Breath of Fire IV: Difference between revisions

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The fourth game in the long-running JRPG series ''[[Breath of Fire]]'', released on the Playstation in April 2000 in Japan and November 2000 for North America. It's a well-done fan favourite despite its very [[Troperiffic|by-the-book]] [[Cliché Storm|nature]] due to the fact that the next entry in the series is a noted [[Base Breaker]] and a very non-traditional JRPG.

Nina, [[Everything's Better with Princesses|princess of Wyndia]], departs with her childhood friend [[Petting Zoo People|Cray]] to search for her lost sister Elina, who's also Cray's fiance. Along the way, they stumble upon [[Heroic Mime|Ryu]], who [[Easy Amnesia|doesn't remember a thing]] besides his name: not who he is, or why he's stranded and [[Naked First Impression|stark naked]] in the middle of the desert.

Running parallel to Ryu's story is that of Fou-lu, an [[Really Seven Hundred Years Old|ancient]] [[God-Emperor|emperor]] who awakens in his burial tomb halfway across the world in the Fou Empire to reclaim the throne that he left behind 600 years ago. Unfortunately for him, those involved no longer want to give the power up to anyone, not even to an ancient god-emperor and founder of the empire.

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As the story progresses and our heroes travel all over the world, it becomes clear that Ryu and Fou-lu's destinies are intricately entwined and key to Ryu's memories.

There exists a [[Breath of Fire/Characters|character sheet]] for the series. Place any character-related tropes there.

Re-released as "PSOne Classic" in August 2011.

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* [[Bowdlerized]]: One of the most infamous cases (if not ''the'' most infamous) in the series. The largely unnecessary changes include:

** Several scenes were completely removed from the North American version: one where Ursula drops her pants to prove she's a woman, a scene in which {{spoiler|Fou-lu decapitates Soniel--which ''itself'' was only shown in Japan via a [[Gory Discretion Shot]]/black-on-red [[Shadow Discretion Shot]]}}, a filler scene where Ryu [[Accidental Pervert|spies on the girls while they bathe]], and and another where he accidentally grabs Ursula's breast.

** Scias is a literal [[Drunken Master]] in the original Japanese game, changed to a severe stuttering problem in the English localization.

** Fou-lu's Serpent dragon form from "Hellblizzard" (Japanese) to "Waterspout" (international). Explicitly bowdlerized because of the use of the word "hell". In fact, practically every spell, weapon or ability with the words "Death" or "Hell" or making reference to demon names was changed in the international localization.

** The massive incidents of bowdlerization in the international version of ''IV'' are particularly puzzling (regarding Scias and the [[Aborted Arc]] Via Censorship), considering the game was released for a platform specifically known for being friendly to controversial games.<ref>at the time ''IV'' was released on the Playstation, there had already been a number of considerably more violent and bloody (and controversial) games that saw print; also, Sony was explicitly promoting itself to developers that, unlike Nintendo, it did ''not'' have restrictive "morality rules" on content</ref> Worse yet, no other games have similarly been censored (save for Cupid's sex change); most infamously, ''II'' got away with practically ''everything'' that was censored in ''IV''. In other words, there really is no logical reason why it went through a Nintendo-esque hack job (not even fear of an "M" rating from ratings boards).

* [[Broken Bridge]]

* [[Bubblegloop Swamp]]

* [[The Cameo]]: Momo, Bunyan(which show up as masters), Rei and Teepo.

* [[Can't Drop the Hero]]: Subverted. While Ryu ''does'' have to remain in your party while moving around outside of battle, you're not required to use him in battle once you've got more than 3 characters in your party.

* [[Cast ~~From~~ Hit Points]]: The "Blitz" skill consumes 25% of the user's current HP to inflict damage. The "Disembowel" and "Deathbringer" skills cost 10% of the user's ''maximum'' HP, even [[Useless Useful Spell|when they fail to work]]. (Maximum HP can be restored, but only at a ''genuine'' [[Trauma Inn]]; resting at camp won't do.)

* [[Cast from Hit Points]]: The "Blitz" skill consumes 25% of the user's current HP to inflict damage. The "Disembowel" and "Deathbringer" skills cost 10% of the user's ''maximum'' HP, even [[Useless Useful Spell|when they fail to work]]. (Maximum HP can be restored, but only at a ''genuine'' [[Trauma Inn]]; resting at camp won't do.)

* [[Chain of Deals]]: Various characters will exchange "Ball" items (Lead Ball, Copper Ball, etc.) throughout the game. This becomes useful when apprenticing under Marlok, who rewards the player with new skills depending on which ball the player has acquired.

