Written by Nick Melton

When the soundtrack for Final Fantasy VI was released, I was completely blown away by all the memorable themes and the mature sound. Naturally, when the Final Fantasy VI Piano Collection was released I had *very* high expectations for it. Luckily, I wasn't disappointed.

1. Tina - The opener for the CD is a beautiful arrangement of Tina's theme, and doesn't loose any of its original beauty when it was transferred to piano. I love it. Definitely one of the best on the CD.

2. Gau - Another beautiful song, which I immediately learned how to play on my piano. It's not as good as the arrangement on "Grand Finale" but still a great track.

3. Cefca - This a fun little ditty, although it really doesn't follow the OST version very well. I don't really like the dissonance that occurs throughout the piece, and think at times the melody gets a bit lost. But it's still fun.

4. Spinach Rag - This is a great piece. It's very light and fun, and, just to make the experience more enjoyable, adds another section to the piece. This follows the OST almost perfectly, except for the added section. Wonderful. 

5. Stragus - BLECH! Besides being horribly dissonant, this piece doesn't even really play the original melody from the OST, which was mediocre to begin with. Skip it. Trust me, you won't be missing anything.

6. The Mystic Forest - While not as lush as the OST and "Grand Finale" arrangements, the piano arrangement of "The Mystic Forest" is still mysterious. 

7. Kids Run Through the City Corner - Geez, how many great tracks are going to be on this disc?! This is a beautiful arrangement of perhaps the greatest town theme in the series. Heart-wrenching!

8. Johnny C. Bad - This is the disc's ultra-fun piece. Although it doesn't really follow the OST's version very well it's worth hearing over and over again. Great fun.

9. Mystery Train - Somehow I got the impression on the OST that this piece wasn't jazz. On this CD, however, it is. Not that that's a bad thing. It's a wonderful track (What's new?).

10. The Decisive Battle - A great piece, but it doesn't capture the intensity of battle like the original. But don't skip it, it's still listenable.

11. Coin Song - A nice arrangement of Edgar and Sabin's theme.

12. Celes - My favorite character theme in the game is arranged for piano and sounds exactly like the version on the OST! This CD is worth buying just for this track.

13. Waltz de Chocobo - Don't ask me why this is on the CD. It wasn't on the OST. I am puzzled at this addition, but I can't complain because it's a great closer. 

All in all, this is wonderful CD. Buy it if you ever see it sitting on a shelf for sale. Thankfully it was re-released, so it shouldn't be too hard. Hopefully. Get it if you get the chance.