Final Fantasy IV, V, VI and CT on Playstation disc: overview

[FinalBaton]

I thought I would gather my thoughts and experiences with Final Fantasy compilation discs for those who are interested.

I have Final Fantasy Chronicles(PS) and Final Fantasy Anthology(PS) here and wanted to give my quick impressions on how they perform and how they differ from the original SNES releases, in case anyone cares.

(I also have a couple remakes on PS and PSP, but I think I'll keep remakes out of this post).



Final Fantasy Chronicles

Final Fantasy IV

This one is a GREAT version. Not only are there 0 loading times, but you get the FFIV Japan HARD TYPE version, which is the best version of the game by far. Not only are there more character commands, summons and items, but the increased difficulty over the USA version and Japan EASY TYPE version makes it more enjoyable. I think I notice a bit of framerate stutter once in a while but I'm not 100% sure(maybe someone can confirm or deny this). In any way does this deter from the experience though. It's barely noticeable at all.
If you want to play an official copy, this is the way to go outside of the japanes SFC release. I actually prefer playing it than the US SNES copy. If you're ok with emulation than playing the Japan HARD TYPE translated-rom on an everdrive is an amazing option, of course.

Chrono Trigger

This one is unplayable : every time you go in and out of your menu screen, there is a 6-7 seconds loading time, which is unacceptable for an RPG! Considering the number of times that we go in and out of that menu screen per hour... it quickly becomes extremely infuriating. Supposedly there are even more situations where the game loads.
Avoid at all cost. Pick up a SNES copy if you can, or go with the rom loaded of an Everdrive.


So : even though the version of Chrono Trigger here is unplayable, I still like what the compilation offers strictly for the FFIV experience. If you find it very cheap than it's worth picking up.



Final Fantasy Anthology

Final Fantasy V

Didn't notice anything running badly on this one but then again I last played the translated rom long ago, so my memory is foggy. Some others have mentionned that the translation is ho-hum, so if you want the accurate translation, play the rom off an Everdrive. Anyway, having a physical copy of FFV is still nice, since it wasn't released for the SNES in the US.

Final Fantasy VI

This one runs well enough I think. There are small load times when entering and exiting the menu (2.5 and 4 seconds, respectively) but it's totally manageable, WAY faster than CT, which seems to take an eternity in comparison. Post battle transition is also 2 seconds slower than on the SNES. Not a bad version by any meansl. If you don't have the SNES one and can't find a reasonnably priced copy, this is an adequate way to own and play the game.


Anthology is worth picking up if found for very cheap, if you want physical copies of both games. Especially since FFV wasn't released in retail.



That's it for now, kupo

I will update this post if I find other performance issues or differences with the original games on FF Anthology and FF Chronicles. in the meantime, please post your findings regarding performance and differences of those 2 compilations, in this very thread!

See you later, kupo!

[Sumez]

I don't know if it's worth mentioning, but here in Europe they were released differently. "Final Fantasy Anthology" was FF4 and FF5, while FF6 had its own release - no Chrono Trigger anywhere. In Japan they were all released separately. I'm sure they are all the same though, performance-wise.

PS1 also had one more FF compilation, Final Fantasy Origins, ported by TOSE like as the others, mostly based on the Wonderswan versions.

[FinalBaton]

I don't know if it's worth mentioning, but here in Europe they were released differently. "Final Fantasy Anthology" was FF4 and FF5, while FF6 had its own release - no Chrono Trigger anywhere. In Japan they were all released separately. I'm sure they are all the same though, performance-wise.

PS1 also had one more FF compilation, Final Fantasy Origins, ported by TOSE like as the others, mostly based on the Wonderswan versions.

Yep I acknowledged FF Origins in my opening ^_^ (well, I only mentionned "other remakes on the PS" but that's what I was refering to. It's the only other FF comp/remake on PS1, at least in NTSC-U/C land)

Yes it's worth mentionning the region release differences! Thanks for bringing that up! I changed the title to incorporate the individual games name, so that the subject will be clear to everybody.
I guess it's safe to assume that the EU, JP and USA Playstation ports all are the same?

