Final Fantasy Anthology
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (16 November, 1999)

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Showcasing two installments of SquareSoft's wildly popular role-playinggame (RPG) series, Final Fantasy Anthology features the U.S. debut of FinalFantasy V, and reintroduces one of the best RPGs of all time, Final FantasyVI, originally released as Final Fantasy III on the Super Nintendo gamingsystem.

Both games are straight Super Nintendo conversions, so their 2-D graphics and 16-bitsounds are admittedly subpar by PlayStation standards. However, SquareSoft has addedbrand-new, beautifully animated movies for both titles, and has given Final FantasyVI the star treatment it deserves by adding a bonus mode where gamers can accessloads of supplementary material, such as artwork and data files on the game's monstersand items. As an extra bonus for hardcore fans, an audio CD featuring music from bothgames is included, making this quite the collector's package.

While Final Fantasy V is one of weaker entries in the series, Final FantasyVI alone is totally worth the price of Final Fantasy Anthology. Endearinglymelodramatic characters, a genuinely epic story line, and rock-solid gameplay makeFinal Fantasy VI just as absorbing today as it was when it was Final FantasyIII. --Joe Hon

Pros:

• Brand-new animated movies and bonus music CD soundtrack
• Reissues Final Fantasy VI, one of the best RPGs ever
• Lots of supplementary material for Final Fantasy VI

Cons:

• Dated graphics and sounds may bother some gamers
• The previously unreleased Final Fantasy V may as well have stayedunreleased

... Read more

Features

• Includes both Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI
• Includes brand-new animated movies and bonus music CD
• Original 2-D graphics and 16-bit sounds
• Includes extra material, such as artwork and data on the game's monsters
• For 1 player

Reviews (201)

The Best Fantasy AND How To Fix the Load Time Problem
I've noticed a couple people complain about the load times (especially during battles).There's a quick and easy fix for PS2 owners:In the main menu under the PS1 Driver, there's a setup option for "Fast Loading".When you turn that on, the game will load as fast as the original cartridge did.Problem solved.

.

And now for the game: FF6 *is* the best version of Final Fantasy made to date (imho).FF7, FF9, and FF10 are also very good, but FF6 got the RPG formula perfect: Great characters, great story, great battle system.If I had to sell all my RPGs, FF6 is the one I would keep & play over-and-over.


As for FF5, the story is rather weak, but the gameplay is really really good, thanks to the job system (like FF10-2).What I like to do with FF5 is to experiment:
- What if I had 4 white mages?
- What if I had 4 black mages?
- What if I had 4 fighters?
- Would I survive the battles w/ such weak teams?

Thanks to its job system, FF5 has a great deal of replayability.Even after you beat the game, you can go back and replay with a completely different team, and new complications (trust me, beating this game with 4 black mages is NOT easy).

Bottom Line: Buy Final Fantasy 5/6 right now.If you're like me, you'll cherish it forever.

i remember a time, not so long ago...
when the name final fantasy on a game box meant something. final fantasy 3(6) represents the best square has ever put out. don't get me wrong, i enjoyed ff1, ff7 and 9 too. i cant speak for ffx2, or 11, as i haven't played them. square, if you are thinking about how to make your next ff, create something as good as ff3(or even just close) and your fans will love you for it. i am glad ff has come to the gamecube, but lets be serious, crystal chronicles is weak...very weak. online capability is ok too, but the strongest point of a good rpg should always be single player. i know that you can make a good game square/enix, you have it in you, so please do us a favor and no more ff10's or crystal chronicles. sorry about the spiel, i highly recommend this anthology, ps2er's(or ps1) shouldnt be without it.

An awesome classic FF game!
Final Fantasy 6 is without a doubt one of the best RPG games on the market! ... Read more

Asin: B00002R28C
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Role Playing Games    3. Fantasy    4. Sony Playstation (Play station)    5. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    6. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    7. Great Deals (Outlet store)   

Final Fantasy Chronicles
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Showcasing enhanced versions of the Super Nintendo classics FinalFantasy IV and Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy Chronicles is amust-have "retro" bundle for the serious role-playing game fan.

Originallyreleased in the U.S. in 1991 as Final Fantasy II, the groundbreakingFinal Fantasy IV introduced the "Active Time Battle" combat system thathas since become a staple in the series. In addition to new computer animationsequences and minor gameplay enhancements, this reissue sports a new dialoguetranslation that is more faithful to the Japanese version and fleshes out thepreviously pared-down story of a conflicted knight and his quest forredemption.

Although not as well known as Final Fantasy IV--and noteven part of the Final Fantasy series, for that matter--1995's ChronoTrigger is a nonlinear adventure game where players must travel across timeto save a princess (and the world in the process). New Japanese cartooncutscenes from animator Akira Toriyama (creator of Dragonball Z) gracethe updated Chrono Trigger, and an extras mode (filled with game-relatedgoodies that must be unlocked) has been added, increasing the already highreplay value of this title with multiple endings.

Admittedly, the games'two-dimensional graphics and simplistic sounds are quite "lastgeneration," which may turn off some younger gamers and recent converts to thegenre, but their solid gameplay, deep storyline, and memorable characters arestill first-rate by today's standards. --Joe Hon

Pros:

• Brings together two classic Super Nintendo role-playing games
• Retranslated text of Final Fantasy IV more faithful
• Extras mode increases Chrono Trigger's replay value
• New animated "movie" sequences

Cons:

• In-game graphics and sounds are quite dated

... Read more

Reviews (139)

The Best Role-Player AND How To Fix the Load Time Problem
I've noticed a couple people complain about the load times (especially during battles).There's a quick and easy fix for PS2 owners: In the main menu under the PS1 Driver, there's a setup option for "Fast Loading".When you turn that on, the game will load as fast as the original cartridge did.Problem solved.

.

And now for the game: Chrono Trigger is one of, perhaps even *the best*, role-playing game ever made.Final Fantasy 6 is my favorite in that series, but Chrono Trigger has a stronger appeal for me, personally, because of the time travel/sci-fi theme.You and your characters travel across several thousand years (from medieval times to a distant, robotic future), in your quest to beat back the bad guys.The battle system allows you to chain your characters together for extra-powerful attacks, which is a unique innovation.Finally, how the game ends is never the same.Like a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure, the ending varies depending upon how you play the game.Chrono Triggers offers lots of replayability, and is a true masterpiece.


As for FF4, the game is somewhat weak.Many call FF4 their favorite final fantasy, but I was not too impressed.I'd put it somewhere in the middle.It was originally designed to run on the 1980's 8-bit Nintendo, but at the last minute FF4 was upgraded to run on the just-released 16-bit Super Nintendo, and it comes across as primitive, both in graphics and story.Not as good as what came later (FF anthology).


Bottom Line: Buy Final Fantasy 4/Chrono Trigger right now... mainly for Chrono Trigger, but also to satisfy your curiosity about FF4.If you're like me, you'll cherish it forever.

2 for the price of 1. YEAH BABY! (Long, but worth reading)
Final Fantasy Chronicles is such a great game, I don't Know where to start.(!Attention!, If you have a Super Nintendo and have Final Fantasy 4 and Chrono Trigger you don't really have to bother buying this game, unless you want to check out the added features).FF4 is just like the SNES version only its been enhanced with new magic, monsters,items, and CG(computer generated)cinemas and more stuff. I might be wrong, but I heard somewhere that the Playstation version is much harder than the SNES version. This game is quite entertaining, and the storyline is was one of the best I've seen. In my opinion, I thought Final Fantasy 7 was better in every way. Even though FF7 is better than 4. 4 is still a pretty good game. that's about it for FF4.
If you liked Dragonball Z, then your gonna LOVE Chrono Trigger cause it's made by the "Great" Akira Toriyama (you know the guy who made the characters from DBZ).I thought Chrono Trigger was better than FF4 in terms of gamplay,and graphcs. In my opinion, it ties between FF7.(only FF7 has better graphics). Chrono Trigger is the prequel to Chrono Cross. I thought Chrono Trigger was better than Chrono Cross.(Chrono Cross's graphics were much better).Chrono Trigger has VERY little to do with Chrono Cross. Chrono Trigger is about a red haired boy named Crono(NOT CHRONO), that travels through time along with his friends to save the world.
The only thing bad about these two games is that the graphics are quite dated and that it takes a long time to load in Chrono Trigger when you pull out the menu sceen. I don't think Graphics that are a decade old shouldn't bother most gamers. If it does, then I'll beat you up. This game cost less right now than any of those two games did when they where brand new, especailly now in 2005. Chrono Trigger was a rare, hard to find game at that time that usually sold somewhere around $60. right now, it doesn't cost more than $20. To me, FF4 is like an added bonus to Chrono Trigger in the final fantasy chronicles package. It would take a lot more to fully describe this game. I hope this review was helpful to you

P.S. Get Final Fantast 7 while you're at it.

