- Combines two full RPGs that provide over 30 hours of gameplay each.
- Includes computer generated movie sequences created exclusively for this release.
- Both games incorporate monster summoning magic later used in Final Fantasy 7.
- The variety of "job" skills allows players to mix and match many different abilities to create custom characters.
- The "Esper" magic system allows characters to cast over 90 different magic spells.
Product Description
-------------------
Final Fantasy Anthology incorporates two of the most beloved
FINAL FANTASY titles ever published. First released as FINAL
FANTASY III in the U.S., FINAL FANTASY VI brings back all of the
qualities that made it the best selling RPG of its time, and adds
a few bonuses unique to this re-release. The second title in this
compilation, FINAL FANTASY V, is seeing its first ever release in
the U.S. Featuring an innovative 'Job' system and a story that
will take the player to different worlds, this title will finally
show U.S. gamers what they have been missing. If you are new to
the FINAL FANTASY universe, pick up Anthology as way of getting
to know the series that has garnered the praise of millions. If
you are already a fan, pick it up to relive the magic once again.
.com
----
Showcasing two installments of SquareSoft's wildly popular
role-playing game (RPG) series, Final Fantasy Anthology features
the U.S. debut of Final Fantasy V, and reintroduces one of the
best RPGs of all time, Final Fantasy VI, originally released as
Final Fantasy III on the Super Nintendo gaming system.
Both games are straight Super Nintendo conversions, so their 2-D
graphics and 16-bit sounds are admittedly subpar by PlayStation
standards. However, SquareSoft has added brand-new, beautifully
animated movies for both titles, and has given Final Fantasy VI
the star it deserves by adding a bonus mode where
gamers can access loads of supplementary material, such as
artwork and data files on the game's monsters and items.
While Final Fantasy V is one of weaker entries in the series,
Final Fantasy VI alone is totally worth the price of Final
Fantasy Anthology. Endearingly melodramatic characters, a
genuinely epic story line, and rock-solid gameplay make Final
Fantasy VI just as absorbing today as it was when it was Final
Fantasy III. --Joe Hon
Pros:
* Brand-new animated movies
* 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
stayed unreleased
Review
------
When Square re-released classic SNES Final Fantasy titles for
the PlayStation in Japan, the more cynical minded accused the
company of milking its core franchise; after all, the titles were
repackaged with negligible gameplay enhancements and extras. But
when Square announced the US release of Final Fantasy V and VI -
combined as Final Fantasy Anthology - well, that's a horse of a
different color, isn't it? After all, the series didn't hit it
big in the US until Final Fantasy VII, and many gamers never
played the Super Nintendo installments. Moreover, one of the
titles, Final Fantasy V, is coming to the US for the first time
ever. So how does the Anthology stack up? As a historical
monument of two genre landmarks, it is fantastic; as two
individual RPG titles, each is a masterpiece of gameplay and
storytelling; but as a modern collection of classic titles, the
package falls unfortunately short.
Before its arrival in the anthology, Final Fantasy V was
announced and canceled for a US release no fewer than three
times. The fourth announcement was the charm, however, and many
gamers' favorite Final Fantasy has finally hit the States. So
what was the big fuss about? Certainly not the storyline. Unlike
the more "modern" Final Fantasies - VI, VII, and VIII - Final
Fantasy V features paper-thin characters, a trite and clichéd
plot, and hours of fetch quests uninterrupted by character
development or plot twists. The endearingly poor translation
doesn't help things, either; it reads like a cross between
early-'90s shoddiness and late-'90s "attitude." Think Working
Designs without the proofreading - or the humor - and you're
close. Making matters worse is that since the game's original
nonrelease in 1993, there have been two separate fan translations
of the entire game - and both are vastly superior to Square's
"official" effort. Yet despite the mediocrity of plot, dialogue,
and everything else modern RPGs are so dependent on, there's
something that keeps gamers coming back to Final Fantasy V time
and time again: rock-solid gameplay.
Final Fantasy V delivers one of the series' most in-depth and
detailed game systems: the job system. Each character can be
assigned one of 22 possible jobs or classes. Choices range from
traditional classes, like knights, wizards, lancers, and thieves,
to more esoteric ones, such as chemists, dancers, sorcerers, and
trainers. Each class has certain innate skills and abilities
(ninjas can use two s, thieves have high agility, wizards
can cast their variety of magic, and so forth). Ability points
earned from battle increase the job's level and you'll eventually
gain secondary abilities. Each class can then "equip" a single
earned ability. This flexibility can lead to powerful
combinations: A knight can use the ninja's "equip two s"
ability and then wield a heavy in each hand. A monk can use
the knight's "wear heavy armor" skill to become a defensive
powerhouse. This level of flexibility and ability to customize is
what has endeared the job system to many players.
Final Fantasy VI was many gamers' first entry to the world of
traditional Japanese RPGs. Even today, its characters and
storyline are a high mark for the entire genre. Final Fantasy VI
marks the series' turn towards more mature storylines and
well-developed characters; the super-deformed graphics an
exceedingly well-formed story. Over 14 characters join your party
- the most of any Final Fantasy game - and they have their own
story, motivations, and side quests. Final Fantasy VI is an
absolutely massive RPG, and even a skilled player will take 40 to
50 hours to uncover all of its secrets.
Final Fantasy VI lacks the detailed system of Final Fantasy V but
more than compensates with its large number of unique characters.
Each party member has a special technique to use in battle. Sabin
the r has Street Fighter-style button combinations; Cyan
has his techniques; Terra the half-Esper can morph into a
more-powerful form, and so forth. You are encouraged to
frequently switch party members and sample everything the
characters have to offer.As mid- to late-generation 16-bit
titles, these games' presentations have slightly suffered. The
gameplay remains rock solid, but the graphics appear dated and
old-fashioned. Players used to Final Fantasy VIII's six-head-tall
characters may be initially put off by the SNES games' squat
sprites; players drawn to Final Fantasy VII and VIII for the eye
candy will be more than disappointed. Open-minded gamers who
understand what they're getting into should have no trouble
slipping into the retro-groove, however. Even today, the games
stand as masterworks of 2D design.The music, amazingly, has only
improved with time. Hearing series composer Nobuo Uematsu's
masterworks is a revelation; that such orchestral majesty was
wrought from the Super Nintendo's primitive sound hardware is
mind shattering. Unfortunately, the emulation process has
slightly garbled some of the instruments and sound effects;
careful listeners can discern an overall tinniness not present in
the SNES versions.In their haste to bring these classic titles to
market, Square has skimped slightly on the presentation. Unlike
most classic compilations, there is very little in the way of
extras. Final Fantasy V and VI both feature a brief rendered
introduction and ending, and Final Fantasy VI features an "omake"
mode with a monster encyclopedia, battle history, and art
gallery. The games themselves are untouched from their original
SNES incarnations; aside from the bit of load time here and
there, you might as well be playing the original cartridges. The
one included extra is an OSV soundtrack of songs reportedly
culled from a survey of Square Soft fans. Unfortunately, the
survey results posted at Square's web site show that fans' votes
were entirely ignored, and the music disc contains as many
stinkers as it does glaring omissions.Mediocre packaging and
emulation quirks aside, it's hard not to like Final Fantasy
Anthology. Gamers get two of the deepest, greatest RPGs ever
created for less than the price of a single new game - it's hard
to argue with that sort of value. Whether you've waited five
years for Final Fantasy V or just finished your first Final
Fantasy, the Final Fantasy Anthology is sure to entertain.
--Andrew Vestal
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