final fantasy known initial north american release role playing video game developed published square square enix released fourth main installment final_fantasy series game story follows cecil dark knight tries prevent seizing powerful crystals destroying world joined quest frequently changing group allies final fantasy introduced innovations staples final_fantasy series role playing games general active time battle system subsequent final_fantasy games unlike prior games series gave character character class final ported platforms varying differences enhanced remake called graphics released nintendo game titled final fantasy initial release outside japan original released outside japan time later original title character driven plot use new technologies critically acclaimed score regarded landmark series role playing genre incarnations game sold million copies worldwide sequel final fantasy years released japanese mobile phones worldwide june years released playstation portable compilation final fantasy complete collection included new game set final fantasy interlude ports nintendo remake released ios android windows gameplay final player controls large cast characters completes quests advance story characters interact people enemies field map represent variety settings towers caves forests travel areas occurs world map player use towns strength buy equipment discover clues destination conversely player fights monsters random intervals world map dungeons battle player option fight use magic item retreat change character positions pause certain characters special abilities game series allow player control characters party previous games limited party player characters monsters hit points characters main battle screen attacks reduce remaining left point character monster dies characters defeated game restored saved game file player restore characters hit points having sleep inn use items party inventory healing magic spells equipment swords armor bought towns found dungeons increase damage inflicted monsters minimize damage received player choose characters appear line battle character placement impacts damage received inflicted depending type attack final fantasy introduced square active time battle system differed turn based designs previous system centers player orders characters real time battles system subsequent square games character certain strengths weaknesses instance strong magic user low defense physical fighter low agility like final_fantasy games characters gain new powerful abilities battle experience magic classified white healing support black offense summon monsters attack carry specialized tasks fourth type consists support offensive magic available character magic users account playable characters gain magic spells experience levels fixed story events game includes balanced point gains items rewards eliminate long sessions grinding super nes greater processing power final contains improved graphics compared previous final_fantasy titles released nes game employs super nes mode technology enhanced magic spell visuals travel dramatic scaling ground bird eye view plot setting final fantasy takes place earth known consists surface world inhabited humans underground world underworld inhabited artificial moon planet live race beings originally world destroyed belt surrounding identified moon shape crest created artificial moon resting time believe kind exist humans second natural moon visited game characters final fantasy offers playable characters unique character class game player total fewer characters party given time main character dark knight captain elite air force unit kingdom baron serves king alongside childhood friend commander white archer cecil love interest constructed cecil friend engineer quest cecil joined including young village mist legendary sage prince head monks white black twin magical village prince guardian long sleep main antagonist game wishes destroy human race people earth uses controlling psychic powers activate giant huge machine created carry genocide story final begins returning baron attacking city steal water crystal cecil captain questions king motives stripped rank sent friend captain deliver ring cecil watch horror monsters burst forth inside ring lay waste village young girl survivor summons monster named anger monster causes earthquake separating cecil cecil awakens afterward takes wounded nearby inn baron soldiers come cecil defends joins journey revealed cecil love interest followed extremely ill fever soon cecil meet going retrieve daughter anna anna killed bomb castle edward anna lover prince explains new commander steal stolen water crystal leaves party exact revenge anna death finding cure party decides protect meet master yang warrior monk serviced kingdom protection crystal attack reappears servants attacks defeats cecil kidnaps takes crystal way baron party attacked separated cecil near enters town finds residents hold utter contempt prior attack town elder learns defeat climb embarking journey joined twin mountain encounters searching forbidden spell defeat casting aside darkness cecil learns secret reaching baron party discovers yang memory party confronts king discover replaced defeating arrives takes enterprise way party enters room trapped sacrifice save cecil yang appears demands cecil retrieve final crystal exchange life party assistance edward leads party tower imprisoned tower summit takes crystal attempts flee casts stop sacrificing life process spell ending mind control helps cecil rescue party collapsing tower baron baron reveals obtain subterranean dark crystals achieve goal reaching moon party travels underworld encounter currently fighting defeat thanks sudden appearance young woman time spent home party ultimately