I wish it were the SNES original, or at least the Playstation 1 re-release, and not the mobile port.

And I'm still hoping that one day we'll get the original FFIV on PC too, or at least the gorgeous PSP redo with beautiful pixel art, and not the 3D-ified DS/mobile version.

Damn. Just when I thought I got away from all the people who have nothing better to complain at rather than the sprites, they end up back here again. There's a lot of good stuff to be seen in the ports, and the sprites is just one of them, giving you a better chance to actually PROPERLY imagine a character walking around. Its simply more detailed than the old pixelated SNES graphics, and therefore, better.

Even if you don't agree, you've got stuff you'll never find in other versions. A better Cyan's Bushido, the album feature, the built-in soundtrack player, etc. That said, just don't get the PC version on guess the service's name. The Android version would be the same but without that pesky service.

To say sprites are automatically better because they are technically more detailed is pretty shallow and disrespectful. Do you actually think the higher res sprites in the PC version of Megaman look better than the original NES ones by virtue of more detail? That art style and the talent and crafting involved play no part in the quality or appeal?

I see nothing wrong with people complaining that a beautiful and much beloved game is re-released looking like a cheaply produced, cash-in. Which is what it is.

How so? When did it become disrespectful to say? Oh my! There simply is no 'more detail' in the PC version of the sprite, in fact its a poor example to justify your argument. Between less pupils and strange body shape, that's no big change when compared to Terra in FFVI going through the versions. Who knows how much talent and crafting was involved in either port to worry about that? And as for the art style, its subjective, but this new art style still stays true to the SNES version, adding more details to the near-compressed SNES sprites while still keeping their proportions and charm well. And I see all wrong with calling it a cheaply produced cash-in based on sprites that improved upon the original sprites, along with enhanced enemy sprites, top-notch backgrounds and whatever. You were complaining before about the talent and crafting being not a part of the equation, but you didn't take into account the backgrounds and enemy sprites and whatnot into the equation yourself, either. So if anything, I'd say its a fair game here. On just what basis do you call out these sprites?

EDIT: Don't get me wrong. I also like the old pixelated sprites from the Final Fantasy titles (if my avatar wasn't enough), but I'm not keen with the idea of throwing away the newer versions either.

As much as I'd like to see more of Square's games on here, this shoddy mobile port of FFVI is pretty rancid.

On the fact they may have more pixels, but overall less definition despite the added resolution. I don't agree they remain true to the SNES art style as I see no fine detail in there, only quick & dirty extrapolation. Everything is too smooth, soft and rounded, often a result of the artist simply up-scaling a graphic and then painting directly over it. I can't think of a single instance where this was done without the original artist doing it directly, that resulted in better looking art. But it's not just the sprites, the background art outside the combat screen has the same more detail, less definition as the sprites, but has issues with consistency as some tiles are redrawn with more care than others.

I could overlook these new visuals if they weren't at the expense of the old ones, why not let people toggle between them like Pier Solar or Monkey Island do?

I did read on FFVI's page on the FF wikia that these sprites are DRAWN by the original artist, if I understood you well. Source:
http://finalfantasy.wikia.com/wiki/Final_Fantasy_VI#Mobile

If the game was released and made in the same age as today, disregarding the potential for other aspects to change such as story or gameplay, I believe that the sprites you're criticizing would be the game's original sprites. Plus, if its as you say, the artist took the old sprites and painted directly over them, how do you explain Kefka's sprites at the very least? In the SNES version, you can't make out his details, and you may be confused over how he looks given you didn't look at his artwork, but in the mobile version, I can tell from a first glance that he's a clown. If he drew the new Kefka over the old one, the situation would be more or less the former, where I'm confused as to how he looks like, albeit with a higher resolution. I'm okay with it being smooth soft and rounded instead of jagged and squared.

The backgrounds however are completely redone. Look at Narshe's backgrounds in the SNES and the Android versions, you'll notice a big difference, as in this background I feel like I'm actually in the town itself, and it sure looks better than its world map counterpart. An effect I liked in one of the backgrounds was the Cultist's Tower and how the edges of the background were dark as opposed to the center. The backgrounds are good looking.

I agree with you on the artstyle switcher though. Would've made it lovely, THAT or utilizing a GBA ROM and allowing an option on the main menu to play the GBA version instead at the cost of switching the native touchscreen controls to a touchscreen joypad. I'm saying this because my Amazon APK of FFVI includes a Japanese GBA ROM of the game!

I really doubt that. I'm looking at the page right now. Could you quote the text that says this? Thanks.

edit: nevermined. I see the text.

"The game uses the GBA version translation, and all previously Advance exclusive content are also included. The music is of the original SNES version quality. The in-game sprites and menu portraits have been remade by Kazuko Shibuya who also made the original sprites for Final Fantasy VI. The menu portraits are based on the original portraits, which in turn were based on Yoshitaka Amano's illustrations. The in-game sprites appear to be made after the Final Fantasy V Android/iOS sprites and Kazuko Shibuya's character artworks."

Might as well put a link to the source of the information in my post then.

Always good to see such a release, on computers. I was prejudiced against this new mobile port, the original is still "arguably" the superior version in terms of visual design, but changes are changes. I bought the Android version the last weeks on Google Play along with Dragon Quest 1, 2 and 3, I will buy this PC port again (when discounted some) for the sake of having it playable on the big screen, giving more power to Square Enix providing the other ones... FF X + X-2 notably coming soon and XV, VII Remake someday on PC, eventually...

Edit :

Just noticed Lightning Returns (FF XIII third and last part) is available tomorrow on PC!!

I really wish they used a better font and replaced the ugly mobile menus with ones that are actually usable with a keyboard. In the game's current form, I'm not touching the official PC version at all, and it's just because of the bad user interface.

It's true. It's a worse port than the version for the PSX back in 2000. It had loading screens, but the menus weren't ugly. I can't understand the point of porting a mobile game to PC. That's just asking for pointless bugs and crappy resolution.

Worse part than the PSX version? You must be kidding me. While I simply gave up on continuing the PSX version after putting up until the second half, I picked up the Android version and played and powered up when I can. No more loading screens, no more old translation, and an overall better interface, one that allows the player to cycle seamlessly between the four current characters by simply giving an order to one of them rather than choosing them first and then giving them order (and the latter is there too), and a better implementation of Bushido for Cyan. If you have to ask me, the PSX version is simply the worst version of the game. No contest here.

And last but not least, the auto-battle feature is really worthy when you have to do a little bit of grinding, or to power up like I did. No need to press buttons just to power up, let it do all that by itself.

Great news. Can't wait to play it.