Final Fantasy 9

Final Fantasy VIII
$19.99
A phenomenal game that is still great 10 years later.

First, the logistics. The price that Amazon offers is competitive and shipping was very quick. The only reason this game got 4/5 stars is that Disc 4 for some reason is not recognized by my PS3. Now this is a known issue with FF8 but some have reported that with the original 60GB PS3 (which I have), this isn't an issue. Oh well.

Back to the game, the story is amazing. Gameplay is great. I know there are plenty of critics of the junction system out there but I feel it's a very innovative system. More than that, it provides incredible flexibility. Just go to any of the numerous FF8 boards which are still active a decade after the game came out and people are coming up with ever-inventive ways to play the game: normally, no junction, no level, power-up style, etc.. etc...

Triple Triad also has to be one of the greatest side games implemented into a RPG. Fun by itself and by linking it up with Card Mod, Square has provided significant incentive to partake in this game.

Extremely happy with my purchase. I fully intend to pick up the PSN version when it comes out as well (2 months and counting.....) so I can finish Disc 4.

Final Fantasy VI
$29.99
Your best bet is to order it used from one of the sellers on this list. I lost my original cartridge for this game and went to try to find a replacement at several of the local gamestops in the area. And also don't pay the $80 new game price either. These cartridges are rock-solid so most used ones work just as well.

At any rate, this game is an absolute classic and was one of several classics released by Square in the mid 90s. The Advance release does nothing to degrade the quality of the game. The intricacy of the plot was very advanced for its time. I am more of a fan of the "midevil" setting Final Fantasy games - so this an FF9 are my favorites.

Final Fantasy II
$19.99
From a lot of the reviews I had read for this game, I was kind of nervous to attempt to play it. The complaints about the change in the leveling system alone were enough to give me second thoughts. However, I bit the bullet, and boy am I glad I did.

First, like the remake of Final Fantasy for the PSP, this game looks great. Yes, it is 2d, but there isn't anything wrong with 2d games, especially if it is well done, which this is. The members of your party are all unique looking, the enemies were nicely detailed.

I was also pleasantly surprised with the one-off leveling change. I guess, having played a couple of elder scrolls games had helped me wrap my head around the idea that the more your party members use individual weapon types or magic, the more their proficiency in each of these areas increase. Although, I have to admit that the adjustment wasn't immediate. I'm a player that usually likes to conserve spells and take as little damage as possible. In this game, however, it is essential that you take damage during battle, or else it takes forever to increase your max HP.

One of my biggest complaints about the first game was a lack of character or story development. I was quite pleased with both in FF2. Yes, there are some plot-holes, and some of the characters are a little inconsistent, or hastily thrown together, but this game was definitely a step in the right direction. And, if nothing else, this was the game that introduced Chocobos to the FF series! So, again this game is a must for anyone who is interested in seeing how the Final Fantasy series has progressed over the years.

Final Fantasy IX
$14.99
Personally, I can't understand what drives people to rate and review this game based solely on its intention to "bring the series back to its roots". Does no one have it in them to judge it on its own merits? It boggles my mind why VIII and IX are essentially ignored by fans of the series. Out of all the games, this one receives the littlest attention, being passed off only as "the last game with deformed characters". Okay, why is it not remembered as "the magnificent entry in the series featuring Zidane, Garnet, Steiner, Vivi, Eiko, Amarant, Freya, and Quina", in the same node as we place games like FFVI and FFVII? Let's be honest; if this had been released in VII's place, no one would have a clue who Cloud or Tifa were. It all has to do with the placement in the series. Had this been the game to change the face of Final Fantasy forever, it would be remembered far more fondly. Final Fantasy games are typically released in threes for their respective platforms; I - III for NES, IV - VI for SNES, VII - IX for PS, then X - XII for PS2 (even though XI basically doesn't count for anything but an online game that should never have been included in the numbered series). As a result, IX becomes completely lost in the thick shadow of its two primary predecessors, VII and VIII. While VII is fondly remembered by all as the game that changed RPGs forever, and VIII is given far more negative views, how is IX remembered? As "a nod to the series' roots before X". That's it. No special remembrance of the characters, no references to the story in other games, nothing. But how could anyone in their right mind not love it? It's the most definitive game of the series. With the largest soundtrack, the greatest music, the best characters, and some of the most fun gameplay, anyone who shrugs it off for the likes of VII or X or something of the like can't possibly be playing the same game I did. Never once throughout the series, save for VI, was I as entranced by a game. Sure, Kuja may not be the most memorable villain, and sure he's a little overtly feminine, but he's also not a deranged lunatic bent on "returning to the planet" like Sephiroth, either. When you compare Kuja's motives to Sephiroth's, who's the more vile? It's impossible to top the insurmountable craziness of Kefka (VI), but Kuja still comes in as a close second. There are a few gripes I have regarding this game, however, but only a select few. First, the "trance" system. Whoever's idea it was to have the trance meter simply reset after battle no matter how much of it was used or not should be fired. When you're leveling and trying to get your characters' trance bars filled, and suddenly you finish the battle just as it does so, you're looking at a bunch of time wasted! This flaw is one of the most frustrating things about this game. Also, quite notable, is the end of Disc 3, specifically the Shimmering Island chapter. Once you're in, there's no escape. Plus, there's no leveling up either. You're faced with battle after battle there and if you haven't leveled high enough for this particular stage of the game, kiss those 40+ hours of playing goodbye! Unless, of course, you saved just before entering, but some of us aren't that lucky. All in all, an amazing game. Those two flaws don't nearly come close to knocking down a star of my rating. In fact, now that I've warned you of the second one, that's one less flaw you have to worry about. All I can say is, pay no attention to all these idiot reviews across the world raving about FFVII for being "the best of the series". Sure, that game is amazing in its own way, as is every FF, but let's face it; there is nothing visually appealing about it when you break it down. Sure, it may be a PS game, but I found myself glossing over the much larger amount of detail put into its SNES predecessors far more often than its blocky, textureless characters and horribly plotholed story (which this Compilation of FFVII is doing nothing to mend, but rather hinder even further). At any rate, buy this game, along with FFIV and FFVI for the best experience the FF series can offer, along with X and XII. But to be honest, this game is no less great than any of the others. It just takes adapting to new things and pretty soon you'll be as engrossed in this game's plot and gameplay as I was. The only reason I can see someone disliking this game is if their feng shui swings more toward actions games and shooters to begin with. Simply put: if you have ever considered giving the FF series a try, DO NOT PASS THIS UP. Pay no attention to the naysayers; this is the game to own.