The original version of Final Fantasy IV has been subject to numerous changes throughout its various re-releases, such as alterations of the script, core mechanics, and overall difficulty. Some versions also have various new additions not present in the original release.
The first iteration of Final Fantasy IV was released on July 19, 1991 and dubbed Version 1.0, named as such as it was available for a short time before Square decided to pull this version from sales due to the Underworld AI glitch. As a result, Version 1.1, dubbed "Revision A", was released immediately after, addressing and patching out the glitch, thus making it the first official revision of Final Fantasy IV.
Final Fantasy IV Easy Type[]
Another version of Final Fantasy IV known as the Easy Type, released in Japan on October 19, 1991. The second official revision incorporated a number of changes to make the game more accessible:
Localization - Many monsters, items, and nearly every piece of equipment, were renamed. For example, the Ragnarok was renamed to 'Sword of the Gods' (かみがみのつるぎ, Kamigami no Tsurugi?). The original names mostly consisted of English names written in katakana; the new names are Japanese and written in hiragana.
Spells are numbered instead of having suffixes or prefixes like the original ("Blizzard 2" instead of Blizzara).
Certain words in the script were changed to make some parts of the dialog easier to understand for younger gamers e.g. replacing "haughty" with "arrogant".
New Dialogue - Additional dialogue is added, such as between Cecil and the Elder of Mysidia during Cecil's flashback, Kain explaining how to move around and talk to NPCs, and Cid explaining the Airship's controls after he is rescued in Baron.
Gameplay - A majority of changes were gameplay revisions in the field, during battles and equipment:
Options for battle mode and party member control are no longer hidden.
The Mythril Sword is replaced with the Piglet's Bamboo Sword, making the sword no longer available for purchase in the village of Mythril. The sword is no longer considered a metallic weapon, making the Lodestone Cavern easier. The sword occasionally turns enemies into pigs. It can be found in a pot in the passageway to Odin's throne below the east tower in Baron Castle.
The attributes of several weapons are improved. Bows, Hammers, the Boomerang, and the Full Moon have their accuracy increased by 10 points, and both shurikens have their attack power increased by 20 points.
The secret passage leading to Cecil's Ragnarok is made visible.
The Ribbon absorbs elemental attacks in addition to nullifying status ailments.
The majority of the casting time for spells were reduced from their original casting time, enabling faster spellcasting e.g. Meteor's original casting time is 10, now reduced to 5.
Enemies in the back row will not take half damage from attacks.
A number of monsters on the moon had their attack scripts altered, making several of them more difficult than their original counterparts, such as Zeromus able to cast the Doom spell, which can't be protected against.
The Flan Princess's location is moved. They now appear in three rooms, excluding the one they originally appeared in, and they are encountered slightly more commonly. They occupy the second-to-rarest encounter slot, in addition to the rarest.
The first international edition of Final Fantasy IV, released on November 23, 1991. It is the North American localization of the game and was renamed and marketed as "Final Fantasy II". This is due to the original Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III having released in Japan only at the time, with the former having reached the localization phase before being scrapped in favor of Final Fantasy IV, thus the game was rebranded to accommodate the absence. In addition to an English localization, numerous changes were incorporated:
New Logo & Title Screen - A new logo featured on the title screen to accommodate the name change to "Final Fantasy II".
Localization - The script was simplified due to space limitations containing English characters. A number of subplots, most notably Kain's background and relationship to his father, are removed. The script was also considered poorly translated, even by employees at Square.
Item and ability names are changed to reflect their usage; Phoenix Down was renamed Life, Remedy was renamed Heal, and Potion was renamed Cure1.
Censorship - Textual edits are made to remove profanity, references to death and violence, partially to adhere to Nintendo's family friendly content guidelines.
Religious imagery is removed, such as "Holy" being renamed "White" (though the Elder of Mysidia uses the word "Holy" once in describing a sword). The Tower of Prayers in Mysidia is renamed the Tower of Wishes (though one instance of "pray" was still left in, uttered by the Black Mage in the tower).
The dancing girl that appears in Baron was censored, with the segment of her undressing to reveal her bikini was replaced with a yellow dress. Every instance of her appearance during the game depicts her with this dress.
Gameplay - A majority of changes were gameplay revisions in the field, during battles and equipment values:
A new ring icon for the ring accessories was added. This icon does not exist in the Japanese versions of the game. It was implemented using one of the character codes freed up by not having to support the Japanese character set, compensating for the shorter names given to specific items.
