Final Fantasy 4 and Chrono Trigger, after many years of waiting, have finally arrived in a nice deluxe package for Sony's Playstation console. Longtime fans and newcomers alike have plenty to look forward to with the newly reissued release of these seminal console RPG classics.

First off, the packaging is very well put together. Attractive cover artwork, a large full color manual, and two game discs lie in wait for potential buyers. Of course compared to the import release of FF Collection, (which included FF4-6 in a special re-released package which had a gorgeous hardbound slipcase, an extra large manual for all three games, disc artwork done by Amano himself, and an attractive folding slipcase for holding the discs) the US version doesn't quite stand up, but not even Working Designs themselves can put out an even more attractive package than that one. Unlike Final Fantasy Anthology, the 1999 re-release of FF5 and FF6, there is no extra bonus Music CD this time, just the two games. It is a shame Square didn't add in a special FFX video preview disc to the release, which would have further motivated gamers to snag this set, not to mention build even more excitement for the upcoming PS2 release. Regardless of what could have been, the set comes with two fantastic titles, one of which has never officially been released in its complete and uncut state, the other includes a slew of new features and extras that should even convince longtime owners to upgrade.

Final Fantasy 4 was the series' first foray into the realm of 16-bit gaming back in 1991 and remains a cherished classic to many fans of "the longtime" series. This new update finally brings the uncut original work to US shores with fleshed out dialogue and plot sequences that were taken out or altered in the original SNES release. Square USA´s current localization team has retranslated the entire game´s original script in a more professional uncut manner that is enough to warrant excitement in itself. For example, there is a scene near the games opening as Kain (a Dragoon knight that joins the quest) reminisces about his father in a small dialogue that was cut from the original release. Other enhancements include the return of several missing monster encounters, and a new closing CG FMV cinema upon proper completion of the game (a small CG intro that gives a glimpse of what the ending cinema entails is added to the opening of the game as well). Several new items and weapons that were taken out of the original release and even a few secrets that also got cut make their proper return as well. This is the true version of FF4 that US fans should have received a decade ago.

Chrono Trigger, originally released in 1995, remains one of Squaresoft´s most prestigious and popular titles. Although not officially a member of the Final Fantasy brand, the title borrows and refines various gameplay elements popularized in the Final Fantasy games, including the ever debatable ATB battle system., not surprisingly relabeled as ATB ver. 2 in the game itself. Several animated cutscenes that play throughout the game have also been added to this version, as well as slew of extras that are unlocked with game progression through the added Omake mode. The translation retains the original Ted Woolsey script included in the original SNES game, and while reports of a few touch ups have been made, they have not yet been confirmed.

On the technical side of things, FF4 has its ups and downs on its new platform. The release of FF Anthology angered some fans due to long loading times, which broke up the flow of gameplay. Final Fantasy 4 frees itself from those problems, maintaining near blazing load-times when entering and exiting menus as well as in battle transitions. The game runs and plays faster than the previous Final Fantasy ports, and nearly as quick as the original cartridge release. Owners of Sony's PS2 system are encouraged not to use the fast loading ability of the next generation system as the difference is nearly indistinguishable and the feature will cause unwanted music skips in battle. Another flaw with the port is in its emulation of the Mode 7 technique that the SNES was famous for. While not overly terrible, the Mode 7 emulation looks and moves not nearly as crisp as in the original SNES game, something that is readily apparent when lifting off or landing an airship.

Chrono Trigger, on the other hand, unfortunately retains the problematic load times of its FF Anthology cousins. Menu accesses and battle transitions can take in excess of four seconds, with the latter being especially ridiculous considering there is no real shift in the screen graphics. Turning on the PS2 enhancements helps the situation some, shaving the load times by a second or two, but not enough that it still won´t feel bothersome-disappointing to say the least. There is also a slight delay when the game shifts music tracks, such as would occur when traipsing through new areas of the overworld map that contain new background music. The decision as to whether these slight loading issues will render the game unplayable will differ from gamer to gamer, but these same lingering technical problems are unfortunate nevertheless.

Final Fantasy Chronicles is an exceptional piece of gaming history, and there is enough fresh content in the package for both games that experienced gamers will be brought back to the days of their youth, and newcomers a get little bit of RPG history-in addition to two legendary games no RPG fan should overlook.