Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection (PSP) Review

My interest in gaming has been wavering as of late. Few games have been tickling my fancy. It's just been guns, guns, blood, and more guns. Bo-ring. What ever is a superhero to do? Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection released a couple of months ago for the PlayStation Portable, and I played through all scenarios. Here's my verdict.

A Fantasy Complete

Final Fantasy IV has been one of Square-Enix's favorite titles to remake/port over and over again. From the original PlayStation to the Game Boy Advance, Final Fantasy IV has been around in various forms. Now the complete experience can be played on Sony's portable in Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection containing the original game with enhanced visuals, The After Years, an episodic series of games formerly exclusive to WiiWare and the iPhone, and a brand-new Interlude that bridges the two together. Is this collection the ultimate fantasy?

Meet Cecil Harvey. He's the head of the Red Wings, an airship force that is the marquis of the kingdom of Baron. Their mission is to retrieve the world's supply of crystals through any means necessary. However, Cecil begins to have doubts once his team massacres a group of innocent mages just to gain the town's crystal. The king of Baron (with a seemingly new personality) hears of Cecil's doubts, kicks him off of the Red Wings, and relegates him to a mission to take a package with childhood friend, Kain, to a faraway village. When this does not go as planned and the package is actually a bomb that sets the town on fire, Cecil and Kain only further question the motives behind Baron and its power-hungry majesty.

Edward's kingdom is reborn in the Interlude.

The tale of Final Fantasy IV (known back then in North America as Final Fantasy II) is a complex one with characters that grow throughout the game. Characters come and characters go, sometimes sacrificing themselves for the common good. Each party member has their own skills and abilities to separate each and every one from the pack. Cecil can use his dark knight powers to sacrifice hit points to damage enemies, Rydia can summon creatures and use black magic early on in the game, Tellah is the magic user of the party and utilizes some devastating and helpful magic in battle, and Yang can establish rank in encounters, obliterating foes with his martial arts skills.

Your party has a maximum amount of five members. As stated, they come and they go as the story permits. When one leaves, eventually another joins. In all, over ten different members will join Cecil in his quest throughout the duration of Final Fantasy IV to take down the sinister Golbez, the seemingly-omnipotent menace that thirsts for all of the crystals for unknown reasons.

Battles are fast-paced in Final Fantasy IV.

Battles in Final Fantasy IV were revolutionary for its time. The game used an active-time battle system, something that future Final Fantasies would feature. Each party member has a bar that slowly fills up. Once it fills to capacity, then that party member can choose an attack, spell, item, or other option in combat to utilize on their fellow party member or foe. Meanwhile, their enemies used the same concept. Certain spells like Haste and Slow could fasten or decrease the speed of a character's bar to either help or hurt their chances in battle.

Magic plays a huge part of combat in Final Fantasy IV. While not every party member can use magic, the ones that can't can use items to heal and help their fellow man or woman. Magic uses up a certain number of MP depending on the type of spell used. Some monsters are immune to some types of magic. Some will counterattack with a powerful move if magic is used on them. Strategy is key in battle whether it's with magic or items.

New graphical effects show off the processing power of the PSP.

Final Fantasy IV features two worlds, an overworld and an underworld. There's plenty of side content to partake in, summons to learn, extra bosses to battle, and hours to sink your teeth into. The main game lasts around 25 hours if you're really smoking. The games that accompany the main game, The After Years and the Interlude, don't fare quite as well. Not only are they far too linear in dungeon design, but they're quite short. Sure, there's an interesting moon mechanic in battle where when the moon wanes, attacks are increased in the Interlude, but that does little to make this new mode worth it.

The Interlude introduces Cecil and Rosa's child.

Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection has gotten smacked with the pretty stick. New higher resolution sprites and backgrounds have been crafted, and they look quite nice. They're detailed, colorful, and full of charm and character. Nobuo Uematsu's classic score is represented well. Players can opt to use the original soundtrack or the updated Nintendo DS version, and this option can be switched at any time. Overall, the PSP presentation of the game is excellent.

Straight from the GBA version, the Bestiary.

While The After Years and the Interlude of Cecil's compendium of adventures may not be worth playing through-- only the greatest fans of Final Fantasy IV lore should check it out, Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection is worth it simply for the original game remade in stellar form. Even if you've played this title twenty times, it's at your advantage to pick up the ultimate incarnation of Final Fantasy IV. For only thirty bucks, this collection is a steal.

