Reviews for Final Fantasy Anthology

Final Fantasy Anthology

Strengths: Depth, story, fun

Weakness: Sometimes slow moving

You get two classic games in one, without having to dust off that old SNES system. They are still enjoyable even years later. I totally recommend these games to anyone that likes console RPGs. It's not all about eye candy, it's about fun.

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Strengths: If you enjoyed the US release of Final Fantasy 3 for SNES, this is a must have. This game includes both that game (FF3 US release) and an unreleased FF game which falls between FF2 and FF3 (US release

Weakness: You have to get over the dated graphics and sound. There are a few minor issues with accurate PS emmulation of SNES.

As I said above, this is a must have for all Final Fantasy fans. This game is classic RPG. If you were frustrated by the multitude of stats in ff8 or the thin story of X2 then it is time to return to innocense and buy this game. It has a story rich in human interaction and while the graphics aren't the latest or greatest, you will find this game engaging to pick up and play, and you will actually start to care about your characters. Whats more, in this game the characters actually grow and change, they are not one dimmensional plot holders...
Definitely a must have

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2 more fantasies

Strengths: 2 great games for the price of one. New CG cinematics.

Weakness: None really except that the games are fairly old now.

Final Fantasy Anthology is a collection of both Final Fantasy 5 and Final Fantasy 6. Final Fantasy 5 was never released here in the U.S. until now. Final Fantasy 6 was originally released here as Final Fantasy 3 on the Super Nintendo. FF 6 is the better of the 2 games and is still a classic RPG. Everthing you loved from the old days is back with new cinemas as well. FF 5 is a good game though but not as entertaining as 6. Since Square re-released these games, both can now be had for a descent price and are much easier to find. If you missed out on these games the first time or just want to relive them, pick up Final Fantasy Anthology.

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Strengths: Two classic NES games that have improved for the PS1. Great retro gameplay. Very good storylines.

Weakness: Slow emulation SW of NES on Playstation. Short, but consistent, delays between battles are annoying.

With Final Fantasy Anthology, Square brings two of the NES video game gems to the Playstation. In comparison to modern games, don't expect great graphics or sound. Remember, these games are the original NES games being emulated on the Playstation. As such, the sprite graphics and MIDI sound that were cutting edge in the early 90's are dated. However, if you're looking at this collection, you're looking to relive some of the best games ever put out by Square on the NES. As such, you realize that storyline and gameplay are the keys to what makes them classics. In Chrono Trigger, you play as Chrono in a story that sends him back and forth through time to save his world. Truly a gem of a game. While not my favorite, Final Fantasy 4 shows many of the qualities that permeat the modern Square RPGs. The storyline of the Dark Knight Cecil's rebellion against his wayward kingdom is interesting for the most part. Additionally, Square provided new CG cutscenes as an incentive for the package; however, they add little to the overall experience.

Overall, the collection is a winner for those looking to relive past glories.

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Strengths: Epic, Solid RPG, Great Music, CLassic gaming, new FML-cinemas

Weakness: Load times, some emulation problems

A gamer will only be satisfied playing Final Fantasy Anthology if he knows what he's in for. FOr one thing, there are loading times. Sure, this is normal for any Playstation gane, but who wants to wait for a battle (which should be a sudden, swift event- you've been attacked!) to kind of crawl into action? True, there is a cool new fade effect that launches the battle, but it seems to only add to the amount of time one must wait to fight. On the SNES, it would be instantaneous. Bing-Bang-Battle. You're there. I know I'm nitpicking, but seriously, think about it. How long should a 32-bit system like the Playstation have to load the data for a battle in a game that is considerably inferior to many PSX games. I mean, the entire SNES game file is under 3 MB! You would think the entire game could be loaded ONCE and played all off the console memory! Still, I've heard time and again that the PSX doesn't handle 2-d graphics well, and that issue may contribute to the problem, but I wasn't prepared to sit very long for a battle that takes up around 110k of data or something.

Otherwise, the game is mostly fine. Many consider FFVI to be one of the best, if not THE best FF out there. The story is epic, the characters are developed, the plot is engrossing, and the music is FANTASTIC. Modern game developers- TAKE A HINT! Good graphics do not make the game. FFV, on the other hand, is a FF previously unreleased in America, and utilizes the job system later seen (though not totally identical) in FF Tactics. The story is also good, but not quite as spectacular as FFVI. The music in FFV, while not as incredible as other FFs, is rather good on it's own merit. I personally like the flavor of the music, particularly in the basslines, which give the music a unique flair and catchy touch. Though the music isn't quite as accesible as other FF OSTs, I find it appealing for it's own, distinct reasons. Overall, FFV is a well made, solid RPG, Square blew the roof off the genre with FFIV (not included in with Anthology) and VI. Still, the fact that the game is acctually FFV AND FFVI is alone enough of a reason to get some good gaming in- these games are long and will take up as much time as one is willing to feed it. And they are good games. Plus the cinemas add a very cool, stylish touch that should draw the player even further into the story. That is, as long as one can get past the "old-school" graphics, loading times, and occasional emulation errors (PS2 owners- beware!).
In a world of 128-bit gaming (and what's to come) 16-bit nostalgia games such as Final Fantasy Anthology only have as much value as the gamer is willing to put on it. FFV and VI are meant for the SNES. On the Playstation, it's as if they are tourist, away from their home. They don't know how to behave as they once did. This is simply the case in Anthology. It's a great way to experience these classics, but it's not really the best it could have been.
If you loved the RPGs of the SNES and have a PSX, sure. It's a great buy and a two-pack of masterpieces. If not, it's worth your time and money to by-pass nostalgia and look for the newer, next generation RPG epic like FFX and Suikoden III that will not only provide you with provides a lot of value, but takes advatage of it's NATIVE hardware.

