Yeah, I'm late on playing this, oh well. I've kind of gone in reverse order when it comes to the Final Fantasy series. Generally, Final Fantasy VI was very good. I played the Anthology version of Final Fantasy VI on Playstation. Now I know there's arguments ranting about which game was better, Final Fantasy VI or Final Fantasy VII. About the entire dispute as to whether or not it is, or is not, better than Final Fantasy VII, it's questionable. I'm not about to go into that right now, but I'll tell you that it's another great game from our buddies at Square-Enix and shouldn't be ignored because of it's older 2D graphics. The only gripes I have with the game can be found here, in my post aimed specifically towards the annoyances I found throughout my adventures.

Let's start with the story. Throughout the game you encounter a large assortment of characters who each have their own unique story that is still intricately linked to the conflict as a whole. And FF6 has a good few characters to choose from; 14 to be exact. The plot revolves around an empire that is trying to take over the world (original isn't it?). However, a rebel group called the 'Returners' start to fight back and defend themselves against the empire. Though it's based around a cliche story archetype, it's told piece by piece through each of the character's scenarios. Also, they do such an incredible job at developing the bad guy. By the end of the game, you have such a massive hate for the funny-man villian, named Kefka, that it's truly a satisfying feeling to take him down (all four forms of him) as the final boss fight. This taps into another heated online discussion as to who is eviler, Kefka, or Sephiroth. I'm honestly going to have to point the finger towards Kefka. I like Sephiroth more as a villian, but Kefka is indeed the devil's incarnate (lol).

The sprite design is top notch like usual. The background environments are also tastefully designed and believable for being in two dimensions. The enemies look good, and even more so during some of the boss fights in the game. The battle animations and menu systems run smooth. Then there's my favorite part of the game; the music. Our friend Nobou Uematsu created another splendid score to listen to, giving each character and town its own personality. Though the pieces are not mp3 quality, they are still rich enough and fit each part of the game seamlessly. They're definitely a huge reason I loved the game so much. The world as a whole, is also different than in other Final Fantasy games that I've played. The world at large is unnamed, however for the first half of the game it's referred to as the World of Balance and is divided into three major continents. However, due to plot development, the world turns into the World of Ruin which is totally different in geography. It's different, and I like it (except that you can't get missed items in the World of Balance once you're in the the World of Ruin :-( ).

Each character has their own types of attacks. For instance, one of my personal favorite characters, Relm, has the ability to 'Sketch' enemy monsters and imitate their attacks back at them. Sabin, the buff guy of the bunch, has an ability called 'Blitz' which acts similarly to Auron's Overdrive in Final Fantasy X where you have to input certain buttons in certain orders to execute the move. The magic system in FF6 is designed around the summons, which are called Espers. Equipping Espers allows you to start learning magic spells from them. After enough Magic Points have been earned, you'll learn the designated spells. To add to that, there are also pieces called Relics which can be equipped to characters to enhance them even more. Some protect from status ailments, while others provide for some nice offensive help including dual wielding weapons, double casting magical spells, and even attacking four times per turn! Overall, I'm very satisfied with the gameplay of Final Fantasy VI.

If you're one of those people who haven't played FF6 because a.) you think it's worse than FF7, or, b.) you think the graphics are bad, then slap yourself across the face. I'm not saying it better than FF7 or that its graphics will amaze you, but it's a game worth playing regardless. I'm definitely going to be looking to purchase FF6 for my Gameboy SP, just so I can play again and have it mobile. The new Final Fantasy VI: Advance version includes new dungeons, new magic spells, and a few new Espers. Additionally, they've re-translated some of the portion of the game to help the player understand the story a bit easier. With all the remakes Square-Enix is making, I'd only hope that they get around to remaking Final Fantasy VI. Though, I doubt it'll happen, I can dream. :-P