Much like Tactics Advance, Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls are my real first entries to the FF franchise, and what a way to begin the franchise!
The Dawn of Souls collection port builds off the overlooked Wonderswan color version of both games. For example, it changes FF I's Advance Dungeon & Dragons style of spell charges in the original NES/Famicom port, to having a more traditional FF MP pool system, and also fixes the known auto fight failure after attacking an already perished enemy. But in turn, enhances it with brand new optional dungeons FF I, and a new "inter-quel" scenario for FF II.
Final Fantasy I is (very appropriately) an excellent starting point for the Franchise, as many main-stay elements are present in this very first game: the job systems with the ability to level them up with a side-quest item, four elemental crystals as plot points, and the use of an airship as the ultimate form of transportation, to count a few.
FF I's replayability is immense as you can choose your starting job/class of your four party members which ever you please, an OP party of 4 Warriors? Sure! A class of 2 white mages and 2 black mages, if you have an appetite for destruction and manage to buff and debuff enemies (with the funds for ethers), go for it! The choice is yours to make.
While it's story albeit simple, with a prophecy of 4 warriors of light destined to restore the dying the elemental crystals, it's the journey that counts, with an interesting ending, that I won't spoil it for you.
FF I is made even better with the introduction of the optional Elemental Shrine Dungeons, opened after restoring each four elemental crystal. If you think FF I is on the easier side, try completing these Dungeons after restoring their respected crystals. What's great it that you can visit them anytime you want even after completing them, all treasures will be reseted after teleporting/exiting/finishing these dungeons, a very good way to farm many uncommon or even rare items!
Final Fantasy II is a recommended try. The story is a more poignant here than in FF I, with a more focused story of Orphaned Rebels against an ever so powerful Empire.
The game mechanics draws inspiration to the Wizardy series of games where all the party's stat are determined from gameplay, ie: max HP is boosted when the party member in question tanks a lot of hits, same goes for MP when casting spells, or the proficiency of weapons increases with every successful hits it has been made. This stats levelling mechanic can however be easily exploited by just attacking/healing the party itself. Never the less, FF II express player liberty by not subjugating the party members into their archetypes, much like later FF games or any other JRPGs that has a near limitless party customisation.
The game also has a lexicon game mechanic, where highlighted words can learned and asked to a majority of NPCs, it's intended so that you can get info into progressing the story or learn some tidbits, a clear inspiration from text-based/point-and-click adventure games.
Upon completing the main games of FF II, you'll be rewarded with a second scenario, Soul of Rebirth, the hardest optional content in Dawn of Souls, if you didn't do any proper stat levelling with those specific party members at the very least...
Dawn of Souls' music is a port of the PS1 Origins version, an excellent remix of the 8-bit original to a CD-based midi soundtrack with some new additions to make it more a Final Fantasy experience, such as a proper final boss music for FF I. There weren't any major compromises when converting it to the GBA, no ear-grating and awful mixes that GBA's soundchip is known to do.
Dawn of Souls contains also bestiaries for both games, which can help players in knowing the monsters' immunities, weaknesses, item/exp/gil drops.
In essence Dawn of Souls is build from the ground up as a better port version of FF I & II Orgins, sans opening FMVs or difficulty settings.
Really recommend it!
Note: I haven't played the recent console ports of the Pixel Remaster Collection of I - VI, I most likley may not test those out, safe for FF III, V, & VI.
The Dawn of Souls collection port builds off the overlooked Wonderswan color version of both games. For example, it changes FF I's Advance Dungeon & Dragons style of spell charges in the original NES/Famicom port, to having a more traditional FF MP pool system, and also fixes the known auto fight failure after attacking an already perished enemy. But in turn, enhances it with brand new optional dungeons FF I, and a new "inter-quel" scenario for FF II.
Final Fantasy I is (very appropriately) an excellent starting point for the Franchise, as many main-stay elements are present in this very first game: the job systems with the ability to level them up with a side-quest item, four elemental crystals as plot points, and the use of an airship as the ultimate form of transportation, to count a few.
FF I's replayability is immense as you can choose your starting job/class of your four party members which ever you please, an OP party of 4 Warriors? Sure! A class of 2 white mages and 2 black mages, if you have an appetite for destruction and manage to buff and debuff enemies (with the funds for ethers), go for it! The choice is yours to make.
While it's story albeit simple, with a prophecy of 4 warriors of light destined to restore the dying the elemental crystals, it's the journey that counts, with an interesting ending, that I won't spoil it for you.
FF I is made even better with the introduction of the optional Elemental Shrine Dungeons, opened after restoring each four elemental crystal. If you think FF I is on the easier side, try completing these Dungeons after restoring their respected crystals. What's great it that you can visit them anytime you want even after completing them, all treasures will be reseted after teleporting/exiting/finishing these dungeons, a very good way to farm many uncommon or even rare items!
Final Fantasy II is a recommended try. The story is a more poignant here than in FF I, with a more focused story of Orphaned Rebels against an ever so powerful Empire.
The game mechanics draws inspiration to the Wizardy series of games where all the party's stat are determined from gameplay, ie: max HP is boosted when the party member in question tanks a lot of hits, same goes for MP when casting spells, or the proficiency of weapons increases with every successful hits it has been made. This stats levelling mechanic can however be easily exploited by just attacking/healing the party itself. Never the less, FF II express player liberty by not subjugating the party members into their archetypes, much like later FF games or any other JRPGs that has a near limitless party customisation.
The game also has a lexicon game mechanic, where highlighted words can learned and asked to a majority of NPCs, it's intended so that you can get info into progressing the story or learn some tidbits, a clear inspiration from text-based/point-and-click adventure games.
Upon completing the main games of FF II, you'll be rewarded with a second scenario, Soul of Rebirth, the hardest optional content in Dawn of Souls, if you didn't do any proper stat levelling with those specific party members at the very least...
Dawn of Souls' music is a port of the PS1 Origins version, an excellent remix of the 8-bit original to a CD-based midi soundtrack with some new additions to make it more a Final Fantasy experience, such as a proper final boss music for FF I. There weren't any major compromises when converting it to the GBA, no ear-grating and awful mixes that GBA's soundchip is known to do.
Dawn of Souls contains also bestiaries for both games, which can help players in knowing the monsters' immunities, weaknesses, item/exp/gil drops.
In essence Dawn of Souls is build from the ground up as a better port version of FF I & II Orgins, sans opening FMVs or difficulty settings.
Really recommend it!
Note: I haven't played the recent console ports of the Pixel Remaster Collection of I - VI, I most likley may not test those out, safe for FF III, V, & VI.