When using a Summon, shorter names (such as "Levia" for Leviathan) are used in the menu, and the full summon name was used in place of the attack name due to storage limitations for text.
Options for setting different battle modes are hidden.
The magic spells Protect, Shell, and Dispel are removed, as well as Rydia's Cockatrice summon. Asura originally incorporated Protect into her attack script; it was replaced with a stronger healing spell. Zemus's Malice and Zemus's Breath, however, still make use of Protect and Shell. The white magic icon was removed from the spells' names, replaced with a blank space.
Individual items that cure specific specific status ailments were removed in favor of the Remedy item, with the price reduced from 5000 to 100 gil. The rare Ether item that replenish MP can also be purchased in any shop as well.
Excluding the Red Fang, all magical based items that could cast spells in battle were removed. Cecil can be seen using a Blue Fang automatically in the game's opening sequence, even though they can't be found during the game itself.
Cecil's Darkness ability is removed, in addition to all of the abilities that were removed in Easy Type (see above).
The Dark Knight enemy's HP is increased to 65,000. Notably, although Cecil cannot use Darkness himself, his doppelganger still uses the attack in their battle.
The scythe used for Rosa's execution in the Tower of Zot is replaced with a giant metal ball.
The Training Room located in the Devil's Road entrance in Baron now consists of two rooms with more NPCs offering advice. Similar rooms are located in nearly every town; Kaipo, Mysidia, and Troia are altered to include the building. In Kaipo's case, this was done by adding a door to an existing structure. Namingway is removed from his unique location in each of these maps, since he is always available in the Training Room.
The Lodestone Cavern has a brighter palette for easier navigation.
The Developer's Office, a secret area in the Dwarven Castle where sprites representing the development team appear, was removed. This room was essentially an Easter Egg where the player could converse with (and, in some cases, battle) the representations of the game's programmers. The maps themselves were replaced by the expanded training room.
Based on the original Japanese release for the Famicom, The PlayStation port of Final Fantasy IV is unique in that it was released as part of a compilation in different regions, excluding the original Japanese version, which released on March 21, 1997. The North American port was released as part of the Final Fantasy Collection, a two-disc compilation that also contained Chrono Trigger, while the European port released as Final Fantasy Anthology, another two-disc compilation with Final Fantasy V. It marked the first time the game released with its original numbering:
Localization - A rewritten translation is used, addressing most of the discrepancies between the Famicom and SNES versions, such as Kain's backstory.
Full Motion Video - An original FMV sequence featuring scenes from the story. The first portion, depicting the Red Wings departing Baron for the raid on Mysidia, is shown without music before the title screen, while the full version with music is shown after finishing the game.
Battle Options - The PlayStation buttons used for setting controls are depicted white in the Japanese version, and fully colored for the rest of the regions.
Sound - Sound effects during battle have reduced quality due to being compressed in file size.
Loading - Due to the disc-based format instead of the faster cartridges, load times have increased when entering or exiting battles, as well as entering different rooms.
Save System - Memory Card compatibility, in addition to a Memo Save that can be performed 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.
Movement - Sprinting can be performed in dungeons and towns by holding the Cancel button.
Gameplay Changes - A number of changes were included that primarily restores content cut from the US SNES versions:
Items and spells originally from the Famicom version are restored, and restorative items and spells in the main menu can be used on party members repeatedly without having to reselect them.
Scrolling down through sub-menus in battle is notably slower.
Prices of items in shops retain their original values.
Bugs & Glitches - A number of bugs were fixed, while many new ones were introduced.
Released on March 28, 2002 in Japan only. Based on the PlayStation port, a number of changes were introduced for the WonderSwan version:
Updated Logo - The logo featuring Kain Highwind is updated, with the font color separate from the illustration, which has become the series standard since Final Fantasy VI.
Upgraded Visuals - A number of overall new sprites and enhancements to the graphics, animations and backgrounds are featured by providing additional details and color shading to compensate for the system's small screen. The original character portraits were replaced with new, smaller portraits.
The desert near the Antlion's Den is changed to grass.
The grass surrounding Fabul is changed into a desert.
Gameplay Changes
The Ribbon is given additional resistances, which includes Confuse, Sleep, and Berserk.
Esuna can now remove the Berserk status.
Yang's "Kick" command can now be used under the effects of the Float status.
Quality - Screen resolution is decreased, and music and sound effects use the WonderSwan's sound chip, which met the specifications of the device.