[soprano1]

I don't know if it's worth mentioning, but here in Europe they were released differently. "Final Fantasy Anthology" was FF4 and FF5, while FF6 had its own release - no Chrono Trigger anywhere. In Japan they were all released separately. I'm sure they are all the same though, performance-wise.

PS1 also had one more FF compilation, Final Fantasy Origins, ported by TOSE like as the others, mostly based on the Wonderswan versions.

Yeah, very quick European ports to generate interest on the upcoming release of Final Fantasy X. Origins was cool though, still have my copy with the Amano art postcards, very cool stuff.

[BulletMagnet]

It's been some time since I played it, but I seem to recall the FF6 PS1 port as having annoying post-battle load times, though it also added a bestiary and one or two other things (though the GBA port also has those IIRC, as well as a redone translation, though the visuals and sound are downgraded a bit...if memory serves the DS port of Chrono Trigger is a similar case). I forget why, but supposedly the GBA edition of FF5 is also considered superior to the PS1 version...though apparently the GBA FF4 is borked in some fashion.

[WelshMegalodon]

I always see people knocking these re-releases for allegedly severe loading times, so it's good to hear another voice claiming otherwise.

It's good to hear that the PS1 port of Final Fantasy IV is technically sound, but this individual would have me believe the retranslation is, contrary to popular belief, highly inaccurate. Referring to this version as the "Hard Type" also seems misleading since it is the "normal" version of the game (barring a few bugfixes from the Easy Type), but I suppose you are technically correct. The higher difficulty and magical items do make this version more interesting, but I'm not sure the North American release lost much in throwing out some of the less useful character abilities.

The translation that V received for this release is also rather lacking, but everyone already knows that.

I'm not sure what to think about Origins. Final Fantasy II received enough bugfixes and tweaks to bring it out of its borderline-unplayable status, but at the cost of Uematsu's chiptunes and Shibuya's lovely sprite art. I suppose the changes made to inventory and armor management in the first game also count as "improvements", but they also take away some of the edge that the game inherited from Wizardry. The cutscenes added to the first game also seem unnecessary, and I never complained about the high encounter rate until I saw it paired with loading times. I do appreciate what is purported to be a more faithful translation, though*, and I believe the Intelligence bug in the first game was retained for this release. (The addition of kanji also makes the Japanese version of this release significantly easier to read.)

Also, Saber breaking the first game - agree or disagree?

It's been some time since I played it, but I seem to recall the FF6 PS1 port as having annoying post-battle load times, though it also added a bestiary and one or two other things (though the GBA port also has those IIRC, as well as a redone translation, though the visuals and sound are downgraded a bit...if memory serves the DS port of Chrono Trigger is a similar case). I forget why, but supposedly the GBA edition of FF5 is also considered superior to the PS1 version...though apparently the GBA FF4 is borked in some fashion.

The Game Boy Advance remake of FFV is a fan favorite for livening up what is supposedly a very bland script and (perhaps more importantly) being a more competent release than Anthology. I personally have no complaints about the RPGe translation, but if the GBA translation is more faithful in spite of its annoying pop culture references, so be it.

As for the FFIV on the Advance, I'm told the ATB system is severely bugged (as if casting times weren't bad enough). The PAL release is fine, though.

Now if you'll excuse me...



*

Spoiler

I know that, at the very least, numerous monster, spell, and item names were renamed to be consistent with the original Famicom release. "MUTE" is "Silence", "GrIMPs" are now "Goblin Guards", etc.

[maximo310]

From what I have heard and played, the ps1 version of FF5 does keep the blandish script while adding a bunch of loading times. The script doesn't seem much better compared to the SFC translation which I played years ago. I'd honestly reccomend the GBA version over any other versions for content, script, and no load times ( although the music does suffer a little bit), although the SFC version is pretty good too.

For FF6, I'd probably reccomend either the SNES or GBA version based on personal experience.

[FinalBaton]

Referring to this version as the "Hard Type" also seems misleading since it is the "normal" version of the game (barring a few bugfixes from the Easy Type), but I suppose you are technically correct.

