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 Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:35 pm
This forum is dedicated to the Final Fantasy series as a whole. Each section is dedicated to one game in the series (Main Series only, and this DOES include Final Fantasy X-2). They will each contain Prologue, Characters, World Map, Battle System, Summons, Music, Artwork, Screenshots, Cid Spot, Release Information, and the Opening FMV. Also, to give credit where credit is due... ....Special thanks to....
ffodyssey.com
ffonline.com
ffshrine.org
cavesofnarshe.com
en.wikipedia.org
playonline.com
ff12-europe.com
ffonline.it
ffcompendium.com
google.com
imageshack.us
youtube.com
My awesome sister bratnatch. Give her a PM sometime. ^_^
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:36 pm
The world lies shrouded in darkness.
The winds die...
The seas rage...
The earth decays...
But the people believe in a prophecy,
patiently awaiting its fulfillment
"When darkness veils the world,
four Warriors of Light shall come."
After a long journey,
four young travelers did at last appear.
...and in the hand of each was clutched a crystal.*~Characters~*  The Warrior is the tank, a physical powerhouse who relies on strength of arms to get himself through the battle. He has great attacking strength, which is augmented by his ability to equip a vast majority of the weapons available throughout the course of the game. The Thief is quick of movement and nimble of limb. Although he lacks the substantial power that the Warrior and the Monk possess, the Thief is very fast, and can get in many more attacks than any other Light Warrior. His speed also allows him to make the party escape from unwanted battles easily. The Monk's attacking strength really shines when he is totally unequipped. Though he is capable of using certain specialized weapons, for the most part he is much better off without them. As the Monk grows, he also gains the ability to attack multiple times at once. The Red Mage is a true jack-of-all trades, whose talents lie in sheer versatility. Unlike the White Mage and the Black Mage, who specialize in one school of magic, the Red Mage is capable of casting both Black and White with equal ability. On top of this, he's a competent fighter as well. The White Mage's forte lies in the healing arts. Rather than hurting the enemy directly, the White Mage uses everything in his power to keep the other warriors healthy, using his restorative powers to cure wounds and even raise others who have fallen in combat. The Black Mage has the potential to do truly frightening amounts of damage with his powerful Black Magic, which makes him a true offensive powerhouse. His wide range of magical artillery allows him to harm both single targets and all of his enemies at once. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Magic Buying System As the title says, you will be buying all of your magic in this game. After each battle, you will recieve the currency of the Final Fantasy series, Gil, and possibly different items. The game is turn-based, and once all of your characters have input their attack, the battle will commence. Every fighter on the screen will perform their designated attack in whatever order depending on the speed of each individual.
With the gil received from the battle, you can buy various magic spells for your characters. Only certain characters can learn certain spells, however, and none of them can learn every spell. First, depending on your character will decide what spells to buy. For instance, Black Mages can hold most Black Magic, and White Mages can hold most White Magic. When those two have upgraded to a Black Wizard or a White Wizard respectively, they can hold ALL of their type of magic. Certain other characters can learn certain level spells, but it depends on the character.
Second, there are 8 levels of spells. The higher the number, the better the spell. You can find each level in a specific town somewhere in the world. There are four different spells per level, however, this is where you must make a choice. Each character can only hold up to three spells per level. This means there will have to be at least one spell you'll have to pass up on. But sometimes, you may not even want three spells, and you may only take two, or one, or even none at all. *~Summons~* There are no summons in Final Fantasy I or II actually. However, in Final Fantasy I, Bahamut does make his first appearance. He is the King of the Dragons, and if you present the right item to him, he will upgrade your characters into a higher class.
Warrior --> Knight
Thief --> Ninja
Monk --> Master
Red Mage --> Red Wizard
White Mage --> White Wizard
Black Mage --> Black Wizard*~Music~* Prelude Squaresoft was only a small Japanese publisher back in the day, with only a few games under their belt. But business wasn't so good back then. Square was having some financial trouble, and they were going to have to shut down the company if they didn't do well on their next game. Final Fantasy was named for the finality of the project when Hironobu Sakaguchi took on what was to be his last video game project. With artist Yoshitaka Amano and famed composer Nobuo Uematsu, the three of them developed one of the greatest RPGs of all time. Uematsu is held partially responsible for the victory for his beautiful themes. The first thing gamers ever heard in the Final Fantasy series was the song entitled "Prelude", and that song has been remade in nearly every Final Fantasy since. It's widely considered the theme of the Final Fantasy series. Gamers everywhere recognize it's soft arpeggio melody. It's easily the first theme most of the Final Fantasy fanbase hears whenever they think of a Final Fantasy game. *~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* Originally, Cid did not make an appearance in Final Fantasy I, and his first true appearance was in Final Fantasy II. However, in Final Fantasy 1 & 2: Dawn of Souls, he can be found in cameo through a conversation in the town of Lufenia. The Light Warriors must learn to speak Lufenian, and by speaking with the man to the right, they discover that 'a man named Cid' was a great ancestor to the people, and he built the original airship. So even the Cid that never was captained an airship, in fact he created the first. *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - December 18, 1987 North America - July 12, 1990 Europe - December 3, 2004 (GBA) Platforms:Original Platform - NES Remade - MSX2 (1989), WonderSwan Color (2000), Playstation (2002), GBA (2004), Mobile Phone (2004)*~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy I, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy I.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:37 pm
A long-lived peace...
...is at an end.
The emperor of Palamecia has called
forth monsters from the underworld.
...and has begun his campaign for world conquest
A rebel army arose in the kingdom of
Fynn to thwart the emperor's plans.
But the rebel's castle fell to an
all-out assault by the empire.
Left with little choice, the rebels
withdrew to the remote town of Altair.
Four youths from Fynn also found
themselves fleeing the imperial forces.
They had lost their parents at the hands of the empire.
But their escape wasn't over...*~Characters~* Orphaned at a young age, Firion was adopted by the parents of Maria and Leon, and now considers himself part of their family. After the Empire's attack on Fynn, Firion assumes the role of "leader" of the party made up of Maria and their childhood friend Guy. Sister to Leon and step-sister to Firion, Maria is a kind-hearted and strong-willed individual. After the Emperor's attack on Fynn, Maria greatly suffers inside from the disappearance of her brother, and thus becomes very very determined to find him. Guy is a childhood friend of Firion, Maria, and Leon and escapes Fynn with them, when the town is under attack by the Emperor of Palamecia. Despite the fact that the seemingly dimwitted Guy can hardly speak properly, it is a possibility that Guy was simply raised in the wild. Leon is Maria's brother, Firion's step-brother, and Guy's childhood friend. Though initially he sides with the three previously-mentioned characters, he soon follows a different path than the others. After the Emperor's attack on Fynn, Leon mysteriously disappears. Minwu is skilled in the arts of white magic and serves as a White mage for the Wild Rose rebellion. When Princess Hilda tells Firion, Maria, and Guy to seek Cid for more information on airships, Minwu joins the party to accomany them to Poft. Josef is a kind soul living with his wife and daughter in the snow mountain village of Salamand. Though not necessarily a member of the rebellion, Josef provides as a worthy asset to those opposing the Emperor of Palamecia. Gordon is the Prince of Kashuan who has been a member of the Wild Rose rebellion since the Emperor of Palamecia's attack on Fynn. During the attack, Gordon retreated, while his brother Scott stood his ground in the battle, losing his life as a result. Leila is an adventurous girl who first encounters the party trying to relieve them of their possessions. A pirate, Leila first offers Firion, Maria, and Guy transportation to the island of Deist, where the party is hoping to recruit Dragoons into the rebellion's army. Firion, Maria, and Guy first encounter Ricard when they are swallowed by Leviathan on their way to the Mysidian Tower, where they planned to search for the Ultima Scroll and Minwu. Ricard reveals that he is also in search of the Scroll, and joins the party. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Individual Stat System Final Fantasy II is unique in the Final Fantasy series for not utilizing experience-based levels. Rather than earning experience points at the end of every battle, each character participating in battle develops depending on what that character does during battle. For instance, characters who use a particular type of weapon frequently will become more adept at wielding a weapon of that type, as well as increasing in physical strength. Characters who frequently cast a particular magic spell will learn to cast more potent versions of that spell, as well as increasing their magical power rating. Hit points and magic points, similarly, increase depending on need: a character who ends a battle with only a small amount of health remaining might earn an increase in maximum hit points, and a character who uses the majority of their magic points during a single battle might increase their maximum magic points. *~Summons~* Final Fantasy I & II are the only two games in the series to not have summons. However the chocobo makes it's first appearance in Final Fantasy II. After catching one in the Chocobo Forest, the player can use it to travel to destinations quickly and fight-free.*~Music~* Chocobo Theme Final Fantasy II was the first Final Fantasy game to contain a chocobo. A chocobo is basically a large bird that the player can ride around like a horse. Chocobos have always been a big part of the Final Fantasy series, being one of the main modes of transportation. Another one of Nobuo Uematsu's most recognized pieces is the Chocobo Theme. Although Final Fantasy II contains only about half of the full version of the theme, it still holds the first ever Chocobo Theme. The full version shows up in Final Fantasy III, along with the Fat Chocobo theme. Many gamers have fallen in love with the oversized canary, and the music which encompasses it. In fact, throughout the series, there have been many alternate versions of the Chocobo Theme, such as: Samba de Chocobo, Mambo de Chocobo, Aloha de Chocobo, etc. Chocobos have become so popular that they are no longer just used for transportation, but for minigames as well. Such as racing, breeding, and even treasure hunting. Chocobos have also been featured as summons. They have become one of the most beloved creatures in gaming, making the Chocobo Theme one of Uematsu's most famous pieces. *~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* The creator and owner of the world's only airship, the Dreadnought, lives in Poft. He offers Firion, Maria and Guy transport on his airship at expensive prices. At first he only offers travel to the town of Paloom, but later allows transit to other areas. Much later in the game, Cid gives the airship to the three orphans after an attack from the Emporer’s ‘Whirlwind.’ *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - December 17, 1988 North America - April 8, 2003 (PS1) Europe - March 14, 2003 (PS1) Platforms:Original Platform - NES Remade - WonderSwan Color (2001), Playstation (2002), GBA (2004), Mobile Phone (2005)*~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy II, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy II.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:38 pm
The Gurgan quietly spoke…
The earthquake is but an omen.
The tremors that pulled
The Crystals into the earth
And brought forth monsters
Are nothing compared to the
Darkness which is to come…
But hope is not yet lost.
Four souls will take up the
Quest of Light.
And so it begins…
Four orphans have been
Raised by the priest Topapa
In the remote village of Ur.
A Crystal has sunk into the
Earth due to the earthquake,
And the four children have come
In an adventurous mood.
