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PSP
Final Fantasy
20th Anniversary
- New Import, In Stock |
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NCS Game Synopsis
«©NCS» Way
back in 1987, Final Fantasy was supposed to be a one
time game. Final. Fantasy. As in, it's the
last one, buddy. However, destiny had other plans
for Hirobonubu Sakaguchi and his seminal creation.
Twenty years and twelve canonical games later, the
franchise is still going strong and reaping the
rewards of a property that pays big dividends.
The original Final Fantasy game has been re-released a few times
already. Looking at our own private collection, we
see a weathered MSX2 3˝" floppy, the Gameboy
cartridge, the Wonderswan Color version, and the
Playstation remake. We know the game was made
available for download on mobile phones but we never
bothered with that since it was only data and not an
actual physical product. We add yet another edition
to the collection this week with the 20th
Anniversary Playstation Portable re-release.
Booting up the game this morning, we enjoyed the cinematic
introduction which features a blue-armored warrior
fighting a massive red dragon. Upon starting the
adventure, players may select the language -
Japanese or English. The
game also features improved graphics, the bonus
dungeons from the Gameboy/Wonderswan versions of the
game, and an entirely new dungeon dubbed "The
Labyrinth of Time" which enforces a time limit
within which you can explore its dank depths.
Another bonus is an unlockable Yoshitaka Amano Art Gallery
which contains beautiful color work from the artist
who has provided the illustrations for the series. A
bestiary and a BGM music player (unlockable) rounds
out the feature set in the game.
Since we've played through the game a few times through the years,
we're not going to play this one again this week but
we'll give it a go in the near future so we can
check out the updated sights and sounds. Early
impressions are favorable - the graphics are
delightfully crisp and bright on the PSP screen and
the music is rich and resonant. One downside is the
lack of analog control - only the d-pad is usable
for movement.
Jan Code: 4988601004930
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NCS Game Notes
» In the
intro to the game, a shiny crystal may be seen
spinning slowly above a pedestal. A blue armored
warrior faces off against a red dragon. When the
dragon blows out a fireball directly at the warrior,
he simply slices upwards so that the fireball is
cleaved in two. He then races towards the dragon and
the scene fades to a closing shot of the spinning
crystal. The familiar lilting Final Fantasy music starts to
play.
» The game may be played in Japanese or in English.
The language may be toggled at any time from the
configuration menu.
» Four character types are available at the outset
of the game - Warrior, Thief, White Mage, and Black
Mage. To auto-name a character, move the pointer to
the archetype and press SELECT. The warrior's auto
name is Arus, the thief is Gerad, White Mage is Sarina, and Black Mage is Topapa. Two additional
classes are available on a sub-screen - Monk and Red Mage.
» For anyone unfamiliar with Final Fantasy, players
control a team of four characters who are prophesied
to be the Warriors of Light. Travel around the
world, fight monsters in side-viewed turn-based
battles, and level up into a powerful party. At the
outset of the game, the crew is outside of Castle Cornelia
which lies to the north. Your first task after
receiving an audience with the king is a rescue
mission where Princess Sarah must be saved from a
wayward knight named Garland. Before heading out,
visit the town below the castle and stock up on some
potions and a sleeping bag or two. Next, outfit the
party with weapons and armor and you're ready to
tackle Garland as well as the beasts that roam the
forest area around Cornelia.
» Only the d-pad may be used for control. The analog
nub does nothing.
» The pace of walking for the party when inside a
town may be sped up
by pressing and holding the X button and then
moving.
» If you select Arus the Warrior and place him in
the first position of the party, he'll be the
representative sprite when traveling the world. If
you look at his hair, you'll notice that it's
feathered and moves when walking. In recent Final
Fantasy game development, feathered hair is an
important part of being a hero and the feathering
makes it back to the original game.
» The bestiary contains 203 listings but
everything's locked and blocked by question marks.
As you defeat monsters during the course of the
game, they'll be added to the bestiary for perusal.
To access the bestiary, press the SQUARE button at
any time during the adventure or select it from the
Configuration menu. In addition to information about
the monster's HP, Attack, Accuracy, Intelligence,
and Evasion, the bestiary also lists how many of
each monster you've defeated over the course of the
game.
» An early enemy in the game is the wicked looking
Goblin who carries a sickle-like weapon. Battles are
fought in standard 2D scenery but the graphics are
sharp, well defined, and crisp. It's like old school Final Fantasy eye candy. When a battle is won,
energetic music plays and all four party members
pump their arms up and down as if they're trying
to reach escape velocity.
» The game may be saved at any time by going to the
Configuration menu and selecting SAVE. A total of 20
save positions may be stored to the Memory Stick
Duo.
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This document and photos are ©NCSX 2007. All rights
reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of
this document may be made without express written
consent of National Console Support, Inc. |
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