Reviews by gamers of the top 40 Playstation video games updated monthly.

JANUARY 2008

Playstation - Reviews of the Top 40 Sony Play Station One Video Games

CLICK ANY PIC OR TITLE TO BUY

Crash Collector's Edition Playstation Video Game $30

This pack is so cool. You can just click the pic above and buy this instead of buying the games separately, which will cost more money. This is a must have.

Crash Bandicoot, the poster marsupial for PlayStation, stars in the three action titles in this package: Crash Team Racing, Crash Bash, Crash Bandicoot 3: Warped. 

All feature Crash's patented high-speed action. These are all terrific party games, especially Crash Bash, which supports up to four players.

Chrono Cross Playstation Video Game $15

First, gameplay-- It is one of the best battle systems that I have seen. It may seem complicated to begin with, but one becomes quickly accustomed to the strategies and nuances of the idea. In a game of chess, the rules are simple but the possibilities are endless. The same goes for Chrono Cross' element system. 

In addition, being able to see your enemies on screen allows you to fight when and where you want. This is a big advantage if you want to avoid them (if you don't want to fight piddling monsters) or find them (to retrieve extra spells and items). Cross pulls this off even better than its predecessor, Chrono Trigger. Chrono Cross is included in the top playstation (psx) video games reviews. 

Leveling-- I considered this such an important aspect of the game that I gave it its own category! The reason: you can advance through the entire game avoiding nearly all monsters and still beat the game. Not only is the focus on strategy (the types of spells, colors, and balance between physical attacks) in order to defeat bosses, but you only gain stat bonuses during about five fights between each boss. Continuing to fight others can help with items and extra spells, but does no good to "level up" your characters. I thought this a terrific idea. Your characters still become extremely strong towards the end, but not because of experience. It doesn't exist. Cross is plot-driven, not level-driven.

Storyline-- Speaking of plot, Cross' is pretty good. It can get convoluted at times, and having played Trigger is helpful, though not necessary. Characters are surprisingly three-dimensional and everything fits together if you think about it for long enough. The major ending(s) though, can be disappointing and because of the plethora of characters, very few of their pasts and conflicts can be resolved. But, all in all, you will enjoy it as mystery after mystery is solved while others take their places. Like a good book, it's difficult to find a place to put the controller down--you want to keep going.

Music-- Outstanding. Better than many movie soundtracks I've heard, both in quality of composition and sound. I highly recommend buying the soundtrack to listen to during the day, unless you want to leave your Playstation running while doing the dishes. Of course, it would be worth it to do that, too. It's that good.

Graphics-- The people that made the FMV sequences were the same who did those FFVIII. The graphics are similar to those of FFVIII, in battle sequences, exploration, and the movies--but even better. The colors and attention to detail make the entire game simply . . . beautiful. Let the game run and stare at it if you have to, it can be the only way to appreciate the artwork. Plus, the spells have their own elegantly simple quality. No spell is too long or extravagant, letting battles to continue smoothly. And the detail! When a character pulls something from her pocket, the movements are very human and real. They leave footprints on the beach and the environment casts shadows as you walk through a dark cave or brightened room. Every detail draws you further into the Chrono Cross world.

Do not rent this game--you should definitely click the pic above and buy it. The developers of Chrono Cross claim it can be beaten in 35 hours. They're lying. It took me 67 hours total, including the few times I had to go back to an old save point. And that does not include the amount of time I will spend in the future finding the multiple endings and other storyline branches. (There are a total of 6 different paths you can take, each very different and effecting the outcome of the game) 

Buy this amazing title for your Playstation and give Square a hand. Or even bow. They deserve all the respect you can give for this fine game.

Final Fantasy IX Playstation Video Game $15

With its ninth installment, Square went back to a medieval theme and is using a more colorful graphics scheme. This differs from Final Fantasy VII's and VIII's futuristic settings and their dark, realistic graphics, but I always did like the castles and colors of the first Final Fantasies, so Final Fantasy IX suits me fine. 