Yeah "Hard type" is the unofficial name given to the normal release (first japanese release). There are only 2 versions : that one and the "easy-type" one. Since the second is named "easy", the community has nicknammed the first iteration "hard".

And the PS one is a very solid release well worth owning indeed. Couldn't tell you about the translation work though, since I haven't delved into that. But to me, I'll take a $10 Hard-type physical disc copy of the game over a $50 cart-only Easy-type copy anyday of the weak. Especially since the PS release doesn't have loading times.

[WelshMegalodon]

The North American release and the Easy Type are worlds apart. I'm not alone in thinking they should be recognized as separate entities, or in realizing that the former was not in fact based on the latter.

[FinalBaton]

I always see people knocking these re-releases for allegedly severe loading times, so it's good to hear another voice claiming otherwise.

Yeah from what I see, only CT suffers from heavy lag.
But after reading Bullet Magnet's post I'm tempted to check out FFVI again. I'll report back regarding the post-battle loading times

[FinalBaton]

The North American release and the Easy Type are worlds apart. I'm not alone in thinking they should be recognized as separate entities, or in realizing that the former was not in fact based on the latter.

I meant difficulty-wise.

JP Easy-type and US have a bunch of differences, but the enemy HP, and speed (rate at which their attack bar fills up) is the same in both version, no? At least that's what I always believed. Maybe I'm wrong on this.

[FinalBaton]

For FF6, I'd probably reccomend either the SNES or GBA version based on personal experience.

The SNES version is great indeed. But since it's not cheap... then the PS version becomes a worthy option IMO. Well, that is if it performs as well as I remember. I'll re-check the gameplay a bit and report back.

Haven't tried the GBA one. But I need to be gaming on my TV and I don't wanna add a gamecube to my console setup (although the Super Retro Advance looks quite good on my HDTV). But since I already have the PS version and it works fine for me, I don't think I'll be buying the GBA version.

Still, it's great to know it performs well. The more info we have on this version the better!

[WelshMegalodon]

I meant difficulty-wise.

JP Easy-type and US have a bunch of differences, but the enemy HP, and speed (rate at which their attack bar fills up) is the same in both version, no? At least that's what I always believed. Maybe I'm wrong on this.

The Cutting Room Floor and a few other places mention some changes made to the battle scripts that make certain encounters more dangerous, particularly on the moon. I don't see any sources, but it's implied that they looked through the code themselves...

[FinalBaton]

The Cutting Room Floor and a few other places mention some changes made to the battle scripts that make certain encounters more dangerous, particularly on the moon. I don't see any sources, but it's implied that they looked through the code themselves...

Hmmm... interesting. Had no idea about this. If you find more detailed info and comfirmations on this, please share

[FinalBaton]

Also : it's interesting to learn(at least I did) that the script for FFV on PS is so-so. That makes a good translated rom played off an Everdrive a very tempting option.

Do we know which rom translation is considered best?

[Bananamatic]

played IV, V and VI on the PSX back in the day
shitty loading times+slowed down PAL speed and the PSX FFV translation is a load of horseshit
I was wondering why I found VI to be so goddamn tedious back when I was 12 and always ended up rushing the game halfway through, turns out it was the shitty battle load times

I'd say stay the hell away from them and just emulate the snes versions instead or get the gba ones with extras

[FinalBaton]

played IV, V and VI on the PSX back in the day
shitty loading times+slowed down PAL speed and the PSX FFV translation is a load of horseshit
I was wondering why I found VI to be so goddamn tedious back when I was 12 and always ended up rushing the game halfway through, turns out it was the shitty battle load times

I'd say stay the hell away from them and just emulate the snes versions instead or get the gba ones with extras

FFIV runs great on PS.

[Bananamatic]

the loading times seem to be fine, it's probably the fact that I lived in a PAL zone where everything was slow as shit for no reason
the FFV translation is still atrocious though

might as well throw out all my old consoles due to every game running like shit by default and being straight up better when emulated

[WelshMegalodon]

Also : it's interesting to learn(at least I did) that the script for FFV on PS is so-so. That makes a good translated rom played off an Everdrive a very tempting option.

