How Can I Play It?: Final Fantasy V
The most cultish Final Fantasy isn't too tough to track down these days. Here's where to look.
Our "How Can I Play It?" series lays out the best options for legitimately and legally playing the classic games we cover here at Retronauts, ideally on current platforms.
A few weeks ago, we covered Squaresoft's classic Super Famicom role-playing game Final Fantasy V. Even though FFV didn't actually reach the U.S. until the PlayStation era, it's become a fan favorite here; this month, thousands of people are trying to complete the game collectively for charity, and our FFV episode guest Chris Kohler is Kickstarting a book about the game with Boss Fight Books.
The secret is in the game's addictive Job System, which allows players to approach the game in myriad ways; its freedom of empowerment, artful combat balancing, and thoughtful system integration means you can take as maximal or minimal an approach as you like and still finish the game. So how does one go about playing the game in the Year of our Lord 2017? Thankfully, you have a few options... some more appealing than others.
Steam
By far the easiest and most accessible version of Final Fantasy V, the Steam port is technically functional and feature-complete. You may, however, balk at the redrawn graphics and menu interface: They're frankly ugly and cheap-looking compared to the original 16-bit visuals. This began life as a mobile port, and it carries over many artifacts of its origins that don't necessarily make for an ideal PC gaming experience.
iOS/Android
This is the source material for the version that appears on Steam — it even costs the same! — so it comes with the same caveats. The interface on this adaptation feels more natural than on Steam. On the other hand, every mobile game runs the risk of breaking with the next operating system update, so buy at your own risk.
PlayStation Vita/PSP
Sony's portable systems are both capable of playing the PlayStation 1 port of Final Fantasy V. Unfortunately, this version comes with a completely different set of failings than the mobile and Steam port. It features the original Super Famicom game's visuals, but it stretches them to PS1 resolution. Because the game is running under some iffy emulation (technically, three layers of emulation on Vita) it suffers from some absolutely hideous load times. And the game uses an unspeakably poor English-language localization riddled with errors, inconsistencies, and sometimes even total nonsense.
Game Boy Advance
Not currently available at retail
The least compromised U.S. release of the game, Final Fantasy V Advance was actually reprogrammed from the ground up for this version. It includes a revamped English-language script, bonus jobs and materials for the post-game, and it runs smoothly in all but a few scenes. Unfortunately, the audio quality is pretty mediocre. Also, it's no longer available at retail, so you'll have to take your chances on a secondary market seller a la eBay and hope you don't get a pirated version....
CHALLENGE MODE: SNES/GBA hacks
While not entirely legal in the strictest sense of the word, the best way to experience Final Fantasy V is English is to dabble in the grey market. This opens up two great choices for you. First, you can hunt for various fan-made ROM hacks of the original Super Famicom game, which bring that version into English; these conversions lack the bonus material of the remakes, but they're nevertheless the most technically and aesthetically pleasing way to experience FFV. Alternately, you can try out the Sound Restoration patch for Final Fantasy V Advance, which restores proper Super NES-caliber audio quality to the game's music, thus shoring up the GBA remake's greatest weakness (it also mends a few other technical defects). These versions can be played on emulators, on rewritten versions of actual cartridges, or on flash cartridge devices like the Super Everdrive.
Our preference and recommendation is always to support publishers by going with the current commercial releases... but at the same time, the versions of FFV Square Enix has up for purchase at the moment are badly compromised compared to these "illegitimate" versions. We'll leave this decision as a matter to be settled between you and your conscience. However you go it about it, though, you should definitely play Final Fantasy V.
