Final Fantasy IV, known as Final Fantasy II when first released in North America, is a 1991 role-playing video game created and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the fourth main game in the Final Fantasy series. The story follows Cecil Harvey, a dark knight, as he works to stop the sorcerer Golbez from taking powerful crystals and causing destruction. Cecil is helped by a group of allies that changes throughout the game. Final Fantasy IV introduced new features that became common in the Final Fantasy series and role-playing games. Its "Active Time Battle" system was used in five later Final Fantasy games. Unlike earlier games, Final Fantasy IV gave each character a fixed role, though some characters change or grow in their roles at certain points in the story.
Final Fantasy IV has been released on many platforms with different versions. A 3D remake was released for the Nintendo DS in 2007. When the game was first released outside Japan, it was called Final Fantasy II because the actual games II and III had not been released internationally at that time. After Final Fantasy VII was released globally under its original title, later versions of Final Fantasy IV (except for the Wii Virtual Console) used the original name.
Different versions of the game have sold more than four million copies worldwide. A sequel, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, was released for Japanese mobile phones in 2008 and later worldwide through the Wii Shop Channel in 2009. In 2011, Final Fantasy IV and The After Years were released for the PlayStation Portable as part of the compilation Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection, which also included a new game, Final Fantasy IV: Interlude, set between the two. The Nintendo DS remake was later released for iOS in 2012, Android in 2013, and Windows in 2014. An improved version of Final Fantasy IV was released in 2021 as part of the Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster series for iOS, Android, and Windows. It was also released for Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 in 2023, and for Xbox Series X/S in 2024.
Final Fantasy IV was highly praised for its graphics, story, characters, and music. It is often considered one of the greatest video games ever made. Many critics have noted that the game introduced features now common in console role-playing games, such as the use of dramatic storytelling in RPGs.
Gameplay
In Final Fantasy IV, the player controls many characters and completes tasks to move the story forward. Characters move and interact with people and objects on a field map, which can show different places like towers, caves, and forests. Travel between areas happens on the overworld. Players can visit towns to rest, buy supplies, and find clues about where to go next. On the overworld and in dungeons, players fight monsters at random times. During battles, players can choose to attack, use magic, use items, retreat, change character positions, block attacks, or pause. Some characters have special skills. This game was the first in the series to let players control up to five characters at once; earlier games allowed only four.
Player characters and monsters have health points (HP), which are shown below the battle screen. Attacks lower HP until it reaches zero, at which point the character passes out or the monster dies. If all characters are defeated, the game must be restarted from a saved file. Players can restore HP by letting characters rest in an inn, using items like potions, or casting healing spells. Equipment, such as swords and armor, found in towns or dungeons can help characters deal more damage or take less damage. Players can decide whether characters fight in the front or back of a battle. A character’s position affects how much damage they take or deal, depending on the attack type.
Final Fantasy IV introduced Square’s Active Time Battle (ATB) system, which is different from the turn-based battle systems used in earlier games. The ATB system lets players give commands to characters in real time during battles. This system was later used in many other Square games.
Each character has strengths and weaknesses. For example, a character who uses strong magic may have weak defense, while a character who fights physically may have low speed. Like other Final Fantasy games, characters learn new abilities as they gain experience. Magic is divided into three types: "White" for healing and support, "Black" for attacking, and "Summon" (or "call") for summoning monsters to fight or help. A fourth type, "Ninjutsu," includes support and attack magic and is only available to one character. Magic users, who make up eight of the twelve playable characters, learn spells at set experience levels or during key story events. The game gives balanced rewards, items, and experience points to avoid long periods of grinding.
Because the Super NES had better processing power, Final Fantasy IV has improved graphics compared to earlier Final Fantasy games on the NES. The game uses the Super NES’ Mode 7 technology to create better visuals for magic spells and to make airship travel more dramatic by scaling and tilting the ground for a bird’s-eye view.
Plot
Final Fantasy IV takes place on Earth, also called the Blue Planet. This world has two areas: the Overworld, where humans live, and the Underworld, where Dwarves live. An artificial moon orbits the Blue Planet, and the Lunarians, a race of beings from a destroyed world, live there. The Lunarians created the artificial moon and wait for a time when they can live peacefully with humans. A natural moon also orbits the Blue Planet, but it is not visited in the game.
The game features twelve playable characters, each with a specific role that cannot change. At any time, the player can have up to five characters in their party. The main character, Cecil Harvey, is a dark knight and the leader of the Red Wings, an elite air force unit in the kingdom of Baron. His friend, Kain Highwind, is the commander of the Dragoons. Rosa Farrell is a white mage and archer who is also Cecil’s love interest. The airships used by the Red Wings were built by Cid Pollendina, Cecil’s friend and an engineer.
