Nintendo Download: Fantasies, Wars and Words (US)

I know a lot of Final Fantasy fans will be happy today. I guess it was about time since it was announced waaaay back in the Sping to arrive on the VC. I wonder if a Boy and his Blob will arrive on the VC soon to go with the release of the retail version.

I've got FF for the GBA in one of those double packs with FF2. So if it comes out in Europe, I don't think I will get it.

Well this sucks for me. Have the ff 1and gba game already. dont have a dsi. Only one wiiware and it's just wordsearch, Yippy!!

Finally Final Fantasy comes to VC in NA! Thorium Wars also looks very good so I'll download both. Hopefully Smash Bros. and Final Fantasy 4 will come to VC soon.

COME TO EUROPE NOUW!!! along with FFIV and hopefully FFVI.

For people who enjoy a challenge, get Final Fantasy - the difficulty far exceeds that of the GBA version (which was ridiculously dumbed down), and is a far better test of mettle.

Rocktober has begun!!

I have FF and FF2 for GBA. WHERE THE **** IS CAVE STORY?!

The challenge would be to play it for a while without getting turned off by the broken presentation - having to buy items one at a time? Attacking an empty space if the enemy had just been killed by another character in the same turn? Only those who had played and loved this when they were younger need apply. If you don't have the nostalgia for it and have been raised on the more recent games (i.e. SNES and beyond) then its probably not for you. I sure won't be getting it.

Awww yeah! I can't wait to go home today and download it! A Boy and His Blob just might be released next week due to the new game being released 10/13 14 whatever the date is. Looks like that street fighter might be released two weeks from now and the week later possibly Zombies Ate My Neighbors? If that holds true for the VC this month I'll be impressed and pleased!

I played the origional ff quite a few yrs ago, but don't recall i I ever wen't through it all and beat bit.
I do hope we get ff4 (ff2 here), but they should bring out to other 2 first.

Man, I was really hoping for Cave Story today.

For 500 points, Word Searcher may be decent entertainment for an old fart like me.

I'm a bit annoy thatvwe only got one wiiware title, and possibly because someone dropped the ball on getting out Gravatronix (Course would have been nice for Nintendo to replace it with something). Anyway, didn't seem like it was going to be a great wiiware update anyware if only Gravatronix and word search was what we were supposed to get (unless Gravotronix really is better than it looks). I'd like to get some wiiware with some meat to it.

Gravatronix dropped the ball on itself. There was some paperwork that was neglected to be done resulting in the delay. Its in a news article here a few days ago.

I am excited about Final Fantasy. The newer versions have better options, like being able to attack another monster if the first one is killed, and buying 99 heal potions at once, instead of one at a time, but I like this translation better. I love being able to use a spell called NUKE! I also like the Silver Sword better than the Mythril Sword.

@Bass X0- I heard (I didn't say who did). Don't care who dropped it though. It still sucks.

Edit- Thanks though.

Final Fantasy!! Yeah!!

This will be my first time playing a Final Fantasy game.

I can't wait to start a White Mage run when I get home.

Ah sweetness, Final Fantasy! And I actually have enough points to download this. Finally a good start to a Monday, which I haven't had in a while. I'm wasting my entire afternoon on this one. Oh, and my new avatar came just in time for the party. _{Never can miss any reason to show off the avi...}

about time final fantasy comes out its not the best rpg but it will due intel 4 comes out
i feel that the wiiware game is meh all said the week is ok
it sucks to see cave story seems to have been pushed back with being in last month of fall it seems unlikely that it will be out intel winter

Hopefully Smash Bros won't be too far. We should've gotten it a long time ago.

STILL no first party games... I'm getting concerned we've seen our last Nintendo branded VC game here in North America. Final Fantasy is a good release, though. Personally I prefer II (IV), so I'll just wait for that one. Also I'll add the obligitory "where the heck is Cave Story?"

