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Great game

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: September 03, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I'm a new Final Fantasy fan - I have only previously played FF III for the DS. I'm really enjoying this new version, especially the new combat mode. I think without the guide I would find it a bit too frustrating, and there are a couple sticking points for less-experienced players, especially when major fights are right in a row with no break to heal. However, overall I would say that if you think you'll like it based on what you've read, you're almost sure to enjoy it.

Classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 31, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I've played about 3 versions of this game in it's previous form and this one takes the cake. Currently up to Rubicante...(Was it flame?). Really makes good use of the DS capabilities. One of the best games made for the DS!

A worthy redux.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 29, 2008
Author: Amazon User

While I have a few issues with the game, most of them revolve around grinding for the bonus items and the inability to skip through the text-only bits of the cinema sequences in the "New Game +" mode. That said, FF IV DS is a huge improvement over FF III DS on a technical level - it loads faster, you get into and out of combat quicker, and the game generally feels quite a bit zippier than its technical predecessor.

Having played FF IV back when it was the US FF II, and having played FF IV Advance, I feel each version has its plusses and minuses - while the "extras" in FF IV Advance may have added quite a bit to the characters and offered up more in the way of dungeons (there's plenty of bonus material to quest for in FFIVDS, but dungeons ain't on the list), the airship mode was awful and there were some funky combat timing issues that seriously limited the use of Kain and Yang's special abilities. FFIVDS doesn't suffer these problems.... and the fact that it works "as advertised" actually makes the game MORE challenging. :-)

The ability decant system is great, the graphics are fantastic (maybe not compared to the PS3 or whatever, but they're mighty fine for the DS). While the english voice acting is so-so, the new translation is fantastic, and it's great seeing the enemies actually MOVE. The game makes great use of the dual screens, giving the player a clarity of information display that wouldn't be possible on a single screen game. The Namingway quest is a great changeup of the Namingway character, though I'm sure many impatient players will be flustered by the infamous Rainbow Pudding.... whereas the patient grinders will doubtless find its eventual discovery rewarding.

All in all, FFIVDS is a worthy redux of the original SNES classic, and while it may be a bit rough in a few places, I'd still heartily recommend it to JRPG fans - especially if they missed it the first time around. I for one am hoping that Square proceeds with DS versions of V, VI, and (hope, hope) VII!

A Splendid Fantasy

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 28, 2008
Author: Amazon User

In 1992, when Final Fantasy IV (Final Fantasy II US) was released in the states, it was a big part of my world. The game was so much fun! I found out it was being reworked around a year before its release in the states for a 4th time and was pretty amazed with the games potential. This remake is more life-like; although it is a little too cute, it means well. The musical score in this game is more enhanced while not changing the "classic" music itself. The gameplay is indeed much more difficult, but treats you to a more elaborate fighting/ability system. The story has also been beefed up to tell a more complete and satisfying tale. The replay value is quite nice too. It gives you a chance to take more advantage of the gameplay multiple times around. If you loved the original Final Fantasy IV, then you will also love the new Final Fantasy IV for Nintendo DS-and if you're a new comer to the game or the series for that matter, this is sure to be a treat also. I give it a 9/10.

Good remake

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

This game has everything a fan of Final fantasy could want; good characters, good storyline, and the same spells that we are used to. Even if this is your first rpg, it is very user friendly. The biggest bonus (in my opinion) is the mini-map system for dungeons. Youll never get lost again thanks to this feature.
All in all a great game.

Stellar remake.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 25, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I can only hope they decide to remake all of the older final fantasies in this fashion.

My only issue is gameplay itself. Sometimes I found the game to be a bit too difficult and had to grind for hours to level my characters for the next major battle.

