Rarely is a remake of a game better than the original, in this case it is.
Gameplay 10/10
The atb battle system was first introduced in the original final fantasy 4 and its in this game and it's not the first time i've used it in another game. I prefer the atb over turn based considering you know when to heal and stuff if you get hurt and you dont have to wait until the turn is done and other people can kill you first. A few of the things in this game that really made me happy was SAVE POINTS! inside dungeons and of course dungeon maps. i didn't know that if you filled them in you would get rewards, it reminds of star ocean til the end of time except these rewards are more useful than a scale bunny. one of the both good and bad things about this game is that you don't have to worry about jobs and worrying about the status effects the jobs will have on your character.
Story 9/10
The story in this game is a lot more understandable than most stories in the final fantasy series and the translation is more understandable than the original. The story is somewhat the same as a lot of games but it has its own twists and concepts. THE most important thing is that this story makes sense and mostly understandable.
Graphics 9/10
you know you've really accomplished something when you manage to make a 16-bit game into a full blown 3D masterpiece. These are excellent graphics for the DS and probably the best.
Music/sound 8.5/10
I'm not big on sound in a video game but sometimes it just makes it better. there is music that makes you know that you are playing a final fantasy game and of course the classic end of battle sound. of course the voice acting isnt great but it is a good addition and a first for the remakes.
Replay value 10/10
This game has plenty of extras and a new game+ but you will mostly want to make your original file the best you can and beat all the bonus stuff.
Overall 9.5/10
it's almost perfect and can sometimes be frustrating but it is probably my favorite ds game and its definately a must play for final fantasy fans and ds owners and a gaming experience most would find enjoyable.