Addendum info (12.12.22) The PR versions had various bug fixes and stability improvements. If you still experience stutter, consult fan solutions in the description. Text has been given a thinner drop shadow for improved legibility but the font has not been updated Critical hits now have a screen flash again, the minimap stays when transitioning screens, the transition from battle to field is faster when fleeing, your cursor defaults to "yes" at inns.
I grew up with the original NES version. Despite its bugs and unbalanced difficulty, it still has a place in my heart. My really big complaint has always been the tedious shopping system where you can only buy 1 item at a time. It's not a big deal for weapons and armors, but due to the D&D style magic system, you always wanted to have a good stock of heal, cure, and soft potions. I had an NES Max controller and when I would buy heal potions, I would sit something heavy on the turbo button and walk away for 10 minutes. Unfortunately, that didn't work for other potion types, since they were never first in the list and required me to manually scroll down to buy them.
『FF1』が好きなのでとても参考になりました。素晴らしいと思います。 日本の動画でもここまで丁寧にまとめられているものはないです。 私はどのバージョンの『FF1』も大好きで、すべてプレイしています。 I like FINAL FANTASY 1 so this video is very interesting. I think its wonderful. Few of the Japanese videos are so carefully organized. I love all version of FINAL FANTASY 1, so 1 play them all!
Hey!! If you like FF1, there is a mod patch for the NES game called "Final Fantasy Restored" The patch feature restoration of bugs so that certain magic spells now work properly, double HP for bosses (you can turn this ON/OFF) and it even has new battle music for the Four Fiends and CHAOS It's all in English, but if you don't mind, you should give it a try!!
I was really hoping they'd just do a nice port of the PSP versions of any of those available. I guess making a fresh engine that scales to a bunch of platforms is better overall, but I still love how the PSP's various FF remakes look.
There are motivated modders bringing options for days to these pixel remasters so you can make it look and sound like the PSP port or even mix and match the best of various ports to suit your tastes.
I have a theory that these pixel remasters were done to preserve the games in their original forms for the modern age, and they still have plans for the old games in a another form of remake or remaster.
Finished PSP version recently and had surprisingly good time with it. It was shadows from clouds (19:45) that sold this version to me. I don't know, there's something heart-warming about it.
I feel like the 20th Anniversary Edition on PSP is the definitive edition of Final Fantasy. Nostalgia factor aside, it had really gorgeous visuals, godly soundtrack, content from DoS and a whole new dungeon. Really sad that they don't port it to mobile or Steam, and even though I'm fine with the Pixel Remaster version, the 20th Anniversary Edition still hold a special place in my heart, mostly because it's my first JRPG I've ever finished.
You decided to speak nothing but facts . Only thing i miss from the GBA version was the multiple language options (since im spanish) and FF2 included on the same UMD. Other than that is perfection perfected.
Was fun to see the names of the characters used from The Adventures of Duane and Brand-O. At first I thought maybe you'd just lifted some of their footage but after a while I realized you were naming the characters that way as homage. Nice touch!
I was actually really disappointed that Square-Enix never made 2D PSP upgraded ports of FFIII, FFV and FFVI. I still hold on to hope that one day we might see remakes done with that style of graphics.
@@paulhorneschillings1212 Really? I'm super curious now. Yeah I haven't seen the 3rd game's pixel remaster yet, that might be where it's at. Been seeing a lot of the FF1 mainly. My older brother told me they have gotten up to FF4 so far.
@@koladearasanmi2005 yeah I love love love that style. I am pretty excited for that new Tactics game and the remake of Dragon Quest III. Played the SNES port and Switch port of Dragon Quest III. That game is amazing
Before he became the original composer of the Final Fantasy series, Nobuo Uematsu previously worked at a music rental shop. A woman from Squaresoft’s art department approached him about composing music for some of their games. Final Fantasy I’s development team previously worked on the NES game Rad Racer, which is known in Japan as Highway Star. Final Fantasy I was Mr, Uematsu’s 16th work of music composition, while Rad Racer was his 15th one.
What I love in Japanese devs is that they don't shy away from referencing music, mostly classic Rock and Metal, in their works... like, Highway Star is a Deep Purple song and a progenitor to Speed Metal. Then you got Ogre Battle/March of the Black Queen as nods to Freddie & co and their album Queen II. And the most egregious example is Guilty Gear from direct band name rips like Testament to Ky Kiske named after 2 first frontmen to Helloween, though that band's full length album, was also used by Canadian pro wrestler Chris Jericho to name his finisher... and now we also have people referencing videogames that referenced heavy bands in a full loop with hadokens thrown in the ring! XD
It's hilarious that 2D remakes of games that are 25-35 years old are the main reasons I want to replace my AMD card with an Nvidia one. Way better v-sync support. Too bad this is happening during huge price spikes on cards.
@@Nitroxity ouch, sorry, I just meant it as an alternative, but V-sync honestly is just not very good anymore, depends on the graphics API, I know OpenGL on AMD has issues
@@Huddy40 That's exactly what I did and it didn't fix much. Had to download Special K and configure it just right in order to make it work. Still has some microstutter but at least no major stutter or screen tearing occurs anymore.
It may be my personal bias, but I absolutely love the Dawn of souls version of the OST The PSX/PSP/3DS and Pixel Remaster version may be superior in quality and other aspects, but I feel like the GBA version of the OST it's my absolute favorite
Totally understandable. Also, i would really liked if the PSP was also bundled with FF2 on the same UMD. GBA version is still second close to me, after PSP.
I have all the GBA FF remakes, and they're stlll my favorite versions. I wish they made one for Final Fantasy 3 as the DS version's visuals and SLOW battles were a big let down for me.
The psp ost is actually better than the gba one (in psp, gilgamesh theme would play if you faced him for example, as opposed to a generic boss theme in ff1 gba)
I love the aesthetic of the wonderswan version, including bright colors. I think for me, the GBA version is the best compromise of aesthetics, bug fixes, and extra content.
Yea, I have the Wonderswan version on my Ambernic handheld, I also own the PS1 and the PSP version but Ive never played any of them so I came here to find out which one to play.
Agreed. At first, I was for the WonderSwan Color, but the PS1 version had a much nicer soundtrack and overall felt like a decent improvement minus the lack of saturation. But I think for a good compromise and the added content, the GBA version wins out for all of the older ones. The Pixel Remaster might be a good option, but I kinda skipped that whole section tbh because that's just not how I intend to play it.
Your are right I was so disappointed that the game was not on the NA ps store for my ps vita, finally played it on Android with a samsung s9 plus but there was no bonus dungeons like the psp one ...
It’s nice to see someone going over my favorite game of all time. Thank you for the video dude, I appreciate the work that went on in here I like the Duane and Brando nod in there
Whenever I play a game, I often tend to start with the original version to see what made it special enough to deserve a remake/remaster/port. In a way I was very glad I played the fan-translated version of FF3 (on the NES) over the DS remake.
To be honest i still, and probably will STILL keep loving the old original one (and ngl some of the pixel remaster as well) over the 3DS/PSP version of FF 3, but thats just me because i prefer pixelated versions (comes with being a sprite artist i guess) and the fact i start with the 4 warriors in the party and not just... Whatever their names are all scattered around. (but thats just me). My first time playing 3 i couldnt finish it tho because it was a faulty version of the patch (aka random icons replacing all the words after a point)
Well I'm the opposite. Whenever a game gets a remake or remaster, I never care about the original, unless the remake is missing content from previous versions.
@@diydylana3151 The only real difference is charge vs mp as you still use tier magic. You will still buff the meat head with haste/atk buffs to bum rush the 4 fiends and rarely use magic over potions for anything. Well, Chaos is thiccer on PSP, so grinding is needed depending on your party. (I had to grind 5 levels since no WHM for the tier 8 magic.)
@@diydylana3151 I don't really mind all these remakes since the changes really comes down to the style of design that you like. I just wish pixel remaster kept the extra content from the other versions. When I jumped the train for the collection I read it was meant to be a definite version with visuals matching the creator's original intent. I was a bit hasty on that part. Beyond that I do prefer the soundtrack of the psx version. It was a bit rougher than the other ones so you don't just drift away a moment into the game like in... every other version...