They had only intended to
Test their courage…*~Characters~* Luneth is an orphan who was raised at the remote village of Ur by the priest, Topapa. Curious, positive and clever, Luneth would demonstrate his ability to support others during times of crisis. He is brave in speech, but there are times he will regret what he says. Even so, he is always responsible for what comes out of his mouth, and would fight until the end to deliver his promises. Refia was raised by the Kazus village blacksmith, Taca. She became tired of her strict blacksmith training and ran away from home. Refia has a cheerful and active personality, and tends to force her opinions on others. Therefore, she is frequently at odds with Luneth. Nevertheless, underneath this cover, she is a good-hearted and confident individual. Arc is Luneth's childhood friend, and is also raised by Topapa. He is a timid type who is unable to step ahead of himself. Arc prefers to read books at home rather than play outside, and as such, his broad knowledge is acknowledged by everyone. Ingus is a soldier who has swore allegiance to the King of Sasoon. A brave and skilled individual, he acts as the calm elder brother in the party of four. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Job System There is a new class system featured in Final Fantasy III, however. Unlike Final Fantasy I, where the player chose each character's class alignment at the start of the game, and Final Fantasy II, where there are no specific classes, Final Fantasy III introduces the "job system" for which the series would become famous. Jobs themselves are basically interchangeable classes: all four characters start out as "Onion Knights," but before long the player is given the option to have them switch to a variety of other classes. The classes featured in Final Fantasy III are:
Warrior-type jobs
Onion Knight, Freelancer, Warrior, Monk, Hunter, Knight, Thief, Dragon Knight, Viking, Karate Master, Mystic Knight, Ninja.
Mage-type jobs
White Mage, Black Mage, Red Mage, Scholar, Geomancer, Conjurer, Bard, Shaman, Warlock, Summoner, Sage.*~Summons~* [Warning: This section may contain slight spoilers such as future locations in the game and minor story elements. However, nothing direct towards the main plot will be revealed.]Chocobo - Bought in Leprit for 100 Gil.
Shiva - Bought in Leprit for 7000 Gil.
Ramuh - Bought in Leprit for 7000 Gil.
Ifrit - Bought in Leprit for 7000 Gil.
Titan - Bought in Leprit for 7000 Gil.
Odin - Defeat Odin in the Saronia Catacombs. Can also be purchased in the Forbidden Land of Eureka for 50000 Gil.
Leviathan - Defeat Leviathan in Lake Dol. Can also be purchased in the Forbidden Land of Eureka for 50000 Gil.
Bahamut - Defeat Bahamut in Cave Bahamut. Can also be purchased in the Forbidden Land of Eureka for 50000 Gil.*~Music~* Eternal Wind Many consider Nobuo Uematsu's NES and Super NES music to be some of his best. Not necessarily because the music sounds better, but rather because of what he was able to do with what he was given. Uematsu had so many technological handicaps with the first Final Fantasy titles, and yet he still managed to bring something beautiful every time. Final Fantasy III's Eternal Wind is no different. This particular piece is played while the player is at the world map, so it is considered the Main Theme of Final Fantasy III. Nobuo Uematsu just seems to capture the right feel of every element of the game in his music. He thinks about every piece as a non-linear piece. Meaning, he knows that the player always has the option to go to a certain town, or perhaps they'll go to a different one. In that sense, Uematsu always makes sure the town stands out in having a feel of it's own. The world map has the essential feel of the overall story, as Eternal Wind does. Eternal Wind is considered one of his most memorable pieces because the player hears it often, and even with the technological implications, Uematsu proves once again to create beautiful pieces. *~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* The funny-looking engineer is the mastermind of airships on the Floating Continent. This overblown little man works for the king of Argass and utilizes the Time Gear to make airships. He was stuck in Kazus under the spell of Jinn (causing him to become a two-dimensional ghost), but was helped out by the Heroes. *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - April 27, 1990 North America - November 14, 2006 (Nintendo DS) Europe - N/A (Nintendo DS) Platforms:Original Platform - NES Remade - Nintendo DS (2006)*~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy III, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy III.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:38 pm
The advent of the airship marked
the realization of mankind's dreams.
But also sowed the seeds of corruption.
Baron, the world's most powerful military nation.
Baron, a kingdom slowly changing its ways.
A menacing shadow hovers over the world.
Gunshots. Clouds of dust. Chaos.
Baron only exploits its power to collect the world's Crystals.
Why?
The omniscient Crystals
silently shed their light...*~Characters~* Cecil is a Dark Knight in charge of the Red Wings of Baron. Despite his title of Dark Knight, Cecil has a kind heart and disagrees with many orders the King gives him. In order to completely vanquish himself of the ways of the Dark Knight, Cecil later goes to Mount Ordeals in order to become a Paladin. Rosa is a White Mage of Baron and also Cecil's girlfriend. She is very kind and nice, but often a stereotypical damsel in distress. Cecil has to rescue her more than once during the course of the game. In battle, however, she is a tremendous help. Kain is a Dragoon of the nation of Baron. Kain and Cecil are friends and often do their travels together. Kain is rather weak-minded, allowing him to be manipulated easily. Because he is a Dragoon, Kain is in charge of the Jump command. Rydia is a very young Caller from the town of callers, Mist. She dislikes Cecil when she first meets him because he and Kain inadvertently helped her mother to an early demise. As a Caller, she can cast White Magic, Black Magic, and summon various monsters. Edge is a hotshot Ninja from the nation of Eblan. He has a crush on Rydia but always fumbles his words and ends up looking like a jerk. He's a pretty arrogant guy, but funny nonetheless. He has a personal vendetta against Rubicant, the fiend of fire. Tellah is an old Sage who wanders about. He is the father of Anna, who ran away with a Bard to get married. Tellah was completely against their relationship and decided to try to find them for her sake. Tellah can cast high-level spells of both Black Magic and White Magic. Edward is the Prince of Damcyan and also a Bard. He is in love with Tellah's daughter Anna, but he later joins the party in order to help Cecil, whose "good friend" Rosa is sick with the Desert Fever. As the Prince, he has access to the Antlion's lair. Yang is a Karate Fighter of Fabul. He is very loyal to the King of Fabul and next in line to hold the throne. Being a Karate Fighter, Yang is able to use Endurance, which stored power to attack with extra force, and Kick, which damages all enemies for light damage. Palom and Porom are twin wizards from the town of Mysidia. Palom is an apprentice of Black Magic, while Porom is an apprentice of White Magic. Palom has a tendency to be rude and obnoxious, even if it's unintentional, his sister often has to keep him in line. Palom and Porom are twin wizards from the town of Mysidia. Palom is an apprentice of Black Magic, while Porom is an apprentice of White Magic. Porom is the more mature of the two, and she often has to apologize for her brother's behavior. Cid is an Engineer and is friends to Cecil, Kain, and Rosa. He hates being called an old man, especially by Edge. Cid is very loyal to the party and often does things that may be a detriment to him, but aid the party. FuSoYa is a Lunarian on the moon. He knows much about Cecil's past, and clues him in on Cecil's true identity. FuSoYa can use extreme Black and White magics. FuSoYa is a huge help in the Giant of Babel and against Bahamut. He's very wise, and is willing to risk his own life just to help out an old friend. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Set Class System Although it may not seem like FFIV has nothing new to offer, this is actually the first Final Fantasy game in the series to offer set classes to the characters. In fact, it actually remains one of the only games to offer that. Let me explain...
Each character qualifies in a specific class because of their abilities. For example, Rosa is a White Mage because she has low defense, but high magic, and is able to use many White Magic spells. Each character learns new abilities at specific levels. They automatically gain them once the level is reached, and the abilities are always specific to that character's class. Many other Final Fantasy's may set them each into their own classes, but it's possible for them to learn other kinds of spells.
Most of the characters have their own unique classes. However, there are two White Mages, Black Mages, and Sages amongst the characters, even though there are never two of the same class in your party at once. But overall, there are many different classes, offering a wide variety of abilities: Dark Knight, Summoner, Black Mage, White Mage, Monk, Ninja, Dragoon, Engineer, Bard, and Sage. *~Summons~* [Warning: This section may contain slight spoilers such as future locations in the game and minor story elements. However, nothing direct towards the main plot will be revealed.]Chocobo - Rydia starts off with this summon.
Dragon - Rydia starts with this summon as an adult.
Shiva - Rydia starts with this summon as an adult.
Ramuh - Rydia starts with this summon as an adult.
Ifrit - Rydia starts with this summon as an adult.
Titan - Rydia starts with this summon as an adult.
Asura - Defeat Asura, the Queen of Summons, in the Land of Summons.
Leviathan - Defeat Leviathan, the King of Summons, in the Land of Summons.
Sylph - After you see Yang in the Sylph Cave, head to Fabul and talk to Yang's Wife. She will give you the Frying Pan. Go back to the Sylph Cave and use the Frying Pan on Yang.
Odin - After completing the Land of Summons, head down the east tower of Baron Castle. The King is waiting for you their. If you can defeat Odin in battle, he will join you.
Bahamut - On the moon, find the Cave of Bahamut. Deep inside the cave is the grand summon of them all. If you can defeat Bahamut in battle, he will join you.
Goblin - Keep defeating Goblins. There's a rare chance it will drop a summonable version for you to use.
Bomb - Keep defeating Bombs. There's a rare chance it will drop a summonable version for you to use.
Cockatrice - Keep defeating Cockatrices. There's a rare chance it will drop a summonable version for you to use.