During his journey, Cecil meets several characters, including Rydia, a young summoner from the village of Mist; Tellah, a wise sage; Edward Chris von Muir, a prince from Damcyan who is a bard and the husband of Tellah’s daughter Anna; Yang Fang Leiden, the leader of monks in Fabul; Palom and Porom, twin apprentices from Mysidia who are a black mage and a white mage; Edward "Edge" Geraldine, a ninja prince from Eblan; and Fusoya, the guardian of the Lunarians during their long sleep.
Zemus is the main villain of the game. He is a Lunarian who wants to destroy humans so his people can live on Earth. He uses Golbez to carry out his plan by controlling Golbez and Kain with psychic powers to activate the Giant of Babil, a large machine designed to destroy humans and take over the world.
The Red Wings attack the city of Mysidia to steal the Water Crystal and return to Baron. When Cecil questions the king’s actions, he is removed from his position and sent with Kain to deliver a ring to the village of Mist. There, monsters escape from the ring and destroy the village. Rydia, a young girl, is the only survivor and summons a monster named Titan, causing an earthquake that separates Cecil and Kain. Cecil takes Rydia to an inn, where Baron soldiers try to capture her. Cecil protects Rydia, and she joins his journey.
It is later revealed that Rosa, Cecil’s love interest, had followed him and is very sick with a fever. Cecil and Rydia meet Tellah, who is traveling to Damcyan Castle to find his daughter Anna. Anna is killed when the Red Wings bomb the castle. Edward, Anna’s lover and the prince of Damcyan, explains that Golbez, the new commander of the Red Wings, attacked the castle to steal the Fire Crystal. Tellah leaves the group to seek revenge on Golbez. After finding a cure for Rosa, the group decides to go to Fabul to protect the Wind Crystal. They meet Master Yang, a warrior monk who protects the crystal. The Red Wings attack Fabul, and Kain returns as one of Golbez’s servants. He defeats Cecil, but Rosa intervenes, and Golbez kidnaps her while Kain takes the crystal. On the way back to Baron, the group is attacked by Leviathan and separated.
Cecil wakes up alone near Mysidia. The townspeople blame him for the earlier attack on their town. Through the Elder of Mysidia, Cecil learns he must climb Mt. Ordeals to become a Paladin to defeat Golbez. Before his journey, he is joined by Palom and Porom, the twin mages. On the mountain, Cecil meets Tellah, who is searching for a powerful spell called Meteor to defeat Golbez. After defeating the monster Scarmiglione and overcoming his own darkness, Cecil becomes a Paladin, while Tellah learns the secret of Meteor. Upon returning to Baron, the group finds an amnesiac Yang and helps him regain his memory. They confront the king, only to discover he is an imposter named Cagnazzo, one of Golbez’s minions. After defeating Cagnazzo, Cid arrives and takes them to his airship, the Enterprise. During the journey, the group enters a trap set by Cagnazzo, where Palom and Porom sacrifice themselves to save the others.
On the Enterprise, Kain demands Cecil retrieve the final crystal in exchange for Rosa’s life. With help from Edward, the group obtains the crystal and goes to the Tower of Zot, where Rosa is held. At the tower’s top, Golbez takes the crystal and tries to escape. Tellah casts Meteor to stop Golbez, sacrificing his life, but the spell weakens Golbez and frees Kain from his control. Kain helps Cecil rescue Rosa and defeat Barbariccia before Rosa teleports the group to Baron.
In Baron, Kain reveals that Golbez needs four "Dark Crystals" from the Underworld to reach the Moon. The group travels to the Underworld, where they meet the Dwarves fighting the Red Wings. Rydia, now an adult after spending time in the Feymarch, helps defeat Golbez, but the group fails to stop him from stealing the Dwarves’ crystal. With the Dwarves’ help, the group enters the Tower of Babil to retrieve Golbez’s stolen crystals, only to find they have been moved to the surface. Yang sacrifices himself to stop the tower’s cannons from attacking the Dwarves, though he later survives. After escaping a trap set by Golbez, the group flees the Underworld aboard the Enterprise, with Cid sacrificing himself to seal the passage between the two worlds. The group, now joined by Edge, the prince of Eblan, returns to the Tower of Babil to take back the crystals and battle Rubicante, the last of the fiends. When the group falls through a trap door to the Underworld, they meet the Dwarves again and learn Cid is alive. They set out to retrieve the eighth crystal before Golbez can use it. After obtaining the crystal, Golbez appears and reveals he still controls Kain. The group learns about the Lunar Whale, a ship that can travel to the Moon, and returns to Mysidia, where the Elder and mages summon the ship.
