User manual GAMES NINTENDO GAME BOY ADVANCE FINAL FANTASY VI

AGB-BZ6E-USA ® INST RUC T ION B O OK L ET Nintendo of America Inc. P.O. Box 957, Redmond, WA 98073-0957 U.S.A. www.nintendo.com PRINTED IN JAPAN PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE SEPARATE HEALTH AND SAFETY PRECAUTIONS BOOKLET INCLUDED WITH THIS PRODUCT BEFORE USING YOUR NINTENDO® HARDWARE SYSTEM, GAME PAK OR ACCESSORY. THIS BOOKLET CONTAINS IMPORTANT HEALTH AND SAFETY INFORMATION. IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: READ THE FOLLOWING WARNINGS BEFORE YOU OR YOUR CHILD PLAY VIDEO GAMES. WARNING - Repetitive Motion Injuries and Eyestrain Playing video games can make your muscles, joints, skin or eyes hurt after a few hours. Follow these instructions to avoid problems such as tendinitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, skin irritation or eyestrain: · Avoid excessive play. It is recommended that parents monitor their children for appropriate play. · Take a 10 to 15 minute break every hour, even if you don't think you need it. · If your hands, wrists or arms or eyes become tired or sore while playing, stop and rest them for several hours before playing again. · If you continue to have sore hands, wrists or arms or eyes during or after play, stop playing and see a doctor. WARNING - Seizures · · · Some people (about 1 in 4000) may have seizures or blackouts triggered by light flashes or patterns, such as while watching TV or playing video games, even if they have never had a seizure before. Anyone who has had a seizure, loss of awareness, or other symptom linked to an epileptic condition should consult a doctor before playing a video game. Parents should watch when their children play video games. Stop playing and consult a doctor if you or your child have any of the following symptoms: Loss of awareness Convulsions Eye or muscle twitching Altered vision Involuntary movements Disorientation To reduce the likelihood of a seizure when playing video games: 1. Sit or stand as far from the screen as possible. 2. Play video games on the smallest available television screen. 3. Do not play if you are tired or need sleep. 4. Play in a well-lit room. 5. Take a 10 to 15 minute break every hour. WARNING - Battery Leakage Nintendo portable video game systems contain a rechargeable lithium ion battery pack. Leakage of ingredients contained within the battery pack, or the combustion products of the ingredients, can cause personal injury as well as damage to your hardware. If battery leakage occurs, avoid contact with skin. If contact occurs, immediately wash thoroughly with soap and water. If liquid leaking from a battery pack comes into contact with your eyes, immediately flush thoroughly with water and see a doctor. To avoid battery leakage: · Do not expose battery to excessive physical shock, vibration, or liquids. · Do not disassemble, attempt to repair or deform the battery. · Do not dispose of battery pack in a fire. · Do not touch the terminals of the battery, or cause a short between the terminals with a metal object. · Do not peel or damage the battery label. · The official seal is your assurance that this product is licensed or manufactured by Nintendo. Always look for this seal when buying video game systems, accessories, games and related products. THIS GAME PAK WILL WORK ONLY WITH THE GAME BOY® ADVANCE, GAME BOY® MICRO, OR NINTENDO DSTM VIDEO GAME SYSTEMS. PROLOGUE The ancient War of the Magi... When its flames at last receded, only the charred husk of a world remained. Even the power of magic was lost... In the thousand years that followed, iron, gunpowder, and steam engines took the place of magic, and life slowly returned to the barren land... Yet there now stands one who would reawaken the magic of ages past, and use its dread power as a means by which to conquer all the world... ...Could anyone truly be foolish enough to repeat that mistake? Nintendo does not license the sale or use of products without the Official Nintendo Seal. © 1994, 2006, 2007 SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. All Rights Reserved. Illustration © 1994, 2006 YOSHITAKA AMANO. FINAL FANTASY, SQUARE ENIX and the SQUARE ENIX logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD. TM, ® and Game Boy Advance are trademarks of Nintendo. © 2007 Nintendo. CONTENTS Prologue Characters Basic Controls Getting Started Game Interface Getting Around Main Menu Menu Commands Battle Battle Commands Special Abilities Status Effects Espers Magicite & Spell Lists 3 4 10 12 14 15 20 22 30 32 36 38 40 44 CHARACTERS TERRA BRANFORD MOG A music- and dance-loving moogle who lives deep within the mines of Narshe. Mog is exceptionally