"it's not quite as epic as later games in the series, nor is it as good"
What?
LIES >: (

So now you are Happy here in America, we still dont have FF and i cant find if it was already rated for europe

We never got Final Fantasy in the first place so it'll have to be a Hanabi Festival game for us. I think we have another one coming up before the end of the year. But I'm not sure.

Bland week is very bland.

Well, now I know what I'll get when NoA gives me that internet channel rebate credit. Unless Lolo 3 comes out soon.

Cool that we got the first FF - That means FF4 is not too far behind! Lame WiiWare release.

Final Fantasy is going to be my free 500 point game!!!

Meh. FF1 is far too primitive for me, so this week is a bit lame. At least XBLA has been picking up the slack for the last few months.

@Rapadash6
For God sake just use IV... or SNES's II.
Not II (IV), IV (II), IV/II or whatever...
If you know it's the fourth one please do so, there are people (like me) that actually like II and III and are tried of the whole number confusion that no longer exist.

Im buying thorium wars, It looks awesome (meanwhile in the back of my head I am thinking "please dont suck....PLEASE dont suck")

@Mrpinguy: I see no problem how he does it. it's short, to the point, and clarifys which game he means. What's the problem? (by the way...He still had to clarify which game is which, because of how they origionally did these games. Example: If i say ff2, is that the japan version or us?).

Nice, Final Fantasy is on the VC! There is finally something GOOD on the VC for a change. I will be downloading this when I get the chance.

I seem to recall a WiiWare release schedule with a bunch of awesome games slated for Q3 release floating around here somewhere...

@longtimegamer
Because just make things more confusing for everyone.
In the multiple releases of the game the FFIV was only named "II" in ONE release and ONE country, the number was corrected WAY long before.
"If i say ff2, is that the japan version or us?."
See that one hell of question that doesn't even make any sense. Both IV and II are available nowadays in america and europe both with the correct number.
The snes's numbers for final fantasy are outdated and incorrect and shoud be avoided.
This already gave me problems talking with people about Final Fantasy II and IV. Gives the impression that people doesn't want aknowledge the underated II and III games. And make very lame results like one gamefaqs poll that used the Final Fantasy III Logo (the game with the Onion Knights) on an Final Fantasy VI option (What looked like it, the thing was always changing when i refreshed the page) that barelly anyone voted because nobody know which game they were talking about.

Don't get me wrong i don't want to argument with anybody, being a fan of the franchise, i see this just as a big mistake that people doesn't let it being corrected.

Finally, Final Fantasy. I won't be getting 1 since I have it already but I hope this is a sign that it will be followed by II-VI. Thatd be great. The WW this week sounds less than exciting.

@Tony
Can't possibly imagine many true FF fans being particularly interested in today's event cause if you're a real Final Fantasy fan, how the hell is it possible that you don't own this game already. It's been re-released something like 6 times already...

The NES FF, and the Dawn of Souls FF and vastly different.

For instance in the NES one, everything doesn't sit around waiting to be killed.

I may pick it up sometime.

ok, I guess I'll have to try this since it's finally a chance to try to understand what the FF hype is about. I've never touched a single one since they always looked boring and had ridiculous characters.
I can overlook how primitive it is, I just need to try to understand the basic appeal, seems like this is the place to start.

@Djungelurban
Considering the fact it's the NES version, that is very diffrent from the remakes, and it's the first time that the original (8-bit) version is re-released outside japan.
It's the TRUE final fantasy fan that would be interested in this

It's October. Wonder when I'll get my NES credit (from the Opera fiasco).

If Word Searcher would let you create puzzles from your own list of words, I'd pay $5.

@Mrpinguy: Ok. Not sure what your trying to say, I guess (sorry), but if I wanted the Origionsl ff2 for the US, then I would I would have to make that clear. If I just said that I wanted FF2 then a person may not know which one I was talking about (Unless we're talking about just for vc, and assuming that we were just talking about the US release and not the Japan version.)
Personally, FF(IV) or FF US release is fine with me, as long as I know what we're talking about (though I get mess up with th Roman numerals).