Bugs & Glitches - A number of bugs from the original were fixed, while at the same time many new ones were introduced. Most of the bugs listed in the GBA section also apply to this version:
All weapons and weapon-types received damage penalties when used in the back row.
Quicksave - The game has a quicksave feature, which allows the game to be saved temporarily at any time. This data is erased after loading it.
Removed Content - FMVs, memo saves, and sprinting are removed.
As part of the Finest Fantasy for Advance series, a Game Boy Advance port titled Final Fantasy IV Advance was released in North America on December 12 and Japan on December 15 in 2005, followed by a release in Oceania on February 23 and Europe on June 2 in 2006. The Advance port is primarily based on the WonderSwan version that also carries over a number of bugs and glitches, with several additional changes:
Intro Sequence of Final Fantasy IV on Game Boy Advance
Visuals - Sprites are further improved; additional colors within sprites were added and have been brightened. A gradient effect is added to the game's windows.
Character Portraits - Portraits for key characters are displayed in dialogue boxes in the field.
Claws were given their own hit effect, being claw slashes.
Bonus Content - A number of new bonus content was added:
Bestiary - The addition of the Bestiary enables the player to view details on enemies they have previously defeated, sorted in the order they are encountered during the story.
Music Player - A BGM player that is unlocked upon completion of the game.
Cave of Trials - An eight-floor dungeon containing powerful weapons, unlocked when party members can be switched in Mysidia.
Lunar Ruins - A forty-floor dungeon that changes for each party member that enters within, containing new enemies and equipment.
Localization - A new localization which is based on and improves upon the PlayStation version.
Capital letters in the names of party members are wider, with the "Yes" and "No" options in capitals.
After Cecil becomes a Paladin, a man outside Baron warns him about ending up like Kain if he defies the king.
Gameplay Changes - A small number of changes to gameplay were improved upon from the WonderSwan version:
Active Time Battle - The ATB system now displays the meter in the battle window. Due to a bug, setting the battle speed too high results in party members receiving more turns than intended, also affecting characters with cast times and command abilities.
Party Swapping - The ability to switch party members is added; this ability is gained once the Giant of Babil is defeated. Players may choose to change members with Edward, Yang, Palom, Porom or Cid. All party members bar Cecil can be changed infinitely. Because of this, the cinematic scene before the final battle with Zeromus changes slightly depending on who the party members are.
Equipment with elemental resistances no longer have a weakness penalty of the opposite element.
Censorship - The dancing girl is censored again in versions outside Japan; the color of her dress changes depending on the version.
Bugs & Glitches - A number of bugs and glitches were introduced through the transition of the WonderSwan Color. The following errors are found within the original Version 1.0 release in Japan and the NTSC version:
Horizontal input prompts occasionally do not work as intended, causing issues with menu navigation, controlling airships, and command selection during battle.
Lag can occur during battles.
Various game crashes may occur.
The new weapons acquired in the bonus dungeons not activating their bonuses as intended.
The Master Flan cannot be targeted until one of the Flans surrounding it is killed.
When Tellah misses during the automatic fight with Edward, the battle will not advance.
The Psycho Edward bug allows Edward to hide while afflicted with Berserk.
Yang's HP stops increasing at Level 60. Though this originated in the SNES version, the party switching feature made it more noticeable.
Weapons that are meant to ignore the damage and accuracy penalties from the user being in the back row do not ignore them. In the fixed releases, no weapon is penalized when used from the back row except bows, which are always penalized.
The treasure chest containing Porom's Nirvana staff in the Lunar Ruins can freeze the game.
Monsters hatched from Mystery Eggs aren't recorded as kills in the bestiary when defeated.
The reptile monster type is mistakenly called "insect" in the bestiary.
Cagnazzo'sEvasion is meant to increase when he retreats into his shell, as should Barbariccia's when she starts spinning, but the boost isn't applied.
Due to the Advance versions' higher resolution, the Draculadies, Miss Vamps and Echidna enemies are slightly out of place within the screen.
The listed order of spells in battle does not match the order in the menu screen.
A few bugs and glitches were fixed:
A visual bug that made certain spells look different when reflected in previous versions is fixed.
The second form glitch where the player prevents bosses from transforming to their next form by reflecting spells on them is fixed.
The second revision of the game released in Japan and PAL territories, with the former referred to as Version 1.1. It addresses nearly all the bugs and glitches found in the previous versions mentioned above, whilst incorporating additional features:
Language Options - The PAL versions offer multiple language support: English, German, French, Italian and Spanish. As a result, thinner font is used to accommodate the language-specific pronunciations.
