Final Fantasy IV
Review by Sky Render

Tagline: The start of the golden era of Final Fantasy.

Graphics - 7/10 (GBA: 8/10)

 FF4 was not really that visually impressive on the SNES.  The visuals were pretty simple and low-color, and it basically just looked like a (highly) upgraded NES game.  The GBA version definitely upped the ante, putting FF4's visuals on par with FF5's.

Sound and Music - 8/10 (GBA: 9/10)

 The tradition of great music continued with FF4, and the SNES having a decent sound processor allowed players to realize just how good the music really was for a change.  The GBA release actually manages to improve upon FF4's songs by using a better instrument map.

Gameplay - 8/10 (GBA: 8/10)

 FF4's gameplay engine isn't perfect, but it's a huge improvement over what came before.  Unlike its predecessors, FF4's engine is masterfully balanced.  Every character has something to contribute to battle (well, except Edward/Gilbert), and there's some definite strategy involved in how you play the game.  It's less flexible than its predecessors (you have no control over your characters' classes or stat growth), but it's still worlds better thanks to the balancing of gameplay.

 The GBA version is pretty much a direct port of the SNES one, with a few added bugs, and the delightful addition of the ability to use anybody you'd like once you reach the end of the game.  On the whole, the GBA version is easier thanks to aforementioned bugs, but it's also more fun thanks to the added party-swapping feature.

Story - 8/10 (GBA: 8/10)

 FF4 marked the series' first successful attempt at a serious story.  While FF2 tried before, it felt a bit under-done.  FF4, on the other hand, sports dramatic cutscenes, interesting dialogue, and epic battles.  Looking back, some of it seems pretty cliche'd now, but at the time it was nothing short of amazing.  The GBA release's story, besides being translated far better, is identical to a T to its SNES counterpart.

Replay Value - 6/10 (GBA: 7/10)

 Here's where the overly linear side of FF4 bites it in the butt.  About all there is to replay FF4 for is the experience of the game's stories and more interesting battles.  With no control over your characters' growth, not much will vary between play-throughs.  The GBA release helps with this a bit by adding in party-swapping at the end, but that's still a lot of game to play to get to the point where it can be new and unique again.

Overall - 7.5/10 (GBA: 8/10)

 An improvement over its predecessors in many ways, FF4 was still not exactly the ultimate FF.  It had limited visuals, linear gameplay, and a story that ended up being a bit on the cliche'd side (if still miles ahead of what came before).  It paved the way for far greater, however.


Pros:
+ Music is great
+ Gameplay is very well balanced
+ Story is pretty interesting

Cons:
- Graphics look a little simple on the SNES version
- Gameplay is very linear, meaning not much replay value
- Story can be a bit cliche'd at times

Target Audience: Fans of turn-based RPGs with epic stories.

Buy or Rent? May as well buy it, I'd say.  It's not perfect, but it's still a damn good game.