fails prevent stealing crystal help enter tower order obtain crystals stored find moved surface portion tower yang later sacrifices order stop tower cannons firing later revealed survived escaping trap set party flees underworld aboard enterprise sacrificing passage worlds prevent continuing pursuit party joined edge prince travels tower order stolen crystals reaching crystal room party falls trap door underworld meeting finding alive party sets retrieve eighth crystal crystal obtained appears reveals control taking crystal learning ship designed travelers moon party rejoined travel surface board moon party meets sage explains cecil father explains named plans destroy life blue planet summon giant robot party returns earth forces worlds attack giant including revived party breaks robot confront break control turn releasing cecil learns older brother head core moon defeat cecil party follows moon core party witnesses kill quickly fall resurrected form spirit embodiment hatred rage earth elder commands cecil allies friends pray party gives cecil allies strength fight following battle opt leave earth moon cecil accepting truth acknowledges brother bids farewell epilogue cast reunites celebrate cecil wedding coronation baron new king queen seen atop having vowed development completing square planned develop final_fantasy games nintendo_entertainment_system forthcoming super nes known respectively financial scheduling constraints square dropped plans nes game continued development version retitled mock cancelled title produced japanese magazine little information exists series creator director stated nes version approximately complete certain ideas reused version final lead designer project square time employee wanted career theater actor working game decide great creator video games initially main designer involved development game wanted create seamless battle system separate battle screen menu driven going direction changed development teams work action rpg secret instead development team contained people total game completed roughly year initial ideas contributed including entire story baron royal air force active time battle system conceived designed inspired watching formula race seeing pass different speeds gave idea different speed values individual characters system developed game lead designer wrote scenario contributed art stated lot pressure project completed work according final designed best parts previous installments mind job system focus story bosses acting symbols game installment influences include themes darkness light cecil focus family friendship large diverse cast idea strength isn power feels game series pick drama japanese rpg feature deep characters plot game script reduced fourth original length cartridge storage limits sure unnecessary dialogue cut actual story elements graphical capacities allowed regular series character designer elaborate character designs previous installments characters personalities evident images felt reduced script length improved pacing game acknowledges parts story unclear looked depth later ports remakes ideas included time space constraints dungeon near end game character progress dungeon included game boy advance version game music score written longtime series composer noted process composing involving trial error requiring sound staff spend nights sleeping bags square headquarters liner notes signed written office naturally score received reviewers praised quality composition despite limited medium track theme love taught japanese school children music curriculum continues perform certain pieces final_fantasy concert series albums music released japan album original sound version released june contains tracks game second album celtic moon released october contains selection tracks game arranged performed celtic musician lastly arrangement tracks solo piano performed released april began trend successive final_fantasy game tracks appeared final_fantasy compilation albums produced square including black final fantasy pray independent officially licensed releases music orchestrated groups focuses arranging video game music selections appear japanese remix albums called music english websites north american localization previous installments final_fantasy series localized released north_america time final distributed maintain naming continuity remained norm release north_america release title subsequent releases original final iii platforms gone title final fantasy english localization retains storyline graphics sound original developers significantly reduced difficulty beginning gamers square worried western fans find difficult adjust game complexity having played previous entries decreased overall depth considerably changes include removal overt christian religious references certain potentially graphics example magic spell holy renamed white references prayer eliminated tower prayers renamed tower wishes direct references death omitted characters clearly die course game translation changed accordance censorship policies time formation rating system releases addition original release remade different versions final fantasy modified version game released japan designed easier north american counterpart version attack powers weapons enhanced protective abilities certain accessories armor playstation port debuted japan march ported published square designed directed supervised produced version identical original game minor introduced present notable changes playstation release inclusion motion video opening ending sequence ability quickly dungeons towns holding cancel button option performing memo save world map march version released second time japan package included playstation versions thousand limited edition copies collection released included