Overview

15 years after their original release, Square decided to give the first two games in its ultra-successful Final Fantasy series a complete remake treatment. Nobuo Uematsu, who had been watching several composers grow alongside him, didn't feel like re-arranging both Final Fantasy games on his own, so he had to choose a partner. In the end, he chose Tsuyoshi Sekito, the genius behind the score of Brave Fencer Musashi. Barely getting back from his composition for All Star Pro-Wrestling II, Sekito was offered to work with Uematsu for arranging Final Fantasy II. We can easily tell he did not refuse!

Body

Final Fantasy was given a more classical/symphonic treatment, enough to rival Koichi Sugiyama's best works. This is evident in tracks like "Cornelia Castle" and "Dead Music," which have violin and 'cello samples. The "Main Theme" is far more epic now, while "Matoya's Cave" is as good as ever. Some themes like "Gurugu Volcano" and "Floating Castle" not only sound better but sound considerably different from their NES counterparts, which isn't a bad thing at all. The "Ending Theme" is as sweet as it used to be, but it is obviously much more enjoyable this time around.

An interesting thing here is that they added the new tracks from the WonderSwan Color port into the PSX version, meaning we finally get to hear the boss and final boss themes from Final Fantasy, which is quite a treat. They are mostly based off the normal battle theme, but they have an epic feel to them. "Final Battle" starts off with a bit of organ, then the main melody plays through with added effect, which shows off Chaos' might even more than ever.

Final Fantasy II, which is arranged by Tsuyoshi Sekito, has a totally different feel and sound at points, clearly hinting his presence. Certain passages and techniques he used were originally heard back in Brave Fencer Musashi. The first noticeable track is "Battle Scene," which, if you listen closely, you'll automatically recognise the drum patterns that Sekito used extensively in Brave Fencer Musashi. The piece which players will be reminded right off the bat of Brave Fencer Musashi is "Battle Scene B" — it has the weird voice synth which Sekito used a lot in BFM. It is pretty light for a new battle theme, but still nice for all the Sekito fans. "Castle Pandemonium" also has Sekito's touch sprinkled throughout the track.

It is interesting to note that "Waltz of The Princess" is actually a passage from Tchaïkovski's Swan Lake. Sekito added vocals to further the mood and this simply sounds fantastic. All in all, Sekito has done extremely well in arranging Final Fantasy II. We can only hope Square will entrust him with a future Final Fantasy score.

Summary

So the conclusion — should you buy this CD? If you are a hardcore Final Fantasy series fan, not buying it would be considered a sin. These new arranged pieces simply must be heard by anyone who barely enjoys video game music. Game Music Online and AnimeNation are both carrying this one, so be sure to pick it up!