The Not-So-Final Fantasy

What seem like an eternity for the day to arrive, the title that I had looked forward to for so long is finally here. Back in the SNES days, a game by the name of Final Fantasy II came out. That game was labeled as the second game only due to it being the only second game to come out in America. However, it was actually the 4th Final Fantasy game ever released for the franchise.

Two ports later, one on Playstation 1 and one Game Boy Advance, the folks at Square-Enix decided to do something different for a change. Out with the old, in with something new. Like Final Fantasy III for the DS, the game was given a 3D treatment. In one of the handful of Final Fantasy games that I have ever played, I knew that this is one title that I wish to get.

Due to strange timings on behalf of both Circuit City and Best Buy, I had to wait until Wednesday to get my copy of the game. Using what resource I have and saving up from past gifts, I only ended up paying $11.50. But wait, I never had a Nintendo DS before. It was early July that I picked one up in order to make use of Best Buy's "RewardZone" program. With the DS in place, all I had to do is wait for it. And wait I did.

Final Fantasy IV DS is just like before. It looks different, feels different, yet still has the moments that I remembered before. While I am far from finishing it after getting it only yesterday, I find that I am actually struggling. The gameplay, while should remain mostly the same, is harder. And with it comes the challenge of trying to overcome such hurdles.

The music is just as I had remembered. Then again, it's the same as I had listened to before. I already listened through the entire FF4DS soundtrack which I picked up a couple of months ago. Since there are new cinematics along with some voice acting, I was skeptic as to how good the English dub will be. Having watched anime titles in Japanese with English subtitles, I've grown accustomed to hearing the original voice as it was recorded. So far, the English audio seems okay. I haven't come across anything obnoxious or out of place just yet.

Hopefully I'll be able to get past all the obstacles in the game and finally beat it. Well, that may take a while since I haven't played Final Fantasy IV in years.