Long ago during the very early days of Nintendo’s second console the Super Nintendo came an RPG that changed the face of console RPGs to come. To anyone at all outside of Japan and import shops knew this title as Final Fantasy II, the second of now what was a series to Americans. Little did we know, and much to our anger and disappointment, that the Final Fantasy series had by that game been actually four games deep leaving us without the two NES era sequels. Final Fantasy II for Americans was addled not only with a less than stellar translation due to cartridge limitations, but we also were stuck with the children’s version known as Easy Type insultingly enough as the Japanese felt we couldn’t handle it. The errors of the past have finally been corrected for the Nintendo fan within the last year. So far we have seen a much superior two-pack release of Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls which finally gave us the second NES title, and in the very near future we shall see much more with the ‘real’ (Hard Type) Final Fantasy IV next month nearly fifteen years after its original release back in 1991.

Final Fantasy IV from the get go places you right into the heat of the plotline of the game. As it opens up you, Cecil the Dark Knight and head of Baron’s Red Wings airship armada are sent on yet another raiding mission to steal away another sacred Crystal from more helpless individuals in the world. Feeling deep down you are doing wrong, considering there have been monster attack escalations in the world, you dare to question the Emperor. Being suspicious he tests your loyalty by sending you and your friend to the Village of Mist to deliver a package, a package which ends up firebombing and nearly killing all of its inhabitants. That of course was the last straw for Cecil who then breaks his loyalty to the crown. Taking whatever friends he can find along the way, including Rydia, the sole survivor of the Village of Mist attack, Cecil sets out into the world to shed your dark past and make amends for your atrocities upon the world by working towards the fall or redemption of Baron due to its crimes against humanity.

Final Fantasy IV is a classic RPG which very well set the stage for games to come, not just from Square, but many other developers as well. In this game players have freedom of motion to travel wherever they can through the use of the world map to guide them. Some areas may be accessible by foot, others perhaps by sea, and yet again, more by one form of airship or another. Wherever your travels may take you the story will keep you driven to learn more and see what relationships are found, lost, broken, and repaired opening up for the gamer one ‘big whale’ of a fun time. Players within combat will have the standard moves such as fight, magic, run, and item usage. But with every character each will have a key move or two such as Yang’s Kick or Rydia’s ability to summon monsters. Final Fantasy IV was the first game from Square to also have the Active Time Battle system that puts a twist into turn-based fighting as it encourages you to think fast and attack as the enemy will not quit!

Come the second week of this coming December, Nintendo fans who never splurged on a PSX will have finally a chance at Final Fantasy IV for the first time. And those who have may want to look again too as just with their last Final Fantasy GBA release, as there are additions to the game such as added enemies and areas, as well as a bestiary card system, and more to encourage more playing of the game.