@Mrpinguy
Are you saying that this is the first time that "ff1" was released outside of japan? I played the first one awhile back. Am I confused about something? (Sorry)

Time to rebuild the 8-bit theater gang and run through Final Fantasy again. Although I still think Dragon Warrior (Quest) was the better NES RPG, the first Final Fantasy was still special.

Everyone points to attacking empty space as a flaw, I see it as requiring more thought than just mashing away at the "Attack" command. Plus, the shop keepers in the world of Final Fantasy One are smart and don't allow you to buy 99 potions at once because then they would have to offer a discount.

"The challenge would be to play it for a while without getting turned off by the broken presentation - Attacking an empty space if the enemy had just been killed by another character in the same turn?"

I still can't understand how some people can consider this to be broken. It adds strategy, hence I welcome it. It's not a fault, but a decision...and one for the better in my opinion.

@MrPinguy

Dude, chill out. To me the US SNES version of IV will always be Final Fantasy II and I'm glad they aren't changing it for the VC release.

I think that Square should simply stop numbering these games and instead go back and give each one subtitles not unlike how Zelda games are titled. Final Fantasy IV for example could be called Final Fantasy: The Crystal Saga, or something similar. Until then though I'll always refer to it as Final Fantasy II.

@longtimegamer
sorry about my poor choice of words.
What i meant is that is the first time that an 8-bit/original version of the 1º final fantasy (remakes are very different in difficulty and in some gameplay) is released again (beside the original release) outside japan (that had an MSX release of the 8-bit version, for example)

@KeeperBvK
People are so used to the "It's dead so it's going to pick the other one" AKA Auto-Target, that see this as a flaw.

@Rapadash6
Nah i'm not angry with you, just tired about this situation in general. Maybe because as a European never used this old-SNES numeration and like both II and IV Final Fantasies (as many other), and i get tired of people mixing the two on the same bag.
About what you said just now, sorry to disapoint you, but everything points to the fact that they will release this as "IV" in the VC... But it's probabbly that they will leave the ROM itself as it is.

@MrPinguy

You do know the ESRB rating for this game is pegged as Final Fantasy II right? See below:

FINAL FANTASY II

Platform: Wii

Rating: Everyone

Content descriptors: Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes

Rating summary:
This is a 2D role-playing game (RPG) in which players embark on an adventure involving magic crystals and a quest to save the world from destruction. Players move small character icons across a field map and enter turn-based battles with an assortment of imps, dragons, and robots. Weapons and special attacks (e.g., "magic," "jump," and "kick"), accessed via a menu-screen, cause enemies to blink and disappear when defeated. One female enemy is depicted wearing a bikini top that exposes a moderate amount of cleavage.

That doesn't sound like the Japanese version of Final Fantasy II to me. So, sorry to you but looks like the confusion will continue.

@Mrpinguy: Darn. Would have been cool if it WAS different. Thanks.
I'm not sure if I should get it. I played the GBA one many months ago, but really recall how different it was from the origional (other than what was pointed out here). So it was harder? How? (Been awhile)

@Rapadash6
Yeah i saw it now... oh well anything to please US Snes fans i guess.
Screw other that like the series as a whole that will never play the original versions of II,III and V in their original format sigh ...

Thorium Wars DSiWare is on my radar so I'll keenly wait for the review. I'd've gone for that wordsearch game if it was a dsiware game.

I actually wouldn't mind checking out both versions (maybe. so many to choose: us, japan, Ds< would like to play this one.), though probably not on after the other.

Edit: actually wouldnt mind all 3. Almost seems wasteful, at buying both Japan's AND Our origionap versions.

