Basileous Productions presents.........Final Fantasy IV (SNES/PSX/GBA) Review and Discussion

[BasilZero]

Hey guys! This review will be specifically for the Super Nintendo, Playstation 1 and the GameBoy Advance version for Final Fantasy IV.

Released first in 1991 for the SNES known as Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy IV for the Super Famicom in Japan - the game revolutionized the Final Fantasy series and paved way for the franchise to be fully released and recognized world wide.

After a disappointing decision to not release Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III worldwide - Squaresoft released Final Fantasy IV worldwide (and rebranded it as Final Fantasy II).

Since then Final Fantasy IV has become the prime and ideal game in the entire franchise to be ported and remade several times. The game has been released officially on the following platforms in one form or another

-SNES (as Final Fantasy II in the west)
-PSX (Individually and part of the FF Chronicles collection)
-Wonderswan Color
-Gameboy Advance
-Nintendo DS
-Playstation 3 PSN
-Wii VC
-Japanese Mobile FOMA 903i/703i
-Playstation Portable
-iOS
-Android
-Steam/PC

This review will go in detail on the SNES, PS1 and GBA versions specifically.
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Final Fantasy IV was my very first RPG game ever and it was one of my earliest SNES games as well. When I first played it when I rented it - I had no idea what I was doing because it was my first RPG and had no manual to understand the mechanics and gameplay.

It would be several years later specifically early 2000s that I would get to experience the game - It was one of my first RPGs that I managed to finish before I actually got into the RPG genre.

I would go later on and buy it again this time on Playstation 1 via the Final Fantasy Chronicles collection - this collection came packed with both Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger - making this the best collection of Squaresoft games.

Throughout the years I managed to replay the SNES version multiple times and fell in love with the game even more each time.

My most recent experience was with the Gameboy Advance version which I finished earlier in the year. I even recorded it for my youtube channel which is posted at the bottom of this OP.

I plan to play the remake in the future when I buy the Steam version sometime in the future. Planning to do a marathon run between this version and the PSP 2D remake just for fun

Will make a review for both games in the future.

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This is a screenshot showcasing my game time (and character levels ;p) for the Gameboy Advance version of Final Fantasy IV.



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Game: Final Fantasy IV
Genre: RPG
Developer: Squaresoft
System: Super Nintendo (SNES)
Total Score: 90/100
Value Score: 90/10

• Story: 10/10
• Characters: 10/10
• GamePlay: 9/10
• Graphics: 9/10
• Sound: 10/10
• Music: 10/10
• Length: 7/10
• Replay Value: 5/10
• Player Value: 10/10

Pros
+A great storyline with a lot of colorful and great variety of characters
+Great battle system and leveling up system that focuses on character exclusive job and attacks
+Amazing OST
+Great design in environment, sprites and animations

Cons
-You have limited choice of who you can use in the end of the game
-Some of the battle commands are missing in the NA version due to censorship
-The NA version is the easy type which means it is easier than the original Japanese version
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Game: Final Fantasy IV
Genre: RPG
Developer: Squaresoft
System: Playstation (PSX)
Total Score: 89/100
Value Score: 89/10

• Story: 10/10
• Characters: 10/10
• GamePlay: 8/10
• Graphics: 9/10
• Sound: 10/10
• Music: 10/10
• Length: 7/10
• Replay Value: 5/10
• Player Value: 10/10

Pros
+Everything that made the original Final Fantasy IV great
+The hard type difficulty of the original Japanese version on SNES is implemented

Cons
-Saving/Loading times due to the porting job from FFIV SNES data to FFIV Chronicles PSX data
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Game: Final Fantasy IV Advance
Genre: RPG
Developer: Squareenix
System: Game Boy Advance (GBA)
Total Score: 86/100
Value Score: 8.6/10

• Story: 10/10
• Characters: 10/10
• GamePlay: 8/10
• Graphics: 8/10
• Sound: 7/10
• Music: 10/10
• Length: 8/10
• Replay Value: 6/10
• Player Value: 9/10

Pros
+You can now use all characters (except for Tellah) even to the end of the game now
+Each of the 5 characters who had left party now have a special dungeon dedicated to them and their own exclusive end game weapons and bosses
+Lunar Ruins is a new 50 floor dungeon exclusive to this version (and the PSP ver) which includes the lunar trials and secret bosses
+Lunar Ruins is randomized each time you go in and you can redo the trials as many times as you want
+Characters now have portraits during cutscenes whenever they talk
+Bestiary and Sound test included in the start menu
+Higher contrast in visuals

