Final Fantasy Anniversary Games for PSP: Yay or Nay?

[Alpha2099]

Having recently replayed the Final Fantasy I & II GBA remakes, I've been contemplating about getting the PSP Anniversary editions. I'm wondering if it's worth it. I know the graphics and sound are improved, but I don't know about the gameplay in either of them. For those who have played it, is there a significant improvement in gameplay to make it worth getting, or should I just stick to the GBA version?

[Crystalian]

Completely worth it. The extra dungeons are sweet. The difficulty can be adjusted. Also, Final Fantasy 4 is available so you can have more PSP Final Fantasy goodness after you're done playing 1 and 2 again! I love them all. If only I could get FF6...:puppydogeyes:

[Alpha2099]

I suppose I should clarify a teeny bit. I get that there is a lot of added content that GBA lacked, which is great. I'm a little more interested in improving the core mechanics. For example, the leveling system in FF2 -- despite having some fixes made in the GBA version -- still felt too clunky and encouraged grinding in all the "wrong ways." Also, the mechanics behind the Ultima spell in that game were way too confusing for me to ever put it to good use; I found that a high-level Flare spell was more effective.

I figure there isn't a whole lot of gameplay issues that needed to be addressed in FF1, so I'm not so worried about that one. But since FF2 is on my mind, I wanted to know if they took any steps to make the leveling system more user-friendly.

[Rickstilwell1]

I suppose I should clarify a teeny bit. I get that there is a lot of added content that GBA lacked, which is great. I'm a little more interested in improving the core mechanics. For example, the leveling system in FF2 -- despite having some fixes made in the GBA version -- still felt too clunky and encouraged grinding in all the "wrong ways." Also, the mechanics behind the Ultima spell in that game were way too confusing for me to ever put it to good use; I found that a high-level Flare spell was more effective.

I figure there isn't a whole lot of gameplay issues that needed to be addressed in FF1, so I'm not so worried about that one. But since FF2 is on my mind, I wanted to know if they took any steps to make the leveling system more user-friendly.

My method of getting around grinding in the wrong ways (self inflicted wounds we're talking about here) was to go ahead and battle slightly stronger enemies than you should be battling. Let yourself get hit by them then blast them with high level magic that you trained on weaker enemies to survive the fight. Then your HP goes up. Right now I am grinding on those enemy soldiers in that town that was conquered. I gain HP, strength and defense every time I fight them now, and also MP and spells leveling up when I use the magic against them.

[kupomogli]

They're mostly the same as the GBA game with better graphics. One thing I dislike about them is that when in dungeons, there's basically a dark/colored circle around the border, an effect I really dislike but not in the GBA version. There's one additional dungeon for the first game, not sure about the second game. Bosses use music that's from the game the boss is in. Gilgamesh uses his actual music for example, but the four fiends use the normal boss music in FF4 instead of Dreadful Fight.

If you're interested in replaying the games, then I'd recommend Final Fantasy Origins for PSX. The GBA version of Final Fantasy 2 is better than the PSX version so no reason to play that, but you should get it because of the original Final Fantasy. Final Fantasy on Origins is the NES version with better graphics, bug fixes, and the min/max damage average is much closer. No extra dungeons, just the regular game but it's better I think.

[BlastProcessing402]

Final Fantasy on Origins is the NES version with better graphics, bug fixes, and the min/max damage average is much closer. No extra dungeons, just the regular game but it's better I think.

It's a bit closer to the NES version than the GBA/PSP/whatever else has come out recently, but it's still not the NES version with just a few tweaks.

Not that I'd ever want to play the NES version again. In 1990 it might have been fun, but in the 21st century I'll take the changes from the GBA version (or later) any day. F not having MP.

[Alpha2099]

It's a bit closer to the NES version than the GBA/PSP/whatever else has come out recently, but it's still not the NES version with just a few tweaks.

Not that I'd ever want to play the NES version again. In 1990 it might have been fun, but in the 21st century I'll take the changes from the GBA version (or later) any day. F not having MP.
Don't forget the lack of re-targeting when an enemy dies. Every now and then I think about playing the NES version, but as soon as I remember that mechanic I decide against it.

[kupomogli]

It's a bit closer to the NES version than the GBA/PSP/whatever else has come out recently, but it's still not the NES version with just a few tweaks.

