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Back to Square IV (Final Thoughts): Platypus Nostalgia

This post has been a long time in coming, interrupted as it has been by moves and surgeries. By now, I have completed two trips through the Steam port of the DS reboot of Final Fantasy IV (America FFII). This was a touchstone game for me, though perhaps not so much as Final Fantasy I and VI (America FFIII). It certainly cemented my love of RPGs and particularly anything put out by Square in the old days. On the level of nostalgia, then, Final Fantasy IV was a hit. There were so many things that I had forgotten that the game was full of the pleasure of rediscovery both times through. My play style has certainly evolved over the years and I enjoyed being able to make better use of the spells and items available to move my characters through the game without all the endless level grinding that marked my younger days. In particular, I took a page out of Sun Tzu and decided to feed off the enemy by having Rydia repeatedly cast Stop and then getting my MP back through Osmose while the boys finished off the incapacitated threat and Rosa used Pray. This saved me multiple trips through the final Lunar dungeon. I enjoyed the story both times through though I'm old enough now to detect the blatant misogyny that mars parts of the game and had no place in an updated version. That aside, the adventure was compelling enough to reward a second play-through in less than a year. In the meantime, I've moved on to the tablet port of Final Fantasy II. As my thoughts develop, I'll let you know about them right here at Platypus of Truth.

Prior posts in this series can be found here, here, and here.
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