Final Fantasy Tactics Advance

The Good
This is simply a regular Final Fantasy RPG but without all the graphical "bells and whistles" of the PS1/2 releases. As such it makes you realize that said "bells and whistles" are actually pretty unnecessary. I really like having between four and six characters in each battle having always felt that the roster of three per battle, on other FF games, was limiting rather than tactical. Ok..the story is simpler than you expect from Square but this doesn't really hinder the enjoyment. (I haven't played the original "tactics" so cannot compare it to this title.) The little characters who initially all seem so samey do really begin to matter to you. They become like twenty small virtual pets that you've nurtured and raised to their current levels, through different jobs, imprisonment and hard fought battles(though never that hard) As always with this sort of game it comes down to stats/items and progression. This game certainly delivers. You can spend an unhealthy amount of time equipping and unequipping, trying to learn that last spell or defensive technique. Suddenly you do and new job options open up extending the lifespan of the game as you train up in a whole new set of techniques.

The Bad
I felt quite "dirty" getting so obsessed about learning every last job and fulfilling every last one of the 300 odd missions. It's just lucky I spend a few hours per week on long train journeys.

The Bottom Line
Excellent, deep, obsessive and rewarding. It may take a while to get into but it's really worth it. It's everything that's good about the other Final Fantasy games without the cheap eye-candy. Graphics-whores need not apply! Buy this if you truly want to play a real RPG.