Final Fantasy IV Advance [GBA]

Any medium is better when it has a history. Thanks to conflicting hardware and software standards, gaming has had a difficult time preserving its past. But for some well-regarded classics, the GBA has become the archival platform. The latest in Nintendo's historical catalogue is Final Fantasy IV, one of the best 16-bit role-playing games, and arguably the series' first point of maturity.

Though Square has "updated" the game with better graphics and some new dungeon content, FF IV still feels like a title born on the Super NES. The music, though well-written, is midi-riffic, and the squat characters are as representative of the Super Nintendo's look as an ad for the console.

Originally released in the U.S. as Final Fantasy II (don't ask) the story introduces airships and a generous helping of intrigue to the FF playbook. The hero is Cecil, an airship captain for the Baron Kingdom. He's uneasy about using military strength to harvest crystals from the populace, and when Cecil is asked to slay a young Summoner in the King's name, he rebels.

Much like Ultima IV, which had graced PCs a couple years earlier, the game describes the journey to virtue through a character who must make some tough choices. Most of them are scripted, sadly -- this isn't as complex or freeform as Ultima IV -- but the script is well-crafted, so that Cecil's quandary is quickly understood and even sadly poignant.

As is so often the case in this series, Cecil encounters a huge array of friends and enemies, many of whom join the player's party for a time. The supporting cast is as well-drawn as the hero, and each has unique abilities that makes them valuable and fun to have around.

Ironically, the gameplay of 15 years ago isn't much different from that of today. The party roams a large world map, occasionally ducking into a town or dungeon between random monster encounters. The battle system, with friends arrayed opposite enemies, will be familiar to anyone who's played an episode of the series. The pseudo "real time" battles (characters can act whenever their timing meter is full) aren't too challenging, but later encounters will require players to be fully familiar with the game's many options. Fortunately, the difficulty ramps up smoothly.

Those who played the game the first time around might be worried that excessive changes have been made in the update process. The concern is mooted, however -- this is hardly as drastic a revamp as some of Nintendo's Super Mario Advance titles. The dialogue and some names are slightly different, and the art is cleaner. There are a couple of new abilities as well, but the changes are all positive or at worst inconsequential, and only those who have played the game several times are likely to notice them.

When the DS and PSP mostly feature games that satisfy only in the short term, Final Fantasy IV is a breath of fresh air, even if it is 14 years old. Get past the slightly dated presentation and you'll find a game that's as involving as the best current RPGs.