Awesome

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: August 23, 2008
Author: Amazon User

I grew up with the game on the 16 bit systems so I may be a little biased. But this new adaptation of the game is just awesome, it keeps all the fun of the original plus adds voice acting and great graphics for the DS. I recommended this game to all fans of old school RPG's

Final Fantasy IV DS: A remake that cannot be missed!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 20, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Seeing that Final Fantasy IV (known as Final Fantasy II for the Super NES) was released around 15 years ago, there are a whole generation of youngsters and teens that never got a chance to experience this game.

And, for some of us, Final Fantasy II was one of the best RPG's we ever played.

So why remake a game that is over 15 years old, especially when so many other good FF games (including FFIII(VI), FFVII, FFIX and FFX) have come out?

First of all, FFIV introduced the Active Time Battle system into Final Fantasy games. This has been the standard (for the most part) ever since. Second, the story in FFIV is outstanding, and even surpasses other FF titles that have come out on next gen systems. Third, the game has been given all new voice acting, been retranslated, and made much harder than previous releases of FFII (the US got the "easy" version).

Graphically, this game pushes the limit of the DS. Both the CGI's and the Summon animations are outstanding. Backgrounds have been enhanced and look nothing like the blocky SNES ones.

As for sound, FFII had a great score (again, some would consider it the best of the FF games), and while some found the voice acting terrible, I had absolutely no problem with it and it added to the experience.

For the DS, a new Augment system was added, and pretty much is mandatory to learn and use if you want to beat the two new optional bosses in the game. It definitely adds a new level to strategy (and, you have to play through THREE times to get all the augments and special bosses!). The replay value was significantly increased by these actions.

However, the one thing that may hold FFIV DS back in terms of being perfect is the difficultly level. This is not an easy game. Whether you are a FFIV newbie, or played previous versions, you are in for a shock. Message boards have filled up with people dying in places that would have been considered ridiculously early in previous versions of FFIV. Be forewarned: Level grinding is definitely required in this version. And, I would not have this be the first RPG for someone, let alone they get frustrated and chuck their DS!

Overall, this game is an awesome walk down memory lane for some, and introduces others to just how great RPG's have been in the past.

Definitely pick this product up. For sure one of the top 3 RPG's on the DS, and miles above FFIII DS!

The greatest nostalgia trip I ever took.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 16 / 19
Date: August 19, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Hardcore RPG gamers of the old school variety will know what I'm talking about. When this game was originally released in the U.S. as "Final Fantasy 2" on the Super Nintendo; this genre barely existed stateside. But those of us that picked it up had our tastes in video games -if not in all entertainment- permanently changed after playing FF4. There were two kinds of people I showed this to back in the day: people who couldn't even comprehend a game where instead of controlling a character directly you issued them orders and watched them carry them out, and people who became instant hardcore RPG fanatics. Type B: this one's for you.

FF for the NES was a cute little adventure where you handpicked your party out of a small array of cookie-cutter archetypes and set about hunting treasure and fighting monsters and such. It was a start. That and "Dragon Quest" were the only games in town at that time. Then, along with the SNES came this mindblower. Having been skipped over by two Japanese sequels, Americans were treated to their first video game that was on par with other mediums of entertainment. Mario could jump around, Sonic was fast, Samus had cool weapons, and Link had massive worlds to explore, but did you ever really FEEL for them? Did you ever have to watch them die for reals, knowing that you wouldn't be playing as them again in this playthrough? this game made me feel loss, excitement, accomplishment, and a genuine NEED to see what was going to happen next. FF4 has a story that could compete with the best novels, great art designs, wonderful characters with unique abilities and personalities, epic powers at your control, and what I still consider to be the finest score ever in a video game. This one changed video games from a childhood diversion to a lifelong obsession for me. I've spent nearly two decades wishing for a direct sequel (FF: Mystic Quest" was a HUGE letdown), a cartoon series, a movie, something/anything to pay homage to the video game that deserves it most. Final Fantasy VII on Playstation was the first huge hit of the series and the one that gets most of the love from younger fans, but it lacks the flawless execution, focus, and originality of 4. Nonetheless, it's popularity earned it a cool CG movie and spin-offs. But my prayers have been answered in a way with this ground-up remake of my favorite game of all time. I bought the Nintendo DS just for this game. Now let's just hope it catches on this time around and gets the FF7-like treatment it deserves.

