10 Video Games That Only Get Better With Age

3. Final Fantasy IV

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IT12DW2Fm9M Many of gaming's most celebrated franchises solidified their place in gamers' hearts during the 1990's, and of all these franchises, it is difficult to top the incredible breadth of gaming goodness that Square Soft delivered with their beloved Final Fantasy franchise. The original Final Fantasy had been out in Japan on the Famicom since 1987, but however, it didn't make it's way west until 1990. Over the course of the next decade, nine numbered entries in the main series, as well as a number of spin offs would be released on Nintendo's consoles as well as the Sony Playstation. Each game in the series was quite stylistically distinct from the one that came before, despite retaining certain sets of core features that bore the uniqueness of the Final Fantasy name. While Final Fantasy quickly became an influential series since its inception, it is a widely-accepted opinion that it is when the fourth game in the series was released that Final Fantasy truly became great. Releasing on the 16 bit Super Famicom, and later on the Super Nintendo (where it was renamed Final Fantasy II, as the real Final Fantasy II and III had never been released in the West, making it only the second game in the series to appear outside of Japan) Final Fantasy IV was a revelation. Never had a RPG on home consoles looked so good, sounded so good, and had such a large scope. The game introduced the Active Time Battle system, which was hugely influential, and each character was locked into a character class, forcing players to utilize strategy in the party-based battles like never before. Where Final Fantasy IV really stood out, though, was with its epic story, and it is Final Fantasy IV's story that keeps the game relevant and fresh today. Video games has never seen story like this. In the first 5 minutes of the game, you witness Cecil, Dark Knight of the Red Wings and the character you control throughout the entire game, slaughter a group of innocent villagers who are protecting a powerful crystal. It is a very poignant, shocking moment even today, but in 1991-1992, it was downright disturbing. These types of things didn't happen in video games up until that point. From that moment on, an epic tale of redemption unfolds over the next 60 or so hours that you spend with the game. Characters you grow to love are taken from you, sometimes violently. There are moments of deceit and treachery. But there are also moments of glory, laughter, and utter bliss. It is, quite simply, one of the greatest stories ever told in the medium. I remember very clearly, after beating the game for the first time, realizing that video games had changed as of that moment. They were now capable of so much more than they had ever been. The legacy of Final Fantasy IV has endured and is clearly evident throughout the world of gaming, as it is one of the most reissued and remade video games out there. Most recently, an excellent 3D remake appeared for the Nintendo DS in 2008 (see the trailer above), and 2011 brought an enhanced edition of the original sprite-based version to the Sony PSP, which can be downloaded from the PSN onto the Vita as well. Final Fantasy VII may be the most influential game in the series, and Final Fantasy VI may be the most beloved, but it is Final Fantasy IV that was the real game-changer, and remains one of the most playable games in the series to this day. It's not perfect. A bit of grinding may be required (don't even try to fight the final boss unless your at, or close to, level 60!) and some of the more minor scripted moments in the game go on a little longer than they should, but it's a small price to pay for the great experience that comes with this game. Cecil and company's journey to save the world, as well as his soul, is a tale for the ages.