[SuperPhillip Says: 8.5/10]

SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs - Final Fantasy VI Edition

Final Fantasy VI is widely considered one of the best RPGs of all time. It has everything from a memorable story and cast of characters to a world full of secrets and an inspired score. We'll be focusing on the latter with Nobuo Uematsu's magnum opus with five themes from Final Fantasy VI, my second-favorite Final Fantasy game in the series. Let these tracks represent the greatness that is Final Fantasy VI.

v756. Final Fantasy VI - Terra

We're devoting the next five vids to one game. Some consider it the best RPG of all time. I've only played through it once, but the soundtrack will always be my personal favorite. For those wondering what my favorite Final Fantasy is, I'd have to go with number four. Regardless, Terra is the name of the main character in FF6 who can summon and control mysterious and powerful beings known as Espers. Terra also just so happens to be the world map theme for the first half of the game. Also, did you know that Terra's name in Japan is Tina?



v757. Final Fantasy VI - Edgar and Sabin

Edgar and Sabin were brothers in Final Fantasy VI, and with a flip of a coin they parted ways. One became the ruler of Figaro Castle while the other moved on to train in the martial arts. This theme, Edgar and Sabin, is a triumphant one that plays during the sandy recesses of Figaro Castle. While Edgar uses tools in battle, Sabin utilizes the martial arts like the Blitz attack to get the upper hand in confrontations.



v758. Final Fantasy VI - Kefka

Kefka is one of my all-time favorite villains. That would logically and obviously make him my favorite Final Fantasy baddie, too. He was one of the only bad guys to fulfill his plan, destroying the planet and creating a World of Ruin. He's also infinitely quotable, has an infectious laugh, looks badass in his final boss form, and has a terrific and catchy theme as you can listen to here.



v759. Final Fantasy VI - Celes

Locked away in an under martial law town of South Figaro, Locke discovers her and from there, a new love slowly builds. Celes is most famous for her participation in the beautifully-crafted opera scene. The accompanying picture displays a CG version of Celes in her wedding gown, awaiting her opera love, Draco. Celes and Locke would become great friends, and at the end of the game, Locke would rescue Celes from falling to her death-- a reminder of his dead love, Rachel, who died that way.



v760. Final Fantasy VI - Mt. Koltz

Mt. Koltz was a mountain passage that players visited early in Final Fantasy VI. The boss battle that occurred there was against a rival of Sabin who we briefly talked about in an earlier VGM. The song shows Nobuo Uematsu's magnificent range. Is there a soundtrack from this man that we could consider bad? I'm having a hard time figuring that one out. Regardless, that ends out journey into the wonderful world of Final Fantasy VI. If you're holding out on playing this terrific title, what are you waiting for?



And with that another episode of SuperPhillip's Favorite VGMs comes to a close. If you're interested in scoping out past or present installments of the VGMs, check out my Youtube channel, where there's that and more to listen to. Adieu!

Central City Census - August

It's getting hotter out there and in here, so that must mean we've arrived at the scorching month of August here at SuperPhillip Central. With a new month we arrive at a new Census for our readers to vote on, but first let's check out the results of July's Central City Census.

Are you a fan of sports games?

I buy them each year.	3 (12%)
I buy them more often than not.	1 (4%)
Not too often.	13 (52%)
None at all. Keep 'em away.	8 (32%)

Votes so far: 25

Coming home with just over half the vote in this sports-related poll is the "Not too often" category. In second place 32% don't buy them at all, 12% (three people) purchase them yearly, and finally, one voter buys sports games more often than not. With that out of the way, let's see what August holds for the Central City Census.

The Nintendo 3DS is a hot topic as sales aren't exactly lighting the world on fire. However, with a nearly one hundred dollar price decrease, an Ambassador program for early adopters, and new games coming this holiday season, the future looks bright for Nintendo's newest handheld. With the price drop, do you plan on purchasing one?

Best Boss Battles in Gaming History - Part One

This article features spoilers, so please tread carefully. Warning given.

More popular in Japanese game design than Western is the concept of the boss battle. I love them, and I'm sure many of you out there do, too. Nothing like creating an epic ending to a level or area than with a climatic battle to stimulate the senses. This brand-new segment of SuperPhillip Central highlights some of my favorite boss battles of all time beginning with five for today. Check back frequently as I plan on having this be a long-running series of articles. Now with that jargon out of the way, let's get to the action!

The Colossus of Rhodes - God of War II (PS2)


The beginning of God of War II goes off with a big bang as Kratos finds himself stalked by a menacing statue known as the Colossus of Rhodes. As Kratos fights through wave after wave of enemies, solving simple starting puzzles in Sparta, and pilfering treasures from chests, the Colossus always has an eye of the God of War. Things come to a head when the Colossus slams its fist through a wall. Kratos must dodge this in a swift QTE segment.

