I took the opportunity that honestgamer posted here, and posted a 400-word review for Final Fantasy III (DS) over at the submission forums at hardcoregamer.com. I hope it's good enough to see me through to print, but we'll just have to see. *Fingers crossed*

Have any suggestions or comments?

--------------

Dressing a boy in a suit usually makes him cuter but that doesn't make him any more mature. Square-Enix fashions Final Fantasy III (not to be confused with Final Fantasy III for the SNES) in much the same way, giving this game released in Japan for the Famicom a 3D graphical facelift and an English translation, without altering much of its original simplistic gameplay. Re-released classics like this can turn you into a nostalgic romantic or an under-whelmed critic, and ultimately, your love for this retake depends on how well you can bear and how young-at-heart you are with old-school RPGs. Still, there is certainly more here than just another rehashed port.

Old-school elements appear right away. The story is simple: four Warriors of the Light must gain the power of elemental crystals to save the world from darkness. Dialogue is straightforward. Characters show mere snippets of personality. You move from town to town, spending money to the last gil and following plot elements that are as fleeting as the next. Random turn-based battles occur frequently, and dungeons don't have save points, so getting killed by a boss means meeting your head with the wall of dejá-vù yet one more time.

Fortunately, an air of light-heartedness breathes a lot of charm into this brisk adventure. Nothing here, including story and gameplay, is pretentious, and the persistent battles in dungeons, forests, lakes, mountaintops, and other-worldly dimensions are just a part of the ride on this pleasant and steady romp to the end. Serving as interesting pit-stops, guest characters will occasionally join your party, and the job system allows your pint-sized heroes to change between various classes. From the armored knight and the swift ninja to the adept sage and the potent summoner, your party can adapt to different enemies and environments, as you discover which jobs (and which adorable costumes) best suit your style.

Now that every Final Fantasy has finally reached American shores, we can see how RPGs have progressed this past decade, but Final Fantasy III isn't about evolutionary complexities. It is about having a merry trip down memory lane. One can carp on how the game doesn't utilize the wireless, top screen, and touch-screen capabilities of the DS, but no one likes a back-seat driver. Just look out the window and enjoy the sights as any kid would, regardless of whether you're mature or not.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Most recent blog posts from Nicholas Tan...
10-Year Old Gamer Shot, Needs Our Help Non-exclusive Freelance Opportunity @ GameRevolution.com Rock Band Power

Feedback
	jeeeehad - January 12, 2007 (12:30 PM) That's a great short review.