@MrPinguy

Don't feel too bad. You have to remember that it's only really important to the people who already know the difference. People like me who don't follow the series as religiously don't buy enough Final Fantasy games for it to really affect us. I have fond memories of FF II and III on SNES here in America and to change them to accomidate the actual Japanese numbers might cause more confusion for many Wii owners who have only gotten back into gaming recently, which from my understanding is the large chunk of people who own the system.

At last... At last!!!! AT LAAAASSTTT!!!!!!!!! FINAL FANTASY!!!!!!!!!

Bad update week again... Why do we only get 1 sucky DSiWare title each monday???!! And Final Fantasy sucks imho. Thank you very much.

B

Let's clear this up once and for all:

Final Fantasy 1 for the NES has not been released outside of Japan since it was first released to the USA way back on the NES up until now.Up until now we only saw newer Final Fantasy Games on later systems or download services such as with the Final Fantasy WiiWare Games or on the SNES with Final Fantasy IV which correct me if i am wrong is the one that is Final Fantasy II according to the Storyline.

Any way i never had the chance to try this game out on the NES so i am unsure if i should buy it or not.I may tho it just depends i guess.

The first three FF games were so tough, for several reasons. Firstly, the damage values are incredibly unpredictable. And, if you squeaked by one battle against one monster and are glad you lived to tell about it, the next random battle might have you up against three of the same enemy. Yikes. Pretty hazardous stuff. And if you plan on finishing this game, the last dungeon area is pretty tough too.

Still a great game, of course, though I prefer the remakes that are mostly the same experiences but a little streamlined.

Hopefully it's exactly the as it was origionaly released, because they HAVE changed things in some of these vc reeases (Didn't they origionally say something like, that these games weren't going to be changed?)

How disappointing. Gravitronix could've EASILY appeared today...

I have the gba remake and it is horrible compared to the original nes version! the gameplay on gba version is terrible and the scratchy sound is no good,well maybe if you are walking up the street playing and the wind is blowing but i want to play the nes version from the comfort of my own home so i think i will slide my FF cart (complete) into my NES which im the original owner of and play,lol

@WolfLink22
.... Now thats is one confused person. XD
WolfLink, heres a small list for you to help, this one is ONLY for NES/SNES era
Final Fantasy (I) 8bit released in JP and US only
Final Fantasy II 8bit released only in JP only
Final Fantasy III 8bit released only in JP only
Final Fantasy IV 16bit released in JP only and as Final Fantasy II in US only
Final Fantasy V 16bit released in JP only
Final Fantasy VI 16bit released in JP only Final Fantasy III in US only
Square Enix started making the main series in a Sony Plataform the next final fantasy that would be released as Final Fantasy IV in USA is released as Final Fantasy VII everyhere in the world, including europe, that is our first Final Fantasy.
From that on, every Final Fantasy I to VI was released again everywere in the world, some of them several times, with their original numeration (jp), 1,2,4,5,6 on Playstation and Game Boy Advance and 3,4 in NDS. (etc...)

@KS8: It would have, if not for the slip-up. Plus I might have been advantagious, as the only other offering was word search (If only 3 Musketeers, had been so lucky to get released against something like "wordsearch").

Gravitronix could've EASILY appeared today...

No it couldn't. They even explained why it couldn't a few days ago.
http://wiiware.nintendolife.com/news/2009/10/gravitronix_release_date_slips

"Understandably, it's not quite as epic as later games in the series, nor is it as good"

Wrong. This is the best game in the series by far.

Yes i am very confused about this MrPinguy.It is not my fault for being confused tho.Also thanks for trying to help me out.I understand the little list a bit.But what i still can't get is why they never subtitled them it would have been less confusing to subtitle those games since there are so many.

I mean even Nintendo, Sega, Microsoft, and most other developers at least subtitle most of their big name games.Again they don't go around saying The Legend of Zelda 1 or Sonic the Hedgehog 1 or Halo 3 any more unless the fan is not confused about it.

I'd've gone for that wordsearch game if it was a dsiware game.

