Final Fantasy has continued to evolve with the course of gaming. With the debut of the PlayStation, Square Enix (then Squaresoft) moved the series into the world of 3D. The PlayStation 2 saw the coming of an online title with Final Fantasy XI. Now, Square's reunion with Nintendo marks another advancement in the Final Fantasy legacy. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles takes the world that we've all grown to love and shifts the gameplay to the fast-paced Action-RPG genre.

In the world of Crystal Chronicles, a lethal mist called miasma has taken hold of the planet. To survive, each village must use a special crystal that protects the inhabitants from the deadly mist. However, the crystals do not have an infinite lifespan. Every year, a party from each village must journey out to find myrrh and replenish their crystal.

As Crystal Chronicles begins, you are asked to name your town and select your character. There are four different races to choose from, each having various strengths. The Clavats have strong defense, while the Lilties excel in offense. Magic users will opt for the Yukes, and fans of quick, long range combat will prefer the Selkies. Each race offers both male and female selections as well.

Up to four players can journey out into the world, but there is one catch. Utilizing Nintendo's much hyped connectivity features, if you wish to play Crystal Chronicles with two or more players, each participate will need a Game Boy Advance and a GBA/GCN link cable. The thinking behind this move was to limit the on-screen clutter and put everyone's inventory and character management functions on the GBA screen.

In theory this approach works well. Your character starts with four actions in their command list. Two of these actions must always be attack and defend, however, you can change the remaining slots to cast magic, replenish health, or perform a variety of other functions. Simply press select on the GBA and you can manage all of this from the handheld device.

The problems start occurring during combat, when you run out of healing fruit or need to change an item in your command list. Pressing select to switch to the GBA screen causes your character to stop moving. Therefore any enemies in the area are free to attack you without fear of counterattack. This becomes especially problematic during boss battles when it's nearly impossible to change anything in your command list without taking damage and possibly dying. To some this may simply be an added challenge bonus. However, others will view this as a reason to provide the option of using GameCube controllers. In fact, the single player mode allows you to use the GCN pad, and manages all of your inventory through the TV screen. Dividing the TV into four sections when managing your inventory would've been a nice option.

Overlooking this minor flaw, the multiplayer aspects of Crystal Chronicles are outstanding. Square Enix has masterfully designed this game to focus on teamwork. In a two player game, one person is given a map of the area, while the other player has a monster radar (all seen on the GBA screen). Three player games add a scouter that will provide valuable info on the last monster you defeated, and four player games add a treasure radar showing you where chests can be found. In addition, one player will always have to carry the crystal that keeps your party safe from the mist. Venture too far from that person and you'll quickly start to lose health. It all boils down to the simple fact that you won't do very well in this game unless you rely on your teammates.

During combat, you can combine spells and physical attacks to produce a more powerful final product. If two players cast a Cure spell at the same time, the result will be a more powerful Curaga spell. Cast Blizzard simultaneously with another player using a charged up melee attack and you'll end up with an Ice Blast combination attack. While you can get through the game without ever combining attacks, it will be much more difficult to do so.

If you don't have any friends, (or none with a GBA) don't worry, you can still play alone. Unlike most other Action-RPGs, Crystal Chronicles offers an above average single player experience. A Moogle travels with you so you don't have to worry about carrying the crystal. In addition, the Moogle won't take damage and will combine attacks with you from time to time (although usually he won't interfere in combat). You can also merge spells without the need of other players, so you won't miss much playing single player.

One minor shortcoming of FF: CC is the fact that it shouldn't take you any longer than 15 hours to complete. For a majority of the game, you'll travel from area to area collecting myrrh. After each dungeon you'll be able to increase your characters attributes. Once you collect three drops of myrrh you'll return to your home village to start the journey once again. When the story finally picks up, there are only a few hours of gameplay left.

When everything is said and done, Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is not on the same level as a majority of Final Fantasy games. However, it's still a very enjoyable and unique experience. If you have three friends and four GBAs, there is absolutely no reason to pass up on this one. Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles is easily one of the best Action-RPGs to date, and brings new meaning to the term teamwork. It's also one of the only Action-RPGs you can play alone and still have fun. The game has a few shortcomings, but the good outweighs the bad, and no GameCube owner should pass this one up without at least giving it a rental.

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