Hurrah! We have rescued Rosa from the Tower of Zot!
Whoops, wrong Zot.
It turns out that the Tower of Zot is not the Bigass Tower on the map. In fact, it is not marked anywhere on the world map. Is that allowed?
Before we can tackle the Bigass Tower, the Path of Plot Advancement decrees that we must head to the underworld.
Last time on Let’s Play Final Fantasy IV, our Batman angstbucket hero made lots of friends.
And lost them.
Let’s review Cecil’s Very Bad Week.
Ouch. Surely things can’t get any worse?
Ahahahaha. Let’s go find out.
Once again, I’m playing the iPad remaster of the the Nintendo DS remake of the original NES Final Fantasy IV — got that? The iOS version is almost identical to the DS, except with crisper graphics and a lack of overwrought Opening FMVs. So here’s the DS opening:
Aaah, shiny. I’m relieved that the laws of physics are different in Final Fantasy, because our metaphorical Tower of Babel has reached the silly stage. At this rate, Final Fantasy XX will have to resort to something like the “How far is Mars?” animation to reach the top of the tower before the closing credits.
Where the heck ARE we? I’m going to shamelessly screencap the maps and add captions so we can find our way around. Here, belatedly, is the Floating Continent. The Fairy Forest isn’t marked because the Elder Tree has put up a You-Can’t-Go-Here-Now barrier, but it was just west of Castle Argus, and before that it was floating around in the desert southwest of Tokkul.
Map of Floating Continent:
And here’s where we are now, on the surface world now that it’s been resurfaced:
Onward!
Continue reading
Apologies for repeating this, but my playthrough just caught up with the Final Fantasy III prologue video from the DS version. So let’s review…
The ruined castle is the Tower of Owen, I suppose, while the Impossibly Tall Tower (yet another FF trope) is the endgame’s penultimate dungeon. Aeris Aria hasn’t yet appeared in my playthrough, but we’ll be meeting her shortly. And Refia’s default costume (the blue vest with the poofy poet’s shirt) is still one I covet.
Which reminds me, you have GOT to see Twinklebat’s FF cosplays: Refia, Cloud-in-a-dress, Mjrn, Red XIII, FFI White Mage, and a Moogle wearing Lulu’s dress. (Also Twilight Sparkle. She wins so many internetz, this cosplayer.)
Okay! Enough futzing around. Time to leave the Floating Continent for the greater world beyond!
Aside: I was tempted to call this episode “Oh. Okay.” in honor of Sev’s recurring response to all the WTF incidents during her playthrough of Final Fantasy III.
However, it turns out there is a supreme moment of WTFery involving a sheep in this episode, so… just keep Sev’s Mantra in mind.
Now let us roam as sheep.
Off we go with Desch the Fifth Party Member (uh oh, we know where THIS is going) to find the Gnomish Village! Poor Arc is hoping he won’t have to use the Mini Spell…
