Final Fantasy VI. Squaresoft (1999) PlayStation
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First off, this is the PlayStation re-release, not the original SNES version.
Secondly, and to the point… This is my favourite Final Fantasy game. If you know me, you will know I have spent the last 18 years saying Final Fantasy 7 is the best game ever. Well, I have been converted.
Differences between original and re-release
There are no real differences between this and the original SNES version in terms of gameplay/graphics, and sound. The differences are:
- *Slight* loading time increase between menus/battles
- Addition of the Memo saving function
- CGI intro, and CGI ending.
Other than those 3 minor changes, this is the same game you played on the SNES, with the 16bitty goodness has been retained.
Overall
Like the Silent Hill HD Collection this is a rerelease of a fantastic game but doesn’t quite scale the exacting standards set by the original. The key difference is this rerelease doesn’t change anything except add awful load times when going into the menu, which you’ll do a lot.
Pros: It is Final Fantasy VI
Cons: Load times on PS1 are a little shit
I’ve never actually played a Final Fantasy game. If I was to attempt to get into the series which one should I start with?
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Tough one. 6 is my favourite, I played it for the first time when I did this review. 7 had been my favourite game of all time until then. So I would start with 6 on the ps1, or PSN, as it is cheaper, and hasn’t been tampered with, the SNES version is £140+ on most sites.
Then go 7,8,10.
However the early ones are good, just hard and very grindy. 1,2,4 are 30 hours long but 20 of that is grind. 6-10 are 30-40 hours of story with 20 plus hours of extras.
9 was a little unpopular, but it is good as it returns to the style of the first 5.
I never played 3/5 and then 11 plus
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That’s a hell of a lot of hours!
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Yeah… With job and other stuff 6 took me 6 weeks
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FF6 has got to be the best example of what the series is all about, imo.
thewellredmage.wordpress.com
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I feel I remember you playing this but cannot believe it was 1 year ago. Time flies. I remember you did FFIX in 1 week whilst off work. You seemed to enjoy that the second time round (after this review).
You STILL maintain that 6 is the best though so it has stood the test as we have played 8 again since.
I would have to say though, if you have never played a FF game, that 7 is the one to start with. Amd, IMHO, is STILL the best of them all 😉 Muhahahahaha FFVII FTW, forever and always. SPin off games (Dirge of Cerberus/Crisis Core) are great too!!
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6 wins because the whole cast is simply awesome, the music is tits, and you can choose to kill off TWO of the main characters!
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Ps, Distant Worlds II – Dancing Mad is pretty fucking awesome. Good show old chap, good show.
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Pps, did Dream Theater write minutes 6-9 of this?? haha
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Kefkas laugh…..
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Thank you, thank you, thank you for lauding Final Fantasy 6 and not sticking with the evergreen fan-favorite FF7! This is my favorite Final Fantasy too and I think it’s the best example quintessentially of the entire franchise. I think it deserves much more attention and a better re-release than the crappy PSX version with its insufferable loading times. Play it on the SNES, like it was meant to be.
I would recommend FF6 to anyone new to the series.
Thanks again for your review. Can I link you on my blog’s link page? thewellredmage.wordpress.com
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Link away dude! 7 was my favourite, until a friend at work put me onto 6. I need an American SNES for 3, so only have PSX version to tide me over. Suppose I could try the WII version, that is closer to being 3/6.
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Awesome, thank you and good to meet you. Don’t get me wrong, 7 is up there with the best of the best. The Wii version is still great. You can get some cheap SNES’s online roundabouts, and they last a while too. Mine outlasted by PSX and PS2.
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You and I are in the minority, when it comes to the best Final Fantasy. 6 tells its story without a deep emphasis on development why the character is this way and what;s going through their minds. It’s what makes them likeable! Dancing Mad is epic and beats One Winged Angel as the better song. Shat a brick when I came across an orchestrated version, it was ASTOUNDING.
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You heard the oparatic version of the Draco/Maria Opera?!
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Japanese and English versions, both are good, but for some reason, the Japanese sounds more faithful to the original music.
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Agreed, but I stick to English version so I can try and sing along…
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yeahhh, that makes sense 🙂
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Yeap This is the first turn based rpg I ever played and it is still one of my favourites,next to Chrono Trigger and FF7. I also did like Legend of Legaia and Suikoden also .
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I need to play Chrono Trigger, I bought it a while back and have been saving it. Legaia and Suikoden are obnoxiously expensive in the UK. So it’ll be a while before I attempt them.
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Yeah I know. Have you played, ‘Breath of Fire 3. Now that was a good game also. I was a fan of the grandia series and thought that wild arms 3 was great too.
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Never played any of them. I couldn’t afford many games during PS1 era, and didn’t have a PS2 era console until much later. So missed pretty much every RPG type that wasn’t a Final Fantasy
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