On the Moon, the group meets Fusoya, a sage who explains that Cecil’s father was a Lunarian. Fusoya also reveals that Zemus, a Lunarian, plans to destroy life on the Blue Planet so the Lunarians can take over, using
Development
After finishing Final Fantasy III in 1990, Square planned to make two Final Fantasy games: one for the Famicom and another for the upcoming Super Famicom, which would be called Final Fantasy IV and V. However, because of money and time problems, Square stopped working on the Famicom game and focused only on the Super Famicom version, which was still named Final Fantasy IV. A picture of the canceled Famicom game was shown in a Japanese magazine, but not much else is known about it. Kaoru Moriyama, who used to work in public relations and translate for Squaresoft, said no real coding was done for the Famicom game, only paperwork. Series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi agreed at the time. However, Clyde Mandelin mentioned that some Japanese blogs later claimed Sakaguchi said the Famicom version was about 80% finished and that some ideas were reused for the Super Famicom version. This claim has not been confirmed.
Final Fantasy IV was the first project for Takashi Tokita, who later became a full-time employee at Square. Before working on the game, Tokita wanted to be an actor but decided to become a great video game creator after making Final Fantasy IV. Hiromichi Tanaka, the main designer of Final Fantasy III, was also involved in the game’s early development. However, Tanaka wanted to create a battle system without separate screens or menus, but Final Fantasy IV was not going in that direction. He left the project to work on Secret of Mana, which was later called Seiken Densetsu 2. The team for Final Fantasy IV had 14 people total, and the game took about a year to complete.
Hironobu Sakaguchi contributed many ideas, including the story and the name of Baron’s royal air force, the “Red Wings.” The Active Time Battle (ATB) system was created by Hiroyuki Ito, who got the idea from watching a Formula One race, where drivers move at different speeds. Kazuhiko Aoki, Ito, and Akihiko Matsui helped develop the system. As the lead designer, Tokita wrote the story and made pixel art. He said the project was very stressful, and he would not have finished it without working hard. Tokita said Final Fantasy IV included the best parts of the previous three games: the job system from Final Fantasy III, the story focus from Final Fantasy II, and the four elemental bosses from Final Fantasy I. Other influences included Dragon Quest II. The game’s themes focused on moving from darkness to light with the main character, Cecil, and on family, friendship, and the idea that strength alone is not power. Tokita said Final Fantasy IV was the first game in the series to focus on deep characters and drama, and the first Japanese RPG to do so.
Because of the limited space on the Super Famicom cartridge, the game’s script was cut to one-fourth of its original length. Tokita made sure only unnecessary dialogue was removed, not important story parts. The Super Famicom’s better graphics allowed Yoshitaka Amano, the series’ character designer, to create more detailed characters. Tokita thought the shorter script improved the game’s pacing. However, he admitted some story parts were unclear until later versions of the game. One idea not included at first was a dungeon near the end where each character would have to go alone—this was added later in the Game Boy Advance version as the Lunar Ruins.
The music for Final Fantasy IV was written by Nobuo Uematsu, a longtime composer for the series. Uematsu said creating the music was very hard, and the sound team spent nights sleeping in sleeping bags at Square’s office. His notes were humorously signed at 1:30 AM “in the office, naturally.” The release of ActRaiser and its soundtrack by Yuzo Koshiro inspired the team to change the game’s sound design to have a more orchestral feel. The music was well received, and the track “Theme of Love” was even taught in Japanese schools. Uematsu still plays some of the music in his Final Fantasy concerts.
Three music albums from Final Fantasy IV were released in Japan. The first, Final Fantasy IV: Original Sound Version, came out in 1991 and had 44 tracks. The second, Final Fantasy IV: Celtic Moon, was released the same year and included Celtic musician Máire Breatnach’s arrangements. The third, Final Fantasy IV Piano Collections, had piano versions of the music and started a trend for future games. Some tracks also appeared on compilation albums like The Black Mages and Final Fantasy: Pray. Independent groups, such as Project Majestic Mix, and Japanese remix albums called dōjin music also included Final Fantasy IV music.
At the time, the first two Final Fantasy games were not released in North America, so Final Fantasy IV was called Final Fantasy II there to keep the naming order. This continued until Final Fantasy VII was released as Final Fantasy VII and later games were renamed. The game is now called Final Fantasy IV in all later versions, except for the Wii Virtual Console.