This is such a good video! No spoilers, and it's not SUPER in depth with the mechanics. It's just a good overview for the games for anyone looking for which version they should play. I'm also super happy to see the Pixel Remaster is a faithful rendition. If it had the bonus content up to the PSP version, I'd consider it the definitive version of the game, with the caveat that the PSP version is definitive for anyone who prefers a more modern, traditional magic system. Maybe "definitive" isn't the best word, but I love that options exist. There's enough room in the world for several Final Fantasy 1s, and the Pixel Remaster seems pretty optimized for its platforms. besides the text thing. ugly.
It kinda sucks that the pixel remaster has that font issue and doesn't include a way to either use the mana system or the spell charge system. It should have also included all of the bonus dungeons.This really should have been the de facto version to play and not just another ff1 remake.
The first version I played of this game was the PSP, so I may be biased, but that version is so beautiful and the fixes they made make it still one of my favorite experiences in the whole series. The game is amazing on PSP and when you play it on actual hardware it makes you appreciate the visuals that much more. I have played a bit of the original iOS version too and it still plays pretty good, but I ended up missing the PSP interface a lot as I went through it.
I have really only played 1 version and that’s the gba. I honestly loved the game. I loved it so much to the point where I did solo runs and same class for all 4 characters
Because of all of the updated visuals and extra content of the PSP version, I feel like the definitive version of FF1 would be if the PSP version had the music of the Pixel Remaster. If someone could rip the music files from the PR and mod it into the PSP game, I would be forever indebted to you.
Played most of these versions, starting with the NES version back in the late 80s. For me by far the definitive version is the PSP version. While I'm happy to see these games continually being made available to a wide audience to experience, the overall appearance of the new pixel remasters is a huge turn off.
@@chrlpolk and the most insulting thing the old ports were delisted from Play Store and such, I have the games on my phone, 1, 2, 5 and 6 have PSP style... 3 and 4 with After Years are 3D and still are on Steam. I think some of the PSP based Android ports had PC versions as well, removed now and replaced with pixel ones. 6 definitely has the Android update with HD-ish sprites on PC.
Yep. I refuse to open my wallet to that FFV or SaGa Frontier remaster, I don't know who is in charge of that art and UI department, but they need to leave. I have no problems paying more for the originals out of spite.
Sounds like the PSP version is still the definitive version. Thought the pixel remaster doesn't look as bad as I expected (especially once you use the font patch) and would be nice if you wanna play with the original magic system
PS1 is the definitive version. The PSP eliminates all pretenses of difficulty and the extra dungeons do little to make up for the lacking difficulty. PSP Final Fantasy 1 is the easiest Final Fantasy game I've ever played. It's still fun, but not definitive.
@@propheinx2250 If there was a way to get the Pixel Remaster soundtrack onto the PS1 version, that would be the one I'd want the most. But it looks like I'll have to play the PS1 version and just listen to the PR soundtrack separately.
@@propheinx2250 I disagree because the only thing that makes difference is the grinding involved but well, more power to you. PS1 version would have been one of the best if it werent because some of the NES glitches are still there, like intelligence stat doing nothing or FF2 cancel bug that ruins the entire game for me. Not even the Java version has these bugs, so for me, PSP, GBA and Java are better. There's also loading times...
The psp version is easily the best imo. Although that may partly be due to me having a modded playstation tv console, and adrenaline is pretty sweet for the most part
Looking forward to seeing one of these for FFIV. Of all of the old-school titles, IV was the most unique in my eyes because of the add-on prolouge/epilogue content, which make the PSP version uniquely definitive.
That said, the 3D remake of FF4 on DS does have plenty of unique things, such as updated (much harder) boss battles, the augment system where you can give spells and passive abilities to your characters, learned from various NPCs and temporary members, dungeon maps and some unique story sequences. It's hard to tell whether the PSP or DS version is better, neither really outclasses the other.
PSP one, hands down. The pixel remaster's soundtrack is a masterpiece though. If you could replace the PSP soundtrack with the pixel remaster's that would be the ultimate FFI version
@@sebastiankulche I have mixed feelings about the PSP sprites tbh.. I'd rather retain the GBA sprites some more but switching in the pixel remaster tunes cause Im loving the arrangement a lot! (i love em all tho in that aspect, music is just
Thanks for making this video. I was surprised by how many which port videos where popping up in my feed for this game. Only to have them talk little to not at all about previous versions and then declare the pixel remaster the definitive version.
Thanks for this kind of videos! They must take a lot of effort to make and it shows. I wonder why they don't simply build up on the versions with more content for next releases, it has always boggled my mind. In this case, it seems like the PSP is the best combination of features, graphics and accessibility.
I mean, there are some people who prefer a more original version. A perfect example of this is Super Mario 64. Most people would prefer the N64 original or the Switch remaster over the DS version, despite the DS version including a ton of major enhancements and additions.
@@DuranmanX Agreed. To "simply build up on the versions" would've meant continuing on from the PSP release and end up with something that renders the original FF unrecognizable.
@@KopperNeoman the point was many people prefer an experience as close to the originals as possible, and the Switch version is very close to the 64 version. Another example of this FF7. Some people prefer the PS4 or Switch version over the FF7 Remake.
The pixel remaster's sound track sounds great, and I love those QoL improvements like mini-maps and diagonal movement, but the lack of the previous versions' bonus dungeons is a deal breaker for me. I almost always prioritize amount of content over anything else, so getting the Anniversary Edition on a psp emulator was the obvious choice for me. That said, if the pixel remaster did have the bonus dungeons, I absolutely would have paid for it.
Wow, thank you for the video. That took alot of work. I have played the nes, ps1, gba, and psp versions of FF1. I did not know about the 3DS one at all. Out of the versions I have played, I prefer the PS1 version. It plays most like the original though it fixes a few things. While I won't miss the extra gba and PSP dungeons, it is odd they were cut out. The MP cost was balanced pretty good as well, for me at least. My spell casting strategy was similar. ( like using haste for bosses only or use low level cures out of battle) I really only had two nitpicks of the newer versions, which are not a big deal, but stick out to me. 1. Shared inventory of gear. The nes version had some chests that had junk in later dungeons thus you dropped good armor to sell for garbage. I do not miss it too much since the nes limited gear slots was way too limited when it came to armor. It copied many PC rpgs where inventory was carried amongst the characters, but even they could carry more and were not limited by what ( armor or weapons). 2. Silver/Mithril Swords being sold in Elfland. They aren't a big loss, especially in the later (gba and on) versions, but FF4 has a cave that is a call back. The game has a dark elf with the same art design as the dark elf in the first game and is in a cave that paralyzes anyone that wears metal just when silver/mithril became available. I enjoyed the video even though I will be trying the Pixel version eventually. I may like it since it is playable (legally) on PC. I found it surprising that the Crit chances was kept incorrect. Hopefully the Red Mage will get a buff in the next remake. All the retooling has made him very weak. He was unique in the original as he was good at first but waned as other classes took off.
yeah the ps1 version is nice but I'm beginning to envy PSP players, I see their videos and they cheat in gil or spend like half the amount I do for items.
That MSX version of Prelude makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. It should be also noted that the FM music will only work either on a MSX with the FM chip (MSX-MUSIC, like some of the later MSX2+ models), or with a special cartridge (like the Panasoft FM-PAC). If you play it on a stock MSX computer, it will play chiptunes similar to the Famicom/NES version.
Oh thats a pretty in-depth comparison, there's some ports that I didn't even knew existed, great video dude,!! ...also, that's the 4 warriors of light from Duane and Brando huh? neat.
I recently finished these pixel remasters from 1-3 and I'm satisfied with the experience, but being an experienced FF series player definitely made the games easy for me.
Game has been made easier on Pixel Remaster, there is however a patch that restore the PS1's Normal Mod balancing, which gameplay wise is the closest we can get to the original vision gameplay wise.
I played the NES version on emulation and to be honest, I'm glad i was watching a let's play videl while i was at it because i wouldn't knew where the hell i was going. It's like thos game was meant to be with a manual or something...
This was before the Internet became a big thing with so many resources and during the era of Nintendo Power magazine and their $15 strategy guides, so there is an obvious reason most of the games were made almost intentionally confusing.
