Crystal Chronicles marks the long-awaited reunion of Nintendo and Final Fantasy. It's been nearly a decade since the series was playable on a Nintendo home console; thankfully, this innovative title makes up for lost time.

Crystal Chronicles' main selling point is its multi-player take on the traditionally solo role-playing concept. Up to four players can take their part here, and a real sense of teamwork and camaraderie quickly develops between members of the adventuring posse. It's a breath of fresh air in one of the most stagnant game genres.

More invention arrives in the form of Crystal Chronicles' use of Nintendo's much-vaunted GameCube-to-Game Boy Advance link-up feature. With Game Boy Advance handhelds hooked up to the main GameCube system, players can manage their inventories with consummate ease and quickly access maps and other useful information. This is just one unique feature of a truly unique game.

The Final Fantasy series' famous qualities--from its intuitive battles through its epic soundtrack to the sprawling nature of its worlds--are all preserved here. For GameCube owners, this is the ultimate team-based RPG. With gorgeous visuals and a game world full of character and life, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles is a title of stellar quality. --Jonti Davies

Crystal Chronicles may have its flaws, but it's still a game worthy enough to be played in a wide time-span.

The character selection is actually quite interesting in the way that you are not restricted to one character to fight through the storyline. You can choose to specialise in strength, defence, magic, speed, and you even get a variety of looks to choose from. You gotta admit that's quite cool.

The levels also make a nice change from other FF games, as you have a nice variety of landscapes and enemies to fight through. The graphics on the water (thinking River Belle Path here) is actually quite amazing... but the monsters and especially the bosses are also pleasing to look at graphically. The music is also a nice touch (and VERY catchy at times :>)

The multiplayer... alright, the fact that you need game boy advances is a slight rip-off, i admit. However, this can be great fun! All I can say is don't knock it 'til you've tried it.

One bad thing which I will also not forget to mention about this game is the fighting system. I will not deny that it does seem that all you're doing is pressing A all the time. But it's not about that - the game looks and sounds incredible. I'd be lying if I said this game is extremely easy, but it's all about what goes on on-screen that makes this game as good as it is.

Hardcore FF fans may be a bit annoyed at this game, but for newcomers to the series this is a worthy starting point, especially if you have a couple of mates to play around with on it.

Crystal Chronicles? Chronicled Crap! Yet another utterly disappointing game from Square-Enix to grace our shelves with its ominous presence. This truly deserves to stand amongst all the other Square-Enix products in the hall of shame.
Considering buying this? Consider throwing yourself off a cliff first. What kind of self-respecting RPG company puts multiplayer experience before gameplay and development? The entire game seems directed and focused only on multiplayer mode. "But what about the characters?" you ask, oh there are characters all right, mindless shells of characters with no personalities or background. Dialogue is severely limited and the battle system, like kingdom hearts does little justice. With no new abilities to learn the combat quickly gets repetetive and the only way to get armour upgrades is to have some blacksmith send them to you, which, believe me doesn't happen until much later on.
Along with a weak storyline and blatant advertising of the gameboy advance (you need 4 of these to even access multiplayer) this is just not worth the money. Multiplayer gaming is a stroke of genius in some aspects but did Enix and nintendo consider this: not all of us have friends at their beck and call that like gaming and have a gameboy advance and can come over whenever you wish to play the game with you!!!
Square could have made this an FF masterpiece but no, Enix just had to spew out yet another horror into the gaming world for us to waste our money on. Lets hope FF 11 and 12 can redeem them somewhat.
Do not, whatsoever, trust a Square-Enix game to be worth your time, one of the best companies of our time has failed miserably, stick with Squaresoft and Bioware, avoid this monstrosity at all costs.

i just thought i'd add to the review below this, because i hate this game and felt i needed to point out that the reason it is so cheap pre-owned on amazon is because everyone is selling their game because it is so disgustingly boring (see my other review)

This game is fantastic! It's unlike any other game in the series, but it is in fact better. Hard to find in the shops now, on Amazon you can get it very cheap pre-owned whereas it is around ??39.99 in the shops.
It is brilliant both in single player mode and with friends.
Buy it! you won't regret it!!!

This game is superb and a must have for all RPG lovers or Final Fantasy fans. The game is based on you travelling in your caravan to each place collecting myrrh from myrrh trees.Each drop of myrrh(you gain one drop from each tree) fills a third of your chalice. When your chalice id full you complete that year and return to your home town to revitalise your crystal which protects your village from the deadly miasma, so does the chalice you carry everywhere. However it's not that easy. Each myrrh tree can be found at the end of each place after defeating the boss!!! So, you have to carry the chalice round everywhere as it protects you from miasma which is everywhere. However the chalice only protects you a certain distance. This leaves a ring around you and if you step out you lose health! But you don't usually have the chalice, your furry littlr friend mog will carry it for you! So that's basically the whole game, going through levels, beating bosses and collecting myrrh. But it's bloody fun though!!!

+ The Graphics are superb!!! Classic Final Fantasy.
+ The bosses are great with incredible detail.
+ Thousands of items
+ You can even craft equipment, if you see a blacksmith!
+ Good storyline with interesting plot
+ Nice, easy simple battling style
+ Loads of levels with different scenerys and a voice over introduction
+ Music is superb! Very soothing
+ The use of magic is fun and interesting
+ You can upgrade on your stats
+ Loads of different type sof enemys
+ Good life span

- You have to have your friend carry the chalice which leaves a circle around you restriicting your speed and movement, however it is vital to the storyline
- The places with no monsters, where there is no myrrh tree are quite boring

APART FROM THAT THIS GAME IS SUPER!!! BUY IT!