Chronicling the completion of the backlog, one game at a time.

This is Coffee from Games with Coffee, and welcome to Backlog Busting! As the tagline above says, I’m writing about the games in my backlog that I’ve completed. I’ll share what I enjoyed, what I didn’t, and whether or not it was worth my time and investment. At the end, I’ll share a Busting Grade – an aggregate rating made up of four categories: Length, Difficulty, Replay Value and Fun Factor. Scoring explanations will be found at the end of the post for reference.

The ninth game I’m covering is Final Fantasy III Pixel Remaster for the Nintendo Switch as part of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster Collection. I finished this game in early 2024. Let’s dig into the report.

Tale of Two Brothers

When first released in 1991, Final Fantasy IV (or Final Fantasy II in North America) would mark the start of Square Enix’s (then Squaresoft) Renaissance period. Taking cues from Final Fantasy II’s story-driven narrative, Final Fantasy IV weaves a epic tale that focuses on themes of redemption, the nature of good and evil and the strength of family bonds. From Cecil’s transformation into a Paladin, to Tellah’s suicidal mission of vengeance and the shocking revelation of Golbez’s identity, Final Fantasy IV was unlike anything that came before it. It tells a mature story in dramatic fashion, introduces memorable characters and adds new mechanics to its battle system. I speak specifically of the Active Time Battle system – a system that would continue to define the series for decades to come.

I first played this as part of the Final Fantasy Chronicles 2-disc compilation for the PlayStation. My younger brother actually got first crack at it (I chose to play Chrono Trigger instead, also a first for me), and it has since become one of his favourite Final Fantasy titles. Despite its dated looks and simple mechanics, the game itself hooked me from the get-go with its thrilling, twist-filled story, expansive world and high difficulty. Seriously, Final Fantasy IV was HARD. It more than earns its reputation as one of the more grindier Final Fantasy games.

Since then, Final Fantasy IV has seen a few remakes and a (mediocre) sequel. The DS version stands out as being one of the most intensive grind-fests in JRPG history. Not only is it as notoriously difficult as the DS version of Final Fantasy III, it also requires three playthroughs and tons of grinding for extremely rare items. All of which lead to some insane superbosses, like Proto-Babil.

The Pixel Remaster version pares Final Fantasy IV down to its base form as it was back in 1991. No extra dungeons, no insane grind-fests and no superbosses; just the game as it was released and nothing else. Like the others in the series, Final Fantasy IV receives a fresh coat of pixelated paint, a revised translation and a remastered soundtrack.

Busting Report

Pros:

A 1:1 conversion of the original game; it’s exactly as you would remember it from ’91.
A memorable soundtrack that’s beautifully remastered. And you can play using the original soundtrack too!
Difficulty remains the same, but EXP/Gil boosts make it easier to level and purchase equipment.
Two words: Auto. Battle. Auto Battle removes the mundanity of random encounters.
Auto saves and the ability to quick save anywhere means less risk of losing all of your hard earned work.
Art gallery and Music player make for neat extras.

Cons:

The modern font is barely readable on the handheld. I do appreciate the retro font, but it could also use some work.
They removed the secret area in the Dwarf’s Castle in the Underworld! While I understand why they did it, I still wish they could’ve kept it. And the secret spicy item within…

Interesting Notes:

Final Fantasy IV is a classic story of good versus evil. It’s aged very well and is easy to get into. The Pixel Remaster version and its boosts make for a quick gameplay experience.
Fun fact: Final Fantasy IV ranks fairly low on my list of favourite Final Fantasy games, despite how much I love it. The only reason why that’s the case is because Final Fantasies 6 to 10 are already up there on my top five.
Even with all the boosts and advantages given, Zeromus is still a pain in the butt to defeat. He wiped out my party on my first go, save for Kain. I had him keep Jumping while Zeromus spammed his two most powerful attacks over and over again without any pause until he, too, ultimately fell. Way past not cool, dude.

Backlog Busting Grade

Length: 3/5

Difficulty: 3/5

Replay Value: 4/5

Fun Factor: 5/5

Busting Grade: B+

The Backlog Busting Grade is an aggregate letter grade made up of four categories: Length, Difficulty, Replay Value and Fun Factor. A high grade means that the game in review is an excellent addition to the backlog. On the other hand, a low grade means that you can choose to pass up on this title if you wish. Honestly though, the grades aren’t meant to be taken seriously – this is just me having fun with clearing my backlog. Your mileage may vary depending on preferences, time commitments, etc.

Each category is given a score out of five. Length measures how long a game took for me to complete. 5 being extremely short (30 minutes – 1 hour) and 1 being extremely long (40+ hours). Difficulty is self-explanatory – 5 for being very easy and 1 for being very hard. Replay Value scores how likely I’ll return to play again. 5 for most likely and 1 for never touching it again. And Fun Factor measures how much fun I had with the title. 5 for lots of fun and 1 for no fun at all.