Final Fantasy IV: Difference between revisions
→Story: remove vandalism |
Started Technology section |
||
| Line 51: | Line 51: | ||
However, due to financial and scheduling constraints, Square was forced to drop plans for the Famicom game and to continue development of the Super Famicom title, which was retitled ''Final Fantasy IV''. It is not clear how far development had progressed on the Famicom version before its cancellation. A mock-up screenshot was produced for a Japanese magazine, but almost no other information exists about the aborted title.<ref>{{cite web | author=Collette, Chris | year=2003 | title=Elusions: Final Fantasy IV / Seiken Densetsu | url=http://www.lostlevels.org/200311/200311-square.shtml | format=html | work=[http://www.lostlevels.org/ Lost Levels Online] | accessdate=March 01 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> |
However, due to financial and scheduling constraints, Square was forced to drop plans for the Famicom game and to continue development of the Super Famicom title, which was retitled ''Final Fantasy IV''. It is not clear how far development had progressed on the Famicom version before its cancellation. A mock-up screenshot was produced for a Japanese magazine, but almost no other information exists about the aborted title.<ref>{{cite web | author=Collette, Chris | year=2003 | title=Elusions: Final Fantasy IV / Seiken Densetsu | url=http://www.lostlevels.org/200311/200311-square.shtml | format=html | work=[http://www.lostlevels.org/ Lost Levels Online] | accessdate=March 01 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> |
||
===Technological Improvements=== |
|||
The use of [[Mode 7]] technology was notable in Final Fantasy IV, as were the visual enhancement over previous Final Fantasy incarnations.<ref>{{cite web | author=Palley, Steve | year=2004 | title=Sail to the Moon: Final Fantasy II | url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6132899/index.html | format=html | work=[http://www.gamespot.com] | accessdate=March 07 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> |
|||
=== Remakes === |
=== Remakes === |
||
Revision as of 04:09, 8 March 2006
| Final Fantasy IV | |
|---|---|
| Japanese hardtype cover | |
| Developer(s) | Square Co., Ltd. |
| Publisher(s) |  Square Co., Ltd. / Square Soft, Inc. |
| Designer(s) | Hironobu Sakaguchi (director) Nobuo Uematsu (composer) Yoshitaka Amano (char. design) Takashi Tokita (main design) |
| Platform(s) | Super Nintendo Entertainment System (see below for later rereleases) |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
Final Fantasy IV (ファイナルファンタジーIV in Japanese, or Fainaru Fantajī IV using romanization), often abbreviated to FF4, is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co., Ltd. in 1991. Originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the game was subsequently rereleased for the PlayStation, the WonderSwan Color, and the Game Boy Advance. A modified version of the game was released for the Super Famicom in Japan in 1991 under the name Final Fantasy IV Easytype. While the game retained the storyline, graphics, and sound of the original game, the game engine had been modified so as to make the game substantially simpler, and the finished product was marketed at "beginning" gamers. The original North American release of the game most closely resembles Final Fantasy IV Easytype. Because the previous two installments of the Final Fantasy series had not been released to North American audiences, it was instead released under the title Final Fantasy II for the purposes of maintaining continuity. Subsequent enhanced remakes of the game have been released in North America under the original title. The game was not released in Europe until the release of the PlayStation port as part of the European version of Final Fantasy Anthology in 2002.
Gameplay
Gameplay in Final Fantasy IV is standard computer role-playing game fare; characters traverse an overworld to fulfill requirements of various quests, using towns to replenish strength, buy new equipment, and discover clues, all the while fighting monsters at random intervals. The game also introduces Square's Active Time Battle (ATB) system, which differs from previous Final Fantasy games and most RPGs up to that time in that players must give orders to their characters in real-time. The ATB system would appear again in the next five games in the series, as well as making appearances in other games produced by Square, including Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy X-2.
In battle, each character has certain strengths and weaknesses, including either spellcasting powers or other special abilities. Like other Final Fantasy games, characters gain abilities as they gain battle experience. Magic is divided into several different categories: "White", healing and support magic; "Black", offensive magic; "Summon" (or "call") magic, used to call forth monsters to damage the enemy or perform some special function for the party such as healing; and "Ninjutsu" magic, a specialized type of offensive and support magic used exclusively by an individual character. Spellcasters, which account for eight of the twelve playable characters, gain magic spells at preprogrammed experience levels or fixed events in the story; for this reason Final Fantasy IV's ability development system is considered the simplest of any game in the series.
Final Fantasy IV is a very linear game; at most points in the game players may advance through the story in only one way, with limited opportunities for side quests or alternate paths. However, some small side quests can be undertaken, such as finding a secret room where characters are found who represent the game's programmers, or searching the basement of Castle Baron, in which an enemy is discovered that can be defeated in combat and gained as a summonable ally.
Story
The most powerful nation in the world, the monarchy of Baron, begins utilizing its unparalleled air force called the "Red Wings", and its legions of Dark Knights to attack peaceful nations in search of four Crystals, each corresponding to a different classical element. However, this disruption will soon spiral into a disaster spanning multiple civilizations.