Final Fantasy Chronicles
Even though that most people will overlook this game because it's a PlayStation game that's a re-release of a 16-bit game during a time when we've already moved on to the 128-bit generation, if you're an RPG fan that has yet to play either of these classics, it's a must-have title. With the multiple endings and fantastical game design and lovable characters, Chrono Trigger alone is worth the full price of admission. Add in Final Fantasy IV and you have an astonishing deal that you simply shouldn't pass up. ... Read more

Asin: B00005LOXE
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Sony Playstation (Play station)    3. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    4. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)   

Final Fantasy Tactics
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Turn-based fantasy strategy game
• Introducing the unique "Job" system, allowing characters to train in different character classes
• Over 40 different monsters to encounter
• Incredibly detailed and complex storyline
• For 1 player

Reviews (125)

Another FF classic
This is not your average Final Fantasy game, but still an enjoyable one. This is more of a strategy game than an RPG. It is a four-chapter game. The first chapter is learning the basics, the second and third chapters are a little bit harder, and the last chapter is medium and then gets extremely easy once you get Orlandu. There are many differents monster and/or human enemies you must deal with in battles. If you lose a major battle, this means that you must train your men a bit before re-entering. I have beaten this several times and guarantee that you, the viewer/customer, will enjoy it also.

A Timeless Classic--Still Addictive after Seven Years
Strengths: Involved and complex story, addictive gameplay, beautiful graphics

Weakenesses: Poor camera control, dead-end savepoints

Final Fantasy Tactics is one of those rare console games that you can return to again and again and yet always find it to be enjoyable, immersive, and incredibly addictive. For a seven-year-old game that will take most gamers over fifty (that's right, five-zero) hours to complete, this is quite an accomplishment.

FF Tactics' two most brilliant virtues are its intricate plot and a unique gameplay experience which is the result of a nearly perfect integration of three-dimensional, turn-based combat and the familiar RPG strategy of guiding the advancement of the characters in your party through various jobs and skills. The elegant and involved gameplay element of FF Tactics is ultimately it's love-it-or-hate-it attribute. In addition to developing characters in between battle sequences (by upgrading abilities, purchasing new weapons and armor, sending characters on adventures, etc.), you also command parties of up to five characters in 3-D battles by maneuvering to gain tactical advantage (attacking from the sides and behind is always more effective) and executing attacks or other actions.

Gameplay is quite complicated and, as a result, the learning curve for FF Tactics is relatively high. Square (the game's publisher) graciously includes a tutorial mode (accessible via the game's main menu) that provides newcomers to the game a firm foundation upon which to begin experiencing the game. Be warned, however: it will take you one to two hours to progress through all of the included tutorials. Despite this significant time requirement, I would highly recommend that gamers who are not familiar with similar games (such as Vandal Hearts for the PSX) take the time to look at some of the tutorials.

The story is even more enveloping than the gameplay. The carefully-written plot will always leave you in suspense, anxiously looking forward to the next twist or turn in the storyline. The events of the story are subtly (sometimes ambiguously) unveiled with an elegance that is rarely found in literature and film, let alone in video games. As with gameplay, however, the complexity of the plot can sometimes work against itself. I will frequently find myself having to go back several cutscenes to try to piece together what's going on. Fortunately, Square planned for this as well: you have access from within the game itself to every cutscene that you have viewed as well as summaries of all the characters (even minor ones) and their involvement with the plot thus far (yes, these summaries are updated as the game progresses).

The graphics are another of the game's many virtues; they are beautiful and have worn quite well considering the age of the game. You won't find any flashy 3-D effects (the landscapes are colorful and attractive--although low-resolution--3-D models while the characters are 2-D animated sprites), but the artwork present throughout the game--from battles, to cutscenes, to menus--is just that: artwork.

Despite its excellent gameplay, plot, and graphics, however, FF Tactics does have its share of weaknesses. Most frequently annoying are the camera angles that are available in the battle sequences. More often than not, the 3-D landscapes obstruct your view of the characters and action, and the limited camera control makes it difficult to find a good angle from which to view most of the action. The result is a lot of switching from view to view throughout the course of a battle (or even throughout a single turn). Occasionally, this makes it virtually impossible to even see a particular character, but this is admittedly rare.

A less-frequently occurring but even more frustrating element of the game are the opportunities it provides to paint oneself into the proverbial corner. There are several points in the game (usually at the end of each chapter) where you will play through several battles back-to-back, with no time in between to develop your characters. Since battles can last as long as 30 minutes (sometimes more), the game provides you with the opportunity to save your game in between these battles. Good, right? Not necessarily. The problem with this setup is that if your characters aren't adequately prepared for the subsequent battle(s), then you may get stuck in a situation in which victory is impossible to achieve. Unfortunately, the only way out of this situation is to restart the game---a serious annoyance if you've already racked up, say, forty-four hours of gameplay time. The moral of the story: reserve more than one memory card slot for your saves so that you can create a savegame file both before and during such a series of battles. On the upshot, however, this was one of the few games that I found just as entertaining and addictive when re-playing the first 44 hours (yes, this happened to me).

The verdict: Final Fantasy Tactics is a great and timeless game that I'll be returning to again and again over the years, and I hope you will too.

Absolutely perfect...
WARNING * If you are buying this game because you are obsessed with Final Fantasy and the original FF style, listen to this. The game is turn based on a gridlike arena, and the entire game is based on the complex battle system, if you don't like long battles or actually having to think, don't buy this and complain. * WARNING

Ok, now that that is over, this game is a must have for anyone with a playstation or a playstation 2. The graphics are not all 3D but not at all dissapointing, with detailed sprites that are always in motion the game has a nice feel to it. The sound effects are also a plus, as well as different battle music for almost every battle. The storyline is great but no where near as in-depth as something like FF7 or FF9. I had beaten the game a while ago and decided i would revisit it recently (great replay value). This time i had a Gameshark that i got for $4, and wondered how much i could do with it. With the option of changing all of my characters to any monster, enemy, boss, ally in the game with any set of moves, the game has just doubled its replay value. If you read some more of the reviews for FFT and decide you want to get this game(which you will) don't forget a Gameshark. However, on an end note, the game is still excellent without cheating, buy it! ... Read more

Asin: B00002SVWG
Sales Rank: 332
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Sony Playstation (Play station)    3. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    4. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    5. Strategy (Strategic)   

Final Fantasy VII
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (27 March, 2000)
list price: $19.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Long recognized as role-playing games par excellence, the FinalFantasy series gets a technological makeover in this installment (and seriesdebut on the PlayStation). Shedding the two-dimensional graphics and limitedsound capabilities of its predecessors, Final Fantasy VII features lush3-D graphics, beautifully animated "movie" sequences, and soundtrack-qualitymusic. Coupled with the game's intricate storyline, endearing characters, andimmense yet highly imaginative world, these new advancements make for a quite anengrossing experience.

The story of Final Fantasy VII centers around a solider named CloudStrife, who joins forces with Avalanche, a group of resistance fighters, to takedown an evil mega-corporation known as Shinra. (The fate of the world hangs inthe balance, of course.) Truly epic in scope, this four-disc game requires aconsiderable amount of time to complete---this reviewer gladly gave up over 80hours of his life to finish it. But it's definitely a rewarding adventure thatevery PlayStation owner should consider undertaking, especially since it's nowone of the low-priced "Greatest Hits" titles. --Joe Hon

Pros:

• Intricate and absorbing storyline with endearing characters
• Immense and highly imaginative game world
• Special battle system
• Beautifully animated movie sequences

Cons:

• Your friends and family may feel neglected

... Read more

Features

• Join AVALANCHE, an organization sworn to put an end to Shinra corporation's destructive practices
• Move around the world using flying vehicles, submarines, and Chocobos
• Fill the Limit gauge to perform each character's special attack
• Play 7 mini-games, from arcade-type to betting
• For 1 player

Reviews (1074)

This game is cool!
I don't have this game but it is so cool(Just so you know,I'm 12 years old and will be 13 next January).I will play this game someday.I watched my older brother play Final Fantasy VII.