The English version of Final Fantasy IV kept the original story, graphics, and sound but made the game easier for new players. Square worried Western fans might find the game too hard without playing the earlier games, so they simplified it. Changes included removing religious references, like the magic spell “Holy” being renamed “White” and the Tower of Prayers in Mysidia becoming the Tower of Wishes. References to death were also removed, even though some characters clearly die. These changes followed Nintendo of America’s censorship rules before the ESRB rating system was created.
Re-releases
Final Fantasy IV has been released in many different versions since its original release. The first remake was called Final Fantasy IV Easy Type. This version was made for the Super Famicom in Japan. In this version, weapons have stronger attack power, and some spells and armor provide better protection. The American version of the game includes some changes from Easy Type.
In 1997, a PlayStation version of the game was released in Japan on March 21. Tose created this version, and Square published it. Kazuhiko Aoki directed it, Fumiaki Fukaya supervised it, and Akihiro Imai produced it. This version is the same as the original game, but it includes small changes from Easy Type. Notable features in this version include a full-motion video opening and ending, the ability to move quickly in towns and dungeons by holding the Cancel button, and the option to save the game anywhere on the world map. This version was released again in Japan in March 1999 as part of the Final Fantasy Collection, which also included PlayStation versions of Final Fantasy V and VI. A limited edition of the collection had 50,000 copies and included a Final Fantasy-themed alarm clock.
The PlayStation version was later released in North America with Chrono Trigger as part of Final Fantasy Chronicles in 2001 and in Europe and Australia with Final Fantasy V as part of Final Fantasy Anthology in 2002. The English translations were updated, but some phrases from the earlier version, like "You spoony bard!", were kept because fans liked them. A version for the WonderSwan Color, which had few changes from the PlayStation version, was released in Japan on March 28, 2002. Character designs and backgrounds were improved with more details and colors.
In 2005, Final Fantasy IV was released for the Game Boy Advance as Final Fantasy IV Advance. It was available in North America on December 12, Japan on December 15, Australia on February 23, 2006, and Europe on June 2. A special version in Japan included a limited-edition Game Boy Micro with a themed face plate featuring artwork of Cecil and Kain. Graphics from the WonderSwan Color version were further improved, and music was slightly changed. The English translation was revised to make the story flow better and restore details missing from the original. Abilities removed in the earlier North American version were added back, and spell names were changed to match the Japanese version, such as renaming "Bolt2" to "Thundara." New areas, like a cave at Mt. Ordeals and the Lunar Ruins, were added with stronger items for five characters.
In 2007, Final Fantasy IV was remade with 3D graphics for the Nintendo DS as part of the game's 20th anniversary. It was released in Japan on December 20, North America on July 22, 2008, and Europe on September 5. This version included features like voice acting, minigames, and changes to gameplay. Matrix Software developed the game, and members of the original team, such as Takashi Tokita and Hiroyuki Ito, were involved. Yoshinori Kanada created the new cutscene storyboards.
The original version of the game was released on the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on August 4, 2009, and in PAL regions on June 11, 2010. An enhanced version for i-mode compatible phones was released in Japan on October 5, 2009. This version included features from the WonderSwan Color and Game Boy Advance ports, as well as updated character graphics and an exclusive "extra dungeon."
Final Fantasy IV was also released for the PlayStation Portable as part of Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection in 2011. This version used updated 2D graphics instead of the 3D style from the DS remake. The collection included a new story called Final Fantasy IV: Interlude, which takes place between the original game and The After Years. Masashi Hamauzu composed the main theme. The PlayStation version was re-released in 2012 as part of the Final Fantasy 25th Anniversary Ultimate Box.
In 2012, the Nintendo DS version of Final Fantasy IV was released for iOS and Android in 2013, adding an easier difficulty level. The game was also released for Windows in September 2014 without prior advertising.
The PlayStation version was made available as a PSOne Classic in Japan on June 27, 2012, for use on PlayStation 3, PlayStation Vita, and PlayStation Portable. The Super Famicom version was released on the Wii U Virtual Console in Japan on February 19, 2014, and the Game Boy Advance version was released on April 13, 2016.
Reception
The game received positive reviews when it was first released. Famitsu’s group of four reviewers gave it scores of 9, 9, 10, and 8, totaling 36 out of 40. This was one of the highest scores Famitsu gave to any game in 1991, second only to The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past. In its November 1991 issue, Nintendo Power said the game set a "new standard of excellence" for role-playing games. They praised the battles as being "more interesting than in previous RPGs" because players had to make quick decisions, and enemies did not wait for them to act. They also said the story, graphics, play, and sound would keep fans engaged.
