Wii VC Monday

Mar 08

Wii VC Monday

By Shawn Chen Games, Reviews Add comments

Back when console gaming was nothing more than a teenager (8-bit and 16-bit days), something called Final Fantasy was still new. The sweeping story, orchestrated presentation styles and of course exploring with a healthy dose of turn-based fighting formula was still somewhat new to us Americans.

Sure, RPGs had been around on PC’s for ages, but on consoles dedicated for gaming, the presentation and depth of story were still rich untapped experiences.

Nintendo brings us a Wii VC game that reminds us of those days.

Today, we find the same formula over and over again: a land in peril, a reluctant hero destined to be it’s savior, and rich story to wrap it all up. Throw in the fancy graphics and we tend to overlook the re-tread storylines.

We forget though, back when graphics weren’t everything, it was story telling that got you into an RPG. The early Final Fantasy series, were such great examples that getting them today is still worth it.

Graphics here are classic SNES, so you’ll see the zooming and pseudo 3D isometric views. Sound is exactly what you’d expect from an SNES game. But the music is stellar. Epic orchestral pieces that will really get you into the story.

You play Cecil, the Black Knight. You start out as a captain in the King’s command. Turns out though, you’re a raider robbing things from poor defenseless folk, and you don’t like it. So you express the slightest bit of regret and the King throws you out. There begins the first 15-30 minutes of the game.

That’s right 15-30 minutes to setup the initial premise of the game. It’s impossible to review this game in such a short period of time, but suffice it to say, if you’re looking for a solid classic RPG, you could do a lot worse than spend a few bucks on Final Fantasy II.

Just the intro is so long imagine how deep the game is! (Very). Lots of options, magic, items, and side quests to keep you busy for a long time. Dungeon and overworld exploring with classic Final Fantasy storytelling. It’s worth it for 800 Wii Points.