I showed the opening animation to a woman at work and her jaw dropped. "SO COOL!" were her exact words. That barely begins to describe how much I enjoyed seeing my favorite characters realized in 3D glory after some 17 years of picturing it in my head. FF4 has been faithfully reproduced in it's entirety with completely redone graphics, new character models, actual cutscenes, some voice-acting, and many more new additions that only make this classic better. You can now raise and train your very own monster who can be conjured to battle in your summoner's place using techniques learned from your party. The training consists of several mini-games that use the DS's stylus in interesting ways. You can even draw the monster's face however you like. Very cool. The dual-screens make using the mini-map extremely handy. The augment capability adds some customization to the game and assures that even when you say goodbye to your favorite characters, some of their talents can still help you out. The only way I could be happier with what I got was if it had been given the full-on next-gen treatment on the Xbox 360. And yes, I would buy this game yet again to experience that. It is that good. A hundred bloated Lost Odysseys, Legend of Dragoons, and Blue Dragons as well as subsequent Final Fantasy games have tried and failed to recapture the one-of-a-kind character work, epic story, unforgettable score, and perfect pacing of this almost-forgotten relic of a genre that is still going strong in part because of the groundwork laid by this title. This is the most fun one can have with one tiny game cartridge.

I spend most of my free time watching genre films, reading comic books and novels, playing story-based video games, and watching any outstanding television series out there, so rest assured that I know a great story when I see one regardless of the medium. Playing through FF4 -even for the dozenth time- gives me the same feeling I get when watching the Star Wars Trilogy or reading The Lord of the Rings. Great fiction is great fiction and this is the kind of game, dated as it is, that reminds me why I'm still doing this at age 30. If you've ever enjoyed a role-playing game in any way, shape, or form don't hesitate to pick this up. It is the best Japanese RPG of all time and it accomplishes that without mindblowing graphics, dozens of lengthy cutscenes, or even decent voice-acting. Buy it!

Final Fantasy IV......

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: August 19, 2008
Author: Amazon User

Being the first game I've played in awhile, Final Fantasy IV delivers the goods like it ought to. I'll admit, I played the Gameboy Advance version of this game and loved it but came into this one a little speculative about whether it'd be any good or not. Well, I'm here to tell ya' that it is the best Square Enix remake I've ever played. Matrix really did a good job with this remake. It easily trumps Final Fantasy III in every way. The story itself goes a little something like this....Cecil is the lord captain of the Red Wings of Baron. Bound by his duty to serve his king and country, his conscience is heavy with the sins that he is committing in their name. Returning from a mission to Baron's friendly neighbor Mysidia, he finally dares to question his king's motives. For his insubordination, Cecil is stripped of his rank and sent on an errand north to the village of Mist, where his destiny is revealed to him and his journey begins. The story itself is told in cinematic style prsentation with voice acting. Throughout his journey, Cecil is joined by a number of intriguing characters: Kain, his best friend and a dragoon of considerable skill; Rosa, his lady love, who became a white mage to support him on the frontlines; Rydia, a summoner capable of calling the legendary Eidolons (referred to as summon monsters in other games) to her aid; Tellah, a revenge-driven sage who's forgotten more than most have learned; and many more.

Make no mistake, though, Final Fantasy IV is only for the hardcore RPG fan. Why, you ask? Well, unlike FF3, the battles in this game are really hard. If you make it through a battle, you'll realize it isn't through luck that you did but sheer skill. Admittedly, I went away from the game feeling more satisfied that I did but was annoyed somewhat by it being so hard. Yet, I think it reaches that perfect challenge.

The graphics are simply amazing. Simply the best I've seen on the Nintendo DS. With easily the best character and world designs on any game.

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