Given the weight of decades on the franchise and the numerous re-releases. It is a small wonder that the 6 games in Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster can still be made relevant, interesting, and palatable to modern audiences. The games haven’t received major overhauls. But the versions presented in Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster are a culmination of the many different editions before it.
Pixel Remaster collects the first six Final Fantasy video games from the 8-bit and 16-bit periods. These titles serve as the franchise’s foundational work. When it first began as a loose adaptation of tabletop RPGs like D&D and eventually developed into something completely unique and incredibly significant in its own right. The first six games introduced a number of recurrent characters, such as Chocobos and a character by the name of Cid, as well as the series’ propensity for frequently updating its fundamental gameplay mechanics.
The title refers to the improved pixel graphics, rearranged symphonic music, and several gameplay tweaks found in these versions, which were initially published independently on Steam and mobile between July 2021 and February 2022. The collection mostly respects the classics while adding a few extra features for the console editions that will help expose these games to new players.
Final Fantasy I – III – The NES Trilogy
The quality-of-life aspects lessen the difficulty brought on by the three-decade-old mechanics of these three games. In the original two NES games, your party members, for instance, would miss if their target died before they attacked; now, they would automatically redirect to another foe. Other little adjustments have been made to spells and the things that are available to make exploring less of an outdated burden, but above all the others, an auto-save function stands out for ensuring that progress is not lost if you wipe.
We discovered that by increasing the amount of experience and gold obtained from battles in Final Fantasy I and III to 2x (the maximum is 4x), a pleasurable experience that struck a good balance between the drudgery and challenge could be achieved. As opposed to other Chocobo games, Final Fantasy II employs an attribute and skill level system (a la the SaGa series). For example, your magic attribute will grow the more spells you perform; thus, a spell like Fire I will eventually become Fire II.
Despite this, there isn’t much here but some straightforward turn-based fights and a few dozens of hours of video game history, even though these three classics do have interesting places to visit and a few clever world-building surprises. We don’t really blame them for this given when they were first released, but we also wouldn’t blame you for ignoring them. Although there are many more complex JRPGs available, these three titles are fundamental and vital to the development of the genre.
Final Fantasy IV – VI – The SNES Trilogy
The likeable heroes and fascinating antagonists that the series is known for can be found on the SNES by those who try Dragoon Jumping. Final Fantasy IV pioneered better storyline in JRPGs by following Cecil the Dark Knight as he battles his guilt while on an adventure to stop the evil Golbez. Despite being nearly 30 years old, IV once again captivated us with its story; we can’t wait to return to Cecil’s perplexing adventure with its twelve-person cast. The fourth game replaces the job system we adored so much from III with predefined classes, but it somewhat makes up for this by adding the Active Time Battle system, which gives each fight a more involved pace.
The story of Final Fantasy V takes a step back as Bartz, Lenna, Galuf, and other characters struggle to defend elemental crystals from the terrible sorcerer Exdeath. V is the least strong of the three SNES games since it removes a lot of the elements that make IV one of the best JRPGs. The addition of combining talents expands the job structure in III, and Excalibur cannot shake the player freedom available here. Even yet, the remixed soundtrack doesn’t have the same grandiose sense as the other games, and it didn’t deliver the promised rush of nostalgia.
Final Fantasy VI also earned the most praise out of the six games. The removal of the extra dungeons from the Game Boy Advance edition is a shame.
Without consulting the Final Fantasy Wiki, many changes, from skill upgrades to opponent stats and more, would undoubtedly go unnoticed.Additionally, if you wish to increase the difficulty, you can reduce the amount of experience, gold, and ability points gained to 0.5x in this one and only remake. (Editor’s Note: After more research, we can confirm that all six games allow you to decrease, experience points, and ability points when necessary.
Conclusion
The visual and sound improvements in all of these SNES games aren’t as noticeable as they are in NES games. We initially believed that not much had changed. When we checked, though, we discovered that the enlarged screen and the revised sprites—particularly those of the backgrounds—make a Blue Planet of a difference. At the risk of sounding like a broken midi track, the arranged music is enough to convince longstanding fans to buy the album.
A fantastic method to explore or re-experience Final Fantasy history is through these six remasters. While Final Fantasy IV and VI are still considered excellent narrative-driven experiences that have aged gracefully. it should be noted that not all Final Fantasies are considered equal, as some might feel more dated despite the quality-of-life improvements in other Final Fantasies. Purists may not like the additional balancing that we added in these new remasters. A more practical, aesthetically beautiful, and authentic way to play through some of the best JRPGs ever created would be hard to find, even if the bonus dungeons added in other versions are not wanted or if the games are not available on a cartridge with an antiquated TV to hook them up to.
On PS4 and Switch, Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster is currently accessible.
Also Read:
- Final Fantasy XVI: Banned in Saudi! Release Date, Leaks and More
- Megathread Leaks from Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
- Overwatch 2 Devs Reveals New Updates for Season 5, Gameplay, Maps, and More
