Why Final Fantasy IV PSX Should Come To The US

by Sean Christian Daugherty 

With the utmost respect to Andrew Vestal, I cannot agree with his recent editorial about why the Playstation remix of Final Fantasy IV should not be released in America.

Why do I think this, considering FFIV is my least favorite in the series, and the fact I have already played it (the original Japanese version, at that), several times? Simple: Even the worst Final Fantasy is a lot better than a good majority of other series, and the chance to recieve the intact, uncut version we missed out on in 1992 is a chance that shouldn't be sneezed at.

The recent Ogre Battle and classic arcade remix/rereleases proved gamers won't neccessarily shun a rereleased game, especially when the original is so difficult to find (as FFII has been since SquareSoft's closure).

While it certainly won't sell for the same amount as FFVII, there's no reason it can't do reasonable business, enough to justify it's release.

Likewise, for American gamers, this wouldn't simply just be a "rehash". The original Japanese version is a distinctly different game from the one that was released in America as FFII. The cut battle commands, the redesigned towns (no training houses), the censorship (Tellah's infamous "You spoony bard!", the removal of the Porno Book, and the change of the sickle to a ball), the cutting of half the items in the game, and so on. On top of that, the hideously bad translation could be rectified, making what many consider to be the best RPG ever even better. The game could easily be marketed as an "enhanced, special edition".

Square needn't plan a major release: It's Gameboy games were released with little hoopla, and recently several companies have considered a mail-order only policy, cutting down on production and advertising costs.

Not everyone speaks Japanese, and they shouldn't be made to miss out on this excellent game in a version much closer to it's original, true form. American RPGers finally deserve equal time.