View Poll Results: Which version of FF IV did you enjoy playing the most?

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  • GBA version

    8 16.67%
  • DS version

    31 64.58%
  • None. Prefer the SNES and/or PS1 version

    9 18.75%
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Thread: GBA vs. DS version

  1. #31

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    Quote Originally Posted by The White Wizard of Fynn View Post
    but I don't think the "realistic"-manga look (as opposed to super deformed) looks good in CG.
    In some cases no, it doesn't [mostly with older video games]. However, I really liked how the faces and bodies looked in games like Star Ocean 3, Star Ocean 4, Last Remnant, etc. I felt those were very good renditions. Of course, It would be silly to expect the DS to perform on that level, but maybe they could try something like that. It's always possible to go Star Ocean 2's route as well [spirtes on a 3D world]. Or if they want something that doesn't look as shoddy, they could do it in the Style of Ragnarok online [same concept, but the sprites are far more refined and detailed, and have more angles available].

    That said, I'm still split on which version I like more, but I'm inclined to want to change my mind and go with the DS version. As much as I didn't care for the character model presentation [at least for the heroes, whereas the villains get special treatment for some reason], I liked that this game at least had some kind of difficulty in it [even if it wasn't much]. I recently have played through the SNES version again, and I was shocked at how easy and effortless it was. I always knew the SNES version was much easier, but I couldn't remember to what extent it was easier since I haven't played this game in years.

  2. #32
    Radical Dreamer Fynn's Avatar
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    To me, the best thing about the DS game is the presentation of the story. I mean, things that seemed cheesy to me in the SNES and GBA versions now look really epic and moving. This is the version that really made me take the game seriously.

  3. #33

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    Quote Originally Posted by The White Wizard of Fynn View Post
    To me, the best thing about the DS game is the presentation of the story. I mean, things that seemed cheesy to me in the SNES and GBA versions now look really epic and moving. This is the version that really made me take the game seriously.
    They fixed the translation and managed to give their characters more depth. The voice-overs really helped with that. They enriched some of the dialogue as well as giving us some history on Cecil and Golbez ["Theodore"? If I remember the spelling right]. I think that alone will make everyone like this a lot more than the SNES versions.

  4. #34
    Recognized Member VeloZer0's Avatar
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    You say the bosses get special treatment, but having bosses several times larger than party members is as true to the original as they could get with sprites.

  5. #35

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    Quote Originally Posted by VeloZer0 View Post
    You say the bosses get special treatment, but having bosses several times larger than party members is as true to the original as they could get with sprites.
    Yeah I know, but for one, they had no choice in order to fit all 5 characters on the battlefield due to their left-to-right format [which they were obviously able to break free from now, as shown by their liberty with the camera angle in some of the battles]. And two, as I said before, chibi-style done in sprite form has a much more acceptable and natural look to it. The only reason why I say this is because it's never bothered me before in any game I've seen it in [FF IV for the SNES, Star Ocean 2, Ragnarok Online, etc.], whereas in the DS version they decided to use 3D models [which would suggest that they want a slightly more realistic look?] while doing their best to keep their bodies disproportional. Thus you have the band of 8 year-olds fighting a grown woman here: YouTube - FF4DS-Valvalis

    The whole thing just bothered me really. Of course, there are only a few other people here that are as picky about the style as I am, but I personally would've wanted cooler character models [like Dissidia! Come on now]. Speaking of Dissidia, I have to say that Cecil's Dark Knight costumes in that game look awesome.

  6. #36
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    I know it's not the best version of FFIV but, I've always had a soft spot in my heart for the Super Nintendo version. It's the one I grew up with soooo....it can't be helped.

  7. #37
    Recognized Member VeloZer0's Avatar
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    I think having 5 full sized people attacking a single person would look really silly in a battle. In order to fit everyone on the screen the would have to essentially zoom the camera out to the point where the party would still look the same size on the screen, only with a far less imposing boss model.