brave for a moogle, and will never turn his back on those in need of aid. SPECIAL ABILITY - DANCE Mog can control the power of nature through his dance. He learns new dances as he fights in different surroundings. A mysterious girl, born with the power of magic and enslaved by the Gestahlian Empire. The secrets of her past and the reason for her unusual abilities remain unknown...even to Terra herself. SPECIAL ABILITY - MAGIC Terra can use magic from the beginning of the game, and learns new spells as she rises in level. LOCKE COLE EDGAR RONI FIGARO A treasure hunter searching the world over for valuable relics of the past. A certain turning point in his life led him to join an underground Imperial-resistance group known as the Returners. Locke will go to any length to protect those he loves. SPECIAL ABILITY - STEAL Locke can steal items from enemies in battle. 4 The young king of the technologically advanced kingdom of Figaro. Edgar is exceedingly confident, optimistic...and a notorious ladies' man. SPECIAL ABILITY - TOOLS Edgar can use an array of high-tech tools to attack enemies. The effects of each tool are different. 5 SABIN RENE FIGARO GAU Edgar's twin brother. Sabin left Figaro Castle at a young age to pursue a life of freedom, choosing to undergo training as a monk. Headstrong but humble, Sabin is Edgar's polar opposite. SPECIAL ABILITY - BLITZ Entering the proper command sequences allows Sabin to perform powerful martial arts moves. He devises new blitz techniques as he gains levels. A boy abandoned on the Veldt and raised among monsters. He may have trouble expressing his feelings through words, but that doesn't stop him from caring about his friends as much as anyone else. SPECIAL ABILITIES - LEAP, RAGE Gau can leap into packs of monsters on the Veldt, studying their fighting styles and later using them in battle by means of his Rage command. CYAN GARAMONDE A master swordsman hailing from the eastern kingdom of Doma. Cyan is a man of honor who has sworn undying fealty to his king and country. Doma's traditional culture has been slow to adopt modern technology, leaving Cyan unexposed to most things mechanical. SPECIAL ABILITY - BUSHIDO When using a katana, Cyan can store up energy to unleash powerful samurai sword techniques. He masters new techniques as he rises in level. 6 CELES CHERE A former Imperial general. Celes was raised to be an elite Magitek knight from a young age, acquiring the ability to use a limited amount of magic through an experimental Magitek infusion. SPECIAL ABILITY - RUNIC Celes can use her sword as a lightning rod for magic, harmlessly absorbing magic spells as MP. 7 SETZER GABBIANI RELM ARROWNY The owner of the flying casino known as the Blackjack. A gambler through and through, Setzer lives for thrills and pays little attention to anything that is not of personal interest. SPECIAL ABILITY - SLOT Setzer can play a slot machine in battle, triggering various effects depending on the results. Of course, Lady Luck is a fickle mistress, and there's always a chance that things could go horribly wrong... A young girl raised by Strago after her parents left her behind. She loves to draw and paint, and always puts on a happy-go-lucky performance to hide the loneliness that she truly feels inside. SPECIAL ABILITY - SKETCH Relm can draw pictures of enemies that come to life and attack her real foes. She may fail from time to time if the enemy is particularly difficult to sketch. SHADOW An assassin who would as readily kill a man as help him, depending on who was paying the bill. Cold and calculating, Shadow is a man of few words. He travels with his dog, Interceptor, at all times. SPECIAL ABILITY - THROW Shadow can attack enemies by throwing items at them. The amount and type of damage depend on the item that is thrown. STRAGO MAGUS An elderly gentleman who has spent his life pursuing the secrets of monsters. Despite his age and appearance, he is full of vitality and hates to be treated like an old man. SPECIAL ABILITY - LORE Strago is thoroughly versed in monster lore, and can learn to cast the special blue magic spells used by monsters. 9 8 BASIC CONTROLS These are the basic controls for the game. For more specific information, see the other sections of this booklet or follow the on-screen cues. L BUTTON, R BUTTON Scroll through lists Cycle through pages Select multiple targets for a spell L BUTTON + R BUTTON Press and hold to flee from battle. +CONTROL PAD Move character Move cursor cursor Within menus, these buttons can be used to cycle through the characters in your party. The character or cursor will move in the direction the +Control Pad is pressed. A BUTTON Confirm Examine Talk Board airship SELECT A BUTTON + B BUTTON + START + SELECT Show/Hide world map Skip character's turn in battle B BUTTON Cancel Dash (Press and hold to move faster in towns and dungeons.) This button is the primary button used for gathering information. 