Episode 8: Breath of Fire—Of Swords, Speedos, and S Ptn

Breath of Fire

Platform: SNES (there is also a slightly souped-up version on the Gameboy Advance)

Japanese Release Date: April 3, 1993

US Release Date: August 10, 1994

Difficulty: Easy

Amazon Prices: starting at $18.99 used, $649.99 for a new cartridge (if you have some money to blow)

Podcast: Download, iTunes, PodOmatic

 Lightning's Review

 Is this a travelling circus, or the Breath of Fire cast? Probably both.

The Good

• If you’re looking for retro RPGs, this game offers solid turn-based combat, interesting character abilities, and a decent alternative to Squaresoft titles, which were ubiquitous and dominated the RPG market at the time.
• This is the first game in the Breath of Fire series! If you have played any of the other games and are interested in the continuity of the series, this title is directly tied with the second and third installments (with the fourth game also potentially providing a link).
• Where ELSE are you going to have to fight an army of roaches to help some mice get their cheese? I mean, really.

The Bad

• Useless party members. Mogu, anyone?
• A bland translation that provides little to no character development. I know this wasn’t all that common in 1993, but titles such as Secret of Mana and Final Fantasy III/VI have deeper, more meaningful stories that can more easily engage the player.
• Sometimes the gameplay is downright tedious and boring, especially in the early part of the game.

The Ugly

• Mogu’s Dream World. ‘Nuff said.
• Ox’s fetching outfit:

• Jade and his many-colored tumors. I, uh, didn’t realize he actually had eyes until I saw this picture.

The Lowdown

I definitely have retro goggles on while playing this game, since I played it when I was a kid. That being said, there are far better SNES retro titles for you to play first, such as Secret of Mana, Chrono Trigger, and Final Fantasy III/VI. Don’t try this unless you’re already interested in the Breath of Fire series or want to get as many RPGs under your belt as possible. There’s also the issue with availability: this is not on the Virtual Console or PSN. You will either have to emulate it or buy a cartridge. If you go the cartridge route, please note that many SNES cartridges do not have back-up batteries that last longer than ten years. Every time you save, there will be a gamble as to whether or not you can pick your game up again. In that case, you’ll either need to learn how to replace the battery or find someone who can (there are also how-to’s on the web). 

Music Credits:

RPG Roundup Theme Song: "Video Game Theme," J. Arthur Keenes Band. Creative Commons Attribution License.

Breath of Fire Soundtrack

RPG Roundup Joins Twitter!

We just set up a Twitter account so that our listeners can be updated on announcements about the podcast and be entertained by our ranty video game moments. Because we play the games first, sometimes we get off schedule and don’t want anyone to think we abandoned the podcast/got kidnapped by pirates/went on drunken video game rampages after getting killed in Soul Nomad. To all five of you, please follow us!

We can be found here. If the link isn't working, search for Terra and Lightning on Twitter and there we are!  :)

~Lightning

Episode 7: Final Fantasy—Wash Your Damn Face! (NES)

Final Fantasy

Platform: NES. NES version also available on the Wii Virtual Console (for this review, anyway)

Japanese Release Date: December 17, 1987

North American Release Date: July 12, 1990

Difficulty: Moderate

Amazon Price: $85 for a new NES cartridge

Wii Virtual Console: About $5

Podcast: Download, iTunes, PodOmatic

One podcast episode, two reviews!

Terra's Review of the Playstation Version

Lightning's Review

 

When a fountain tells you to wash your #%#%#@% face, then you’d better damn well do it.

The Good

• This is the real deal! This version reviewed is THE 8 bit original Final Fantasy that started it all. For you retro gamers out there, this is a treat that holds up well despite being over 20 years old.
• The 8 bit beep beep boop booping of the soundtrack and the colorful sprites will bring tears of nostalgia to your eyes.
• A solid (if simple) combat and class system that allows for high replay value.

The Bad

• You want a good RPG story? Well, you won’t find it here. This is as bare bones as they come.
• A targeting system that will make you bellow in rage when your characters hit dead air when you’ve misjudged how long it will take to kill an enemy. It may add some strategic value to the game, but more often than not it will just add frustration.

The Ugly

• Realizing that there is NO WAY to warp out of a dungeon after your white mage dies.
• The Ogre Corridor of Doom. You have been warned.
• Viewing red mage cosplay pictures on the net.  

That pretty much sums it up.

The Lowdown: Despite being almost as old as I am, this game has aged well. I would in fact recommend playing this version over the PlayStation port to get the original experience (that is, if you have an NES or Wii readily available). Don’t let the primitive graphics and soundtrack fool you – this game has high replay value, provides a decent challenge, and gives you a firsthand view of how Final Fantasy developed into the blockbuster franchise that it is today. The only instance in which I wouldn’t recommend playing is if you aren’t interested in games that are for the most part dungeon crawlers – players craving a complex story may be disappointed.

Music Credits:

RPG Roundup Theme Song: "Video Game Theme," J. Arthur Keenes Band. Creative Commons Attribution License.

Final Fantasy Original Soundtrack

Final Fantasy Playstation Soundtrack

Episode 7: Final Fantasy—Wash Your Damn Face! (Playstation)

Final Fantasy Origins: Final Fantasy 1

Platform: Playstation

Japanese Release Date: October 31, 2002

North American Release Date: April 8, 2003

Difficulty: Moderate

Amazon Price: Final Fantasy Origins Disc: $14.50

PSN Digital Download Price: $9.99.

Podcast: Download, iTunes, PodOmatic

One podcast episode, two reviews!
Lightning's Review of the NES Version

Terra’s Review

Your mother let you out of the house in that outfit? You go right home and change into something less stupid, young man!

The Good

• Updates that make the game run smoother, such as menu options that describe what an item is and allow the player to buy more than one item at a time.
• Graphics that keep the old school charm of the original but also add in a few more colors and more detailed background for the battle screens.
• Getting to choose the make up the party, which can greatly affect game play—try an all white mage party if you really want a challenge!
• Updated, 32 bit version of the music the Final Fantasy games are famous for. Be sure to listen for Derelict Keep!

The Bad

• The World Map seemed slightly larger than in the NES version, which could make getting from one place to another tedious—especially before the airship shows up.
• Being ambushed by nine monsters, when you only have four party members, and the monsters all get to first, and stun/petrify/insta-kill the entire party before the player can give any commands.
• The storyline involves Time Travel and will make your head hurt when you try to figure it out

The Ugly

• The opening CGI movie of a random knight fighting a random dragon:

Or perhaps…THE BEGINNING? (Of a huge money maker!)

The lowdown:  The remake keeps a lot of the charm of the original NES version while polishing the game up slightly. I’m particularly a fan of the updated menus, which are easier to navigate than the originals were.  The language for the script is more flowery and the graphics more colorful, but the game’s story is unchanged and the core and heart of the game have been kept intact. Recommended for people who want an old-school type experience or to play the game that launched one of the world’s biggest RPG franchises, but don’t want the frustration of buying one Heal potion at a time.

Music Credits:

RPG Roundup Theme Song: "Video Game Theme," J. Arthur Keenes Band. Creative Commons Attribution License.

Final Fantasy Original Soundtrack

Final Fantasy Playstation Soundtrack