Product Description

Final Fantasy I and II Dawn of Souls GBA

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4119 in Video Games
• Brand: Nintendo
• Model: GANIN 045496734923
• Released on: 2005-12-13
• ESRB Rating: Everyone
• Platform: Game Boy Advance
• Subtitled in: German, English, French, Italian, Spanish
• Number of items: 1
• Dimensions: 1.00" h x 5.00" w x 5.00" l, .18 pounds

Features

• In Final Fantasy I, gamers must pick a team of four heroes, then set off to battle the forces of Chaos and try to save the world
• Choose the right jobs, and use them to fight off the dangerous new enemies
• Pick up new weapons for use against your foes - and collect Phoenix Down to enhance your magical powers
• In Final Fantasy II, four orphans will unite and face a powerful threat - and undo an evil empire
• No leveling up through experience -- weapons and abilities increase in power the more they are used

Customer Reviews

Back and better than ever!
FF: Dawn of Souls is the ORIGINAL FFI and II crammed into one cartridge--only one--with improved graphics, sound and bonus levels and dungeons and a detailed bestiary. Imagine--taking two of the most important games to the RPG genre with you anywhere. I remember wishing I could do that when I was in elementary school!

Let me start off with graphics. Now, I've read a review or two commenting on the graphics for these games, noting that they're nothing special, if not downright disappointing. Let me say that I've played the original FF and these graphics are head and shoulders above that. Considering that it's a GBA, the sprites are bright and crisp, and as my wife likes to point out "cute," and there's also beautiful cutscenes at various points in the story. Then, consider the depth and scope of this game with all the added improvements, and this becomes quite the accomplishment. The music, also, is an upgrade, with orchestral MIDI sounds, as opposed to the 8-bit sound of the original. You can tell that a lot of time and effort went into remaking this classic.

But the real meat of this game is gameplay. The FFI lacks the deep storyline that most gamers are used to, but it's still a compelling, fun game. And it's FFII where the idea of story and character development comes into play, and it makes for an fun, nostalgic experience on the GBA. This game will take away hours of your life and, if you enjoy RPGs, it will be worth it.

The only negative for this game is difficulty level. FFI is easier and faster than the original (at least as far as I remember), with level increases coming along quite quickly, with stats rising at a very fast rate. Not a deal-breaker by any means, though. For first-time players to this game or this genrre, it's a welcome improvement, as it is a portable game, and having the long, drawn-out battles that I remember, would make it difficult to play on-the-go.

With that said, the inclusion of being able to save any time, any place, as opposed to needing a tent or an inn, is a welcome, necessary improvement for this GBA version.

Overall, I'm in love all over again. While the graphics aren't "Golden Sun," the gameplay is much the same, and I fully recommend this great game.

A GREAT improvement over previous versions.
These versions of Final Fantasies 1 and 2 are by far the best of these two titles, and remedy the many shortcomings of the PS1 remakes on which they are based, namely the obnoxious level of difficulty. They also add new dungeons and items, where you fight bosses from other games in the series.

Despite these changes, the games retain the feel of the originals very well, particularly the first game. While the first one is not too in depth when it comes to story, it's very, very fun.

The second one, much less known in the U.S., is more unappealing to most players due to its highly innovative character building system, which is difficult to master. The roots of characters that can be molded in to anything, fighters, mages, etc., are found in Final Fantasy 2. The story is not too bad, and overall the game is enjoyable. Part 2 also introuces a huge number of recurring elements for the first time. Chocobos, Cid, Mysidia, Dragoons, Ultima, and many weapons, spells, and other elements are seen here for the first time.

This collection is a must have for anyone.

Just like I remember it...
Last year saw the release of Final Fantasy Origins on PSOne. A compilation pack of the first two Final Fantasy titles, the second of which had been previously unavailable in America, Origins gave gamers the chance to play through the first two entries in the series with a new coat of paint. Featuring updated graphics, full motion video cutscenes, several optional gameplay tweaks and more, Origins carefully walked the fine line of pleasing both veterans and newcomers to the games. With Dawn of Souls, Square continues to refine the old classics.
As with Origins, the versions of Final Fantasy 1 & 2 present in Dawn of Souls are based off the Japan-only WonderSwan Color remakes. This time around, the scripts were re-written and numerous additions and tweaks to the games themselves were made. Most noteworthy of these changes is the ability to save anywhere outside of battle, an important feature in a handheld RPG.The focus of Final Fantasy 1 is less on the story and more on exploration and fighting. Those that have played prior versions will note that the GBA edition is more balanced in that it doesn't require players to stop and level up their characters to survive the next dungeon, resulting in a much more streamlined experience. The flipside is that the revamped FF1 ends up lacking the challenge of past iterations, a virtual cakewalk for those familiar with the game. The only real challenge is in the form of the four new dungeons. These randomly generated dungeons, which feature bosses from Final Fantasy 3-6, reward players with rare and powerful items once cleared. With each dungeon unlocked after the defeat of the respective Chaos, some may find themselves questioning if it's even worth the time and effort to reach the new content. Of course, it's this lack of difficulty that makes the title perfect for handheld gaming, as you can fight a few battles, save and then restart where you left off hours, days, weeks or even months later without worrying too much about having to start over. The other major change in FF1 comes in the form of spell use. Previously dependant upon a character's level, magic now utilizes the more popular MP system, helping to make the game more accessible to newcomers. Spells, much like weapons, must be purchased and require a user to be a specific level before they can be equipped.Notorious for its unique leveling system, Final Fantasy 2 has also undergone several alterations. While characters still gain strength as they use an ability, you'll no longer need to rely upon attacking members of your own party to increase their hit points as this aspect has been more carefully balanced. A brand new epilogue, entitled "Soul of Rebirth," has also been added.
Of the two games, Final Fantasy 2 is the more story-driven, with a greater emphasis on character development. The stories seem a little tired and cliched, though that's mostly due to their age and influence on the role-playing genre. Fighting is handled by a traditional turn-based battle system, with random encounters occurring every so often outside of towns.It's also worth noting that Dawn of Souls includes some of the most impressive music on the Game Boy Advance to date, ranking right up there with Castlevania: Circle of the Moon. With two games and a bestiary on the cartridge, it's a testament to Square's prowess that they were also able to accommodate such rich and detailed sound.Though they may lack the depth and complexity of the modern games they inspired, Final Fantasy 1 & 2 are still quite enjoyable, and definitely worth playing if you're a fan of RPGs.