    At its heart the FFIV battle engine is always 'my side vs your side' and if you have 5 people on one side and one on the other, the screen will look very empty and awkward on one side. And the character sprites won't be any bigger.

  8. #38

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    Quote Originally Posted by VeloZer0 View Post
    I think having 5 full sized people attacking a single person would look really silly in a battle.
    Nah, I don't really see why. It would look closer to what a normal battle looks like. Just look at FF XIII [I don't mean graphics-wise, I just mean proportional-wise], FF IX, FF VIII, FF X, etc.

    Quote Originally Posted by VeloZer0 View Post
    In order to fit everyone on the screen the would have to essentially zoom the camera out to the point where the party would still look the same size on the screen
    Actually you wouldn't have to do this. It's very easy to play with proportions, angle work, etc. to get what you want. I understand what your concern is, but it really isn't so bad to do this. Now it would be bad in a game that doesn't really have perspective, and a rigid default camera angle which never shifts [FF IV for the SNES], but they have 3-Dimensional freedom here, so let's not kid ourselves.

    Quote Originally Posted by VeloZer0 View Post
    At its heart the FFIV battle engine is always 'my side vs your side' and if you have 5 people on one side and one on the other, the screen will look very empty and awkward on one side.
    I don't think so. A lot of games have accomplished this with ease aside from the ones I listed. Of course, 5 people in a party is rarely done, but in reality you actually only need to do very little to compensate for this. And I find this all to be over-dramatized, because in essence, all you would be doing is adding some height and slight width to each character, and possibly pan the camera back slightly to compensate. Any of those that have experience with 3D editors [like Spore perhaps?] probably understand. Intimidating boss models are done by appearance and detail, and not necessarily by size [like Bahamut in the DS version of FF IV for example. He's fairly decently-sized dragon, but I wouldn't exactly call him huge]. I also don't think that having a serious/cool/intimidating/whatever boss model means that your characters have to look like 12-year-old cosplayers. I'd like my protagonists to look awesome, too. :rolleyes2

  9. #39
    Radical Dreamer Fynn's Avatar
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    The characters can't look any more awesome than they look in the DS version (Dissidia's awesome as well, but in a different way).

  10. #40

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    Oh they look far more awesome in Dissidia than in anything else, there's not even any contest with that. I hate being disagreeable and all, but I find the chibi 3D appearance really difficult to take seriously. It just doesn't really seem very awesome at all. I really wanted to have cool full-grown characters instead of 12-year-old cosplayers. Sorry.

    However, at least they decided not to go that route when doing things like Star Ocean 3 and 4, or games like FF VII, FF VIII, FF IX, FF X [even though I didn't care for this FF], FF X-2, FF XI, FF XII, and currently they aren't doing it for FF XIII either.

  11. #41
    Radical Dreamer Fynn's Avatar
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    Meh... Say what you want, my opinion remains the same. The DS versions of the characters are pure awesome!

  12. #42

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    Hahaha. VeloZer0 and Omecle would agree with you on that one it seems, so you aren't alone.

  13. #43
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    Really tough call. But I'd have to go with the DS version because Matrix Software did a great job at remaking it while keeping it true to the original. Only thing really missing is the extra stuff from the GBA version, but IMO that's no big shakes.

    EDIT: Ah poop, I didn't realize this thread was almost a month old. ~_~
    Xenogears is the tragic story of how your whole life can take a crappy turn, just because you happened to see a lady in a wedding dress before her wedding.

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  14. #44

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    Well I plan to get the GBA version. I know what Wk thinks but does the DS version really flesh out the plot better than Advance?

  15. #45
    Memento Mori Site Contributor Wolf Kanno's Avatar
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    The DS version gets 2 new scenes and the ability to read your parties thoughts when you are in the menu screen. Otherwise, they are pretty much the same so you can't go wrong with the GBA version either.

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