Template:Spoiler Cecil Harvey, a Dark Knight and leader of the Red Wings, begins to question the king's motives after forcibly stealing the Water Crystal from the wizards' town of Mysidia. Upon questioning the king, Cecil is stripped of his rank and sent, along with his friend, the dragoon Kain Highwind, to deliver a package to the Village of Mist. However, the package contains explosives that destroy the entire town and kill most of its inhabitants. The aftermath leaves Kain missing, while Cecil encounters a young female survivor named Rydia. Cecil, now angered with King Baron and the Red Wings, initiates a quest to stop them.
On his journey back to Baron, Cecil encounters his lover, Rosa Farrell; an elderly wizard, Tellah; the cowardly and emotional prince of Damcyan, Edward Chris von Muir; and the powerful monk of Fabul, Yang Fang Leiden. Cecil also encounters Kain who is proceeding with the theft of the remainder of the crystals for King Baron. During a skirmish, Rosa is kidnapped by Kain. The party soon discovers that a man named Golbez is manipulating Kain and Baron in order to retrieve the Crystals. After a ship attack by the sea monster Leviathan, Cecil becomes stranded in Mysidia, where he is forced to repent for his previous crimes by becoming a holy Paladin. It is here that he also meets the apprentice mages Palom and Porom.
Afterward, Cecil and his comrades reunite and attempt to invade Baron, but they are forced to escape on Cid Pollendina's airship. Cecil soon encounters the brainwashed Kain, who forces Cecil to retrieve the final Crystal in exchange for the life of Rosa. Kain then leads the group to where Rosa is being held by Golbez, where they unsuccessfully attempt a preemptive strike on Golbez. Consequently, Tellah is killed; however, the spell on Kain is shattered, allowing him to reveal that Golbez has not retrieved all of the Crystals. Four more, called the Dark Crystals, are hidden in the underground land of the Dwarves, and Golbez has already stolen two of them.
With the help of Cid and the other allies, Cecil manages to chase Golbez around the Dark World. However, even after the invasion of the Tower of Babel and the aid of the ninja prince Edward "Edge" Geraldine, Cecil's party comes up short; Golbez apprehends the two remaining crystals with ease. Golbez then retreats to the planet's second moon. In order to discover what plan Golbez has for the Crystals and hopefully stop it, Cecil follows Golbez to the second moon using the ancient starship the "Lunar Whale" hidden beneath Mysidia's ocean.
On the moon, Cecil meets FuSoYa, who explains to him that he is descended from a race known as Lunarians. Cecil's father is a a heroic, yet deceased Lunarian named KluYa. Moreover, some Lunarians, led by Zemus, plan to wipe out all life on the planet for Lunarian inhabitation. In order to achieve this, Zemus manipulated Golbez and Kain to obtain the Crystals needed to revive a giant destructive android, the Giant of Babel. On the planet, the forces of the world are hopelessly attacking the Giant. With the help of FuSoYa, who can neutralize the Giant of Babel's force field, Cecil group breaks into the Giant. Inside, FuSoYa breaks Zemus' control over Golbez and Kain. While the Giant is being destroyed, Cecil learns that Golbez is his brother. Golbez and FuSoYa head to the core of the moon to attempt to defeat Zemus, and Cecil's party follows. Cecil watches Golbez and FuSoYa defeat Zemus but quickly lose to his ultimate form, Zeromus. It takes the united life force of all beings, combined with a special Crystal provided by Golbez, for Cecil and his party to defeat Zeromus. Template:Endspoiler
Musical score
The musical themes of Final Fantasy IV are composed by Nobuo Uematsu, who has worked on most games in the Final Fantasy Series. In this incarnation of the series, many well loved pieces were composed, so much so that he continues to do concert tours of Final Fantasy and use pieces from this game.[1] The track "Theme of Love" has been taught to Japanese school children as part of the music curriculum.[2]
Two music albums of Final Fantasy IV music have been released in Japan: Final Fantasy IV: Original Sound Version, the 44-track original soundtrack, and Final Fantasy IV: Celtic Moon, a selection of tracks from the game arranged and performed by Celtic musician Máire Breatnach. Several tracks from the game have appeared on Final Fantasy compilation albums, including The Black Mages and Final Fantasy Pray.
Development history
In 1990, after the completion of Final Fantasy III, Square intended to develop two Final Fantasy games, one for the Nintendo Famicom, and the other for the forthcoming Super Famicom. The Famicom title would be released under the name Final Fantasy IV, while the Super Famicom title would be released under the name Final Fantasy V.
