Surely we can do better than this

Final Fantasy, one of the most revered and influential JRPG franchises in history, saw its 35th anniversary a few days ago. Square Enix chose to celebrate the occasion with something fans have wanted for years: PlayStatio?n 4 and Ninten??do Switch ports of the first six numbered games. This is, of course, great. Sure, the games are arriving in their just-okay Pixel Remaster iterations, but even a just-okay version of Final Fantasy IV on Nintendo Switch is a treat.

The not-so-great part came after the big announcement in the form of the Pixel Remaster physical editions. Square Enix elected to release two Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster collections on physical discs and cartridges �a Standard Edition and an Anniversary Edition. Both editions include all six Pixel Remaster titles, and they're both exc??lusive to the?? Square Enix store.

So what's the catch?

The most glaringly obvious issue with both Pixel Remaster collections is the price. The Anniversary Edition, which includes an art book, a vinyl record, and a set of figurines modeled on different characters, will run you a?? princely $259.99 before tax and shipping. Obviously, that's a pretty hefty price tag, but it comes with a load of bonuses, and the collector's market has long made its peace with obscenely expensive exclusives.

For the rest of us, there's the Standard Edition, which is priced at a much more reasonable $74.99. Spending $75 on a single disc or cartridge will always be a bit of a tough sell, but you've gotta remember that these are five of the greatest JRPGs ever made, plus Final Fantasy II. Could the price go lower? Sure. But as long as it doesn't go any higher, it's fine, right? Well... standard shipping is $23.99, bringing the cost up to nearly $100 for the standard option. That means?? the cost of shippin??g alone could buy you two of these games digitally.

What about the other catch?

As I mentioned before, both of these collections are exclusive to the Square Enix store. That means they're both subject to a somewhat archaic forced-scarcity drop process. Both editions have wildly oscillated between in and out of stock over the last co??uple of days, with restocks occurring seemingly at random. If you see them in stock, you'll probably need to make a split-second decision on whether you're ready to drop a few hundred bucks or not.

Severely limiting production like this is always a fairly annoying business practice, but it's usually one aimed at more niche audien??ces. The most widely celebrated franchise in Square Enix's stable deserves a more standard-wide release without all the headaches and price hikes.

Of course, it's hard to be entirely upset about any of this. Lots of fans, myself included, have been itching to get the first six Final Fantasy games on modern platforms for years. For all my personal qualms with the Pixel Remaster series, I'm still going to buy all of these ga?mes (digita?lly) for the millionth time. But as someone who likes to have physical editions of my favorite games on my shelf, I can't help feeling bad every time I think about the way Square Enix has handled this rollout.

I'm used to slimy and ill-advised release strategies for niche special editions, but seeing the Standard Edition for a Final Fantasy release receive this sor??t of ?treatment just bums me out.

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A legacy foretold

Square Enix, confirming recent whispers, has officially announced that the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series will be released on PS4 and Nint??endo Switch platforms in the sprin??g of 2023, following on from the titles' previous release on PC and mobile platforms back in 2021.

The Pixel Remaster series contains the first six mainline titles from the iconic RPG franchise, with each release featuring crisp, HD visuals, overhauled controls, a redesigned U.I., and several quality-of-life features. In addition, each game's memorable score has been composed by the series' veteran maestro Nobuo Uematsu. The series includes Final Fantasy I-VI, dating all the way back to 1987.

Square Enix announced that the six games will be available to purchase digitally as a bundle or as separate releases. In addition, two physical releases were also announced as Square Enix store exclusives. Unfortunately, given the late-night timing of the official announcement, these editions essentially sold out while many fans were in slumberland. A "waiting list" for a $75 Standard Edition and a $260 Anniversary Edition is now available on the Square Enix Store, and hopefully, both titles will be restocked.

The Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series affords players the opportunity to witness the birth of a l??egend, readily available on modern platforms and looking better than ever before. Porting these classic RPGs to PlayStation and Switch platforms only further ensures that a little bit of gaming history can be retold to younger audiences, setting the stage for the litany of incredible adventures?? to come.

Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series launches ??on PS4 and Nintendo Switch spring 2023.