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Strengths: Graphics, Storyline, Cinematics

Weakness: Price, still no final fantasy III.

Please SquareSoft, bring back Final Fantasy III, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest, and Radical Dreamers. Perhaps put them together in another 2 pack or all the games in a DVD for PS2.

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Strengths: great collectible from a company with a history of greatness

Weakness: old game...one of the best when it was originally released for the SNES...but the standard has been redefined by sequals of the same series.

If you love the Final Fantasy series and Square games as much as I do, then this is a "must have" game. Initially, I bought FFII (SNES release of FFIV) as a collector item, but then Square comes out with FF Anthology...what a treat! In my belief I could pick it up off eBay sometime when I had time to actually play it, I was befuddled to find the price was as much as $80. It was music to my ears when I caught wind of the rumor from EGM that it was being re-released as a "Greatest Hits" title only a few short weeks before I was to take an additional mortgage on the house. ...Cancel all eBay bids. it is here again...and at an affordable price!

I really cannot comment on the game itself as I have not played it. In fact, I may never play it. ...But to own it... yes, it’s a status symbol. It signifies you are a true fan of Square and their RPG making genius.

If you are NOT a true die-hard fan, but would like to play a Square RPG, then I wouldn’t recommend this game. Leave this game to the collectors. Pick up a copy of FFVII or FFIX. These are games that have large bandwagon support and have more replay value and fun games within games. Also, you are less likely to get frustrated with the repetitious RPG gameplay style. The stories are great and there’s plenty of help everywhere you look on the Internet.

In conclusion, I have to rate this game high...as a collector. This wouldn’t be a game I would run out to buy if I wasn’t, and I don’t recommend that you do either. If you have it and are not enjoying it, hold on to it if you can afford it. The collectibility and value are bound to go up as soon as the hype of its re-release subsides.

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Top of the Class

Strengths: + Collects two Final Fantasy Games - FF5 and FF6(one of the best rpgs ever)

Weakness: - load times for every random battle - the added cutscenes aren't impressive at all

If you consider yourself an rpg fan, then you must either play this game or go get the Super Nintendo versions of it. Final Fantasy Anthology is made up of Final Fantasy 5 and 6 which both originally appeared during the days of the Super Famicon/Super Nintendo.

The graphics are the same as the old versions (so everything is done in 2D, pixelated sprites). Even so, Final Fantasy 6 is still impressive to look at; towns are jampacked with tiny details. The stories are epic and the characters have their own little backstories and secret missions.

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The Best Fantasy AND How To Fix the Load Time Problem

Strengths: best story - tons of characters - great battles

Weakness: starting to show its age

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.

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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.

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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.

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More Classic Gaming For Your Dollar!

Strengths: Final Fantasy 5 and Final Fantasy 6 in one package, direct port of the original Final Fantasy 3 for SNES, great load times, and both are solid RPGs through and through.

Weakness: Direct port of Final Fantasy 3, insanely poor translation for Faris in Final Fantasy 5, some Mode 7 porting issues for Final Fantasy 6.

FF5 and FF6 for $20 or less. Honestly, there's no reason not to buy this collection, especially now. But, if you want some reasons, feel free to read onward.

Final Fantasy 5: This is the first time FF5 has been available in the US. The graphics are slightly better than FF4, which came out early on in the Super Famicom's lifespan, but the music is still high quality. The plot is interesting as well and, in addition, the Job System makes replaying the game and getting into random battles interesting, fun, and appreciated. There are few RPGs where getting into a random battle makes you happy, but FF5 is an exception to that.

Final Fantasy 6: One of the greatest RPGs for the Super Nintendo, ported in all of its 16-bit glory. Everything is intact, from the graphics to the story to the gameplay. The only downfall is that some scenes in the game look a tiny bit funky due to the use of Mode 7 on the SNES and the emulation of that particular component on the PS1 is still a bit off. Otherwise, though, everything is spot-on and the collection is well worth the money for this game alone.

