Final Fantasy IV
Missing image Ff4logo.jpg Original logo
Developer:	Square Co., Ltd.
Publisher:	Square Co., Ltd.
Release date:	July 19, 1991 (Super Famicom)
Genre:	RPG
Game modes:	Single player
ESRB rating:	Teen (T) (PlayStation)
Platforms:	Super Famicom/Super NES, Sony PlayStation, WonderSwan Color
Media:	Cartridge, CD-ROM (PlayStation)

Final Fantasy IV (FF4) is a Japanese console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co., Ltd. in 1990. Originally for the Super Famicom (known as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in North America), the game was subsequently rereleased for the Sony PlayStation and the WonderSwan Color.

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. This version of the game was ultimately translated into English by Square's North American subsidiary Square Soft, where, because the previous two installments of the Final Fantasy series had not been released to North American audience, it was released under the title Final Fantasy II. The PlayStation rerelease of the game (which was derived from the original version of the game) was retranslated and rereleased in North America as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles under the title Final Fantasy IV (where it was packaged with Chrono Trigger). The game did not receive an official European release until the release of the PAL version of Final Fantasy Anthology for the PlayStation in 2002 (where it was packaged with Final Fantasy V).

Contents

1 Release dates 2 Story 3 Gameplay 4 Differences between versions 4.1 FF4 (original) and FF4 Easytype 4.2 FF4 Easytype and Final Fantasy II (North America) 4.3 FF4 (original) and FF4 (PlayStation/WonderSwan Color) 5 Production credits 5.1 Original staff 5.2 PlayStation remake 6 References 7 External links

Release dates

• April 19, 1991 — Super Famicom (Japan)
• October 19, 1991 — Super Famicom (Final Fantasy IV Easytype) (Japan)
• November 23, 1991 — Super Nintendo Entertainment System (Final Fantasy II) (North America)
• March 21, 1997 — Sony PlayStation (Japan)
• March 11, 1999 — Sony PlayStation (as part of Final Fantasy Collection) (Japan)
• June 29, 2001 — Sony PlayStation (as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles) (North America)
• March 27, 2002 — WonderSwan Color (Japan)
• May 17, 2002 — Sony PlayStation (as part of Final Fantasy Anthology PAL version) (Europe)

Story

On the unnamed planet that is the setting for the game, astronomers begin to notice that one of two moons is beginning to glow a reddish color. This revelation occurs in conjunction with increasing numbers of hostile monsters throughout the world. The most powerful nation in the world, the monarchy of Baron, begins utilizing its unparalleled air force (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.

Cecil Harvey, leader of the Dark Knights, begins to question the king's motives after forcibly stealing a Crystal from the wizards' town of Mysidia. Upon questioning the king, Cecil is stripped of his rank and sent, along with his friend Kain Highwind, to deliver a package to the village of Mist, which is known for its population of "Callers", wizards capable of summoning powerful monsters. Cecil reaches Mist, only to find that the package is magically rigged to generate a firestorm that would destroy the village. Shocked, Cecil finds a young girl, Rydia, the only survivor of the blaze. Naturally terrified of the Dark Knight, Rydia calls upon a Titan who causes a massive earthquake, altering the landscape.

Cecil recovers from the quake to find Kain gone and Rydia unconscious. Cecil carries Rydia to an oasis where he finds his lover, Rosa Farrel, who followed Cecil on his journey but fell ill in the desert. On his search for a cure, Cecil meets an eccentric old wizard named Tellah, who is searching for his eloped daughter. The party reaches the castle of Damcyan just in time to see it obliterated by the Red Wings. Tellah finds his daughter dead and her fiance Gilbert (name changed to Edward for the English release due to name length restrictions) alive, then leaves to seek revenge. Gilbert follows Cecil and grants him the usage of a hydrofoil, which leads to a cure for Rosa.