Cons
-There is menu lag during battles and in the user interface in the menu screen
-There is noticeable lag in some of the cutscenes
-Sometimes turns will be skipped or someone will have a extra turn (fixed in EU version)
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Comparison's sake to other games in the series/franchise
Final Fantasy I & II Dawn of Souls (GBA): 83
Final Fantasy I Dawn of Souls (GBA): 82
Final Fantasy I Anniversary (PSP): 85
Final Fantasy II Dawn of Souls (GBA): 83
Final Fantasy II Anniversary (PSP): 85
Final Fantasy III (NES): 80
Final Fantasy IV (SNES): 90
Final Fantasy IV (PSX): 89
Final Fantasy IV (GBA): 86
Final Fantasy IV (PSP): 94
Final Fantasy IV After Years/Prologue (PSP): 88
Final Fantasy IV Complete Collection (PSP): 91
Final Fantasy V (SNES): 84
Final Fantasy V (PSX): 83
Final Fantasy V Advance (GBA): 88
Final Fantasy VI (SNES): 95
Final Fantasy VI (PSX): 95
Final Fantasy VI Advance (GBA): 95
Final Fantasy VII Crisis Core (PSP): 93
Final Fantasy XIII (PS3): 88
Final Fantasy XIII-2 (PS3): 86
Final Fantasy Dissidia (PSP): 100
Final Fantasy Dissidia 012 Duodecim (PSP): 96
Final Fantasy Tactics (PSX): 94
Final Fantasy Chronicles (PSX): 93
Final Fantasy Anthology (PSX): 89


Basileous Productions' Media for Final Fantasy IV (SNES/PSX/GBA)
Playthrough Playlist (GBA):

Bosses Playlist (GBA):

[the-pi-guy]

No FFX review?  

[BasilZero]

No FFX review?  

That will come sometime in the future when I finish FFVII, VIII, and IX - and when I play the PS3 ver (which will come with the PS2 version's review as well).

[Mmm_fish_tacos]

9 is the best one! Play that next.  

[BasilZero]

9 is the best one! Play that next.  

Nuu ;(!

I'm still playing FFVII and FFType-0 HD.

After 7  - I'm gonna be doing VIII and then IX :p

[Mmm_fish_tacos]

Nuu ;(!

I'm still playing FFVII and FFType-0 HD.

After 7  - I'm gonna be doing VIII and then IX :p

Woman do as I say!

[ethomaz]

It is in my TOP3 FFs list.

The plot and characters are the strong point of the game.

It opened the door to the best FF be create... FFVI.

BTW great job Basil.

[darkknightkryta]

Why is the psx version worse than the snes version?

[BasilZero]

Why is the psx version worse than the snes version?

Loading and saving issues.

[darkknightkryta]

Loading and saving issues.

Didn't they fix the "loading" issue with FF 4?

[BasilZero]

Didn't they fix the "loading" issue with FF 4?

How do they fix it on the PS1 version? o.O

This review is based upon the PS1 version of Final Fantasy IV which was on Final Fantasy Chronicles.

The SNES version didnt have any loading times - and the GBA version didnt either but welcomed new issues.

This was a result of a poor port job on Square's side ;p

Edit: Or at least the transition from cartridge to disc.

[darkknightkryta]

How do they fix it on the PS1 version? o.O

This review is based upon the PS1 version of Final Fantasy IV which was on Final Fantasy Chronicles.

The SNES version didnt have any loading times - and the GBA version didnt either but welcomed new issues.

This was a result of a poor port job on Square's side ;p

Edit: Or at least the transition from cartridge to disc.

There was "Loading" in FF 5 and 6 port (Which wasn't really loading, but a really stupid design decision after battles).  But I recall reading reviews that Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 4 PSX version did away with those "issues".

[BasilZero]

There was "Loading" in FF 5 and 6 port (Which wasn't really loading, but a really stupid design decision after battles).  But I recall reading reviews that Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 4 PSX version did away with those "issues".

My issues werent with the battles though - its mainly the saving/loading feature.

[darkknightkryta]

My issues werent with the battles though - its mainly the saving/loading feature.

Go on.

[BasilZero]

Go on.

?

Go on what?