Let's face it, FFA isn't about eye candy, and that's actually a good thing. Where these 2 16 bit classics fail to impress in the visual department, they more than make up for it in their engrossing gameplay and interesting characters. FF5 uses the ingenious job system, which leaves you with an unlimited amount of room for customization. You can assign your character to be anything from a knight, summoner, ninja, the possibilities are endless. With a total of 22 jobs to choose from, you're able to mix and match abilities to create a character which best suits your needs and desires. On the other hand, FF6 uses the equally interesting Esper system. Think of FF8's junction system and you're halfway there. Basically, you equip a magicite (a crystalized esper), and are granted spells which you can learn by means of leveling up. FF6 also has character specific attacks, like Sabin's Blitz techniques and Cyan's Swdtech. If you miss the days when RPG's really were about gameplay and you actually looked forward to battles, Anthology won't disappoint.

While today's RPG storylines get more and more complicated, you won't be getting lost in FFA. FF5 is the trademark FF story which revolves around the elements and crystals. However, there are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep it interesting. (Galuf's character comes to mind) On the other hand, FF6 was the game which turned the series into a darker and much more moody direction. Issues such as teenage pregnancy and suicide are all addressed here, as subtle as they may be. On the whole, both games will keep you glued to your set until you see the journey completely through.

Now you may be asking yourself, "What good's a story without a good translation?". Well, this is where FFA disappoints a little. While FF6 holds true to its SNES brethren, FF5 leaves a bit to be desired. It's not necessarily the translation that's so terrible, but more so the characterization. For instance, in the emulated version of FF5, Faris was actually coherent and a more believable character. In the PS version, she's been lowered to a stereotypical pirate with bad grammar and cheesy lines. ("Shiver me timbers!" comes to mind) Fear not however, since the dialogue never gets to the point of being too annoying. Once you get used to Faris' pirate talk, you should be fine. While it does take some of the enjoyment out of the game, the translation is decent enough.

The FF series is also known for its brilliant music and sweeping melodies, with these 2 titles featuring some of the most memorable tunes in RPG history. There's one problem however; the sound just isn't as good as it was on the SNES. I don't understand why Square didn't address this issue, surely they could pull off the same sound quality of a 16 bit game onto a CD. Mind you, the orchestration is as emotional and beautiful as ever, the quality is just a bit below that of its SNES brethren.

Another technical issue with the game is the loading time. While not unbearable by any stretch of the imagination (3-4 seconds for a battle to start), it sort of takes away from the constant flow of things. Can't win 'em all I guess, and I sort of expected this due to the limited RAM in the Playstation.

Ah yes, I wouldn't be able to write this review without mentioning the brilliant FMV in these 2 titles. On par with FF8, the intros and endings are truly works or art and a testament to Squares cinematic genius. Despite what you might have thought, the FMV is NOT interspersed throughout the games, but is merely used in the intro's and endings of both games, with a special one opening up once you complete FF6. Whether or not you're a fan of FMV, it really is a joy to see these classic characters being rendered so artistically and beautifully. (Kefka looks simply mad!) This is a definite bonus to the total package.