I honestly think the PlayStation has the better graphics, especially considering it’s older and weaker than the N64. At glorious 240p, I think anti-aliasing is honestly a downside–the CRT mostly does that work already. While the N64 might have better polygons, the PlayStation, in my opinion, renders a better image, with better textures. That’s not even to mention game sizes being several times larger on PlayStation, thanks to CDs.
There is no game on the N64 that looks as good as Final Fantasy IX. Not a single one. IX might not be fully 3D, but the game does respect the hardware it’s on. After all, nobody ever said the SNES had bad graphics for lacking proper 3D. The 2D style could just go so much further on PlayStation. Combine that with FMVs, and I’d struggle to find a game that looks as consistently good as some of the PlayStation’s biggest hits.
The N64 still pushes great graphics, though. I enjoyed my time in Zelda. The games look and play quite well. The impressively 60FPS F-ZERO X has physics that still work great. I still can’t help but feel like it’s just a worse version of modern graphics, while the PlayStation feels like its own aesthetic, and own world. I grew up with modern consoles, and I still enjoy the charm of pre-rendered backgrounds and FMVs compared to what’s being put out now.
The benefit of CRTs is most apparent in pre-rendered backgrounds (See Final Fantasy, Resident Evil). These backgrounds look incredible with shaders, and, indeed, on real displays.
FFVII’s menu looks completely different. Judging by font and scaling, this is absolutely one of the GBA games. You can exclude VI and later as VI has a purple menu with a different font. III can be excluded because it never got a GBA game. Notable is the “Flee” command second, and the gap in the list. The actions can be rearranged, which leaves only IV and V. The fonts are different for the two games, and, judging by this (the k was the easiest for me to make out), this is Final Fantasy V Advance.
I did, during my “JRPGapalooza”, which I’ve yet to continue. I put it off until later. I carry the weight of a massive backlog of games on my shoulders.
After the age of puns being the peak of humour, the torch was passed to references. Also, the context of washing machines is so central to my concept of NSMB, that either subject can no longer be brought up without the other.
I have played and enjoyed every single Final Fantasy game. Even XIII has some great stuff going for it. The series strong suit is that it’s never stale. Each game is a fresh, new take on a somewhat familiar net of design philosophies.
My favourite is XII. I love its job and gambit system, as well as the world design and music. IX comes just a tiny bit short, then V, probably.