Final Fantasy Mystic Quest
Developer(s)	Square Co., Ltd.
Publisher(s)	NA Square Soft, Inc. JPN Square Co., Ltd. PAL Nintendo
Designer(s)	Chihiro Fujioka Kouzi Ide
Release date(s)	NA October 5, 1992 JPN September 10, 1993 PAL 1993
Genre(s)	Role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single player
Platform(s)	Super NES
Media	4 megabit cartridge
Input	Game controller

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest (ファイナルファンタジーUSA ミスティッククエスト, Fainaru Fantajī USA Misutikku Kuesuto^?, released as Final Fantasy USA Mystic Quest in Japan) is a role-playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System game console. The game was released as a spin-off to Square's popular Final Fantasy series of video games. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was first released in North America in 1992 and marketed as a "simplified role-playing game...designed for the entry-level player"^[1] in an attempt to broaden the genre's appeal.^[2] The game's presentation and battle system is broadly similar to that of the main series, but it differed in its inclusion of action-adventure game elements. A year after its U.S. debut, the game was released in Japan as Final Fantasy USA: Mystic Quest. In PAL territories (Europe, Australia, and New Zealand) the game was released as Mystic Quest Legend - it was meant as a sequel of sorts to the previously released Mystic Quest (Seiken Densetsu) for the Nintendo Game Boy.^{[citation needed]} Image File history File links Final_Fantasy_Mystic_US_boxart. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates computer or video games. ... Square Co. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... Square Co. ... ... Square Co. ... For other uses, see PAL (disambiguation). ... Nintendo Company, Limited (任天堂 or ニンテンドー Nintendō; NASDAQ: NTDOY, TYO: 7974 usually referred to as simply Nintendo, or Big N ) is a multinational corporation founded on September 23, 1889[1] in Kyoto, Japan by Fusajiro Yamauchi to produce handmade hanafuda cards. ... A game designer is a person who designs games. ... World map showing North America A satellite composite image of North America. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (279th in Leap years). ... Notable events of 1992 in computer and video games. ... ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the year (254th in leap years). ... Notable events of 1993 in computer and video games. ... For other uses, see PAL (disambiguation). ... Notable events of 1993 in computer and video games. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES (pronounced either as a word or acronym), is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. ... The megabit is a unit of information storage, abbreviated Mbit or sometimes Mb. ... In various types of electronic equipment, a cartridge can refer one method of adding different functionality or content (e. ... It has been suggested that Gamepad be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... The Super Nintendo Entertainment System, also known as Super Nintendo, Super NES or SNES (pronounced either as a word or acronym), is a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Brazil, Europe, and Australia. ... The Nintendo GameCube is an example of a popular video game console. ... Square Co. ... For the first installment in the series, see Final Fantasy (video game). ... Notable events of 1992 in computer and video games. ... Action-adventure games (British English: arcade adventure) are video games that combine elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. ... For other uses, see PAL (disambiguation). ... World map showing Europe A satellite composite image of Europe Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Seiken Densetsu (聖剣伝説) is a computer role-playing game series from Square Enix (formerly Square Co. ... Seiken Densetsu (聖剣伝説; literally Holy Sword Legend) is a computer role-playing game series from Square Enix (formerly known as Square Co. ... The original Game Boys design set the standard for handheld gaming consoles. ...

In the game, the player controls a youth named Benjamin (name given in the US manual) in his quest to save the world. His goal is to reclaim a set of stolen crystals that determine the state of the world's four elemental powers.

The gameplay takes a departure from the main series in a variety of ways. Many series staples are eliminated, such as random battles, save points, manual equipment, and the party system. For these reasons among others, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is widely regarded as the black sheep of the franchise.^[3] A random encounter is a feature commonly used in hack and slash role-playing games to simulate the chaotic nature of a monster-infested wilderness, dungeon or other area. ... A saved game is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a computer or video game. ... Black sheep is a derogatory colloquialism in the English language meaning an outsider or one who is different in a way which others disapprove of. ...