Almost all those games came with manuals that were very important, including poster-sized maps, told the background stories, pages of item/spell stats and in some cases (like FFII in USA) had full fledged walkthroughs of the entire first half of the game. Some games definitely were designed to require the use of the manual
The way I experienced the game was the GBA Dawn of Souls remake. Though, based on your overview of all the ports, I'd say the PSP version is the definitive one, with the PS1 version being close by virtue of its enhanced sound track. The pixel remaster seems rather sub-par in a few respects, which is pretty annoying.
Always fun to enjoy bad games for preservation purposes lol I played original fire emblem and was baffled I didn't have a movement grid but had to manually search the limits of the area the game had for my characters. Meanwhile with this it's a miracle to hit enemies 🤣. But just to have a class system was an achievement when you look at it from that end. I feel people forget to mention that they prefer primitive stuff to do more work/strategic attacks 😂 or keep something that got in the genre. Shame final fantasy mystic quest only has a fan remaster. Also fun to play curator like this channel, or I feel I play when I compare dragon quest 3 versions (no pachisi no peace, but on sale switch version without is nice and has the best save options/music). Trials of Mana had bugs but original is better than that remake that takes away multiplayer, adds slow day/night Simon's quest transitions, and has bad new game+ that excludes post game class 4 but this is required to unlock new game+ which has harder difficulties.
MGIBlaze I think it's kind of become the cool thing to do to hate on the pixel remaster. I think it preserves the original vision of the sprite artist much better than the psp version. I remember Sabre interactive got a lot of heat for going off script on their halo remaster with the textures and I don't think final fantasy should be exempt from this. You can easily compare the fighter's sprites in the thumbnail and it's clear to see that the cutesy aesthetic they used for the psp version is just awful. The backgrounds are all amazing on the pixel remaster and the remastered soundtrack alone makes it the definitive version
@@alanlee67 as you say this I played final fantasy the 4 heroes of light which is godawful as it's like ff2 rotating system but the characters who leave keep the items even rare stuff like water magic lol. Made the whole series better by default as well as bravely default 🤣 with that stupid boost option to make magic a stored turn resource, and no cure outside battle.
@@WithScienceAsMySheperd yeah, it's too easy. Especially when i can do the North Pavoka grinding at lv10 and get to lv40 in about 2 hours with ice shield,great axe for my warrior (fighter) and tons of gils. That grinding i can do it also in gba too. The hardest version of the game is the NES and the java version which took me a few time to beat and can't even do the grinding trick until ice cave by beating evil eye
And lv40 is the big deal because you are pretty much beat the game when unlock enough spell level. That cannot be done in other versions that has spell count because even when you unlock all spell level, you still need to level up higher to increase your spell count of high level magics so you must save those spells for boss fight.
@@sanae99.9.9 Pixel Remaster version is also esy since Gil is so common to come by and prices are cheaper and you’ll be able to buy max ethers pretty easily. Defeating the importance of the limitations on magic
I spent more game time on ff1+2 dawn of souls than any of the other ff games during my early teen years. The amount of bonus content they had (like for ff1 6 extra dungeons than omega and shinryu and class replayability) was unreal. I sank well over 100 hours into it.
Damn i just found this channel this might be the best successor to port report yet especially if you’re gonna keep doing a lot of classic games Hope you do Chrono Trigger soon since i been thinking about buying that game on DS
I'd say the Steam and DS versions are the best versions. If you want a handheld experience, get the DS version, but if you don't really care, then it would probably be cheaper and easier to get the Steam version. The Steam version has neat stuff like being able to play the game at a 16:9 aspect ratio and even a few mods too. Otherwise they have the same graphics, not count the aspect ratio, and the same translation, and the same extra content, so they are otherwise just as good as each other and the best version of the game.
I'm literally going to dl the GBA version right now because of this video, very informative. Looks like I had already downloaded it a while back and forgot, thanks for reminding me.
Dawn of Shards holds such a special place in my heart :’) I was on my Midwinter break when I stumbled upon the cartridge at a local library and honestly I didn’t understand anything or what I was supposed to be doing lmao I think the art style of the cart itself caught my eye. It was my introduction to the series and rpg mechanics and wow was I bad like I could never get past Garland or Lich😂 Maybe it was because I was little but this game evoked a sense of mystery for me that I loved, I liked not being told where to go at all times and feeling like I was on an adventure akin to Wind Waker.I loved monsters as a kid LOL and not only was the pixel art amazing but the variety of designs in the game was astonishing. The OST has to be one of my absolute favorites like the Boss Themes, Town, Mayota’s Cave, and too many tracks to name have become staple favorites for me. I could sit and listen to the startup screen for hours because it is so pretty:) There is something so cryptic about the first game, it’s not perfect but I’m happy that it exists. The dialogue screen that pops up after you build the bridge always get me hyped
Fantastic video and very insightful. I've just got the pixel remaster bundle so I'll be going through all six of your comparative vids. Thanks for your time and effort.
Future versions I’d like to see are: • PSP resolution remaster: Builds off of the PSP version, but zoom out in line with Pixel Remaster, and bring back the graphics from the PSP version, and incorporate features from Pixel Remaster. The same would apply to Final Fantasy II and IV. • Octopath Remaster: Builds off the PSP version and incorporate features from Pixel Remaster version. True HD 2D, featuring HD 2D sprites in a Pixel Remaster angle, with 3D backgrounds.
The 1 change in the Pixel Remaster I love more than anything else: that chunky guitar riff at the start of the battle theme, GOD that gets me so hype to stomp some imps!
I love this video, I've always had issues knowing which version I should play so I just never touched them. It would be great if you could do 2 to 6 in similar style videos in future!
Cool video, I remember being completely confused when I wanted to play FFI but there where so many vertions to choose. I personally played the GBA Dawn of Souls port a while ago, pretty cool, but I probably should have played the PSP one becouse the grafics are cool. Maybe I'll try the pixel remake to see the original magic system I never used, and the new music!
What I want from the pixel remaster is the ability to choose how I play the game. I want to choose the soundtrack, I want to choose what backgrounds are used, I want to choose what sprites are used. I want to decide what magic system I will use at the start of the game, I want to choose what bugs will be present. I very much think there is a definitive version of most games released, but what I gather from this video is that no version of FF1 is really definitive. But I do think the pixel remaster could have been that, or can become that.
Outside of the 3DS port I own all these ports and man is the Pixel Remaster disappointing. Outside of the music the game is a step back visually and content wise. Also I love scanlines but it's filter is atrocious. PSP version is my personal favorite.
Eh. I've done the PSP dungeons and they were pretty awful. I'd rather the resources be directed towards quality of life features (like the dungeon maps) than towards bad content.
The extra content is terrible anyways. The only thing I *do* appreciate from the PSP version is the original remixes of the boss themes from other games. That said, the faithful aspect of the PR's (which is what it was marketed on) and the fantastic music are well worth it. My only disappointment is that all the PRs use the share the same spell animations. Other than that, CHAD Knight > Circlet Virgin
I get frustrated with the "they're all great" anawer. Obviously some of these ports are inferior to others. If you don't want to pick a best by the end of the video, would you please at least pick a least favorite? It'd be nice to know your opinion, seeing as you did the research of every version.
3:06 The MSX songs you used near the beginning of the video actually sound better than the NES ones. Maybe updated in terms of utilizing the NES sound chip but they didn’t sound better than the MSX songs.
Great Stuff, it's a nice way to understand how the first Final Fantasy came and go through age from the Famicom/MSX to the Pixel Remasterd. My pick is going to be the GBA version, because It is how I discovered the game first with the Dawn and Souls compilaition and as French I've got a translate game on my native language. I also very like the PSP look, but unfortunally it don't have french translation for no reason. Talk about version, I'm not a fan of the Pixel Remasterd, not because it is specially bad, but I think it's a lazy port when Square Enix annonce a mouth before a trully beautifull HD - 2D remaster of Dragon Quest 3, so yeah kind of disappointed that Final Fantasy, who's more popular on the International market than DQ (which I like very much), don't have this kind of remake.
I'd love to see more of these for the other 2D FF games as their pixel remasters are released, though I'd most one to see one of FFIV simply because of it's sheer number of versions.
