Final Fantasy IV is one of the most beloved classic role-playing games that graced the Super Nintendo back in the 16-bit era, and its 3D remake was one of the top games to release on the DS last year. Its strengths were its story and characters, as well as the way they were presented “" the game was very well paced, given the limitations of the cartridge era, and did much to evolve the nature of RPG storytelling, much like later, better known classics such as Chrono Trigger.

The classic design is not quite long-in-the-tooth thanks to the remake on the DS, but if you were to play the original SNES version “" which was Final Fantasy II here in the States “" or the Game Boy Advance update as a first timer now, you may think that it is a bit dated, with its non-orchestral soundtrack, level grinding, and simplicity in presentation. For those who are familiar with the game though, nostalgia helps keep you as amazed with the game in 2009 as you were when you first played it 10, 15 or nearly 20 years ago, when you were first introduced to something called the “Active Time Battle” system.

That’s why my feelings toward a sequel for Final Fantasy IV, retrofit like Capcom’s Mega Man 9, were so mixed prior to playing. You have an absolute classic that helped shape the role-playing genre on one hand, and you have a sequel released on WiiWare 18 years after the fact “" a sequel that was originally designed as a cell phone game. Two things gave me confidence about the quality of the product heading in, though: for one, Matrix Software, developers of the Final Fantasy III and Final Fantasy IV remakes (as well as the ambitious and innovative Avalon Code) created the game, and two, it uses a game universe many other gamers and I adore, that of Final Fantasy IV. Do Matrix’s development chops and FF IV’s backstory create a new entry in the series worthy of its name?

The short answer is “yes.” Final Fantasy IV: The After Years is a success, in that it replicates the FF IV universe well, knows its characters and mythology, and is able to implement new gameplay ideas that do not seem out of place in a very classically oriented design. With that being said, there are some flaws with it that bear mentioning, and we’ll get to those.

The After Years is not a one-shot game; instead, you pay $8 to download the main storyline that features Cecil and Rosa’s son Ceodore as he begins his quest to become a full-fledged knight “" a quest that turns towards the return of the second moon and the strange appearance of a powerful new Summoner bent on destruction and the collection of both the light and dark crystals. In addition to this, there are add-on quests (for $3, or 300 Nintendo Points a piece) that give you backstory and flesh out the supporting cast. At release, the first of these, “Rydia’s Tale: The Eidolons Shackled,” was already available. Square Enix has not given final pricing information, but it looks as if this will eventually cost as much as a budget title on Wii “" somewhere between $30 and $40, perhaps. That’s if you buy all of the add-ons, though, and the value per hour is solid; I played through the first quest, as well as the available add-on, and ended up with over seven hours of playtime for my 1100 points ($11).

Graphically, this game looks like an improvement over the original Final Fantasy IV, which was made very early in the SNES lifespan and therefore did not take full advantage of the console like later Square titles. The sprites are larger, and the colors are brighter “" these are both things you will notice during flashbacks, though the change is apparent enough that you will see it upon starting the game. It’s still a 16-bit title though, so if you’re not down with paying for classic design, you should know that in advance. The sound quality is worse than on the SNES though “" while the music sounds fine (though the bass is more pronounced in these versions of the songs than they were in the original) some of the loud sound effects for explosions, earthquakes and cannon fire sound like the kinds of things you would hear out of a standard cell phone.

Without a doubt, Square Enix knows how to make videogames. Even when looking at some of their worst, the mind-bending storylines and intricate characters are better than what is provided in most video games out there. Fortunately, Final Fantasy IV remake for the Nintendo DS is one of their best.

You follow the storyline of Cecil, commander of the Red Wings, a military sect of the kingdom of Baron. The story picks up after Cecil and his Red Wings have ransacked the town of Mysidia in order to bring their powerful crystal to the king of Baron. Cecil regrets having destroyed the town and is confused at the orders of his king. When he returns to Baron, the king is told of his indecision, and Cecil is stripped of his rank as leader of the Red Wings.

Cecil is then ordered to go to the town of Mist and get their crystal as well. Along with the help of his friendly rival Kain, they go to Mist and end up destroying it as well. They discover that their king has turned completely mad and is, for some unknown reason, trying to collect as many crystals as he can. A young summoner named Rydia is the only survivor of the attack on Mist, and she decides to join the party as well. Kain turns on Cecil and steals Mist’s crystal from him for the king, and Cecil discovers that whatever spell the king of Baron is under, his friend Kain is under it as well.

The story continues on in a tumult of twists and turns until, 30 plus hours later, the game is completed. Like any Final Fantasy game, IV is complete with a party member named Cid, plenty of airships, Chocobos, and summons.

IV is hands down one of the best Final Fantasy games of the bunch. The game plays like a very straightforward RPG, but the rich storyline feels more like you’re reading a Terry Goodkind book, which is definitely a positive aspect. Since IV came out before the renowned Final Fantasy VII, it feels like Square Enix had been more focused on creating the most involving game they could versus trying to be innovative and new and recreate the VII success.

The game looks amazing, showing off just how beautiful the DS graphics can get. Just wait until you’re 20 hours into the game and suddenly you stumble upon the Sylph Cave. Its jungle-like interior is mind-blowing with its constant animation and vibrant color scheme. It is unparalleled to anything this reviewer has ever seen.

Square Enix has recreated the cut sequences in the game so that they are similar in style to the Playstation 2 and other remade GameBoy Advance and DS titles. Take a look at the comparison from the original SNES version of IV to the new DS version below:

The game play is simple and easy; it is just your typical RPG. There are some added features to the gaming experience, however. There is a rabbit that follows you throughout the game who allows you to change the name of your characters (Namingway) or, whenever you complete the map of an area, you get some sort of gift (Mappingway).

The game can be played with or without the stylus; you can either guide your characters around the screen with the DS stylus, or just use the D-pad and A, B, X, and Y buttons to move your characters around the screen.

A new summon has been added to IV by the name of Whyt. Whyt is an interesting new addition because, through a series of mini-games, his attributes can be increased from zero to 99. Scattered throughout the game are nests and, when a gyashi green is used, a giant Chocobo will appear. The Chocobo will allow you to access all the neat features bumping into the rabbit has given you as well as being able to edit Whyt’s face and play the mini-games. The mini-games are the only part of the game that requires the stylus to be used, and they are ruthlessly addicting.

There is nothing bad about the Nintendo DS version of Final Fantasy IV. If anything, it’s perfect. Completely, beautifully perfect. Now, after having rereleased almost every original Final Fantasy game for a handheld Nintendo system, we anxiously await seeing if Square Enix can come out with just as perfect a portable adaption of Final Fantasy VII. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.