Gameplay

Mystic Quest features a unique way of navigating the world map

Image File history File links Ffmq_screen2. ... Image File history File links Ffmq_screen2. ...

Exploration

Like previous games in the series, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is presented in third person perspective, with players directly navigating the main character around the world to interact with objects and people. The game features a unique way of traveling the world map. Unlike past Final Fantasy games, players cannot freely roam the world map. Instead, they travel along set paths from one "icon" (pictorial image on the world map) to the next, a mode of travel exhibited in Super Mario World and Growlanser series. Some routes are blocked off (restriction is indicated by a gray arrow), but become accessible when the player succeeds in a specific task, such as completing a dungeon. Once its path is open, the player can enter an icon; the game's plot and action takes place within these icons, which include towns, dungeons, and battlefields. The game is characterized by featuring action-adventure game elements; besides jumping, players can use weapons outside of battle, which play an active role in exploration. Players can chop down trees with an axe, detonate bombs to open sealed doorways, or use a grappling hook to clear wide gaps. The game also has more puzzles than earlier Final Fantasy games. In the Falls Basin, for example, players must move pillars of ice across the ground level in such a fashion that they can be used as platforms to jump across on the second level. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest also does away with save points; players can save their progress at any time during exploration. Super Mario World ) (commonly abbreviated SMW) is a platforming video game developed by Nintendo for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. ... Growlanser is a popular strategy/traditional RPG series with installments on the PlayStation and PlayStation 2. ... Action-adventure games (British English: arcade adventure) are video games that combine elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. ... A grappling hook is a composite hook attached to a rope, designed to be thrown or projected a distance, where its hooks will engage with the target. ...

Battle system

Benjamin and an ally facing enemies on the battle screen

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest eliminates the system of random enemy encounters, a trademark of the main series. Instead, battles are represented in dungeons as stationary enemy sprites, and the player is given the option of approaching the enemy and engaging a battle. However, many of these battles are unavoidable as enemy sprites often obstruct the player's progress or block access to treasure chests. Once engaged in battle, the player is thrust into the battle screen, which presents a window-based menu with three commands to choose from: battle, run, or control. Running from battle transports the player back to the field screen, while choosing "control" toggles between the ally's battle mode, where the player can manually control the main character's ally or opt for a computer-controlled ally. If players choose to battle, they are presented with a submenu of four more options: physically attack the enemy, cast a spell, use a curative item (such as a Cure potion), or defend. The game's battle system relies on conditional turn-based combat, where the characters and enemies cycle through "rounds" in battling each other, with the most turns awarded to the fastest character. Character health is represented by an incremental life bar, although the player may choose to have it displayed in numerical fractions as in most role-playing games. If all character life bars reach zero, the game is over, but the player is given the option of continuing and restarting the battle without penalty. Image File history File links Ffmq_battlescreen. ... Image File history File links Ffmq_battlescreen. ... A random encounter is a feature commonly used in role-playing games to simulate the chaotic nature of a monster-infested wilderness, dungeon or other area. ... In computer graphics, a sprite (also known by other names; see Synonyms below) is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene. ... An example of a graphical user interface in Windows XP, with the My Music window displayed In computing, a window is a visual area, usually rectangular in shape, containing some kind of user interface, displaying the output of and allowing input for one of a number of simultaneously running computer... Game AI refers to techniques used in computer and video games to produce the illusion of intelligence in the behavior of non-player characters (NPCs). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Screenshot of Metal Gear Solid. ...

A character's performance in battle is determined by numerical figures (called statistics) for vitality, attacking power, defensive capabilities, speed, magical prowess, accuracy, and evasion. Character statistics are driven by experience points (EXP) gained from winning battles, which accumulate until players achieve milestones known as "experience levels." The process of battling enemies to gain experience levels is known as "leveling up." Besides awarding experience points, battling enemies also earns the player Gold Pieces (GP), which can be used to buy weapons, armor, and curative items. An Attribute (also called a statistic, characteristic or ability) is an abstract number (or, in some cases, a set of dice) which represents a single aspect of a fictional character in a role-playing game. ... Experience points (often abbreviated as exp or xp) are a representation of a characters advancement and improvement in skills in role-playing games and computer role-playing games. ... Aerith sells Cloud a flower for 1 gil in Final Fantasy VII Gil (Japanese ギル giru) is the name of the fictional currency used in every game in the Final Fantasy series, although English translations have occasionally replaced it with GP or simply G. Gil is both the singular and plural...