11 Return to the title screen. START Open main menu Pause/Resume battle 10 GETTING STARTED Insert the FINAL FANTASY VI Advance Game Pak into your Game Boy Advance system and turn the power on. Starting a Game Load Game This option allows you to continue a previously saved game. Use the +Control Pad to select one of the three save files. Saving a Game Once the title screen appears, press any button to open the title menu. Select the desired option from the menu to begin playing, or select "Extra" to access extra features such as the Bestiary (see p. 28). New Game This option allows you to start playing from the beginning. Name Entry You must save your game before quitting if you want to continue playing later without losing any of the progress you have made. Select "Save" from the main menu to save your game (see p. 29). You can save at save points or anywhere on the overworld map and may maintain up to three different saved games. Quicksave Save Point As you proceed through the game, you will be prompted to enter names for certain characters. Name Entry Screen Controls +Control Pad Move cursor A Button Enter selected letter B Button Backspace L Button / R Button Toggle uppercase or lowercase START Confirm name and exit menu SELECT Revert to default name 12 Selecting "Quicksave" from the main menu allows you to temporarily save your game regardless of your location (see p. 29). You can then select "Continue" at the title screen to resume playing from the same point. Unlike a normal save file, the quicksave file will be deleted once it has been loaded. It will also be deleted if you select "New Game" or load any other saved game. 13 GAME INTERFACE FINAL FANTASY VI Advance utilizes three different types of views during the course of the game. MENUS GETTING AROUND In the game world's various locations, you will need to talk to other characters, purchase items, and reach certain destinations. Map Screens Pressing START from any map will open the main menu, where you can make any necessary preparations for your adventure. EXPLORATION There are two different types of map screens: the overworld map, and town and dungeon maps. Overworld Town/Dungeon (OVERWORLD/TOWNS/ DUNGEONS) Most of the story will unfold on these maps as you travel around the world on your adventure. BATTLE The battle screen appears if you encounter enemies while exploring. Select commands from the menu to fight. World Map From the overworld map, you can press SELECT to toggle the display of the small world map in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Your current location is indicated by the red dot on this map. When riding a chocobo or flying an airship, a smaller red dot will also be shown to indicate the direction you are facing. 15 14 Talk/Examine Modes of Transportation You can talk to other characters or examine objects by pressing the A Button. Speaking to others may sometimes yield valuable information. Walking is not the only way to move around on the overworld map. CHOCOBO Chocobo Controls +Control Pad A Button B Button L Button and +Control Pad Left R Button and +Control Pad Right Parties During the course of your adventure, you will control a party composed of up to four members. Changing Party Members As you proceed through the game, you will eventually be able to choose which characters to include in your party. Talk to any ally who is not currently in your party to open the party formation screen shown on the right. Move the desired characters into the party window, and then press START to confirm your choice. Party Window You can rent chocobos at chocobo stables. These swift-moving birds will allow you to get to your destination quickly, and without encountering enemies. Chocobos return to their stables as soon as you dismount. AIRSHIP Up: Move forward, Left/Right: Turn Move forward Dismount Sharp left turn Sharp right turn Airships are large, fast-flying ships. Stand over an airship and press the A Button to take off. Airship Controls +Control Pad A Button B Button L Button and +Control Pad Left R Button and +Control Pad Right START L Button + R Button and +Control Pad Controlling Multiple Parties Up: Descend, Down: Ascend, Left/Right: Turn Move forward Land (only over level ground) Sharp left turn Sharp right turn Go amidships Move in any direction without turning At certain points during the game, you will control multiple parties at once. You can press SELECT to switch between