Well the good news is, it's also coming to DSiWare!

With the ESRB rating Final Fantasy II for SNES, we could see it on the Virtual Console by the end of this year perhaps. They have not rated Final Fantasy III for SNES as of yet.

I love Final Fantasy an all but it's extremely dated in comparison to the remakes. Also Europe would get the American version at 600 points instead since we didn't get it. This'll be in Europe when the next Hanabi Festival comes.

Surely you mean "extremely playable compared to the remakes". The GBA and PSP abomination were both utter ass.

Still, we could've easily gotten two other WiiWare games (e.g., Escape Game)...

Other than FF, this update sucks. I could just go buy me a word search at the store if I want to, and I don't have a DSi.

Agreed. It's cool that we finally got Final Fantasy today but other than that this update blows.

I'd rather have Dragon Quest.

Finally we have it on there

How dare thee say the original Final Fantasy is less than epic, or some how lesser than the sequels. This is one of, and likely the most important of games that defined the next era of role playing games, it should be treated with respect and reverence. This is like the Harriet Tubman, or the Cesar Chavez of rpgs. That is to say a bold title that broke free from the chains of oppression and opened the doors for a thousand other games that would never have came to be without this proceeding epicness.

Go ahead and say this game is only for those with a vested interest in vintage games, nostalgia be thy name. This game is the book of Exodus, an early and important chapter so near the Genesis of RPG console games, and yet it takes us so far. This game is not unlike Moses and it will lead you through the wilderness to the Mountain of Sinai. Enter the land of Canaan and pay homage to the Tabernacle, warriors of light.

I have to agree that the GBA version is rubbish, the nes orignal is an excellent challenge that requires some time and effort. Forget about auto target, it's more fun to learn your enemy. After a dozen or so battles you'll have a good feel of how many more points of damage/attacks are needed. Ninety nine of anything is totally unneeded. I dismiss these complaints.

I have FF already on the GBA collection, but I still want to get the original, if only to have the game in it's original form. The GBA version was also way too easy.

Other than that though, it looks like another lame week on the Nintendo front.

"Wrong. This is the best game in the series by far."

FFIV says hi.

finally we have the first game in the Final Fantasy series, now Nintendo, IMPORT FIRE EMBLEM GAIDEN FOR US!

So The FF gba is called "rubbish" by some people here, Because it was too easy and auto changed to next target (something else I'm missing)?

@longtimegamer: It was?! I wish the original had auto target lock!

What do you guys smoke before you come up with some of this stuff? How can you define 'difficulty' in a turn based game? Either A is more powerful than B or it isn't. There isn't 'more challenge', there is just more annoying grinding. You can have it. I also have to believe that some of you are tone deaf with rose coloured glasses on your face. The GBA remake has anything BUT scratchy sound. I just did a side by side on my home audio system, and let me tell you I will take the beautiful stringed arrangements and stereo psx quality audio over the thin mono NES sounds any day. And the GBA/PSX remakes brought the original two 8 bit games up to the look and feel of the playstation sequels. There are definately cases where sometimes the original is better, but this ain't one of them. Sometimes food is better with salt and pepper, coffee with cream, and Final Fantasy with enhanced graphics and stereo music.

I am thrilled to see the classic Final Fantasy titles start to be released. Something I wasn't sure I'd ever see. Simply because the battery in the GamePak will eventually run out on my copy of Final Fantasy, I imagine I'll download it one day.

To hear that Final Fantasy IV for the SNES is going to be released as Final Fantasy II frustrates me, though. They're going to go back to the old numbering, when the official Japanese numbering of the series was adopted over a decade ago in 1997, with Final Fantasy VII? That just strikes me as lazy. Why can't you go ahead and release the American "Easy Type" version released in 1991, with the Japanese Final Fantasy IV title screen?