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Square Enix responds to fans who noted that train wasn't flipping right

The Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster arrives this month, adding a new coat of paint to a classic. And like with any classic, fans will notice if something's amiss, big or small. In thi??s case, it was a train.

Square Enix recently shared a clip of the Phantom Train fight taken from the Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster on Twitter. It has Sabin, Shadow, and Cyan running, with the train in hot pu??rsuit. And of course, there is the opti?on to suplex the train with Sabin's Meteor Strike.

//twitter.com/FinalFantasy/statu??s/1492861365802790915

Fans, however, noted that the train was not being flipped upside down as part of the suplex. Sure, Sabin was lifting the Phantom Train clear off the tracks; but where is the flip?

//twitter.com/F??inalFantasy/status/1494350803624247?300

Square Enix posted?? a follow-up, addressing the lack of flip. The video was taken from a pre-release version, and the company says the Meteor Strike will be adjusted in time for launch. Do not fr??et, Sabin's feat of train annihilation will have proper form.

Jokes aside, this is a clear example of the fine details you gotta deal with in remastering a classic. Final Fantasy VI is in the category of games that fans have had ages to pore over and pay attention to every detail. And for good reason: it's a classic. Suplexing a Phantom Train is a classic part of Final Fantasy VI.

So yes, it sounds like the train will get properly suplexed at launch on Feb. 23, 2022.

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The last of the announced Pixel Remasters arrives near the end of the month

The last of the six previously announced Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters has a firm release date. Square Enix confirms that the Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster will go li?ve for Steam and mobile on Feb. 23, 20??22.

With Final Fantasy VI, Square Enix closes out the gradual rollout of the retro remasters it announced last year. The first Final Fantasy up?? through the fifth have all been brought to both Steam and mobile stores, though no console plans have been an??nounced just yet.

//t??witter.com/SquareEnix/status/1491464086382469133

Square Enix had previously moved its plans for the last Pixel Remaster into February 2022 to allow some extra time for polish. The news today came with some screenshots of the Pixel Remaster, so you can see how it turned out??:

The Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster includes updated graphics, a rearranged soundtrack overseen by Nobuo Uema??????????????????????????tsu, a "modernized" UI and auto-battle options, as well as suppl??emental materials.

Considering how well-regard Final Fantasy VI is in the pantheon of Final Fantasy games, it's fair to assume there's some anticipation for this remaster. It also brings the line of Pixel Remasters to a close. And it arrives in the midst of a very, very crowded month of February. Whether this ends up really making waves or not, we'll see. But it is still more Final Fantasy VI.

You can find the Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster on the Steam storefront for $17.99 here.

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The last of the Pixel Remasters is taking some extra time

Five of the six Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters have launched. And for the last one, Square Enix is confirming it needs a little more time. Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster will launch in February 2022.

Square Enix says that in order to bring the "best experience possible," they're allowing the extra necessary time to apply final polish while finishing up the sixth Pixel Remaster. With five Final Fantasies down, Final Fantasy VI remains the final Pixel Remaster to launch, and likely one of the most anticipated given the original's place on ??so many best-of lists.

There are some extras coming too, though. New items are being added to the Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster for those who pre-purchase it or pick up the bundle. These include some Timelapse remixes of songs like "Terra's Theme" and some ?special wallpapers.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=5evm8hjmt8Y

The Pixel Remasters have received a mixed reception, largely due to the font used in them. Though fixes and even a patch have? been implemented, your mileage will vary; but hey, they're also on PC, so mods are always an option.

As for the games themselves, well, the Final Fantasy VI is one of the big ones. Though there have been other ways to play it in the past, from console ports to its SNES Classic appearance, Final Fantasy VI is often heralded as ?one of the best in the series. And with the Steam Deck looming on the horizon, having a faithful pixel version playable on the go certainly has its appeal.

Hopefully we'll have a firm launch date soon, as the month of February is looking pretty dang crowded at this point. Final Fantasy VI Pixel Remaster will be launching in the same month as Horizon Forbidden West, Elden Ring, Sifu, Destiny 2's Witch Queen expansion, and more.

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