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Square Enix re-introduces the original Final Fantasy stories bundled in one package for the GBA. Both games feature additional stories and dungeons not found in the original games. Final Fantasy I features a new dungeon named Soul of Chaos, in which the player finds the four powerful Soul of Chaos boss monsters, in addition to various powerful equipment and valuable items. Final Fantasy II features a bonus story called Soul of Re-Birth highlighting the four NPC characters who died in the story (Ming-Wu, Scott, Joseph, Richard), plus additional background stories of each.
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 100
Detroit Free Press
Game-play is also simple: Come across a distressed town, get the lowdown from the townspeople and save the day by fighting monsters in random encounters and beat the area's boss. It's still fun, even after all these years.
 96
N-Insanity
Besides the game play extras and combat changes, both games thrive visually and the music sounds fantastic.
90
GameZone
Not only the most perfectly packaged Game Boy Advance game, but it's also a dream come true for fans of the genre.
90
GMR Magazine
It's refreshing to look back on the genesis of the world's most popular RPG.
90
NintendoWorldReport
Nintendo fans have a right to be excited about any main-series Final Fantasy game coming to their systems, but this excellent two-pack is simply irresistible, a must-have for any handheld RPG fan.
90
Game Informer
They still retain that indefinable fun factor that has kept me ferociously addicted to the series for years. [Jan 2005, p.149]
90
Pocket Games
This is how to do a rerelease of a classic, with tons of extras and enhancements. [Spring 2005, p.70]
88
Weekly Famitsu
9 / 9 / 9 / 8 - 35 platinum [Vol 814; 23 July 2004]
88
Play Magazine
Final Fantasy II... holds up extremely well, with an excellent story and fleshed-out characters. [Jan 2005, p.87]
85
IGN
It's truly a testament to the quality of Final Fantasy I & II that both games still play brilliantly even after all these years. Though neither one of them are groundbreaking by today's standards, they're still fun, still addictive, and still worth the price of admission.
85
BonusStage
If you own a GBA, there really is no reason not to purchase Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, unless you just plain hate the Final Fantasy brand or RPGs in general.
85
Electronic Gaming Monthly
These are far and away the best versions of Final Fantasy I & II to date, with updated scripts, awesome new bonus dungeons, and superb visuals and sound. [Holiday 2004, p.142]
85
netjak
For all of the welcome additions and sometimes appreciated changes to the games, Dawn of Souls has done little to alleviate the one major flaw with both titles and the series in general-- the level grind.
84
Nintendo Power
The value in having two classic RPGs in one pak is astronomical. Combined, the games are worth 80 hours of play time. [Jan 2005, p.137]
83
GamingTrend
It doesn't have a broad appeal outside of those pre-existing fanbases, although it might be a good title to get someone into RPGs in general.
83
Siliconera
The two new dungeons are a nice addition for fans, but they may not be enough to warrant another purchase of the same games. [JPN Import]
82
Gaming Target
The games show their age despite the enhancements, but at the same time these are still quality old-school RPG’s that set the stage for the future success of the Final Fantasy brand.
80
RPG Fan
Simple, old school fun. Neither game is horribly complex, nor are they the epitome of handheld roleplaying. What this compilation is, however, is what gamers wanted back in 2003: Final Fantasy Origins to be portable.
80
GBA Central
An essential RPG purchase on the GBA. Yes the games are dated by todays standards, however, the high quality updates to the music and visuals go a long way to remedying this, and even with relatively simplistic gameplay, Final Fantasy 1 and 2 are vintage turn based RPGs at their very best.
80
G4 TV
Despite their simplicity, there’s a lot depth here, and even those that don’t remember their original incarnations will find a lot to like here.
80
eToychest
Simply too good an opportunity to ignore. Newcomers will enjoy exploring two of the best RPGs on the Game Boy Advance, and veterans will love experiencing the best of their features without the worst of their flaws.
80
Next Level Gaming
They took a classic game and added some nice features without damaging the core too much.
80
GamerFeed
Despite their age, these two classics are still quite playable thanks to various tweaks, which include the ability to save anywhere, additional dungeons, and new storylines.
80
GameCube Advanced
These games aren't as flashy as current greats like "Golden Sun," but they are solid old-school RPG's and great in their own right.
80
GameSpy
Even by GBA standards, Final Fantasy I and II are primitive RPGs. However, if you can overlook their simple graphics and cliché-driven stories, the gameplay holds up remarkably well.
78
Just RPG
While neither storyline is particularly grand, they manage to still be pretty enjoyable.
78
Games Radar UK (Pre-2006)
If you loved them the first time, and want to savour the ghosts of RPGs past, then this is for you. Everyone else will probably give up after the first half hour. [NGC]
78
GameBiz
Yes, the games are huge, but they don't offer much replayability at all, much like all RPGs. Dawn of Souls deserves its 78% though, as you're definitely getting your money's worth if you've never played the early Final Fantasy games before.
72
GameSpot
The compilation here offers a lot of role-playing bang for your buck, and though each game shows its age a bit, the combined package is still worthwhile for old-school RPG fans and patient neophytes.
72
Inside Gamer Online
Those who missed out on "Final Fantasy Origins" can go ahead and pick this game up. However, unless you have a lot of patience, you can easily be turned off by the slow pacing and excessive random battles the games have.
72
Da Gameboyz
Sure, the graphics and gameplay are not over the top, but this is classic Square...what is left to say.
71
WHAM! Gaming
Given today’s evolution in RPG’s (even for handheld RPG’s), I find it hard to believe this compilation will hold the attention of newer gamers for longer then 15 minutes. Any old school players out there with a GBA however will get plenty nostalgic with this duo of games.
70
Armchair Empire
The music is amazing.
70
Gamestyle
Doesn't offer much more than genre traditionalism in the wake of its contemporaries, but it's a nostalgic look back at how this fantastic series started, and has enough hours of playtime locked away to make it more than worthwhile.
70
My Gamer
FF1 & 2 had potential with its classical turn-based fighting, but Square-Enix just left it a mediocre "enhanced" port.
70
1UP
These aren't really the best RPGs on the system. But they're historic games, and they've been buffed up to the best they'll ever be, so if you're a fan of the genre, it's a nice little package you'd do well to check out.
67
Nintendophiles
While the graphics (or lack thereof) may be a turn off, solid gameplay and storylines free from excessive details help keep Dawn of Souls from derailing like so many RPGs out there today.
60
GameDaily
Though they may lack the depth and complexity of the modern games they inspired, Final Fantasy 1 & 2 are still quite enjoyable, and definitely worth playing if you're a fan of RPGs.
50
EuroGamer
Certainly one of the more passable products of the recent retro-gaming fad, but packaged up in the guise of a modern RPG - without the decency of the NES Classics range in terms of admitting to its own clapped-out state - it's going to be a major disappointment to most who pick it up.
40
Cheat Code Central
Aside from those tree huggers that cling to "classics," the average gamer of today would have little use for such long, drawn out RPGs that just simply can't compete with today's RPGs. There's a reason the RPGs are really popular now and that's because they've evolved from what they were.
Joe T. gave it a9: Jack B. gave it an8: Kris K. gave it a9: David S. gave it an8: Ann S. gave it a10: Austin W. gave it a7: D-izzle jony gave it a8: |
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