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Breath of Fire

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: January 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

My first recollection of Breath of fire came with Breath of Fire 2 for the SNES. While I admit, it was an awesome game in its own right. I was anxious to round up the original for it. But, alas, I wasn't able to. Now, with the Gameboy Advance, I finally get the chance to check out the Classic. So, what can I tell you about Breath of Fire for the Gameboy Advance....Well, it's been an absolute blast to play. I hadn't been able to put it down since I got it for Christmas. I've even brought it to work with me a time or two to play. Graphically, it's very colorful and animated. There's alot of exploration, and things to do in the game. Hundreds of spells to do battle with and battles galore. You can even exchange items with your GBA link cable. For a classic RPG, I highly recommend it to all.
Given it's not Final Fantasy but it's just as good. If not better in some respects. It's definately worth the price of admission.
Do yourself a favor and check it out.

Another SNES classic on the GBA.

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: August 05, 2002
Author: Amazon User

I first played Breath of Fire 10 years ago, back when the SNES was all the rage, and I am reminded of how much fun it was. Though it was not as good as the Final Fantasy games, it is a decent RPG. I am glad I have it again, since the SNES cart is a rare find these days.

The original 16-bit graphics and music have been restored, making the game feel very retro. This is a major plus for me, because I cannot imagine Playstation quality graphics on such a tiny system. Every element of the original is here: the battle system, the characters, the secrets, and the stories. The story is typical RPG standard, which now seems cliched since all the similar RPGs have come out on the PSX. But I always say that the originals are the best, and I am not wrong in this case.

The only real drawback to this version is the often fuzzy sound, which can be quite annoying. The editorial review mentioned that the sound is a bit tinny, but I found it more fuzzy. Maybe it is just a problem with my GBA, but I haven't noticed it on any other game.

BOF is a nastalgia trip for me, and will prove just as good for first time players. It is one of the classic RPGs, and one I recommend getting before it becomes rare like the older versions.

Very engaging RPG

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: October 04, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Final Fantasy aside, Breath of Fire is one of the longest-running RPG series around, and the handheld version of the first adventure gets decent treatment. Yet despite the re-appearance of the game's fresh visuals and unique play aspects, the lifeless narrative doesn't provide the immersive experience that you'd expect. Originally released by Square on the Super NES in 1994, Breath of Fire arrives on the Game Boy Advance with enhanced cinemas, but otherwise remains unchanged. You play as Ryu, a lone hero who can also transform into a variety of powerful dragons. During the course of Ryu's quest, various characters join your party, each with their own personal demons and diversions that involve the entire team. An RPG's lifeblood is a strong story, but BoF's narrative is remarkably uninvolving. You'll spend a lot of time engaging in mundane tasks-"talk to A, then B, then A again, and then C"-and navigating a series of seemingly endless mazes. Even the turn-based battles lack flair, except for the boss battles. Be prepared to spend a lot of time with this one, but a new Dash feature speeds you through the game and saves batteries. BoF delivers a tight visual and audio package. Colorful sprites fill the screen with arresting colors and special effects, while the soundtrack provides decent music accompanied by muted sound effects. Workmanlike controls feature easy menu navigation and responsive character movement. On the whole, Breath of Fire is an enjoyable RPG that easily kills spare time. Just don't expect a thoroughly involving adventure on the same level as later games in the series.

A great game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 9 / 25
Date: August 19, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Breath of Fire is just like Final fantasy games for Super NES in other words it's the samwe thing as the breath of fire for Super Nintendo there is not much more to say except that i think there may be some new features but i still recommend for you to buy Golden Sun in october instead. there are 9 characters in all and they each got special skill in battle mode and you can buy weapons for them and items to use. its got an OKay story (not the best) and the Grapics are ok for the the Gameboy Advance. Happy Gaming

Faithful Rendition of a Tired, Flawed Game

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 15
Date: March 15, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Firstly, I've played a lot of RPG's over the years, and own every game in the Breath of Fire series as well... but you'd think that if Capcom was going to re-release an old copy of a game (which had glaring flaws so bad in spots it practically defined what NOT to do for the entire RPG genre,) they'd have at least fixed them (as in Square's classic FFIV; which they remade the RIGHT way with the Chronicals re-release).

You'll see no such thing here. The graphics appear horribly dated in the world and town/dungeon map screens, although the isometric battles look surprisingly good, and include a fair ammount of animation. That's where everything goes downhill, however. The music is boring and repetative for the most part, the storyline isn't anything terribly new (especially since they've made three sequels with practically the same storyline; even including the two SAME main characters in every 'remake,') and the translation is shoddy at best.

That said, is this a bad game? Not entirely. It does have a few redeeming values, such as being one of the first pioneers in the video-game roleplaying genre, or being able put an entire audience of insomniacs to sleep for a good long while. It's just not a GOOD game either.

As for gameplay - the combat system is superb... except for the minor details that you tend to die quite often (ESPECIALLY during boss battles,) and since save points are quite the rarity, you are often sent all the way back to your last play session. While the skills and transormation system is really something new, the impossible boss fights, every third step random encounters and repetative music make it a chore to play through.

As for the gameplay... try to imagine going from town to town, seeing the ONE major important person in town, going into a dungeon, dying, dying again, finally beating it, returning to town to talk to aforementioned important person and having him or her tell you, "Good job. The next town is to the north." Repeat this for the entire duration of the game. Enough said.

Unless you're a die-hard fan of the BoF series or you LOVE doing the same thing over and over again, (may I suggest 'Hoshigami' for the Playstation? Yes, THAT repetative, pass on this game. 'Classic' is not synonomous to 'Great,' and this game is a picture-perfect definer of this.

