Final Fantasy IV (Nintendo DS)

Final Fantasy IV
Developer: Matrix Software Publisher: Square Enix Platform: Nintendo DS Released in JP: December 20, 2007 Released in US: July 22, 2008 Released in EU: September 5, 2008 This game has unused graphics. This game has unused text. This game has regional differences.

To do: Debugger shop

The DS remake of Final Fantasy IV runs on an improved version of the 3D engine used for Final Fantasy III. It features fully animated cutscenes with voice acting, a new augment system which allows for character customization, and some... questionable game balance changes.

Golbez

It's doubtful Golbez was ever intended to be any more playable in this version of the game than he was in the original, but there are some interesting things about his character:

• He has a menu portrait, but since he only appears in the two story battles with Fusoya, it can never be seen.
• His class shown in the equipment menu is Lunarian, and this is a separate string from the one Fusoya uses.
• He's assigned a full list of black magic.
• He appears as Theodor in the field, but with incorrect scale, making him as large as the adult characters.

Unused Text

babil_abilities.msd

Gil Toss

Attack by tossing gil.

Seems the Gil Toss command from other Final Fantasy games was slated for this remake at some point.

MP Efficiency

Cut MP cost of spells in half.

The MP Efficiency ability also has strings for an augment item, described below.

DoesNotExist

As does DoesNotExist.

babil_battle.msd

Yang: We've no hope.
Cecil: If only I could...wield my sword...
Tellah: Urgh...

These strings do exist in the 2D versions when the party is wiped out by Dark Elf, but in the remake, they go unused; instead, it immediately cuts to the scene afterward.

Rubicante: Well fought. This battle is yours.
But this is not the end.
Scarmiglione: Farewell.

Meant for when you defeat Rubicante the first time. Similar to the above, the battle simply ends without him saying anything. For some strange reason, the last line is attributed to Scarmiglione instead, even though he says no such thing.

Cecil: Do you mean to die?
Still wet behind the ears.
Look at my stats.
Weak against all-nighters.
Weak against girls in glasses.
...Basically, just weak all around.
Impossible...
How can you hit me?
Whoops! Sorry!
Want to hear my violin?
No?
Well, fine then!
Hit the battle programmer, will you!?
Maybe some Self-destruct will teach you!
Why'd you have to go and wake me up!?
I was just getting to the good part!
All right, who's first?
Manager: How about you, Hiromi?
I'm gonna be a daddy!
Cool, huh?
Later.

All these fully-localized strings are related to battles in the dev room in the 2D versions, but the 1991 devs are no longer present in the new dev room, so these are never used. The first line is strangely attributed to Cecil, and the rest seem a little...off, as if the localizer(s) had no context for what they'd be used for.

babil_common.msd

Unused

The first string in the table is marked as unused.

Dummy

A dummy string found among those used for inns.

babil_items.msd

Dummy 1
...
Dummy 40

Dummy 1
...
Dummy 40

Forty numbered Dummy items can be found between the key items.

 Takkei Tail

Looks as though it could be traded for something.

The first of three unused tails, this one comes earlier in the string table than the others.

Dummy

There are five Dummy weapons: one can be found at the end of the spears, staves, and whips, while two can be found at the end of the katanas. Logically, these would have been new weapons for the final party, similar to Cecil's Onion Sword. There are no description strings for them.

Augment Test

An augment.

Found before Rydia's bonus summons. Its description doesn't follow the same format as the other unused augment items.

<bag>MP Efficiency

Imparts the MP Efficiency ability.

<bag>DoesNotExist

Imparts the ThisDoesNotExist ability.

Two unused augment items. DoesNotExist is obviously a placeholder, whereas MP Efficiency seems complete but has no corresponding item.

Omega Tail

The tail of Omega.

Zemus Tail

The tail of Zemus.

The Omega and Zemus tails can be found just before the colored tails new to this version. Who knew Zemus had a tail?

babil_menu.msd

Debugger

How...how did you get here?