them. 16 18 17 19 Shops and Services Shopping You will find a variety of helpful shopkeepers in towns that will provide services in exchange for gil (the currency of the game world). Speak to a shopkeeper to open the shop menu. Select "Buy" if you want to purchase items, or "Sell" if you want to sell unneeded items in your inventory. Select an item you want to buy or sell from the list, adjust the quantity with the +Control Pad, then press the A Button to confirm the transaction. Inn Items and Prices Your Gil Quantity Owned/Equipped Staying at an inn allows party members to recover HP and MP, and also removes all status effects (see p. 39). Weapon Shop Armor Shop Chocobo Stable At chocobo stables, you can rent chocobos to ride on the overworld map (see p. 17). Chocobos are especially useful when traveling over great distances. Item Shop Relic Shop You can buy and sell items and equipment at these shops. Inventory will vary from one merchant to another. Equipment Comparison Adventurer's School You can receive some very helpful hints at the adventurer's school in Narshe. It may be worth your while to stop in sometime and see what you can learn. Characters who can equip the selected item will raise their hands, and a white arrow ( ) will appear beneath each character currently in your party. In the case of weapons or armor, the following icons are shown to the left of characters who can equip the selected item to indicate how the item compares to the one currently equipped. Stronger Weaker No Change Already Equipped 18 19 19 MAIN MENU Pressing START from the overworld map, or any town or dungeon, will open the main menu. Menu Screen Character Information Basic information is displayed for each character, such as the character's level and HP and MP totals. 2 3 4 1 2 3 1 The character in the uppermost slot is the one who will appear on the map screen. Status Icon Icons are shown if there are any status effects on the character (see p. 39). Level A character's level increases after the character gains enough experience points (EXP) in battle. Character Information HP / Max HP Hit points are lost when a character is hurt in combat or by other means. Menu Commands (see pp.22-29) 4 Current Location Time Played Step Count Party Funds MP / Max MP Magic points are used to cast magic spells. Formation The portraits of characters in the front row are aligned slightly to the left, and those of characters in the back row are aligned slightly to the right. You can move characters between the two rows or rearrange your party members by selecting "Formation" from the main menu. Front Row Back Row 20 21 MENU COMMANDS This section provides a detailed explanation of each command displayed in the main menu. Items Using Items This menu allows you to view and use the items in your inventory. You can use the L and R Buttons to quickly scroll through the list. Item Submenu Move the cursor next to the name of an item displayed in white and press the A Button twice to use it. Depending on the item, you may be prompted to select a target character. Selecting a piece of equipment instead of a usable item will show detailed information about the item, such as the list of characters who can equip it. Rearranging Your Inventory Press the B Button to move the cursor to the submenu. You can rearrange the items in your inventory. First select an item and press the A Button once, then select another item and press the A Button again. The positions of the two items will be exchanged. Inventory Items that can be used are displayed in white. Item Types There are numerous item categories in the game, and a different icon is displayed for each one. Knife Brush Tool Sword Claws Shield Polearm Gambling Equipment Helm Katana Shuriken Armor Rod Scroll Relic Throwing Weapon / Flail Submenu Commands Use Allows you to select an item and use it. Sort Sorts the item list by category. Rare Shows special items that are important to your quest. 22 23 Abilities Equip This menu allows you to view information about the abilities a character has learned. Select a category to view the list of known abilities. You can also cast magic spells by selecting "Magic" or equip magicite by selecting "Espers." Select "Equip" from the main menu to view or change your characters' currently equipped weapons and armor. Keep in mind that the set of weapons and armor that each character can equip is different. Note: To view the entire party's current equipment, select "Equip" from the main menu, press +Control Pad Left or Right to select all party members, and then press the A Button. Equip Submenu Current Equipment Character Attributes Casting Spells on the Entire Party Attributes that will