Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls

"Some of the best old-school RPGs available"

This is the third remake of both Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy II, and this is the first time since their release on the NES to be on a Nintendo system, the Nintendo Gameboy Advance/SP.

Graphics:
The graphics, to be believed, are the same sprites/backgrounds used in the PlayStation remake of these two games, Final Fantasy:Origins.

Battle:
The main character battle sprites themselves are cute and adorable, which is good since one will be seeing a lot of them, but they are not as detailed, as say, the main character battle sprites of Final Fantasy VI. The monster sprites used in this game are extremely detailed compared to the main characters. The use of more colors on the monsters, compared to the 2 to 3 colors on the NES version monsters, make the monsters look so much better, even more believable (if that is possible).

The spell effects, for black magic and monster's that use magic at least, is stunning. The detail used makes the spells look colorful, vibrant, and overall cool. From the first time one uses Thunder to the last time one uses Fire, it will never get old.

World Map:
The overhead/on-world-map sprites look like 16+ bit remakes of their 8-bit counterparts. Where this department really shines is in the backdrops and scenery. They are wonderful. The maps are extremely detailed with beautiful scenery. One has to see it for themselves to believe.

Summary:
The graphics of Final Fantasy I & II:Dawn of Souls are quite impressive for a remake.

Final Fantasy I: 8/10 Final Fantasy II: 8/10 Overall: 8/10

Music:
The music as a whole to this game is the same music used in Final Fantasy: Origins except that it is toned down to fit the Gameboy Advance/SP. The music in both games is quite catchy and well-remade. There is a variety of types of music in both games; it ranges from ballads to fast-paced battle themes. There is never a dull moment in the music department in this game.

Final Fantasy I: 8/10 Final Fantasy II: 7/10 Overall:7.5/10

Storyline:
Final Fantasy I
There is, believe it or not, a storyline to this wonderful game, but most of it revolves around time travel. The first half of the story is about the main characters relighting the crystals to restore the world to order and balance. The other half is to rid the world of the Chaos and monsters for which have taken over the world. There is more to it than that, but that would require giving to much away.

Final Fantasy II:
One must help the overcome an evil queen to bring peace to the world. The characters are surprisingly detailed, in terms of story, for a NES game. This game has more story than Final Fantasy I. One must find the glory of this story for one's self.

Final Fantasy I: 8/10 Final Fantasy II:9/10 Overall:8.5/10

Gameplay:
Gameplay is where both of these games shine. Both games have entirely different styles of gameplay even though they were developed only one year apart from each other.

Final Fantasy I:
This game is the one that started it all. There is quite a bit of exploration for items in Final Fantasy I. You'll search for nitro powder, keys, a crown and much more. But, where this game really shines is its battle system.

It is a turn-based menu system. One chooses all the attacks for the characters using menus and then watch the battle unfold. The character or monster with the highest speed goes first. Also new to the magic system, which was not in either the original of the Origins remake, is a MP system. Instead of having a limited number of spells to use, now one can use it almost as much as one wants. This does, however, take away from some of the challenge in the previous versions, but it also a warm hearted edition.

There is also a new save feature for that version that allows one to save wherever he or she is at, anywhere! This is a nice feature instead of saving in an inn or using a tent or house, which could only be used on the world map.

Final Fantasy II:
This game also has the save anywhere system and exploration, but has an entirely different battle system. The system is still turn-based menu, but the process of gaining experience from monsters in gone. They have also taken out the class system. Now one must level up skills used in battle. For instance, if you want to increase the amount of endurance and HP you have, get hit a lot. If you want to level up your sword or axe power, use them a lot in battle. To level up your spells, use them in battle.

In theory it is one of the best systems ever, considering that is how things work in real life. But it is without its flaws as it is hard to do this. You will not be leaving the beginning area of this game, until you have either high defense or a lot of HP. Considering you start out with 40 or so HP, it will take awhile.

Final Fantasy 1:10/10 Final Fantasy II:7/10 Overall:8.5/10

Extras
There are some special goodies to this release that wasn't in the other versions. The first noticeable is the added dungeons to Final Fantasy I. In these dungeons, one will face monsters/bosses that appear in other Final Fantasy games. These dungeons just add to the replay value of the game. Once you complete Final Fantasy II, there is a whole new storyline. This storyline follows the secondary characters that die off. All of these are great additions.

Final Fantasy I:10/10 Final Fantasy II:10/10 Overall:10/10

Overall-summary:
Two excellent games for twenty or thirty dollars? What more could one ask for? If one is looking for games that are great RPGs or one to help satisfy the boredom of a car-trip, this is it. With each game having twenty to thirty plus hours of gameplay, you are sure to have enough to help your craving for a RPG. The music, gameplay, story, and graphics are top-notch. This is definitely a game to add to your collection.

Review
Final Fantasy I
Graphics: 8
Music: 8
Storyline: 8
Gameplay: 10
Extras: 10
Overall: 8.8

Final Fantasy II
Graphics: 8
Music: 7
Storyline: 9
Gameplay: 7
Extras: 10
Overall: 8.2

Overall-Both Games Combined
Graphics: 8
Music: 7.5
Storyline: 8.5
Gameplay: 8.5
Extras: 10
Overall: 8.5

Rent or Buy:
This is a definite must buy.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/23/05