Cecil reaches the nation of Fabul, known for its army of karate experts. Since Fabul houses a Crystal, Cecil persuades the king to organize a defense against the impending Red Wings attack. A karate master named Yang Fang Leiden speaks on Cecil's behalf as Cecil had saved Yang while journeying to Fabul. During the ensuing battle, Cecil and his friends successfully defend the castle, but lose the Crystal to Kain and Golbez, the new captain of the Red Wings. Golbez also kidnaps Rosa before departing.

Next, a naval assault is planned on Baron, but is thwarted when a Leviathan arises from the depths and swallows the ship carrying Cecil. Alone, Cecil wakes up on a distant shore, which he soon learns is near Mysidia. After persuading the villagers that his intentions are pure, Cecil is sent on a quest to become a Paladin, accompanied by youthful twin wizards who are later revealed to be spies. Cecil travels to Mount Ordeals where his Dark Sword is useless, and unexpectedly completes the quest, literally defeating himself in one-on-one combat. At the top of the mountain, Cecil's party enters a room of mirrors, where Cecil is bestowed power by a mysterious light which refers to Cecil as its son. Tellah also regains his memory of the spells he had forgotten over the years, as well as the ability to cast Meteo, the ultimate magic. Impressed, the village elder helps Cecil and the twins return to Baron to plan an assault. Invading the castle by using underground tunnels, Cecil defeats the possessed king of Baron, then commandeers an airship with the help of his friend Cid Pollendina, chief engineer of the Red Wings.

Once on the airship, Cecil is met by an airship commanded by Kain. Using the kidnapped Rosa as leverage, Kain offers her safe return in exchange for Cecil retrieving the final Crystal, which has been stolen from the picturesque nation of Toroia by the Dark Elf and hidden deep within a magnetic cave where usage of metallic equipment is impossible. The Crystal is found, but Golbez reneges on his promise to return Rosa upon being presented with it. The aging Tellah casts Meteo on Golbez, defeating Golbez but also killing Tellah. Rosa is rescued alive and unhurt, and the previously brainwashed Kain is found ostensibly cured. Kain says 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.

Cecil travels to the underground, but once again fights a failed battle for a Crystal at the Dwarf Castle. Learning of a plot to destroy the Dwarves with a Super Cannon, Cecil travels to the Tower of Bab-il, a huge tower with sections both above and below ground, and through Yang's sacrifice, destroys the Super Cannon, but finds himself trapped in the ensuing chase. Cid sacrifices himself, bombing the passage to the underworld while the party escapes on an airship. Cecil is safe, but for the time being unable to return to the underworld.

The only option for returning is through the Tower of Bab-il. It is discovered that a country near the tower, Eblan, has been destroyed by the devil-like Rubicant and its inhabitants forced underground. A ninja and prince of Eblan, Edward "Edge" Geraldine, joins Cecil after a failed attack on Rubicant. The group assaults the tower and defeats Rubicant, but not before Edge watches Dr. Lugae transform his parents into monsters and defeats them in combat. Cecil reaches the stolen crystals, but falls through a trap back to the underworld.

The final Crystal is held in the Sealed Cave, which the apparently unharmed Cid helps Cecil to reach. Cecil retrieves the Crystal, which is lost when Kain once again betrays him. In order to discover what plan Golbez has for the Crystals and hopefully stop it, Cecil travels to the planet's second moon.

On the moon, Cecil learns that he is descended from a race known as Lunarians, who originated on a planet that was destroyed to form an asteroid belt. The moon is actually a sort of cryogenic spaceship where the Lunarians are held in stasis. Cecil's father was responsible for storing the Crystals, which correspond to Crystals on the moon that hold the thoughts of the Lunarians, on the planet and introducing technological advances such as the airship. However, some Lunarians, led by the evil Zemus, want to wipe out all life on the planet for Lunarian inhabitation. It is revealed that Golbez plans to use the Crystals to revive a giant android, the Giant of Bab-il, and clear the planet for this purpose. Cecil also learns that the light at the top of Mount Ordeals was actually the spirit of his father.