Mind Flayer - Keep defeating Mind Flayers. There's a rare chance it will drop a summonable version for you to use.*~Music~* Theme of Love The Theme of Love is the piece that describes love between Cecil Harvey and Rosa Farrell. The two characters do not develop a love connection between one another throughout the game, they actually start with it, and it continues to grow. Final Fantasy IV is the first Final Fantasy game to technically have a love story, although Cecil and Rosa's love for one another is more of a side story than the main one. However, that doesn't change the impact of the Theme of Love. Nobuo Uematsu's Theme of Love piece is another massively popular song he's created. In fact, it rose to such popularity that it's actually a part of the Japanese education music curriculum. Students learn to play a song created for the Super Nintendo in their school music class. That alone should describe what an impact Nobuo Uematsu has made on the world we live in. His music is created not just for the games and those who play them, but for everyone, be they man, woman, child, parent, teacher or student. Theme of Love is a world-renowned piece that continues to tell the first Final Fantasy love story. *~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* The mastermind behind Baron's Red Wings airship squadron, Cid Pollendina is a crusty man, fairly old, who nevertheless has the work ethic of an entire anthill. He overworks himself several times throughout the game, risking his life, but he's tough as nails. He lives with his daughter in Baron Town and helps Cecil and the rest of the party by adding upgrades to his airship, the Enterprise. This Cid is also the first Cid to act as a party member in the series. *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - July 19, 1991 North America - November 23, 1991 Europe - May 17, 2002 (PS1) Platforms:Original Platform - Super Nintendo Remade - Playstation (1997), WonderSwan Color (2002), GBA (2005)*~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy IV, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy IV.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:39 pm
Dreams fill the land with hope
Courage ignites flames
Water is the source of sympathy
Investigation carries intelligence in the Wind
If people possess the four wills, light can arise*~Characters~* Bartz is a traveler who is traversing the world with his chocobo, Boco. Bartz is a little short-tempered but he has a good heart, and his heart shows upon meeting some new travelling companions. Bartz is rugged but kind, gruff at times, but benign. He decides to investigate the cause of the shattering of the crystals after meeting Galuf and Reina. Reina is a mysterious young girl who appears at the site of the first meteor crash. Bartz stumbles upon her and saves her from two goblins. She doesn't reveal her true identity at first, the Princess of Tycoon. Reina is very kind to animals, particularly the flying dragon, Hiryuu, due to events in her past. Faris is a pirate by nature. While talking and acting like a pirate, Faris has a kind heart and truly cares about fellow travellers. The pirate companions really care about Faris, who acts as a great captain to them. It shocks the pirates immensely when their captain decides to leave them and travel with the group trying to stop the crystals from shattering. Galuf is a traveler who doesn't really know who he is. The crash of the first meteor onto the world shocked him so much that he lost his memory. Throughout the course of the game, bits and pieces of his memory return until he remembers who he truly is - and that's a shock to everyone in the group. Galuf is also the grandfather to Krile. Krile is a lovable little girl who adores animals of all kinds and shares a special bond with them, being able to communicate with creatures such as moogles and Hiryuus. Krile is sweet and cares as much for humans as much as she does for animals. She shares a special bond with Galuf, her grandfather, and would do anything for him. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Multi-Job System The main feature of its gameplay was the redone job system (originally introduced in a different form in Final Fantasy III), allowing all characters to potentially master up to 22 jobs. The player starts out with no job classes (they are defaulted as "Normal," a class which can be reverted to later on), and as they travel to new Crystal locations, they acquire new jobs. A separate form of experience, ABP, was created for the advancement of the characters' job levels, while they continued to earn regular experience points. The system also introduced a streamlined method of 'multi-classing,' allowing each character to learn job-specific abilities and carry one or two over when they changed their class. *~Summons~* [Warning: This section may contain slight spoilers such as future locations in the game and minor story elements. However, nothing direct towards the main plot will be revealed.]Chocobo - Obtained in Walse Village (300 gil)
Sylph - Obtained in Walse Village (350 gil)
Remora - Obtained in Walse Village (250 gil)
Shiva - Obtained in Walse Castle Aquaduct (defeat her)
Ramuh - Obtained in the forest east of Istory Village (defeat him)
Ifrit - Obtained in the Ancient Library (defeat him)
Titan - Obtained in the Karnak Meteor (defeat him)
Golem - Obtained in the Valley of the Dragon (save him from the enemies)
Shoat - Obtained in Shoat's Forest (defeat him)
Carbuncle - Obtained in Exdeath's Castle (defeat him)
Hydra - Obtained in the Pirates' Base (find)
Odin - Obtained in Bal Castle Basement (defeat him within one minute)
Phoenix - Obtained in the Phoenix Tower (find)
Leviathan - Obtained in Istory Falls (defeat him
Bahamut - Obtained on the North Mountain (defeat him)*~Music~* Clash on the Big Bridge Gilgamesh is a lieutenant of X-Death. He's talks big, but often won't provide the muscle to back it up. He will face your party on a number of occasions, however he always find an excuse to run away. One such fight is on the Big Bridge. He encounters your party while escaping X-Death's castle in one part of the game. That's when Clash on the Big Bridge is played. This piece is another fan favorite of the Final Fantasy series. It has been redone by Nobuo Uematsu's band, the Black Mages to have a more rock-type feel to it, and the fans love it. Many consider that one of the best pieces in Final Fantasy V, and one of the best in the series. This is another piece that Uematsu excels with despite technological limitations. Uematsu only continues to impress his audiences as he continues forth into the future of the Final Fantasy series. *~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* A mechanical genius, Cid Previa was the one who built Karnak's Fire Ship. Because the Crystal began to fail, they locked him up. Bartz (who was locked up in an adjacent cell) escaped with his help. Later, Cid and his grandson Mid (who followed in his footsteps) take up residence in a Ranka ruin called the Airship Base; they were the brains who got the Airship up and running. *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - December 6, 1992 North America - September 30, 1999 (PS1) Europe - March 17, 2002 (PS1) Platforms:Original Platform – Super Nintendo Remade - Playstation (1999), GBA (2006)*~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy V, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy V.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:41 pm
Long ago, the War of the Magi
reduced the world to a
scorched wasteland, and Magic
simply ceased to exist.
1000 years have passed... Iron,
gunpowder, and steam engines
have been rediscovered, and
high technology reigns...
But there are those who
would enslave the world by
reviving the dread destructive
power known as "Magic."
Can it be that those
in power are on the verge of
repeating a senseless
and deadly mistake?*~Characters~* Terra's past is shrouded in mystery. A product of years of being a slave to a less then honourable Empire, she is mostly quiet and keeps her inner turmoil over who she is and why her life is as it is to herself. Her beauty is also quite fetching, and she is surprisingly innocent. One of her main goals in life is to discover love. Enter the thief. With a colorful bandana holding back locks of grey hair, a sword at his belt, and a sparkle in his eye, Locke is the necessary wisecracking theif. But don't call him that to his face. Despite the attractive and easy going surface, there is an inner pain rotting away in Locke that just doesn't seem to go away. The great king of Figaro, or a grown up Prince Charming? Edgar is both. He became King at a young age, and has ruled with a giving hand and flirting eye since. But being royalty has not made this man soft; he wields creative and useful weapons in battle, making him a great advantage to have in your company. Yang to Edgar's Ying, Sabin is the Prince of Figaro, and gave up the life of royalty to live away from the kingdom. His mind and body are trained to martial arts, taught by Master Duncan, and he is a tough and muscular man as a result. However he is still gentle underneath, and can be bright when his muscles aren't getting in the way. Celes is the product of a strict Imperial upbringing. At an early age, she was infused with the essences of an esper, making her into a powerful magitek knight. Her spells are an excellent addition to the crew, and her runic ability useful in at least one battle. Strength, beauty, and magic all in one make Celes one of the best characters of the game. Setzer is a rich man, a gambler, and at first an ally to the Empire. However, when a kidnapping turns awry, he begins to reconsider his allegiances... He has the only airship that the world knows of, and is a master of the skies. Also he's a master of cards and dice, and any other form of gambling you could think of - both in and out of battle. A man drapped in black, a lethal and loyal dog at his side. Shadow seems at first to be a man of mystery, though without a chance of finding the rest. He killed his emotions long ago, back when he used to be a train robber by the name of Clyde Arrowny. Now only random dreams connect him to his past. As the noble liege to the King of Doma, Cyan is strong, intelligent, and dedicated to his Kingdom. He is older then the average person in your party, and has a wife and son. He's a master of his weapon of choice, the sword, as well as a master of speech, though some of his words might leave your head spinning in wonderment of what he could have just said. The wild boy, Gau, is smarter then he first appears. Though mostly he just seems to use those smarts to get food and shiny objects. You can find him on the Veldt, wandering like an animal, though still talking and acting partially human. Vwaoo~! His rages can be quite useful too, if you take the time to get them all. The token cute but useful rpg character, Mog is a moogle, a race that's usually found somewhere in FF games. But now...he talks! And a lot too. He has white fur, pink wings, and a yellow pom pom on his head. He's good on his feet too - his dances can literally bring the house down. Strago is an old man with the bravery and perhaps lack of foresite of someone years younger. One of the last of the great Mage Warriors, he has true magic, and is a blue mage. His special ability is Lore, and he has the possibility of accumulating many powerful spells. This spunky, artistic young girl is also a decendant of the Mage Warriors, and is the granddaughter of Strago (though a townsperson will tell you she's not his real granddaughter). Relm's power lies in her gift for art, and she has the unique ability to use the portrait of an enemy as a means for attacking it with it's own abilities. Is this a man? A woman? Something else? Gogo is one of the most mysterious of the characters in the game; at least you get a hint of who Shadow really is. What do we know of Gogo? Obviously he/she was eaten by a Zone Eater at one point...or was he? No one truely knows for sure. He/She is a master mimic, and is very helpful in battle. Umaro is the classic big, dumb, strong guy. Covered in white fur and thick skin, he is quite powerful, though his communication skills are not quite up to par. After being commanded by Mog (you really have to watch out for a moogle who can boss around a Yeti) he joins you, and adds some muscle to your party. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Esper System Instead of the tried and true Job System, Final Fantasy VI has the brand-new, exclusive Esper System. This basically allows each character to learn all the different abilities the Esper they have equipped has. There can only be one Esper to every character. But once you learn the abilities the Esper has to offer, you can remove it and switch it with someone else.
Like the previous two istallments of the series, Final Fantasy VI uses the ATB system. In addition, each character possesses one special ability available only to that character; for example, Locke possesses the ability to Steal certain items from enemy monsters, while Celes's Runic ability allows her to absorb most magical attacks until she uses her next turn.
In contrast to previous titles featuring the Active Time Battle, the player is able to pick any character who has a filled action bar and has not yet received any commands, instead of forcing the player to issue commands to whatever character had their action bar filled first.
An element not included in previous games is the desperation attack. When a character becomes critically wounded, there is a small chance that the character will use an extremely powerful technique in place of their normal physical attack. Similar features appear in subsequent Final Fantasy titles, under a variety of different names (Limit Breaks, Trance, Overdrive, etc). *~Summons~* [Warning: This section may contain slight spoilers such as future locations in the game and minor story elements. However, nothing direct towards the main plot will be revealed.]Ramuh - After defeating Dadaluma, enter the door at the top of the Tower of Zozo. Ramuh will speak to Terra, and give himself and three friends as Espers.
Kirin - After defeating Dadaluma, enter the door at the top of the Tower of Zozo. Ramuh will speak to Terra, and give himself and three friends as Espers.
Siren - After defeating Dadaluma, enter the door at the top of the Tower of Zozo. Ramuh will speak to Terra, and give himself and three friends as Espers.
Stray - After defeating Dadaluma, enter the door at the top of the Tower of Zozo. Ramuh will speak to Terra, and give himself and three friends as Espers.
Ifrit - In the Magitek Factory in the town of Vector, you will have to face two espers, Ifrit and Shiva. Defeat them to recieve the summons.
Shiva - In the Magitek Factory in the town of Vector, you will have to face two espers, Ifrit and Shiva. Defeat them to recieve the summons.
Unicorn - After beating Number 024, proceed through the door and press the switch at the top of the room. After that you will receive six new Espers...