This, and Capcom apparently ready to release the original Street Fighter as "Fighting Street" (and TG-16 version, instead of the arcade) really blows my mind.

Another thing to be taken from the info that Final Fantasy IV will be released as Final Fantasy II is that, sadly, that probably means we'll never see the REAL Final Fantasy II (or III) only released previously on the Famicom in Japan. Yeah, we got FF II on Final Fantasy Origins and Dawn of Souls, and the remake of FF III on the DS, but I'd like to play them in their original state. Only adds more salt to the old wound that is Japan always and forever getting such better treatment game-wise than anywhere else in the world.

It's a small miracle we got Castlevania: Rondo of Blood here, with Dracula X Chronicles for the PSP. Not to be a complaner. Happy to see Final Fantasy, but unhappy about other aspects to be taken from the Final Fantasy II news. What next? Release Dragon Quest as Dragon Warrior?

I love the original NES Final Fantasy, and I just got the Final Fantasy Dawn of Souls, and I don't see what all the complaining is about. The enemies are still the same difficultly, you just get more experience points from them, so there is less grinding. Also, you cannot buy the Silver/Mytril swords in Elfland in the GBA version, which makes the Marsh Cave and Astos more difficult. I am going to download Final Fantasy on the VC, but the GBA version is very good, if not better than the original, unless grinding is your favorite pastime.

Certainly beats seeing a week like this:

WiiWare
Incoming!, SPOGS Racing, Karate Phants

DSiWare
Master Of Illusion Clock And Calculator

VC
Custer's Revenge, ET The Extra Terrestrial

Its about time we got something good on the vc I'll get FF as soon as I get some Nintendo points

I'm kinda torn about this. On the one hand, I have FF1 in FF Origins, which has the advantage of auto-targeting and being able to revive in battle, and, IMO, is the superior of the FF1 remakes (the other ones fiddled with the battle balancing too much). On the other hand, FF1 Origins lacks a lot of the nostalgia factor, which, for a game as primitive as this, really hurts.

I may very well just get this and own both versions. I've already done the same with Final Fantasy 4 and Dragon Quest 4. (Although FF4 stands well even without the nostalgia factor.)

@19. JTCPingas09
Your first Final Fantasy? Really? I think you could choose a better entry to start with. Then again, I suppose you could also choose worse. Just don't expect anything spectacular with this.

@Mach-X: "What do you guys smoke before you come up with some of this stuff? How can you define 'difficulty' in a turn based game? Either A is more powerful than B or it isn't. There isn't 'more challenge', there is just more annoying grinding."

Uh, FF1 had other options during battle than "fight". Using your available options wisely in order to overcome dangerous opponents was the entire point. If all there was to it was "either you're stronger, and win, or you're weaker and lose", what would be the point of having battles at all?
In the GBA trash, however, your characters are all so overpowered you can just hammer A in every battle and watch everything die before you. THAT is pointless.

Also, FF1 does not require grinding for a second if you know what you're doing.

@Draygone: He could not. This is by far the best game in the series.

Playing a game which will make you participate in hundreds of battles, hammering the A button to win quickly and easily is what I'll be wanting to do in most of them just to move on.

#84: Games on the VC usually get released with whatever name they had back when they were originally released in that particular country. Final Fantasy IV will remain as Final Fantasy II just because thats what it was originally released as. Of course, there are some companies who change the names to fit a certain naming theme - Wolf of the Battlefield: MERCS for example. It would have been nice if Square corrected the name but it was never expected of them to do so. Also two games on the VC on different consoles can share the exact same name without any problems. Fighting Street will remain Fighting Street simply because that was what it was originally called on the TurboGrafx. The Virtual Console isn't about correcting titles and what not, just delivering us the original game in its original form, "errors" and all (with some exceptions). Capcom doesn't seem ready to enter the VCA fray yet for whatever reason.

@rodoubleb
God bless you man You are a true retro gamer and a patriot for all things video games. I had to stand up while I read your post.

