Final Fantasy IV: Difference between revisions
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==Reception== |
==Reception== |
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Major reviewers, such as [[IGN]] and [[GameSpot]], have called ''Final Fantasy IV'' one of the [[Computer and video games that have been considered the greatest ever|greatest video games of all time]] and the popularizer of many common computer role-playing game features.<ref>{{cite web | author=Turner, Ben | title=Final Fantasy IV Advance | publisher=gamespy.com | year= December 12, 2005 | url=http://gba.gamespy.com/gameboy-advance/final-fantasy-iv/676753p1.html | accessdate=2006-03-01}}</ref> |
Sales were brisk in Japan, totalling over 1.44 million copies.<ref>{{cite web | author=Webmaster | title=Platinum Game Chart, Japan | publisher=The Magic Box | year= 2006 |n url=http://www.the-magicbox.com/topten2.htm | accessdate=2006-03-02}}</ref> |
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===Critical reaction=== |
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Major reviewers, such as [[IGN]] and [[GameSpot]], have called ''Final Fantasy IV'' one of the [[Computer and video games that have been considered the greatest ever|greatest video games of all time]] and the popularizer of many common computer role-playing game features.<ref>{{cite web | author=Turner, Ben | title=Final Fantasy IV Advance | publisher=gamespy.com | year= December 12, 2005 | url=http://gba.gamespy.com/gameboy-advance/final-fantasy-iv/676753p1.html | accessdate=2006-03-01}}</ref> Famitsu, a japanese game reviewer, released a reader poll ranking it as the sixth best game ever made <ref>{{cite web | author=Campbell, Colin| year=March 3rd, 2006| title=Japan Votes on All Time Top 100 | format= | work=Next Generation | url=http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2401&Itemid=2 | accessdate=2006-06-04}}</ref> Many criticized the original ''Final Fantasy II'', Square's first North American localization, for the poor quality of its [[English language]] translation.<ref>{{cite web | title=Reviews – Final Fantasy II | url=http://www.rpgfan.com/reviews/finalfantasy4/Final_Fantasy_2_US-4.html | author=Bahamut | work=[http://www.rpgfan.com/ RPGFan] | accessdate=March 6 | accessyear=2006}}</ref> The Game Boy Advance remake has been well-received by most reviewers,<ref>{{cite web | author=Editorial Board | title=Final Fantasy IV Advance GBA | publisher=gamerankings.com | year= December 12, 2005 | url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/929937.asp | accessdate=2006-03-02}}</ref> 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]]''.<ref>{{cite web | author=Parish, Jeremy | title=Final Fantasy IV Review from 1up.com | publisher=1up.com | year= December 9, 2005 | url=http://egm.1up.com/do/reviewPage?cId=3146237&did=1 | accessdate=2006-03-01}}</ref> |
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== References== |
== References== |
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Revision as of 16:36, 4 June 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) Takashi Tokita (main design) Nobuo Uematsu (composer) Yoshitaka Amano (char. design) |
| Platform(s) | Super Nintendo Entertainment System (see below for later rereleases) |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
| Mode(s) | both Single player and two player modes |
Final Fantasy IV (ファイナルファンタジーIV, Fainaru Fantajī Foa), often abbreviated to FF4, is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co., Ltd. in 1991. Its first North American release was called Final Fantasy II, as it was only the second game in the series to reach the North American market, but the original numbering was restored on later re-releases. Originally released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the game was subsequently re-released for the PlayStation, the WonderSwan Color, and the Game Boy Advance.
Final Fantasy IV was a landmark game in the Final Fantasy series, with many innovations that would become staples of the series, and of role playing games (RPG)'s in general. Because of its emotionally intense character-based plot, the very effective use of the new technologies available on the 16-bit game systems (such as Mode 7 graphics), and the famously beautiful scoring by Nobuo Uematsu, this game has been considered by many players and critics as one of the greatest video games ever made.[1]
Gameplay
Gameplay in Final Fantasy IV is standard computer role-playing game fare. Players assume the roles of various characters as they traverse an overworld to fulfill requirements of various quests. Along the way, the characters use towns to replenish strength, buy new equipment, and discover clues. During overworld travels and dungeon quests, characters fight monsters at random intervals.
Final Fantasy IV 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.[2] However, some small side quests can be undertaken. For example, there exists a secret room where characters representing the game's programmers can be found. Additionally, in the basement of Castle Baron, the party can encounter an enemy, who, if defeated, can later be summoned as an ally. One rather large subquest involves traversing a cave underground that leads the land of Summoned Monsters.