In the absence of random enemy encounters, battlefields are scattered across the world map. Players are immediately thrust into a battle when entering a battlefield, and must win ten enemy battles to "clean out" the battlefield. Once a battlefield is cleaned out, players are awarded either a large amount of experience, a large amount of GP, a piece of armor, or a magic spell.

Customization

Benjamin uses a grappling hook to reach a treasure chest

Unlike all other Final Fantasy games, players cannot manually equip characters with weapons and armor. Instead, newly acquired weapons and armor replace the main character's current equipment. Benjamin uses four types of weapons: swords, axes, bombs, and claws. Although the weapons share a similar function in battle, all have different purposes when exploring the field map. The Dragon Claw, for example, doubles as a grappling hook. The weapon arsenal in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is considerably smaller than most role-playing games. As a result, few weapons and armor need to be purchased; most are found in treasure chests or are awarded in battlefields. Image File history File links Ffmq_grapple2. ... Image File history File links Ffmq_grapple2. ... A grappling hook is a composite hook attached to a rope, designed to be thrown or projected a distance, where its hooks will engage with the target. ... A grappling hook is a composite hook attached to a rope, designed to be thrown or projected a distance, where its hooks will engage with the target. ...

Magic in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is not learned by designated spellcasters through experience. Instead, the main character acquires magic spells through treasure chests or as a reward for clearing out battlefields. The system of spellcasting is similar to that of the original Final Fantasy; rather than using magic points to draw upon for supplying magic, spells are used according to a set number for their type, i.e., white magic, black magic, or wizard magic. The allotted number for each type increases as a character levels up. A spell's effectiveness is also proportional to a character's experience level. The higher the character's level, the more powerful the Cure spell, for example. This spell system demands few spells; as a result, the spell catalog in Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is limited. Items in the game are analogous to the spells: their potency increases as the character levels up. The Heal potion acts as a cure-all for status ailment, eliminating the need for status recovery items. Due to the small item inventory, equipment arsenal, and spell catalog, currency (Gold Pieces) plays a small role in the game. This does not cite its references or sources. ... Magic points (MP), or “mana”, are units of magical power that are used in many role-playing, computer role-playing and similar games. ... It has been suggested that Buff (MMORPG terminology) be merged into this article or section. ...

Plot and setting

Setting

The Focus Tower

The fictional events of Final Fantasy Mystic Quest take place on a single continent of an unnamed world, which is divided into four distinct regions: Foresta, Aquaria, Fireburg, and Windia. The welfare of each region is determined by the state of one of four shining crystals: earth, water, fire, and wind, respectively. Image File history File links Ffmq_focustower. ... Image File history File links Ffmq_focustower. ...

For centuries the Focus Tower had stood at the heart of the world. It had been a center for trade and knowledge, and the world's people met there to peacefully settle their differences. But on one warm summer day, powerful monsters stormed the Tower, stole the four crystals, and then took off with the magical coins that kept the Tower's doors unlocked. The monsters began consuming the power of the crystals; they grew in strength while the world, conversely, began to decay. An old prophecy tells that at the time the "vile four" steal the power and divide the world behind four doors, a knight will appear to vanquish the darkness.

Plot

The game opens with an adventurous youth named Benjamin climbing the Hill of Destiny. While exploring, his village is destroyed in an earthquake. As he escapes the danger of the crumbling mountain, he is approached by a mysterious old man, who charges Benjamin with fulfilling the knight's prophecy. Although initially in disbelief, Benjamin accepts the role. To learn more about his task, Benjamin follows the old man to the Level Forest, where he is told that the Crystal of Earth must be recovered. With the help of an axe-wielding girl named Kaeli, Benjamin battles through the Level Forest, although Kaeli is ambushed and poisoned in the process. Benjamin's search for Elixir to heal Kaeli brings him to Bone Dungeon, where he's aided by a treasure hunter named Tristam in succeeding dual purposes: not only does Benjamin get Elixir from Tristam to heal Kaeli, but he defeats one of the four Vile Evils, Flamerous Rex, to free the Crystal of Earth and in turn restore life to the dying village of Foresta.

