AUTHOR'S NOTE: Final Fantasy IV was released for the GameBoy: Advance back in 1991. However, in 2007/2008, a revamped version entitled Final Fantasy IV (DS) was released for the Nintendo DS: Lite, and that specific version of the game is the one that I will be reviewing in this article. Thank you for taking a moment to look at this note.
Final Fantasy IV (DS) was a version of the original Final Fantasy IV with revamped graphics that was released for the Nintendo DS: Lite system around the years 2007 and 2008. It had a few new basic innovations, including a leveling system for a specific summoning creature, but other than that it managed to satisfy the player's need for nostalgia. The revamped version of the game used animated cutscenes containing voice-acting, while the original only used the silent white text that was used in many classic Final Fantasy games. In this article, I will be reviewing the new and/or adjusted game mechanics, the storyline, and the differences between the original and the revamped version.
Final Fantasy IV (DS) takes place in a fantasy world that has two moons (one smaller than the other) orbiting the planet. The game begins by introducing the main protagonist Cecil the dark knight, who is the commander of a fleet of flying airships known as the "Red Wings of Baron". Baron is the kingdom that Cecil was raised and trained in after he was taken in as a baby by the kindly King of Baron. Cecil and his fleet have just returned from a mission to retrieve a mysterious crystal from the friendly and completely nonharmful village of Mysidia. The King of Baron forced Cecil and his fleet to take the crystal by violent force, even though the people of Mysidia offered them kindness and raised no hand in objection. After questioning the King's actions when he returned to the castle, Cecil was stripped of his duty by the now cruel-hearted King of Baron, and was forced to journey off to a mountain, slay a creature known as an Eidolon, and deliver a ring to the nearby village. Accompanying Cecil was his friend Kain, the commander of the Dragoon warriors, and they both promised Rosa the white mage (who was also Cecil's lover) that they would return safely. When Cecil and Kain arrive at their destination, the ring they carried was set off, and the innocent village burned almost completely. Cecil noticed a small girl crying over her dead mother's body. The girl revealed that her mother died because her dragon (the Eidolon) was slain. After Cecil and Kain agreed to find a way to bring down the evil King of Baron, they tried to convince the small girl to come along with them. However, because of the girl's hatred towards them, she refused, and unleashed her latent powers upon them in the form of an earthquake. When Cecil awoke with the girl nearby and Kain nowhere to be found, he proceeded to carry the girl to the nearby desert village. However, he had no idea that he would go on to meet many people in his soon-to-begin quest, which was more important than he could ever imagine.
Their were a few game mechanics that were either added to or adjusted in Final Fantasy IV (DS). One such game mechanic had to do with one of the character's summonable creature. The character's small, simple looking Eidolon was one that the player could train in mini-games in order to improve the Eidolon's power in battle. Once the player had trained the Eidolon for a while, they could summon it during a battle, where it would use pre-determined attacks/spells. Another useful game mechanic took place after the player had defeated the final boss. Once the credits had finished, the game gave the player the option to replay the game while keeping special abilities that could be assigned to different characters, which were collected throughout the multiple playthroughs of the game. One interesting (but not necessarily useful) innovation was the use of voice acting implemented into cutscenes with improved graphics. Most players enjoyed the new ue of voice acting, mainly because it brought the memorable characters to life by showing emotion in their voices.
Their were a few differences between the original version of Final Fantasy IV and the one created for the Nintendo DS: Lite. One such difference was the change of graphics systems. In the original Final Fantasy IV, the game used the classic eight-bit sprites, while in Final Fantasy IV (DS), they used figures that, while somewhat pixelated, were more detailed than the original game's graphics. Another difference was that the player used the touch-screen on the Nintendo DS to move the characters around. But the last contrastable quality was that the revamped version of the game had an Eidolon leveling system, while the original did not.
MY RATING: 8.5 / 10 stars
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