For the minor downfalls, though, the font used in FF5's translation is different in comparison to almost every Final Fantasy game released in the US. It's not that big of a problem but it tends to be a bit annoying. That's more of a fanboy-ish complaint, though. One major problem, though, is the translation they gave to Faris in FF5. It sort of makes Faris more of a comedic character than anything else, which is a shame because Faris is sort of anything but most of the time. But, to mention more would spoil the plot quite a bit, so I really should stop there.

In summation, Final Fantasy Anthology has a slight downfall or two here and there but, overall, is worth every single penny, especially now that it has been part of the Greatest Hits line for well over a year. Just pick it up. You won't regret it.

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Strengths: Continuation of series, storyline, combat system

Weakness: some of the graphics

As a fan of the FF series, this was a must have. Once I played through, I was not disappointed in the least. It was exactly as I expected. However, if you are not used to the series or only the newer releases to it, then you may think it was lacking. However, with the V & VI in this package, there is no way you can go wrong. One was never released in the US before this. The other has the real time battle system which is what has been used in the later games. I would highly recommend this game to any fan of the series!!!

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Strengths: It has Final Fantasy 5 and 6 on one disc with new cutscenes.

Weakness: The graphics could turn off a few people.

Final Fantasy Anthology for PSX is a collection of two Final Fantasy RPGs. What you get here is Final Fantasy 5 and 6. Final Fantasy 6 is the better of the two games. Final Fantasy 5 was a average Final Fantasy game. Nothing to spectacular or memorable in it.

Give the game 3 stars if you don't like old graphics, 4 stars if you like decent collection of RPGs, and 5 stars if you are a Final Fantasy fan.

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Strengths: FFVI and FFV in one package, great storyline, greatest soundtrack of all time (FFVI), character databases, old school gameplay.

Weakness: Graphical glitches, slowdown, tinny sound effects, slow load times, dated graphics.

In my own humble opinion, Final Fantasy VI (or III if you prefer) is not only the greatest RPG of all time, but the greatest video game of all time. PERIOD. So whenever I can get my hands on a FFVI product in any shape or form, I am happy. The graphics were mind blowing at the time (they still hold up quite well), the story and cast of characters were unforgettable and the soundtrack was revolutionary (a distinct theme for each character, the Ave Maria opera and the interwoven 20-minute ending suite). Not to mention other RPG innovations like Sabin's blitz attacks which utilized Street Fighter 2 control mechanics. It was nice to get my hands on this game again on Playstation. I mainly got it for FFVI so to me it was like getting FFV thrown in for free. The newly thrown in CG movies are nice additions but don't really add too much to the game, the meat and potatoes is still the 2D nostalgia and old school gameplay. There are other interesting tidbits like statistical information (how many steps you took, etc.) and enemy character databases. While the games still stand the test of time, the Playstation versions are marred somewhat by poor emulation. There are numerous graphical glitches and plaguing slowdown. For some reason, the sound effects are actually worse in CD format. I could forgive these minor faults but the killer is the long load times. I can stand load times in between story sequences but it's inexcusable when I have to wait 5-seconds everytime I want to go to the menu system and use a heal potion or equip some armor. Although I'm irritated by these problems, it's still Final Fantasy VI. And since finding the original SNES cartridges is nearly impossible and cost prohibitive (upwards of hundreds if we're talking about mint and complete), I'd have to recommend this package, especially for all the gamers who have yet to experience the splendor of Final Fantasy VI.

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Strengths: Two classic RPGs at a great price

Weakness: Load times; sound quality suffered a bit

Final Fantasy VI is one of the best of the FF series, and pioneered a lot of features that would show up in later generation FF titles. The story and graphics were some of the best for its time. While FFV didn't age quite as well, it still has some of the best gameplay in the series to offer.

The Anthology versions have the bonus of new CG movies. On the flipside, the sound quality suffers a bit compared to the original cart versions, and there are some annoying load times to deal with. Still a great buy for those who don't have access to the original SNES versions.

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Strengths: 2 FF Games

Weakness: Can be Slow, Graphics

If you enjoy RPG's, this is definitely a good game. Otherwise, Final Fantasy fans should also have this because it combines great games from the past. The only negative is the old graphics but the gameplay can make up for it.

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Well final fantasy VI is one of my favorite RPGs and with the enhanced graphics and CGI animation the game is even better. It is a classic. I haven't had time to play final fantasy V but hope to do so soon. I recommend this game to any RPG fan, it has a really good story line and tons of characters.

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Final Fantasy Anthology

Final Fantasy Anthology receives an overall TopTenREVIEWS rating of 3.31 out of 4.00. It is ranked the #1,188 game of all time, #25 game of 1999 for the PlayStation and #70 PlayStation game of all time. The rating and ranking is based on an average of 17 critic scores, awards and other criteria. To see a breakdown of the game ranking, read individual critic reviews, or see how other games ranked,...

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Final Fantasy Anthology

With its sweeping cinemas, detailed character designs and a whole bucketload of options, it's hard to recall the days when small sprite characters and 16-bit soundtracks ruled the RPG roost.

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