Do we know which rom translation is considered best?

Yarr, that be the case, matey! Put ye some Salsa on that Dinglberry!

There really aren't too many options. This is the closest thing I've seen to an attempt at improving on the RPGe translation, though it's never mentioned. It seems most people are content with the Advance remake.

[FinalBaton]

Just replayed FFVI for a bit.

There was no after-battle loading. There was, however, some short load times when entering and exiting the menu.

Entering the menu takes 2 and a half seconds, while exiting it takes 4. Way faster than CT. Verdict : FFVI can definitely be played and enjoyed on PS, it's under the treshold of acceptable loading times. In fact, I wouldn't have played it in it's entirety if it wasn't the case. (To give you a comparison : I couldn't go through more than 2 hours on CT).

Will edit my original post with this info.

[Bananamatic]

There was no after-battle loading.

Doesn't the PSX version have a pretty long battle transition, both into and out out it? On the SNES it's basically instant transition instead of the screen slowly fading out

[Sumez]

I forget why, but supposedly the GBA edition of FF5 is also considered superior to the PS1 version...though apparently the GBA FF4 is borked in some fashion.

GBA FF5 has an extra (huge postgame) dungeon and a few extra classes, and a better translation as far as I remember. And it's not on mechanical media. Very good in every way.
FF6 also has the extra dungeon thing, and a few bug fixes such as the very major one of Hit or Evade having absolutely NO EFFECT in the SNES versions. I don't know if this was fixed in the PS1 version of the game, but it would be worth pointing out whether it is.

I didn't even realise there was a FF4 for GBA. No idea how I missed this one.

Anyway, the GBA versions of the games are not necessarily visual "downgrades". They run at a lower resolution, yeah, but the reworked graphics are really solid. The new font has a lot more character than the old one, dialogue now has portraits, and the battle scenes are immensely improved, with reworked enemy graphics and backgrounds. This is especially evident on FF5 which had extremely simplistic pastel backgrounds - the new ones fit way better with the intricate enemy designs.

I was wondering why I found VI to be so goddamn tedious back when I was 12 and always ended up rushing the game halfway through, turns out it was the shitty battle load times

Yeah, even if it's really short, it's definitely there, same as the menu. It doesn't seem like much if you're a younster coming fresh off FF7, but that game was also really hard on me from being used to the fast paced SNES games.
The frequency of random encounters never bothered me in FF6 on SNES because the fights are always really fast in and out and on with the game, as opposed to FF7 where I'd do all I could to zoom to the exit as fast as possible to avoid having to wait for extra battles. This actually goes for any game in the series since. The PlayStation versions of CT and the FF games brought the same pain into those titles.

[Xyga]

IIRC the worst thing about FF6 PS1 was that even in-battle menus were prone to loading-time sluggishness.
That pissed me off more than anything else.

[ryu]

All I remember is that FFVI (PAL) on PS1 is so slow I couldn't stomatch to play the game all the way through.

[Strider77]

I tend to recall the mode 7 effect for the air ships being stuttery as well.

[BIL]

The load times in PS1 FFVI made me want to kill myself BITD and still do today. :[

[BulletMagnet]

Doesn't the PSX version have a pretty long battle transition, both into and out out it? On the SNES it's basically instant transition instead of the screen slowly fading out

If anyone needs a comparison check out this video versus this one - a battle happens within the first few moments of each.

[Sumez]

Judging by that video, FF6 also gives you the ability to run right from the beginning of the game, same as the GBA games?
On SNES you only get that ability with an item you obtain halfway into the game, at which point I believe the GBA version just lets you run even faster.

[Bananamatic]

On SNES you only get that ability with an item you obtain halfway into the game

You can buy that item in the very first city IIRC

[Sumez]

You can't access the relic shop in Narshe at the beginning of the game IIRC. You have to return there much later. Definitely not before you gain control of Locke, which is what the linked video shows.