Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Switch Series On Sale For A "Limited Time"

@Ace-Lucario The Pixel Remaster versions are kind of mostly acceptable, the biggest issue being with 2 because unlike other subsequent releases of 2 it's faithful to the original and 2's kind of just an awful game in the first place. Some of them also have some weird glitches or questionable balance changes but for the most part they're fine ways to play the games.

That said the GBA versions are generally better. You do give up some ground on sound quality, but they have a lot of bonus content that wasn't included in the Pixel Remaster versions.

@Lizuka Wait the GBA versions had bonus content that even the Pixel Remasters LACK??? Holy cow...that's crazy mental to hear...

Was: Massively overpriced
Now: Slightly less, massively overpriced.

@Ace-Lucario i still like this write-up of thegamer.com where they sum up the differences between all versions of all final fantasy games and choose their favorite: https://www.thegamer.com/final-fantasy-main-games-rated/

@Tarpii : I can see the value in a physical release, but paying even the "discounted" amount for these games only to have them locked to a single console/account is madness. I'd rather buy them on mobile or acquire them via "other means".

I already have FF 3 & 4 NDS version with 3D graphics so i'm good.

Well I guess I better pick up number 4 then.

A 20% discount? Call me again if it's 50% and we'll talk.

Not for more than $30.

Well... the price is closer to normal now.

Yeah... Gotta agree with others here. The original price of these "definitive" versions of the games which aren't the actual best or most complete versions renders all but a 90% off sale pretty uninteresting for myself.

It's been mentioned a few times but the version of 3 and 4 which made it to the ds and I think it was either PSP or vita got them as well, but those 3d modernized versions are great.

The bundle with all the games is also on sale on the AppStore, and for some reason it’s allowing me to “complete” my bundle for a little over four bucks. I have two of the games on iOS already, so that’s the other four for about a buck each… Welp I don’t see why not just complete the set there.

Edit: I’m trying to see why would it be so cheap, but none of my math is mathing. Perhaps they made a mistake there…?

The SALE price of the bundle is $60? GTFO, Squaresoft.

Yeah well. I'll be in heaven the day they finally release that hd-2d FFVI everybody obviously wants. That series though... I mean I see the discounted price and it seems like it should not even be the normal price.

@Pillowpants good luck, I think this is the second time the set has had a discount since release. Square never put them in the same sales as FFVII, FFVIII etc, they treat these like gold.

@Beetlebum91 Yeah, well I like to play the long game. My backlog is ever growing, so I'm patient enough. I'm glad I don't suffer from FOMO, or anything like that.

Slowly working my way through these — so far I've done 1 (simple but fun) and 2 (my god it's somehow even worse than I remember — dunno if I could have finished it without maps/the ability to turn off random encounters), 3 is up next — it'll be interesting to see it having only played the DS remake.

But yeah, three quid off a £15 game is hardly something to break out the expensive champagne over.

I dunno, still seems a bit better to play:
1+2 on PSP / 3DS
3/4 on PSP/DS
As for 5 and 6 I think I still have soft spots for them on PS1. Would anyone recommend the GBA versions?

@Henchdog The GBA ones are deemed the most quintessential versions of 5 and 6, but they're not without their flaws — the sound is somewhat downgraded, and I believe that the US/EU versions have some censored art, so you might have to go down the rom/mod route. It's been a while, but I remember the PS1 version of 5 having some horrendous load times.

Not cheap enough yet for me to buy.

I think the pixel remaster version is the best version of FFVI, although the GBA version does have its advantages too. If someone wants to play FFVI for the first time ever, get the pixel remaster version while it's on sale!

i bought the cart more than a year ago in a specialty game store at above asking price and i am happy with that decision.

it may not have all the content other versions have but this is the best way to play these games!

I might get them when they're "on sale", the real one.

All sales are for limited times

As long as they are not permanent price drops

ive been emulating 4 and 6 since the late 90s.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ will emulate again.

@Ace-Lucario

GBA copies of these are preferred because of things like text size are made for the small screen, not a large hdtv's.

Thee remasters are still too expensive.

I imagine the reasoning is that they're more faithful to the originals, but yeah the extra content would be nice as a bonus. And yeah, as someone who doesn't want to faff about with emulators and mods, having them available on modern consoles (finally!) is highly appreciated. Had zero issues with the ones I've played thus far.

Those prices felt like prices that the collection should had launch at from the beginning. At $60 for the collection should had been its launch price as $80 was a ripoff price. Heck considering they remove a lot of contents from past remakes it could had just been a $40 collection. $50 still felt like too much considering the lazy efforts and low quality recreation of these games when compare to games like Dragon Quest I-III and Live-A-Live which got HD 2D remakes in high quality packages but not these.

@Serpenterror I imagine this might be the last time that SE releases these games (at least outside of a full-blown Remake/Rebirth-esque overhaul), so they're likely trying to rinse as much sweet sweet dough out of customers as they can.