Maduin - After beating Number 024, proceed through the door and press the switch at the top of the room. After that you will receive six new Espers...
Shoat - After beating Number 024, proceed through the door and press the switch at the top of the room. After that you will receive six new Espers...
Phantom - After beating Number 024, proceed through the door and press the switch at the top of the room. After that you will receive six new Espers...
Carbuncle - After beating Number 024, proceed through the door and press the switch at the top of the room. After that you will receive six new Espers...
Bismark - After beating Number 024, proceed through the door and press the switch at the top of the room. After that you will receive six new Espers...
Golem - After you get the airship, go to Jidoor and participate in the public auction. Golem may appear randomly. You can also get Golem in the World of Ruin.
Zoneseek - After you get the airship, go to Jidoor and participate in the public auction. Zoneseek may appear randomly. You can also get Zoneseek in the World of Ruin.
Seraphim - Go to Tzen. In the northeastern part of town, there's a man hiding behind a tree. Talk to him and buy his glowing stone for 3000 Gil.
Palidor - After you get the new airship, Falcon, return to the deserted island that you started on in the World of Ruin. Go to the beach to find the magicite for Palidor.
Fenrir - In Mobliz, after defeating Phumbaba for the first time, a child will give you the Magicite for Fenrir.
Tritoch - Defeat Tritoch on top of the snowfield in Narshe.
Terrato - After defeating Tritoch, head into the [newly created] secret passage. Once you've made your way through the dungeon, you'll find yourself in the Yeti's nest. Remove the magicite from a bone carving to initiate a boss battle. Defeat the bos, and Terrato is yours.
Starlet - After defeating Chadarnook, Owzer will tell you about the stone he bought in the bookshelf. Check the right side of the screen to get it.
Alexander - After defeating Wrexsoul and clearing all of Cyan's sufferings, go to Doma Castle's King's Room to find the magicite sitting on the King's throne.
Phoenix - You will recieve this magicite once you reunite with Locke in the World of Ruin. You can find him in the Cave of the Phoenix, in the mountain range north of Tzen.
Odin - Go to Figaro Castle and ask the old man to go to Figaro. When he tells you that there is something odd with the stratum, choose to "Stop and explore". Go to the prison cell at the right side of the castle and enter the door at the right side of the cell. Make your way through the dungeon to the Ancient Ruins. Enter the castle and touch Odin to turn him into a magicite shard.
Bahamut - Wander around in the World of Ruin until you encounter a Doom Gaze. Fight and defeat it for a magicite shard. That would be Bahamut.
Crusader - After beating all eight Dragons, the dragon seal will be broken and you will recieve the magicite for Crusader.
Ragnarok - After reuniting with Locke, make him the leader of your party by putting him at the top of the row (You'll now be walking around as him). Revisit Narshe. Check the locked door of the "Weapons Store" to unlock it. Go inside to find an old man. Talk to him and he'll offer you the Ragnarok, but either as a sword or a stone. Choose the stone to recieve the magicite.
Raiden - After getting Odin's magicite, go down the ladder at the right side of the throne room. Check the glowing thing in the bookshelf to read a letter. Now, go back to the throne room. Walk five step down from the right throne and press the action button. Return to the queen's room and you'll find out that a secret ladder has been revealed. Go down the newly discovered ladder and check the queen-turned stone, to upgrade Odin's magicite to Raiden (NOTE: You'll lose Odin's magicite forever once you touch the queen.)*~Music~* Dancing Mad At around the time of Final Fantasy VI's development, Nobuo Uematsu decided he wasn't challenging himself enough. He'd overcome many limitations on the NES and Super NES, but he wanted to make something big. Final Fantasy VI rivals Final Fantasy VII as the game with the best score, many fans are split between the two. They each have one amazing hit that stands out, however. Both of them are the final boss musics. In Final Fantasy VI, Dancing Mad is played during the final epic confrontation against Kefka, the deranged clown general. This is, by far, Uematsu's biggest piece of music. It's composed to play over many battles, changing parts in the song at specific intervals. It's very organ-based, and has a carnival-esque feel to it, while remaining sinister at the same time. The piece is around 17 minutes long, depending on how long the player fights each stage of the battle. Final Fantasy VI is considered by some to be Uematsu's best score of all time, and Dancing Mad is one of the huge reasons why. *~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* The brains behind the Magicite operation, he works wonders for the Empire before realizing just what they're planning on doing with it. After meeting Locke and the gang, he quits his day job and joins the Returners. He's known Celes since she was a child and sees her as a daughter or granddaughter. *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - April 2, 1994 North America - October 20, 1994 Europe - March 17, 2002 (PS1) Platforms:Original Platform – Super Nintendo Remade - Playstation (1999), GBA (2007)*~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy VI, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy VI.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:41 pm
Long ago, an unexpected visitor arrived on the planet to wreak havoc.
Centuries later, one man is trying to recreate those events.
The planet holds mysterious energy.
It makes the people prosper, but the planet suffers as a result.
The life energies of all beings come together in the Lifestream,
But the planet is dying, as that energy is being taken away.
Old friends are now enemies,
As rivalry brews, death and destruction take place.
A life of lies becomes rage, and the rage is taken out on the planet.
The planet continues to wilt.
The crystals aren't around this time...
The Light Warriors are not here...
This is a new story...
This story is different...*~Characters~* The main character in Final Fantasy VII. Originally a member of SOLDIER, he is now a mercenary who will take any job. After being hired by AVALANCHE, Cloud gradually gets caught up in a massive struggle for the life of the planet. His enormous sword can cut almost anything in two. Young, beautiful, and somewhat mysterious, Aeris met Cloud while selling flowers on the streets of Midgar. She decided to join him soon after. Her unusual abilities enable her to use magic, but she seems more interested in the deepening love triangle between herself, Cloud and Tifa. Bright and optimistic, Tifa always cheers up the others when they're down. But don't let her looks fool you, she can decimate almost any enemy with her fists. She is one of the main members of AVALANCHE. She and Cloud were childhood friends, and although she has strong feelings for him, she would never admit it. Head of the underground resistance movement, AVALANCHE, Barret is fighting the mega-conglomerate Shinra, Inc. which has monopolized Mako energy by building special reactors to suck it out of the planet. Barret depends on brute strength and his "Gun-arm" to see him through. His wife died in an accident several years ago, and he now lives with his daughter Marlene. Just as his name implies, Red XIII is an animal with fire-red fur. But under his fierce exterior is an intelligence surpassing that of any human's. His sharp claws and fangs make him good at close-range fighting, but other than that, not much is known about him. It's not even certain that "Red XIII" is his real name. A real enigma. Cait Sith rides around on the back of a huge stuffed Mog he magically brought to life. Megaphone in hand, he's always shouting orders and creating dopey attacks. When his slot machine attack works, the enemy lines look like an overturned toy box. His hobby is fortune-telling, but like his personailty, it's pretty unreliable. Cid is a tough-talking, warm-hearted old pilot who hasn't forgotten his dreams. There's no better pilot by air or sea. He believes someday he'll fly to the ends of the universe. With his handmade spear and knowledge of machinery, he throws himself into any attack regardless of the danger. Although you'd never know it by looking at her, Yuffie comes from a long line of Ninja. She forced herself into the group just to get a 'certain something'. She's sneaky, arrogant and "way" selfish. But with her super shuriken and her special skills, there isn't anyone else you'd rather have on your side in a fight. A mystical man, stern and upright while at the same time dark and mysterious. His past connection with Shinra, Inc. is what made him join Cloud and the others. Vincent may seem frail at first glance, but hidden inside his body lurks a fearsome power. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Materia System Final Fantasy VII's skill system uses materia, magic orbs which are placed in special slots on weapons and armor. Materia allows characters to access magic spells, special commands and skills, and a variety of other abilities. Materia abilities can be combined in a fixed number of ways, and strategic use of their combinations can decrease the difficulty of battles.
A feature introduced in Final Fantasy VI, the "Desperation Move", reappears here in modified form as the Limit Break. Every playable character has a "limit bar" which gradually fills up every time the character suffers damage in battle. When the limit bar is completely filled, that character has access to his or her Limit Break, a special attack which generally inflicts much more damage on an enemy than normal physical attacks, or otherwise aids the party in battle.
There are two main types of offensive limit breaks, ones that attack a single target, or that attack all enemy targets on screen. The limit breaks that help you (such as Red XIII's Lunatic High, or Aerith's Healing Wind) add a positive status effect, or give party members more strength. The more a character uses their limit breaks, the faster they'll level them up to get stronger limit breaks. Each character has four levels of Limit Breaks, with two Limit Breaks on each level. The only exceptions to this rule are Cait Sith and Vincent. Vincent has only four Limit Breaks, one per leve. And Cait Sith only has two, both are level One. *~Summons~* [Warning: This section may contain slight spoilers such as future locations in the game and minor story elements. However, nothing direct towards the main plot will be revealed.]Choco/Mog - Speak to the Chocobo at the front of the gate on the Chocobo Farm and choose the first option "Wark".
Shiva - Obtained automatically from Priscilla shortly after saving her on the beach in Junon.
Ifrit - Found on the floor after the first Jenova battle on the Cargo Ship (the one leaving from Junon to Costa Del Sol).
Ramuh - Found on the floor of the Chocobo Racing room in the Gold Saucer [after the Desert Prison situation].
Titan - Found in the reactor at Gongaga.
Odin - Open the safe in the Nibelheim mansion, and defeat the boss inside.
Bahamut - Found in the Temple of the Ancients, in the room with the model of the Temple.
Kjata - Found floating around in the Sleeping Forest. Use the Fairy Harp to get inside.
Leviathan - Defeat Godo at the top of the Pagoda in Wutai (during Yuffie's Sidequest).
Alexander - In the Infinite Glacier mountains, touch the hot spring, then find the Snow Woman in a cave and talk to her. Defeat her for the Alexander materia.
Neo Bahamut - Found in the Whirlwind Maze at North Crater.
Phoenix - Help protect Fort Condor to recieve the Huge Materia. Afterwards, go to the top and pick up the Phoenix materia.
Hades - Defeat Reno and Rude in the Sunken Gelnika sub at the bottom of the ocean. Then proceed into the cargo hold to find the Hades materia.
Bahamut ZERO - If you've acquired the Bahamut, and Neo Bahamut summons, and also managed to obtain the Huge Summon Materia (from stopping the train from crashing into North Corel), then touch the Red Huge Materia in Bugenhagen's observatory.
Typhoon - Found in the Ancient Forest. Make your way through the puzzles, and claim the the Typhoon Materia as your prize.