Not as top notch as the other FF's!
To sum things up, FF VII is a good game, but I find it is overrated.When it was released in the late 1990's it set the standard for graphics not only for RPG's, but for all video games from there on out.But in terms of the game itself, it leaves some things to be desired.

The characters for example, were not as well developed as they should have been.The lead character, Cloud, got about 80% of the character development, while the others only small bits are known about them.But I will say that each character does have his or her own unique personality so this area may not bother players too much.

The music in FF VII unfortunately, was horrible in my opinion.Especially when compared to other Square titles such as Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, and even Final Fantasy IV (which is well over 10 years old).The battle music was good, but the rest was flat and uncreative, especially the music on the world map.Those of us who are familliar with the work of Square had expected much better in this department.

The game play was good.The materia system was a nice touch that added variety to the basic magic-using RPG.Basically, every character in the game can use spells, but they have to equip a materia onto their armor or weapon, and gain points through battles to learn each spell the materia has to offer.The only downside is that once the materia has been unequiped, the spell(s) go with it.But nonetheless, the materia system had breathed new life into the RPG world of magic-using.

You also have side quests, secret/hidden items and weapons, and secret characters just like most RPG's.The graphics are good, although the characters look very polygonized in their smaller forms.The CG scenes are beautiful.This is one area Square always dominates.They did a great job with those in FF VII.

It saddens me to give this game only 3 out of 5, but I must be honest.I love RPG's, especially the classics from Square, but I just don't think that FF VII deserves to be up there with CT, FF IV, and FF VI.Even the ending of FF VII was disappointing, because they did no follow-up on the characters.It's a good game overall, but it had the potential to be great.

:)
best characters and storyline iv ever played....plot twists..great character development..this game does everything right.. Cloud:the main character is a bad ass, manley man..despite the fatc it probaly takes him 3 hours in the morning to do his hair..but hes cool none the less..barret: a black guy who is also manley and has a really bad temper...tifa:huge boobies, wears short shorts and is probaly really pretty if the graphics were better..oh and shes nice and obviously wants to get into clouds pants...aeris: a good girl who probaly shouldnt stand under balconys or anything somebody can jump on top of her... cid: foulmouth badass...this game has a lot of bad asses...red XIII: plays the role of the wise old man...though hes not a man and techinically in his years hes onky a teenager

GET THIS GAME...ull love it...if u like rpgs ull love this game and follow it like a religion ... Read more

Asin: B00000JRSB
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Role Playing Games    3. Fantasy    4. Sony Playstation (Play station)    5. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    6. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    7. Adventure   

Breath of Fire
Average Customer Review:
Video Game (18 October, 2001)
list price: $39.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Since the early '90s, the Breath of Fire series has been a staple onboth the Super Nintendo and Sony PlayStation systems. This version for the GameBoy Advance is a perfect handheld port of the original Super Nintendo game thatstarted it all.

The story is standard, but solid, fare--you are Ryu, a member of the WhiteDragon clan, and your task is to save the world from the Black Dragon clan. Intimes past, the two clans were actually one clan, but split in a horrendous wardue to an evil and meddling goddess. While the White clan has maintained peacesince then, the Black clan hasn't. Get the drift?

While the story is fairly black and white (pardon the pun), the gameplay itselfis where the game shines. Each character has unique skills and abilities thatunlock special areas of the game. For example, Ryu can fish if he finds afishing pole. Later in the game, he can transform into a dragon during battle.Another character can walk through forests unimpeded and shoot animals for food.What's neat about this system is that as you gain companions with differentskills, you can go back to earlier parts of the game to unlock areas that areonly accessible via their skills. This adds to the replay value and depth of thegame.

The battle system is the standard turn-based, random-encounter biscuits andgravy that most console gamers have come to expect. While not as engrossing as,say, Golden Sun's battle system, the shape-shifting at higher levels addssome enjoyment while fighting the ubiquitous nasties. Two added feature for theGBA version are automatic fighting, which is good for when you don't want to gothrough all the motions of turn-based combat, and an ability to swap items witha friend's version of the game through the separately soldlink cable.

The graphics and sound are decent, but largely unimproved from the original SNESversion, so they will seem dated. However, if you are into 16-bit, 2-Drole-playing games, you'll find that the graphics look good on the GBA's screen.The sound is a faithful reproduction, but can sound tinny at times. --BryanKarsh

Pros:

• Fun skill system that allows you to unlock hidden areas in the game
• Link option to trade items with friends
• Auto fighting option for those endless battles
• A nice story and a huge world to explore

Cons:

• Too many random battles
• Graphics are dated
• Sound is a little tinny

... Read more

Reviews (37)

Right up there with Final Fantasy
Im a big rpg player and out of all the games ive played, BOF is one of my top favotites.It has a solid story line with Ryu who is out to stop the dark drangons whom threaten to take over the world with the power of the goddes Tyr and find his sister who was captured by the dark dragon clan.Along the way Ryu meets up with seven companions who in turn are out to stop the dark drangons who have wronged them, Nina, Bo, Carn, Gobi, Ox, Blue, and Mogue.Each character posses their own unque abilities as which is common in all rpgs and are essential to the game.What is unique is that Ryu can transform himself into the dragon and you must searc the continents to find his other dragon forms and eventually transform into the ultimate dragon, Angi (not sure of the spelling).

For those of you who wish to obtain all of Ryu's dragon forms, all you have to do is aquire the Rod 5 which is in a chest under Gust and then fish in all the wells to obtain the dragon armors needed to be allowed in the dragon shrines.In one such well you will obtain a slab inscribing how to obtain the ultimate dragon power.Once you have all the other powers (not angi) you go to the water canve and go all the way to where you got the ring and decend the steps into the water to go underwater to a small cave....that is where angi lies.

The most diffucult part of this game for me was getting thru the dream worlds where things get twisted and walls disappear...you'll know what i mean once you play...it is very frustrating...but the game is a lot of fun, and i would recommend it to anyone who needs to find a good rpg to play.

For anyone who wants hints to the game you can email me at sailor_moon_4evah@yahoo.comive played this game thru five times and know it inside and out.Play it, im sure you'll love it.

hate
I bought this game and couldnt wait to play it when I first got my GBA, but then I kept getting stuck in the same place and had no patience and then when I saved it didnt show and I had to keep starting over,uggh maybe that just my game but man im staying away from breath of fire and most roleplaying games (no patience). The only thing I liked was the graphics, but if you have great patience go ahead and buy, be my guest.

Very engaging RPG
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. ... Read more

Asin: B00005NCD0
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Action    5. Adventure    6. Role Playing Games (Game, RPG, RPGs, CRPG, CRPGs)   

Dragon Warrior III
Average Customer Review:
Game Cartridge (20 July, 2001)

US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Originally released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, DragonWarrior III is a Game Boy Color port of one of the all-time classicrole-playing games. The game reunites two of Japan's greatest RPG talents in YujiHorii (story and game) and Akira Toriyama (character design). Toriyama is alsoknown as the creator of the immensely popular Dragon Ball cartoons and comics. Aprequel to the first two games in the series, DWIII casts you as thechild of a great hero who must defeat an evil demon. New additions to the portinclude improved graphics, new minigames, new items, and a better translation ofthe original Japanese dialogue.

The game starts off with a personality test that loosely determines how othercharacters will react to you. Gameplay is standard RPG fare: exploring, buildingexperience levels, acquiring allies, gaining weapons, and ultimately going aftera large monster. There are some interesting minigames to mix things up. TheMonster Medals feature adds a collectible aspect to the game. Monsters may leavemedals behind after you defeat them. Some monsters only appear during certaintimes of the day. Getting all the medals unlocks a secret dungeon. You can trademedals via link cable to make things easier. Most RPG fans will love this game,but those raised on modern RPGs might find its combat a bit tedious. This gameis compatible with Game Boy Color and Game Boy Advance only. --Raymond M.Padilla

Pros:

• Classic gameplay
• Excellent monster and character design
• Between 40 to 60 hours of play

Cons:

• Battles can get repetitive
• A few character classes borderline on useless
• Graphics appear dark on Game Boy Advance

... Read more

Reviews (52)

Will be that is the difference of each culture?
I am surprised to the opinions that there are some game users that do not like Dragon warrior(Japanese game title:Dragon Quest). Neddless to say, in Japan the most famouse and high quality and great story games are Final Fantasy series and this Dragon Warior series. FF series may be a little high level on the CG. But even now DG warrior series get high value from the broad game users in Japan.