Also, it has some of the best music I've ever heard--even better than Chrono Cross. And the story is more complex and interesting than Final Fantasy VIII; it's more like VII where the characters are a mystery and each has his or her own story to tell. And since the characters are developed well, I found that I liked practically every one of them--in Final Fantasy VIII I only really liked Squall and Rinoa.

Final Fantasy IX has my favorite battle system of the series. First, Magic Points are back, so you can't just keep casting spells to your heart's content; you'll first have to make sure you have enough Magic Points. Another welcome return is the challenge of battles; even normal enemies can come close to defeating you, whereas in Final Fantasy VII and VIII, only the bosses ever pose a threat. Final Fantasy IX is included in the top playstation (psx) video games reviews. 

Like Final Fantasy VI for the PlayStation (Final Fantasy III for the Super Nintendo), each character has his or her own special ability. For instance: the main character Zidane is the only one that can steal items from enemies, and Vivi, a young Black Mage, is the only one gifted in using Black Magic. To teach the characters more "Action Abilities" you'll have to equip them with items that harness new powers. 

Here's how it works: say Vivi is equipped with a staff that has the "Action Ability" Thunder. As long as Vivi has that staff equipped, he'll be able to use the spell Thunder, but if he removes the staff, he will no longer have its powers. So he will have to battle with that staff until he learns Thunder. Once the powers are learned, he can equip a different weapon and be on his way to learning its powers while still retaining the spell Thunder.

The characters also learn "Support Abilities" from items. These are abilities that support the characters during battles and are always in effect, meaning you do not have to use them first. But you can't have all your "Support Abilities" active at once since you are limited by your supply of "Magic Stones." Each character has a certain number of these stones, and the number will slowly increase as the character levels up. You equip the required amount of these stones to each "Support Ability" that you wish to be active. 

For example: Zidane has 11 "Magic Stones" and the "Support Abilities" Counter (randomly counters an enemy's attack) and Antibody (protects the character from being poisoned). Since Counter requires 8 stones to be equipped and Antibody requires 4, Zidane can only equip one until he levels up and gains another stone. This system gives you a nice opportunity to customize your characters.

In battles characters may also perform special maneuvers once they go into a "Trance." This is similar to Final Fantasy VII's "Limit Break." Each character has a "Trance Gauge" that slowly fills up as he receives damage from enemies. Once the gauge is filled, the character enters a "Trance" and can perform his own personal ability. If Vivi enters a "Trance," he gains, for that battle, the ability to cast two spells in the same turn.

Throughout the game there are many events that you can get into--from jumping rope, to collecting cards, to even delivering letters. But my favorite has to be treasure-hunting with a chocobo. (If you're new to the series, a chocobo is a birdlike creature that serves as a horse.) Sometime during the game, you'll get a chocobo, which will be able to use its beak to dig up "Chocographs" (treasure maps) in certain areas. 

These "Chocographs" tell you the whereabouts of treasures by showing you a small picture of an area on the World Map and giving a hint to its location. But your chocobo may not be able to get to the location until it gains the ability to cross certain terrains. At first your chocobo can only cross over plains, but as it finds more treasures it will gain the ability to cross shallow waters, mountains, etc.

Final Fantasy IX is definitely my favorite in the series and may even be my favorite game ever. With its likeable characters, improved battle system, and fun mini-games, I think anybody who enjoys RPGs will have some of their greatest gaming moments playing this title. Well done, Square!

Final Fantasy Anthology Playstation Video Game $20

Okay, so I thought that Square would enhance the actual game in some way or at least stick cinemas in different places. I expected a whole new gaming experience.

And I got one.

Sure, they didn't put in anything new, but that can be just as good as bad. Playing the original Final Fantasy VI felt great...I just wish the music had been enhanced (especially for FFV). But let's take a more detailed look at it all. Final Fantasy Anthology is included in the top playstation (psx) video games reviews. 

