Tag Archives: Square Enix

Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy Marathon, Videos

Final Fantasy Marathon: High-Intensity Stat Training – Final Fantasy II #21

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Sometimes, you know you’re just not up to the job. And you know that you have two choices at that point: give up, or work hard to overcome the obstacles in your path.

Minwu and company decide to take the latter path. Interestingly enough, they manage to take down Ultima Weapon with relatively little difficulty, but as soon as they set foot in the strange inverted form of Pandaemonium, they get their arses kicked again.

Clearly some training is in order. And in Final Fantasy II land, I’m sure you know what that means. Let’s get it over with!

Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy Marathon, Videos

Final Fantasy Marathon: Give Me Strength – Final Fantasy II #20

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It isn’t easy being dead, as Minwu, Scott, Josef and Ricard have been discovering in their afterlife adventures.

I’d heard before starting that the Soul of Rebirth postgame scenario could be a bit grindy if you hadn’t prepared the characters beforehand in the main game… but, well, I didn’t prepare the characters beforehand in the main game, so guess what we have to get cracking with?

Still, it’s interesting to be challenged by this game again — particularly with a new lineup of characters that I’m having to figure out the best way to make use of.

Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy Marathon, Videos

Final Fantasy Marathon: Soul of Rebirth – Final Fantasy II #19

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With Final Fantasy II down for the count, it’s time to move on… to Final Fantasy II’s postgame story, originally added in the Game Boy Advance version.

Soul of Rebirth, as it is called, casts you in the role of all the characters who died in the main narrative, and invites you to check out what they’re getting up to in the afterlife. And, indeed, to discover that one can still get one’s ass well and truly kicked even if one is already dead.

Soul of Rebirth is hard. But we’re not giving up, no siree — we’re seeing this thing through to its conclusion, however long it takes!

Final Fantasy II, Videos

Final Fantasy Marathon: Pandaemonium – Final Fantasy II #18

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Today, we beat Final Fantasy II once and for all! Well, apart from the Soul of Rebirth story added in the GBA version, of course, but we’ll deal with that when we come to it.

We have a couple of significant obstacles in our path though: the Jade Passage and Pandaemonium dungeons! The latter in particular is quite easy to get lost in, as I find out to my great cost… but it does at least have some rather tasty treasure to enjoy if you happen to stumble across it.

Pack a lunch, sit down and enjoy, as we take the fight to the Emperor and attempt to save the world from invasion by Hell itself!

Final Fantasy VII Remake

Final Fantasy VII Remake: The Future is a Blank Page

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To say that the Final Fantasy VII Remake project was hotly anticipated is something of an understatement.

Ever since the run-up to the PlayStation 2 launch, where one of the promotional videos showed a cutscene from Final Fantasy VIII apparently being rendered in real time by the new system, fans have been wondering what would happen if one of the world’s most beloved RPGs were ever to get remade.

Well, we’re starting to get some answers now… and a whole bunch of questions, too. Let’s explore!

Spoilers for both the original FFVII and FFVII Remake (yes, there are differences) ahead.

Continue reading Final Fantasy VII Remake: The Future is a Blank Page →

Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy Marathon, Videos

Final Fantasy Marathon: The Arcane Labyrinth, Part 1 – Final Fantasy II #15

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And so we come to Final Fantasy II’s endgame. Before we jump in to the final dungeons to take down the Emperor once and for all, it’s time to go ultimate weapon hunting!

In Final Fantasy II for PSP, this process involves running the Arcane Labyrinth’s three “keeps”, then heading to the Arcane Sanctuary and hoping you did everything correctly.

Today we get started on the first step of that process. Much like the bonus dungeons in Final Fantasy for PSP, this isn’t going to be an entirely straightforward ride!

Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy Marathon, Videos

Final Fantasy Marathon: Reunion – Final Fantasy II #14

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With the Emperor defeated, what’s next? Take down the Dark Knight, of course, since he clearly reckons himself well-equipped to lead the world.

Naturally, it’s not quite that simple. A merry jaunt into the depths of Palamecia to track down said Dark Knight results in an unexpected reunion with an old friend… and the setup for the grand finale of Final Fantasy II.

That is, after we take care of some business in the Arcane Labyrinth next time around, of course…

Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy Marathon, Videos

Final Fantasy Marathon: For the Emperor – Final Fantasy II #13

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Could Firion and company’s quest finally be coming to an end?

Today, the crew dive right into the deadly Cyclone that is hovering menacingly just outside the walls of Fynn — and discover an ominous-looking fortress within. Is the Emperor inside?

Yes, of course he is — and no, of course their adventure isn’t over yet. But that doesn’t mean they can’t spend a little time celebrating a job well done… at least, until…

Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy Marathon, Videos

Final Fantasy Marathon: A Complete Waste of Time – Final Fantasy II #12

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We all make mistakes. And when you do, it’s best to own them, learn from them and try to see the best of the situation.

Like today, when I completely forgot where the place Firion and company needed to go next was, and thus spent nearly an hour doing entirely the wrong thing. I acknowledge that I did a stupid thing, but I can also draw a positive from it. I now know where the mirror is, and I had the opportunity to level Ultima a bit.

Although given my subsequent discovery that Ultima is a white magic spell and I gave it to my black mage… well, that’s a story for another day, I guess.

Final Fantasy II, Final Fantasy Marathon, Videos

Final Fantasy Marathon: Ultimania – Final Fantasy II #11

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Today’s Final Fantasy II adventure sees Firion and friends continuing their ascent up the Mysidian Tower, one-shotting bosses along the way.

At the tower’s peak, the elusive Ultima Tome, source of a magic spell that didn’t work properly in the original Famicom version of the game — and the first appearance of a spell that would become a series mainstay from hereon.

But wait, isn’t that Minwu? Wasn’t he in the fourth party slot for a wh– oh.