However, due to financial and scheduling constraints, Square was forced to drop plans for the Famicom game and to continue development of the Super Famicom title, which was retitled Final Fantasy IV. It is not clear how far development had progressed on the Famicom version before its cancellation. A mock-up screenshot was produced for a Japanese magazine, but almost no other information exists about the aborted title.[3]
Technological Improvements
The use of Mode 7 technology was notable in Final Fantasy IV, as were the visual enhancement over previous Final Fantasy incarnations.[4]
Remakes
| PlayStation | WonderSwan Color | Final Fantasy IV Advance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Square Co., Ltd.
|
Square Co., Ltd.
|
Nintendo of America Square Enix Square Enix
|
| Release date(s) | 21 March 1997
|
27 March 2002
|
12 December 2005 15 December 2005 Early 2006
|
| Rating(s) | Not applicable | Not applicable | ESRB: E10+ CERO: All ages |
| Platform(s) | Sony PlayStation | WonderSwan Color | Game Boy Advance |
| Media | 1 CD-ROM | 32 megabit cartridge | 128 megabit cartridge |
Shortly after the initial release of the game, Square released an alternate version of the game with a decreased difficulty level under the title of Final Fantasy IV Easytype. Many features of the original game were removed to simplify the gaming experience. This was fundamentally the same game as was released in North America as Final Fantasy II. A number of additional changes were rendered to the North American release, mostly as a result of Nintendo of America's censorship policies at the time.[5] These changes included but were not limited to the removal of any overt Judeo-Christian religious references from the script and the graphics. The extreme differences between the North American Final Fantasy II and the original "hardtype" Japanese Final Fantasy IV prompted an English language fan translation of the original Japanese game, produced by J2e Translations.[6]
Final Fantasy IV has been ported to variety of different platforms. Each version tells the same story, stars the same characters, and features similar graphics, sound, music, and gameplay. Nonetheless, there are certain key distinctions between each version. To date, Final Fantasy IV has been released for the Sony PlayStation (in 1997), the WonderSwan Color (in 2002), and the Game Boy Advance (in 2005). The PlayStation remake was released in North America as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles and in Europe as part of Final Fantasy Anthology. The Game Boy Advance remake was released in Japan, North America, and Europe under the title Final Fantasy IV Advance. The WonderSwan Color remake was never released outside of Japan. The English language PlayStation and Game Boy Advance releases of the game feature entirely different software localizations, both from the original Final Fantasy II, and from each other.
Reception
Final Fantasy IV has been called one of the greatest video games of all time,[7] and is considered by many to be the popularizer of many common computer role-playing game features. [8] One of the first localization projects undertaken by Square's North American branch, many criticized the original North American Final Fantasy II for the poor quality of its English language translation.[9] The Game Boy Advance remake has been well-received by most reviewers,[10] though a few have questioned how well the game holds up today in visual presentation, especially when compared to subsequent installments in the series, particularly Final Fantasy VI.[11]
References
- ^ Schnieder, Peer (May 11, 2005). "Dear Friends: Music from Final Fantasy". ign.com. Retrieved 2006-03-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Hitmitsu, Suppai (March 31st, 2004). "Final Fantasy Becomes Curriculum". ign.com. Retrieved 2006-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help)CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Collette, Chris (2003). "Elusions: Final Fantasy IV / Seiken Densetsu" (html). Lost Levels Online. Retrieved March 01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); External link in|work=|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Palley, Steve (2004). "Sail to the Moon: Final Fantasy II" (html). [1]. Retrieved March 07.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); External link in|work=|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ GameSpy Staff (2003). "25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming / Nintendo's Mortal Mistake" (html). GameSpy.com. Retrieved March 6.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); External link in|work=|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Maxwell, Brian (2003). "B-Rock's Homepage". Brian Maxwell. Retrieved 2006-03-01.
- ^ Turner, Ben (December 12, 2005). "Final Fantasy IV Advance". gamespy.com. Retrieved 2006-03-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Webmaster (2006). "Platinum Game Chart, Japan". The Magic Box. Retrieved 2006-03-02.
- ^ Bahamut. "Reviews – Final Fantasy II" (html). RPGFan. Retrieved March 6.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help); External link in|work=|accessyear=ignored (|access-date=suggested) (help) - ^ Editorial Board (December 12, 2005). "Final Fantasy IV Advance GBA". gamerankings.com. Retrieved 2006-03-02.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link) - ^ Parish, Jeremy (December 9, 2005). "Final Fantasy IV Review from 1up.com". 1up.com. Retrieved 2006-03-01.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: year (link)
External links
Official sites
- Nintendo Final Fantasy IV Advance Official Site (English)
- Template:Ja iconSquare Enix Final Fantasy IV Advance Official Site
- Square Enix Final Fantasy Chronicles Website - Includes an FF4 Overview (English)
Reviews
Fan sites
- DMOZ.org Open Directory for Final Fantasy IV related websites
- Final Fantasy Wiki category list for Final Fantasy IV
- IMDB Database Entry for Final Fantasy IV
- Moby Games Final Fantasy IV Listing
- Collection of official game art at Caves of Narshe
by Square Enix (formerly Square) | |||||||||
| Main games | |||||||||
| Subseries | |||||||||
| Other games | |||||||||
| Related series | |||||||||
| Films and animation | |||||||||
| Related | |||||||||