Knight of the Round - One of four great materias found in solitary caves around the world. Found on an island called Round Island located somewhere in the northeast of the ocean. It is only accessible by a Gold Chocobo, which must be bred properly in the Breeding Game.*~Music~* One-Winged Angel Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy VII are often considered Uematsu's best scores. However, there is no video game soundtrack in the world that has sold more copies of it's CDs than Final Fantasy VII. Uematsu was satisfied with Final Fantasy VI and it's score, but that didn't by any means make him slack off. Once again, he produced an amazing score. In Final Fantasy VII, Sephiroth is the main villain, and like Kefka, he has one of the most epic final boss fights in video game history. In the final stage of the fight, the first vocal piece occurs in the Final Fantasy series. That piece is One-Winged Angel. Uematsu always liked full voice choirs, and had been wanting to create one of his own. Uematsu once again excels at setting the mood for the final epic confrontation against Sephiroth. His specific thought behind One-Winged Angel was "What would it be like to mix Jimmy Hendrix and Stravinsky, the Russian composer?". He took those two influences to create a piece of music, and that's what you have in the end of Final Fantasy VII. One-Winged AngelEstuans interius
Ira Vehemente
Estuans interius
Ira Vehemente
Sephiroth
Sephiroth
Estuans interius
Ira Vehemente
Estuans interius
Ira Vehemente
Sors Immanis
Et Inanis
Sors Immanis
Et Inanis
Estuans interius
Ira Vehemente
Estuans interius
Ira Vehemente
Sephiroth
Sephiroth
Veni Veni Venias
Ne Me Mori Facias
Veni Veni Venias
Ne Me Mori Facias
Gloriosa Generosa
Gloriosa Generosa
Gloriosa Generosa
Gloriosa Generosa
Sephiroth
Sephiroth*~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* Cid Highwind is a rough, crusty middle-aged aviator. His dream was always to go into space, but thanks to a bit of extra spot-checking by his underling Shera, who put herself in danger to make sure the launch went through, he ended up scrapping the whole project. He never really forgave her. His technological prowess, like all Cids, is unmatched. He can pilot anything. He uses a spear in battle and he's never without a cigarette. Cid Highwind is the second Cid in the series to be used as a main party character. There hasn’t been one since. *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - January 31, 1997 North America - September 7, 1997 Europe - November 1, 1997 Platforms:Original Platform – Playstation Remade - Windows (199 cool *~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy VII, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy VII.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:43 pm
At the forefront of a rising tide of
violence brought on by Galbadia's war
declaration is a SeeD cadet named
Squall Leonhart. Serious to a fault,
Squall has earned himself the
reputation of being a lone wolf.
A chance encounter with the free-
spirited Rinoa Heartilly, however,
turns his universe upside down.
Having thrived on discipline, Squall
finds Rinoa's carefree attitude fascinating.
Yet there is no time to
ponder these thoughts, for the job of
dealing with the sorceress behind
Galbadia's irrational hostility has
fallen to SeeD and Squall.*~Characters~* A cadet in SeeD, the special combat unit of the Balamb Garden Military Academy. Squall's aloof and anti-social behavior makes him appear selfish and lacking a sense of team unity. He dislikes having others involved in his affairs, and is best described as a lone wolf. Rinoa is a lively individual with the ability to touch people's hearts. Open and honest with her feelings, she speaks her mind without reservation. Driven by her ambitions, she can be difficult at times. A SeeD cadet at the age of 15, Quisitis now instructs Squall and his companions at Balamb Garden. Contrary to her cool exterior, she occasionally has a difficult time coping with frustration, and as a result can become depressed over trivial matters. Aspiring to become like his grandfather who was once a soldier, Zell entered Garden at the age of 13. Not being one to think matters through, he is known to act on impulse rather than reasoning. At heart however, he is an honest, dedicated young man. Selphie seems out of place in a military academy because of her innocent appearance and light-hearted personality. Her happy-go-lucky disposition and laid-back attitude tend to catch others off guard. Irvine is known as the "Best Shooter in Garden". His reputation for cherishing the company of women is almost as well known as his accuracy with a gun. Although he seems to be uncaring and frivolous at first glance, in reality he is sensitive and serious. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Junction System This new system revolves around summonable monsters, called Guardian Forces (GFs). A character must have a GF assigned to them ("junctioned") before he or she can use several standard Final Fantasy battle command abilities, such as "Magic" and "Item"; only "Attack" can be performed otherwise. While previous Final Fantasy titles used a pool of magic points (MP) consumed by each spell to limit magic use, in Final Fantasy VIII, spells are "drawn" from enemies and special Draw Points distributed throughout the game's environments. Spells are stocked as quantified inventory and consumed one at a time when used. GFs also allow characters to "junction" these spells to their own statistics — such as "Strength" and "Vitality" — for various bonuses.
Because of the flexibility and depth of this system — combined with the capability to draw unlimited quantities of a spell from a single enemy — it is possible to build one's character party up to significant levels of power fairly early into the game and allow them to — in most cases—inflict much more damage than the GFs themselves are capable of rendering. This alternative use of GFs was a significant departure for the series, as summoned creatures were previously used almost exclusively to deliver a single devastating attack. Other notable changes were present, as well, in that "stat junctioning" replaced the equippable weapons and armor of previous Final Fantasies, and while each character does retain a specialized weapon, that weapon cannot be unequipped, unlike in previous games. However, a limited number of upgrades can be performed on each character's weapon throughout the game, increasing its power and efficiency, as well as altering its appearance. *~Summons~* [Warning: This section may contain slight spoilers such as future locations in the game and minor story elements. However, nothing direct towards the main plot will be revealed.]Quezacotl - Obtained with Shiva in Squall's classroom by acceessing the tutorial at his desk.
Shiva - Obtained with Quezacotl in Squall's classroom by acceessing the tutorial at his desk.
Ifrit - Defeat Ifrit on Squall's prerequisite mission for his SeeD exam.
Siren - Draw from Elvoret on the Communications Tower during the SeeD exam in Dollet.
Brothers - Defeat the Sacred and the Minotaur (Brothers) in the Tomb of the Unknown King.
Diablos - Before leaving for your first SeeD mission, talk to Cid at the front gate. He will give you the 'Magic Lantern'. Use this item (I suggest you save first) to initiate a battle with Diablos. Defeat him and he's yours.
Carbuncle - Draw from an Iguion (there's two) during Edea's Parade.
Leviathan - Draw from Boss NORG in Balamb Garden on Disc 2.
Pandemona - Draw from Fujin in Balamb on Disc 2.
Cerberus - You will find Cerberus waiting in the yellow light in the center of Galbadia Garden's main hall, during the end of Disc 2. Talk to him to fight him. Defeat him and you will recieve him as a GF.
Alexander - Draw from Edea at the end of Disc 2.
Doomtrain - Go to Tear's Point on Disc 3 to get the Solomon's Ring. Obtain 6 Steel Pipes, 6 Remedy+'s, and 6 Malboro Tentacles. Once you have these items, use the Solomon's Ring.
Bahamut - Defeat Bahamut in the Deep Sea Research Center.
Cactuar - On Cactuar Island, there will be a visible Cactuar from the Overworld screen. Run into the cactuar to initiate a fight with the Jumbo Cactuar. Defeat it to recieve the Cactuar GF.
Tonberry - In the Centra Ruins, defeat ten or so Tonberries to initiate a fight with the Tonberry King. Defeat it to recieve the Tonberry GF. It may be a good idea to defeat Odin if you can't manage to fight the Tonberry King in time.
Eden - Draw from the Ultima Weapon at the bottom of the Deep Sea Research Center.*~Music~* Eyes On Me Eyes On Me is one of Nobuo Uematsu's most famous pieces. Even though One-Winged Angel (FFVII) and Liberi Fatali (FFVIII) both contain voices, Eyes On Me is Final Fantasy VIII's first true vocal song. This is because it isn't just a full orchestra, full voice-choir song, but instead a lyrical song. Uematsu teamed up with the Asian pop idol, Faye Wong to create Eyes On Me. She sings the song in both Japanese and English, for each version. She is believed by critics and fans alike to be the most commercially and artistically distinguished female vocalist in Chinese music history. Eyes On Me was so popular, it then went on to win "Song of the Year (Western Music)" at the 14th Annual Japan Gold Disc Awards in 1999. This marks the first time ever that a song from a video game has won this honor. Eyes on Me is only the first of the vocal love songs in the Final Fantasy series. Every game from Final Fantasy VIII up now has one, each by a different artist. Liberi FataliFithos lusec wecos vinosec
Fithos lusec wecos vinosec
Fithos lusec wecos vinosec
Excitate vos e somno, liberi mei
Cunae sunt non
Excitate vos e somno, liberi fatali
Somnus est non
Surgite!
Invenite!
Veni hortum veritatis
Horti verna veritatis
Ardente veritate
Urite mala mundi
Ardente veritate
Incendite tenebras mundi
Valete, liberi
Diebus fatalibus
Fithos lusec wecos vinosec
Fithos lusec wecos vinosec
Fithos lusec wecos vinosec
Fithos lusec wecos vinosec*~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* He looks too nice to head a military academy, but there he is. Cid Kramer is the Headmaster of Balamb Garden and the commander of the SeeD cadets. He can be quite forceful when push comes to shove, but he's a bit of a coward. When danger from Galbadia threatens, he runs. Cid does command an airship later in the game, but he uses ancient technology to do so and it comes from the most unlikely of places. *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - February 11, 1999 North America - September 9, 1999 Europe - October 27, 1999 Platforms:Original Platform – Playstation Remade - Windows (2000)*~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy VIII, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy VIII.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:45 pm
In the foggy hills of the Mist Continent...
...something isn't right.
The four great nations are at war.
All because of a corrupt ruler.
The grand city of Alexandria...
The strong capitol of Lindblum...
The storming streets of Burmecia...
The windy paradise of Cleyra...
But this destruction is the least of anyone's worries.
Somewhere out in the rest of the uncharted world lies a greater evil.
And a group of unlikely heroes are the ones to combat it.
A girl-crazy thief.
A young black mage.
A free-spirited princess.
A clumsy knight.
A love-sick warrior.
A hungry chef.
A lonely young girl.
An obscene bounty hunter.
Will they be the ones to bring the world to peace again?
