Everything's in tact, of course. There's not much a developer can do after having remade and remixed a game so many times, and it's more suggestive now than ever that maybe it's time to quit. Final Fantasy Anniversary isn't a bad game at all, nor does it suffer from any intrinsic flaw in the design save for the test of time. The story still revolves around four crystals carried by a thief, warrior, and white/black mages in a quest to destroy an ultimate villain and return the world back to normal. It is pretty much the original "save the world before all is doomed" RPG plot, and if you don't know it by now, you may be surprised to find that it's not as impressive as you might think. It's a thin plot, although one which has been expanded on throughout the years to become the finely crafted art which Square Enix puts into their titles these days.

So you're interested in replaying or discovering Final fantasy on the PSP. In that case, you might perk up around this point to hear about what sets it apart from the other remakes. The bad is that it's not much, but if you're a collector of Final Fantasy games or intent on building your PSP library, it's not so shallow that you'd be a fool to buy it. The full list of features stands as such: completely redrawn sprites and backgrounds, the soundtrack has been redone, and a bonus dungeon to give the game that extra little push into "maybe worth it" territory. There's even an easier difficulty available to help the title's accessibility, as well as some additional areas. Still, it's the same 50+ hour quest that's been around for all this time with the same old simple-yet-fun battle mechanics that start any good series.

Unfortunately, the visuals, FMVs, music, and Labyrinth of Time dungeon are the only items setting Final fantasy Anniversary apart from Dawn of Souls. The game may be sharp as ever on the PSP's 16:9 screen, but not a lot of that matters when you're either played the game before or can get it for about $25 cheaper on an older handheld. On top of that, the UMD only features Final Fantasy, and not Final Fantasy 2 as the GBA remake did. But don't fret, you can still pick up an anniversary edition of Final fantasy 2 for the PSP if you so desire. In other words, there's more bang for your buck in Dawn of Souls if you're strapped for cash or appreciate value over having the newest toy.

For a game that punched industry staples into the RPG genre 20 years ago, it's still got some life in it. There's content for the hardcore fans, like a bestiary, and a history lesson to those who never got around to playing Final Fantasy. Still, for the bare bones white-and-black magic strategy that helped define Final Fantasy's turn-based battles and storyline two decades ago, this game's got some life in it. Of course, the game will be more appealing to those knowledgeable about the franchise and collectors alike, but there's always room for a new fan or two. There's just not much more room left for another remake of the same game. Listen to me Square Enix, if there's one thing gamers won't forget about, it's every numbered Final Fantasy title, if only because they're numbered from the first. They'll find a means to play it without a contrived new take on the same game crowding the shelves every few years, and for that you should be proud enough. 20 years is a long time to reflect on, now let's start looking forward.