It amazes me the amount of quality multiplayer games that Nintendo manages to design or attract to itself. From the MARIO PARTY series to SUPER SMASH BROS. MELEE, Nintendo knows that gaming is at its best with a bunch of friends.
But even while the Big N has put out a bunch of great multiplayer titles, it has missed out on the popularity of the FINAL FANTASY series due to a bad falling out with the then Squaresoft. But years later, a timely donation to Square Enix swings the company back into Nintendo's favor, and sets up for the release of FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES the most multiplayer focused of the FINAL FANTASY series to date.
In the game, Miasma has covered the world and is deadly to the inhabitants. Crystals are the only prevention from damage, and large ones protect villages. The problem is, the power of the crystals are diminishing and they must be restored by a substance called Myrrh. Caravans of crystal adventurers set out to find Myrrh trees in order to protect their village for another year.
As far as the story goes, that's about it. There are some scenes that reveal some of the happenings of the world but generally the story is kept to a minimum.
The basic gameplay is action-RPGish, similar to that of ZELDA, although not as smooth. Each character has a command list that can be rotated through with the shoulder buttons. Items can be mapped to the command list, as well as magic and the obligatory attack and defense. Magic and Focus attacks are used by holding down A, and then targeting the enemy.
The combat is fairly simple and works well in the game. There is also the element of the chalice, an excellent concept that is pulled off well in gameplay. The chalice holds the myrrh and a small crystal that forms a bubble for the party. In single-player mode a moogle holds it for you.
As you move around the world, you'll fight bigger
A screenshot from FINAL FANTASY: CRYSTAL CHRONICLES.
© Nintendo
In multiplayer, these artifacts help to add some competition to a highly cooperative game. Each player has an objective going into the dungeon such as using focus attacks, not healing yourself, etc. The person who performs the best will get first pick of the treasures.
This brings up the game's most important issue, the multiplayer aspect. Each player must use a Game Boy Advance and Game Boy Advance/GameCube Link Cable to get in on the action. This is due to the fact that bringing up the menus would disrupt the gameplay. Also, to enhance cooperativeness, each player has their own portion of the radar on their screen but no other player can see that section. In addition, someone has to hold the chalice, making for some interesting communication. Each Game Boy Advance speaker can yield warnings to the other players as well.
In the one-player mode, spells found in dungeons can be fused together, but in multiplayer, players have to work together. This is done by timing different spells on the same target. Unleashing Fire and Blizzard on a Gargoyle will cause Gravity, grounding it, and making it easy for a fighter in your party to kill it. There are other combos like Life and Fire (Holy), and Cure and Cure (Cura, or if timed perfectly, Curaga) and the same goes for the other spells.
Ultimately, the multiplayer is the best reason to play the game. It's not worth it for the one-player alone, rather for the great experience with a group. Thankfully, the Game Boy Advance to GameCube ratio in the world is tilted heavily in the GBA's favor, so this shouldn't be too hard.
Graphically CRYSTAL CHRONICLES has a whimsical look that fits it beautifully. Gamers will equate the look of the game most with FINAL FANTASY IX and FINAL FANTASY XI. It has a beautiful style that is executed perfectly. The effects are also top-notch. The camera, despite being fixed, also works very well the only problem is when boss characters get between it and the chalice.
The sound is also quite good, with great music, and excellent sound effects. A female voice over introduces each new level, and it adds a nice touch to the game.
CRYSTAL CHRONICLES is different from your typical FINAL FANTASY game, but it's well worth a purchase as long as you find three buddies to play with. Even if you say you can't, take out a personals ad, hang out and badger people at your game shop, or even go door-to-door so you can experience this four-player bliss.
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