Concretly, the music, graphic and story is that. The person that have made the DW music is Kouichi Sugiyama. He was once a member of Japan popular band Garo. And he knew about classical music very much too. He be active as a conducter of DA musical orchestra even now. His high level and nostalgic music sence have gotten many Japanese geme user hearts.For instance, the field music or battle music are that. The music characters are not always this 7 only, all the DW series will be that.

Secondly, the monster character drawing is Akira Toriyama. Needless to say, he was the maker of the most popular Japanese anime, Dragon Ball. He had gotten the fan by this anime before DW. His making picture is very cute and in other case is terrible. It was a great creater that could draw the both way. In additon to, he have the scence that get children hearts, and lead the nostalgy of adults even.

Thirdly, the story, that is, Yuuji Horii is that. the first DW series was reliesed before about 20 years by Nintendou Family Computer. I was a game user that bought the DW1. I was very surprised the story in that time even, that is, the combination story of Japanese historical story and old Europ knight story. Though it was the story that I had not experienced, I felt the nostargy.

By above three points mainly, I recommend the DW series rather than FF series. But when I read the U.S.A reviewers on this site, I knew that there are game users who do not like DW series compared with Japanese users. I am afraid a little, but I understood what the difference might be the culture difference in the both countries. In fact, recently FF series have made in Hawai, U.S.A, on the other hands, DW series have made in Japan only. FF maker, Square company may be consiouse of U.S.A commercial market.

But I think that the soft that can feel the truth Japan game mind will be DW series. DW series is what have been collected long Japanese history, animation, pop music etc.
If you are DW fans, may be true Japanese culture fans at the same time.

Thank you for my poor writing. and sorry for the spell miss.

A Classic Game in an Under-Appreciated Series.
First off, let it be known that I have played the initial release of this game when it was on the NES (Nintendo Entertainment System).It was the first truely great RPG I have ever had the fortune to play, keeping in mind that I'd played Dragon Warrior 1 before that (not a fan of 1 vs 1 combat) and that I don't really consider Legend of Zelda an RPG (Action/Adventure in my book).The game was long, fun, and an amazingly deep in story for a game that old.Only problem is it was a rental and I didn't get to finish it (I was on the last battle too).

Fast forward 11 years...

I bought a copy of this game on Amazon.com Marketplace for the GBC, since I knew I'd enjoy it again.That was truer than I expected.

The core gameplay is all here, so any fans of the NES version will love this one as much, if not more.Like most Japanese RPGs, the combat is turn-based and consists of standard fantasy elements.Swords, magic, and several monsters to fight (including the well known slimes, who always feel the need to grin despite the fact that you'll run them through).What amazes me is the amount of tactics involved in battles compared to other recent RPGs, such as the Final Fantasy games.The FF games rarely give you a run for your money in standard fight (perhaps with the exception of FF4), but with DW3 almost any battle has the potential to go horribly wrong, making you struggle to win.Most notable is when status effects are involved.Sometimes you'll find that your entire party has been put to sleep by a spell, or someone can be paralyzed, or a monster will boost their defense.Each of these has a counter, but sometimes you'll run into the bad luck of having it happen to the wrong person or that you didn't plan ahead of time with the right items to remove the effect.Running is always an option, but you take your chances with this, as a failed run will leave you open to more damage.

The graphics are much improved.This is the first game in the series I've seen with animated sprites for the enemies, and those are amazingly fluid.The rest of the graphics are improved as well, and make it seem almost SNES quality at times.The amount of items is greatly expanded, and item management is a lot easier thanks to a bag shared by the party that you can put everything in (you won't have access to those items during combat, though).Plus, there are several bonus touches, like a mini-game called Pachisi where you can earn bonus items (and most of them are pretty good items at that, like weapons), as well as two bonus dungeons, though unlocking the second one is a rather painful process requiring you to collect 144 unique monster medals... and those rarely appear after finishing of a monster.

If you've never heard of the series, and you're a fan of turn-based battles, this game is certainly a worthy introduction to the series.You'll wonder why this game series hasn't gotten huge sales numbers anywhere except Japan.Even more so if you've had the chance to play DWIV

A True Classic, and Alot of Game for the Price
For those gamers that were fortunate enough to have played Dragon Warrior III on the NES, this will be just a reiteration of what you already know - this game rocks.

Even in the face of today's modern graphics and effects, the scope, storyline, and gameplay of Dragon Warrior III still stand strong.The characters can be customized in numerous areas, and even retrained if they aren't working out - you can take your Lvl 40 fighter and make him a wizard, or let your cleric train as a merchant.The number of sidequests and the evolution of certain areas is impressive, and will give you 60+ hours of things to do.Best of all, the fighting system is so simple that even a novice can start playing and get hooked immediately.

This game gets my highest possible recommendation.For a fraction of the cost of a Final Fantasy game, you can get a game that will give you more enjoyment for a longer period of time. ... Read more

Asin: B00005ME7X
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy (Gameboy)    3. Action    4. Adventure   

Dragon Warrior VII
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (04 November, 2001)
list price: $39.99
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Editorial Review

The top-selling PlayStation game in Japanese history makes its way tothe U.S. in Dragon Warrior VII. Its creators include a trio of Japaneserole-playing-game legends--game designer Yuji Horii, music composer KoichiSugiyama, and character designer Akira Toriyama (who also created the popularDragonball and Dragonball Z cartoons and comics). At its heart,Dragon Warrior VII is an old-school RPG that eschews flashy graphics andsound effects in favor of a good story and dozens of gameplay hours. In somecases it succeeds in capturing the nostalgia of old NES and SNES RPGs, but inothers it hangs on too dearly to obsolete conventions. Still, this is one of themost value-packed games on the market, as it easily offers more than 100 hoursof gameplay.

Graphically, Dragon Warrior VII will not impress anyone. Even compared tofirst-generation PlayStation games this one comes off as ugly. The sound is amix of nostalgic MIDI bits from previous Dragon Warrior games andbeautiful new compositions by Sugiyama. The story progresses in a linearfashion, as the main character discovers new lands, each with its own mysteries,characters, and adventures. The job system adds immense depth to characterprogression, as players can learn skills from more than 50 classes, includingwarriors, clerics, jesters, rangers, dragoons, teen idols, and more.

As deep as the job system is, progress is hindered by laborious combat andinventory-management systems. It would have been nice if the development teamtried to implement modern gameplay mechanics with the rich Dragon Warrioruniverse. Because of its archaic aspects, the game will scare off those thataren't familiar with older RPGs. However, persevering gamers and longtime fanswill enjoy one of the deepest adventures on the market. --Raymond M.Padilla

Pros:

• More than 100 hours of gameplay
• Extremely deep job system
• Memorable characters

Cons:

• Horrible graphics
• Poor interface
• Dull combat

... Read more

Reviews (60)

This game makes Baby Jesus cry
The perfect one-word description of this game is "torturous". Yes, there are some cool parts every now and then, but they're buried beneath so much inane garbage that instead of making the game less terrible, they simply compel you to keep playing through this epic abomination. It's really not a good sign when I've played over 20 hours into the game and I still couldn't care less what happens to the main characters. They're a rather one-dimensional bunch, and to be honest, it strikes me as a bit strange how those chosen to "awaken the world" (or whatever you care to call the insipid, convoluted plot) could be so damned boring.

Ah yes, the plot. Some kids discover some ruins that take them back in time to where the world contained more landmasses, and one by one, they bring the land masses into the present. It could have been quite fascinating, but the different areas just don't feel at all connected. After you've "raised" the first few islands, no one in your hometown seems to care anymore. Basically, instead of being one fully involved story, it ends up being a bunch of half-assed little tales that I couldn't bring myself to care about. I've read that eventually the "Demon Lord" somehow gets involved, but I really have no desire to pick this garbage up again. I suppose the cut scenes are also worth mentioning. Like most of the game, they're quite awful. They make the characters look mildly deformed, at best.