Not that I'd ever want to play the NES version again. In 1990 it might have been fun, but in the 21st century I'll take the changes from the GBA version (or later) any day. F not having MP.

Yeah it is. If you play on hard mode, the differences between the NES version and PSX version are minor. There is the option to turn on or off auto targeting, all broken spell effects like TMPR actually work, the 1-15 mini game gives you 10,000gil if you beat the record instead of 100GP just for winning, and accuracy makes min/max damage closer, certain enemies that only attacked now cast spells like Fire 3, and the last boss has more HP than he does on the original and casts more spells.

You do have MP, and it works better in the NES version than on the GBA/PSP remakes. It's broken on the remakes because of how the game was originally designed. Makes magic users way to powerful against groups of opponents.


Don't forget the lack of re-targeting when an enemy dies. Every now and then I think about playing the NES version, but as soon as I remember that mechanic I decide against it.

It was a good feature. Gives you incentive to remember more than just the elemental weakness of the enemy. You fight an imp, take off 10 damage and defeat it, you know that it has around 10HP. Same thing with an Ogre. Take off 100 damage and defeat it, you know it has around that amount of HP. On the PSX version since the average damage is closer together rather than a much wider range, it's easier to remember around what damage your characters take off. So you don't have to worry about your fighter doing 25 damage here, and then 55 damage there. On Origins the only difference is that with the early weapons, since you only hit enemies one or two times during attack, you'll miss completely. So lots of misses early in the game. They basically averaged the accuracy out to where if you have this much accuracy, however many hits will miss and the rest will hit, that's how they get the closer average.

[Jorpho]

I understand the GBA version of Final Fantasy I is very, very easy – I ended up with a pair of Judgement Staffs from the extra dungeons that let any party member cast Flare an unlimited number of times with no penalty. Is the PSP version substantially rebalanced?

[Alpha2099]

I understand the GBA version of Final Fantasy I is very, very easy – I ended up with a pair of Judgement Staffs from the extra dungeons that let any party member cast Flare an unlimited number of times with no penalty. Is the PSP version substantially rebalanced?
If you want a rebalanced FF1, I suggest you check out a fan-made "Mod of Balance." (link below)

jeffludwig.com/finalfantasy/download.php

[Tanooki]

Don't forget the lack of re-targeting when an enemy dies. Every now and then I think about playing the NES version, but as soon as I remember that mechanic I decide against it.

Both your reason and the one you responded (no MP points) is why I can't tolerate the game very long. I like to have a Fighter, Thief, W and B Mage party and basically with the lack of magic they're just plugs until you get to the point of a dungeon or castle as you want to save your good spells to whack the boss, not some grubs getting there. I hate that it's like that.


Jorpho it's not so much that it's easy, but doing the extras can make it super easy. If you play the stock game, stock gear and the rest, and just level up enough to push to the next area it's still a decent game you can die in. But if you're one of those types who know something exists, lack self control, and go dig for those cool items that ruin the flow of the game, then that kind of is the price to pay as unlimited FLARE would wreck that game entirely.

[kupomogli]

I understand the GBA version of Final Fantasy I is very, very easy – I ended up with a pair of Judgement Staffs from the extra dungeons that let any party member cast Flare an unlimited number of times with no penalty. Is the PSP version substantially rebalanced?

No. The balance to the games are the exact same. The PSP version is still very easy.


Jorpho it's not so much that it's easy, but doing the extras can make it super easy. If you play the stock game, stock gear and the rest, and just level up enough to push to the next area it's still a decent game you can die in. But if you're one of those types who know something exists, lack self control, and go dig for those cool items that ruin the flow of the game, then that kind of is the price to pay as unlimited FLARE would wreck that game entirely.

You go through the main game without any grinding whatsoever and it's ridiculously easy. You can't just go here, pick up the Judgment Staff and then continue on your way, you need to go halfway through the extra dungeons.

The PSP and GBA versions are so easy that it takes five hours to beat the main game and then another five hours to beat all the extra dungeons enough times to kill each boss and get every item, so you need to go through multiple times for the FF3 dungeon, two times for the FF4 dungeon, two times for the FF5 dungeon, and once for the FF6 dungeon.