| Released By | ludmeister |
|---|---|
| Category | Improvement |
| Platform | GBA |
| Patching Information | No Special Requirements |
| Genre | Role Playing |
| Mods | T,GP,Other |
| Patch Version | 3.5 |
| Hack Release Date | 29 August 2012 |
| Readme | Readme File |
| Downloads | 12451 |
| Last Modified | 02 May 2018 |
Description:
This mod aims to improve the gameplay of both Final Fantasy 1 and Final Fantasy 2.
The current download here contains two versions… v2.2 and v3.5 (all other versions are available at the author’s website). Version 2.2 is the most up-to-date version of the mod with Final Fantasy 1’s class change event intact. Version 3.5 does away with the class change completely, allowing the player to choose their party from 12 differing (and some entirely unique) character concepts.
The Final Fantasy 1 mod was originally intended to restore the difficulty of this GBA version of the game to the difficulty of the original NES version, so it can be enjoyed with all of the modern trappings of the GBA version. Version 2.0 was a step beyond the previous one, and was intended to provide enhancements to the gameplay and address user criticisms of version 1.2. Version 2.2, therefore, is mostly a bugfix version.
The ambition behind the Final Fantasy 2 portion of the mod is simple: “unbreak” the character development mechanics. The GBA version already fixed the select-action-cancel-action-and-gain-skill-ad-nauseam bug, but still required players to grind in all the wrong ways. Unlimited actions should increase slower than actions that are limited by mana or resources. I hope I have succeeded in making Final Fantasy 2 play much more smoothly. Secondarily, weapons were much too underpowered in the endgame as enemy defense rendered them mostly useless versus spells. Warrior-heavy and magic-heavy party builds should have the potential to be equally successful.
As putting a full changelog here would make for a needlessly long entry, you can read the readme (link above), or view a comprehensive changelog with screenshots at http://jeffludwig.com.
ROM / ISO Information:
- 1805 - Final Fantasy I & II - Dawn of Souls (UA).gba
- CRC32: 1B39CDAB
- MD5: 5D29999685413C4D2BEC10D3160F6EE6
- SHA-1: 6472695D69661490F78245E2982E1E676C080BE7
- SHA-256: BBAFB77D2BE577CA0A4BFCBEC9FC3004B589F24478EC5E406D61645296449422
Links:
Screenshots:
Credits:
| Contributor | Type of contribution | Listed credit |
|---|---|---|
| ludmeister | Hacking |
Excellent (with update)
Reviewed By: theknowerseeker on 03 Oct 2019(As of the time of this review, version 3.5 is the latest for this hack/mod, so that is the version I’ve played and am reviewing here.)
Man, this is great! I’ve just begun playing this mod (I just won the ship from the pirates), but it’s been a breath of fresh air so far; it has really rekindled my enjoyment of FF I for the GBA. I recommend this mod to any RPG enthusiast, especially FF lovers.
(FYI, I’m playing as a party consisting of a Fighter, a Monk, a Ninja, and a Sage. All are interesting classes: The Fighter gets less hits but does more damage with each hit and can penetrate defenses better, while the Ninja gets more hits with less power but can hit enemies with high evade easier than the Fighter, the Sage is interesting with high intellect and access to all/most spells but virtually no physical fighting power, while the Monk is cool but seems overpowered: He’s a good combination of both the Fighter and the Ninja when unarmed, but he’s also almost as good a caster as the Sage and can dodge almost as well as the Ninja [while unarmored]. I can’t wait to try the other classes….)
Update (10/3/2019): I completed (and mastered) the game. Best. Hack. Ever. Tripled my enjoyment of Final Fantasy I compared to the vanilla (measured by the hours I joyfully sunk into it) and bettered my experience of FF 2. Definitely recommend!
Version 3.5 Recommended - Yes
| Headline | Author | Date | Version | Recommended |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breathes new life into the game! | Necromas | 05 Sep 2020 | 3.5 | Yes |
| Interesting? Yes. Definitive? Ehh... | BlazeHeatnix | 16 Jun 2019 | 2.2 | No |
| Excellent (with update) | theknowerseeker | 03 Oct 2019 | 3.5 | Yes |
| Final Fantasy II for Sane People | ZeLoz (akaBill) | 01 Apr 2015 | 2.2 | Yes |
| A few fresh changes but nothing drastic. | SPennLUE | 06 Apr 2014 | N/A | No |