On to the gameplay...repetition is the order of the day. The battle system in itself isn't that bad, but it does begin to grow quite tiresome. The class system, which could have been very cool, is executed rather sloppily. For one thing, the classes aren't exactly balanced, especially since a character's class has no bearing on the equipment they can use. Want a wizard wielding a huge sword and wearing immensely heavy armor? You can do it here. Also, I don't think the classes have any permanent effect on stats, i.e. there is a set number of points in each stat for all the characters and classes that is governed by level. As a result, a character who has been a wizard for most of the game will have an enormous strength increase if he transitions to a soldier. Unfortunately, his intelligence will plummet as well.

If this was all I hated about the game, it would at least be tolerable. Unfortunately, I've yet to metion the most banal aspect of it...the way new islands are unlocked. If you thought lame fetch quests were exclusive to platforming games, this game will prove you sorely wrong. Of those 100+ hours you'll spend playing this pompous trash, at least half of that will consist of seeking map shards that you will quickly come to loathe, as you have to collect the right ones in order to unlock new islands.

Now, this wouldn't be a big deal if they were all in meaningful places, such as being obtained after defeating a boss. However, they're not. Oftentimes you'll find them in such idiotic and annoying places, as in a bag in some random house, caught in a broken robot in a town sewer, etc. Sure, the game offers some guidance, but the trek back to the fortune teller (whose hints can sometimes be rather vague) grows tiresome quickly. As a result, the game is as much a sleep-inducing scavenger hunt as an RPG.

Assume from this review that I hate RPGs done in the "old-school" style, as that is not the case. Dragon Warrior II through IV were quite enjoyable games. In fact, they're a lot better than this snoozefest, so play them instead.

Why did I waste my money?

Do not waste your time (130 hours is what i spent) or your money ($50) on this game.Buy a good game, like FF Tactics or Xenogears, or do something productive with your money.I cannot believe that this is the best selling game in Japan.I have played every single FF game, and Xenogears as well as every other US released DW game.With all of the hype before this game, I had my hopes up for a decent game with old-school graphics.What I got was a story written by a third grader, a battle system that made me want to kill myself it was so boring, and no point of playing the game.Horrible.Pathetic.

A great game!
If you like involved RPG's, this is a great game for you.It's packed with tons story and side quests.Some reviews complained about the graphics, but they're not all that bad.It's what I'd expect a 3D Dragon Warrior game to look like.Besides, the music more than makes up for the slight lacking in the graphics department.The characters are fun and there's a bit of Japanese humor strewn about (I'm glad the translators left it in!).There are also some puzzles throughout the game, which helps break up the monotony of the random encounters.Anyone who has played the previous Dragon Warrior games on the Nintendo will probably experience a little nastalgia.Some elements of the game haven't changed much at all (slimes, clubs, leather armor, cheesy sound effects when using stairs, etc...).All in all, I highly recommend this game! ... Read more

Asin: B00005OLWB
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Sony Playstation (Play station)    3. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    4. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    5. Adventure    6. Great Deals (Outlet store)   

Vandal Hearts 2
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (26 November, 1999)
list price: $42.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (18)

Decline downwards somewhat....
I loved the first Vandal Hearts and really wanted to see if they would follow that game's story. The characters in this game though seem a little uninspired, and thus the game feels a little tedious.

I guess it is called 2 to capitalize off the original. The only common thing is the battle system. A great thing they did is make your armor and swords attached to your body. When you wear copper armor you will see your character wear it. Battles though get tough. Real tough. DO u like being outnumbered 5 to 5092509258902? I don't.

The difficulty makes it tough. I returned it after a month or two. The story is pretty good though. You get to meet up with some friends from the past. The main character is absolutely awesome. He looks so cool. I would give this game 5 stars, but the tough battles and uninspired characters(a great number) detracted a couple points. Buy it though if you see it now. It should be cheap.

This is one awesome game...!
Before this game, I did not believe that another game could rival Final Fantasy Tactics in terms of storyline, gameplay, and graphics.But then I played Vandal Hearts II

This game begins with a simple plot: your main character Josephlives in a village as a peasant forced to conform to the inequities of a Caste system in which Nobles control every aspect of peasant and middle class society life.He eventually leaves his village in the middle of a very tragic event.The story instantly becomes much more than that, but I won't go into detail.

This game features a dual-turn battle system, which, to my knowledge, is previously unprecedented in strategy role-playing games . This makes it so that each enemy moves at the same time as each of your characters do.This makes the game much more fun and challenging, and it causes you to have to think strategically when planning each of your moves; you have to be able to anticipate how the character will attack you and plan your movements and attacks accordingly. This gets harder as the game progresses because the enemies will use a greater variety of weapons and skills.You might have to spend some battles outside of the main quest getting used to this new system, but it is an awesome experience.(I think they used more blood than really necessary, though.Sure, when they get slashed to death and die they have to bleed, but not THAT much!)

Also, the game gets rid of the job system featured in Final Fantasy Tactics.Instead, your weapons and armor give you all of your stats, abilities and techniques.You can equip up to two weapons on a character (Your shield counts as one of those weapons), with the exception of certain ones. Different weapons give you different attacks and special techniques.Armor determines your movement in battle.Heavy armor gives you a great deal of HP.Light vests give you less HP, but you can move farther and through grass. Wing armor gives you little HP, but you have amazing mobility and can move to great heights and over any surface.

The graphics are not the greatest.The pictures of the characters during dialogue are kind of strange-looking, and others are downright ugly. The character sprites don't look nearly as good as in Final Fantasy Tactics, but hey, graphics don't make the game, right?

Overall, this is one of the greatest games I own for PlayStation -- the others being Star Ocean 2 and possibly Final Fantasy Tactics.Anyone who is a fan of strategy RPGs or just RPGs in general should have this.

A Tale of Betrayel
When I first seen this game, I purchased it on the spot for the sole fact alone that I loved the first game. When I got home to play it a day later I was instantly hooked. The game is full of alot of political intrigue, and the story is very deep and moving.

You follow Joshua who is a young boy living on the land of a rich person, whose daughter likes him. Adele, the Baron's daughter, plays with Joshua all the time, when the Baron, and Josh's father both disapprove. To set up Joshua, the Baron's Advisor brings Joshua to the Manor and forces him to fight Adele's grandfather, killing him, and causing Adele to find the scene, and hate Joshua. Joshua is forced to leave his home, and thus the adventure truely begins.

The story is very deep and moving, as Joshua and Adele's stories take shape, and they are pushed together and pulled apart over and over again. The battle system is alot more flexible than Vandal Hearts and alot more strategy is needed to beat all the monsters. Now, when you move, a monster moves at the same time, meaning you sometimes will have to guess where that monster will move and anticipate it's move.

The menu system in towns and on the world map has still been kept in use, but it cuts all the [garbage]out of a game, and leaves you heading in the direction you are supposed to. There is no confusion on where to go here, like in other games.

Overall this game is great, and if you love alot of reading, and a great story then I suggest you find a copy of this great game as soon as you can! ... Read more

Asin: B00001X50N
Sales Rank: 5460
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Role Playing Games    3. Sony Playstation (Play station)    4. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    5. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    6. Action Fantasy   

LUNAR 2: Eternal Blue
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM (23 December, 2000)
list price: $59.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue is old-school role-playing goodness at itsvery best. From the story to the simple battle system, it doesn't bore playerswith the details that can make newer role-playing games unbearable. No, Lunar2 won't impress anyone with its likewise old-school graphics, but that's notthe point. This game is fun.

The story in Lunar 2 doesn't take itself as seriously as otherrole-playing games, which contributes to the fun. The game's hero, Hiro, and hissidekick Ruby must help a young girl locate the goddess Althena. The quest turnsout to be long, spanning three disks, most of which hold full-motion videocutscenes.

The video sequences in Lunar 2 are probably the best part. They mixJapanese anime with computer graphics and are completely stunning. The in-gamegraphics, on the other hand, are ported straight from the 16-bit Sega CD, with afew enhancements, so those who like eye candy should consider themselves warned.--Robb Guido

Pros:

• Light and fun
• Super movie sequences that mix anime and computer graphics

Cons:

• Outdated graphics

... Read more

Reviews (101)

FLAWLESS!!!!!!!!!!
This game is really something else. the scheme of the battles are quite tactical and where you really have to think whats going on the the game. its amazing how that characters talk during the cut scenes, you really know what is going on. it exceeded past their first game Lunar: Silver Star Story complete. i cant wait to try thw one for the game boy advance!!!!!!!!!!!