Under the guidance of the old man and with the help of allies met along the way, Benjamin frees the remaining three regions of the world and their respective crystals: Aquaria, which is blanketed in snow and ice; Fireburg, a region plagued by recurring earthquakes; and Windia, a land ravaged by high-speed winds. Upon the reclamation of the fourth crystal, however, Benjamin discovers an ominous addendum to the prophecy: "the one behind the four is darker than the night, and rises midst the land." It becomes known that the Dark King is the true source of evil. Benjamin thus sails to Doom Castle to confront the Dark King, who threatens to enslave Benjamin along with the rest of mankind. Once the Dark King is defeated, the old man congratulates Benjamin and reveals that he is the Crystal of Light in the guise of a human. At the end of the game, Benjamin is seen still craving adventure, and he borrows a ship from one Captain Mac as his friends gather to wish him off. While sailing, Tristam makes a surprise appearance, stating that he couldn't ignore the prospect of such adventure.

Development

An advertisement explaining the game's "user-friendliness"

Although designed by one of Square's development teams in Japan, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was specifically geared for the U.S. market. At the time, console role-playing games only constituted a small minority of gamers in North America; Square thus attempted to broaden the genre's appeal through Final Fantasy Mystic Quest.^[2] Square's executives cited the alleged difficulty of RPGs as the reason Americans shied away from them, and eased the difficulty level by tweaking various aspects of the main series' gameplay.^[2] It was developed with a similar graphical style and gameplay Final Fantasy Legend III (part of the SaGa series of games). The gameplay shares numerous similarities with that title, featuring a very similar battle system and graphical interface. Even the "jump" feature from Final Fantasy Legend III has been reproduced faithfully, and almost all of the icons - from caves to the enemy sprites - are a color-upgraded version of Final Fantasy Legend III's character set. Besides allowing for computer-controlled allies, the game did away with random battles, complicated storylines, text-based menus, and so on. To appeal to the perceived tastes of North American audiences, which gravitated towards fast-paced games, Square included action-adventure game elements; players could now brandish weapons outside of battle, jump, and so on. Ted Woolsey explained that "The action/adventure players...are larger in numbers and the demographic is different. They tend to be younger and like the idea of jumping straight into the action with a sword in their hands; it's an empowerment issue - you get to go out there, start whacking things and it feels good! With the more traditional RPGs, it takes a good 15 or 20 hours of playing before you're finally hooked."^[4] Because the game was marketed towards a younger demographic, the game sold for the bargain price of US$39.99. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (428x642, 95 KB) Scan of the Ogopogo Examiner, most likely copyright Square Enix, scanned by User:Tristam Square-Enix has not released any such images to the public domain The image is used to identify the subject of the article. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (428x642, 95 KB) Scan of the Ogopogo Examiner, most likely copyright Square Enix, scanned by User:Tristam Square-Enix has not released any such images to the public domain The image is used to identify the subject of the article. ... Final Fantasy Legend III is a Game Boy video game. ... Look up saga in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Action-adventure games (British English: arcade adventure) are video games that combine elements of the adventure game genre with various action game elements. ... Ted Woolsey was the primary translator of Squaresofts console role-playing games during the SNES era (circa 1990-1996). ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 3. ...

The Japanese version released in 1993 as Final Fantasy USA: Mystic Quest.

Image File history File linksMetadata FinalFantasyUSA.jpg Final Fantasy USA: Mystic Quest Japanese Boxart Google. ... Image File history File linksMetadata FinalFantasyUSA.jpg Final Fantasy USA: Mystic Quest Japanese Boxart Google. ...

