Locke, who likes to be called “a treasure hunter”, and who has had a tragic past. He vows to not make the same happen again, by protecting Terra. Thirdly is Celes, an ex general for the mighty Empire, who was born infused with the powers of magic. She is also taken for Locke’s determination. The fact that there are so many characters in this game either puts people off or makes them like it even more. Quite frankly I think the characters blend in the game and they actually “make” the story. The storyline itself in my opinion is a lot weaker than other games in the series. And do not get me to the main villain… Ooooh boy… 
Story: 19/20

Graphics
It is hard to rate the graphics of this game. It was on the SNES, and only until the Saturn, N64 and Playstation came out, graphics did not make the game. Compared to previous Final Fantasies before this date, the graphics have improved in terms of colour use and scale. The characters are a lot bigger on this game than in FFV and IV. That was the problem of the previous FF games and VI sorts that problem out. 
Graphics: 13/15

Sound
Once again it is hard to rate the sound in this game, as very simple melodies were used as the musical score of the game. However there are great tunes to play, and to compare the sound to other games around this time, it’s a great sound, and some tunes are still great to hear now, 11 years later. 
Sound: 9/10

Controls
Well some might criticise my opinion, but I consider the controls perfect. Yeah it is true that in FF games in general it only takes one button press (on the Playstation it’s the X button) to do a whole lot of commands, but there is some good use of the other buttons too. I always enjoy using Sabin’s Blitz, because of the fact that there is some decent use of the control pad in there. 
Controls: 5/5

Extras
This game, out of all the FF games in my opinion, has the most side quests. After the first half of the game, something happens and you have the whole world to search again, with sidequests to do all over the place. Characters to find, Espers to obtain, loads. There is a lot to do in FF VI that will keep you going for hours. 
Extras: 10/10

Challenge
The thing about this game is that it has a lot more variation in difficulty than others. You can challenge yourself, or you can go the easy way. There are simple methods in the game that lets you defeat bosses in two hits. You can limit yourself to make the game easier. That is what I like in a challenge. Variation. 
Challenge: 5/5

Replay
I will probably play this game again in a few years. After only going through the game deeply once, it will probably creep back into my console again. I am going to knock down one mark however, because the game is very dated, and it can put people off at times, unfortunately. 
Replay: 9/10

Overall
Well this got a smaller percentage than the other two FF games I have reviewed before. This is probably because the game is very dated, it is eleven years old, but it was such a classic. This is considered the second best FF games of the series, even dated with 2D models. If they remake this game, it will probably be better than any other game I have ever played. It is a shame that the vintage dust on the covers brings it down.

Overall: 93%

Posted: 4/2/06

It's funny looking at my FF8 and FF6 reviews from 5 years ago, I appreciate FF6 much more than FF8 now. FF6 for me would be a ****1/2 or ****3/4 game, it was brilliant. If you haven't been following my blog for long, I want an FF6 remake, and did a huge article on it for this site about 3 months ago. Once again you can read it here, it's a piece of work I'm really proud of. 

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Retro Review: Final Fantasy IX

Hallo everyone, these posts will probably continue to be late for a while, but hopefully all will be well soon. Here's a review I did in 2005, it's a decent one I think. Just in case you didn't know, my daughter, Vivi, was named after a character in this game. Enjoy.

"If you love the others, more than likely you will love this."

 

Introduction

Final Fantasy IX was the last Final Fantasy to be released on the Playstation, after switching from the Super Nintendo in 1997. After great success from Final Fantasy VII and VIII, Final Fantasy IX had very high expectations. Many believe IX to be disappointing, where as others believe it to be better than both its successors. Here is what I think.

