This is probably overdone.

We all know FFVI pretty well by now. I've managed to get ahold of the original Nintendo Player's Guide. That brought back lots of memories from my late teenage years. I wanted to love Grand Finale (the arranged album), I really did. But I had some issues with some of the tracks. And then there is the Advance version. I miss the original Ted Woolsey translation. However, the Dragon's Den and Soul Shrine were interesting challenges. I got through it all.

And the OSV... well what's not to love ? In all honesty, I've collected VGM soundtracks for nearly 15 years... and FFVI is the ONLY one that stood the test of time. Perhaps it may be because I'm already so attached to the original game.

Anyway, this Youtube vid (made by me of course) sums up my thoughts on FFVI overall nicely.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cTDQtPEpNA

Have a look folks (GFX, I'm lookin' at ya) and comment if you so please.

If you love FF6 you should read this:

http://thegamedesignforum.com/features/ … ff6_1.html

It's a long read, but it will make you love the game even more.

Woah !!

This was a great read. Thanks for sharing Now I love FFVI even more than ever

I'm afraid to replay some games from my childhood for fear that they won't hold up to my memories.  Chief among these games are the Square SNES trifecta of Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy III, and Chrono Trigger.  To my mind the three consecutive years in which these games were released represent the zenith of JRPGs, but I wonder if this view would remain intact if I were to reexamine these games today.

Their soundtracks I still listen to, though, and thankfully they are timeless.  Dancing Mad still awes me notwithstanding innumerable listens over the decades.

I'm playing through the DS version of Chrono Trigger right now and it still holds up fantastically.
A great game is a great game.

Need not worry. All three hold up marvelously. Grab some friends for some quality Mana time, then dedicate the weekend to FFIII and Chrono Trigger.

CT has held up fantastically. FFVI a little less so. It's a little embarrassing how easy the game is. Secret of Mana I'll be playing through with a friend when he flies over next month and we're both greatly looking forward to it.

It's amazing that I played this game for the first time about 19 years ago, but am still learning more and more about it as the years ago on. A true masterpiece. Thank you for sharing!

When you mention these three games I've got to chime in because I'm in different places with them:

Final Fantasy VI I played this on the SNES with my friends cart soon after FFVII came out (and I beat it) and I personally thought VI was superior despite not having all the glitz and glam the PlayStation afforded VII. I picked up a near complete copy of III a few years ago and haven't gotten around to it which it just a crime because I haven't played it in years and I definitely want to know if it still holds up in my personal hierarchy. I can't imagine it would suffer a significant fall from grace but unfortunately things sometimes happen when you're away from something so long.... Still, I remember when I was like halfway through the game and my sister took the cart out to play Mario - the battery in my friend's cart was dead so the minute she took it out *poof* and I had to start over.

Chrono Trigger I played this on the SNES when in high school but again had battery issues right when I got to the last boss. I'm not really a big fan of Chrono Trigger but I can see why other people are really taken with it and I started to see it in a better light once I played Chrono Cross. I had the SNES cart at one point about two years ago (for it for a mere $40 when the price was low) but unloaded as I felt someone who felt much more fondness for the game should own it. I don't know if I'll ever play it again but my friends tried to do just that and it just fizzled out for them.

Secret of Mana I have never played this (Legend of Mana is the only one I've played and it's been hurt by the law of diminishing returns beyond the OST) but EVERYBODY that grew up with this want me to buy this thing. However then there are the people that didn't grow up with it that say it's just a nostalgia thing... so I'm really torn on this one. I should probably just borrow it off my friend and try it so I don't risk anything.

I'm sorry about ruining your thread, Dragon God.  I should have realized that mentioning SoM and CT would send the thread off the rails.

Thing about FFVI that's kind of funny. Upon replaying it this summer, I realized how laughably broken it is. It's glitchy and buggy (sometimes game-breakingly so). It wasn't made with anything remotely resembling balance in mind. It's nearly impossible to not break the game using relics and armor.

But honestly, it was such a progressive work, both in terms of narrative and it's aural soundscape that it's hard to fault it for the downsides of its' gameplay. I'd still recommend it for those reasons. FFVI's narrative had balls the size of a small country and attempted things that FF as a series hasn't really even touched since.

No harm done, Rein.

Currently, I've faded off to being a much more casual gamer. There are many days that I simply won't be playing at all. And before I used to play pretty much every day. And FFVI is the one game I could still see myself enjoying in my '50s and later. It's all about the huge roster of characters to play as, the great story, marvelous soundtrack and endless replay value.

And regarding SoM and CT, no matter how many times I tried, I could not stay interested in Secret of Mana. Yet I had spent months on completing Seiken Densetsu 3 in the early 2000s. Figure that one out. With regards to CT... I'd have to say it would be my 2nd pick of a game that I couldn't really tire of for similar reasons with FFVI.

Still kicking myself to having sold my OSVs for SoM and CT all those years ago. Darn it. And the 2nd hand market is becoming ridiculously expensive for NTT prints. Oh well, live & learn I guess.