Very engaging and accessible

Author's Rating:

Pros: Simple interface.

Cons: Poorly detailed job system. Special effects/music volume ratio fixed.

The Bottom Line: 
I would recommend this game for any DS owner.

Author's Review
I got into gaming shortly after the console crash of 1983, and in the Navy by the time they revived in the early 90s. As a result, this is actually the first Final Fantasy game I ever played. With no attachment to the series, or to the Nintendo platform, I can still say that this game is a fantastic use of my money. Of the games I bought for the DS I recently purchased, this game would have to be a close tie with Mario Kart DS for my most enjoyable time sink.

The controls for the game are very clearly described in the manual and the story line is simple enough to follow easily without feeling like it was just slapped on as an afterthought. The only thing I found mildly frustrating is how vague the manual is on how "jobs" work in the game. If you are savvy enough to find this review, then you're probably quite capable to find a free online FAQ/Walkthrough that explains the pros and cons of the different jobs in the game a little better.

Aside from that, the only other negative thing I can think to say is that it would be nice if you could lower the music volume slightly. Having the music at about half the volume of the sound effects would make it a little easier to play with the speakers without driving people nearby nuts from the repetitive music during in-game fights.