Never played any of the FF games, so decided to start what I hope to be an amazing journey with FF1 & then play all of the other games in this series. With so many ports and remasters it got very confusing, fairly quickly. Many thanks for this video, your time & effort helped me in making an informed decision on what platform shall I start my journey with FF1. Thank you
@@JohanRio I personally started with the PSP port of the first Final Fantasy, emulated it via Retroarch on my Xbox Series S. It has been a great experience. 👍
I think the best version in some ways is the PSP…but, the GBA version with "Jeff Ludwig’s Mod of Balance (v 3.5)" (SPECIFICALLY THE MOD) is the best thing to me after you beat the any unmodded version 1 (dare I say, it's the greatest Final Fantasy 1 even if its unnofficial.) There are 12 new classes, rebalanced and fixed items/abilities, new abilities all together, higher magic levels for the paladin/ninja equivalents, Monk/Master/Ninja get their own martial based abilities like qi strike and chakra, etc.
@@akiradkcn I wanna really try that one also if I ever get a chance to. It looks cool. Though, nothing beats having 12 classes and balance changes to change up your entire journey experience.
Yep, i can confirm that GBA is the best version here. Started with that version during my first gameplay, and then i branched out to different platform FF Advance still clicked better to me. The amount of job class presented to you, the excellent graphic that stay faithful to the original. The music is wonderful considering the GBA soundchip at the time. And the graphic, *it's so beautiful* I adore the 32-bit style so much and the sprite looks great, with enough look to visualize what would it be if you take the NES original and expand upon it. However, the thing that i see PSP version failed is the 3D overworld which makes perspective looks weird. I think i've already accustomed to the paper-map layout and this 3D view make it harder to travel to the south. Sprite-wise, PSP-version looks a little bit more detailed than what it should be. I believe that's
@@frds_skce Are you talking about the mod or no? So far, the responses have nothing to do with what I specifically mentioned. I'm not debating that the gba version is the best on its own (I mean, it's pretty damn good). I'm saying the MOD OF BALANCE (v3.5) by Jeff Ludwig, is the best Final Fantasy 1 version even if it's unofficial.
@@Coyoda Ah, I'm talking about the vanilla version. Been awhile since i last play a modded version so our experience might differs from each other (older version kek) But you know what, i might pick the v3.5 later. Just for old time sake
the font is so atrocious but it's indicative of the whole pixel remaster project as a whole: there's so much empty, unused space that the whole game feels like an oversight. ifyou're going to show off the new spritework let the game screens be tighter so the sprites are bigger.
Thanks for this overview. Super informative and well thought out. Loved the OST comparisons, as well. I’ve been considering getting these new remasters, but it seems like all I come across are negative comments about the graphics and removal of extra dungeons. I think you said it correctly: There’s no wrong version as long as you enjoy playing it.
I grew up playing the dawn of souls version for the GBA although i was a complete melon and never did figure out how to open the map but i did memorize every single level in FF1 and FF2 also for some reason i was obsessed with the secret bosses and beat every one of them if i remember the one with the largest health pool was Death Gaze.
Good to know that the MSX2 sound chip just makes everything sound like Metal Gear
LMAO
xDD
Just like the Genesis makes everything sound like Sonic
@@LostSoulSilver
Nah, Sonic's thing was that its music went above Genesis twang, unless we are talking about something like Spinball.
The internal PSG, maybe. But remember the MSX line had a TON of options for sound support beyond the PSG.
Addendum info (12.12.22)
The PR versions had various bug fixes and stability improvements. If you still experience stutter, consult fan solutions in the description. Text has been given a thinner drop shadow for improved legibility but the font has not been updated
Critical hits now have a screen flash again, the minimap stays when transitioning screens, the transition from battle to field is faster when fleeing, your cursor defaults to "yes" at inns.
Thank you for the information!
You should pin this.
I grew up with the original NES version. Despite its bugs and unbalanced difficulty, it still has a place in my heart. My really big complaint has always been the tedious shopping system where you can only buy 1 item at a time. It's not a big deal for weapons and armors, but due to the D&D style magic system, you always wanted to have a good stock of heal, cure, and soft potions. I had an NES Max controller and when I would buy heal potions, I would sit something heavy on the turbo button and walk away for 10 minutes. Unfortunately, that didn't work for other potion types, since they were never first in the list and required me to manually scroll down to buy them.
Because of this I now play the "Origins" version on PS, plus some spells now work correctly
『FF1』が好きなのでとても参考になりました。素晴らしいと思います。
日本の動画でもここまで丁寧にまとめられているものはないです。
私はどのバージョンの『FF1』も大好きで、すべてプレイしています。
I like FINAL FANTASY 1 so this video is very interesting. I think its wonderful.
Few of the Japanese videos are so carefully organized.
I love all version of FINAL FANTASY 1, so 1 play them all!
🤝
Hey!! If you like FF1, there is a mod patch for the NES game called "Final Fantasy Restored"
The patch feature restoration of bugs so that certain magic spells now work properly, double HP for bosses (you can turn this ON/OFF) and it even has new battle music for the Four Fiends and CHAOS
It's all in English, but if you don't mind, you should give it a try!!
I was really hoping they'd just do a nice port of the PSP versions of any of those available. I guess making a fresh engine that scales to a bunch of platforms is better overall, but I still love how the PSP's various FF remakes look.
There are motivated modders bringing options for days to these pixel remasters so you can make it look and sound like the PSP port or even mix and match the best of various ports to suit your tastes.
@@kylewarren2766 good to know. FFIV on PSP is fantastic
I'm so sad that FF3 didn't get a PSP remake, would have made that set complete.
It is spectacular. Exactly what I would be looking for in a remaster.
I have a theory that these pixel remasters were done to preserve the games in their original forms for the modern age, and they still have plans for the old games in a another form of remake or remaster.
Finished PSP version recently and had surprisingly good time with it. It was shadows from clouds (19:45) that sold this version to me. I don't know, there's something heart-warming about it.
I feel like the 20th Anniversary Edition on PSP is the definitive edition of Final Fantasy. Nostalgia factor aside, it had really gorgeous visuals, godly soundtrack, content from DoS and a whole new dungeon. Really sad that they don't port it to mobile or Steam, and even though I'm fine with the Pixel Remaster version, the 20th Anniversary Edition still hold a special place in my heart, mostly because it's my first JRPG I've ever finished.
You decided to speak nothing but facts .
Only thing i miss from the GBA version was the multiple language options (since im spanish) and FF2 included on the same UMD. Other than that is perfection perfected.
But like, the pixel remaster's soundtrack outdoes it in every way
@@BlueV205 the psp version is nostalgic for me because I grew up with it, easily the best version and it isn’t even close.
Was fun to see the names of the characters used from The Adventures of Duane and Brand-O. At first I thought maybe you'd just lifted some of their footage but after a while I realized you were naming the characters that way as homage. Nice touch!
PSP remaster was rock solid. Definitely my favorite port by far.
That was a beautiful remake not a remaster and it would have been nice if it was part of the pixel edition
I was actually really disappointed that Square-Enix never made 2D PSP upgraded ports of FFIII, FFV and FFVI. I still hold on to hope that one day we might see remakes done with that style of graphics.
Yeah, that's what I've been saying. They already made bosses from those games and added them into the others so they already have some assets.
Bruh play III Pixel Remaster, it's easily the best out of the Pixel Remasters.
You 2d3d like octopath travellers??
@@paulhorneschillings1212 Really? I'm super curious now. Yeah I haven't seen the 3rd game's pixel remaster yet, that might be where it's at. Been seeing a lot of the FF1 mainly. My older brother told me they have gotten up to FF4 so far.
@@koladearasanmi2005 yeah I love love love that style. I am pretty excited for that new Tactics game and the remake of Dragon Quest III. Played the SNES port and Switch port of Dragon Quest III. That game is amazing
Dawn of Souls was my first FF game, really nostalgic to see again. I didn't know about the PSP version, it looks absolutely amazing.
Before he became the original composer of the Final Fantasy series, Nobuo Uematsu previously worked at a music rental shop. A woman from Squaresoft’s art department approached him about composing music for some of their games.
Final Fantasy I’s development team previously worked on the NES game Rad Racer, which is known in Japan as Highway Star. Final Fantasy I was Mr, Uematsu’s 16th work of music composition, while Rad Racer was his 15th one.