FLAWLESS!!!!!!!!!!
This game is really something else. the scheme of the battles are quite tactical and where you really have to think whats going on the the game. its amazing how that characters talk during the cut scenes, you really know what is going on. it exceeded past their first game Lunar: Silver Star Story complete. i cant wait to try thw one for the game boy advance!!!!!!!!!!!

THE GREATEST GAME OF ALL TIME
when i first played this game i was amazed even though it was sorta poor graphics not the best graphics but still good onesthis game is a old school rpg i figured out about this game my friend brought it over and he was playing it so after he was done playing i wanted to try it when i first played most of the beginning of the game i was amazed i got pretty far then my friend left after a week or so i bought lunar 2 eternal bule complete i was amazed of the story of the game and how you battledthe key to playing and beating most bosses on lunar 2 is haveing tacticsif u can do that u will have a lot more easy time beating the game well that's all ... Read more

Asin: B00004RBQX
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Sony Playstation (Play station)    3. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    4. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    5. Great Deals (Outlet store)   

The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past
Average Customer Review:
Video Game (12 December, 2002)
list price: $34.99 -- our price: $20.95
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Got Game Boy Advance friends and a Game Link Cable? Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past is a retelling of the venerable series' first game with a quest for up to four players--all from one cartridge. The game is a mix of action and puzzles where Link must travel between the Light and Dark worlds to rescue Princess Zelda. ... Read more

Features

• Talk to all sorts of people and creatures to gain information about how to move forward in his quest.
• Fight enemies and battle through dangerous and complicated dungeons to recover key objects that open new areas.
• Wield swords throw bombs, perform dash attacks, lift and throw, and push and pull objects; acquire items that give additional abilities.
• In Four Swords, face puzzles that require the cooperation of two or more players to solve. They can exchange items, but they also will be competing to pick up as many Rupees as they can to increase their individual scores. It's a unique blend of cooperation and backstabbing.

Reviews (124)

A Great Game
I've always loved A Link To The Past.It's not too easy but not too hard.The graphics are good and it has a nice storyline to it.It's just fun!I only have one complaint about this game for the GBA (and it's a big one):
This version of the game comes with a new game, The Four Swords.The only problem is that it's a MULTIPLAYER GAME!I know multiplayer games are enjoyable for some people, but not everybody knows someone else who also has this game, so many of us are not even able to play the game, which sucks, because from pictures I've seen, it looks like a lot of fun.There should ALWAYS be a single player option!
Okay, I'm done whining now.

Jake Klingelhofer Gives this game two thumbs up!
This is a GREAT game. It takes a while to beat but is very fun and not very hard. it isn't really easy like Zelda: the Minish Cap, but not insanely hard like Zelda: the Wind Waker. A fun continous game with good music, good characters, and it's GREAT
all around. ON a scale from 1 to 10, i would give this game a 11!

Bugger Zelda, revive "Battle Of Olympus"
Zelda was a copy of Battle Of Olympus IMO. Both games very simmaler, and if you like Zelda you'd love B.O.O. ... Read more

Asin: B00006LELB
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Action    5. Adventure    6. Role Playing Games (Game, RPG, RPGs, CRPG, CRPGs)   

Secret of Mana
Average Customer Review:
Video Game

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Features

• It's a world turned upside down that you must help the warrior make right
• The Mana tree keeps good and evil in perfect balance
• A magic sword has tricked a young warrior into upsetting the balance
• Restore harmony by embarking on a dangerous journey to find the seeds of the Mara tree
• Magic swords release and fight evil; treasure chests hold booby traps; monsters are friends and enemies

Reviews (36)

magical
I was a teen when I played games on the Sinclair ZX 81 -Monster Maze!-, Atari 2600, Commodore 64, Philips Video system, Colecovision and so on. (I didn't own all systems by the way).
After that period, with having played a lot of games, I found the NES system to be quite odd, you could get almost the same quality games on your Commodore 64 by simply copy them on tape from a friend. And what was so special about that stupid Mario guy? (Not knowing then that 2 Mario games would become two of my favorite games ever)

I didn't play games for years untill I bought a Atari Lynx for a few quid with a bunch of games. (In 1995 I think it was) Atari had lost its battle in the videogame market, ruled by Nintendo and Sega, so you could find games for little money.
I didn't pay much attention to Sega and Nintendo, for me Atari was the real game experience.
The Atari Lynx broke when someone put the adapter-plug in the wrong ins (headphones!) and its screen burned. (Still haven't found a new (used) Atari Lynx).
3 years went by without playing games.

The first game I played after 3 long years was Secret of Mana for the Super Nintendo, borrowed from a friend who only played PC games like Quake and Doom.
At that time Nintendo had already its N64 system and Sony its Playstation.
I was playing a relatively old game, but I was drawn to it, loving its magical world and I didn't mind that its graphics weren't that good compared to my friend's PC games.
Secret of Mana was so much better than any game I played before!

You don't need state of the art graphics to get drawn into a world. I'm not that kinda guy who thinks that realistic and detailed graphics will ruin your imagination either and that 80's games beat every today's game (I don't get emotionally moved by Pacman, Riveraid, Frogger or Spy vs. Spy, how fun those games are...for half an hour that is).

Secret of Mana has just enough details to create an atmosphere and to give you a hint of a believable world, your imagination does the rest accompanied by a great music score that adds real depth to the game.
Even today the game is still great to play, as spoiled as I already am (by owning a N64 -with Zelda's Ocarina of Time- and a Gamecube) and I don't miss the latest graphics with this game.
(as I don't mis fab graphics when playing Riveraid). I played it a week ago and still love it.

What is great in this semi-RPG are the real-time action battles (I loath turn based RPG fights) but there's one thing quite annoying about this game and that is upgrading your magical skills.
It takes forever!!!Constantly spending the night in a hotel or consuming a fairy walnut to get your (magical) strengths back...for hours in total you are playing on automatic pilot.

But most important: the overall experience of this game (atmosphere, music and depth) is superb and I consider this game to be one of the best I ever played.

*looks over reviews* Are these for real?
Let's get something out of the way first: I thought this was the best game when I first played it back in 1994. But in that same year, I was also in fourth grade, so I didn't really know any better. I thought it had the best storyline and combat system. What a shame. It's only now that I realize how average this thing really is. And after looking over the reviews, claiming how this is the "single best game ever made", it makes me laugh. But then there are the people claiming this is the best SNES game out there. No. How dare you people place this above Super Mario World, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, or even Street Fighter 2 Turbo? Secret of Mana is just as overrated as that other horrid game, Final Fantasy 7.

The story of SoM is nothing special at all. You play a very stupid boy who falls from a log seemingly 500 feet above ground level. Somehow, he gets back on his feet, and decides that he needs to get back up there, probably so he can do it again. On his way back, he finds a sword...calling his name. He gets the sword (because there are bushes in his way. What a sissy), and all hell breaks loose...or so they try to make it seem. He cuts down the bushes, and encounters a rabbit. Only this rabbit spins right at him, and causes danger. So eventually, the boy makes it to his village and...oh hell, I'm already sick of writing this. But after the first 40 minute, the plot becomes non-existant. I tried replaying the game again just last week, to see if there was anything I might have missed, but there isn't. I really hope all the five star reviews here are from people who haven't completed the game. If they are, there's a problem with this country's people.

The characters are horrible. The boy says a few lines in the beginning, and near the end. That's about it. When you go to the status screen, you'll see that he has the lowest intelligence. Big surprise. The girl (these characters don't have a deafult name, so I'm just calling them what they're refered to in the instruction book) is the clich? daughter of a king who "doesn't understand her". To make matters worse, she's in love with a soldier who pretty much could care less if she died. Later on when he disappears, she says "I have to find him!" and that's about it. Some touching moment that was. Then there's The Sprite. This thing comes along with you for no reason at all. This is how it goes right before you get him in the party "hey, you should take the Sprite along! Here's his boomerang and bow!". There, that's the whole reason of him being in the party.