Strings for a debugger shop's title and shopkeeper dialogue.

d07_06.msd.lz

Tellah's spirit transferred its strength to the party.

This string is between Tellah defeating Golbez and the three augments you can find on the ground afterwards. Perhaps originally, the augments would've been given to the player automatically.

e03_00.msd.lz

Prototype

Final

And so the dark knight Cecil, stripped of his command of the Red Wings, set out for the distant Valley of Mist. Joined by Kain, commander of the Dragoons, he would seek a faceless quarry— and a chance for redemption. The advent of the airship had marked the realization of mankind's greatest dream, but also of a means to sate his greed. With the unparalleled might of the Red Wings, Baron's military soon reigned supreme. Why, then, does its king now seek the Crystals? And why have monsters suddenly begun to brave the light of day? If the Crystals know, they share no answers— only their pure and silent light.

And so the dark knight Cecil, stripped of his command of the Red Wings, set out for the distant Valley of Mist. Together with Kain, commander of the Dragoons, he would pursue a faceless quarry— and a chance for redemption. The advent of the airship had marked the realization of mankind's most ancient dream. But man is a creature seldom sated, and he was quick to dream anew. With the unparalleled might of the Red Wings, Baron's military soon reigned supreme. Why, then, does its king now seek the Crystals? And why have fearsome monsters suddenly begun to overrun the once calm land? If the Crystals know, they share no answers— only their pure and silent light.

An early version of the opening prologue, with some slight localization differences.

Regional Differences

To do: Developer's Office additions, addition of "Tsuki no Akari" in the Japanese version's credits.

Title Sequence

Japan	International

The Japanese version displays the Final Fantasy 20th-Anniversary logo on the third pair of splash screens. Other regions have a "Licensed by Nintendo" screen instead, likely because the anniversary was already over by the time the game was localized.

Settings Menu

Japan	International

In the Japanese version you have to select "Accept" to save your settings in the settings menu while in other versions you don't have to. Also the Japanese settings menu has two options which were removed from other regions' releases. The text strings for these are still present in the other versions.

First up is message speed, which has three settings:

• 1 draws the entire message in a text box instantly.
• 2 is default and draws text character-by-character at a normal rate.
• 3 draws character-by-character at a slower rate.

Non-Japanese versions always draw the entire message instantly, as if the option were set to 1.

• 

  Blue (default)

• 

  Pink

• 

  Dark Gray

• 

  Green with Check BG

• 

  Gray with Yellow BG

• 

  Orange with Chocobo BG

The second option is window design, which allows the color of windows and the menu background graphic to be changed between six presets. Very strangely, this option was removed from all other versions, forcing players to use the default blue design.

Revisional Differences

The game was released for iOS on the App Store in 2012, for Android in 2013 and for Windows in 2014 in the west and in 2020 in Japan with further updates. This version was eventually retitled "Final Fantasy IV (3D Remake)". Some changes that were made:

• There is a new intro screen.
• Whyt, Whyt's Mom, and their minigames were removed.
  • The "Piercing Magic" augment, originally rewarded to the party by Whyt's Mom in the Feymarch for defeating Bahamut, is instead awarded by completing a quest to gather missing eidolons scattered across various locations in game.
  • The "????'s Love" augment, which originally increased in power with wireless battles fought, instead increases with the number of times Cecil covers an ally in combat.
• The Developer Room inhabitants and contents were modified to reflect the staff for the new release. The treasure chests were removed, and the Lustful Lali Ho is no longer needed to complete the area.
  • In the Windows version of the game, the game director comments on optimizations made for the PC version.
• The second Limit Break augment awarded after completion of a New Game+ was removed.
• Window customization options have been restored.
• The ending theme "Tsuki no Akari" was restored, playing after the original credits music.
• The Music Box track list was changed, and Edward no longer gives comments.
• The "Dark Matter" item can only be stolen from the second form of Zeromus.
• Achievements, autosaving, difficulty options, graphical updates, and other optimizations were implemented.

(Source: Final Fantasy Wiki)