final_fantasy themed alarm clock playstation port later released north_america europe australia english feature new translation certain translated lines previous localization kept fan favorites remake changes playstation version released japan march character sprites backgrounds enhanced heightened details color final ported game boy advance published released north_america december japan square_enix december australia february europe june japan special version available included limited edition themed face plate featuring artwork cecil enhanced graphics port improved minor changes music localization team revised english translation improving flow story restoring plot details absent original abilities removed original north american release added spells renamed follow naming conventions japanese version changing example new cave added featuring powerful armor stronger weapons additional characters dungeon accessible end game game remade graphics nintendo final_fantasy series 20th anniversary released japan december north_america july europe september remake adds number features present original voice acting changes basic gameplay game developed team responsible remake supervised members original development team served executive producer director producer battle designer animator new cutscenes original version game released wii virtual console japan august north_america march pal regions june enhanced port mode compatible phones released japan october retains features introduced game boy advance ports incorporating enhanced character graphics par found years exclusive extra dungeon available completing game final fantasy years game released playstation portable compilation final fantasy complete collection version updated graphics opposed graphics seen remake collection includes new episode called takes place original game years arranged main theme game released japan march north_america april europe april australia april december playstation port released final fantasy 25th anniversary ultimate box japanese package december nintendo version released ios android june mobile platforms introducing optional easier difficulty level september prior advertisement final released microsoft windows reception game critically acclaimed release famitsu panel reviewers gave ratings adding overall score highest scores awarded game second legend link past november issue nintendo_power proclaimed set new standard excellence role playing games praised battles interesting previous player snap decisions enemies don wait mind concluded story graphics play sound fans electronic gaming monthly panel reviewers gave ratings adding overall december issue gave stated square ultimate rpg like noting spectacular mode effects outstanding graphics quest video game concluding makes use super nes offer best date gave stated totally awesome rpg storyline actually coherent plot moves combination speaking sequences battles hand disliked role playing games gave gave game award stating mode great square spectacular job away planet quest huge difficult attempted video game gamepro rated perfect score march issue reviewer haul stated truly standards fantasy adventure games proclaiming dimensional characters hack combat linear gameplay things past learn lesson cart concluding small step giant leap role playing games november issue dragon gave excellent rating criticized stylized combat system graphics inferior praised spell different screen effect difficulty right bosses nearly beat time unlike rpg makes possible trash enemies ease praised great music preferring stating lacks graphics makes sound praised story particular noting departure party sticks thick thin characters motives joining leaving group stated like following storyline fantasy novel comparing lord rings man concluding characters spoke got attached party computer game major reviewers called greatest video games time noting pioneered common console role playing game features including concept dramatic storytelling rpg reviewers praised game graphics gameplay score noted role playing games feature complex involving plot retrospective reviews heavily criticized game original release poor quality english language translation included lists best games time nintendo_power included greatest nintendo games lists placing ninth issue eighth issue ign included lists greatest games time ranking highest ranking rpg highest rated final_fantasy title list ranked famitsu released reader poll ranking sixth best game list best games time game informer gamespot sold copies making 31st best selling release year japan gave points scored panel reviewers game boy advance version met praise reviewers noted game graphics hold current games especially compared reviewers noted fans certain errors new translation nintendo version game praised visuals gameplay changes new cutscenes nominee nintendo ign video game awards legacy japan million copies version sold playstation version sold additional copies japan march game including playstation remakes shipped million copies worldwide million copies shipped japan abroad release nintendo version nearly million copies game sold world game boy advance version game sold copies japan end version game sold million copies worldwide final fantasy years sequel set seventeen years events original chapters game released japan february series phones release series phones slated spring game revolves son cecil original cast members returning featured prominent roles new characters mobile release hinted years released outside japan march announcement nintendo speech years released later year wii service chapters released june north_america june pal territories additional chapters released following months volume novelization released japan december
Final Fantasy IV