For RPG gamers of the 16-bit era, there was no greater event than the release of Final Fantasy VI. I still remember the feeling of anticipation as I waited for its release, and the exhilaration the first time I watched the opening scene. I felt like an amazing adventure was about to start and I was not disappointed.
Does it hold up today? You can find out for yourself. Square Enix just re-released it for iOS devices. Joining the earlier Android version, the iOS version is midway between a faithful port and a re-imagining of the original, with old sprite art replaced with new "HD" versions.
I'm still a little iffy on the new sprites, but maybe that's just nostalgia speaking. At least the sprites for the main characters were personally worked on by Kazuko Shibuya, one of the original game's graphic designers and supervisor of this recreation.
According to a press release from Square Enix, the new version features include:
- FINAL FANTASY VI features intuitive user-friendly controls that make the game easy to play on touch screens. In particular, the battle interface has received a complete overhaul for smartphones.
- The magicites and events that were introduced in the 2006 remake will also make a return. In addition, events have been optimized for user-friendly touch controls.
- Need a hint? Mog will help players who are stuck by telling them what they should do next.
- The album feature will allow players to revisit the story of the game, just in case they missed an event or need to catch up.
- Game data saved with iCloud can now be shared across devices! At home or away, on your iPhone or iPad, pick the play style that's best for you.
Final Fantasy VI for iOS costs $15.99 and is available on the
App Store. You need an iPhone 4S and above, iPad 2 and above, iPod touch 5th generation and above for full compatibility.
