We Americans got a different performer for the X-2 Vocals, one Jade from Sweetbox. The Japanese gamers got to hear the lovely voice of Kumi Koda.

I've heard a lot of debate about who performs these vocal tracks better: some say Koda, others say Jade. Of course, it's easy to argue that nothing can beat the original (to which I say "compare FF1&2 OST to the Symphonic Suite"). Anyway, after listening enough times, I've determined that despite the less-than-inspiring lyrics, Jade's versions are more palatable to my tastes.

However, these tracks aren't without their merits. Compared to the OST tracks, these songs are full-size versions, which makes a significant difference for the track "real Emotion", which now has a second verse added.

Standard with all vocal singles are the Karaoke tracks, so you can sing in Japanese with all your friends and then feel bad about it the next day in school!

Honestly, I'm not too impressed by this single, but if you like the Japanese versions of the songs, having the full versions is always worthwhile. Listen to the samples, and make your decision. That's the best (and most common) advice I can give.

Reviewed by: Patrick Gann