Unlike the 'Advance' versions of Final Fantasy IV and VI, Final Fantasy V Advance does not bring nostalgia to a boil, causing it to erupt out of my ears with fanboyish joy. Unlike the first and last chapters in the SNES to GBA Final Fantasy trilogy, this title never saw a release during its initial release, as the famed Job System was deemed "not accessible enough to the average gamer" by then Squaresoft translator Ted Woolsey. The English speaking world finally received the game - legitimately - in 1999, as part of the PlayStation's Final Fantasy Anthology, but as word of an unfaithful translation and unnecessarily long loading times began to circulate, I decided to pass.

Another seven years would go by before Square revisited Final Fantasy V, producing the game in question today. Coming in fresh to the game, I found a charming experience that stands the test of time just as well as IV before it. For those who have played the game before, this is the definitive edition of a game that was in need of loving care and localization, sporting a fresh script translation that stays true to the series' canon, as well as the original story, along with enhanced graphics and music, four new character classes and two new dungeons. This may be a Game Boy Advance release, but Final Fantasy V Advance can compete with the best of the portable RPG world.

Not willing to let the elemental crystal plot device go, Final Fantasy V Advance opens with the concerned King Tycoon checking the Wind Crystal, as the world's wind has inexplicably decreased. He reaches the crystal just in time to watch it shatter into shards. During this same timeframe, a meteorite falls from the sky, crashing near the King's castle. This sets in motion the beginning of the game, as three of the main characters - adventurer Bartz, King Tycoon's daughter, Lenna, and an old man suffering from amnesia, Galuf - come to meet for the first time while examining the fallen meteorite. The story does nothing short of balloon from this point on, eventually spanning three worlds, as our three adventurers travel the world in search of Lenna's father and the reason behind the crystal's destruction. The new, invigorated script translation remedies all of the flaws from the original, providing deep characters and an entertaining adventure even after all this time.

Unlike the Final Fantasy games directly before and after V, this one only contains five playable characters. Don't think this means you're getting blank slate no-personality party or a lack of gameplay variety between characters though, as that couldn't be further from the case. This story revolves around its characters and with fewer characters to flesh out there is more time to spend on each one, giving everyone the grand character development treatment. By the end of the adventure, the feeling of watching individual characters, not fill-in-the-blank templates, is firmly cemented into the experience.

As for gameplay variety between the characters, that comes in the form of the second appearance of the now legendary Job System. Unlike in its first appearance in Final Fantasy III, where jobs were simply skill providers and stat funnels, this version allows for the carrying over of powers and skills to other jobs, creating hybrid characters. Most jobs have six levels, which gain their own type of experience; as you gain job levels you gain new skills or stronger powers. Every character has two skill slots, one that is filled by the current job's main ability and the second filled by any earned skill/power previously learned. This removes the pigeonholing of other games that predetermine and lock in every character's class. How can this freedom help you? Well, for example, you could level up Lenna as a White Mage, change her job to Warrior and then select White Mage as her second skill, giving you full access to her white magic despite no longer being a White Mage. Do I dare mention you can switch back to the initial blank slate Freelancer job and equip any two skills without equipment restrictions and stat changes? With twenty-six jobs to discover and master, the world is yours to customize and conquer as you see fit!

The rest of game plays out just as any other classic RPG; travel around a world map to find towns and dungeons, get into random battles along the way, explore towns and dungeons for random things, get into more random battles…you get the picture. Some reviewers have complained about a high frequency of random battles - I think they may have mistaken "high" for "just the right amount to keep your party the right level so that level grinding is not necessary." To mix things up a bit there are a couple puzzles thrown in, including the first appearance of time-based puzzles in a Final Fantasy game. All in all though, it's the same basic core you have enjoyed time and time again - you either like it or you don't and nothing here will change that.

Final Fantasy V Advance has received a presentational upgrade in its transition from SNES to GBA. The graphics have been cleaned and touched up, with the fuller color palette of the GBA being tapped for the majority of the work. Much like in IV Advance, this allows for a more definite distinction between clothes and body parts on all the characters, bringing forth buried details. Slowdown is less of a problem than it was in IV Advance, where battles would halt to a crawl during strings of magic spells and skills, but it is still there, though it's mostly when moving around the map between battles. The biggest changes graphically are the new battle backgrounds, which have gone from hollow and lifeless to full and vibrant. It still looks like a SNES game, but if you are like me and still find them appealing, you will not be disappointed.

While the sound effects are essentially the same, standard SNES-era fare, the soundtrack is another story. Receiving a thorough reworking it has been given new life on the GBA, even more so on the DS with its stereo speakers blaring the sounds as crisply as can be. Each track is rich with layers, as multiple orchestra instruments occupy space with the game's 67 tracks. With a soundtrack this epic, there is no wonder why a music jukebox option was included!

If a thirty-hour main quest isn't enough for you, there are enough extras pad that time out quite a bit more. Along with the original's side quests, optional boss battles and Job System (don't forget the four new jobs) to master and exploit to the fullest, there are now two new dungeons, including the beastly thirty-floor one, new monsters, new items and equipment, and a bestiary to fill up. Attempting to see 100% of what this game has to offer will do an excellent job of taking up your free time.

As the second chapter of the Final Fantasy SNES revival comes to a close, it is easy to call the entire project a rousing success. Despite many Western gamers not knowing it, Final Fantasy V was a classic in its original form. Now that it has been made portable with a fresh coat of paint, it is a mandatory purchase for any RPG lover or video game connoisseur. Don't forget that the little port at the bottom of your DS is for more than just collecting dust - it's a gateway to some classic gaming adventures!

Reviewed by Tony Peters for AceGamez (All Rights Reserved).