Well, it's about time! Maybe we'll see FF2(4j) and FF3(6j) sometime soon as well [say, November-ish, December-ish, January-ish..........maybe]. I'll finally be able to try the Final Fantasy that started it all!

Thanks Tony, I appreciate that.

think i know what my free nes game will be

While I won't be getting this anytime soon, I'm glad that some of you enjoy the VC release of Final Fantasy. However, that was unpredictable.

Personally, I'll get Final Fantasy II (IV) instead to see what the Final Fantasy fuss is all about. Not to mention I actually really want that game.

@Rapadash6: Sure it's been awhile since we've gotten a Nintendo game on the Virtual Console, but there are around 10 Nintendo games coming to the Virtual Console. I'm sure Nintendo is saving some of those for Christmas. Also, our fellow Europeans already got some Nintendo games, so we should expect our fair share soon. Please don't give up hope, The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask is not our last Nintendo title for the Virtual Console.

original FF was so frustrating....original DQ games were much easier to play--with 9 potential mobs, the killed-target cancellation makes fighting such a chore. In general, the games math just feel too old/slow/clunky (again, compared to Phantasy Star it still feels great, but comparing sub-par pudding to feces isn't really fair...)

Now if we could just get Crystalis and A Boy and his Blob, and I will be a happy camper. At least one of those is on the way...

Bad update today!!... its not lookin good for me at all and none of these games are not interested in me either... o well, i guess to play some more of my PSPGo as well.

I hope next week will be a good update and make up of what is here today.

Final Fantasy 1!!!! Bought it the moment I heard about it(thanks, PheonixSage!)! Can't wait to play it afterschool tomorrow(too tired now )

Edit: Wow, for some reason I actually decided to read the other comments here, and I have to say, I'm a tad surprised so few people were happy for this update(and everyone has ignored that cool-looking Thiordium Wars game...I honestly thought there were more strategy and RPG fans here. I guess they must be off enjoying themselves). Oh well, sucks to be them.

I'm honestly NOT surprised that Cave Story isn't out.
Wasn't it supposed to come out Spring 09? But they pushed it to Summer 09. Now it's Fall 09.

Might as well start calling it Cave Story Forever.

WOW!!!!! I didn't expect that my beloved Final Fantasy could generate all this controversy.
Let's hope for we can see FF II and III in their original versions, at least as a WiiWere title. And when I say FF II and III I mean, of course, the original japanese ones...
If anyone is confused, please don't say it!!!

I agree. I don't want to see III skipped because of the numerical mumbo jumbo. They could just copypasta the translation from any other version.

I'm perfectly happy with FFI on PSP, and I don't care what Adamant or anybody else has to say about it. I'm glad this was finally released on VC anyway, for those who DID want it...plus I figured it had to release before anything else from Squenix could come.

The Ware's aren't even worth mentioning this week. Why do I get the feeling Squenix had something to do with the lack of WiiWare games today? This is the first Monday in HOW long that we've only had one? Very suspicious...especially since Squenix has a track record of that kind of nonsense.

Final Fantasy- about time. I hope it makes it to EU some Hanabi Festival, I like the "Origins" version, but the "un-enchanted" version would be cool to play.

FF = good
Word Search = junk
Thorium Wars = wait for review

@64 Final Fantasy VII was released as Final Fantasy VII everywhere, including the US. That was the Final Fantasy that made American fans realize that there were 3 Final Fantasies that they missed out on (the third not being released officially until the DS Remake). Part of the reason, to which I sort of agree, American gamers just would not have understood Final Fantasy II, III, or V in their original forms at release time. Final Fantasy I, IV, and VI were the stronger games from a story telling standpoint.

Oh, and we also got the horrible Final Fantasy Mystic Quest that was supposedly designed for Americans (and generally insulted fans and was ignored by everyone else) and the Saga games re-branded as Final Fantasy Legends I, II, and III on the Gameboy.