Final Fantasy V

Square never released FFV here in the U.S. of A., and so the only way I've ever played it was on a translated ROM for my computer. A fairly difficult-to-beat game with lots of fun and surprises. This is where Final Fantasy Tactics' famous job-system got its start. This is where the Summoned Monsters and Guardian Forces came around for the first time. (Okay, so I laughed at them when I saw them in this game, but hey, they would've been awesome when the game was first released!) 

The challenge is medium to intense, the graphics are okay (enough to keep you entertained), and the story is fairly humorous, but definitely interesting. But music is where Final Fantasy V truly excels. The inclusion of the Final Fantasy Prelude (also known as the Crystal Song) and the Final Fantasy Anthem (played at the Elder Tree during the ending and during the credits of FF7 and FF8) bring the game to life and immerse you in the (for lack of a better word) WEIRD world of Final Fantasy V. Total rating on a scale of 1 to 10: 8.

Final Fantasy VI

Released in the USA as Final Fantasy III, the original was voted the best RPG of the year in its time. The remake does not disappoint. Would Final Fantasy Anthology sell without this one included? NO -- WAY. The level of improvement graphically and musically over FFV is amazing! The Anthology also includes opening and ending cinemas rendered with Square's best techniques, the same techniques that is used for the Final Fantasy Movie. Overall rating on a scale of 1 to 10: 9.

In conclusion, this title is well worth the money to click the pic above and buy, but I do suggest you rent first to make sure you can put up with the out-of-date graphics, etc...

Final Fantasy Chronicles Playstation Video Game $15

One of the two games included is Chrono Trigger.

Chrono Trigger remains the greatest console RPG ever made. The version on this new CD compilation is identical in play to the original, but includes several animated cutscenes (done by Bird Studios, producers of Dragonball/DBZ and owned/operated by Akira Toriyama, who did the character designs for Chrono Trigger as well) which are themselves worth the price. (In point of fact, the price itself is interesting; the compilation of Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy 4 costs less than either of them did separately when first released.)

Chrono Trigger centers around the adventures of Crono (yes, that's the correct spelling), a young man whose only apparent unusual feature is skill with a sword; otherwise, he lives a rather ordinary life, getting his allowance from his mom, taking care of his pet cat, and, as the story begins, looking forward to the Millennial Fair. At the Fair, he meets with a pretty blonde girl, Marle, who wears an interesting pendant, and who as a stranger to his town asks him if he'd be nice enough to show her around a bit.

Things get strange when they visit the exhibit area of one of Crono's friends, Lucca, who's an eccentric inventor. Her invention mysteriously reacts to the presence of Marle's pendant, and Marle vanishes, leaving the glowing pendant behind. When Crono decides to follow her wherever she's gone and bring her back, he's catapulted into a time-spanning adventure which will take him from the present to 65 million years in the past, and thousands of years in the future, and eventually to confront a world-destroying monster which may, at the same time, have been responsible for the creation of Crono's own civilization. Along the way he will learn secrets of his world's history, gain new powers, and gather allies, ranging from the super-strong cave girl Ayla to the technologically advanced machine-man Robo.

Chrono Trigger's greatest claim to fame was, and is, that it boasts many possible endings, all quite different, based on what decisions you make during the game. They're not all easily predictable, either, and at least one or two are rather creepy. It's also interesting in that, after a certain point, you no longer have to keep Crono in your party (most games have a set viewpoint character that you have to keep around). It's quite possible to finish the game with *ANY* combination of available characters.

Gameplay is, in my opinion, superior to that of any of the Final Fantasy games. For one thing, it avoids the "eternally wandering monster" phenomenon which makes overland travel in the FF series so damnably frustrating, while still allowing you to wander freely across the land and visit places, looking for clues, new things to buy, and new friends and allies. For another, the combat sequences are much more active than those of other RPGs of its same era, and include special techniques -- both for individuals AND ones combining the techniques of two or three characters at once. Final Fantasy Chronicles is included in the top playstation (psx) video games reviews. 

Once you beat the game, you have the option of using "new game+", which allows you to start with the same power, and most of the items, that you'd gained along the way the first time. This is useful for those trying to play through again, since it allows you to zip through combats which, the first time, took many minutes to complete. (it does, however, introduce a bit of cognitive dissonance, especially in the early parts of the game: "How the heck are they throwing ME in jail?! I have enough power to level this entire CASTLE by myself!")