@Ace-Lucario .....why are you telling us this lol

@the_beaver I've been hunting these since release, and this seems the best we're gonna get. They throw literally every game they have on sale in the summer and winter sales...but not these!

@Ace-Lucario I've done some research and: GBA with a good mod by the community is the way to go.

The OG GBA one by itself is so ugly and bad in the sound department. I think it would actually take away from the experience and you'd be better of playing the OG or Pixel remaster.

@Ace-Lucario ah ok that makes sense lol. Apologies

@Ace-Lucario I am in the same boat, the only GBA game I own is Final Fantasy 6 that I play on a ds lite and I bought the Pixel Remasters on Steam for $50. I have a good couple of hours in the GBA one and I'll probably just continue through that version, it has some exclusive bosses that I'm looking forward to.

@Stormcloudlive PSP got a port of FF3 but it was only released physically in Japan (PSN exclusive elsewhere). Supposedly the disc does have English support though I haven't played my copy yet.
FF4 on PSP is not the 3D version, though FF4 on PSP does include the mobile/WiiWare "sequel" The After Years... whether that's a good thing or not.

@Anti-Matter I have concluded the DS version of FF3 has s*** rebalancing though.
From just the first half of the game, I already see Square Enix couldn't be bothered to properly balance the boss fights to account for the players being stronger, so they just gave the bosses OP attack and able to punch the players for like 75% damage on hit (even with updated equipment) Plus giving them double hits so your character is just dead if the game feels like it. Plus leaving Phoenix Downs an unnecessarily scarce item was one thing they decided to retain from the original (and useless low HP recovery if you do use them in battle).
The biggest joke I've seen of a boss fight thus far is Hyne, the first boss fight to do the "weakness change" strategy, basically little if ever does it in the remakes because of this **** AI that mostly wants to just bash the player's face in as its "difficulty".

@KingMike
I have finished FF 3 NDS version two times long time ago and it was quite good game with decent 3D models.

@DanijoEX-the-Pierrot the added gba content is tacked on crap people think is good because they haven’t played it

These prices are ludicrous. It’s been out for years and years. Just sell the bundle for $40 already.

@Andee the extra content from previous releases is junk anyway. It’s like getting mad when you buy a house because the previous owner had a garage sale and sold all their garbage. “Hey, I wanted the garbage with the house for that price!”

The prices are patently ludicrous. I do like the actual games tho. And certainly don’t miss the gba junk added content. I’m surprised people don’t get hurt about ffiv “the after years” not being included (it was bad too)

@Ace-Lucario GBA FF6 is the best version and well worth your time, if you've never played FF6 before. Probably my fave game ever.

@jesse_dylan I've just finished playing FFVII Rebirth, and while I did enjoy it (mostly), I found the majority of the extra stuff a little unnecessarily drawn out, and it made me long for the efficiency of the original

@jesse_dylan I watched my pal Clyde Mandelin stream that like a decade ago. He is a huge FF4 fan so I agree when he said something like the entire game was like a bad fanfic turned into a game.
Well, maybe some of it is understandable given its Japanese mid 2000s cellphone game origins. It was made of several scenarios that were meant to be played a couple hours at a time.
Still remember the name in the credits "Studio Bent Stuff" and he sure felt that about described how it felt the game was made.

@Anti-Matter Last I was working on it, I played the DS and Famicom versions together to compare stuff.
Some changes were good and some were bad. Having more powerful magic growth was good, but the lack of careful balancing ruins it. I do like the free party heal after every boss in the DS.
One of the most upsetting story changes to me was after the mechanical tower.
The Famicom story had a very subtle detail I liked once I had prior knowledge of it. You probably wouldn't notice what it's doing the first time. That's good. The DS version added an entire extra cutscene that basically shoves the spoiler in your voice. That kind of writing change is awful.

@KingMike
But I personally prefer FF 3 NDS than the NES version for having new character design, opening theme, 3D models, their original names, etc.
Btw, if you prefer FF 3 NES version, good for you but don't keep telling me FF 3 NDS version that I finished the game for two times is suck.

@KingMike Definitely fanfic business, and yep, definitely part of the issue was the "feature phone" format. Retconning and sequels are always a tricky business... That dovetails into your comment below about the DS version slamming details in your face with extra cutscenes and stuff, too. It's hard for devs to win with us, but... there's gotta be a way to do things tastefully and not so heavy-handedly.. (I say, but I have fantasies about doing an FFIV remake, and it's entirely possible I'd just do the same thing. Not that I'll ever actually be in a position to do one obviously.)

@Anti-Matter It doesn't suck, but the low-poly 3D is hideous compared to the pixel art. Matter of taste, but we've definitely moved on from early 3D tech, and pixel art has aged much better.

@Andee I'm so scared to ever play FF7 remake or rebirth... Luckily the combat completely turns me off, so I'm unlikely to ever play them and ever have to deal with the other stuff I probably wouldn't like either (including the marathon of minigames you mention)