Hironobu Sakaguchi

Game Description: Combining the highly acclaimed titles Final Fantasy IV and Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy Chronicles offers fans a nostalgic journey back in time to relive a part of gaming history. Final Fantasy Chronicles features the best original elements of both titles, like groundbreaking epic storylines and memorable casts of characters, along with all new features that will delight every fan.

After reading Dale's coverage of Final Fantasy Chronicles and being assigned the task of doing the Second Opinion, I was strongly tempted to simply write "Ditto" and call it done.

To its credit, Square EA did pack in the second best RPG in the whole series with Final Fantasy VI, but I cannot let Square off the hook because they left out my all-time favorite, Final Fantasy IV.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Comic Mischief, Mild Animated Violence

To all the Square-heads and otakus out there (who are gonna buy this game regardless), I apologize in advance, but this review isn't meant for you. It's meant for Squaresoft whom I hope to sting a little.

Game Description: Combining two titles from the highly acclaimed Final Fantasy series, Final Fantasy Anthology offers PlayStation game console owners a glimpse into the past of one of the most successful role playing series of all time. The inclusion of Final Fantasy V marks the first time this title has appeared on a console in North America. Final Fantasy VI, originally released as Final Fantasy III on the SNES system in the U.S., brings one of the most successful RPG's in history to the PlayStation game console for the first time. Each game in the compilation will feature never before seen CG movies.

For all its depth, though, I quickly discovered that I had little control of the game after the early part of it. No matter what I did or what kind of responses I gave [to the non-player characters (NPCs)], the story progressed regardless of that. It has been a running trend with Sakaguchi since Final Fantasy III (FF3) that furthering the plot takes precedence over player involvement.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Animated Violence, Mild Language, Suggestive Themes

Game Description: A revolutionary new Battle System has been created to add more customization to your characters by way of the Junction System. The latest features such as Dolby Surround Sound, Pocket Station compatibility and CG movie integration have also been incorporated into this masterpiece, making this title a showcase in technological game advancements.

In a word: "overrated." Alongside games like Tomb Raider and Resident Evil, Final Fantasy VIII (FF8) will go down in my book as one of the most overrated games of all-time. I'm convinced that if this role-playing game (RPG) did not bear the Final Fantasy moniker, it would have been universally panned as a poorly written obnoxious piece of CG fluff by the public and press alike.