Final Fantasy Anniversary Edition

"Almost an exact GBA port -- except for a new optional dungeon."

The original Final Fantasy is being milked for all it's worth, that's for sure. FF1PSP is a remake of a remake of a remake of the original. The PSP version is almost an exact duplicate of the GBA version, just with a few extra things to convince hardcore fans to buy it yet again. If you've already played a previous remake of FF1 then you're probably better off skipping it, but if you're an obsessed fan of the game (hello) then you might like the new stuff that FF1PSP adds.

The first thing you notice in FF1PSP is the graphical update. The sprites are far more detailed, the backgrounds are beautiful and the spell effects look fantastic. This is one of those games where the PSP's screen really impresses you when compared to previous versions of the game. The graphics look fantastic, though you kind of get this feeling that it's useless. The game isn't actually more fun to play because of the updates sprites, it just looks better. The sprites themselves are huge and they have some fantastic detail.

The music is also improved from the GBA. There's a couple of new tracks, and one of my favourite new things about this version is the addition of "boss music" for the Soul of Chaos dungeons. The four fiends from FF3/4 get the boss music from their respective games, Gilgamesh gets Battle on the Big Bridge and the FF6 bosses get The Decisive Battle. It's a small thing, but a really cool touch and adds to the nostalgia. Overall, the music flat out sounds better than it did on the Wonderswan / GBA.

Gameplay-wise, it's a near-carbon copy from the GBA version. The experience tables are still nerfed from the original, the MP system still exists and the Soul of Chaos dungeons are still there. With the exception of the new boss music, I don't think I noticed a difference throughout the main part of the game.

The new addition to FF1PSP is the Chamber of Time, a new optional dungeon that is accessible once you defeat the four fiends. For every floor, you get the option to seal certain abilities of yours -- for example, no flee command, attack halved, no dash, etc etc -- in exchange for a certain amount of time. When you enter the floor, you have to complete it in that set time limit or else your HP/MP will start getting drained and you'll start encountering some really nasty enemies. Each floor is a puzzle dungeon of sorts - you have to find the trial, complete the task it asks you to do and then head to the exit. Each floor's "task" is usually a puzzle or an objective that gets harder as you get further into the dungeon. At first it's fairly frustrating, but as you go on and learn the dungeons it's kind of fun. Early objectives are fairly simple, such as wandering through a maze while lighting candles, or playing a little tune from memory, or following a ball of light. As you go on, they get a lot more ridiculous. I found myself using notepad and calc at one point just to make sure I didn't do anything wrong.

At the end of the Chamber of Time is, of course, a boss, and once you beat him you get the option to re-play any of the individual levels you've already completed. (there's 30 different floors that you'll get at random, but there's only ten floors in the dungeon) It also assigns you a clear time and a rank for how well you did. All in all, it's a fairly replayable dungeon if you want to get every floor in time trial and some cool gear.

The rest of the game is pretty much the exact same thing as the GBA version though. For FF1 fanatics like myself it's worth a play, but if you've already played a previous remake you can skip this one. Of course, if you haven't played FF1 before and own a PSP, this is a great game to pick up. You can even import it -- the Japanese version already has an English option, which makes me wonder why it isn't out in the US yet.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 05/21/07