Combat wasn't that bad, but the AI is. If you don't have 2 other people to play this with, the AI is going to get itself killed more times than should be possible. What's funny is that sometimes the characters will get stuck behind a rock or something, and not even try to go around it. Also, you can charge your weapon's attack. For what reason, I have no idea. By the time they're done charging, the enemy is accross the screen on the other side, and you'll miss. Magic's the only decent thing here, as you're invincible when casting spells. Oh, you can only carry 4 of each item for some reason.

The music *shakes head*. There are MAYBE 4 good tracks here, but they're heard once or twice. I'm curious about the number of total tracks, as the same one is repeated for at least 6 different areas. Very lazy of you Square. You're better off just muting the tv and playing a CD. And the sound effects are just downright silly. When you deliver a fatal blow to an enemy, they make a squishy sound, and burst into a rain of what appears to be yogurt. I can't believe I thought this was cool back in the day...

If I could go back in time, I'd slap myself for thinking this was a good game. What was I thinking? The only people that can give this thing 5 stars are those that've never played an RPG before in their life, or Square fanboys who think everything they put out is great. There is one pro about owning this game: I can sell it for at least $40, which is going to end up happening. Go get Chrono Trigger, FFVI, EarthBound or Mario RPG instead.

Almost as good as Zelda III!
Anyone who has ever played "Zelda III:A Link to the Past" on the SNES knows what an excellent action/RPG game is supposed be.Secret of Mana is not quite as good as Zelda III, but it is no slouch either.Personally, I love this game!But I will say right not that this is not a particularly hard game to play, but it is very interesting and will keep you entertained.

I do not want to go into much detail about the story, but I will say this much.It is an action/RPG about a teenage boy who accidentally finds a magical, powerful sword embedded in a rock outside of his village.Suprisingly, the sword calls out to him and he ends up removing the sword.Little does he know that by doing that, he destroyed the protective seal around his village and monsters and other baddies move in and cause fear and chaos.When the villagers discover that he is responsible for the attack on their village, they banish the boy from his home, and he is forced to set out into the world to restore the peace and order.

Despite the fact that Secret of Mana is over 10 years old, and the graphics are outdated compared to today's polished, beautiful computer generated graphics, it can still hold itsown compared to other games made back then.Everything is bright, colourful and detailed (except for the characters who are not as detailed).The most impressive designs are those of the palaces.Each palace is created with such beautiful and intricate detail, that you will forget that the game was made over 10 years ago.

The magic system is pretty simple.You have two magic users in the game, the girl and the sprite.The girl uses magic that has healing or enhancement properties, and the sprite uses destructive/attack magic.Each spell comes from a different elemental creature, and there are 8 elements altogether:Fire, water, earth, air, moon, shade, light and mana.Throughout the game you will meet each elemental creature and he or she will bestow their powers upon you, giving you the ability to use their spells in battle.The more you use a spell the more powerful it becomes.You can track a spell's progress on the status screen in the menu.It will gain levels by decreasing increments (eg. To Level 1 - Increases by 0.1 each use, To Level 2 - Increases by 0.09 each use, to Level 3 - Increases 0.08 each use, etc.)This makes it more difficult to achieve more powerful spells causing you to use spells even when you don't need to in order to reach a higher level.In the end, all the trouble is well worth it.

The storyline of this game is fun, challenging, and not ridiculously linear like other RPGs.The three heroes in this game each have their own story, personality, strengths and weaknesses.Throughout the game they learn more about themselves, each other and the world in general.Another feauture of this game that is unique is that you can play with up to three other people.That feature alone makes the game a lot more enjoyable.There is a glitch in the game however.If any of the characters are controlled by the computer they will sometimes become stuck behind objects and you may have to restart the game.The music is wonderful.It is lively, fun and helps to bring out the game's true flavor.

Secret of Mana may not be the most difficult RPG to play, especially for seasoned RPGamers, but for anyone who owns it my advice is to hang on to it and treasure it.Don't do what I did and sell it for some money. As for anyone else who still owns an SNES and is looking for a great addition to their collection, trust me when I say you cannot go wrong with Secret of Mana. ... Read more

Asin: B000035Y2Q
Sales Rank: 6157
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Super Nintendo (SNES)    3. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)   

Vagrant Story
Average Customer Review:
CD-ROM

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Editorial Review

Vagrant Story is one of those games that wows you at thestart--a big "WOW!" in this case--but maintains only a tenuous hook inthe long haul. In this mix of action/adventure and fantasy role-playing,players are cast as a Riskbreaker (think one-man army) namedAshley Riot, whose pursuit of a villainous cult leader takes him to themysterious city of Lea Monde.

The highly stylized graphics in Vagrant Story are easily some ofthe best ever seen on the PlayStation, and give the game a gorgeous,distinctive look to match its somber tone. Cinematic story sequencesblend in almost seamlessly with gameplay, which takes place in 3-Denvironments (viewed from a third-person perspective) that can berotated to provide the best angle.

Vagrant Story features a rich battle system that's built on bothstrategy and quick reflexes. In addition to character statistics,weapons and armor have detailed numbers of their own and can bedisassembled, assembled, or even combined to create new items. Hand/eyecoordination factors heavily into combat, as Ashley develops offensiveand defensive battle abilities that require perfectly timed buttonpushing in order to be used.

Unfortunately, it's all too easy to get bored with VagrantStory. The painfully linear gameplay here doesn't rise abovekilling enemy after enemy in room after room, and (oh boy!) solvingpuzzles by manipulating boxes. If not for the wholly intriguing (butsparsely littered) plot, one would be strongly tempted just to leaveAshley to rot in the catacombs beneath Lea Monde. --Joe Hon

Pros:

• Highly stylized graphics
• Rich battle system
• Intriguing plot

Cons:

• Shallow, linear gameplay

... Read more

Features

• Good mix of action/adventure and fantasy role-playing
• Rich battle system
• For 1 player
• You are Ashley Riot, in pursuit of a villainous cult leader
• Highly stylized graphics and cinematic story sequences

Reviews (96)

Best Dungeon Crawler that i've played
If you want to know if this game is good or not without having to read paragraph upon paragraph just read this review. Bottem line is is that if you have some sort of Dungeon crawler fetish this is your thing. It's a dungeon crawler with heavy RPG elements and thats it. So if you like box puzzles (many many) and demons and such (many many). Not to mention that all you ever do is do the to of the above (no mini-games or diversion or nothing!) then this games for you (only one paragraph! ha:)

One of the Greatest Games Ever Made for Fantasy Fans
Recently on G4 Tech TV I was watching "Filter", and they were counting down the top 10 underrated games of all time, and to my amazement and joy, Vagrant Story was rated the #1 most underrated game ever. There could be no title more worthy, and it saddens me that it has a 4 star average here on Amazon, though it's not really suprising.

Vagrant Story was one of the final Square games to come out for the PS1, and went by almost unnoticed. I didn't actually play it until it was a couple of years old. The graphics are without doubt some of the best ever seen on the PS1. I wish we could have had voice overs in this game, but such things were still pretty uncommon on the PS1. The sound is very good, light on music and heavy on creepy, atmospheric sound effects that really enhance the feeling of being lost in the huge mazes of buildings, tunnels, and dungeons.

As it is, the dialogue is absolutely exceptional, and the story is complex, twisting, and really makes you think. Good and evil end up not being quite what you think they are. The story has a heavy emphasis on a religious, crusader/inquisition type group of characters, as well as incorporating sorcery and magic. I could never explain how great the story and characters of this game are...it's just magical. The world just sucks you in.

The entire game takes place in an old abandoned ghost town on an island called Lea Monde. It is one of the most phenomenal environments ever created for a game. Much of the game takes place underground in old tunnels, vaults, caves, storage areas, and a huge variety of buried rooms, but there are also many areas where you emerge and have to explore the city aboveground. The feeling of the game is very lonely, and the old abandoned town of Lea Monde is amazing to explore.

The amount of detail that was put into this game is just incredible, and it is evident at every moment just what a labor of love it was for those who made it. Not only is the game itself exceptional, but the plethora of details they incorporated makes it an all time classic. For example, on the map screen, every single room in the game (and there are a lot) has it's own unique name. There is one dungeon where every room (and there are at least 30) is named after an implement of torture! It's just great.

