Final Fantasy IV Advance

Final Fantasy IV Advance (GBA, 2005-2006): Enhanced remake of 1991 SNES classic developed by Tose. Published by Nintendo in North America (December 12, 2005) and internationally, Square Enix in Japan (December 15, 2005). Released Australia February 23, 2006, Europe June 2, 2006. Japan received special bundle with Game Boy Micro featuring Cecil/Kain artwork faceplate.

Graphics enhanced beyond WonderSwan Color version with improved character portraits during cutscenes and higher visual contrast. Music remade with updated instrumentation while preserving original compositions by Nobuo Uematsu. Localization team completely revised English translation, improving story flow and restoring plot details/religious references removed from SNES version. Abilities previously cut from North American release restored. Spell names follow Japanese conventions (e.g., "Bolt2" became "Thundara"). Added bestiary and sound test to start menu.

Major additions include Lunar Ruins—50-floor randomized post-game dungeon accessible after defeating final boss. Features individual character trials for Edward, Yang, Porom, Palom, and Cid, each with unique quests and exclusive ultimate weapons/armor. Kain's trial notably expands his character development. Completing trials requires defeating "Lunar" versions of summons and bosses. Contains superboss Brachioraidos and alternate Zeromus form (Zeromus EG from Japanese Easytype version). Also added Cave of Trials training dungeon. Players can customize party with previously temporary characters (excluding Tellah) after defeating Giant of Babel, though Cecil remains mandatory. Quicksave function allows saving anywhere outside battle/dialogue.

Active Time Battle system implemented but suffers from notable bugs—gauge priority issues causing turn order problems, occasional enemy sequence skipping, encounter formation glitches. Menu lag present. European release fixed some battle bugs from earlier versions. Playtime extended to 20-30 hours versus original's 15-20 hours due to new content.

Generally positive reception. Critics praised bringing classic to portable format with meaningful additions, improved translation, and timeless gameplay. Reviewers noted graphics somewhat dated compared to contemporary titles, especially Final Fantasy VI. Lunar Ruins divided players—completionists appreciated challenge and equipment rewards, others found trials tedious with minimal story expansion beyond Kain's. Some criticized lack of bonus ending for completing Lunar Ruins. Performance issues and ATB bugs noted as disappointing quality control failures. Core game's classic status and new content made it worthwhile for series fans and newcomers despite technical shortcomings.