Slight higher than average

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 18, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Breath of fire has relatively good graphics [average].
This game has a neat story line and a stunning and tensifying intro movie, a rather long one to be exact, the problem is that you have to wait through the long, starting and stopping music (this can get a lttle tedious).
Overall, because of the decent music and story line, I give breath of fire 4 stars [out of 5]

A Whipping Combination of How Traditional RPGs Came to Be

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 31, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Shaken by the lack of excitement or engrossment upon PS1's Breath of Fire III, I shook my head in disgrace, feeling betrayed by a series in which I held in such appreciation. A full fledged Fantasy reader by that time, the lackluster and insipid dialogue dragged me far, far away from Capcom's RPG. But its not to say I was never a fan. I was. And, if extrapolations are accurate, BoF V will come out bursting in noble bearing and reestablish my fanhood. I am though, very fond of the first two BoF games. Both games, early drafts of the future fabrication of traditional RPGs, had an excuse to have unsavory dialogue of today's gut-wrenching standards. Anyway, back in the day, BoF was an underrated landmark of RPG greatness. Vaguely recalling how I lost my copy for the SNES (I think it revolved around a starving kid and one of his favorite RPGs), I felt compelled to revisit the game on the GBA. Borrowing it from a friend, then stuffing my flabby butt on a warm, cozy couch, reasons why I was so intrigued with BoF slowly seeded and came into palpable emergence.

Square originally published the game, hence the word PUBLISH. They did not get their hands in the grim and take part in the actual production. Capcom did. In their effort, they shaped something entirely new and unsuspectingly praiseworthy. Unlike most plot-driven RPGs, an RPG to have a story woven around dragons is enormously sporadic. Personally embracing a scenario set in the combat of dragons, I found myself coaxed and immersed into a nifty plot.

The tale picks up when Ryu, a dragon disguised as a blue-hair human, sets out to envelop vengeance on the wicked Dark Dragon Clan. Leaving Ryu's home village in ashes, the Dark Dragon Clan then focuses their sights on freeing Tyr, the female apocalypse. Ryu, ordained by his higher ranks, must prevent this with his personal score to settle. On his lengthy journey, he enlists the aid of a few comrades, and ultimately helps them resolve their sticky origins. What struck me most about BoF was the balls Capcom had. They presented some of the most oddball characters ever made. Characters like Gobi (a Fish-man), Bo (a Wolf-man), and the Mogu (a Mole-man) wouldn't have been so well received in today's grueling critiques. Nevertheless, the likable cast is quite a departure to be had.

Gameplay-wise, the traditional RPG menu of Fight, Magic, Item, and Defend are faithfully intact. BoF is your customary fantasy quest with all the stereotypical dungeons and environments to delve into. What truly set BoF apart form Traditional RPG counterparts though, is Ryu's ability to morph into a number of mighty dragons. Each dragon had its magical property, cladding the game in sorts of strategic value. All throughout the vast lands, Dragon Shines were found. When Ryu entered one, he and he alone proceeded in a backbreaking duel with another dragon to gain its type. Gratifying the challenge appetite, those shrine battles were particularly unforgiving, but with time and re-evaluating the line of attacks, success reeled in.

Outside the shelter of friendly towns, the game is played in a 2D overview and the party usually went to explore dungeons and what not. Each character had a special skill not directly found in combat but in discovering pathways, those are Ox who demolishes walls and Mogu who dug passageways underground. Together with all the trappings of an old-school RPG, BoF has some addictive minigames.
Bo is a professional when it came to his use of bow and arrow, and he snapped the bowstring when animals were found moving on screen. The hides of animals are traded in towns for several items. But of all the minigames, Ryu's ability to fish was awkwardly addicting. Nicely executed, BoF on the GBA identically matches the SNES experience.

On its presentation, the graphics on the GBA are nearly indistinguishable as the original. The only exceptions are the upgraded view of vibrancy. Not flamed with glamour like Golden Sun, BoF is as simple as colorful pixel art. Hey, with its fluid sprite animation and additions of new face portraits, I have no latent quibble. The tunes are swell, stuffed in the right moments and keeps a hale and hearty overall feel. Besides, the discharging world music is godsend, briefly hypnotizing me back into what I haven't played in ages.

For the most part, BoF employed and triggered old SNES nostalgia. Grateful of the GBA port, I propose RPG fans to take a look. If and only if your expectations are sky-high in a game's design, and if you do have a copy of Breath of Fire with a healthy SNES, I wouldn't go as far as to purchase it, because the enhancements are minimal. Replete with all the trimmings of a lustrous old-school combination of sorts, BoF is a whipping combination of blueprints on how Traditional RPGs came to be. Even in a new era of gaming and the lack of fancy-schmancy graphics, I hope never to return this enjoyable cartridge to my pal, because friends are for the taking and this little gem is already lodged along the likes of Golden Sun and portable Zelda greats.

A Good Pick-Up

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: February 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is a good game, the graphics are a little outdated, and the sound repetitive, but the gameplay is unmatched. The spells are truly amazing,and the bosses are challenging. I you like RPG's, and got a GBA, I suggest Breath of Fire as a pick-up title.Take my advice, this is a game really easy to play, but hard to master.

BETTER THAN YOU THINK!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: December 29, 2001
Author: Amazon User

That's right. It's a highly underrated RPG that deserves more attention. It pretty much has everything to keep you entertained and motivated to continue. The only change in graphics from the SNES version are some of the portraits(which are now anime) and sprites. It's safe to say that this could be a competitor to Golden Sun(but Golden Sun is SO DAMN OVERRATED)

sweet

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: November 26, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is awesome! if you saying that all RPGs are boring you woll change your mind after playing this game. This game has more stuff than a game on playstation and has some more thrilling action.

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