Remakes/ Re-releases

[vorpal blade]

I'm glad that SE is bringing back the classics, but they're not as classic as I'd like. I was born in '88 and didn't get to play many games for years. Up until about '97 all my family had was an NES with a few games on it. Then we got a Playstation. Shortly after, we got a copy of FFVII from a neighbor. That was the first FF I've played (and until I saw FFIX on the cover of a gaming magazine I was convinced that it was the only FF there was).

The point is this: I missed out on a lot of the other, better games. So I was psyched to learn that they were re-releaseing the ones I'd missed (specificaly FFI-FFVI). But they're not all re-releases, they're remakes. They're not the same! I can live with improved graphics for FFI and FFII, but the GBA versions seem to have different texts. I want to play the original. The DS version of FFIII has improved graphics, easier battles and job selection, and new stories for the main characters. Alright, easier I can see, but still, I want the original translation at least! Correct errors in spelling and grammar? I can live with that, but they're even changing names! The PS version of FFII (from FF Origins) has characters named Mindu, Gus and Richard. But the GBA version renames them Minwu, Guy and Ricard respectively. Alright, Minwu may be more accurate, and maybe even Guy (though I preferred Gus), but Ricard? I saw a screenshot from the Japanese version of Dawn Of Souls, and it clearly calls him Richard. I just took a look at the FFV pics for the GBA (in case you didn't see its thread)and I've got problems. First off, Lenna? I don't know what her original Japanese name was, but I liked Reina much better, especially given it's translation as "Queen." And what's with her picture? I don't recal seeing it in the PS version. Speaking of which, I'm also upset by the change in the character portraits in FFIV Advance.

I'm getting tired of this rant, so I'll leave with this statement again: I want the originals! Or at least something that's not drastically different. It's not my fault I'm too young to have played them the first time around.

[Lilliputian Hitcher]

You're complaining about a more accurate translation? Oh, God help you if you're complaining about a more accurate translation.

If you really want to play the originals, then download the ROMs. I hate to think what these ports would be like if Square felt they could add LESS to them.

[Elpizo]

And in defence of FF III DS. It's as hard as the original, with no save points in the last three Final Dungeons, just like the original. So they didn't nerf anythign down. It's just better than the original.

What are you complaining about? That they release games but better/more accurate than their originals? (Okay, DoS maybe not so, but still...)

If that's the case, just download the roms, like said before. Geeweez, was this worth a topic?

[ljkkjlcm9]

The DS version of FFIII has improved graphics, easier battles and job selection, and new stories for the main characters. Alright, easier I can see, but still, I want the original translation at least! Correct errors in spelling and grammar? I can live with that, but they're even changing names!

Well firstly, FFIII never had an official translation because so far, it's only been in Japan. The original FFII never had an English Translation til the FF:Origins for PS, same is true for FFV in FF:Anthologies.

And it's always possible to get the originals. See, they're out there somewhere, I own the cartridges of FFI and FFIII (VI)... never did get FFII (IV). And really the only "original" translations you missed if you never had the pre PS games, are FFI, FFIV, and FFVI. And trust me with games such as FFIV, you didn't miss anything spectacular. I want new translations. SO if you really want the original translations of the games, but download the roms, or get an NES and find FFI, and an SNES and find FFII (IV) and FFIII (VI).

THE JACKEL

[DJZen]

we got a copy of FFVII from a neighbor. That was the first FF I've played (and until I saw FFIX on the cover of a gaming magazine I was convinced that it was the only FF there was).

O.o;;;;;;;;;;

[Bolivar]

If you really want the original experience, you're going to have to learn japanese and buy all the original cartridges/systems.

The translation in FFIV is actually more accurate to the original game, as the US version changed alot of things on SNES (such as White instead of Holy).

I agree w/ FFV Advance. I always liked the in-game sprites better than the character designs by Amano which they were based on. I also like Bartz and Reina better than Butz and Lenna. That's just me.

In all honestly, the remakes are just flat out BETTER GAMES than the originals. Better graphics/sound/gameplay/and translation. Final Fantasy I can be a very confusing and frustrating game, but if you really wanna play the 8 bit game with black backgrounds instead of its newer, crisper, dare I say sexier counterpart, then, hey, knock your socks off.

[DJZen]

Complaints levelled against FFI DoS:
Difficulty toned down too far
Save anywhere makes the already easy game a breeze
Ship mini game gives too much gil
MP system is too powerful
Too many super powerful items in Soul of Chaos dungeons
Thief can't run as well

Complaints levelled against FFII DoS:
New inventory system makes game too easy (99 elixirs)
Item use is too powerful
Soul of Rebirth makes no sense
"FFII has teh s uck"

Complaints levelled against FFIII DS:
It's for the DS, and "DS is ghey"

Complaints levelled against FFIV Advance:
Kain's jump, Yang's Power and the Twin command were nerfed (fixed in European release)
Difficulty toned down too much
Fun bugs that erase all saved data (fixed in Euro version)
Double turn glitch (fixed in Euro version)
Berserk doesn't function properly (fixed in Euro version)
Miss Vamp (and her pallete swaps) hover below the top of the screen
long range weapons are nerfed

These are the most recent remakes and therefore the "sexiest".

[Ender]

Vorpal, I'm with you.

The only FF I had truly played through until recently was IX, so I decided to go back and play the series from the beginning. What I wanted was to try and get a feel for the original gaming experience, not the 200X version of it. It's not entirely about the difficulty level or the souped-up graphics or whatever of the remakes that disappoint me, but more accurately it's a desire to play the game as close to the way it was originally designed as I can (within the bounds that I'm not going to be learning Japanese any time soon).

Yeah yeah, you can play the ROMs, but some of us have a guilty conscience about those things, and even if not, the fan made translations of IIj and IIIj (and even the official FF I) are still a bit messy, in part because of the limitations of ROM files. AND it really doesn't seem too much to ask for that I, II, and III be officially rereleased with a clean, official translation that stays true to the names of people and places fans have come to associate with those games. Those things could probably be ported to PS2 in like a month by modern programmers. But of course while a number of hardcore FF fans would play them, there's no way a true rerelease would bring in new fans...8-bit graphics and the lack of three-minute battle animations, etc. etc being key factors of course....so from a business standpoint it's a dead end proposition.

[DJZen]

Not to mention Sony would NEVER be okay with that.