Final Fantasy IV is easily the best of Square Enix's recent hand-held re-releases. The game, originally released for the Super Nintendo in 1991, is a quintessential example of early Final Fantasy storytelling. If recent Final Fantasy games are characterized by narrative bloat, Final Fantasy IV is noteworthy for its lean narrative – one that nimbly leaps from one set-piece to the next. Layered beneath the spare, but epic, plot is a turn-based role-playing mechanic as familiar and comforting as a sweater knitted from coeurl whiskers. The characters and the world make an uneasy leap to three dimensions, but no amount of chunky character models can diminish the underlying strengths of Final Fantasy IV. It's a damn good game that's still as engrossing as ever on the Nintendo DS.

Golbez Domination

If you've experienced one Final Fantasy story you've experienced them all. Final Fantasy IV hinges, once again, on a collection of mystical crystals and the power-mad villain who aims to gather them all and destroy the world. For a slight change of pace, Final Fantasy IV's do-gooder starts off batting for the wrong team. Cecil is a Dark Knight who tires of following the increasingly evil orders of the powers that be. He eventually puts his foot down and parts ways with his foul leadership, vowing to stop Golbez, the guy plotting end of the world. What's special about Final Fantasy IV is the way it gracefully flits from one quest to the next, keeping the adventure fresh and full of drama. There's a revolving door on Cecil's party. Characters come and go at the drop of a leather cap. Some die, making glorious sacrifices. Others drop out in moments of great tragedy, only to return just when you need them the most. In this way, Final Fantasy IV does a masterful job of tying the drama of the story, to actual game play. Players aren't just fighting basilisks; they're grappling with the consequences of Cecil's morphing roster of heroes.

Sprites Begone

The most noticeable and jarring change to Final Fantasy IV comes by way of new, three-dimensional character models. The decision to make this leap feels a bit like planned obsolescence. We're all painfully aware that even the most beloved games of the Nintendo 64 era (The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time, for example) haven't aged well when it comes to their visuals. The chunky, new incarnations of the classic Final Fantasy IV characters look dated coming out of the box. Thankfully, the Precious Moments vibe we saw in Final Fantasy III has been dialed back. Young characters like Palom and Porom are still cute as a button. But adult characters like rotund airship mechanic Cid are allowed to break out of this limiting mold. Cecil, tall and slender in his armor, looks more like The White Duke, David Bowie, than a fearsome Dark Knight.

Tweaks and Geeks

The best changes to Final Fantasy IV are the minor ones. The game is less stingy when it comes to precious items. A new feature rewards players for uncovering every corner of dungeon maps. This tiny innovation does double the work. It provides much needed access to resources and it encourages players to get into more fights. The game encourages and, more importantly reduces, the tedium of grinding by rewarding exploration – an act that, for most of us, is a reward in and of itself. Boss battles feel tougher, requiring players to work up strategies for felling the tougher end-game enemies. And a handful of mini-games allow Rydia, the game's summoner, to customize, train and get into wireless fights with one of her minions. Still, it's the things that Square Enix didn't touch that make Final Fantasy IV worth playing. The game's plot, now over a decade old, weathers well. Rife with in-jokes, running gags and surprisingly effective pathos Final Fantasy IV is one of Square Enix's brightest moments. The game may be light on customization, but it's the first in the long-running Final Fantasy series to have heart.

Review by: Gus Mastrapa