Electronic Gaming Monthly’s group of four reviewers gave it scores of 8, 9, 7, and 8, totaling 32 out of 40. In its December 1991 issue, Ed Semrad, who gave it a 9, wrote that "Square has just redefined what the ultimate RPG should be like." He noted the "spectacular Mode 7 effects, outstanding graphics, and a quest unequalled in a video game" and said the game "makes use of all the Super NES has to offer" and is "the best made to date." Ken Williams (as Sushi-X), who gave it an 8, said it is "a totally awesome RPG" with a "coherent" storyline and a plot that moves forward with a mix of dialogue and battles. Martin Alessi, who disliked role-playing games, gave it a 7. The game won an award for 1991’s Best RPG Video Game. The award mentioned the "Mode 7 is great here" and that the "quest is huge and also one of the most difficult ever attempted in a video game."
GamePro rated the game a perfect 5.0 out of 5 in all five categories (graphics, sound, control, fun factor, and challenge) in its March 1992 issue. The reviewer Monty Haul said the game "truly redefines the standards for fantasy adventure games" and stated that "one-dimensional characters, needless hack 'em combat, and linear gameplay will be things of the past if other RPGs learn a lesson or two from this cart." He concluded that the game "is one small step for Square Soft, and one giant leap for SNES role-playing games."
In the November 1993 issue of Dragon, Sandy Petersen gave it an "Excellent" rating. He criticized the "stylized" combat system and said the graphics were "inferior" to Zelda, but praised how every "spell has a different on-screen effect" and that the difficulty was "just about right" because bosses "nearly beat you every time," unlike other RPGs such as Ultima. He said the music was "great" and preferred it over Zelda, stating the game "lacks in graphics, it more than makes up for in sound." He praised the story, noting that characters had their own motives for joining or leaving the group, with one even "betraying" them. He compared the story to a "fantasy novel" and said he "got much more attached" to the party "than in any other computer game."
Later reviews called Final Fantasy IV one of the greatest video games of all time, noting that it introduced many features now common in console RPGs, including dramatic storytelling. In a 1997 review, GamePro said it was "the first game where a turn-based combat system allowed you to change weapons, cast spells, and use items during a battle" and featured "some of the most exciting villains to date." Reviewers praised its graphics, gameplay, and score, and noted that Final Fantasy IV was one of the first RPGs to have a complex, engaging plot. However, some later reviews criticized the game’s original English-language translation.
The game has been listed in many "best games of all time" rankings. Nintendo Power included it in its "100 Greatest Nintendo Games" lists, placing it ninth in 1997 and twenty-eighth in 2005. IGN ranked it #9 in 2003 as the highest-ranking RPG and #26 in 2005 as the highest-rated Final Fantasy title on the list. In 2007, it was ranked #55, behind Final Fantasy VI and Final Fantasy Tactics. Famitsu ranked it sixth in a 2006 reader poll as the best game ever made. Electronic Gaming Monthly, Game Informer, GameSpot, and GameFAQs also listed it among the best games of all time in various years.
Weekly Famitsu gave Final Fantasy Collection a score of 54 out of 60, based on a panel of six reviewers. The Game Boy Advance version, Final Fantasy IV Advance, received praise but some reviewers noted its graphics did not match newer games, especially compared to Final Fantasy VI. Some fans criticized the new translation for errors. The Nintendo DS version was praised for its visuals, gameplay changes, and new cutscenes. It was a nominee for Best RPG on the Nintendo DS in IGN’s 2008 awards.
When released in Japan, Final Fantasy IV sold about 200,000 cartridges on its first day, which was about 4.5 times less than Final Fantasy V sold on its first day a year later. The Super Famicom version sold 1.44 million copies in Japan. The PlayStation version sold an additional 261,000 copies in Japan in 1997. By March 2003, the game, including the PlayStation and WonderSwan Color remakes, had sold 2.16 million copies worldwide, with 1.82 million in Japan and 340,000 abroad. The Game Boy Advance version sold over 219,000 copies in Japan by the end of 2006. By 2007, nearly 3 million copies had been sold worldwide. By May 2009, the Nintendo DS version had sold 1.1 million copies worldwide. According to Steam Spy, another 19
Legacy
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years, a sequel to Final Fantasy IV, takes place 17 years after the events of the original game. The first two chapters of the game were released in Japan in February 2008 for NTT DoCoMo FOMA 903i phones and for au WIN BREW phones in the spring. The story focuses on Ceodore, the son of Cecil and Rosa, with most of the original characters returning. Some characters take on more important roles, and new characters are introduced. After the mobile release, The After Years was made available outside Japan through the WiiWare service on the Wii console. The first two chapters were released in June 2009 in North America and PAL territories, with additional chapters following in later months. A two-volume novelization of Final Fantasy IV was released in Japan on December 25, 2008.