* [[Comic Book Adaptation]]: Of note, the sole [[Breath of Fire]]-related [[Comic Book Adaptation]] ever licensed outside of Japan (in Cantonese and French, though not yet in English).

* [[Combination Attack]]

* [[Completely Different Title]]: the manga adaptation is officially called ''Utsurowazarumono - Breath of Fire IV'' in Japan, while the source material is present as a subtitle in the proper official name, many references and print information that the publisher makes to referece the manga only uses ''Utsurowazarumono'', so is not unheard of some people not knowing that the manga known as Utsurowazarumono is the fourth Breath of Fire game's official adaptation.

* [[Con Lang]]: The [http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/psx/file/196818/15263 PabPab language] in ''IV'' (which is also used as a [[Cypher Language]] in a sub-plot).

** Per [[Word of God|Word Of Capcom]] the PabPab language is largely comprised of combinations of English prefixes and Japanese suffixes—thus counting as a potential [[Bilingual Bonus]] for speakers of both English and Japanese.

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** [[The Chick]] - Nina

** [[Sixth Ranger]] - Ursula

* [[Flying Seafood Special]]: Skulfish, the first boss in the game. Flying...Flyfish are also seen above the clouds when the party visits the Wind Dragon.

* [[Foreshadowing]]: In Wychwood, some faeries attempt to play tricks on the party, resulting in one faerie receiving a headbutt from Ershin. This surprises the fairies, who claim mortals shouldn't be able to see them. {{spoiler|Ershin, we eventually learn, is indeed no mortal, but rather an Endless named Deis}}.

* [[Forever War]]: The conflict between the Fou Empire and the Alliance in ''IV''. The two continents have been in a Cold War that has lasted 600 years, punctuated by ''four'' world wars and the incipient threat of a fifth.

* [[Full Boar Action]]: Bilbao and its ilk.

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* [[Jungle Japes]]: The jungle around the Pabpab village.

* [[Karma Houdini]]: One of the game's most infamous aspects is that {{spoiler|Yuna}} who was to blame for nearly everything bad that happened, apparently was never punished. There is a bit of background behind this, which can be read in the main entry.

* [[Keep It Foreign]]: The [[Dub Name Change]] of Master to Ershin.<ref>The original name was too much of a spoiler in English, so the character was renamed Ershin--Chinese for "Two Souls"--to preserve the [[Prophetic Name]].</ref>

* [[Kill the Cutie]]: {{spoiler|Mami. Even worse, she is captured, broken by [[Cold-Blooded Torture]], and ultimately killed by being used as [[Human Resources]] in a [[Fantastic Nuke]] that is [[Powered by a Forsaken Child]] (with connections to the target).}}

** The manga adaptation turns this [[Up to Eleven]] in a major borderline [[Stuffed Into the Fridge]] moment. {{spoiler|Including Mami's literal last words being "An-chan", a term roughly equivalent to "dear" which she uses as an affectionate term for Fou-lu, and the sound of her [[Memento MacGuffin|hair bells]] after the Carronade fires making it very obvious what happened...}}

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* [[Love Hurts]]: This is pretty much what the Hex Cannon relies on in order to inflict damage - the closer the sacrifice that was loaded into the cannon is to the intended victim, the greater the damage it causes.

** Cray {{spoiler|spends most of the game searching for Nina's sister and his love interest, only to kill her to end her misery as she's literally one with the building the Hex Cannon is in.}}

* [[Memento MacGuffin]]: {{spoiler|Mami's bells she wore in her hair. In fact, the very incident that causes Fou-lu to [[Go Mad ~~From~~ the Revelation]] was seeing Mami's bells fall from the sky after he was at ground zero of a Hex Cannoning.}}

* [[Memento MacGuffin]]: {{spoiler|Mami's bells she wore in her hair. In fact, the very incident that causes Fou-lu to [[Go Mad from the Revelation]] was seeing Mami's bells fall from the sky after he was at ground zero of a Hex Cannoning.}}

** In the manga adaptation, {{spoiler|Mami's bells are a [[Memento MacGuffin]] a second time during the [[Battle in the Center of the Mind]] between Fou-lu and Ryu (leading from the [[Bad Ending]] to the [[Good Ending]]). Fou-lu literally breaks down sobbing upon being confronted by Ryu...whilst Ryu holds Mami's bells in his hand.}}

* [[Mercy Kill]]

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** Cray: {{spoiler|Being unable to return Elina to Wyndia, and in fact being forced to [[Mercy Kill|euthanise her]] after she is turned into an artificial Endless.}} This would also apply to Nina as well.