When Kratos enters the final battle arena, the Colossus smashes one of its fists down and the Ghost of Sparta must leap over it to avoid damage. The boss then spawns enemies which Kratos must take down all the while avoiding the hand lunges of the Colossus. Each time the Colossus swipes its fist or fists at Kratos, Kratos should roll out of the way and then attack. This is the boss's opening.

After enough damage has been inflicted, the Colossus goes offline for a short while. This moment gives Kratos the opportunity to leap up to a ledge where a rock catapult is conveniently placed. With a press of the R1 button, the catapult launches, slamming the rock into the Colossus's once perfectly-formed face. While the Colossus is stunned, Kratos jumps into the catapult himself and launches his body into the big bad boss where at quick time segment, if successfully completed, has Kratos striking the Colossus's eye with his weapon.

However, the battle is just momentarily over. As Kratos steps into a room, the Colossus desires to step on Kratos with its monolithic foot. A mad press of the circle button keeps the player from getting squashed like a godlike bug. Once Kratos scales a wall, the second part of the confrontation begins. The process is very much the same. The Colossus slams its fists down while Kratos rolls out of the way to then attack it. Once the mechanized beast has been slain for to stun mode, Kratos needs to swing over to its arm and activate another QTE. This process happens again.

The final stage of battle begins with a blade sticking out from the top of a building. The Colossus slams its fists into the building's side, producing shockwaves that Kratos must hop over. Stunning the enemy will allow the God of War enough time to pull the sword from the rooftop and inflict the final blows to the agitated Colossus. So much for the grand Colossus of Rhodes!

Safer Sephiroth - Final Fantasy VII (PS1)


Considered the coolest baddie of any Final Fantasy game or a whiny, uncool mama's boy to others, Sephiroth's One-Winged Angel form (Safer Sephiroth) is the final test in Cloud and company's long, three-disc journey to save the world. After defeating the Birth of A God form, One-Winged Angel chimes in with chanting, an orchestral score, and the evil angel himself, ready to mercilessly destroy his enemies.

Without a doubt Safer Sephiroth's most powerful attack is his own brand of summon, Supernova. It's a catastrophic comet that comes from the depths of outer space and enters the Milky Way galaxy, obliterating each and every planet as it heads into the Sun. Once it enters the Sun, the big ball of light expands, completely engulfing Mercury, Venus, and what I will call Earth in an immense ball of fire. The attack will totally decimate low level parties and underdeveloped parties, so watch out.

However strong Safer Sephiroth's attacks are, they will allow Cloud's party to reach their limit breaks, the strongest moves in the game, quite easily. Who doesn't love using 4X Cut with Omnislash to send Sephiroth back to Hell where he belongs? Not I. Once Safer Sephiroth is defeated, one last Omnislash does the humanoid form of Sephiroth in for good. So long, mama's boy!

Twilit Fossil - Stallord - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (Wii, GCN)


Located within the dungeon of the Arbiter's Grounds is a unique item for Link to acquire, the Spinner. With it, the Hero of Time can ride certain marked walls in stellar fashion. The Spinner itself has spikes on its sides on all 360 degrees of it, making it useful in combat situations as well. It's the key to defeating the nefarious Zant's newest creation, the Twilit Fossil, Stallord, in combat.

The encounter starts out innocently enough. Zant revives the beast for battle, and Link must ride his newly-acquired Spinner and circle around the arena, avoiding the spikes circulating around the arena and spawning soldiers that Stallord summons and slamming into the base of the boss's spine to damage Stallord. After enough hits the mighty boss falls to the sand in agony. Do not celebrate just yet, however. The real battle is just about to begin!

The second stage of combat starts off with Link using the Spinner to rise up a tall column in the center of the arena. Little doth he know that Stallord's head is right behind him, knocking him off the column and starting stage two of the battle. The column and outer perimeter of the arena has Spinner marks on them, allowing Link to use the useful and innovative item to climb the walls until Stallord's head comes into view. When his mouth is full of fire, be ready to leap to the opposite wall to avoid a fireball blast. Eventually, Link will be at Stallord's level, and by jumping to the other side, Link will slam the Spinner into Stallord's face, sending it to the ground below. Link must then hop off the Spinner, fall down, and strike the boss's weakpoint, Zant's sword which summoned the beast in the first place. After multiple rounds of this the Stallord will be permanently put to extinction, and victory will be Link's once again.