The crystal returns...*~Characters~* Living moment to moment with nothing to lose, Zidane lives his life as a thief in Tantalus with no memory of his past. Optimistic and endearing through his high confidence, Zidane focuses his premature appeal for girls onto Princess Garnet shortly after her kidnapping. However, the more he begins to discover who he is, the more his personality begins to fade. Young, beautiful, her life confined solely within castle walls and fearing a conspiracy within Alexandria, Garnet looks for the perfect opportunity to escape with the thief band Tantalus. Questioning the loyalty of her own mother, Queen Brahne, Garnet disguises herself as a commoner with Steiner at her side in search for the answers that continue to ravage her heart. Although a powerful and feared black magic user, Vivi is innocent and pure at heart, yet discontent by the mystery of his existence and determined to find himself among the shrouded emptiness and loneliness that plagues his soul. Being the only black mage not under the control of Queen Brahne, Vivi sets out to uncover his dark past to ensure his existence and future. Sworn to the Queen of Alexandria and brimming with honor, Adelbert Steiner's devotion to protecting Princess Garnet is as rich as his clumsiness. Despite his extremely naive nature, Steiner will stop at nothing to ensure her safety and slowly begins to second guess his judgement while consequence seemingly defies him. Once an honorable Red Dragon Knight, Freya left her homeland in search for her lost love. Never hearing any word of his demise helps her journey continue to move forward. Spending years seeking around the globe with little success, Freya is compelled to join Zidane after learning of a horrible threat against the people she left behind so many years ago. Socially primitive, but always thinking with an appetite, Quina is part of the Qu Clan. Quina joins Zidane in order to travel around the world and flavor the different foods it has to offer. Somewhat unorthodox and with no other real intent of purpose in mind, Quina simply follows as a tag along. Nonetheless, Quina gains a small nuiance of the danger lurking about. The only survivor of a once proud race of Summoners, Eiko has been alone most of her life and is under the care of a group of moogles. After meeting Zidane, her attention instantly latches onto him, eliviating the emptiness and solitude that has been with her all her life. No matter what the circumstances may be, she vows to never be left alone again. An intimidating element from Zidane's past, Amarant decides to join the party after being defeated in a personal skirmish. Originally a hired Bounty Hunter by Queen Brahne, Amarant is rash and quick to judge, with a total disregard for authority and acts on his own will. However, it doesn't seem to be enough for him to detach from the group he so effortlessly despises. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Ability System Every character in Final Fantasy IX has unique abilities known only to that character (excluding Eiko and Dagger; they have different summons, but can learn most of the same White Magic.): Zidane can steal items from enemies, Freya can perform a jump attack with her spear, Quina has the ability to learn special attacks from monsters, and so on. New skills, both active and passive, are learned by equipping weapons and armor, each of which contain various skills. Each skill lists a certain number of Ability Points (AP); when the character has earned enough of them (through battle), they will learn the skill permanently; the skill is also available while the item itself is equipped.
Additionally, summons, which are called Eidolons in this particular installment, are treated like traditional white and black magic, and can only be used by the summoner characters (Dagger and Eiko). Each eidolon has two attack animations, the longer animation attacks with the full power of the eidolon, while the shorter animation is at reduced power. The first time an eidolon is called, it will attack at full power; after that the eidolon will randomly use either animation—usually the shorter one, with the longer being a "critical" attack. The eidolon can be forced to always use the full power attack by equipping the Boost ability on the summoner.
Another returning feature is the quasi-multiplayer feature. In the 'Config' menu, a player can set the controls to allow a friend control any number of characters in battle. For example: Player one can control Zidane and Vivi while Player two can control Amarant and Dagger. However, this co-op ability only works when in a battle. This system was first seen in Final Fantasy IV on Super NES.
A new system has been developed for Final Fantasy IX called the "Trance system". This system is similar to the Limit Break system from Final Fantasy VII. Every time a character receives damage in battle, their 'Trance bar' fills up slightly. When the bar is completely full, the characters 'go into Trance', which means that they become more powerful and in some cases can use special attacks or abilities. *~Summons~* [Warning: This section may contain slight spoilers such as future locations in the game and minor story elements. However, nothing direct towards the main plot will be revealed.]Ramuh - Obtained by Dagger, learned from Peridot. You will eventually meet Ramuh in the game. Collect the five pieces of his story, and he will join you as an Eidolon.
Shiva - Obtained by Dagger, learned from Opal. Doctor Tot will give you the Opal, Topaz, and Amythest automatically shortly after you obtain Ramuh.
Ifrit - Obtained by Dagger, learned from Topaz. Doctor Tot will give you the Opal, Topaz, and Amythest automatically shortly after you obtain Ramuh.
Atomos - Obtained by Dagger, learned from Amythest. Doctor Tot will give you the Opal, Topaz, and Amythest automatically shortly after you obtain Ramuh.
Odin - Obtained by Dagger, learned from Dark Matter. You can obtain Dark Matter by bidding for it in the Treno Auction House.
Leviathan - Obtained by Dagger, learned from Aquamarine. You will obtain this automatically at the Iifa Tree.
Bahamut - Obtained by Dagger, learned from Garnet. You will obtain this automatically when you return to Alexandria on the third disc.
Ark - Obtained by Dagger, learned from Pumice. Find two Pumice Pieces (there are only three in the whole game), then locate Hades in Memoria near the end. Defeat him in battle, and then he will Synth your two Pumice Pieces together for 50,000 gil.
Fenrir - Obtained by Eiko, learned from Sapphire. Eiko will already be equipped with a Sapphire when she joins your party.
Phoenix - Obtained by Eiko, learned from Phoenix Pinion. You can find Phoenix Pinions all over the game. Just be sure to save one whenever you wish to learn Phoenix.
Carbuncle - Obtained by Eiko, learned from Ruby. When you go to the Iifa Tree, you will obtain it automatically from the invisible wall.
Madeen - Obtained by Eiko, learned from Ribbon. You will get your first Ribbon automatically after completing Mt. Gulug.*~Music~* Melodies of Life Nobuo Uematsu hits it home again with Melodies of Life. Melodies of Life is his second vocal piece, but this time instead of partnering up with Faye Wong, Uematsu inlisted the aid of Emiko Shiratori. She sang in the Sapporo Winter Olympics of 1972 and again in the Nagano Winter Olympics of 1998. Although she isn't as well known as Faye Wong, Uematsu recognized her soft voice and realized he wanted it in his song. Emiko Shiratori worked with Uematsu to produce Melodies of Life in both English and Japanese. There's another vocal throughout the game sung by the main heroine, Dagger (Garnet). This song, which remains wordless, only being sung like a gentle lullaby, is heard often throughout the game. Melodies of Life adds to that main theme with Emiko Shiratori's gentle melodic voice. *~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* Cid Fabool IX, also known as Regent Cid is the ruler of Lindblum and airship genius extraordinaire... well, he would be, except that his wife Hilda turned him into an oglop, a small frog-like creature, because he carried on an affair. Shame, because he can't think well without his human brain. He's still an expert at the card game Tetra Master, though. Despite those circumstances, however, Cid loves his Hilda very much and tries to find a way for her to forgive him. As a result, Cid names many of the airships throughout the game “Hildaguarde” as a dedication to the woman he betrayed. *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - July 7, 2000 North America - November 14, 2000 Europe - February 16, 2001 Platforms:Original Platform – Playstation Remade - None*~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy IX, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy IX.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:46 pm
Dead for a thousand years,
A great terror arose from the deep,
It swept across the land,
A lone past still lingers,
Destiny cannot be denied,
A burden grows heavier,
To the kingdom of the sun,
Across a vast sea,
The journey home begins...*~Characters~* Tidus is a cheerful, rising blitzball star playing for the Zanarkand Abes. He has long hated his father, who was a renowned player himself before his untimely death. Tidus's quick moves allow him to attack even the swiftest foes with ease. Yuna is the daughter of High Summoner Braska. Honest and determined, Yuna embarks on a pilgrimage to obtain the Final Aeon and defeat Sin. Yuna is learning the mystical art of summoning aeons--powerful spirits of yore. Wakka is the coach and captain of the local blitzball team, the Besaid Aurochs. Wakka plans to retire from the sport after this year's tournament, so that he can devote himself fully to serving as Yuna's guardian. His deadly blitzball is especially useful for knocking down aerial enemies. Lulu is one of Yuna's guardians. She and Wakka think of Yuna as a younger sister. Lulu's stoic and self-possessed nature makes her seem insensitive at times. She specializes in the art of black magic, using various dolls to help cast powerful spells. Kimahri is a powerful warrior of the Ronso tribe. Kimahri has watched over Yuna from her youngest days. He speaks little, but is deeply devoted to Yuna and serves her loyally as a guardian. Kimahri can learn enemy skills with his Lancet ability. Auron is the legendary guardian who, together with High Summoner Braska, defeated Sin ten years ago. A man of few words, he guides Yuna and Tidus on their mission to vanquish Sin once more. He swings his gigantic sword with such power that even the toughest fiends are cut asunder. Rikku is a young Al Bhed girl. Her personality is upbeat and positive, and she is not afraid to speak her mind. She works hard to restore her outcast people to their former glory. Rikku handles mechanical enemies with ease, and can steal items from enemies, too. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Sphere Grid System Final Fantasy X's leveling system, the Sphere Grid, is unique in the computer role-playing game genre. Instead of characters gaining pre-determined statistic bonuses after a certain number of battles, each character gains a "sphere level" after collecting enough Ability Points (AP). Sphere levels, in turn, allow players to move around the Sphere Grid, a predetermined grid of several hundred interconnected nodes consisting of various stat and ability bonuses. Items called "spheres" (obtained from defeated enemies, treasure chests, and event prizes) are applied to these nodes, unlocking its function for the selected character. In this way, the playable characters' development resembles a board game.The Sphere Grid system also allows players to fully customize characters in contrast to their intended battle roles, such as turning the magician Yuna into a physical powerhouse and the swordsman Auron into a healer.
Final Fantasy X reverts back to a similar version of the turn-based system found in Final Fantasy I-III. Final Fantasy X introduces the Conditional Turn-Based Battle System (CTB) in place of the series' traditional Active Time Battle (ATB) system. The CTB system is a truly turn-based system that pauses the battle on each of the player's turns, allowing an indefinite period of time to select an action, whereas the ATB system is comparable to a real-time system, necessitating fast selections, as characters' and enemies' turns are unaffected with their respective "wait gauges." The CTB system also allows characters' and enemies' attributes to affect the number of turns they are allowed and the order in which they occur. The game provides a graphical timeline along the upper-right side of the screen, detailing who will be receiving turns next, as well as how various actions taken (such as using the magical spell Slow on the enemy) will affect the subsequent order of turns.
Character-specific special abilities (known as "Desperation Moves" in Final Fantasy VI, "Limit Breaks" in Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy VIII, and "Trances" in Final Fantasy IX) reappear in Final Fantasy X under the name "Overdrives." In this new incarnation of the system, most of the techniques are interactive, requiring fighting game-style button inputs or precise timing to increase their effectiveness. Furthermore, the game introduces Overdrive Modes, which allow the player to designate what circumstances (such as receiving damage, slaying an enemy, or being the only living character on the field) cause the Overdrive meter to fill.
Although Final Fantasy X only allows for three players on the field, an innovative "swapping system" allows the player to replace any of those characters with one of the four on the sidelines at any time. The player is encouraged to do this frequently based on two factors of gameplay: first, those characters who do not take action in battle will not receive stat and ability bonuses, and, second, each character has specific strengths and limitations for most of the game.
