Final Fantasy IV for DS this summer

By Tom Bramwell Published 24 April, 2008

Loads of new features.

Not content with coming up with the longest game name on record (or at least our record, which we started today), Square Enix has dispatched news that Final Fantasy IV for DS will be released in Europe this summer.

FFIV is another golden RPG oldie from the days of Tony Cottee and the Berlin Wall, and sees the noble Lord Captain of Baron's Red Wings, Cecil, demoted by his Elemental Crystal-loving king and sent off to fight a mysterious beast in the Valley of Mist. Typical.

It was the first FF to introduce the Active Time Battle system - the one where you wait for a bar to fill before making your move - and is reborn on DS with fancy 3D graphics, voice-acted cut-scenes, remixed music, touch-screen controls and more.

...Like the use of both screens, and a dungeon mapping system, and a mini-game where you nurture Summon monsters and then fight your friends' via Wi-Fi. We do like those things.

Find out how much in our review of the DS FFIV nearer its summer release, and in the meantime check out some screenshots.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (23) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • PinkSpider #1 4 years ago

    Tempted to not bother with this and get the GBA version. It looks a bit drab colour wise to me (as with FFIII which didnt look as bright as it could of either).

    :/

  • Der_tolle_Emil #2 4 years ago

    I will definetly get this. I enjoyed FFIII on the DS a lot and I have only read good things about IV so far.

  • kincaide #3 4 years ago

    Great news. I'll get this off of Play for 9.99 after about a month. Currently enjoying Ring Of Fates, World Ends with You will be next, then this.

    Thanks SquareEnix

  • systems #4 4 years ago

    I'm playing this on GBA right now, so I think I'll hold off and do it properly on the remake.

  • Katsumoto #5 4 years ago

    I never actually finished 3 - the plot was awful and I got to a point where you had to grind for 5 hours - but I was really quite enjoying it up until that point despite the awful plot. Will definitely give this a go. I hear 5 is where it really starts kicking off, though.

  • WinterSnowblind #6 4 years ago

    IV is far better than V, it's the first true Final Fantasy game, and easily one of the best in the series.

  • Camorrista #7 4 years ago

    If grind is too much for you, then by all means lay off FF5.
    Don't get me wrong, the game is nice, but you have to be fighting for hours and hours with way too little reward.

    Wait for FF6, where they really care about other things than fighting and bring up a decent, interesting plot for the first time.

  • Cid #8 4 years ago

    I never needed to grind in FFV. :/

    Anyway, on the whole I prefer V and VI to IV, but it's still a fantastic game, so I can't wait for this. Hopefully they'll give the other SNES Final Fantasies the same treatment.

  • Cataferal #9 4 years ago

    Im holding my breath for an FFV remake, but I may get this if i see it going cheap

    Not a huge fan of FFIII's visual style. I'd rather work with a simple, colourful, 2D world than an overcomplicated, grainy 3D one.

  • _Price_ #10 4 years ago

    Still waiting for VI....

  • penhalion #11 4 years ago

    FF6 involves grinding for the last two discs, especially if you wanted to beat emerald or ruby weapons! At lower levels they wiped out the entire party with a single attack. At higher levels it may take them two attacks unless one of your guys was constantly using the party cure spell, another using shield and barrier and cloud and barret dealing massive damage.

  • GamesConnoisseur #12 4 years ago

    penhalion: SHOCK! You are referring to FFVII and not FFVI if talking about Cloud and Barret!

  • penhalion #13 4 years ago

    @GamesConnoisseur

    My bad! I had the case for FF6 in front of me and somehow figured it was FF7. Six actually has even more pointless grinding if you want to beat the last guy!

  • ianegg #14 4 years ago

    Did SNES games come in cases?

  • Cid #15 4 years ago

    The PSOne version of VI came in a case. :)

  • Camorrista #16 4 years ago

    penhalion, you might want to check your facts there. The last boss in FF6 was quite easy to beat, and there were no optional hidden bosses. The FFs before had the toughies.

  • penhalion #17 4 years ago

    @camorrista

    You were obviously better at FF6 than me. I picked it up in the PS compilation and played it easy through the game only to run up against a wall when I met the last boss. I then had to backtrack and fight loads before I could get the required accessories to win the last fight.

    Clearly that's just me being bad at FF6 O_o

  • paul_haine #18 4 years ago

    Started playing this on the GBA a while ago but could never get into it; found the random battles to be a bit on the excessive side. Hated them, really, particularly when I wasn't sure which direction I was supposed to be going and would be punished by constant battling for drifting off course.

    Random battles are just...shit.

  • Fallen_Angel #19 4 years ago

    Bugger. I bought this ages ago for the GBA and never got into it as I had loads of other RPGs on at the time. Now I finally started playing it, and this happens. Think I'll leave it, sell it then get this. Hopefully it won't be as bad as 3 where I hit a wall at the last dungeon. 2 hour dungeon + 3-6 bosses without a save during. No thanks.

  • Cid #20 4 years ago

    The final dungeon isn't that long. Most of the bosses in it are also optional, and there's a save point just before the final section.

    I wouldn't sell it if I were you. It might be a good idea to experience the original first if you have the chance, plus it contains bonus elements which aren't in the DS remake.

  • Zaltan #21 4 years ago

    I really liked 4 back in the day, sadly I don't have a DS now.

  • hiddenranbir #22 4 years ago

    This is such a surprise.

  • Ciaran #23 4 years ago

    Squenix is just hoovering up all my money lately! Revenant Wings, DQ Monsters, The World Ends With You, and now this.

    /hugs his DS