Originally released in 1991 on the Super Famicom, Final Fantasy 4 introduced the Active Time Battle system that would define the series for years. Unlike the turn-based entries before it, battles flow in real time with each character's action gauge filling at different speeds. The game follows Cecil, a Dark Knight questioning his king's orders, through a story that cycles 12 named characters in and out of a five-member party. The Pixel Remaster (2021) rebuilds the original with updated pixel art, quality-of-life fixes, and Nobuo Uematsu's re-arranged soundtrack.
This guide covers the full game: a 21-chapter walkthrough from Baron to the final battle with Zeromus, a complete 197-entry bestiary with farming locations and missable flags, a trophy guide, a summons guide covering all 9 summons, and a missables checklist. Four dungeons lock permanently (Tower of Zot, Tower of Babel, Cave of Eblan, Giant of Babel), trapping 40 bestiary entries and dozens of chests if you miss them.
Walkthrough
Baron
Cecil loses his Red Wings command and is sent to deliver a package to Mist. Grab 6 chests from the castle treasury and inn, collect 9 hidden items across town, and register 5 bestiary entries before heading northwest.
Mist Cave & Kaipo
Fight through Mist Cave and defeat the Mist Dragon. The Bomb Ring destroys Mist Village, stranding you in the desert. Cross to Kaipo, defend Rydia from Baron soldiers, and pick up your first party member.
Underground Waterway
Tellah joins and you'll push through the Underground Waterway and Subterranean Lake. Find the Shadowblade, grab 22 chests across both areas, and beat Octomammoth.
Damcyan & Antlion's Den
Loot Damcyan Castle's jail for 10 chests and 3 hidden items. Cross to Antlion Cave for 13 more chests, defeat the Antlion, and return to Kaipo to recruit Rosa.
Bestiary
197 enemies across the overworld, dungeons, and the Lunar Subterrane. Forty are permanently missable, spread across four one-time dungeons: Tower of Zot (9 enemies), Tower of Babel (12), Cave of Eblan (1), and Giant of Babel (7), plus their associated bosses. Each entry in the bestiary lists stats, weaknesses, steal/drop tables, and a confirmed farming location.
Missables
Four dungeons lock permanently after their boss fights, trapping 40 bestiary entries and dozens of chests. The missables guide covers every cutoff point in story order with exact enemy and chest counts per dungeon.
Trophies
48 PSN trophies including story progression, bestiary completion, treasure collection, and the notoriously grindy hidden summon drops. Four trophies are tied to the one-time dungeons listed above. Boost settings (4x EXP, 4x Gil, no encounters) don't void any of them. The trophy guide covers every trophy with missable flags.
Summons
Nine summons total: five optional boss fights (Asura, Leviathan, Odin, Bahamut, and Sylph) and four hidden drops from rare enemies (Goblin, Cockatrice, Mind Flayer, and Bomb). The optional bosses are scattered across the Land of Summons, Castle Baron, Cave of Bahamut, and Sylvan Cave. The hidden drops require Sirens to farm efficiently. The summons guide covers locations, boss strategies, and farming tips.