Finally, Final Fantasy X also introduces an overhaul of the summoning system employed in the previous eight games in the series. Whereas in previous games a summoned creature would arrive, perform a single action, and then depart, Final Fantasy X's summons (called "aeons") arrive and entirely replace the battle party, fighting in their place until either the enemy has been slain, the aeon itself has been defeated, or the aeon is dismissed by the player. Aeons have their own stats, commands, special attacks, spells, and Overdrives, and in addition to providing powerful attacks, they can also be employed to guard the party when fighting difficult bosses, as the enemy must first kill any summoned aeon(s) before it can damage the party directly. *~Summons~* [Warning: This section may contain slight spoilers such as future locations in the game and minor story elements. However, nothing direct towards the main plot will be revealed.]Valefor - Obtained automatically after completing the Cloister of Trials in Besaid.
Ifrit - Obtained automatically after completing the Cloister of Trials in Kilika.
Ixion - Obtained automatically after completing the Cloister of Trials in Djose.
Shiva - Obtained automatically after completing the Cloister of Trials in Macalania.
Bahamut - Obtained automatically after completing the Cloister of Trials in Bevelle.
Yojimbo - Obtained in the Cavern of the Stolen Fayth. The Fayth of Yojimbo awaits you at the end of the tunnel, you must face him in battle first. Defeat him, and then you must offer him a large amount of money for him to join. His first offer is 250,000 gil, but you can haggle him down to be lower than that.
Anima - You must obtain the destruction sphere treasures in the Besaid, Kilika, Djose, Macalania, and Zanarkand Temples (Bevelle's counts automatically since you only have one chance to get it). Go to Baaj Temple, you must face a boss to get inside. But once inside, if you've obtained all six (five) treasures, then you will be allowed into the Chamber of the Fayth, where you will recieve Anima.
Magus Sisters (Cindy, Sandy, Mindy)- After obtaining both Yojimbo and Anima, go to the Calm Lands and talk to the monster hunter so you can buy some 'catching' equipment. You must first catch one of each of the fiends in the Calm Lands in order for the next batch of fiends to count. Then, head to Mt. Gagazet and catch the following fiends: Bandersnatch, Bashura, Grat, Behemoth, Grenade, Dark Flan, Ahriman, Mandragora, Achelous, Splasher, Maelspike, and Grendel. Talk to the Monster Arena Guy to Recieve the Blossom Crown. Next, head to Remiem Temple in the Calm Lands (you must use a Chocobo to get there. Jump at the feather points at the entrance). You must face Belgemine's aeons and defeat them one at a time. The only ones required for the Magus Sisters are Valefore, Ifrit, Ixion, Shiva, and Bahamut. After defeating the five of them, she will give you the Flower Sceptor. Use the Flower Sceptor and the Blossom Crown to break the seal inside Remiem Temple. You now have access to the Chamber of the Fayth, and the Magus Sisters are yours.*~Music~* Suteki Da Ne For his third vocal song, Uematsu decided to work with the Japanese folk singer, Ritsuki Nakano, known as Rikki. She has always been very talented when it comes to singing folk music, starting at the age of four. When she was 15, she became the youngest person ever to win the 'Grand Prix' of the All Japan Minyo awards, a Japanese tradional folk music award. Rikki and Uematsu worked together to produce Suteki Da Ne for Final Fantasy X. However, unlike the previous two songs, Eyes on Me and Melodies of Life, Suteki Da Ne remained in Japanese. Uematsu felt that the song truly brings out the beautiful moment at which it is played, and it wouldn't have been the same if it were translated. That very scene is famous in Final Fantasy X, and the Final Fantasy series for that matter thanks in part to Suteki Da Ne. Rikki went on to also produce a lyrical version of Aeris' Theme from FFVII called 'Pure Heart'. Rikki has indeed had one of the most unique voices of all the vocalists in the series, and Suteki Da Ne is still a beautiful treasure to listen to. Hymn of the FaythIeyui
Nobomenu
Renmiri
Yojuyogo
Hasatekanae
KutamaeOtherworldGo now, if you want it
An otherworld awaits you
Don't you give up on it
You bite the hand that feeds you
All alone, cold fields you wander
Memories of it, cloud your sight
Fills your dreams, disturbs your slumber
Lost your way, a fallen knight
Hold now, aim is steady
An otherworld awaits you
One thousand years, you ready?
The otherworld, it takes you
Go into the sand, and the dust, and the sky
Go now, there's no better plan, than to do or to die
Free me, pray to the faith in the face of the light
Feed me, fill me with sin, and get ready to fight
You know you will
You know you will
You know it, you know it, you know it, you know it, that you will
You know it, you know it, you know it, you know it, that you will
You know you will...
Fight, fight, fight
Fight, fight, fight
Fight, fight, fight
Fight, fight, fight!
Hope dies, and you wander
The otherworld, it makes you
Dreams, they rip asunder
The otherworld, it hates you
Free now, ride up on it
Up to the heights, it takes you
Go now, if you want it
An otherworld awaits you*~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* The leader of the Al Bhed is bald as a billiard ball and speaks like Yosemite Sam. He cares deeply for his niece Yuna and his daughter Rikku, and is fiercely protective of them. He's a whiz with machina, like all Al Bhed. Strong, cynical, and quite the hard-liner. Cid helps command the party through the most destructive of times and is willing to do whatever it takes in order to defeat Sin. *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - July 19, 2001 North America - December 20, 2001 Europe - May 24, 2002 Platforms:Original Platform – Playstation 2 Remade - None*~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy X, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy X.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:47 pm
!!!*SPOILER WARNING*SPOILER WARNING*SPOILER WARNING*!!! [This is the only time you will be warned! Final Fantasy X-2 is a DIRECT sequel to Final Fantasy X]
[This section will contain spoilers from Final Fantasy X.]
[Do not, I repeat, do NOT read any further unless you've already completed Final Fantasy X!!!]
[You have been warned!] ----------
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-Two years have passed since Sin was destroyed.
Since defeating Sin and becoming high summoner, Yuna has lived on her childhood home of Besaid Island, and the predictable days pass by one after another.
Isn't this simple happiness what she always wanted? Still, Yuna senses something is missing...
Then, one day, her former guardian Rikku comes to Besaid and shows Yuna a movie sphere. The recording is of 'him'.
Or is it? Yuna can't tell whether it's him or just someone who looks like him.
"Let's go look for more clues!" Rikku suggests.
If it is him, Yuna might be able to see him one more time.
If not, Yuna will probably never see him again.
No matter what the truth may be, the answers she finds may change things forever. Yuna begins another journey.
The story continues in FINAL FANTASY X-2...*~Characters~* After defeating Sin, Yuna returned to her home on Besaid. The days passed without incident, but still she sensed something missing in her quiet existence. A movie sphere that Rikku shows her gives her a reason to journey once more. For now, life as a sphere hunter affords Yuna the chance to live on the wild side. During the so-called "search for truth" that overtook Spira after Sin's defeat, a group of Al Bhed joined the ranks of sphere hunters. With their airship, the Celsius, as a base, Rikku and Brother founded the Gullwings. Rikku invited Yuna to join the Gullwings, and they have been travelling ever since. As always, Rikku's endless supply of energy keeps the team on their toes. Paine is armed with a one-handed sword and a
lukewarm attitude. It seems she joined the Gullwings because of something that happened in her past. however, none of the Gullwings know exactly what that might be. The often ridiculous antics of the Gullwings tend to prompt sarcastic remarks from Paine, but the others don't seem to worry about it much. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Dressphere System Final Fantasy X-2 sees a reintroduction of the Final Fantasy "job system." Each playable character (Yuna, Rikku and Paine) is allowed to equip one dressphere at a time, each of which differentiate the character's available abilities and function in combat. Each character can equip up to six dresspheres at a time, depending on the properties of the Garment Grid they are using. The Garment Grid allows characters to change jobs at any time during battle, provided it is their turn to act and the dressphere is equipped on their grid. Like weapons and accessories, Garment Grids can also arm characters with different powers such as Auto-Haste, automatic shielding, additional spells and more. The following is a list of all of the available dresspheres...
Gunner, Thief, Warrior, Songstress, White Mage, Black Mage, Gun Mage, Alchemist, Berserker, Samurai, Dark Knight, Lady Luck, Trainer, Mascot.
In addition to those dresspheres shared by the three girls, there's also one Special Dressphere for each of them that can only be used if they've switched to all of their dresspheres on their current Garment Grid. Yuna's is Floral Fallal, Rikku's is Machina Maw, and Paine's is full Throttle. Also, since the game has reverted back to an ATB system, the characters can now overlap their attacks, causing combos, and they can also interrupt an enemies attack if their attack is timed properly. *~Summons~* No one can actually summon anything in Final Fantasy X-2. However, all eight of the aeons in Final Fantasy X make their appearance. You'll have to face off against them in both mandatory and optional battles as Dark Aeons.*~Music~* 1000 Words Final Fantasy X-2 is the first game in the main series to not have Nobuo Uematsu as its composer. It is instead composed by Noriko Matsueda and Takahito Eguchi. However, that doesn't stop the new found tradition of having a vocal song in the game. In fact, the story of Final Fantasy X-2 is very music based, the opening FMV being of a concert. There are in fact two vocal songs in the game, although only one of them pertains to the actual love story of the game. The first is Real Emotion which is played in the opening sequence, the second song which emcompasses the love story is 1000 Words. Both songs are sung by Jade from the pop group Sweetbox. Jade sings both songs in English, whereas in the Japanese version of the game, they are both sung in Japanese by Kumi Koda. This is the first time that the vocal song is sung by more than one person, and Jade is also the first American-born vocalist of the series. Even though many may agree that no one can ever top Uematsu's melodies, Final Fantasy X-2 manages on its own, and 1000 Words does by no means disappoint. Real EmotionWhat can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
I can hear you
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
Far beyond the hazy borders of my heart
I could see a place that's something like this
Every now and then I don't know what to do
Still I know that I can never go back
But the things I've seen in those hazy dreams
Can't compare to what I'm seeing now
Everything's so different
That it brings me to my knees
And though I know the world of real emotion has surrounded me
I won't give in to it
Now I know that forward is the only way my heart can go
I hear your voice calling out to me:
"You'll never be alone"
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
What can I do for you?
I can hear you*~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* Cid finds it useful to parade the Zanarkand Ruins as a tourist attraction. Zanarkand is practically defaced no thanks to the combined efforts of Cid and Isaaru. Yuna and Rikku get annoyed by this and tell him off. He spends most of the game sulking in the Thunder Plains, thinking about what they said, realizing that Zanarkand was once a sacred place of prayer and hope, but is now a photo opportunity. After this, he comes onboard the Celsius and makes a pain out of himself fighting with Brother. *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - March 13, 2003 North America - November 18, 2003 Europe - February 20, 2004 Platforms:Original Platform – Playstation 2 Remade - None*~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy X-2, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy X-2.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:48 pm
It all began with a stone...or so the legend says.
