Final Fantasy I (Pixel Remaster) (Switch)

 

Where it all started!

Finally got the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster for the Switch. Ordered it from Playasia back in April before the release and it came 20 June of 2023. Perfect timing for my vacation that started 2 days later. So this is the latest release of the original Final Fantasy-games and that means I can play I-X, XII and XV all on my Switch. Played the first game recently back in 2018 when I just had moved in my apartment and that was the GBA-version. 

Took me something over 10 hours to play through, of course I used some Quality of life improvements, I gave myself 4x Gil and after getting the class upgrade I even gave myself 4x EXP. This at least showed me how the game is balanced. I didn't grind or anything until the class change and it happened around level 33 like my old playthrough, but I found out that the limiting factor in the game wasn't my levels, but my lack of resources to get weapons, items and magic. Probably should avoid getting some spells in future playthroughs since I don't use any of the status effect spells, save the gil for armour instead. I also changed my team so that is was Niklas the fighter, Aang the monk, Tara the white mage and Imaginos the black mage. Aang probably the MVP of the group with that damage output. He is a bit squishy though and bit the dust once, but in the end I find the monk class probably the one to keep.

So, is it the definitive version? Graphically and musically yes, especially when you can toggle the old and new music (some songs are just a bit better if they are scaled back, but choruses are always appreciated). Probably beating out the PSOne version since the only thing that version has is the cutscenes... so I might actually playthrough that version after finish of this collection. But the GBA? It has more stuff, although ease of play is rather important, but since it's a GBA I can save anywhere and it's portable if I want that plus with the Retron-5 I can play it on the TV. On the other hand, I got a bestiary and music player with the music, a gallery with concepts art as well as constant running and taking away encounter making the game play so much faster or just quickly check if I forgot something which the map helps with since you can see how many items and treasure chest there is in any town or dungeon. I assume I will get this problem for every game. Well, maybe not the original version I have for Wii Virtual Console or the NES Mini... but then again, listening to the Final Fantasy Retrospective makes you appreciate the original graphics and the way they used the limits of the original console for example to create white mountains and with the scan lines of the old TV:s make them out of crystals instead of the boring grey mountains we have now... I hope I don't get so into these games that I play those as well.