Though it has been out for a few months now, it has been difficult for me to get my hands on the re-release of the original Final Fantasy for PSP until a few weeks ago. Needing some quick and simple entertainment for my downtime during finals week and growing tired of my PSP collecting dust, I picked up a copy, and I’ve been delighted with what I found.

I didn’t read anything about it beforehand, but I figured a classic I never had a chance to play the first time around was worth picking up. Therefore, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the graphics had been essentially redone. The art style is kind of cartoony, but perfectly matched with the PSP’s screen characteristics and size. In addition, the battle scenes have some interesting 3D-ish effects for spells, attacks, and so forth. Some of the map environments also have some overlay environment effects like fog or fluttering embers. They’re nothing excessive – just something nice to keep you involved.

Square also took the time to add a few pre-rendered CG cutscenes. I don’t know how much they really add to the story, but I suppose when you have a whole UMD to fill with a game that originally fit on a 256 kilobyte cartridge, you feel the need to add things like that.

Being able to save your game at any non-battle point is also a part of what makes playing this game so enjoyable. It’s very easy to pick up knowing you can quit essentially at any time and not lose any progress. The Memory Stick gives you plenty of slots for saves, too.

So far, I’m only about two-thirds done with the game, but it has gone quickly, and it has seemed a little too easy. This is surprising given my previous difficulties with later Final Fantasy games (VII, X, and XII… and XI, which will probably never end and so doesn’t really count) and the number of online guides that claim the first is one of the most difficult games of the series. It’s possible that the difficulty has been reduced for later releases of the game, or that the level-grinding I did at the beginning of the game is paying off (which is a strategy I’ve never been wise enough to use in prior games). The story is also a bit thin, with basically no player-character development and sparse environments. But, this is to be expected from a port of a 20-year-old game, and isn’t much of a deficiency when you’re playing it casually on a portable system to begin with; it may, in fact, be an advantage, since storytelling can get in the way of a quick pick-up game.

All in all, though, I haven’t used my PSP this much since launch and the release of Wipeout Pure. It’s solid and entertaining, and for those of us who have suffered the drought of quick games like this in the few years since launch, it’s refreshing. With Wipeout Pulse on the horizon for the next few months, it’s a promising time, but depending on Sony’s timeline for the PSP, it may be too little too late for their first attempt at a portable system.