In ages past, the sentinel jewel, enormous
and beautiful banished the darkness.
It's many colored light filled the world
with life and brought forth mighty gods.
Bathed in that light, the world entered an age of bliss.
Until after a time, the gods fell into slumber.
That world was called...Vana'diel.
In the 863rd year of the Crystal Era,
Vana'diel was in the midst of a great war.
Faced with invasion of the shadow lord
and his hordes of beastmen, the leaders
of the enlightened people united their
forces in desperate alliance.
They were the Kingdom of San d'Oria,
The Republic of Bastok, the Federation
of Windurst, and the Grand Duchy of Jeuno.
Together, they struggled for survival, in
battle after battle, as chaos engulfed the land.....*~Characters~* Originating from the Bastok region, Humes have spread to the farthest reaches of Vana'diel. This race is characterized by its equally balanced abilities, moderate intelligence, and high level of skill in numerous areas. These traits has played a large role in Bastok's growth. A race of proud warriors, The Elvaan are the founders of two legendary orders of knights in the nation of San d'Oria. Physically, they are characterized by their tall, slender bodies and pointed ears. Their unshakable pride and faith in their beliefs is visible in each of their determined faces. The Tarutaru are a race of skilled magic users who call Windurst their home. Although the Tarutaru physically resemble children, their size does not reflect their age. Masters of the magical arts, the Tarutaru have honed their abilities through dutiful study of the world around them. The Mithra are a predominantly female race of hunters who live alongside the Tarutaru in Windurst. They are easily identified by their characteristic ears, which give them spectacular hearing ability, and their long tails, which result in an unparalleled sense of balance. The Galka are a hulking race of powerful warriors. The sheer strength of their powerful physiques is second to none. They have used their skills to contribute to the construction and development of the numerous mines in Bastok. *~World Map~* *~Battle System~* Support System One of Final Fantasy XI's most dynamic features is the flexibility of its job system, adapted from previous Final Fantasy titles. Players are able to change their jobs in their residence freely and without penalty, allowing the player to experiment with a variety of play styles before settling on a single one. Each job has unique abilities, which must be activated by the player in order to come into effect, last a limited time, and have a "cooldown" period before they can be used again; traits, which are passive abilities that are always in effect; and a special "2-hour" ability that performs some extraordinary function and has an extraordinary 2-hour-long cooldown period to go with it.
As of April 2006, a player may choose from 18 different jobs. In homage to the six job classes available in the original Final Fantasy, the initial jobs available to a player are White Mage, Red Mage, Black Mage, Warrior, Thief, and Monk. Upon achieving level 30 in any of these jobs, a player may opt to complete quests to unlock the jobs of Paladin, Dark Knight, Beastmaster, Ranger, Bard, and Summoner. Introduced in the Rise of the Zilart expansion pack were the Samurai, Ninja, and Dragoon job classes, which can also only be unlocked after a character reaches level 30. In the new expansion of Final Fantasy XI, Treasures of Aht Urhgan, three new jobs were made available in the game: Blue Mage, Corsair, and Puppetmaster.
Once the player has attained level 18 on any job, he may complete a Support Job quest in either Selbina or Mhaura. Upon completion of this quest, the player will now be able to add a support job to complement their abilities. This support job may be any other job that the player has. Support Jobs operate at a maximum of half the level of the player's main job, and gives the character abilities, spells and stat bonuses from that job at that level (with the exception of the sub job's 2-hour ability, and Dragoon's "Call Wyvern" ability). *~Summons~* [Warning: This section may contain slight spoilers such as future locations in the game and minor story elements. However, nothing direct towards the main plot will be revealed.]Carbuncle - Recieve automatically as a summoner.
Garuda - Defeat Garuda in the Trial of Wind.
Titan - Defeat Titan in the Trial of Earth.
Ramuh - Defeat Ramuh in the Trial of Thunder.
Leviathan - Defeat Leviathan in the Trial of Water.
Ifrit - Defeat Ifrit in the Trial of Fire.
Shiva - Defeat Shiva in the Trial of Ice.
Fenrir - Obtain all previous Avatars and their whisper items, and speak to Leepe-Hoppe to recieve the key item to enter Full Moon Fountain. Then defeat Fenrir in the Moonlit Path quest.
Diabolos - After completing certain chapters of the Chains of Promethia expansion, speak to Kerutoto. You will recieve a key item to enter the Shrouded Maw in the Waking Dreams quest.*~Music~* Distant Worlds Final Fantasy XI contains Nobuo Uematsu's final complete soundtrack for the Final Fantasy main series. He leaves the company after completing Final Fantasy XI's score, and FFVII: Advent Children's as well. For his fourth vocal theme, he enlists the aid of the Pop-opera soprano Izumi Masuda. Final Fantasy XI is a MMORPG, and as such, has spawned three expansion packs: Rise of the Zilart, Chains of Promathia, and Treasures of Aht Urghan. There was originally no vocal theme for Final Fantasy XI, breaking the new found trend of the series. Of course, being an online game, it's not to surprising since there would be no possible way to have a real love story entailed. After Rise of the Zilart's release, it seemed Final Fantasy XI would have to remain the black sheep of the series. But, Uematsu came through with Izumi Masuda in Chains of Promathia. It is only heard during the ending like Melodies of Life, but Final Fantasy XI did get its vocal theme at last, in a piece entitled Distant Worlds. Legend-The Crystal ThemeFluas nun sango senkulpa,
sur Vana' diel, vasta ter'.
Tremas la tuta mond'
pro l' plago en desper'.
Preventas g^in
nenia sort'.
Haltigas g^in
nenia fort.
Sed tra la nokto tempesta
brilas jen stelo de glor'!
Kontrau~ brutala kri'
fontas jen kant-sonor'!
Stelo brilanta, kanto sonanta:
revo kaj preg^o pro ni!
Vana' diel! Vana' diel!
Mano kaj man' kumpremitaj
trans la eterno sen lim'
ne dismetig^os plu,
ne disligig^os plu!*~Artwork~* *~Screenshots~* *~Cid Spot~* An engineering genius, and figured to be the smartest man in the world. He originally made his fortune from studying ancient Zilart technology and using it in his inventions. When he found a mysterious crystal in the Northlands, he sent the ill-fated mission there to see if there was more. This piece actually turned out to be a chunk of the Star of Tavnazia. Using the knowledge he gained from his studies, he developed a crystal engine that would eventually power airships. The Archduke of Jeuno commissioned him to build a fleet of airships to be used in the Crystal War, but only one was ever publicly used or needed. *~Release Information~* Release Dates:Japan - May 16, 2002 North America - October 28, 2003 (Windows) Europe - September 17, 2004 (Windows) Platforms:Original Platform – Playstation 2 Remade - Windows (2002), Xbox 360 (2006)*~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy XI, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy XI.
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:50 pm
Clasping a gem to his heart.
Engraving vanishing memories into the sword,
He places finely honed skills into the stone.
Spoken from the sword, handed down from the stone...
Now the story can be told...
That is the story of a world called Ivalice.
The strong military kingdom known as the Arcadia Empire
That rules the Valentia Continent,
And the Rosalia Empire that rules the Ordalia Continent
Have been continuously at war for long years.
In the midst of it, Arcadia Empire invaded the small kingdom of Dalmasca,
Positioned in the hallway between the two continents and thus is geopolitically important.
Under the invasion of the Arcadia Empire, the Dalmasca Kingdom accepted defeat.
But Ashe, the rightful heir to the throne of Dalmasca,
Joined the resistance army movements to fight against the empire.
The enemy's chase and attack of this girl with the liberation of her mother nation in heart is severe,
But, she can not be defeated.
At this moment, she meets the young man Vaan.
With this meeting, begins the change in Ashe's heart.
And thus...
The meeting of these two people will greatly change the story of this world.*~Characters~* The lighthearted hero who lost both his parents and dreams of one day having his own airship. Vaan sets out from his home in the heart of Dalmasca to become a sky pirate. He looks on the future with an air of hope. Her whereabouts since the Archadian invasion are unknown. Ashe is the rightful heir to the Dalmascan throne, she also leads the resistance. She's tough, iron-willed and carries herself with dignity. Balthier's devoted partner. A viera warrior, she is possessed of superior wisdom and stamina. Able to wield any weapon, Fran is as skilled with swords as she is with her bare hands. She also excels as an archer and plays an active part in maintaining the airship. Daring though he is, Balthier relies greatly on his partner, Fran. He fights with firearms and commands his own airship. A man without a country, he nevertheless is a sky pirate with a code, stealing only from the wicked. He's a skilled mechanic who has a way with jokes and women. Penelo lives among the same bustling streets as her friend, Vaan. She, too, lost her family in the war but still enthusiastically goes about making her living in the bazaar. Though a talented singer and dancer, she is no stranger to battle, having learned to fight from her brothers, who once belonged to an order of knights. A Dalmascan General who has been victorious in numerous battles, Basch is a hero with a strict sense of justice. Recruited from the ranks of the commoners, he enjoyed overwhelming popularity amongst the Dalmascans. However, during a ceremony with the Arcadian Empire, he murders the King of Dalmasca. Why would someone as loyal as him assassinate the king? *~World Map~* ...Coming Soon... *~Battle System~* ...Coming Soon... *~Summons~* [Warning: This section may contain slight spoilers such as future locations in the game and minor story elements. However, nothing direct towards the main plot will be revealed.]...Coming Soon... *~Music~* Kiss Me Goodbye ...Coming Soon... *~Artwork~* ...Coming Soon... *~Screenshots~* ...Coming Soon... *~Cid Spot~* ...Coming Soon... *~Release Information~* ...Coming Soon... *~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy XII, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy XII. ...Coming Soon...
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Posted: Tue Jul 04, 2006 4:50 pm
...Coming Soon... *~Characters~* ...Coming Soon... *~World Map~* ...Coming Soon... *~Battle System~* ...Coming Soon... *~Summons~* [Warning: This section may contain slight spoilers such as future locations in the game and minor story elements. However, nothing direct towards the main plot will be revealed.]...Coming Soon... *~Music~* ...Coming Soon... *~Artwork~* ...Coming Soon... *~Screenshots~* ...Coming Soon... *~Cid Spot~* ...Coming Soon... *~Release Information~* ...Coming Soon... *~Opening FMV~* Now that you've read my extended preview of Final Fantasy XIII, why not go ahead and get started by taking a sneek peak at the Opening FMV. Just click the image below to view the beginning of Final Fantasy XIII. ...Coming Soon...
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