Let's Play: FF1

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Hey guys, it's time for me to replay the original Final Fantasy. The "create your own parties" thread got me jonesin' for it.

This time, I'm going to let you all play the game vicariously through me, and keep a log of my adventure, like they do in the forums at some other website. Either it'll be fun and entertaining and will get a lot of people talking about FF1, or it'll be a nightmare where I am cruelly and mercilessly subjected to the most asinine and/or impossible playstyles imaginable.

First order of business: which version to play? I have the NES version and the GBA version. I'm eager to get started tonight.

Depends. How quickly would you like your 99 potions?

NES, it's really an adventure that way, the GBA version sucks and it's too easy, there would be no point in keeping a log about it.

Man, is that even a question? NES version with the sound off - that menu noise will drive a man to kill. But yeah, the GBA version is just dull - I played it about 2 years ago and just couldn't enjoy it.

Yeah, the only true version is the NES version.

Play the emulated NES edition, for easy screenshottin'.

I have both but it isn't clear what the diffs are between the two? Anyone want to explain?

If you do the GBA one you can play it all over and such which will make it go faster which means you'll post more here and we'll follow you more closely...

If it's broken though...

not a bad idea! Can we (or Gamespite) get in trouble for endorsing emulation?

The GBA version dumbed the difficulty down too much, meaning that there's not a lot of strategy or challenge involved. I suppose that means less grinding, too, but it's not like the game is particularly long no matter how you slice it.

Brick, do an all Black Mage* run! Do it for me!


*I keep typing Black Mange by mistake, which I find hilarious.

Damn it! this is going to make me buy that PSP version I've been avoiding...

NES. Or if you're feeling really masochistic you could play through the Japanese MSX version through emulation.

Do we post party suggestions here too? I put my vote in for at least one thief, if only because he becomes a ninja. Fuck it, do a whole clan of ninjas.

The original Menu Screen music shows up constantly in my dreams whenever I'm gravely ill. That's not a good sign.

I think I convinced myself I liked the FF1&2 games for the GBA, back when I was playing them. But I think back to FF1, and try to come up with a justification for it, and I'm coming up short. Even the bonus dungeons were kinda plodding and tedious. I did enjoy the updated visuals and music, though.

Oh, wait, there is one thing. I certainly enjoyed not running into a party of nine Sorcerers (Mindflayers) after beating Tiamat in the Temple of Fiends, and therefore not being instantly paralized and instantly killed by them.

If you play the NES version, you must name your Fighter and Thief DIRK and TARK. That's what I named them when I was 11.

I'm guessing that's the next order of business after Brick decides how he is going to play it

I'm going for the traditional fighter, theif, wht mage, blk mage party... or is that too boring? If so an all red mage party!

NES!

This makes me want to dig out my Nintendo Power strategy guide.

Yes! I have that guide! But guys, I can't go back to the Nes version when I know how pretty the PSP version is...

But is the gameplay the same?

Best compromise is the PS1 version, then. Pretty visuals, not all broken gameplay-wise.

And I could play it through Remote Play...

Only if you play on Hard.

"Normal" (or is it Easy) is the same broken version they used on GBA.

Looks like the NESes have it. That's good, because my last three replays have been on DoS.

I'd rather play it on the console if possible. I do have an A/V-in thing for my computer that I can rig up, but playing it in my computer chair is not desireable. But I DID get paid today -- think I can swing by Radio Shack and buy some kind of A/V splitter to run it to both my TV and my computer? That way I can play in comfort, but jump up and screenshot it when something cool happens.

If that turns out to not be feasible but you cats really want the screenshots, well... ARRRRRR matey. I'll take one for the team.

Since I'm playing the NES version, I shall from here on out use the NES terminology exclusively.

Sounds like two party suggestions are Bl.MAGE x4 and NINJA x4. These were actually my two most recent plays! (Well, actually THIEF x4, I wanted to clear all the bonus dungeons without any magic.) I've never done either on the NES though.

Before we decide what party I play and what their names are, we'll have to decide how I pick from amongst all the suggestions. I've only got four slots after all. Ideas? I think the fact that I'll end up with at least one Light Warrior named TOMM is pretty much a foregone conclusion.

What about 4x Red Mage? That's the party my buddies and I used back in the day.

I second this

My only argument for the PSP version is that it will be easy for me to play it at work. There is no Wi-Fi access in my office, so all my FF game play woud be confined to my home.

Run your playthrough on Justin.TV.

or niconico.

How about 3 Red Mages and 1 Fighter - would that work?

I never played FF1 so feel free to discard my suggestion.

If it's a party, someone has done a run with it. (Which is to say no suggestion is impossible.)

I can't recall, so it might be different for the NES version, but I always found that the Black Mage was pretty crummy by the end game, since attack magic amounted to little more then wagging an admonishing finger at the enemies (mine was seriously doing more damage with a physical attack then he was with Flare).

Consequently, I go for Fighter, White Mage, Red Mage and Thief. Also, the Thief is always called Rob. It's puns like that that make me want to go on.

For the record the only run I've ever been unsuccessful with is solo THIEF. Until ASTOS the run is just a harder version of solo FIGHTER, but THIEF simply cannot do enough damage to ASTOS before he gets a RUB spell off. Grinding levels isn't even a serious option because the monsters start running from you after you get upwards of L30.

It is possible with insane amounts of luck (you need to get enough critical hits to kill ASTOS while evading his RUB spell) but I didn't have the patience to push through it. I have completed the other solo runs though, after LICH they are all pretty much the same.

3 thiefs and a wht mage?

Holy shit dude this game is like your martial art.

Is there a tipping point in a solo game where it becomes easier?