be raised by equipping the selected item are shown in yellow, and those that will be lowered are shown in gray. Some magic spells can be cast on the entire party. Press either the L or R Button or +Control Pad Left or Right to select all party members, then press the A Button to cast the spell. Submenu Commands Equip Allows you to change the character's equipment. Select the desired location, and then choose a piece of equipment from the list. Optimize Automatically equips the items that will raise the character's attributes the most. Remove Allows you to remove individual pieces of equipment from the character. Remove All Removes all weapons and armor from the character. Equippable Items 24 18 25 19 Relics Status This menu allows you to view and change the relics equipped to each character. If a relic that affects the rules for equipping weapons or armor is equipped or removed, you will automatically be sent to the Equip menu (see p. 25). Note: To view the entire party's list of equipped relics, select "Relics" from the main menu, then press +Control Pad Left or Right to select all party members and press the A Button. The Status screen displays various information about the character, such as his or her experience point totals, attributes, and current equipment. About Relics Relics provide characters with various abilities when equipped. Each character can equip up to two relics. Some examples of relics and their effects are listed below. Sprint Shoes Jeweled Ring Muscle Belt Brigand's Glove Gauntlet Knight's Code Doubles walking speed in towns and dungeons. Prevents petrification (see p. 39). Provides a 50% bonus to max HP. Turns Locke's "Steal" command into the more powerful "Mug." Allows a character to grip a weapon with both hands, doubling its attack power. Causes a character to automatically cover wounded allies in combat. You can press the A Button on this screen to toggle the information displayed. Attributes Each character has the following attributes, which may be higher or lower than those of others depending on the character's equipment. Strength Speed Stamina Magic Attack Affects the amount of damage dealt by the character's physical attacks. Affects the amount of time between turns in combat. Affects HP recovery. Affects the amount of damage dealt by the character's magical attacks. The total power behind the character's physical attacks. 26 18 27 19 Formation Quicksave Select a character and press the A Button twice to move the character from the front row to the back row, or vice versa (see p. 34). You can also press the A Button once to select a character, then select a different character to make them exchange places. Config This command allows you to temporarily save your game and quit playing at any point in time (see p. 13). Save This menu allows you to adjust system settings, such as battle mode and window/font colors. Select this command to save your game to one of the three save files. You can only save your game from the overworld map or at a save point. Overworld Save Point Bestiary Accessible via the Config menu as well as from the title screen menu, the Bestiary allows you to view detailed information about all of the monsters you have defeated, such as their various attributes and the items they carry. 28 18 29 19 BATTLE The battle screen appears whenever you encounter enemies. Choose battle commands for each character from the menu to defeat the enemies before they defeat you. Active Time Battle (ATB) System End of Battle Once you defeat all of the enemies, the battle is over. You will receive money (gil), experience points, magic acquisition points, and sometimes items. Time is always flowing during battle. You will be prompted to choose battle commands for each party member whenever the character's ATB gauge becomes full. Time continues to flow even while you are selecting commands, so don't expect enemies to wait around while you decide what to do. If you set the battle mode to "Wait" in the Config menu (see p. 28), time will stop while you are selecting abilities, items, or magic spells from submenus in battle. Game Over If all of your party members are KO'd, petrified, or turned into zombies (see p. 39), the battle is lost and the game will end. You will then have to restart from the last location where you saved the game. Any items or gil you had acquired since your last save will have to be obtained again, but you will retain any experience points or levels you had earned. Pausing the Battle Characters' HP and ATB Gauges Battle Commands (see pp. 32-34) The higher a character's speed (see p. 27), the faster his or her ATB gauge will fill. You can press START during battle to