Kefka - Final Fantasy VI (SNES)


Kefka is one of my favorite villains, and in Final Fantasy VI (which many consider one of the greatest RPGs of all time) he actually succeeds in destroying the world. After the heroes reunite after trekking it through Kefka's tower, the final battle is at hand. It's a four-part encounter that was highly impressive for its time. Players did battle with a selection of grotesque combinations of Espers. Each time a group was defeated, the player's party moved one step higher into the clouds, and the music shifted into a new movement of Dancing Mad. Once all three parts of the Esper monstrosities were put down, the final encounter took place. Kefka, with angel wings sprouting from his back, hovered down from the heavens. And with a menacing cackle, the fate of the new world was in the balance.

Final Kefka's attacks are as follows:

Regular attack - 1000-3000 damage
Fallen One - Brings all HP to 1
Havoc Wing - 6000-9999 damage
Hyperdrive - 3000-4000 damage
Goner - 1000-2000 damage
Fire 3 - 1000-2000 damage
Ice 3 - 1000-2000 damage
Bolt 3 - 1000-2000 damage
Meteor - 1000-1500
Ultima - 2000-3000

As Kefka's hit points dwindle into nothingness, one last speech hits his sordid philosophies home. Terra and friends have defeated the sinister jester, and now they embark on remaking their broken world.

Bowser - New Super Mario Bros. Wii (Wii)


Bowser has had his Koopalings keeping Mario and company busy while he does who knows what with the imprisoned Peach Toadstool. Now with Mario in the final hallway leading up to the King of the Koopas, Bowser gets desperate. He launches fireballs through the hallway that Mario and friends must avoid if they want a chance to right Bowser's wrongs.

Eventually Mario reaches Bowser's innermost chamber where Peach is kept hanging in a cage. The battle begins with Bowser once again shooting fireballs that Mario must leap over. This battle can go one of two ways. The portly plumber can either shoot his own special brand of fireballs back at Bowser, or if that option is impossible, time it perfectly so when Bowser hops into the air, Mario can run under him, hit a switch, and send the Koopa King hurdling into the lava below. Peach is saved! Or is she? As Peach turns around, it is revealed that it's only Kamek disguised as her. That cross-dressing imposter!

Suddenly as Kamek uses his wand, Bowser rises from the lava like a phoenix from the ashes in humongous and glorious form. The chase is on now! The screen slowly scrolls to the right as Bowser shoots off gigantic fireballs at Mario who flees for his life. These great balls of fire destroy anything they touch such as the walls and floors of the castle. By tricking Bowser into aiming his fireballs at Mario, Mario can sneak through the holes that the fireballs make. Soon Mario reaches the halfway point where an item box rests. The home stretch is in sight. Now floating platforms hover in the air, swaying back and forth, ready for Mario to jump on them. Timing is key as one false move and Mario falls into the lava or gets rocked by one of big Bowser's fireballs. Once Mario reaches the end, he steps on a button which sends Bowser falling to the abyss. Mario and Peach are reunited, and with air balloons in tow, they finally head home. A great ending to a great adventure indeed.

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Have a favorite boss encounter that didn't make the list? Of course you do! Why not share it with the SuperPhillip Central community? Just leave your favorites in the comments section, and I'll take it from there. Until next time, this has been Best Boss Battles in Gaming History!

Bomb-Dropper: Nintendo 3DS Worldwide Price Drop

Nintendo dropped a bomb after having profits fall heavily for their first quarter. Less than stellar sales of their newest handheld and the sharp decline of the Wii were the main culprits, but that's expected when one doesn't release many notable games, right? Regardless, Nintendo is looking to change their luck, and they're doing it in desperate fashion-- with a price cut to the Nintendo 3DS. In North America the Nintendo 3DS will now cost $169.99 as opposed to the intense and unaffordable price of $249.99 that the system originally retailed for. It's so drastic a measure that Nintendo is reportedly losing money for every 3DS sold now.


But good news for early adopters. You will not be messed over like you usually are by Nintendo. Instead you'll receive for free ten Nintendo Entertainment System and ten Game Boy Advance (don't you hate when people call it the Game Boy Advanced?) downloads. Ten of these titles have been revealed including such classics as the original Super Mario Bros, Super Mario Advance 3: Yoshi's Island, the original WarioWare, and Metroid Fusion, for starters. New purchasers will eventually be able to download these games for a price with the NES games being available by the end of the year. No word on when the GBA titles will be ripe for the picking.

With titles such as Super Mario 3D Land and Mario Kart 7 coming this holiday season, the 3DS may just have a fighting chance against the PlayStation Vita.

Suddenly last week's relative rant included in my editorial takes whole new meaning. Is Nintendo still doomed in the eyes of the media, critics, and fans? Who knows or even cares anymore-- I'm getting a 3DS soon!