I’ve already taken the plunge and purchased the Final Fantasy Pixel Remasters on Steam when they released last year, and they’ve been quite good for a dedicated PC session and as portable companions on Steam Deck. When Square Enix announced that an updated version will be hitting consoles next week, I was a little green with envy.

Why? Well, the console version sports some additional features that currently aren’t present in the Steam version. In the announcement trailer, we see that a new pixel-based font has been implemented that has a much wider kerning than previous releases, a decision that was met with widespread derision – and rightly so, as the default font is extremely hard to read at a distance and, well, is just kind of ugly. I can certainly understand how a unified font choice would more easily allow for more localization options into more languages (which is great by all accounts) but I just wish the trade-off hadn’t been as severe.

Personally, I replaced it with the font that originally appeared in Final Fantasy VI, a remarkably easy endeavor. It’s got a square-ness and a pixel styling in the Goldilocks zone, though perhaps I’m a tad biased given it was the first one I played in the franchise. A non-pixel style doesn’t quite feel right, though I’ve seen the gambit of other games’ fonts as easily accessible.

It works surprisingly well, as I never ran into an issue where text overflowed out of the box, save for the closing credits of each game where names and titles are a bit scuffed, which I consider a downside to what’s otherwise a perfect solution. Now, the new font isn’t ideal as many have pointed out, but it’s a welcome improvement. While there’s still vacuous empty space in many text windows and the battle interfaces, it’s a bit less abrasive to look at now.

Also, the original soundtrack can be toggled, which I’d definitely recommend if you’re playing through one of these classics for the first time. For the rest of us, I’d go for the arranged soundtracks, which are excellent, enough to liquefy my innards at certain points causing my hands to lay off the controller for a hot minute and just absorb.

The console version also includes the ability to toggle encounters on and off, which is a welcome feature for those looking to beeline the story of each game, but also the ability to increase or decrease various post-battle rewards like experience points, ability points, and gil. Pumping these up is also a great idea for those who want a more laid back affair, with a greater ramp up to smooth out any spots of potential grind.

Or, alluringly for sickos such as myself, there’s the option to turn off experience points, ability points, or gil altogether. The games are already re-tuned to provide a smoother ramp when it comes to challenge, but having the choice whether to manually step on the gas or the brake is ideal for those coming back for a replay. Sure, you can simply turn off encounters, but not engaging with the core combat aside from scripted encounters doesn’t quite do it for me.

It would more or less make menial encounters more consequential, as well as engaging more deeply in lateral character growth systems such as equipment upgrades, learning a greater variety of job abilities or spells from Espers without getting too overpowered. Perhaps you could say this is overpowering yourself in a different way, which is fair, but it’s a little more interesting at least.

And hey, props for fixing the opening credits of FInal Fantasy VI too, restoring the original staff members to their rightful place as the march to Narshe elapses. Missing them entirely sure made that a bit awkward.

Of course, all this is assuming that the Steam version will be updated with these features alongside the console release. It doesn’t seem to be explicitly guaranteed at this point, but hopefully isn’t too far off if not day-and-date with the console versions. While it’s tempting to give these a second playthrough, especially the earlier, breezier games that can be handily conquered in a weekend, the $75 price tag on the six-game bundle is intimidating to say the least, when the games are handily available on Steam (and Steam Deck.) Hopefully then it won’t feel like the Steam version was a dry run.

Next on the list is restoring some of the added content in the Gameboy Advance versions, right Square Enix? I’ll hope, as my certainty dwindles.

While you’re here, you can check out the Steam version reviews by Quinton and myself over yonder.

Final Fantasy I-VI Pixel Remaster is due out on Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 on April 19th.