Accompanied by a Lunarian, Fusoya, Cecil returns to the planet to find the Giant revived. However, massive fleets of airships come to distract the Giant, and Cecil sneaks inside. After destroying the Giant's nerve center, Cecil finds Golbez and Kain. Fusoya is able to break the control over Golbez and Kain by Zemus. It is at this point that Cecil finds that Golbez is his brother. Golbez heads to the moon to attempt to defeat Zemus, and Cecil follows.

On the moon, Cecil watches Golbez and Fusoya defeat Zemus, only to find that a more powerful being named Zeromus lay in wait in the aftermath. Golbez and Fusoya are defeated by Zeromus, but Cecil is successful. After Cecil is victorious Golbez (still living!) decides to stay on the moon with FuSoYa because he can't bear to go back to Earth because of his previous actions.

The ending is typical for a Final Fantasy game; the world is at peace, and we are shown, one by one, what has become of the characters in the aftermath. Most notably, Cecil and Rosa are married and crowned King and Queen of Baron.

Gameplay

Gameplay in Final Fantasy IV is standard CRPG 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 from most CRPGs in general) in that players must give orders to their characters in real-time. The ATB system would appear again in the next five Final Fantasy games, 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 in abilities as they gain battle experience. Magic is divided into several different categories: "white," or healing and support magic, "black," or attack, magic, "summon" (or "call") magic, which called forth monsters to damage the enemy, and "Ninjitsu" magic, a specialized type of attack magic used by Edge. Spellcasters gain magic spells at preprogrammed experience levels; for this reason FF4's ability development system is considered the simplest of any Final Fantasy game.

FF4 is a very "linear" CRPG, meaning that at most points throughout the game players may advance through the story in one and only one way, with limited opportunities for side quests or alternate paths.

Differences between versions

Final Fantasy IV was released in a variety of different versions for a variety of different platforms. Each version tells the same story, features the same characters, uses the same graphics, sound, and music, and utilizes the same basic game engine. Nonetheless, there are certain key distinctions between each version. Because of the extreme differences between this North American SNES version of the game and the original Japanese release, in the late 1990s J2e Translations [1] (http://b-rock.netfirms.com/) released an English language fan translation of the original game.

FF4 (original) and FF4 Easytype

The original FF4 was altered in several regards in order to reduce the difficulty level for FF4 Easytype. Among the changes rendered were:

• Removal of some magic spells. The white magic spells "Protect," "Shell," and "Dispel" were removed, as was the summon magic spell "Cocatrice."
• Removal/replacement of some items. In the original game, almost every status ailment (such as Petrification and Poison) had a corresponding item used to cure it ("Golden Needle" and "Antidote," respectively). These individual items were removed for FF4 Easytype. In their place, the item "Remedy," which cured all status ailments but was extremely rare and expensive in the original version, was made far more common and affordable. Other items, such as "Ether," which were extremely rare in the original game, were far more common in FF4 Easytype. In addition, the original game featured a wide assortment of magical items which could be used in battle to replicate the effects of a number of magic spells. All of these items were removed for FF4 Easytype.
• Removal of specialized attacks. In the original version, almost every character had a special attack: Cecil's "Dark Wave" did damage to all enemies in exchange for some hit point damage to Cecil himself, Tellah's "Memory" randomly cast a high level black magic spell at the enemies, Yang's "Gather" allowed him to do a double damage attack, and so forth. These attacks were removed from FF4 Easytype. Interestingly, though, during Cecil's doppelganger battle on Mount Ordeal, his clone attacks exclusively with "Dark Wave."
• Reduced shop prices. Items, weapons, and armor sold at shops in FF4 Easytype was less expensive than the equivalent material sold at shops in the original game.
• Assorted tweaks to monster difficulty. There were a number of monsters in the original game (such as Valvalicia) who could only be harmed using a specific sequence of attacks, or only at specific times. Most of these special requirements were either removed or scaled back for FF4 Easytype. Also, in the original version, monsters located more than two rows away from the party during battle received only 1/2 damage from physical attacks. In FF4 Easytype, these monsters took full damage from all attacks. Monsters also generally did less damage in FF4 Easytype than they did in the original version.
• In FF4 Easytype, Zeromus has a different sprite. Instead of an alien looking thing, he is a giant red thing.
• The equipment Ribbon absorbs elemental attacks in the Easytype