What I love in Japanese devs is that they don't shy away from referencing music, mostly classic Rock and Metal, in their works... like, Highway Star is a Deep Purple song and a progenitor to Speed Metal. Then you got Ogre Battle/March of the Black Queen as nods to Freddie & co and their album Queen II. And the most egregious example is Guilty Gear from direct band name rips like Testament to Ky Kiske named after 2 first frontmen to Helloween, though that band's full length album, was also used by Canadian pro wrestler Chris Jericho to name his finisher... and now we also have people referencing videogames that referenced heavy bands in a full loop with hadokens thrown in the ring! XD
@@KasumiRINA i think the Testament one is a bit of a stretch
@@FuraFaolox How is it a stretch? Testament is a pretty well known metal band in a primarily metal influenced video game series.
@@dude555413 because the band didn't create or popularize the word
It's hilarious that 2D remakes of games that are 25-35 years old are the main reasons I want to replace my AMD card with an Nvidia one. Way better v-sync support. Too bad this is happening during huge price spikes on cards.
Just use freesync and turn v-sync off
@@legoboy-ox2kx Don't have a monitor that supports it, unfortunately.
@@Nitroxity ouch, sorry, I just meant it as an alternative, but V-sync honestly is just not very good anymore, depends on the graphics API, I know OpenGL on AMD has issues
You can force vsync in the amd driver settings...
@@Huddy40 That's exactly what I did and it didn't fix much. Had to download Special K and configure it just right in order to make it work. Still has some microstutter but at least no major stutter or screen tearing occurs anymore.
12:35 "always be dashing" is the mantra I live by!
"All the ladies call me 'Lucky' cuz' I'm magically delicious." - Leo the Black Mage
" Damn Leo, Why you keep getting hit?!
You're bringing the team down, I'm sick of this shit! "
@@Zeithri you’re a mediocre mage yeah you tripping jojo, think it’s time fo you to getcha ass in da back row
"4 spaces? I only need 3, L-E-O, sign me up for the Final Fantasy"
It may be my personal bias, but I absolutely love the Dawn of souls version of the OST
The PSX/PSP/3DS and Pixel Remaster version may be superior in quality and other aspects, but I feel like the GBA version of the OST it's my absolute favorite
Totally understandable. Also, i would really liked if the PSP was also bundled with FF2 on the same UMD. GBA version is still second close to me, after PSP.
Dawn of Souls was incredible
Pixel remasters turned out gross. No new content. Just the 20 year old game with backgrounds and new art, but worse than previous releases imo
I have all the GBA FF remakes, and they're stlll my favorite versions. I wish they made one for Final Fantasy 3 as the DS version's visuals and SLOW battles were a big let down for me.
The psp ost is actually better than the gba one (in psp, gilgamesh theme would play if you faced him for example, as opposed to a generic boss theme in ff1 gba)
I love the aesthetic of the wonderswan version, including bright colors. I think for me, the GBA version is the best compromise of aesthetics, bug fixes, and extra content.
I'm currently going through the gba port and the NES version in parallel and man oh man, both versions have their strenghts.
@@WithScienceAsMySheperd That's why I'm doing both gba and NES, the gba port feels oddly easy.
Yea, I have the Wonderswan version on my Ambernic handheld, I also own the PS1 and the PSP version but Ive never played any of them so I came here to find out which one to play.
Agreed. At first, I was for the WonderSwan Color, but the PS1 version had a much nicer soundtrack and overall felt like a decent improvement minus the lack of saturation.
But I think for a good compromise and the added content, the GBA version wins out for all of the older ones. The Pixel Remaster might be a good option, but I kinda skipped that whole section tbh because that's just not how I intend to play it.
I find each port has their own thing going for it, though I do find myself most fond of the Dawn Of Souls and PSP remakes
Your are right I was so disappointed that the game was not on the NA ps store for my ps vita, finally played it on Android with a samsung s9 plus but there was no bonus dungeons like the psp one ...
Those are not remakes.
I'm most fond of OG for nostalgia or PS1 on normal mode because it retains the challenge of the OG game but fixes the bugs.
Both are my go to versions as well. PSP wins out, but I’ve played and enjoyed both.
@@josecorrea6133 They literally are except the GBA is a port of the Wonderswan remake.
It’s nice to see someone going over my favorite game of all time. Thank you for the video dude, I appreciate the work that went on in here
I like the Duane and Brando nod in there
You need to try some better games, my dude
It’s objectively not that great compared to its sequels.
@@kenhammscousin4716 I hear that a lot, I’ve played all the games (besides XI) and many of their spin offs. But this one specifically is my favorite
@@kenhammscousin4716 Damn, almost like... favorites are a subjective thing... who would've thought?
@@kenhammscousin4716 I'm not your fuckin' dude, Sunflower. Got it? Cut that out of your colloquialisms. It's like wearing a sign, MY GUY.
@@kenhammscousin4716 Grow the hell up dude.
Whenever I play a game, I often tend to start with the original version to see what made it special enough to deserve a remake/remaster/port. In a way I was very glad I played the fan-translated version of FF3 (on the NES) over the DS remake.
To be honest i still, and probably will STILL keep loving the old original one (and ngl some of the pixel remaster as well) over the 3DS/PSP version of FF 3, but thats just me because i prefer pixelated versions (comes with being a sprite artist i guess) and the fact i start with the 4 warriors in the party and not just... Whatever their names are all scattered around. (but thats just me).
My first time playing 3 i couldnt finish it tho because it was a faulty version of the patch (aka random icons replacing all the words after a point)
Well I'm the opposite. Whenever a game gets a remake or remaster, I never care about the original, unless the remake is missing content from previous versions.
@@diydylana3151 The only real difference is charge vs mp as you still use tier magic.
You will still buff the meat head with haste/atk buffs to bum rush the 4 fiends and rarely use magic over potions for anything.
Well, Chaos is thiccer on PSP, so grinding is needed depending on your party. (I had to grind 5 levels since no WHM for the tier 8 magic.)
I'm with you. I really didn't care for the FF3 remake. I think it tried too hard to put a story where one didn't belong.
@@diydylana3151 I don't really mind all these remakes since the changes really comes down to the style of design that you like. I just wish pixel remaster kept the extra content from the other versions. When I jumped the train for the collection I read it was meant to be a definite version with visuals matching the creator's original intent. I was a bit hasty on that part. Beyond that I do prefer the soundtrack of the psx version. It was a bit rougher than the other ones so you don't just drift away a moment into the game like in... every other version...
Quite simply the best ports reviewer on TH-cam. FF1 is actually one of my favourite FF games. Keep it up
I approve of the Duane & Brando reference with the names.
Im glad I'm not the only that caught that!!
I noticed it too, I love it.
This is such a good video! No spoilers, and it's not SUPER in depth with the mechanics. It's just a good overview for the games for anyone looking for which version they should play.
I'm also super happy to see the Pixel Remaster is a faithful rendition. If it had the bonus content up to the PSP version, I'd consider it the definitive version of the game, with the caveat that the PSP version is definitive for anyone who prefers a more modern, traditional magic system.
Maybe "definitive" isn't the best word, but I love that options exist. There's enough room in the world for several Final Fantasy 1s, and the Pixel Remaster seems pretty optimized for its platforms. besides the text thing. ugly.
It kinda sucks that the pixel remaster has that font issue and doesn't include a way to either use the mana system or the spell charge system. It should have also included all of the bonus dungeons.This really should have been the de facto version to play and not just another ff1 remake.
Yeah it's sometimes baffling how they can miss out on so much content that's already available. Corporate and legal reasons get in the way. Le Sigh.
The most absurd thing was removing the Penisula of Power
@@luizhumbertocampos1103 what’s the point of the peninsula of power it’s just tougher enemies
@@lurkingsoldi2107levelling up faster
The first version I played of this game was the PSP, so I may be biased, but that version is so beautiful and the fixes they made make it still one of my favorite experiences in the whole series. The game is amazing on PSP and when you play it on actual hardware it makes you appreciate the visuals that much more. I have played a bit of the original iOS version too and it still plays pretty good, but I ended up missing the PSP interface a lot as I went through it.