There is a huge variety of enemies, and an in game encyclopedia that fills up as you encounter them. Combat is very difficult, and it seemed to me at first even too difficult, but once you get the hang of it, this game has one of the most fun, and definitely most unique, combat systems ever devised. With each swing you take, you can choose where to aim on the enemy (left or right arm, legs, body, or head!), and depending on the enemy, armor, and what type of weapon you are using, you will have a different %chance of hit and damage. There are about 6 or 7 types of weapons (blunt, piercing, slashing, etc.) and a HUGE variety of different weapons within these categories. Within this there are different gems that can be attached to your weapons to make them more efficient against certain types of enemies, give them elemental attributes, etc.
Truly, this game has an almost intimidating amount of detail, but that's what makes it so great. You can armor all parts of your body, and every single weapon and every single piece of armor is customizable by combining lesser weapons and armor in workshops that can be found among Lea Monde. Materials range from course materials like wood and iron early in the game to silver and platinum materials later. Weapons have to be created and specialized in for different creature types. For example, I usually had a spear I used against dragons, a holy mace and a holy dagger for undead and zombies, and an axe that was most effiecent against humanoid creatures. Plus, you can actually name every weapon you create, which adds an awesome finishing touch to your arsenal.

There is so much about this game that is great that I could go on for another hour and hardly scratch the surface. This game is thought provoking, its deep, and it is CHALLENGING. Not for wimps! There is so much to explore, so many hidden features, such endless customization, this game just never gets old. And, it has a new game plus feature, so you can replay it with all the skills, equipment, and magic you've acquired. Damn, I didn't even touch on the magic...there is a huge variety of magic spells you can learn as well!
I've played through it probably 3 times over the past few years, and it remains fun every time I play, and I still haven't maxed out Ashley Riots potential.

This game may not be for everyone. It is hard, confusing, and very deep. But for those of you that love fantasy games, a good story, great characters and dialogue, tons of character/equipment customization, and a big challenge, give this game a try. You can get it for cheap now, and even though it's a little dated, it may be one of your best game purchases in quite awhile.

On a final note, I'm thrilled to know that the people who are responsible for this game and for Final Fantasy Tactics are the main creative force working on Final Fantasy XII right now. It should be phenomenal! I can't wait.

Both Good and Bad
I hardly even know where to begin when it comes to an overrated game that turns out to collect dust in my room.I bought Vagrant Story over a year ago.Tried it, like the battle system, and then found myself hating it.

The game play goes as follows: You start in a dungeon...there are cut scenes from time to time, but none of them make any sense...you run around by monsters and fight.You see the monsters as you are fighting them as there are no random battles.A menu pops up after you click near a monster such as, Head: 0, 100%, Right Leg: 2, 85% and so on.From there you choose which part of the body you want to attack.Sometimes you make NO hit points against the monsters because you have to work up your weapons for each type of monster.And it is impossible to make a master weapon against all monsters.More than one weapon has to be leveled up for different monsters, and many times weapons have to be changed in midst battle which is annoying.The other complaint I had in this game is that the only way you can heal yourself is either finding a save point or using a curing item.This doesn't sound so bad, but curing items CANNOT be purchased.Instead they only can be found fighting monsters.I never seemed to have enough curing items.By the end of the game, things still didn't seem to make sense.The conclusions were unsatisfying and overall pain in the neck.

The last complaint I have of this game is the feeling I got from playing it.The color scheme is bad.Everything was shades of brown or blacks and occasional greens and reds.It was a depressing feel to it, and it seemed like I never saw the light in that game.

However, I can still give this game some credit.I believe that it was an attempt of a good thing.There were bad qualities about it that if only fixed a little, this game could've been great.The battle system was actually fun at times, but when things got tough and a new type of monster approached, it took way too long to level up a weapon.
I thought for its time, the cut scenes looked nice.There are no special movies throughout the game, just a short one as an intro before you start your game up.

It is possible to enjoy this game.I found myself struggling through it, but I knew a couple who actually half ways liked it.It isn't a masterpiece in my eyes, but it had potential I think that didn't see the light of day.

Pros:
Innovative battle system
Well done cut scenes for its time
New Game Plus + feature

Cons:
Dull game, hardly any change of scenerybesides dungeons and boxes
Confusing Plot - (yet it was deep)
Bad color scheme: browns, browns, tans, green,and more browns
Annoying weapon level up system

Estimated time to complete game in a quicker runthrough: 20 - 30 hours.
Detailed gameplay estimated time to complete: 30 - 50 hours. ... Read more

Asin: B00004SPW9
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Sony Playstation (Play station)    3. PSX (PS1 PSOne PS (1 one I)    4. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)    5. Adventure   

Actraiser
Average Customer Review:
Video Game

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Reviews (3)

I like Actraiser, a lot.
I've always thought Actraiser was one of the better games released on the SNES.The building portion of the game is a lot like SimCity (if I remember correctly), which I always enjoyed so if you don't like that you might not like this game.The action part was kind of like Castlevania.First you do an action level, then you build, then boss-action, then action, then build, etc.Once you beat it the first time you can play just the action levels again.I thought it was pretty impressive graphically and it had a pretty good soundtrack (especially the second level, Blood Lake or something).

I always felt this was a very solid game, and if I weren't so poor I'd probably buy a copy of it to play again.

Fun at first,but it tends to get boring quickly
you create things.That's about it.You also fight these little flying lizard-things that pour our of a hole in the ground until you build a building over it.This game will keep you entertained for about an hour,then it gets boring quickly.My advice is to rent the game before buying it.

Original fun.
I enjoyed this game when it was initially released with three other people, they just watched, as if the game was a fantasy movie unfolding. Challenging and satisfyingly graphical for its time, Actraiser is better than its sequel.It is simple fun and diverse, with several levels and great background music.Worth having. ... Read more

Asin: B000035XYC
Sales Rank: 5271
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Super Nintendo (SNES)    3. Role Playing Games (Game, rpg, rpgs)   

Sword of Mana
Average Customer Review:
Video Game (01 December, 2003)
-- our price: $28.95
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Ring Command system gives easy access to the game menus
• Master a variety of weapons
• For 1 player
• Adventure game with a strong RPG flavor
• Play as either hero or heroine each with unique strengths and weaknesses

Reviews (36)

Decent adventure title for the GBA or DS.
I remember how great Final Fantasy Adventure was, which was really part 1 of the mana saga, and how wonderful the Secret of Mana was for the Super Nintendo.

Now comes Sword of Mana, which is the 4th in the series, and its magic doesnt hold up to the older games.

The gameplay of sword play and magic is standard fare and does nothing to dazzle you. Same goes for the story which is a rehash of Final Fantasy Adventure. The game is fun but nothing memorable which is a departure from Square games which usually leave a dramatic lasting effect.

The main problem with this game is that a strategy guide is almost mandatory for all the items, spells, seeds, fruits, vegetables, etc. The crafting, forging, level up classes, and stats are all way too complicated for what they are.
It seems that Square thought we were all stat obsessed and item hunters/gatherers with this game.

All in all its a fun and short adventure but nothing that will go down as a classic like Secret of Mana or the Legend of Zelda games.

Alright
Sword of Mana is a fun game too play for a while. But the background music is annoying. And after your done playing this game you wouldn't want too play it again since there's no replay value.

One of the Best RPG Games Ever
This game was a lot of fun (even though I still can't beat it).One of the things that I was suprised at most was how cool the graphics were.Okay, you're charachter does look a little dopey, but the landscapes and everything were awesome.Also, once you've beaten the game once, you can play again as the other person (boy or girl).The basic storyline is the same and everything, but you get different side quests to do and such.The music was nice too, but after you play it for about 4 hours straight you're going to have to turn on the radio or something.It's really repetitive!The story line is fun and although the shows are really long, it's still worth it to find out what happens next.Oh yah, being an advanced wizard in the game is really fun too, haveing all the annoying little spirits.This game overall is really cool and is worth your money.I would recomend it to people 12 and up and people without any siblings (my brothers steal this game all the time so they can play it). ... Read more

Asin: B0000BX8M6
Sales Rank: 2548
Subjects:  1. Video Games    2. Nintendo Game Boy Advance (Gameboy)    3. GBA    4. Role Playing Games (Game, RPG, RPGs, CRPG, CRPGs)