FF4 Easytype and Final Fantasy II (North America)

FF4 Easytype is roughly similar to the game released in North America, but the game lost some content to censorship and poor translation. Among the major changes are:

• Removal of Judeo-Christian religious imagery. The most notable instance of this instance of this is the renaming of the magic spell "Holy" to "White." This was in keeping with Nintendo of America's content guidelines, and similar examples can be found in the North American translations of Final Fantasy I and Final Fantasy VI (released as Final Fantasy III).
• Graphic and textual edits remove references to death and violence. Again, partially to adhere to Nintendo's content guidelines, images deemed too violent or disturbing were toned down. References to death (and especially suicide) in the original script were eliminated in the translation, and key sequences were graphically edited. In one cutscene in the Japanese version, Rosa is rescued at the last moment from being executed by a giant scythe. In the North American version, the scythe was replaced with a giant lead ball.
• Altered item and attack names. Item names in the original Japanese version were changed to more directly reflect their usage. The item "Phoenix Down," for instance, which was used for reviving wounded/unconscious characters, was renamed "Life," the item "Remedy," which cured a variety of status ailments, was renamed "Heal," and the item "Potion," which restored a character's hit points, was renamed "Cure." Similarly, each summon magic attack consisted of both a monster name and an attack name in the Japanese version (for example, the summon spell "Leviathan" performed the attack "Tsunami"); in the translated version, the attack name was omitted.
• Removal of the "developer's room". In the Japanese games (both the original and the Easytype versions), a secret room could found in the dwarf castle. This room was basically an easter egg where the player could converse (and, in some cases, battle) with representations of the game's programmers. The room was removed in the English translation.
• Simplified script. The English language script has been attacked as being of poor quality. In addition to a number of awkward or stilted sequences, the English script is substantially shorter and omits several subplots, most notably an ongoing story about Kain's background and relationship to his father.
• Removal of certain abilities such as Cecil's (Dark Knight) Dark Wave attack and other abilities.

FF4 (original) and FF4 (PlayStation/WonderSwan Color)

The PlayStation and WonderSwan Color rereleases are, for most intents, identical to the original version of Final Fantasy IV. Some minor tweaks introduced in FF4 Easytype have been left in, but these are so rare that the average gamer could very easily play through the entire game and never notice them. The most notable change in the PlayStation release is the inclusion of a full motion video opening sequence, and the ability to perform a "memo" save anywhere on the world map. This save would remain active in the PlayStation's RAM until it was overwritten by another such save, or the power was turned off or interrupted. The WonderSwan Color version did not have these features, the screen resolution was decreased and the music and sound effects were downsampled to meet the specifications of the device.

The North American and European localization of FF4 PlayStation featured an entirely rewritten translation which addressed most of the discrepancies between the original game and the SNES Final Fantasy II.

