Idea Info Name: Final Fantasy Collector's Edition Index: Secondary Category: RPG Submitted: 1/9/2004 10:24:02 PM Written By: Redfield

Introduction

Claimed by nearly all RPG lovers to be the greatest game series ever created, Final Fantasy has been a favorite of American and Japanese gamers the world over and earned Square Enix (formerly just Squaresoft) lots of fame and fortune.  With such monstrous changes to the gameplay recently, Final Fantasy Collector's Edition promises a breath of fresh air to old-school gamers and a chance for newcomers to see the series' illustrious history.

Explanation

Final Fantasy Collector's Edition stuffs eight Final Fantasy games and a slew of extras onto a 2 DVD package.  Here is a listing of the features that are unique to each disc.

Disc 1

Final Fantasy

Final Fantasy III

Final Fantasy V

Final Fantasy IX

a demo of Final Fantasy VII (you'll soon see why it's just a demo)

an inside look at both Final Fantasy movies, plus an apology from Square Enix for making them

Disc 2

Final Fantasy II

Final Fantasy IV (the Hardtype version)

Final Fantasy VI

Final Fantasy VIII

a demo of Final Fantasy Tactics (again, keep reading)

a close look at the present and future of the series

If that seems like that could all fit on 1 DVD, keep reading because I'm not done yet.  For each game you complete, you will unlock a host of interviews and "screenings" of the making of that particular game, and each character you meet during the game will be added to a "character biography listing" that is grouped by game.  Also, you can turn on an audio commentary for each game that lets the developers comment on particular scenes as you approach them in the game.

Now that you've digested all of that, you're probably wondering why VII and Tactics are mere demos.  Concerning VII, I feel that should be remade entirely instead of stuck in a collection; look for me to submit the remake details in the future.  As for Tactics, there are two reasons:  it's not really part of the series, and it would be better served as a port to the Game Boy Advance.

How do these games control?  Let us count the ways!  Since this should be a PS2 game, I will map the buttons according to the Dual Shock 2.

NES games:  The D-pad is the same, with the option of the left analog stick instead.  Start and Select are the same.  The "1" button is Square and the "2" button Circle.  X brings up a menu that allows for a Save/Continue or a Save/Quit option.  Triangle brings up a menu allowing you to reset or exit out of the game and return to the main menu of games.  To get a good idea of what I'm talking about, think about the similar menus used in Zelda Collector's Edition.  The shoulder buttons are not used.

Super NES games:  There shouldn't be any trouble here.  The four face buttons on the right are mapped according to the placement of Super NES controller buttons. L1 and R1 do whatever the old shoulder buttons did.  L2 brings up the "Save" menu and R2 brings up the "Reset/Quit" menu.  Both are exactly like their NES counterparts.

PS1 games:  They control exactly as you remember them in the old days.  Wow, that was painless, wasn't it?

Now to give word on some aspects for each individual game.  FF1 is the NES version with the original graphics, sound, and job names; none of that junk found in Origins.  FF2 is the old version with the Origins translation.  FF3 is pretty much how it looked on the NES in Japan; obviously, this one needs a translation.  FF4 is the Hardtype version as seen on the Super NES, and this version doesn't run on an emulator.  FF5&6 should be the Anthology versions with emulation quirks removed; also with 5, the translation should be changed to the one on the ROM (the official translation was garbage), except for the name Cara being changed back to Krile.  8 and 9 are perfect PS1 replicas without any of the old prompts to swap discs mid-game (but you will still be allowed an auto-save when you reach those areas).

Audio- and video-wise, the graphics and sound replicate their oldest versions, but you now have the option to play using progressive scan, 16:9 widescreen, and Dolby Digital (latest version) EX (not DTS, it eats up too much disc space).  The reason for the "old" look is for those who are new or for those who played the other collections like Anthology and Chronicles to truly see how the series evolved overtime.

As far as user comments go, don't add or remove any games, but if you have an idea for extras that I did not include, please speak up!