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 being forced to steal 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 unconfident prince of Damcyan, Edward Chris von Muir; and the powerful monk of Fabul, Yang Fang Leiden. The party soon discovers that a man named Golbez is manipulating Baron in order to retrieve the Crystals. Cecil also encounters Kain, who seems to have fallen under Golbez's control, and is assisting with the theft of the remaining crystals for King Baron. During a skirmish, Rosa is kidnapped by Golbez. After a ship attack by the sea monster Leviathan, Cecil becomes stranded in Mysidia, where he learns that his Dark Knight powers will be ineffective against Golbez, and is given the chance to repent for his previous crimes by becoming a holy Paladin. It is here that he also meets the apprentice mages Palom and Porom. Cecil climbs Mount Ordeals, passes the test to become a Paladin, and gains the holy sword that will allow him to fight Golbez.
Afterward, Cecil and his comrades reunite and attempt to invade Baron, where they rescue Cid Pollendina and escape on his 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 sacrifices his life trying to defeat Golbez; 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 that Cecil is descended from a race known as Lunarians. Cecil's deceased father was a heroic Lunarian named KluYa who visited the planet to learn more about its inhabitants. KluYa fell in love with a human woman, and had two children with her.
KluYa was followed by more Lunarians, including Zemus, who desired to wipe out humanity in order to make the world suitable for Lunarian habitation. 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. Meanwhile, on the planet, the combined forces of dwarves and men are bravely attacking the awakened Giant. FuSoYa neutralizes the Giant of Babel's force field and Cecil's group breaks into the Giant. Inside, FuSoYa breaks Zemus' control over Golbez. Awakened from his controlled state, Golbez reveals, shocking Cecil's party, that his father's name is KluYa. Cecil had unknowingly been fighting against his own brother.
As the Giant explodes, Kain, no longer mind-controlled, reappears to lead the party to safety, and rejoins them. 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 as the party celebrates the victory, a dark shape arises from Zemus's body, calling itself Zeromus, the product of Zemus' hatred. Zeromus attacks and easily defeats Golbez, FuSoYa, and Cecil's party.
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. When Zeromus is defeated he claims that as long as there is evil still in the world, he will always exist. Cecil is bothered by what Zeromus told them, but FuSoYa tells him that as long as there is evil in the world, there will always be a good force to combat the evil, comforting him. Golbez and FuSoYa decide to sleep with the other Lunarians, as they wouldn't be welcome on the planet. After a year, the whole party reunites for Cecil and Rosa's wedding, and they become Baron's King and Queen. 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. For this game, Uematsu composed many well-loved pieces, which he still uses in his Final Fantasy concert series. [3] The track "Theme of Love" has been taught to Japanese school children as part of the music curriculum.[4]
Three albums of Final Fantasy IV music have been released in Japan: Final Fantasy IV: Original Sound Version, the 44-track original soundtrack; Final Fantasy IV: Celtic Moon, a selection of tracks from the game arranged and performed by Celtic musician Máire Breatnach; Final Fantasy IV Piano Collections, performed by Toshiyuki Mori, an arrangement of several tracks for solo piano, which began the Piano Collections trend for each successive Final Fantasy game. Several tracks from the game have appeared on Final Fantasy compilation albums produced by Squaresoft, including The Black Mages and Final Fantasy: Pray. Independent but officially licensed releases of Final Fantasy IV music have been composed by such groups as "Project Majestic Mix", which focuses on recording video game music.[5]
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 version, 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.[6]
Graphical improvements
An early Super Nintendo game, Final Fantasy IV contained graphics greatly improved from those of previous Final Fantasy titles for the NES and even stood out from other Super Nintendo titles of the time.[7] The Super Nintendo's Mode 7 technology was used to give magic spells greater visual impact and make airship travel more dramatic by scaling and tilting the ground.
Remakes
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 had an 'easy version' made for the Super Famicom, and has been ported to the Super Nintendo in 1991, the Sony PlayStation (in 1997), the WonderSwan Color (in 2002), and the Game Boy Advance (in 2005).
Easytype
| Easytype | |
|---|---|
| Original Super Famicom box art | |
| Publisher(s) | Square Co., Ltd.
|
| Release date(s) | October 19, 1991
|
| Media | Cartridge |
A modified version of the game was released for the Super Famicom in Japan under the name Final Fantasy IV Easytype. While the game retained the storyline, graphics, and sound of the original game, many changes aimed at making the game less difficult and easier to learn were instituted. Some items were easier to find or less expensive to buy, and several battle commands were removed, including Tellah's "Recall" (allowing him to use a random magic spell), Edward's "Medicine" (which used Potions from the player's inventory to heal the entire party), and Cecil's "DarkWave" (an attack which targeted all enemies but sacrificed some of his HP). Many enemies and bosses were made less difficult, or were given specific weaknesses. Secret passages in the walls were also outlined in blue, where they had been invisible in the original. The Easytype version was marketed as being for beginning gamers.
