Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls

"Upon reflection, I can't complain"

Final Fantasy, the franchise that needs no introduction. Among RPG fans it is the franchise that holds some of the fondest of gaming memories and among outsiders it is that titan franchise that might just be interesting enough to play.

The original Final Fantasy, arguably one of the best in the series and most assuredly the most difficult. It has it's loving fans and there are those who bitterly remember it as an overly difficult and dated game whose only use was the birthing of a great franchise.

In the opinion of this reviewer Final Fantasy is not the beauty that it once was. The series has had more then an unusual number of downturns and seems to have recently suffered from a string of bad luck: the "movie" and other such things that invoked the name.

Despite that I have never given up on the series, I have always felt it was worth my attention, if for nothing else then for all of the great moments I have had in the past.

So with some reluctance I purchased "Final Fantasy: Dawn of Souls" for my rarely used Game Boy Advance. I thought I had wasted my money but it would give me an excuse to play the original Final Fantasy again, a game that I have always held in admiration. It was difficult but it was worth it.

Much to my dismay in my initial encounter with it, there no longer was a difficulty. The port having come from the Wonderswan Color, to the Playstation, and now to my own handheld has gone through some remarkable transformations.

Externally this game appears to be my Final Fantasy, albeit with updated graphics and some clarifications of plot points (though 'plot' is hardly appropriate, as it is little more then a shell that holds together some great gameplay). In this sense it is little different from the version found on Final Fantasy Origins, minus the beautiful FMVs of course.

However, once diving into the game one quickly realizes just how much has changed. There is no longer a normal or classic mode in which the game functions exactly as the original NES version with little more then snappier graphics. In it's place is something else. Something...and I gasp to say it...easier.

This is not my Final Fantasy. No indeed, it is not. But whatever it is, it is damn easy. Spell charges? Gone! Who needs a complicated system when we can just through in magic points. Fortunately this is the most radical of the changes. Balance wise it handles identically to easy mode from the Origins version.

So you ask? What have they done to my game. Well, I will tell you. They have made it easier. This game, this game is not Final Fantasy. But, but my good people, before you raise your pitchforks into the air and curse all that is Square know this: Playing this game will not stop you from playing classic. And if your little heart cannot take the stress of a different game then flee to your emulators and shattered husks that used to be original Nintendos. Flee with all your might! For this may not be THE Final Fantasy, but it is a Fantasy worthy of partaking.

As I delved more and more into the Dawn of Souls I found that I had little choice but to cast aside my prejudices and realize that this is not the original Final Fantasy but it is heck of a lot of fun. Not to mention the extras! Oh the bonus dungeons that give me some meaning to powering up my characters! Finally there is a worthy challenge for me to encounter. Sure, I would have liked to have my level 50 BB/BB/RM/WM party on my NES cart to challenge the might of these bonus dungeons, but I will make do as I can. And I will say if you love the original Final Fantasy at all, if you love it, this game is worth your money.

Remember this - for you veterans this game will be a cakewalk but in the mind of this reviewer, the bonuses make it all worth it in the end. Finally I can play my favorite of the Final Fantasies and enjoy new things about it. And even through the complaints, my favorite aspect of it remains: the ability to construct a party of my choosing and challenge myself in my own ways.

All of this and I have yet to discuss that which is the second Final Fantasy. As for it I can say little else. It is the same game. And for those who have played it before, they know what it means.

It uses a remarkably different system from the other Final Fantasies - think Secret of Mana or the SaGa Franchise in which abilities and stats increase depending on what powers you use. Fight with a sword and obviously you will get better with it. Casting spells? You only get stronger through practice is the ethos of FFII.

And if it aint broke, tweak it. Some of the more annoying things have been cleaned up. Remember when you'd spend hours building up that magic only to need to quickly slap an enemy away, attack with a sword and then lose half your magic stats? No more! Naturally the consequences are an easier game. A VASTLY easier game. But perhaps, in the case of FFII, a far less annoying game.

So is "Final Fantasy: Dawn of Souls" worth your money? You bet your bacon it is. I would shell out my $30 for either of these games by themselves, but instead I get both in one nice little package. And lets be honest, packing around a gameboy and one cart is much easier then packing around a laptop with an emulator if I want my FF1 fix on the go.

I might have been mad at first, but upon reflection, I can't complain.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 12/30/04