Gameplay

Comparing IX to the previous Playstation releases, IX is a very moody game. The gameplay feels very negative, as there is a great structure around the gameplay. This may sound good; however, if you bring it to a duel between you and the computer, the advantages are greatly on the computer. In both previous Final Fantasies, there were many high chances of exceeding a 9999HP damage limit. Considering in the entire summons (bar the final summon in VIII) the maximum damage you can give or take is 9999, you could exceed this amount by combo attacking (specifically in limit breaks by both main characters). This is completely taken away in Final Fantasy IX. The odds are against you, because not only is it hard to actually gain maximum damage, you cannot create ways to exceed it. In the final stages of the game, many of the bosses will damage you multiply with almost maximum damage. This factor means there is a far higher difficulty level involved, which puts some of the lighter players right off, as this structure cannot be broken.

In VIII, there were six main characters. This has been increased to eight, and as always, these are eight strongly created characters, with their own personalities and opinions. As in most FF games, this game has some of the greatest characters from gaming history, from the lady-loving Zidane, to the all-so cute Vivi, to the stupidly dopey Steiner.

A new addition to IX is the approach of having four members fighting at the same time, a feature that has not been used in a Final Fantasy game since 1994's Final Fantasy VI. The fact that four members fighting instead of three makes fighting a lot more complex, giving you many strategies to create and many techniques to experiment.

Like most FF games, you build your characters by level, and learning abilities. In Final Fantasy VII materia was used to learn magic spells and abilities, where as Guardian Forces were used to learn abilities in VIII. In IX, your abilities are learned by your equipment. By equipping a weapon, shield, etc, some characters can use certain abilities with that item. If your character equips items with that certain ability for a certain period of time, the character can use the ability without equipping that item. Each item has different abilities that can learn one character an ability, where as if you equip that item to someone else, they may not be able to learn it at all. So it is basically mixing equipment around to make all your characters learn their abilities. That is not all though. Each character has each own set of “Magic Stones”, which a certain amount is needed to actually use that ability during battle. This means that it does not matter if your character has learnt every ability for him/her to learn, he can only equip few into battle, depending on how many magic stones are needed for it to be used. So a lot is going on in the preparing side of IX.

Mentioning limit breaks above, this has been cancelled from IX, and replaced with a “Trance”. Like Final Fantasy VII's Limit Break, you have Trance gauge that will build up as you get attacked. Trance powers up your character, many in different ways, for example your mages can use double the magic in one go. One character can deliver two to three times more damage than usual. Each character has their own unique skills and trance develops these skills into better ones. However, a huge downfall on this side is the fact that if you do not use your Trance before the end of the battle, it cancels and will make the whole process a complete waste of time, which frustrate us FF fans off big time, trust me.

As mentioned, each character has each own unique skills. Some are mages, others can throw special weapons at their enemies, and others can perform dragoon skills. Another big downfall to IX is the main character; Zidane has a very small unique skill. Zidane is a thief, and like Final Fantasy VI before it, “stealing” items off enemies is not as great as magic usage, summoning, and knight skills. Zidane's stealing ability becomes essential in some boss battles, as the majority of bosses in the game possess great items, which are very helpful to steal. And because these items are good, stealing can become a pain, as the harder to steal items can become VERY hard to steal. You can be there for an hour, literally, trying to steal just one item off a boss, before killing him by mistake. Once again, this does frustrate a lot of people off, and puts them off the game completely.

On the whole, the gameplay is great. The use of four characters over three was a great hype, and it delivered very well. Two big downfalls as mentioned bring the game down, however on the whole, the gameplay is magnificent, and battles can be fun. At most times…

Gameplay: 9/10

 

Story

There is no doubt that Final Fantasy IX's story is far from amazing. From six main characters in Final Fantasy VIII, it has been increased to eight. This to some people might mean that there is less concentration on the characters; however it does blend in with the gameplay very well. There at least two main scenes concentrated at one character throughout the game.