** Ryu: {{spoiler|Being unable to stop the people of Chek from being massacred. This causes a [[Heroic BSOD]] which unleashes the Kaiser Dragon.}}

** Fou-lu three times over: the first in realising the purpose for which he was summoned was impossible due to the [[In Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves|intrinsic nature of humanity]], the second being the fact that the empire he founded has become [[The Empire|irredemably corrupt and overtly evil]], and the third being {{spoiler|the inability to save Mami and the knowledge [[It's All My Fault|she was tortured and used as Fantastic Nuke Ammo because she loved him]].}} The combination is enough to make him [[Go Mad ~~From~~ the Revelation]].

** Fou-lu three times over: the first in realising the purpose for which he was summoned was impossible due to the [[In Your Nature to Destroy Yourselves|intrinsic nature of humanity]], the second being the fact that the empire he founded has become [[The Empire|irredemably corrupt and overtly evil]], and the third being {{spoiler|the inability to save Mami and the knowledge [[It's All My Fault|she was tortured and used as Fantastic Nuke Ammo because she loved him]].}} The combination is enough to make him [[Go Mad from the Revelation]].

* [[Never Grew Up]]: {{spoiler|The entire town of Chek, with the possible exception of the Abbess.}}

* [[Nice Hat]]: Yuna, Soniel and Fou-lu, in a [[Projected Man]] when he first appears to Ryu. Depicted in the official artbook, and especially in the [http://80.manmankan.com/200911/569/25863/09111611393899487.jpg manga].

** The cover for Volume V of the manga has fun with this in giving [http://ameblo.jp/avarusblog/image-10519481830-10514529948.html both Fou-lu and Ryu] matching Nice Hats.

** All this is a remarkable example of [[Shown Their Work]].<ref>As it turns out, the hats are rather similar to those worn by (in particular) Ming and Tang Dynasty Chinese court officials and Korean royal court officials.</ref>

* [[No Koreans in Japan]]: One of the [http://www.dragon-tear.net/forum/printthread.php?t=7371&pp=40 most blatant subversions for this trope] in the English localisation; practically ''every'' name that appeared in kanji in the Japanese version were changed to Korean hanja readings or renamed to something in Korean (in some cases resulting in frank [[Dub Name Change]] of NPCs). Some of the internal mythology in the game is also a subversion of this.

* [[No Romantic Resolution]]: The manga, for all its worth in giving Ryu an actual character and [[Character Development|eventual development]], it sevrely tones down the one thing that it was clear in him as a [[Heroic Mime]]: his interest on Nina as the game progressed. {{spoiler|The Good Ending in the game made him come back after sending The Endless back to their world solely for his love for Nina, the manga however, doesn't touch upon this subject and Ryu comes back for frienship, in fact, Nina wasn't directly mentioned by him during the sequence}}.

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* [[Sprite Polygon Mix]]

* {{spoiler|[[Starfish Character]]}}: {{spoiler|Ryu and Fou-Lu}}

* [[Sword of Plot Advancement]]: The Dragonslayer. A certain part {{spoiler|near the end of Act 3}} required the group to find and use it.

* [[Third Option Adaptation]]: The manga's rendition of the good and bad endings.

* [[Third Person Person]]: Ershin. This becomes [[Justified Trope|justified]] once it is [[The Reveal|revealed]] who "Ershin" really is. {{spoiler|"Ershin" is what the suit of armor calls Deis.}}

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* [[Trapped in Another World]]: Occurs in spades and is arguably a major theme of the game with the Endless, who were {{spoiler|summoned to this world against their will. The dragon gods have accepted their lot in life, the others are not that pleased.}}

* [[Trauma Conga Line]]: Poor Fou-Lu... First, the Empire doesn't want him to reclaim his throne, so they send General Yohm to pursue and kill him. Repeatedly. A cute boar he befriends makes a sacrifice of itself to open an escape path for him, while the only person in the world he may have had any love for is taken prisoner by Imperial forces, {{spoiler|then tortured and used as living ammunition for the Carronade}}, before Fou takes a ''direct hit'' from the Empire's magical superweapon. No wonder he wants to [[Kill'Em All]].

* [[Traumatic Superpower Awakening]]: Ryu gains the ability to transform into a dragon early on in the game, but it takes him seeing Captain Rasso massacre a village full of innocents (and forcing him to duel with a monster shortly afterwards) for him to unlock the more powerful transformation.

* [[Tree-Top Town]]: The Pabpab village.

* [[Twin Telepathy]]: Ryu and Fou-lu are implied to have this to a limited extent in ''IV'' (though for the most part this is only explicitly noted at the game's end).

** ''Very explicitly depicted'' in the [[Comic Book Adaptation]] of ''IV''; in fact, it's actually a major plot-driving force in the manga.

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[[Category:Eastern RPG]]

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[[Category:~~Breath of Fire IV~~]]

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