JRPG Journey 2020: Final Fantasy Adventure [“Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden”] (Autumn Bonus Game)
October’s game: Romancing SaGa 2
November’s games: Final Fantasy X and Final Fantasy X-2
Final Fantasy Adventure, a.k.a. Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden, a.k.a. “Secret of Mana 0” is the first game in the Mana (or Seiken Densetsu) series, released in 1991 for the Game Boy. Unlike its similar English namesake, Final Fantasy Legend (also for the Game Boy and part of the SaGa series), this game was originally intended to be part of the Final Fantasy universe, or at least, it includes some elements from Final Fantasy, such as chocobos (Final Fantasy Legend, on the other hand, was only given the “Final Fantasy” monker in the West, in an attempt to capitalize on the franchise’s growing popularity after the Western releases of Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy IV (originally called Final Fantasy II in the West—it’s all quite confusing, no?).
Final Fantasy Adventure is a rather short action RPG, but I can nonetheless see why many consider it a classic. Although I reviewed Secret of Mana back in August, I actually played this title first, as I prefer to play each new game series in order of release, whenever feasible. I’m glad I made that choice, since Final Fantasy Adventure absolutely holds up today and is a joy to play.
In all, Final Fantasy Adventure (FFA) is quite similar to its more well known sequel, with the biggest difference (aside from the more basic visuals and music) being the way the weapon charge mechanic works. Here, the charge bar takes a much longer time to charge, so it’s essentially useless for a good half of the game or more, at least the way I played. Normal attacks in FFA deal plenty of damage to get you through most combat situations, which is a stark contrast to its sequel, where normal attacks are next to useless, and you almost always want to wait for a full charge. In FFA, that’s just not feasible until you’ve leveled up enough to where the bar charges at a quick rate, and I didn’t find myself using charged attacks much until the very end of the game. It was a shock the first time I picked up Secret of Mana (SoM), and I grew to rather enjoy the way FFA’s system worked, and I almost wish they had kept it the same. While both systems are fun in their own right, I prefer FFA’s mechanics just a bit more. It forces you to attack more quickly and more often, making for faster-paced, hack-and-slash style combat as compared to the careful, timing-based approach required in almost all fights in SoM—until magic becomes broken in that game, anyway. Thankfully, unlike in SoM, magic in FFA is not overpowered, but it’s still often useful, and I found the balance to be, frankly, sublime. This is a great combat system, and I wish there were more games like it. (Perhaps Trials of Mana brings this back? I have yet to play that game, the third in the series, but at risk of spoilers, it’s on my list for 2021.)
I mentioned the music and visuals are more basic, but that’s by no means a detriment. Final Fantasy Adventure’s music is great and fits the game perfectly while playing it, although I’ll admit it’s a bit forgettable now that I’m a few months out from having played it. The same is true for the sound effects and visuals, but unlike some games from the early Game Boy era, it’s still very playable today, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it. Beyond that, there’s not much more to say. Final Fantasy Adventure is a very simple game that delivers a lot of fun, yet never feels too easy nor too hard. It’s the perfect Game Boy game, and one I wish I had played all the way back in my early days of lugging my Game Boy around everywhere I went.
I hope you enjoyed this bonus review for autumn—see you next time with another regularly scheduled game review—Final Fantasy X! (…and possibly X-2 as well? Stay tuned.)