I have really only played 1 version and that’s the gba. I honestly loved the game. I loved it so much to the point where I did solo runs and same class for all 4 characters
Because of all of the updated visuals and extra content of the PSP version, I feel like the definitive version of FF1 would be if the PSP version had the music of the Pixel Remaster. If someone could rip the music files from the PR and mod it into the PSP game, I would be forever indebted to you.
there's a mod for ff1, 2, and 4 on the psp that replaces the music with the pr versions
for those interested, an english patch is now available for the 3ds version
Played most of these versions, starting with the NES version back in the late 80s. For me by far the definitive version is the PSP version. While I'm happy to see these games continually being made available to a wide audience to experience, the overall appearance of the new pixel remasters is a huge turn off.
Not to mention the price tag.
@@chrlpolk and the most insulting thing the old ports were delisted from Play Store and such, I have the games on my phone, 1, 2, 5 and 6 have PSP style... 3 and 4 with After Years are 3D and still are on Steam. I think some of the PSP based Android ports had PC versions as well, removed now and replaced with pixel ones. 6 definitely has the Android update with HD-ish sprites on PC.
Yep. I refuse to open my wallet to that FFV or SaGa Frontier remaster, I don't know who is in charge of that art and UI department, but they need to leave. I have no problems paying more for the originals out of spite.
@@KasumiRINA I think the Mobile ports for FFV and VI were awful.
@@ShockwaveFPSStudiosit looks pretty bad
but other than that I'd argue they're the best way to play the game, though not very accessible
I don't care if the original artist has worked in the pixel remaster. The PSP version is beautiful.
Sounds like the PSP version is still the definitive version. Thought the pixel remaster doesn't look as bad as I expected (especially once you use the font patch) and would be nice if you wanna play with the original magic system
PS1 is the definitive version. The PSP eliminates all pretenses of difficulty and the extra dungeons do little to make up for the lacking difficulty. PSP Final Fantasy 1 is the easiest Final Fantasy game I've ever played. It's still fun, but not definitive.
@@propheinx2250 facts. Any ff1 that does not havd spell charge system is garbage
@@TheToasterbox gotta disagree. The PS1 version may be the definitive version to me, but the PSP is the best version to me.
@@propheinx2250 If there was a way to get the Pixel Remaster soundtrack onto the PS1 version, that would be the one I'd want the most. But it looks like I'll have to play the PS1 version and just listen to the PR soundtrack separately.
@@propheinx2250 I disagree because the only thing that makes difference is the grinding involved but well, more power to you.
PS1 version would have been one of the best if it werent because some of the NES glitches are still there, like intelligence stat doing nothing or FF2 cancel bug that ruins the entire game for me. Not even the Java version has these bugs, so for me, PSP, GBA and Java are better. There's also loading times...
honestly the ff1 battle theme is great, I don’t get tired of it
I remember that the ability to change the colour of the UI background on the ps1 was awesome to me
it was also on the gba
@@KirboWurbo And PSP
The psp version is easily the best imo. Although that may partly be due to me having a modded playstation tv console, and adrenaline is pretty sweet for the most part
The PSP version is my favourite, it just looks so nice, I'd love more classic remakes that look similar tbh.
PSP version is the one where I jumped in. Excellent video.
Same here i remember playing it while recovering from a stomach bug back in the day on the sofa haha 😄
Did you fake being sick as an excuse to lay around all day playing it? I did that more than once as a child with a few FF games :]
Pls never stop doing these ! ❤
These videos are always so interesting to see, even if I don’t own the games. Kinda makes me interested in trying Final Fantasy overall
Looking forward to seeing one of these for FFIV. Of all of the old-school titles, IV was the most unique in my eyes because of the add-on prolouge/epilogue content, which make the PSP version uniquely definitive.
That said, the 3D remake of FF4 on DS does have plenty of unique things, such as updated (much harder) boss battles, the augment system where you can give spells and passive abilities to your characters, learned from various NPCs and temporary members, dungeon maps and some unique story sequences. It's hard to tell whether the PSP or DS version is better, neither really outclasses the other.
PSP one, hands down. The pixel remaster's soundtrack is a masterpiece though. If you could replace the PSP soundtrack with the pixel remaster's that would be the ultimate FFI version
You very much can, with some modding work.
Don't think anyone has yet, but you CAN.
I really don't care for the PSP version's visuals, they look like a cheap RPG Maker game
@@soarel325 I think that but with the pixel remaster. PSP looks gorgeous imo.
@@sebastiankulche I have mixed feelings about the PSP sprites tbh.. I'd rather retain the GBA sprites some more but switching in the pixel remaster tunes cause Im loving the arrangement a lot! (i love em all tho in that aspect, music is just
@@KopperNeoman Is there a program to edit PSP isos? If so it may be as easy as changing out sound files.
Looks like I'll be downloading the PSP version of this game, thanks a lot for the in-depth comparison!
Thanks for making this video. I was surprised by how many which port videos where popping up in my feed for this game. Only to have them talk little to not at all about previous versions and then declare the pixel remaster the definitive version.
Thanks for this kind of videos! They must take a lot of effort to make and it shows. I wonder why they don't simply build up on the versions with more content for next releases, it has always boggled my mind. In this case, it seems like the PSP is the best combination of features, graphics and accessibility.
*LMAO!*
I mean, there are some people who prefer a more original version. A perfect example of this is Super Mario 64. Most people would prefer the N64 original or the Switch remaster over the DS version, despite the DS version including a ton of major enhancements and additions.
@@DuranmanX Agreed. To "simply build up on the versions" would've meant continuing on from the PSP release and end up with something that renders the original FF unrecognizable.
@Adrian Duran >Switch remaster of Mario 64
It's just emulation with some upscaling. If you want a remastered port, turn to the fans.
@@KopperNeoman the point was many people prefer an experience as close to the originals as possible, and the Switch version is very close to the 64 version. Another example of this FF7. Some people prefer the PS4 or Switch version over the FF7 Remake.
I've been literally waiting for this video for years!
Literally!
The pixel remaster's sound track sounds great, and I love those QoL improvements like mini-maps and diagonal movement, but the lack of the previous versions' bonus dungeons is a deal breaker for me. I almost always prioritize amount of content over anything else, so getting the Anniversary Edition on a psp emulator was the obvious choice for me. That said, if the pixel remaster did have the bonus dungeons, I absolutely would have paid for it.
My thoughts exactly
The bonus content in FF1 isn‘t even that good.
Hope they add them on a update
@@hobbes9513 agreed. Imagine fighting the same boss a dozen times just to complete the bestiary?
Yeah hopefully they add that awesome content back in an update. Or modders add it back.
Wow, thank you for the video. That took alot of work. I have played the nes, ps1, gba, and psp versions of FF1. I did not know about the 3DS one at all. Out of the versions I have played, I prefer the PS1 version. It plays most like the original though it fixes a few things.
While I won't miss the extra gba and PSP dungeons, it is odd they were cut out. The MP cost was balanced pretty good as well, for me at least. My spell casting strategy was similar. ( like using haste for bosses only or use low level cures out of battle)
I really only had two nitpicks of the newer versions, which are not a big deal, but stick out to me.
1. Shared inventory of gear. The nes version had some chests that had junk in later dungeons thus you dropped good armor to sell for garbage. I do not miss it too much since the nes limited gear slots was way too limited when it came to armor. It copied many PC rpgs where inventory was carried amongst the characters, but even they could carry more and were not limited by what ( armor or weapons).
2. Silver/Mithril Swords being sold in Elfland. They aren't a big loss, especially in the later (gba and on) versions, but FF4 has a cave that is a call back. The game has a dark elf with the same art design as the dark elf in the first game and is in a cave that paralyzes anyone that wears metal just when silver/mithril became available.
I enjoyed the video even though I will be trying the Pixel version eventually. I may like it since it is playable (legally) on PC. I found it surprising that the Crit chances was kept incorrect. Hopefully the Red Mage will get a buff in the next remake. All the retooling has made him very weak. He was unique in the original as he was good at first but waned as other classes took off.
yeah the ps1 version is nice but I'm beginning to envy PSP players, I see their videos and they cheat in gil or spend like half the amount I do for items.
That MSX version of Prelude makes me all warm and fuzzy inside.
It should be also noted that the FM music will only work either on a MSX with the FM chip (MSX-MUSIC, like some of the later MSX2+ models), or with a special cartridge (like the Panasoft FM-PAC). If you play it on a stock MSX computer, it will play chiptunes similar to the Famicom/NES version.
