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GBA | RPG | Final Fantasy VI Advance

Publisher: Square Enix
Developer: Square Enix
Release Date: 02/06/2007
Genre: RPG
Number of Players:
ESRB Rating: Everyone 10 and Older
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3 screen shots

GRAPHICS: 3.00
SOUND: 3.00
CONTROL: 3.00
FUN FACTOR 4.75
AVG USER SCORE 4.7
AVG CRITIC SCORE 4.7

Winner of the GamePro Editor's Choice Award

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Review: Final Fantasy VI Advance

Review by T3hPanda | 03/06/2007 | 14:36:19 PM PST

Let's go back in time to a simpler era, where games were limited to 16-bits and gamers had to use their imaginations to augment the graphical details, or lack thereof. This was the world Final Fantasy VI was born into (originally titled Final Fantasy III when it was first released in America in 1994) as it took the RPG world by storm.

PROTIP: Quicksave is good for pick-up and play, but never fail to perform real saves.

Okay, now back to the present world of 1080p, Cell microprocessors and Blu-ray. Let's be realistic here: Final Fantasy VI Advance is a port and not a remake. The game is thirteen years old, and I'd be lying if I didn't knock the graphics; the 2-D sprites and tiled textures are obviously outdated and can't be compared to the current 3-D graphics being churned out by next-gen consoles. In fact, because the game was ported to the GBA and not the DS, the full motion videos from the PlayStation re-release weren't even included.

And yet, once I sat down to play Final Fantasy VI Advance, my brain immediately remembered how to fill in those missing polygons and I found myself quickly and completely immersed in the rich story and world of FFVIA, and loving every moment of it.

With the Youthful Exuberance of a Thirteen Year Old

PROTIP: Micromanage: when you've learned a spell, switch espers so your AP never goes to waste.

For those of you who have never played Final Fantasy VI, the game revolves around a mysterious and magically gifted girl named Terra who has lost her memory after being brainwashed to fight for the Gestahlian Empire. A huge cast of characters joins Terra throughout the game to help her discover her past while battling against the tyranny of the Emperor Gestahl and one of Final Fantasy's most notorious villains, Kefka.

FFVI's most endearing aspect is its story; it's always amazing how much varied action and emotion can be conveyed by the same static set of expressions and gestures. The game's story is further augmented in this release by a new translation that may upset purists used to the original dialogue, but ultimately enhances the already stellar narrative.

Game play is left intact with few changes to the wide-ranging battles, events and side-quests that keep the game moving at a can't-put-it-down pace. Final Fantasy VI Advance includes extra content in the form of four new Espers, a new dungeon, new spells, items, a bestiary, music player and a "Soul Shrine" for consummate leveling. All of this is just icing on the 16-bit layered cake.

Showing Its Age

PROTIP: Don't worry too much about leveling all of your characters evenly. The game catches them up.

While the graphics are the most notably dated part of the game, there are still other quirks that show just how old the game is. Though the switch from console to handheld is mostly excellent with clear, crisp graphics, the mini-map on the overworld suffers from the shrinkage, with towns being almost imperceptible white blips that makes traveling more miserable than it has any right to be. The numerous random encounters can also be frustrating due to their inevitable frequency, but I suppose it augments the old-school feel. Also, in an age of wireless motion-sensing and analog thumbsticks, being limited to four-directional movement is often aggravating when you must cross through crowded areas or enter room at just the right point.

Assuredly, a great majority of RPGers have already beaten Final Fantasy VI multiple times, and while this game is pretty much a direct port, I still recommend it highly just for sweet nostalgia's sake. And if you're one of those poor unfortunate souls that missed your chance when it was first released on the NES and then again when it was re-released on the PlayStation, go out now and get it. This is the third release; if that doesn't tell you how excellent a game is, I don't know what will.