The soundtrack of Chrono Trigger is unbelievably good. Somehow, through the miracle of MIDI, the original game had 3 full CDs worth of music crammed on it, and the skill with which the MIDI was composed and produced made it sound, at the time, very nearly orchestral. Even today the sound isn't bad, and the re-done, fully orchestral version is amazing. Each major character has its own theme, and they're all excellent. Chrono Trigger's soundtrack still rates as one of my absolute favorites.

If you like console RPGs at all, this is one that you absolutely MUST click the pic above and buy, and keep enshrined somewhere.

Final Fantasy Origins Playstation Video Game $15

The graphics have been updated and look great. It's not upgraded enough to lose that old school appeal (that's a very good thing), but it gets rid of those sloppy old NES graphics and brings them up to more of an SNES-quality. Also, as usual, Square included the neat Collections bonus', just like they have with all of their PSX remakes. 

There's a Bestiary, to view detailed information on each monster in the game, an Item list, to view information on the items in the game, an Art Gallery, to view original artwork by Yoshitaka Amano, and a secret bonus collection once you beat the game. The collections definitely add some replay value and fun to the game. There's also a few small gameplay upgrades that improve the game. Final Fantasy Origins is included in the top playstation (psx) video games reviews. 

FFI:

The gameplay in this game is top-notch. It's what Final Fantasy relied on back in the day to sell their games. The newer ones still have great gameplay, but definitely focus more on characters and story than the past games. The battle system has received a complete overhaul as far as graphics are concerned. It has the typical SNES style battles, and there's an option to turn on auto-target, so no more trying to attack an enemy that has already been defeated. Those that want the original experience, though, can leave this off. As far as equipment is done in this game, it's pretty simple. You can equip one weapon, one shield, a Helmet, Armor, and Gloves. This old style of equipping items is my favorite used through out the series.

The world is massive, not only for it's time, but for today's RPG's. Not the biggest, but big. This game is pure fantasy when it comes to level design. Caves, Castles, Small Villages, Big Towns, etc. It's all very nicely done, and even though it's an NES port, the world pulls you in and it gives you that sense of adventure that the series is known for. The Caves and other levels that are filled with nasty enemies are pretty different from the newer games in the series. Some of them can get down right nasty, with many confusing maze-like sections and quite a few floors. 

And as you probably have heard, the random battles are pretty common. That's the biggest reason this is only for the hardcore RPG'ers out there. You need to have patience, or this game will eat you alive. If you can handle that, the game is a lot of fun. At times the battles annoyed me, but I enjoyed the levels for the most part. The villages, and it's NPC's, all give you the feeling of a living world. They're not as complex as Lindblum from FFIX or Midgar from FFVII, but they are cool in their own way.

One thing that sets this game apart from most of the series is it's difficulty. There's an easy mode included for those that want it, but the normal mode is what the game should be played on. It's not really THAT hard, but it's perfect. In my opinion, most of the series is too simple, with the occasional tough part, but it is a good solid challenge through each level. The bosses aren't tough, even though the last one will give you a nice challenge. That's the way it is, though. If you make it through the level with enough life and items to heal, you will be fine. The bosses aren't meant to be tough, it's the levels, unlike the newer games in the series, which are basically the opposite.

The last thing I will touch on is the music. It's brilliant for it's time, and when you listen to it today (in it's new updated sound for this game), you will love it. It's simple, shorter songs, but the talent of Nobuo Uematsu is apparent in each song. Many classics here.

FFII:

Unreleased in the US; it's the official #2 in the series. This is the first chance for us Final Fantasy fans outside of Japan to give this one a shot. This one had quite a few firsts for the series: 1.) Actual characters. Unlike the class characters of FFI, this one actually focuses on real characters with real personalities. 2.) A unique ability system. The one used in this game is the more times a character uses an ability in battle, the more it develops. Character attributes change according to how they're used in battle, so if you use magic a lot for one character, he will become more like a mage. (Weak attack power, high MP, and high Magic skills). It's a decent but flawed system, and it sometimes becomes tedious and annoying trying to give a character a certain ability. And 3.) A unique story. Instead of the now cliché Light vs. Dark battle, it has an interesting story this time around.