Musical score

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest's soundtrack was the first in the series not composed by Nobuo Uematsu. Instead, the game's music was co-composed by Yasuhiro Kawakami and Ryuji Sasai, both of whom would go on to compose for other Square titles. Much of the soundtrack is influenced by rock and roll, with music featuring simulated guitar riffs and licks^{[citation needed]}. This is most notable during battle sequences. Nobuo Uematsu , born March 21, 1959) is a Japanese composer of video game music, and one of the most well-known, prolific, and versatile in the field. ... Ryūji Sasai is a video game music composer, credited for composing the music of games such as SaGa 3, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest and Rudora no Hihou. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ...

Release

After its U.S. debut, Final Fantasy Mystic Quest released in Japan under the title Final Fantasy USA: Mystic Quest. It was common practice for American games at the time to tack "USA" onto the titles of their Japanese ports, as well as other games such as Super Mario USA. The European release of the game was titled Mystic Quest Legend to avoid confusion with Final Fantasy Adventure, which released in Europe as Mystic Quest. Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was first unveiled in June at the 1992 Summer Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago, where it was a popular venue,^[2] and the game was later presented in more detail in the Fall 1992 issue of the Ogopogo Examiner. This article is about the version of Super Mario Bros. ... Final Fantasy Adventure (Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden (聖剣伝説 ～ファイナルファンタジー外伝～) in Japan, and Mystic Quest in Europe), released in 1991, was the first game in the Seiken Densetsu series. ... The International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) is a trade show held each January in Las Vegas, Nevada, and is sponsored by the Consumer Electronics Association. ... This article is about Illinois largest city. ... The Ogopogo Examiner was a newsletter distributed by Square Soft, Inc. ...

Reception

On its release, it scored a 3.725/5 in the November 1992 issue of Nintendo Power^[5] and a 7.25/10 in Electronic Gaming Monthly. Despite its favorable publication reviews, the game is widely regarded as well below the standards of the main series, and player reviews generally range from mildly positive to extremely negative. The game ultimately failed in its bid to bring mainstream popularity to console RPGs (a feat that wouldn't be accomplished until Final Fantasy VII five years later), and simultaneously alienated fans of the series anticipating another epic following Final Fantasy IV.^[12] Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly American news and strategy magazine from Nintendo. ... Electronic Gaming Monthly (often abbreviated to EGM) is an American video game magazine. ... RPGFan is a website devoted to electronic role-playing games, including console games and PC games, both domestic and imported. ... MobyGames is a website devoted to cataloging computer and video games, both past and present. ... GameFAQs is a gaming website that has hosted FAQs and walkthroughs for gamers since November 1995. ... IGN is a multimedia news and reviews website that focuses heavily on video games. ... GameSpot is a computer and video gaming website that was launched in May 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. ... Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly American news and strategy magazine from Nintendo. ... Electronic Gaming Monthly (often abbreviated to EGM) is an American video game magazine. ... Final Fantasy VII ) is a console role-playing game (RPG) developed and published by Square Co. ... Final Fantasy IV ) is a console role-playing game developed and published by Square Co. ...

On April 1, 2006, GameSpot included Mystic Quest in an April's Fools list entitled "Top 10 Final Fantasy Games", consisted of spin-offs and unrelated games. Mystic Quest was "praised" for being easy, having simplistic graphics and plot^[13]. April 1, 2006 was an April Fools Day falling on a Saturday. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... A spin-off (or spinoff) is a new organization or entity formed by a split from a larger one such as a new company formed from a university research group. ...

The game's music is considered one of its few redeeming qualities, and most reviewers appreciate the enemy designs and the manner in which enemies deteriorate in appearance as they sustain injury.

References

2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 16 is the 167th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (168th in leap years), with 198 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 15 is the 196th day (197th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 169 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... July 16 is the 197th day (198th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 168 days remaining. ... 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... September 26 is the 269th day of the year (270th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Final Fantasy Mystic Quest at GameFAQs
• Final Fantasy: Mystic Quest at MobyGames
• Final Fantasy Mystic Quest at RPGamer
• Final Fantasy Mystic Quest ReMix Project