Production credits

Original staff

• Director — Hironobu Sakaguchi
• Music Composition — Nobuo Uematsu
• Character Design — Yoshitaka Amano
• Lead Design — Takashi Tokita
• Lead Programming — Ken Narita
• Lead Graphics — Hiromi Nakada and R. Tanaka
• Map Design — Yasushi Matsumura
• Battle Design — Kazuhiko Aoki, Hiroyuki Itoh and Akihiko Matsui
• Battle Programming — Kiyoshi Yoshii and Katsuhisa Higuchi
• Battle Graphics — Tetsuya Takahashi and Masanori Hoshino
• Menu Programming — Keitarou Adachi
• Music Programming — Minoru Akao
• Sound Effects — Kenji Ito and Akira Ueda
• English Translation (SNES version) — Kaoru Moriyama, K. Okahisa and H. Takahashi
• Executive Producer — Masafumi Miyamoto

PlayStation remake

• Executive Producers — Hironobu Sakaguchi and Shinji Hashimoto
• Director — Kazuhiko Aoki
• Supervisor — Fumiaki Fukaya
• CG Sound Effects — Eiji Nakamura
• Recording Engineer — Kenji Nagashima
• Producer — A. Imai
• Publicity Producer — Manabu Denno
• Porting — Tose Co.
• CG Supervisor — Atsushi Murata
• North American/European release – Square Co., Ltd.
  • Localization General Manager — Akira Kashiwagi
  • Localization Director — Goro Uenishi
  • Localization Assistants — Mai Morofushi, Tomoko Sekii
  • QA Executive Director — Hiromi Masuda
  • QA Rating & Legal Advisor — Reiko Kondo
  • QA Supervisor — Takashi Sannohe
  • QA Assistant Coordinator — Yuichiro Shirota, Shinichi Terai
• North American/European release – Square Soft, Inc.
  • Senior Vice President — Yuji Shibata
  • Lead Localization Specialist — Ryosuke Taketomi
  • Localization Specialist — Brody Phillips
  • Editors — Jennifer L. Mukai and Richard Amtower
  • Localization Assistant — Rika Maruya
  • Assistant Localization Manager — Ryosuke Taketomi
  • Localization Manager — Yutaka Sano
  • Senior QA Manager — Jonathan Williams
  • Assistant QA Manager — David Carrillo
  • Lead Product Analyst — Jeff J. Love
  • Assistant Lead Analyst — Nicholas M. Pisani
  • Product Analysts — Aaron J. Adams, Mathew Clift, Chris Manprin and Michelle Ng
  • QA Translator — Kenji Nakamura
  • Senior Lead Analyst — Jaime J. Bencia

References

• ikelley@mail.sas.upenn.edu. "FF4j/FF4j Easytype Changes FAQ v 1.0 (http://www.rpgamer.com/games/ff/ff4/info/ff4_changes.txt)." Accessed on January 2, 2005.
• White Wolf, "Game Credits for Final Fantasy IV (http://www.mobygames.com/game/credits/p,6/gameId,4572/)." MobyGames (http://www.mobygames.com/). Accessed on January 2, 2005.

External links

• Caves of Narshe Final Fantasy IV Collection (http://www.cavesofnarshe.com/ff4/)
• Sygnus -- FFIV Fan Archives (http://www.sygnus.org)

Final Fantasy Series

Primary titles: Final Fantasy I | Final Fantasy II | Final Fantasy III | Final Fantasy IV | Final Fantasy V | Final Fantasy VI | Final Fantasy VII | Final Fantasy VIII | Final Fantasy IX | Final Fantasy X | Final Fantasy XI | Final Fantasy XII

Collections and Compilations: Final Fantasy Anthology | Final Fantasy Chronicles | Final Fantasy Origins | Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls

Spin Offs: Final Fantasy X-2 | Before Crisis: Final Fantasy VII | Dirge of Cerberus: Final Fantasy VII | Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII

Related games/series: Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles | Final Fantasy Mystic Quest | Final Fantasy Tactics | Final Fantasy Tactics Advance | SaGa series (a.k.a. Final Fantasy Legend) | Seiken Densetsu series (a.k.a. Final Fantasy Adventure)

Movies and Animation: Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children | Final Fantasy: Legends of the Crystals | Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | Final Fantasy: Unlimited

ja:ファイナルファンタジーIV