The main character is Zidane, who is a thief with his fellow “brothers” of Tantalus. Tantalus has been set a job to do, and that job is to kidnap the princess of the big city of Alexandria. However, the story is a lot more complex than that, because for some reason, the princess Garnet actually wants to be kidnapped. The meeting of Zidane and Garnet will change the world of Gaia forever. Want to know more? Play the game. In my opinion FF8 the characters stories build up slowly, and are actually rather stale in the first disk. This is not the case in IX, as the first four characters you get are concentrated on right from the beginning. The four characters you get further on in the game are not as concentrated as deep as the first four, but every characters feelings and emotions are expressed realistically throughout the game.

Story: 10/10

 

Graphics

Generally, the graphics on FFIX are not as impressive as in Final Fantasy VIII. The FMV's featured are just as mind blowing however. I believe that FF8 contains the best graphics on the Playstation console, and to come from FF8 with high hopes for FF9, there is a little disappointment with the graphics Final Fantasy IX's FMV's are just as good as in FF8's, however, smooth graphics of Final Fantasy 8's gameplay possibly feels decreased in IX. The character models do not look completely human anymore, they look like midget people (not that I have a problem against midgets…). As Final Fantasy VIII had very tall figures, IX's modelling system has made the characters a lot smaller, and sometimes these smaller figures are not as much as a standout in the game as IX. Nevertheless the graphics are really good, but not an improvement from its predecessor.

Graphics: 9/10

 

Sound

I am sure a lot of people will disagree with me, but I think that Final Fantasy IX's sound is possibly the best in the whole series. It is at least par with Final Fantasy VII, which in many ways considered the best title in the series. Some of the music is simply amazing, and I think a lot of the sound and game music cannot be improved in any way whatsoever. Final Fantasy IX contains a complete perfect score in my eyes.

Sound: 10/10

 

Controls

The controls in this game have improved from Final Fantasy VIII. The main controls are blended with the gameplay perfectly, and sometimes there are certain mini games that require great use of the control pad. If there is any dislike with the controls, they can be adjusted in the “Config” menu anyway. The controls in my opinion cannot be improved, and there is a nice use of the buttons throughout the whole game.

Controls: 10/10

 

Extras

The side quests are once again brilliant in Final Fantasy IX. There is possibly less side quests than that there was in VIII, however each one is enjoyable… almost. There are some huge side quests featured in the game that are rather pathetic. One example of this is a side quest that requires you to get to the end of the game within a time limit. This side quest is EXTREMELY difficult to accomplish, and it can be very frustrating to do, as the further you get in the game, your characters have very low levels, and bosses can do damage that can cleanly sweep your whole party in one move. However the majority of the side quests are great, time worthy and enjoyable, it is just that one or two are pathetically difficult or just plain boring and possibly pointless.

Extras: 9/10

 

Challenge

Final Fantasy IX is a very difficult game. It is a lot more difficult than Final Fantasy VIII, and this is actually a good thing. As I said in the Gameplay section, there is not much chance of exceeding 9999HP damage, which in FF7 and FF8 was possible. This makes the game a whole lot more difficult, and more of a challenge for the player.

Challenge 10/10

 

Replay

Replay value??? It is amazing. Like every other, you would probably want to play this game again. Complete it, then give it a year or two, and the rush to play the game again will be back. I think I have said enough.

Replay: 10/10

 

Overall

Overall, this is a brilliant game. There is a lot of amazing things in Final Fantasy IX; however there are few flaws too. The flaws can annoy you and make you want to punch the wall, however in the end you can forgive Square and tell them thank you for making once again a classic piece of gameness. Hey, it is Final Fantasy. If you love the others, more than likely you will love this. For people who have never played a Final Fantasy, this is a decent game to get started with. However possibly the best to properly begin your collection with would be VII, and if you enjoy that, get this. It is well worth the money and will be a game you will play and keep for years. Rent or buy? If you have played another FF title in the series, I would say buy. If you have never played a FF game before, then I would rent to be on the safe side. Final Fantasy is not for everyone, but it is highly respected.

Overall: 77/80 = 96% = 10/10

 

 

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