Final Fantasy

If FFX was Tidus' story, then X-2 is Yuna's. And her story is funny, bittersweet, poignant and downright witty in turns, all wrapped up in some tight but stylish gameplay.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Suggestive Themes, Violence

Despite my bravest attempts at immersion, however, I never reached the point where Origins was consistently enjoyable. The games definitely belong to another era; an era that I haven't played enough Dragon Warrior or Phantasy Star lately to be truly at home with anymore.

Thanks in no small part to the success of Final Fantasy Tactics, American gamers have been treated to a mini-renaissance in this niche genre. Games like the Game Boy Advance (GBA) version of Tactics Ogre, Atlus' recently released Disgaea for the PlayStation 2 (PS2), and the much anticipated Fire Emblem for the GBA are dishing out loads of strategy RPG goodness to a market starving for more.

Never one to miss out on cashing in on a craze it helped inspire, Square (along with new partner Enix) has jumped into the mix as well by releasing Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the GBA. So, does this title live up to the legend inspired by its predecessor? Generally speaking, yes.

According to ESRB, this game contains: Alcohol Reference, Mild Violence

According to ESRB, this game contains: Violence

The Final Fantasy series has developed as one of the most popular and stylized franchises in videogames. Beloved by millions, the Final Fantasy games have managed to develop an almost baroque formalism in terms of both mechanics and narrative. There have been many milestones in the history of the series, but none that have been so momentous and yet nearly forgotten as the first two entries.

Game Description: Final Fantasy Origins, a special package of the original Final Fantasy (released in North America 1n 1990) and Final Fantasy II (never before released in North America) have been remade for the PlayStation game console and feature new cinematic movies, opening theme songs, event scenes including updates of the original event sequences, enhanced graphics, improved sound quality and new gameplay modes. Together, these two titles laid the foundation for the series and spawned many hit sequels that have now sold over 42 million units worldwide.

I've always thought I could enjoy any game so long as it was a feast of sight and sound, not frustratingly difficult, and filled with enough diverting gameplay to keep my mind off the responsibilties of day-to-day existence. I'm also a fan of the production values and atmosphere of console role-playing games (RPGs) in general and the Final Fantasy series especially. So when Final Fantasy IX was released, I was sure I was going to love it.

I can't help wondering how much Final Fantasy IX really deserves my praise, and whether I should instead be paying homage to the earlier games in the series for providing so much of its inspiration.