@106.Darknyth
"Final Fantasy I, IV, and VI were the stronger games from a story telling standpoint."
I can agree about IV and VI in that aspect, but I? 1 is awesome but it's an (amazing) adventure, no "story telling". The first final fantasy that had a "story telling" aspect was II, Firion joining the Wild Rose rebles against The Emperor Mateus etc... That wasn't the reason
The real reason that II and III weren't released in was because of the SNES was almost there and translation problems of the NES games. (Never Heard about "Dark Shadow over Palakia"? )
And the V because of the "complex" job system rolleyes.

(We at europe even didn't get those...)

Americans who read Nintendo Power knew that we were missing out on II, III, and V the whole time. And Mystic Quest wasn't designed for "Americans," it was designed for noobs to the RPG genre. I actually kinda like the game, too...I hope it comes to VC at some point (partially because it's a title that actually hasn't been remade ad nauseum).

I agree with MrPinguy with the corrections for the reasons we didn't get those games.

Also, just in case anyone cares, my experience with the FF series matches that of Europeans. My dad never bought into the series on consoles, preferring the likes of Earthbound (for which I'm very grateful...which one has been remade three times, right?). My first FF was the PS1 version of IV.

@MrPinguy: Yeah, II was fairly complex in it's leveling up method though although I will agree with the story being complex. I also agree the SNES did have a big part in them being skipped. However, I doubt it would have been able to make it past Nintendo of America's Censors. Heck the opening sequence has the main character's entire village slaughtered if I remember correctly (been a long time since I last played it). The first one didn't make it so much due to the story, but because of Big N's marketing machine. In a way I wish they would have sold the real Final Fantasy II instead of the first one.

@Stuffgamer1 To quote Wikipedia quoting Ted Woolsey (1992). Ogopogo Examiner. Square Soft, Inc..

"Although designed by one of Square's development teams in Japan, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was specifically geared for the U.S. market. At the time, console role-playing gamers only constituted a small minority of gamers in North America; Square thus attempted to broaden the genre's appeal through Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.[2] Square's executives cited the alleged difficulty of RPGs as the reason Americans shied away from them, and eased the difficulty level by tweaking various aspects of the main series' gameplay.[2]"

It was made specifically with American Gamers in mind. Their opinion was that we were too dumb to understand Japanese RPGs, which is also why the US got Final Fantasy IV for beginners as Final Fantasy II on SNES (which then was then dumbed down further to make Final Fantasy VI Easytype in Japan.)

As for the Nintendo Power subscription, that was something I passed on as a kid until the GameBoy came out. So you may be right in my missing that.

@Darknyht
Just here to say that, the opening scene is not present in the original NES version of FFII just a small introdutory text.
there's one in 2-D on the WS and GBA, and one in CG on the PS1 and PSP. (The ones i know)

@MrPinguy: Only have played the remakes, the original never officially made it here.

Is it out yet? My DSi is dying so I don't want to check.. _;

Okay, so Mystic Quest was for American noobs. Whatever...they still had noobs in mind.

I KNOW I'm right about the N-Power thing. I still have all my dad's old issues, and it's right there plain to see. N-Power readers once thought we'd get Mother 1 in America, too. We're well versed in the oddities of the early RPG market. Obviously not PERFECT, but better than some.

The last time I tried to play this game was like 15 years ago. I gave it another go this week, and after a 20 minute battle with a bunch if 8 bit monsters, I remember why I stopped playing it back then. I wonder what would happen if me and 3 friends ran into a bunch of monsters in the woods... would they stop attacking us after their turn was over?

Wow... Thanks to NL's great review for Thorium Wars on dsiware, 8/10, I may actually download this and give it a try...

I SO feel like screaming a rude form of "you" at my own reflection for asking for Final Fantasy I (I will use the Japanese numbering system when I talk of the Final Fantasy games.) instead of Patapon for Christmas.