Great video, dude.
Looking forward to the next five classic entries comparison!
The 3DS version looks absolutely incredible, WHY DID THEY NOT BRING THAT OVER OMFG
Yeah! Didnt paid too much attention to it, but it looks even better than the PSP version with that 3d effect everywhere! I really want to play it now.
@@sebastiankulche English translation patch has been completed - it's lovely. Google will take you there.
@@cooolpotato Thanks! A shame i dont have it and my PC cant run the emulator...
Oh thats a pretty in-depth comparison, there's some ports that I didn't even knew existed, great video dude,!!
...also, that's the 4 warriors of light from Duane and Brando huh? neat.
I recently finished these pixel remasters from 1-3 and I'm satisfied with the experience, but being an experienced FF series player definitely made the games easy for me.
Game has been made easier on Pixel Remaster, there is however a patch that restore the PS1's Normal Mod balancing, which gameplay wise is the closest we can get to the original vision gameplay wise.
This was a fascinating video. Thanks for all your thorough research and accompanying visual/audio comparisons ^_^. Can't wait for FF2!
I played the NES version on emulation and to be honest, I'm glad i was watching a let's play videl while i was at it because i wouldn't knew where the hell i was going. It's like thos game was meant to be with a manual or something...
This was before the Internet became a big thing with so many resources and during the era of Nintendo Power magazine and their $15 strategy guides, so there is an obvious reason most of the games were made almost intentionally confusing.
Almost all those games came with manuals that were very important, including poster-sized maps, told the background stories, pages of item/spell stats and in some cases (like FFII in USA) had full fledged walkthroughs of the entire first half of the game. Some games definitely were designed to require the use of the manual
29:11 I LOVE that you have steps beside your bed so your dog can climb it, it's so wholesome
The way I experienced the game was the GBA Dawn of Souls remake. Though, based on your overview of all the ports, I'd say the PSP version is the definitive one, with the PS1 version being close by virtue of its enhanced sound track.
The pixel remaster seems rather sub-par in a few respects, which is pretty annoying.
Always fun to enjoy bad games for preservation purposes lol I played original fire emblem and was baffled I didn't have a movement grid but had to manually search the limits of the area the game had for my characters. Meanwhile with this it's a miracle to hit enemies 🤣. But just to have a class system was an achievement when you look at it from that end. I feel people forget to mention that they prefer primitive stuff to do more work/strategic attacks 😂 or keep something that got in the genre. Shame final fantasy mystic quest only has a fan remaster.
Also fun to play curator like this channel, or I feel I play when I compare dragon quest 3 versions (no pachisi no peace, but on sale switch version without is nice and has the best save options/music).
Trials of Mana had bugs but original is better than that remake that takes away multiplayer, adds slow day/night Simon's quest transitions, and has bad new game+ that excludes post game class 4 but this is required to unlock new game+ which has harder difficulties.
I did the GBA version first, three times. Played the PSP and PS1 version both once. Recently did the Pixel Remaster. Certainly the best one.
MGIBlaze I think it's kind of become the cool thing to do to hate on the pixel remaster. I think it preserves the original vision of the sprite artist much better than the psp version. I remember Sabre interactive got a lot of heat for going off script on their halo remaster with the textures and I don't think final fantasy should be exempt from this. You can easily compare the fighter's sprites in the thumbnail and it's clear to see that the cutesy aesthetic they used for the psp version is just awful. The backgrounds are all amazing on the pixel remaster and the remastered soundtrack alone makes it the definitive version
@@alanlee67 as you say this I played final fantasy the 4 heroes of light which is godawful as it's like ff2 rotating system but the characters who leave keep the items even rare stuff like water magic lol. Made the whole series better by default as well as bravely default 🤣 with that stupid boost option to make magic a stored turn resource, and no cure outside battle.
@@alanlee67
Exactly. For me the gba and pixel remasters are the definitive versions.
PSP and 3DS style was horrendous.
This is a fantastic break down of the different versions. Thanks!
I love the PSP version most because it has higher graphic quality, extra dungeon and some extra boss music from others games
@@WithScienceAsMySheperd yeah, it's too easy. Especially when i can do the North Pavoka grinding at lv10 and get to lv40 in about 2 hours with ice shield,great axe for my warrior (fighter) and tons of gils. That grinding i can do it also in gba too. The hardest version of the game is the NES and the java version which took me a few time to beat and can't even do the grinding trick until ice cave by beating evil eye
And lv40 is the big deal because you are pretty much beat the game when unlock enough spell level. That cannot be done in other versions that has spell count because even when you unlock all spell level, you still need to level up higher to increase your spell count of high level magics so you must save those spells for boss fight.
@@sanae99.9.9 Pixel Remaster version is also esy since Gil is so common to come by and prices are cheaper and you’ll be able to buy max ethers pretty easily. Defeating the importance of the limitations on magic
Great video. I just started FFI for the first time on PSP. Feels like I made a good choice.
I spent more game time on ff1+2 dawn of souls than any of the other ff games during my early teen years. The amount of bonus content they had (like for ff1 6 extra dungeons than omega and shinryu and class replayability) was unreal. I sank well over 100 hours into it.
This was so detailed. Thank you for taking the time to do this.
Damn i just found this channel this might be the best successor to port report yet especially if you’re gonna keep doing a lot of classic games
Hope you do Chrono Trigger soon since i been thinking about buying that game on DS
I'd say the Steam and DS versions are the best versions. If you want a handheld experience, get the DS version, but if you don't really care, then it would probably be cheaper and easier to get the Steam version. The Steam version has neat stuff like being able to play the game at a 16:9 aspect ratio and even a few mods too. Otherwise they have the same graphics, not count the aspect ratio, and the same translation, and the same extra content, so they are otherwise just as good as each other and the best version of the game.
The Ds version is the best my guy
Now that the Steam version's been fixed, get that one.
I'm literally going to dl the GBA version right now because of this video, very informative.
Looks like I had already downloaded it a while back and forgot, thanks for reminding me.
Dawn of Shards holds such a special place in my heart :’) I was on my Midwinter break when I stumbled upon the cartridge at a local library and honestly I didn’t understand anything or what I was supposed to be doing lmao I think the art style of the cart itself caught my eye. It was my introduction to the series and rpg mechanics and wow was I bad
like I could never get past Garland or Lich😂 Maybe it was because I was little but this game evoked a sense of mystery for me that I loved, I liked not being told where to go at all times and feeling like I was on an adventure akin to Wind Waker.I loved monsters as a kid LOL and not only was the pixel art amazing but the variety of designs in the game was astonishing. The OST has to be one of my absolute favorites like the Boss Themes, Town, Mayota’s Cave, and too many tracks to name have become staple favorites for me. I could sit and listen to the startup screen for hours because it is so pretty:) There is something so cryptic about the first game,
it’s not perfect but I’m happy that it exists. The dialogue screen that pops up after you build the bridge always get me hyped
Fantastic video and very insightful.
I've just got the pixel remaster bundle so I'll be going through all six of your comparative vids.
Thanks for your time and effort.
Future versions I’d like to see are:
• PSP resolution remaster: Builds off of the PSP version, but zoom out in line with Pixel Remaster, and bring back the graphics from the PSP version, and incorporate features from Pixel Remaster. The same would apply to Final Fantasy II and IV.
• Octopath Remaster: Builds off the PSP version and incorporate features from Pixel Remaster version. True HD 2D, featuring HD 2D sprites in a Pixel Remaster angle, with 3D backgrounds.
The 1 change in the Pixel Remaster I love more than anything else: that chunky guitar riff at the start of the battle theme, GOD that gets me so hype to stomp some imps!
I love this video, I've always had issues knowing which version I should play so I just never touched them. It would be great if you could do 2 to 6 in similar style videos in future!
You're absolutely right!
@@danieldavis2055 They did end up doing this, so good!
The Adventures of Duane and Brando party names did not go unnoticed. I love it!
Cool video, I remember being completely confused when I wanted to play FFI but there where so many vertions to choose. I personally played the GBA Dawn of Souls port a while ago, pretty cool, but I probably should have played the PSP one becouse the grafics are cool. Maybe I'll try the pixel remake to see the original magic system I never used, and the new music!