Final Fantasy II (North America)
| Final Fantasy II (North America) | |
|---|---|
| Boxart of the North American localization the game; this version was notable for excluding many features present in the original Japanese "hardtype" version | |
| Publisher(s) | / Square Soft, Inc.
|
| Release date(s) | / November 23rd, 1991
|
| Platform | Nintendo Entertainment System |
| Media | Cartridge |
Because the previous two installments of the Final Fantasy series had not been released to North American audiences, Final Fantasy IV 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.
Final Fantasy II was a translation of the Easytype version of Final Fantasy IV. The reason why Square chose to use this version, rather than the original, for the English port is unknown, since the original Final Fantasy had a fairly high difficulty level that was unchanged for the English release. The translation lost some content to Nintendo of America's censorship and poor translation when localized.[8] Although the plot remains coherent and understandable, many odd or awkwardly translated lines of dialogue (such as "You spoony bard!") are frequently cited by players as examples of Engrish in video games.
The English script is somewhat condensed due to the space limitations of cartridges and the fact that Japanese text using kanji takes up fewer characters than its English equivalent. Some minor plot points, most notably a story about Kain's background and relationship to his father, and the motivations for Zemus's plans regarding colonization of Earth, were cut for space.
The logo for the U.S. version was also substantially different; instead of the underlined blue-on-white text overlaid on an artistically rendered Kain, the game's cover and title screen featured the font style and "sword T" emblem used in the Game Boy "Final Fantasy Legend" series.
Other changes included the removal of any overt Judeo-Christian religious references from the script and the graphics. The most notable instance of this is the renaming of the magic spell "Holy" to "White." This was in keeping with Nintendo of America's content guidelines at the time, and similar examples can be found in the original North American translations of Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Final Fantasy VI (released as Final Fantasy III). All references to prayer are eliminated as well; the Tower of Prayers in Mysidia is renamed the Tower of Wishes, and Rosa's "Pray" command is dropped from the game. Direct references to death were not allowed, although several characters clearly die over the course of the game. Also in keeping with NOA policy, anything which seemed to be too risque was censored. The sprites of some female monsters were altered so that less of their chests were visible; dancers in the towns were given leotards instead of bikinis.
The Programmers' Room special feature (in which the player can find a "porno magazine" in a bookshelf, although the item does nothing) was also taken out.
The various differences between the North American translation and the Japanese original prompted an English language fan translation of the original script, produced by J2e Translations.[9]
PlayStation
| Playstation remake | |
|---|---|
| |
| Publisher(s) | Square Co./ Square EA
|
| Release date(s) | March 21, 1997/ June 28 2001
|
| Platform | Sony PlayStation |
| Media | CD-ROM |
The Playstation re-release was published by Square Co., Ltd., designed and directed by Kazuhiki Aoki, supervised by Fumiaki Fukaya, and produced/game produced by Akihiro Imai. It was released in Japan on 21 March 1997 on their CD-ROM format.
This version is mostly identical to the original Final Fantasy IV. Some minor tweaks introduced in Final Fantasy IV Easytype have been left in, but they are extremely minor in nature. The most notable change in the PlayStation release is the inclusion of a full motion video opening sequence, the ability to "run" in dungeons and towns by holding the Cancel button, and the ability to perform a "memo" save anywhere on the world map.
The PlayStation remake was released in North America as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles, and in Europe as part of Final Fantasy Anthology The North American and European localization featured an entirely rewritten translation which addressed most of the discrepancies between the original game and the SNES Final Fantasy II, as well as fixing a few bugs from the Japanese version (mostly slowdown issues with the music). However, certain sections, such as the line "You spoony bard!", were kept intact, as many of them had achieved cult status.
WonderSwan Color
| Wonderswan Color | |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Square Co., Ltd.
|
| Release date(s) | March 27, 2002
|
| Platform | WonderSwan Color |
| Media | 32 megabit cartridge |
This version was published by Square Co., Ltd. only in Japan on 27 March 2002, utilizing its 32 megabit cartridge. This version lacked the FMVs of the PlayStation version, had decreased screen resolution, and downsampled music and sound effects to meet the specifications of the device.
However, a number of graphical enhancements were made to character sprites and backgrounds by providing additional details and color shading. The original character portraits were replaced with new, smaller portraits. Also, certain boss sprites were changed to those featured in the Japanese Easytype version of the Super Famicom game. The difficulty level was also noticably different than either the Easytype or Super Famicom versions.
