Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls

About Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls (GBA)

Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls is a role-playing compilation developed and published by Square Enix for the Game Boy Advance in 2004. It collects the first two Final Fantasy games, originally released by Square in 1987 and 1988, in updated portable form with new graphics, a revised translation and bonus dungeons.

Final Fantasy I follows four Warriors of Light carrying elemental crystals against the sorcerer Garland and Chaos. Final Fantasy II follows Firion, Maria, Guy and Leon in a rebellion against the Palamecian Empire. Together they show where the series began, from classic job-based parties to a story-driven quest.

Detailed Gameplay

Both games use turn-based battles, world maps, towns and dungeons, but their party systems work very differently.

Play Final Fantasy I

• Choose four Warriors of Light from classes such as Fighter, Thief, Black Belt and Mages.
• Restore the four elemental crystals by defeating the fiends corrupting them.
• Upgrade classes midway through the game, turning Fighters into Knights and Mages into Wizards.
• Buy spells in towns and manage magic charges, since each spell level has limited uses.

Play Final Fantasy II

• Follow Firion and the Wild Rose rebels against the Empire and its emperor.
• Grow skills by using them, so weapons, magic and stamina improve through practice.
• Learn keywords from characters and ask others about them to unlock story paths.
• Recruit guest characters who fight alongside the party for parts of the story.

Tackle bonus dungeons

• Dawn of Souls adds the Soul of Chaos dungeons to Final Fantasy I, with bosses from later games.
• Final Fantasy II gains the Soul of Rebirth, a side story following fallen party members.
• Explore these dungeons after the main quests for rare gear and extra bosses.
• Use the bestiary and updated save options to track progress across both games.

Game Highlights

• Two classics in one: The series’ first two adventures together on one cartridge.
• Classic party building: Choose and upgrade four heroes in Final Fantasy I.
• A different kind of growth: Final Fantasy II levels skills through use, not experience points.
• Bonus dungeons: Soul of Chaos and Soul of Rebirth add hours of extra challenges.

Controls

On Game Boy Advance, both games use the D-Pad for movement and menus, with face buttons for commands.

• D-Pad: Move the party on maps and in towns, and navigate menus.
• A Button: Confirm choices, talk to people and open chests.
• B Button: Cancel a choice or attempt to flee from battle.
• L Button: Switch menu pages or cycle party members in battle.
• R Button: Switch menu pages or cycle targets in battle.
• Start: Open the main menu for items, magic, equipment and party setup.
• Select: View extra details or toggle options on some screens.

Tips and Strategies to Win

Old-school rules reward preparation before long dungeons.

• In Final Fantasy I, keep a balanced party with at least one healer and one strong fighter.
• Buy the best weapons and armour in each new town before entering its dungeon.
• In Final Fantasy II, train weaker skills early, since growth comes from repeated use.
• Carry plenty of healing items, because inns can be far from deep dungeon floors.
• Save before bonus dungeon bosses, since they are much stronger than story bosses.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Which game should I play first? A: Start with Final Fantasy I for classic party building, then try Final Fantasy II for its unusual skill system.

Q: Are these remakes or ports? A: They are updated versions with new graphics, music options and bonus dungeons, faithful to the original stories.

Q: Can I play Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls online for free? A: Yes, you can play Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls online for free in your browser on RiveGame, with no download or installation needed.