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Square Enix is a publisher that's made a significant push on smart devices, often standing apart due to its willingness to release some of its biggest franchises at premium prices, clearly resisting the ongoing race to the bottom. The latest case in point is Final Fantasy VI — commonly known on the Super NES in the West as Final Fantasy III — though the developer's decisions for the Android release are certainly intriguing.

Pricing is one thing, with Google Play listing the game at £10.99 / $14.99, which is easily at the top end of game prices on the platform. This version does include new content from the 2006 remake and the usual tweaked controls to suit touch screens, but most notably "painstakingly recreated" new visuals that were supervised by one of the original game's designers, Kazuko Shibuya. We imagine these will be a sticking point for retro gamers and fans of the franchise. There are examples (all via Eurogamer) above and below.

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What do you think of these changes to the visual style? Alternative versions are everywhere, of course, with the Super NES iteration available on the Wii Virtual Console for 900 Nintendo Points, while Japan has already received the title on the Wii U Virtual Console for the equivalent of around $8.60USD. Is the original 16-bit version, with those lovely pixels, the more desirable choice, or do you dig the new design? Sound off in the comments below.

[source play.google.com, via eurogamer.net]