The man outside Baron warning Cecil of Kain now mentions Cid instead.
The original title was re-released as part of the Virtual Console library of retro games on the Nintendo Wii. The Super Famicom version released on August 4, 2009 in Japan, while the SNES version released on March 8 in North America and June 11th in PAL regions in 2010. The game is not available on the 3DS and Wii U Virtual Consoles outside of Japan.
Mobile Phone (Defunct)[]
A mobile phone port was released for different platforms tied to specific services during 2008 in Japan only. This is the only version of Final Fantasy IV that is not possible to access and play in any form. However, a number of major changes that were introduced in these versions became the basis for the Complete Collection port for the PlayStation Portable:
Updated Logo - The logo was updated again, now featuring the illustration and underline of the font in a newly colored gradient.
Visuals - Updated sprites for playable characters both during and outside of battle, with some taken from Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.
Bonus Content - A whole new "EX Dungeon" is included, a redesigned version of the Lunar Ruins with a number of story changes.
If the player completes a specific character's trial three times, they will be rewarded with a headgear for that character.
Gameplay Changes - A number of changes were implemented:
The inventory space is now unlimited. The Fat Chocobo is instead used for a minigame. If the player finds one of eight Gysahl Greens from around the world, they will receive a Chocobo Shield from the Fat Chocobo in the Chocobo Forest.
Namingway is replaced by Tradingway, who must be visited in seven different locations. Each time the player meets him, they will get a Colored Card and an item. Collecting them all will award the player with the Rabbit-Ear Hood, which refers to Namingway's ears.
Other than the Pink Tail, the player can discover other tails in exchange for items. These include items that were seen in the The After Years, such as the Rapid Ring and Rare Band.
Final Fantasy IV: The Complete Collection is the second compilation of Final Fantasy IV released alongside its sequel Final Fantasy IV: The After Years for the PlayStation Portable, as well as a new interquel that connects both stories; Final Fantasy IV -Interlude-. It was released in 2011 on March 24 in Japan, April 19 in North America and April 22 in Europe. This version of Final Fantasy IV is primarily based on the Advance version that includes the Bestiary, Music Player and bonus dungeons, whilst also incorporating a number of changes and features exclusive to other ports:
Full Motion Video - The opening FMV returns from the 3D Remake's Nintendo DS port, now running in 30fps and on a single screen. The FMV will play after some time passes on the title screen and can be viewed manually in the Gallery Mode.
Data Install - The option of Data Install to enable faster loading times.
Localization - The script is based on the Advance version, reworked to incorporate several terms from the DS script, such as Summons referred to as Eidolons. Other terms, items and enemies are pulled directly from Final Fantasy IV: The After Years.
Cutscenes - New 3D cinematic scenes are implemented, most notably when the party travels back and forth from Earth and the Red Moon when piloting the Lunar Whale.
Visuals – Based on the Mobile port, sprites in both characters and environments are updated and more detailed, with additional environmental effects added to the backgrounds, such as the shadow of a propellor on-board airships.
3D effects are implemented for abilities and spells.
Music - The option to switch between the original Famicom or the arranged 3D Remake versions of the soundtrack. However, the theme that plays during the credits, "Epilogue 3", will always play the arranged version regardless of the option made.
Gamplay Changes - Numerous changes were implemented:
Auto-Battle - An auto-battle feature is included and can be activated by pressing Select in battle, enabling faster battle animations.
The ATB Gauge gains a second green bar signaling an ability's casting time.
Pressing Select on the World Map enables a shortcut to use Tents.
Porom's Cry is further altered, now functioning as a group-castConfuse.
The Mystery Egg enemies now match the resistances of the monster contained inside.
Dialogue Boxes - Similarly to Final Fantasy VI, the option to select different wallpapers for menus and dialogue boxes.
Censorship - The scene where the dancing girl takes off her dress remains censored in the North American and European versions. In the Japanese version, she wears a red one-piece instead of a bikini.
Bonus Content - An Art Gallery containing illustrations by Yoshitaka Amano has also been added. The Music Player is updated with additional playlist features. All these bonuses along with the Bestiary can be accessed in Gallery Mode.
As part of the series of Pixel Remaster re-releases of the first six games in the main series, Final Fantasy IV was released on September 8, 2021 for both Steam and Mobile. The Pixel Remaster features an amalgamation of changes from previous versions that were incorporated:
Updated Logo - The logo was once again updated, with the underline of the font separate from the illustration's gradient.
