Play Final Fantasy IV (Japan) Online

Cecil’s journey starts with him questioning his orders, and suddenly you’re juggling betrayals, airships, and a combat system where enemies don’t wait for you to think. Those pixelated sacrifices still hit hard.

Developer: Square

Genre: Role-Playing Game

Released: 1991

File size: 662 bytes

Game Overview

Final Fantasy IV (or FFIV if you're lazy) is one of those SNES RPGs that still holds up surprisingly well. Right off the bat, you're thrown into this messy political drama with Cecil, a dark knight who actually has a conscience—which, yeah, was pretty novel for 1991. The story actually makes you care about these pixelated weirdos, especially when they start betraying each other or sacrificing themselves in dramatic cutscenes.

Combat's where it gets interesting with the Active Time Battle system—no more waiting for turns, enemies will whack you while you're still deciding whether to cast Fire or just stab something. It keeps fights tense, especially when you're scrambling to heal before that stupid Bomb enemy explodes in your face. The music slaps too, with that classic Uematsu mix of melancholy and hype battle themes.

It's janky in places (why does Tellah keep running out of MP?), but that's part of the charm. You'll probably yell at your SNES at least once before the credits roll.