Final Fantasy Anthology

"Two classics in one package.."

Why hadn't Square thought of this before? A final fanasy anthology for those of you had missed out on some of the previous Final Fantasy games. FF8 and FF7 don't even come close to these two when it comes to the storyline and gameplay. And plus you get a bonus : a music CD with some great music. The loading times are really annoying and the sound effects seem a tad bit different (although it's probably just me..) but that's OK, it's worth it. In return for waiting for these loading times and those little battle intros and exits, you get two of the best FF games around..

FFV is nice to have in English (finally) and it can even rival the mighty FFVI. With its innovative job system, and a different storyline a many characters, FFV has got it all. The only sad thing is.. Square hasn't done anything to improve any of the graphics in either of the games. There is an opening FMV and some neat extras, but other than that it's all same old - but that's how people like it.

Like they say ''Don't fix it if it ain't broken'' There's nothing wrong with FFV and FFVI, why try to 'enhance' it? Sure some improved graphics would be nice, but that shouldn't be their first priority. Graphics aren't the most important.. you have to learn that. Just think of it this way.. you have a burger. If you want, you could add some cheese and other condiments, but really it is fine by itself. The cheese and other condiments represent graphics. You don't really need them, but they add a nice touch to the game.

FFV
A classic, one that people in North America couldn't play (unless you knew Japanese or used that.. other method which I won't name just in case) but now finally can. We can finally see more of FF's history and past, and compare it with the current and future FFs. We get to see some concepts that were original and innovative, but were unfortunately dropped. I see all of the above, and even more. In my eyes, FFV was unique, different from other FFs in a good way. Sure, it wasn't the most graphically impressing game (at least nowadays, but it all depends on how you look at it) but as I said earlier - graphics are NOT the most important.

It starts off with a Princess, and her father leaving to find out what is wrong with the wind. In FFV the wind is very important, and when it stops - something is wrong. So you take control of a young warrior and traveller whom you get to name. I won't ruin any of the story or events for you, but know this : it's a wild and entertaining ride.

The Job feature was new to me, and I wasn't sure how to use it. But after you get the hang of it you'll see how easy to use and helpful jobs are. There are several jobs such as Ninja, knight, etc. etc. You can assign jobs to your characters to make them extra talented in that specific area.

Gameplay : 10/10
Graphics : ?/10 (Again, it all depends on how you look at it.)
Control : 10/10
Replay : 8/10
Audio : 9/10
Overall : 9.8/10

FFVI
My favourite game and RPG ever.. never has such a game kept me staring at the TV screen for hour after hour until I would get a headache and have to stop. It's perfection - if you can stand to ignore a couple extremley minor flaws.
It was released in North America under the name 'Final Fantasy III', which is actually incorrect, but never mind that. This is a true RPG, IMO the best of the best. It tops all and none other can touch it (well FFV comes close..) It has it all... a wonderful storyline, great characters and music which will have you ready to kill the next enemy, have you crying (well.. maybe) or feeling all warm and fuzzy inside.

FFVI doesn't quite have the customization (besides Gogo) that FFV did, but each character is still unique. They all have their own little personalities, stories and abilities. Besides Relm, Umaro and Strago, the character's stories are all well thought-out. The main character is Terra, who was born with a natural gift to use 'magic'. She was enslaved by Kefka (the one with the laugh) and now she's on a mission. Her and two other soldiers meet a frozen esper, who attacks them. Next thing you know, Terra finds herself in an Old man's house and she is free from Kefka. What happens from there? You'll have to play to find out : )

Gameplay : 10/10
Graphics : ?/10 (Just like FFV, it all depends on how you look at it)
Audio : 10/10
Control : 9.95/10 (If only you could move diagonally..)
Replay : 8.5/10
Overall : 9.99/10


If you haven't played FFV or FFVI, or you just need to add them to your collection - go pick this one up right now. It's a great deal, and you'll get your money's worth. Whether you're searching for Paladin's shield or riding Boko the chocobo, you'll be having the time of your life with these two. And then after that, you can listen to the music that made the overall experience even more fantastic.

And now.. A SUSHI moment.
A challenge - see all of Shadow's dreams to get a slightly different ending, it'll make you happy you did it. Trust me.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/22/00, Updated 03/22/00