Game Boy Advance
| Gameboy Advance remake | |
|---|---|
| Publisher(s) | Square Enix/ Nintendo of America
|
| Release date(s)
|
/ December 12th, 2005 December 15th, 2005 June 2nd, 2006 February 24th, 2006
|
| Platform | Nintendo Game Boy Advance |
| Media | 64 megabit Cartridge |
The Game Boy Advance port titled Final Fantasy IV Advance was released in North America by Nintendo of America on December 12, 2005, in Japan by Square Enix on December 15, 2005, and in Europe on June 2, 2006. It had a rating given by the ESRB of (Everyone 10 and older) and by CERO for all ages, and utilized 64 megabit cartridge. In Japan, Final Fantasy IV Advance was sold alone and as a packaged bundle including both the game and a limited edition Game Boy Micro with a themed face plate featuring artwork of Cecil and Kain.
There are many differences between this version and the original SNES version, such as graphic improvements in the battle backgrounds and in the conversation boxes for player characters, enhanced music and sound effects from the WonderSwan Color version, new locations to explore, and greatly improved translations of the dialogue. The story reads much more naturally and many details that were not clear in the original translation have been added. Some minor bugs can be found in the game, notably in the battle system, possibly as a result of merely porting the game from an existing platform instead of fully optimizing the game for the GBA hardware.
Also added to the game was the ability to change characters among Edward, Yang, Porom, Palom and Cid after completing the Giant of Babel; Cecil must be in the party at all times. There are also two new dungeons: a new cave at Mt. Ordeals where the five additional characters can gain their "ultimate weapons" and some powerful armor (the character must be in the party to fight the monster to get the weapon), and the Lunar Ruins, which can only be accessed at the end of the game; there are trials for all the characters, and these can only be accessed if that character has beaten Zeromus. This area contains some of the best items in the game and dark versions of the summons, much like the dark aeons in Final Fantasy X.
Reception
Sales were brisk in Japan, totalling over 1.44 million copies.[10]
Critical reaction
Major reviewers, such as IGN and GameSpot, have called Final Fantasy IV one of the greatest video games of all time and the popularizer of many common computer role-playing game features.[11] Famitsu, a japanese game reviewer, released a reader poll ranking it as the sixth best game ever made [12] Many criticized the original Final Fantasy II, Square's first North American localization, for the poor quality of its English language translation.[13] The Game Boy Advance remake has been well-received by most reviewers,[14] 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.[15]
References
- ^ Kasavin, Greg (December 12th, 2005). "Final Fantasy IV Advance (Game Boy Advance)". zdnet.com. Retrieved 2006-03-24.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help) - ^ Parish, Jeremy (December 9, 2005). "Final Fantasy IV Review from 1up.com". 1up.com. Retrieved 2006-03-24.
- ^ Schnieder, Peer (May 11, 2005). "Dear Friends: Music from Final Fantasy". ign.com. Retrieved 2006-03-01.
- ^ Hitmitsu, Suppai (March 31st, 2004). "Final Fantasy Becomes Curriculum". ign.com. Retrieved 2006-03-01.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help) - ^ Webmaster (2004). "Music". majesticmix.com. Retrieved 2006-03-24.
- ^ Collette, Chris (2003). "Elusions: Final Fantasy IV / Seiken Densetsu". 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". gamespot.com. Retrieved 2006-03-07.
- ^ GameSpy Staff (2003). "25 Dumbest Moments in Gaming / Nintendo's Mortal Mistake". 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.
- ^ Webmaster (2006). "Platinum Game Chart, Japan". The Magic Box.
{{cite web}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help); Missing or empty|url=(help); Unknown parameter|n url=ignored (help) - ^ Turner, Ben (December 12, 2005). "Final Fantasy IV Advance". gamespy.com. Retrieved 2006-03-01.
- ^ Campbell, Colin (March 3rd, 2006). "Japan Votes on All Time Top 100". Next Generation. Retrieved 2006-06-04.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help) - ^ Bahamut. "Reviews – Final Fantasy II". 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.
- ^ Parish, Jeremy (December 9, 2005). "Final Fantasy IV Review from 1up.com". 1up.com. Retrieved 2006-03-01.
External links
- 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)
- Gamespot.com - Greatest Games Of All Time
- IGN.com - Greatest Games of All Time
- ign.com Final Fantasy IV Advance Review
- gameplasma.com Final Fantasy IV Advance Review
- Final Fantasy Wiki category list for Final Fantasy IV
- Moby Games Final Fantasy IV Listing
- Collection of official game art at Caves of Narshe
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