Altar Cave
Your party plummets into Altar Cave with zero preparation. Three Goblins attack before you can open the menu, so beat them for your first bestiary entry. The cave runs three floors deep with 14 chests and 4 new enemies to log; you’ll grab the first 7 chests on this initial run, then return for the rest after the boss.
Before You Begin
A few things to note about this walkthrough before you set out:
- This guide tracks 100% completion: 225 bestiary entries, 367 chests, and all 31 trophies. Trophies are identical across PlayStation, Switch, Steam, iOS, and Android.
- Boost mode lives under the in-game menu and gives you toggles for encounter rate, EXP, Gil, and damage. None of them void trophies, so dial them to whatever feels right.
- A handful of trophies and bestiary entries are missable. This walkthrough flags each one at the moment it shows up. The missables page has the full list.
- FF3’s signature mechanic is the Job system. You unlock 22 jobs as you reclaim each Crystal, and you can change any character’s job at any save point. The Pixel Remaster removed Capacity Points and the original stat-adjustment penalty, so jobs swap freely with no downside.
Altar Cave
New Enemies
Enemies here are weak. Goblins go down in one or two hits and pose zero threat. Carbuncles and Eye Fangs aren’t much tougher. Blue Wisps are the only ones worth noting; they use magic instead of physical attacks, so back-row members take the same damage as front. None of them should cause a wipe, but keep Potions handy for unlucky encounter chains. Make sure all four entries are registered before you leave; they count toward the gold Field Research - Professional trophy. Altar Cave stays accessible later, but it’s easier to clean them up now.
B3. Walk north and grab two chests, a Leather Shield and a Potion. Continue north and interact with the boulder to open a hidden path on the right.
The hidden path leads up toward the stairs. Grab one more Leather Shield along the way, then climb to B2.
B2. Loot is on both sides of the stairs. Go left first for an Antarctic Wind, then double back right past the stairs and down the hall for a Potion. Continue up through the narrow corridor and grab the chest at the fork junction for one more Potion.
Take the right path from the fork to reach a healing spring. It restores all HP and MP and revives any dead party members, so use it before the boss.
There’s an Antarctic Wind directly north of the spring. Hang onto both Antarctic Winds; they’re your best damage against the boss. Loop back to the fork and go left through the door. The Wind Crystal room is just ahead, but a boss blocks the way.
How to Beat Land Turtle
The Land Turtle has 111 HP and is weak to Ice. You don’t have jobs or magic yet, so your only options are physical attacks and items. Each Antarctic Wind deals over 150 ice damage, which means two of them end the fight instantly. Use Potions if anyone drops below 30 HP, but the boss hits lightly and has no dangerous moves.
Wind Crystal Jobs
With the Land Turtle down, walk through to the Wind Crystal and interact with it. After the cutscene about your party’s destiny, the Wind Crystal grants access to five new jobs.
Your sturdiest front-liner. Heavy armor + sword damage carries the early dungeons.
- Equips Sword, Axe, Knife, Bow
- Full heavy armor + Shield
- Slot 1 or 2 for highest aggro draw
Highest physical output of the early game with bare fists.
- Bare-handed beats Nunchaku once levels climb
- Light armor only (no Mythril or heavier later)
- Retaliate counters physical attacks automatically
Essential healer. Cure and Protect carry the early game.
- Lv7 White Magic
- Equips Rod and Staff only
- Item-command staves cast free spells
Your only source of group damage right now.
- Lv7 Black Magic
- Back row mandatory; squishy and unarmored
- Save MP for bosses, physicals on trash
Both schools at lower levels with broad weapon access. Falls behind specialists by mid-game.
- Lv5 White and Lv5 Black Magic
- Equips Sword, Bow, Knife, Rod, Staff
- Your fourth slot is usually better as a second Warrior
The job guide covers all 22 jobs in detail. For now, Warrior, Monk, White Mage, and Black Mage is the standard party that handles everything through the Fire Crystal.
Use the teleporter at the north end of the room to exit to the overworld.
Hidden Path & Remaining Chests
Save immediately; you can only save out here. Assign your jobs now (and bring a White Mage). FF3’s job system lets you change any character’s job at any save point with no stat penalty in the Pixel Remaster. Check your world map and Altar Cave shows 7/14 chests collected, so go back in for the rest.
B1. From the entrance, walk down and right toward what looks like a dead end. Keep walking right through the wall to find a hidden path with two chests.
Both hold 1000 Gil. That 2000 Gil is enough to buy several spell levels in Ur, so don’t skip it. Watch for hidden paths like this throughout the game; they tend to hide the better loot. Once both chests are open, walk back south to the B2 stairs.
B2. Loop back through the hidden path and go south to the stairs down to B2. You’ll emerge in a room with five chests arranged around the hole you fell through at the start of the game.
- Top chest: Sleep
- Bottom right chest: Longsword
- Bottom chest: Bronze Bracers
- Bottom left chest: Nunchaku
- Far left chest: Longsword
Equip the Longswords on your Warrior for an immediate damage upgrade. The Nunchaku goes to a Monk if you’re running one, though bare fists outscale it soon enough. Sleep is your Black Mage’s first status spell; situational but free to carry.
All 14 chests collected, no hidden items in this dungeon. Walk south from the cave exit to reach Ur, your home village. Ur has a free inn, gear shops, and a magic shop with level 1 spells. There are also 8 chests and 6 hidden items tucked into pots, shelves, and grass patches, so explore thoroughly before moving on.