So I picked this up about a week ago, and I've already put a good 15 hours of play into it. It seems to be a good addition to tactics, but I believe some of their ''improvements'' took away some fun factors and made it a bit more tedious.
First I was hoping for a port from the PS tactics to advance (hence the name Tactics advanced), but was introduced to a completely revised game. The graphics are average, and at some times quite beautiful, and the sound quality is good, but the music is just bearable (especially if you're prone to headaches.) Overall it still feels like the original tactics, which is a major plus.

What bothers me are these new additions to the game. The story has been completely changed. New (boring) characters, and an uninspired plot puts you to sleep. The story is told completely in missions, too (if you wanted to know.) The job system has been changed so now there are different races that can only have specific jobs, no gender difference, and my biggest gripe: The AP system. ugh. Just like FFIX, you learn abilities that are embedded in your equipment. If you want them all, it's going to cost you several more hours of play and quite a lot of money. On the plus side, there are some good jobs in the system (you can now select the assassin class, which focuses on instant KO's just like the enemies in the original FFT) and they've done a little to balance out the classes more. The judge system is also tolerable, thankfully for ''law cards'' that can negate or add laws. Basically, there's a set of actions that you cannot do in each battle, and if you do, you can be fined or sent to jail. It gets harder and stricter as the game progresses as well.

The gameplay is the best part. It really does feel like the original tactics. I find myself playing more random battles just for the gameplay and I start trailing behind in the story and the bosses are not a challenge at all.

This game kicks ass. I know I said a lot of bad stuff about it, but it really is a good addition to the original tactics. Once you get by all that, it's a real wiener. I mean winner.

Phew I just finished Tactics Advanced!

Well I have to say I like the original Tactics more, really because of the law system grrr... I can't believe how often I forget to follow the law, specially when it makes healing or holy magic illegal I also like the JP system in FFT waaaaay more than the new AP system. (no.. I'm not a fan of FF9)

Well other than that it's okay I guess... The enemy AI is good, though sometimes it takes them awhile to decide what to do... oh and they never break the law, cept for bosses but they're immune to laws and they can't get arrested... unless you confuse them or something then they're prone to make mistakes...

Overall FFT > FFTA well to me anyways, and oh yeah magic no longer need turns to get casted, but... now it can miss which really ticks me off, because I think that magic should be guaranteed, I mean it does have that MP cost... grr well at least I can Summon in one round now...

I'm one step before the end of FFTA, and I've enjoyed it quite a bit. I think one issue people are overlooking is the fact that its a strategy based game, not a strait RPG. I think the law system is quite amusing and definitely makes it a bit more strategic in the sense that you have to work around (or nullify) laws to perhaps make your party able to do what it does best (Magic, Fight, Techs, etc etc.). As for the certain races get certain classes, I also think thats kool, cause it forces you to grow your clan. Shit, in the first one I think I had the same few people through the game up until I was able to get the "secret" characters, at which point I just used them. This one, I've had to change around at least 3-4 times to get the party I wanted.

So if you look at it in the light of a "new" game, and more strategy based than RPG, its wonderful. But to put it up to the original tactics (Which I think was more RPG than strategy) is kinda unfair in my eyes.

But I will agree, the story is rather childish. I quit paying attention to it. As far as I know, the "friends" are all bastards, haha.

I don't know but I felt that FF: Tactics, was more strategic in a sense that spells, jump and other skills usually takes more than one round to prepare. So you'll need to either trap, predict or cause a status ailment in order to hit with some of the skills which takes many rounds to cast (eg summoning). Well anyway that's my opinion on the subject.

well the idea that magic and special abilities have the ability to miss, quite easily in fact too, somewhat justifies the omittance of waiting turns. but i can easily agree in saying that the original was more difficult and strategic than the advance. but then again, most game boy advance games are aimed at a children's level.

Yea, but in the first one, it was like "Ok, I'm got Bahamut, I'll just summon him twice EVERY fight, and I've got no problem". Now, they make it a problem to do that in EVERY fight, which I think is nifty.

i was wondering just how many more laws they would add to battles as the game progressed. 3 is far enough. and i've never really used the create lawcards at all, bosses can nullify them anyway so they're useless

Yea, I never bothered with a create a law either. Although I imagine that using them in a battle between friends would make the opposing person quite angry. Lmao.

~Tj

ugh...all i have to say about the ending is...mediocre. i really didn't have the incentive to go back and complete all 300 missions, because the plot doesn't make any sense after you finish the game. you're still assumed to not have beat the final boss AND you can't go back and fight her again when you feel like it. i don't see the fun or need in that.

A friend of mine has this on the latest gameboy... I want to play it SOOOOOO bad, I'm just peeing myself.