What a great video! This is what a called a quality content, great job🤙
What I want from the pixel remaster is the ability to choose how I play the game. I want to choose the soundtrack, I want to choose what backgrounds are used, I want to choose what sprites are used. I want to decide what magic system I will use at the start of the game, I want to choose what bugs will be present.
I very much think there is a definitive version of most games released, but what I gather from this video is that no version of FF1 is really definitive. But I do think the pixel remaster could have been that, or can become that.
Feel like it'd be at least a little confusing with "Fire III" vs "Firaga"
You want fries with that? Maybe spoon feed you too?
Outside of the 3DS port I own all these ports and man is the Pixel Remaster disappointing. Outside of the music the game is a step back visually and content wise. Also I love scanlines but it's filter is atrocious. PSP version is my personal favorite.
Nostalgia is a dangerous mistress.
That what I was thinking too. The PSP version looks the best out of all of them.
Eh. I've done the PSP dungeons and they were pretty awful. I'd rather the resources be directed towards quality of life features (like the dungeon maps) than towards bad content.
Yeah the PSP and Japan exclusive 3DS versions seem to be overall the best. After that the PS1, GBA and Pixel Remaster are decent enough alternatives.
The extra content is terrible anyways. The only thing I *do* appreciate from the PSP version is the original remixes of the boss themes from other games. That said, the faithful aspect of the PR's (which is what it was marketed on) and the fantastic music are well worth it. My only disappointment is that all the PRs use the share the same spell animations.
Other than that, CHAD Knight > Circlet Virgin
Could you do a review on the recent pixel remasters that were just released on Nintendo Switch?
I get frustrated with the "they're all great" anawer. Obviously some of these ports are inferior to others. If you don't want to pick a best by the end of the video, would you please at least pick a least favorite? It'd be nice to know your opinion, seeing as you did the research of every version.
They re all great imo too, except NES, thats very clunky and bad for playing today, and PSP that is a masterpiece.
yeah i agree
3:06
The MSX songs you used near the beginning of the video actually sound better than the NES ones. Maybe updated in terms of utilizing the NES sound chip but they didn’t sound better than the MSX songs.
The PSP version is so beautiful. I wish they would remake all of the pixel art Final Fantasy games with that PSP art style.
Yeah, the PSP version is the best in my book. It's a real shame Square doesn't release it on the NA version of PSN.
Square keeps losing their source code and selling all their copies of FF games, requiring them to start from scratch each time.
These videos are so interesting, I have played FF1 a few times but haven't completed it, think I might try again because of this video!
Curious if you did work with Duane and Brando or just love their music but it is awesome to do more fans.
Fantastic video! Thank you so much for making it :)
Great Stuff, it's a nice way to understand how the first Final Fantasy came and go through age from the Famicom/MSX to the Pixel Remasterd.
My pick is going to be the GBA version, because It is how I
discovered the game first with the Dawn and Souls compilaition and as French I've got a translate game on my native language. I also very like the PSP look, but unfortunally it don't have french translation for no reason.
Talk about version, I'm not a fan of the Pixel Remasterd, not because it is specially bad, but I think it's a lazy port when Square Enix annonce a mouth before a trully beautifull HD - 2D remaster of Dragon Quest 3, so yeah kind of disappointed that Final Fantasy, who's more popular on the International market than DQ (which I like very much), don't have this kind of remake.
man I wasnt expecting such a big difference in the music from the NES to MSX2
I'd love to see more of these for the other 2D FF games as their pixel remasters are released, though I'd most one to see one of FFIV simply because of it's sheer number of versions.
Never played any of the FF games, so decided to start what I hope to be an amazing journey with FF1 & then play all of the other games in this series. With so many ports and remasters it got very confusing, fairly quickly. Many thanks for this video, your time & effort helped me in making an informed decision on what platform shall I start my journey with FF1. Thank you
so which version/platform did you play? I just like you want to start my Final Fantasy adventure from FF1.
@@JohanRio I personally started with the PSP port of the first Final Fantasy, emulated it via Retroarch on my Xbox Series S. It has been a great experience. 👍
@@jackhnatejko8830 woahhhh thankssss
Really miffed that I can't get the PSP version on my vita. FF4's remake is the standard I'd like to play all the classic games with.
Why can't you get it? Is it only available in certain regions?
@@stardustsdd Yea I think it never got a PSN release in America if I remember rightly.
I would sail the high seas there, if square won’t officially release it then they don’t deserve my money. That’s my thought at least.
Will we receive a short follow up that also compares Pixel Remaster console release and Stranger of Paradise Final Fantasy Origins?
I think the best version in some ways is the PSP…but, the GBA version with "Jeff Ludwig’s Mod of Balance (v 3.5)" (SPECIFICALLY THE MOD) is the best thing to me after you beat the any unmodded version 1 (dare I say, it's the greatest Final Fantasy 1 even if its unnofficial.) There are 12 new classes, rebalanced and fixed items/abilities, new abilities all together, higher magic levels for the paladin/ninja equivalents, Monk/Master/Ninja get their own martial based abilities like qi strike and chakra, etc.
3DS is actually the most advanced one
@@akiradkcn I wanna really try that one also if I ever get a chance to. It looks cool. Though, nothing beats having 12 classes and balance changes to change up your entire journey experience.
Yep, i can confirm that GBA is the best version here. Started with that version during my first gameplay, and then i branched out to different platform FF Advance still clicked better to me. The amount of job class presented to you, the excellent graphic that stay faithful to the original. The music is wonderful considering the GBA soundchip at the time. And the graphic, *it's so beautiful* I adore the 32-bit style so much and the sprite looks great, with enough look to visualize what would it be if you take the NES original and expand upon it.
However, the thing that i see PSP version failed is the 3D overworld which makes perspective looks weird. I think i've already accustomed to the paper-map layout and this 3D view make it harder to travel to the south. Sprite-wise, PSP-version looks a little bit more detailed than what it should be.
I believe that's
@@frds_skce Are you talking about the mod or no? So far, the responses have nothing to do with what I specifically mentioned. I'm not debating that the gba version is the best on its own (I mean, it's pretty damn good). I'm saying the MOD OF BALANCE (v3.5) by Jeff Ludwig, is the best Final Fantasy 1 version even if it's unofficial.
@@Coyoda Ah, I'm talking about the vanilla version. Been awhile since i last play a modded version so our experience might differs from each other (older version kek)
But you know what, i might pick the v3.5 later. Just for old time sake
Love the Adventures of Duane and Brando Reference with the naming and class choice btw. I see you too are a man of Culture.
I have the opposite issue with vsync, feels like i have to turn it off on every game i play to avoid annoying visual errors like screen tearing.
Awesome! These videos are sorely needed! More please :D
The PSP version is my favorite. I just like the presentation it had. And the sprites are also the most detailed.
It also has the GBA improvements and the defend command so it is the best gameplay wise.
Man... how I wish the Pixel Remaster was in the same quality as this game on PSP. It looks sooo fucking good.
PSP versions will always be the best out there.
We need I to VI with that exact style, in all platforms.
Wow, always impressed with these videos.
the font is so atrocious but it's indicative of the whole pixel remaster project as a whole: there's so much empty, unused space that the whole game feels like an oversight. ifyou're going to show off the new spritework let the game screens be tighter so the sprites are bigger.
I use the FF6 font mod..
@@reloadpsi so how do you solve the other part? Where all the prites are really far apart?
Wasn't expecting this! Thx ☺️
Thanks for this overview. Super informative and well thought out. Loved the OST comparisons, as well.
I’ve been considering getting these new remasters, but it seems like all I come across are negative comments about the graphics and removal of extra dungeons. I think you said it correctly: There’s no wrong version as long as you enjoy playing it.
The graphics are fine and you’re not missing much with the missing dungeons. The bonus dungeon in FF1 is just really repetitive and tedious.
Seeing what you named your characters. A man of culture as well, I see
I played the GBA vers. for 1 and 2, it’s a solid port IMO. Play what looks good for you
I grew up playing the dawn of souls version for the GBA although i was a complete melon and never did figure out how to open the map but i did memorize every single level in FF1 and FF2 also for some reason i was obsessed with the secret bosses and beat every one of them if i remember the one with the largest health pool was Death Gaze.