FFI DS - It's a whole new ballgame
Blackbelts increase their number of attacks approximately every 7 levels instead of 10. Levels come much faster in this game. (This is a large understatement.) Thus, Black Belt isn't just a viable character for powerlevellers only. He now has early-mid game prowess as well. In my party of BB, RM, WM, BM, the Black Belt had 6 attacks before reaching Elfheim. Nunchucks are never preferable to barefists - ever. My BB was always dealing better damage unequipped - even before level 6.
Magic ability is now determined by the INT stat. In my party stated above, Blizzara deals about 135 damage to each enemy when casted by my BM, but only about 60 from my RM. Now the Red Mage is truly a jack of all trades and a master of none, whereas he was a master of all trades untill endgame in the NES and PS1 original mode. Healing power is also affected, but similarly to FFXI, the effect from stats isn't so pronounced, so a RM can for the most part, heal with little handicap.
Stat progression is largely random. In my party, my WM has 350 or so hp, while my BB only has around 250. My WM has the lowest mp of all three mages. No longer is the BB the king of hp - guaranteed to hit 999 before endgame. In FF1 DS, this could be anyone. Even, as my current game attests, the WM. While the stats that are raised by any given class are still set in stone, if two classes are set to get the same stat boosted, there's no guarantee the right class will get the larger boost. Since HP is usually a given for all classes in every level, this is the most affected stat by this new change. Stats like STR and INT seem to be following normal rules to a large extent, though my current party lacks melee classes for the most part (a BB, and the RM is close enough), so a real comparison is difficult.
Because characters level much faster, and enemies remain unchanged, the need to run early on is largely removed. When I played FF1 on the NES, I was the sort of player that ran from every enemy in a dungeon. I did so to conserve my mage's mp, and because enemies were a challenge and I needed to be at full power for the boss at the end. Enemies aren't a challenge, and MP is no longer limited. Spell MP is no longer limited by spell level. MP is a constant, and you can use any spell till you run out. This changes party dynamics quite radically. The Thief is no longer as prized for his running ability because conserving mage mp is no longer a large priority in long dungeons. A redmage is no longer a superior choice to two dedicated mages because he can melee when spells need to be saved, because spells no longer need as much saving.
Money is no object in FF1 DS. Everything is low priced, and easily affordable. Did price ever play a role in party choice? I know on Unne's party guide, it's certainly listed as a pro or a con in various party selections. Money is no longer a real concern. I was able to equip my 3 mages with a full assortment of spells in Elfheim from the money I gained levelraising at Provoka. The cut from 4,000 to 2,500 is a real and noticable change. Considering characters level faster, enemies are no challenge for the most part, making fast money acquisition a reality.