Pixel Remaster - Refined pixel art presentation built with the Unity engine, with characters and enemy designs based on the Advance version's brighter color palette. Effects from the Complete Collection version are mostly retained, excluding 3D animations in environments and command abilities.
Animations for items, spells, and commands are remade in a pixel-inspired style.
Character portraits are based on the original Famicom and SNES versions and are visually updated in the menu, but were removed in dialogue boxes.
Animations for flying enemies (floating and shadow effects) are removed.
Localization - The script is based on the Advance version, with additional tweaks to dialogue as well as new added text.
Several weapons, locations, and terminologies were reverted, most of which were simplified:
Summons are no longer referred to as "Eidolons".
The Feymarch is now "The Land of Summons", as in the GBA version.
The Mythgraven Blade is now the "Sword of Legend", as in the GBA version.
The eight Epopts of Troia are now referred to as the "Clerics", as in the North American SNES version.
Language Options - In addition to retaining all European language options from the Advance version, new languages are now available: Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
Video Filters - An option to display the game using a CRT filter, emulating the display of retro games.
Resolution - Exclusive to the Steam version are multiple options to to adjust aspect ratio and screen resolution.
Tap Mode - Exclusive to the Mobile version is the option to tap to reach a specific tile when on the field.
Auto-Battle - The Auto-Battle from the Complete Collection version returns, which repeats the last action chosen for each character, enabling faster progression.
Map System - In-game maps have been introduced for every area. The World Map displays the number of chests and items remaining to be collected in every location, with the dungeon map floors now displaying the location of chests for easier progression.
Secret passages remain open regardless if the player has discovered them or not, and gain tiles for visibility.
Movement - The option to sprint in addition to an eight-way directional input, enabling much faster progression through the field.
Progression - Tall scenery objects such as pillars and trees can now be walked behind on their upper tile, enabling many shortcuts through towns and dungeons.
The refined tilesets for towns and dungeons are based on the tilesets from the Complete Collection version.
Party Swapping - Due to the bonus dungeons' omission, the ability to switch party members in Mysidia is removed.
Gameplay Changes - Gameplay elements feature several amalgamations from the previous ports as well as the 3D remake:
All statistics and attributes for equipment and spells are based on the Advance version with several balancing tweaks.
The inventory size limitation is removed.
Experience Points when gaining a level is halved.
A Namingway merchant appears in the Giant of Babil offering several items for sale, as it did in the 3D Remake.
Dispel can now be used to remove Reflect.
The Haste, Slow, Protect and Shell spells now behave as status effects as opposed to stat modifiers.
Arrows are now infinite in stock.
Rosa's Pray command is strengthened with more healing potency.
Palom's Bluff command is weakened, now only affecting his Intelligence, with the effects lasting only a single turn for the next spell he casts.
Edward's Sing command was rebalanced; the effects are random, but now target all enemies.
Item magic from equipment can be used even if the item is not equipped to a character, though equipment can only be used as an item by those who can equip it; for instance, Cecil and Kain are the only characters who can use item magic from swords.
Instead of displaying the weapon's name, item magic now displays the name of the spell being used.
The damage from item magic is now fixed instead of being based on Spirit and Intelligence.
Potions and Hi-potions are strengthened with more healing potency.
The Siren items that can summon monsters can be purchased in shops as the story progresses.
Equipment used by departing party members are now automatically removed and placed in the inventory.
A number of bugs & glitches from nearly all 2D versions, such as the infinite gil exploit and "Mist skip", are fixed.
The tile-overlap bugs that gave rise to the "Peninsula of Power" are patched out.
A new cutscene is added at the end of the Sealed Cavern that shows the barrier going up on the Tower of Babil.
The Elemental Archfiends rematch fight is now in the same order as they were originally encountered (as was the case in the 3D remake) rather than the order of the original Four Fiends: Scarmiglione, Cagnazzo, Barbariccia, and finally Rubicante.
Quicksave - Quicksave is added, allowing the player to make a temporary save and continue playing the game until they have a chance to save on the world map.
Music - Re-orchestrated musical score overseen by Nobuo Uematsu.
Sound - Several new sound effects are taken directly from the 3D remake as well as the Mobile/Steam ports of Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI.
Bonus Content - The Bestiary, the Art Gallery, and Music Player from previous versions return along with an Item Collection menu. The Cave of Trials and Lunar Ruins bonus dungeons are removed, along with the unique items and enemies encountered within them.
The Developer's Office is removed, with the former entrance replaced with a notice serving as an homage to the original 1991 development team.