pause the game. Press START again to unpause it. 30 31 BATTLE COMMANDS This section provides a basic explanation of the commands available in battle. Attack Magic This command allows a character to use MP to cast spells that he or she knows. Select a spell from the list, and then choose the target. This command makes a character attack the selected target with his or her fists or currently equipped weapon. Selecting Multiple Targets Some spells can be cast on your entire party or the entire enemy party. Press the L or R Button to toggle between single-target and whole-party selection. Items Special Commands There are several character-specific battle commands, such as Locke's "Steal" and Edgar's "Tools." Some of these commands work in unique ways (see pp. 36-37). Skipping Turns This command allows a character to use items from the party's inventory. Select an item from the list, and then choose the target. Changing Equipment You can skip a character's turn without entering a command by pressing SELECT. Control will shift to the next character with a full ATB gauge. 32 Pressing +Control Pad Up when the cursor is at the top row of the item list will open a window showing the items equipped to each of the character's hands. You can swap these items for different pieces of equipment by selecting one with the A Button and then selecting a different item from the item list. 33 Defend Battle Conditions Pressing +Control Pad Right at the battle menu will display the "Defend" command. This command causes a character to take up a defensive stance, reducing damage from physical attacks. Note: If you have changed the command settings to "Shortcut" in the Config menu (see p. 28), pressing the R Button will display the command. Battles may sometimes take place under the following special conditions. PREEMPTIVE STRIKE SIDE ATTACK Row All of your party members begin battle with full ATB gauges. Pressing +Control Pad Left at the battle menu will display the "Row" command. This command causes a character to move from the front row to the back row, or vice versa. Note: If you have changed the command settings to "Shortcut" in the Config menu (see p. 28), pressing the L Button will display the command. Your party members surround the enemies and begin battle with full ATB gauges. Characters deal additional damage if they attack enemies whose backs are turned to them. BACK ATTACK Front Row vs. Back Row SURROUNDED Front Row Back Row Characters in the back row receive less damage from physical attacks, but also deal less damage with their own. Fleeing The enemies surround your party and gain a preemptive strike. Enemies deal additional damage if they attack characters whose backs are turned to them. Characters in the front row begin battle in the back row, and those in the back row begin battle in the front row. The enemies also gain a preemptive strike. You can attempt to flee from battle by pressing and holding both the L and R Buttons. Some enemies are more difficult to escape from than others, and there are some enemies from which you cannot run. 34 35 SPECIAL ABILITIES Many character-specific abilities can be used in battle. Some of these abilities have their own unique rules and control schemes. Blitz (Sabin) Leap / Rage (Gau) When Gau uses his "Rage" ability, he will fight as if he were the selected type of monster. He can add new types of monsters to his repertoire via his "Leap" command, which appears only when he is on the Veldt. Using "Leap" First select the "Blitz" command from the menu, and then enter the button sequence for the desired technique. Press the A Button when you are finished to make Sabin perform the technique. Button Sequences The list of button sequences for Sabin's blitz techniques can be accessed via the main menu. Select "Abilities" (see p. 24), then select Sabin. Finally, select "Blitz" to view the list. Bushido (Cyan) Gau's "Leap" command causes him to jump into the pack of monsters the party is fighting and immediately ends the battle. If you continue fighting on the Veldt, Gau will eventually reappear and rejoin your party. When he does, he will have learned the combat techniques of the monsters you were fighting when he leaped, as well as those you were fighting when he returned. Slot (Setzer) After selecting Cyan's "Bushido" command in battle, the gauge shown on the right will appear and begin to fill. Press the A Button when it reaches the number of the desired technique to perform that technique. 36 Selecting Setzer's "Slot" ability opens a window containing three spinning reels. Press the A Button to stop each of them in turn. Depending on the resulting symbol combination, various effects can occur. 37