In a distant land...
The peace long enjoyed by the people came to a crashing end.
The emperor of Palamecia summoned fiends from another dimension...
And the empire launched it's campaign for world conquest.

In response, a rebel force arose in the Kingdom of Fynn.

In the ensuing clash between the rebel and empire, Castle Fynn was taken. The rebels were forced to retreat to the remote town of Altair.

Amidst the chaos, four youths also fled the occupied Fynn. They were childhood friends, now orphaned and homeless...

And they suddenly found themselves fighting for their lives.

Definitely an upgrade from FFI in that area. FFII is definitely worthy at least one play through, but the guy behind this one has been behind some horrible games (recently it was Unlimited Saga), so don't expect a perfect game. The ability system is tedious and ridiculous at times, but overall, a decent addition to the series.

One last thing I'd like to mention. The case and artwork on the manual and disc are amazing. Probably one of the coolest looking cases ever. The art on the disc alone makes me want to click the pic above and play this game. 

Final Fantasy VIII Playstation Video Game $15

Disgusted, I removed the game and inserted FF8. I was floored by the opening cinema. When the game started, I was confused by all the new terms. SeeD? Balamb Gatrden? Junction system? What the hell? But something compelled me to push onward. I was instantly hooked on the characters, which to me are much more appealing than the lego characters of the previous Final Fantasy games.

You play as the quiet lone wolf, 17 year old Squall Leonheart, a member of a group of mercenaries for hire known as SeeD. SeeDs reside in academies known as Gardens. When an evil sorceress gains the trust of President Deling and the people of Galbadia, Squall along with fellow SeeDs the perky Selphie Tilmitt, the loudmouthed Zell Dincht, the ladies' man Irvine, and the recently fired 18 year old instructor Quistis Trepe set out to assassinate her. Final Fantasy VIII is included in the top playstation (psx) video games reviews. 

Along the way, the lively and beautiful Rinoa Heartilly, a member of a resistance faction known as The Forest Owls teams up with them. Along the way, she struggles to bring down Squall's icy exterior and help him voice his feelings. The plot soon throws many curveballs, eventually bringing forth issues such as romance, possession, time compression, prison abuse and escape, and traveling into the future.

I will admit that this game is extremely ambitious and has its flaws. It depends wholly on the person whether or not you'll enjoy this game. Some people enjoy the game enough to get by its flaws and appreciate its differences, while others simply don't have the time or patience for it. It depends on your personality. Before buying, you must understand that:

-This is a love story

-The junction system (attaching magic to stats such as strength and HP to raise or lower the stat depending on magic type and quantity) takes a long time to understand and get fully comfortable with. No other FF has had a system like this, and you may not like it

-You need to play through FOUR discs and have the time to put in upwards of 70 hours in order to get through everything the game has to offer. Patience is important.

While I am an impatient person who gets put to sleep by other RPGs, I enjoyed Final Fantasy 8 a lot. The characters meant something to me because they were realistic looking and typical teens rather than lego people with absent mouths. This is the black sheep of the series, and not everyone will appreciate it. In my case, it will always remain a favorite. 

For its time, no game was more gorgeous looking and emotional, and no final battle was as long and intense. The stunning ending clocks in at around a half hour. But some people aren't bothered by the long frequent GF summons, and some are extremely bothered by them. I can understand it. As I said, it all depends what kind of person you are.

RASCAL RACERS Playstation Video Game $10

A cute, colorful, kart-style racing game. 

But don't let the cutesy characters and cartoon-like worlds fool you. Rascal Racers is included in the top playstation (psx) video games reviews. 

While adjustable settings will allow even the youngest drivers to enjoy this game, the multiple tracks and different racing models challenge.

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