Not that anyone seems to care, but a 10 year old SFC RPG came out on the GBA in the western world for the first time yesterday, and is planned for a European release by the end of the month. I’m a little shocked that no one’s commented on the game’s release yet. Anyone bought it?
CRESS ALBANE
Well, it just came out yesterday. And seeing as mostly everyone here who knows this game has already played it, there’s not much reason to be excited.
But yeah, I want to hear what you guys think. Just how much did they butcher the script and, most impotantly, has anyone reached Alvanista?
I know enough to know that this sounds horribly wrong.
Sat, I only picked up my copy today, geez. 
This will be a new experience for me, but I’ll be sure to offer my $0.02 later.
Normally people here jump on a thread as soon as a game is released. I’m not going to be able to buy it until tomorrow, so I thought someone would be me to it. >_>
Aww, you finally got to be first, huh?
I didn’t play it. I may buy it but I doubt I will. I haven’t gotten FFIV yet.
I’m holding out for the PSX translation being worked on. 8p I hear the GBA version is somewhere in between the SNES and PSX versions.
fukkin signed
I got it The story seems to be a lot more fleshed out, though as for whether the script is butchered or not… The battles play a lot like those in ToD, and you can’t speed through the EXP and GALD acquisition 
Oh, and talk to Amy(Chester’s Sister) in the beginning. You get something neat 
Yeah, what’s up with that gift?
I’ve only just gotten to Euclid (I’ve been really sick this week), but one thing that’s totally bugged me so far is that the battles are SO laggy! Is this normal?
I saw a friend of mine play it and noticed it was being slow as hell. Blegh.
OKay, so now I have three people in my party but haven’t gone anywhere else. Fun times!
I forgot to ask (and I like to do this now when it’s my first time playing a game that many of my fellow gamers have already played) - do you have any good newbie advice for me?
Same. I even have access to a ISO of the game and a modded PS2, so I’m gonna play it on the teevee whenever it comes out.
There is something but it’s minor: I’m not sure how they’re called in this version, but you must have already found some green herbs that increase stats and some odd bottles with a pink liquid. The bottles are limited right now, but you’ll be able to buy them later on. Their function is to reveal the identity of unknown items (Those that look like a sheet of paper with a ? on them) and, more importantly, improve other items.
To make it short: save the herbs until you get to Alvanista so you can improve them into red herbs, which give you twice the bonus. Once you are there, come back and I’ll tell you how to get a super weapon way sooner than you should.
I usually improve the herbs (that improve a stat by a certain percentage) into their red counterparts until my levels are significantly higher. That way, the %10 gain takes much more effect.
Yeah, the speed of battles was what I was refering to when I said they were more like ToD’s… I’ve gotten to Alvanista, and am currently saving money for Rune Bottles/Arche’s Spells/Cress’s Techs.
I haven’t used any of those items yet - I thought I’d get a better idea of how things were working before I started spending things like that. Cool deal.
Another question - how much level building, if any, do you guys typically do?
Yeah, take Kagato’s advice with the HP and TP increasing herbs. The others raise 1 point (2 when improved) so you can use them right away.
To be honest, I don’t remember stopping to level*. What I did was train Cless’ (I REFUSE to call him anything else!) skills to be able to use the combos, and I liked to master them as soon as I got them, but that’s it. The best place to level in the game will be available as soon as you get to Alvanista, so again, come back when you reach it.
I case you don’t understand the skill system, I’ll explain it: Combo attacks consist of a technique that mixes two others. You train Cless’ techniques by using them over and over until they reach 100% mastery. You can only use a combo when it’s two base techniques are completely mastered.
Unlike basic techniques that are learned by leveling, combos are obtained from people, chests and the like. I dunno what they are called here, but for a long while, Tiger Teeth (Base Technique) and Mecha Blade (Combo: Psion Bolt+Tiger Teeth) were all I used.
*EDIT: This is, of course, for the reasonable stuff. Lower Moria Gallery is an entirely different story.
I’m thinking of getting this game, but I’m curious if the battles really do lag. Is it really that bad? is it UNPLAYABLE?!?!?! hopefully not, I’m assuming it’s still fun to play.