Final Fantasy IV PSP Bound...

Help Cecil Become a Paladin... Again. How many more times can the world help this guy out?

Final Fantasy IV is apparently being tuned up further and will be coming out on the PSP sometime next year. The plus side of this is it will also include the stories from the After Years sequel, which was released as Wii Ware some time ago. So even better graphics, more story... is that enough to warrant another purchase?

Really, how many more times does a single game need to be remade? My only interest in this little bundle up is the After Years stories, but I am wondering if I will pick this game up again for the 100th time now. I will admit that I am looking for more good stuff for my poor PSP, which does a fantastic job of catching dust particles around my apartment...

But I do admit this: I share similar feelings with many others who have questioned why Final Fantasy IV is remade again, but not games like Final Fantasy VII or more importantly to me, Final Fantasy VI! I think that one, above all else, would be a hell of a game to remake! Why doesn't that game get a bit more love?

FINAL FANTASY IV

Old news, yes...

But still, I've been reading snippets of info on this most recent remake of Final Fantasy IV and I cannot wait to play it. This is even after playing through the SNES, PS1 and GBA versions. Isn't that something?

I probably wouldn't have cared so much about this if it weren't for the fact that everything changed for me after seeing Final Fantasy III in action. Then after finding out that that was how Square-Enix was to make FFIV, oh man. I'm a fan all over again!

Now, pictured above is probably the boss that I personally have the most (frustrating) memories of. The Magus Sisters.

In later years, they proved to be no problem in dealing with for me. But back when I first picked up this game, their Delta Attack absolutely murdered my party. I remember battles dragging onward for over an HOUR at times. Yes, I know that proves how incredibly shitful my ability to play RPGs were, but I will never forget the hell I experienced with this sibling triad.

As for the most memorable part of this story, I think it is a toss up. There are so many! Such as the first time you acquire your airship. That feeling as the airship takes off for the first time is just absolutely f***ing awesome! Or when Kain appears and begins to fight Cecil during the Red Wings' attack on Yang's hometown. Speaking of Cecil, his journey and subsequent battle against himself (Paladin vs. Dark Knight), where the light prevails and the Paladin emerges. Or when Palom and Porum sacrifice themselves in order to save the team in Castle Baron. OK and maybe even the part when the truth behind the relationship between Cecil and Golbez is revealed.

Even with a list that I can probably keep adding to, I think I can actually pick out my favorite part of the story. And the more I think about it, the more convinced I am that it is a clean cut winner in my book. My favorite scene/battle was when Rydia returns to aid the party after disappearing during the Leviathan attack. She clearly had aged and she became increasingly more powerful then when she was a kid. Besides that, once you get the power of Bahamut, she can easily hold her own.

So many memories and so little time left! I think the American release for it is next month, which is coming around the corner and fast! Now I know I could try and get a hold of the Japanese version to be able to play it now. But after buying the Suikoden I & II game for PSP (and ultimately feeling like a lost puppy), I have come to the conclusion that I will just wait for the game I can actually read and understand.

Spoony Bard!

Fantasy On The Brain

It seems as though all the games that are exciting to me these days are truly Final Fantasy games. I guess to anyone else, I might even sound a little obsessed these days. I can't help it, I mean I've literally grown up with the series and the game that I intend to write about was the very first fantasy I ever encountered.

Final Fantasy IV that is (or Final Fantasy 2 as I knew it back then. Pictured below is the FFIV - FFII I remember as a kid.)

I remembered the first time I started up in that game. Truth be told, I hated it and I actually didn't even bother with it until maybe a few years later. Back then I was more into Super Mario games and stuff like that, so RPGs were entirely foreign to me.

But man, once I got into it and really began to understand what was happening... talk about taking the bait, hook, line and sinker.

It was because of this game in particular, that I've actually stuck to playing video games for all of these years. Every single time I swear that I was done and through with games, a new fantasy would be released and I'd all too quickly find myself buying whatever was necessary and before long, I'd be playing like an addict that desperately sought his fix.

What has me so amped up about this game (all over again) is it's re-release and totally make over for the DS. While yes, I was initially getting jittery upon learning about this remake's existence, it wasn't until I had a few encounters with the remade Final Fantasy 3 (for DS) that really showed me what lies ahead for FFIV.

Talk about bombardment of fantasies here! I think after Crisis Core and Final Fantasy 7, the next phase is to finished off, once and for all, FFIV & FFVI and then onto FFIII. Hell, maybe I'll even give Final Fantasy Tactics another go, just for old time's sake.

Yes, yes... I think I am beginning to sound as though I am lightly obsessed with this series. But like I said, I just can't help myself anymore! And to top it off, there is always Final Fantasy XIII looming at the ending of this year!!

Final Fantasy IV... AGAIN

While I have been playing this game for most of my life it seems (SNES, PS1, GBA), I must admit that I am still thrilled to see this thing being "remade." So yes, I am a sucker for it and I am making people rich because of it... but still!

I remembered reading about it a while back, but tonight is the very first time I've seen any videos of it. And let me just say this...

It looks freakin' awesome!

But it gets me to wonder now and I mean seriously take a few moments of lifetime here and really think. When will Chrono Trigger ever get the love it rightfully deserves? Maybe if it gets renamed to Final Chrono Trigger Fantasy, maybe then it will be remade or re-released?

Oh well, maybe someday in the (hopefully) not-so distant future. If not, DAMN YOU SE!!! (Heh, that last line reminds me of my FFXI days). JP ONRY!!

Or, as one of my friends on there would love to say, CHOCOBO ONRY!

I think I'm *very* slowly beginning to miss that game too. Then again, there are a million games coming out this month that looks interesting to me. So I guess the online FF will just have to take the backseat and wait just a long while longer.