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Welcome to Game Collector, where GameSpot hunts for great deals on games so you don't have to. The games featured in this week's edition were all produced and developed by Square, one of Japan's premier game companies and the creators of the beloved Final Fantasy series. Square was already well known before the PlayStation's time--but during the last several years, its games earned it even more fame. The following games all deserve to be in your PlayStation game collection.
Final Fantasy VII - PlayStation (1997)
Street Price: $19
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Most Final Fantasy veterans agree that Final Fantasy VII, the first Final Fantasy game for the PlayStation, is the game that brought the popular role-playing series to the mainstream. Final Fantasy VII's exceptional presentation--which includes highly detailed prerendered backgrounds and articulate 3D characters--along with its excellent story and enjoyable combat, all combine to make it a classic in the role-playing genre.
Final Fantasy VIII - PlayStation (1999)
Street Price: $19
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Final Fantasy VIII was in many ways a great departure from the style of its predecessor. For one thing, it features a more realistic-looking cast of characters, and it also dispensed with a lot of the smaller details of the previous game. But Final Fantasy VIII introduced a lot of new depth in return, and it features what many fans of the series consider to be the greatest story of any of the Final Fantasy games.
Chrono Cross - PlayStation (2000)
Street Price: $19
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GameSpot proudly presented Chrono Chross with our Game of the Year award for 2000. This sequel to the classic Super Nintendo RPG, Chrono Trigger, features an innovative combat system, a huge supporting cast, and an unforgettable story. It's a more-than-worthy successor to the original. Chrono Cross even looks and sounds fantastic--it's as close to perfection as you're bound to get in an RPG.
Final Fantasy IX - PlayStation (2001)
Street Price: $39
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Presumably the final Final Fantasy for the PlayStation, Final Fantasy IX is a fond farewell--it's deliberately designed to make longtime fans of the series feel nostalgic with its familiar character designs, settings, and situations. Yet Final Fantasy IX is a great game on its own terms--it features a refined combat system and plenty of twists both in its plot and gameplay.
Final Fantasy Tactics - PlayStation (1998)
Street Price: $19
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This unusual role-playing game features an extraordinary tactical combat system that's at the heart of the experience, unlike the tedious combat found in a lot of other RPGs. Final Fantasy Tactics also features a truly remarkable story, plenty of places to explore, and secrets to discover. It was recently reissued by Sony, making this fantastic game much easier (and cheaper) to come by than it used to be.
Vagrant Story - PlayStation (2000)
Street Price: $35
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This gorgeous-looking, nontraditional action/role-playing hybrid was developed by the same team that created the superlative Final Fantasy Tactics. As Ashley Riot, a highly experienced fighter in an elite squad called the Riskbreakers, you must track down a mysterious villain who's threatening the local government. Vagrant Story features an unusual combat system and truly remarkable presentation.
Parasite Eve II - PlayStation (2000)
Street Price: $19
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The sequel to Square's horror-themed role-playing game, Parasite Eve II dispenses with a lot of its predecessor's role-playing elements and instead plays more like a survival-horror game, like Resident Evil. It has an interesting story, great graphics, and some truly creepy moments. But perhaps the best thing about Parasite Eve II is its modern-day Southern California setting, which gives the game a very realistic feel.
Final Fantasy Chronicles - PlayStation (2001)
Street Price: $19.97
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A compilation of two of Square's classics, Final Fantasy Chronicles is a great value with a misleading title--after all, this collection contains Chrono Trigger, one of Square's all-time greatest games to be sure, but it isn't part of the Final Fantasy series. The other game included is Final Fantasy IV, released for the SNES in this country as Final Fantasy II. Both games are still very playable and enjoyable to this day.
Einhander - PlayStation (1998)
Street Price: $19
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Square has dabbled in virtually every game genre, and Einhander represents one of its more enjoyable departures from its flagship Final Fantasy series. It's a side-scrolling space shooter, featuring fully 3D graphics and a blisteringly fast frame rate. Einhander has a lot of great weapons, and even a good story, making it perfect for both Square fans and anyone who likes shooters.
Final Fantasy Anthology - PlayStation (1999)
Street Price: $35
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Final Fantasy Anthology contains two classic SNES role-playing games on one PlayStation disc. Final Fantasy VI, released in this country as Final Fantasy III, is often regarded as the best game in the series. Final Fantasy V was never released in this country (not until Final Fantasy Anthology, that is) but is considered one of the deepest, most involved games in the series.
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