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I’m playing through the Breath of Fire series.

Favorite Breath of Fire game?

  • Breath of Fire

    Votes: 15 3.7%

  • Breath of Fire II

    Votes: 63 15.6%

  • Breath of Fire III

    Votes: 161 40.0%

  • Breath of Fire IV

    Votes: 106 26.3%

  • Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter

    Votes: 58 14.4%
  • Total voters
    403
DeadMoonKing

DeadMoonKing

Member
Nov 6, 2017
903
I completed my collection of all the Japanese games a few years back, but have only played 1 in Japanese so far.
For the English releases, I've played 3 and 4, but 3 is my favorite. It has gorgeous pixel art, really interesting music and bright colorful graphics that belie this really dark story at its core.
4 was also great, but I liked the dragon transformation in 3 better.

I'm looking forward to playing 2...eventually.
 
RatskyWatsky

RatskyWatsky

Are we human or are we dancer?
Member
Oct 25, 2017
14,931
Weiss said:
This is Scias.

877


Scias is a mercenary with a stutter, except this was actually a piece of censorship in the English version. In the Japanese version Scias' speech patterns are a result of him being constantly drunk out of his mind the entire game.
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Lulu said:
scias is fucking dope

4 is probably goat tier pixel art
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I want to know Scias more.

Must play Breath of Fire! :O
 
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angelgrievous

angelgrievous

Middle fingers up
Member
Nov 8, 2017
9,133
Ohio
Yeah so for anyone wondering you can play 1 and 2 via Nintendo switch online, 3 can be played on a vita, vita tv, or psp via psn, and 4 can be played on a PS3, ps vita , vita tv, or psp via psn. Dragon quarter, as far as I know, is a PS2 exclusive. I'm not sure if any of the games are available on mobile.
 
Dogui

Dogui

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,784
Brazil
I think it's crazy to try the Snes versions of I and II nowadays with the GBA versions being so better QoL wise, tho OP is the kind of person to purchase a freaking strategy guide on this day and age, i guess i understand the feeling haha

Have yet to try the fan translation of BoFII tho. Would be cool if there was any mod to double xp / cut encounters by half like on Mother 1, since the Snes version is kind of at the unplayable side nowadays for me.

Edit: My ranking for the series would be IV > III = II > DQ > I.
 
Feign

Feign

Member
Aug 11, 2020
2,499
<-- Coast
I've only played the first 2, which hold pretty special places to me as games. Especially 2. Even just seeing things like the dragon tear or field hunting floods me with memories of being in the backseat of my parents van during a long trip. It was an escape for me. I imagine I'd have different feelings about them now, but I want to revisit them someday.

Hopefully I'll get a chance to experience the later games someday soon. They look beautiful.
 
Eppcetera

Eppcetera

Member
Mar 3, 2018
1,907
I'd rank them 5 > 4 >1 > 3 > 2, with Breath of Fire 5 being my favourite by far (it's the only game in the series that I think is great), and 2 and 3 being about equally bad (I don't like either of them). Breath of Fire 1 is short and fun, albeit simplistic, while Breath of Fire 4 has some great moments but one of the dullest, least interesting opening acts of any RPG I've played (I don't know if I'd have made it through if the game didn't periodically let you play as Fou-Lu).
 
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angelgrievous

angelgrievous

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Nov 8, 2017
9,133
Ohio
Dogui said:
I think it's crazy to try the Snes versions of I and II nowadays with the GBA versions being so better QoL wise, tho OP is the kind of person to purchase a freaking strategy guide on this day and age, i guess i understand the feeling haha

Have yet to try the fan translation of BoFII tho. Would be cool if there was any mod to double xp / cut encounters by half like on Mother 1, since the Snes version is kind of at the unplayable side nowadays for me.
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Honestly it's more for collecting purposes but might as well use it right?
 
Cipherr

Cipherr

Member
Oct 26, 2017
13,422
3.

Mah boi Teepo man.

I love this game. Did they ever remake BOF3? Or if I replay it will I have to play the original? I remember there being some issue with the desert part. It took me forever to make it out of that hell hole.
 
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angelgrievous

angelgrievous

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Member
Nov 8, 2017
9,133
Ohio
Cipherr said:
3.

Mah boi Teepo man.

I love this game. Did they ever remake BOF3? Or if I replay it will I have to play the original? I remember there being some issue with the desert part. It took me forever to make it out of that hell hole.
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Yeah it's got a psp port but it's essentially the same. Fishing mini game accessible from the menu and maybe some other small change.
 

Deleted member 79058

Account closed at user request
Banned
Aug 25, 2020
2,912
I remember playing 4 on my PS1. What a charming game. Beautiful graphics.
What's the best way to play the first game nowadays? Maybe I'll re-start my journey too.
 
Exellus

Exellus

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
2,348
I recommend playing the first and second games in some way that allows fast-forward, because they are rather slow-paced and lots of random battles.
 
ShadG

ShadG

Member
Aug 6, 2019
6
PSP version of BOF3 removed the Ultraman reference in the Stallion bossfight and has some slight loading issues. On the other hand it has some retranslated item and NPC names and slight QOL stuff like making a certain minigame easier.
 
Soulstar

Soulstar

Member
Oct 25, 2017
873
My answer would probably switch between 4 and Dragon Quarter depending on which day of the week you ask me.
 
OdjnRyu

OdjnRyu

Member
Nov 8, 2017
775
Dogui said:
I think it's crazy to try the Snes versions of I and II nowadays with the GBA versions being so better QoL wise, tho OP is the kind of person to purchase a freaking strategy guide on this day and age, i guess i understand the feeling haha
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I don't think it's crazy at all to play the SNES versions. While the QOL changes for GBA are nice, the visuals, contrast, and audio all suffer on GBA. They're fun ports, but the contrast/audio issues don't make them definitive, IMO.
 

Deleted member 79058

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TheMadTitan said:
I'd say on an emulator so you can fast forward through grinding spurts, but that's just me.
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But do I play the GBA or SNES version? I think the SNES one is available on NS Online, right?

DragonQuarter said:
IV is still on PSN for like $5.99. Plays on PS3/PSP/PS Vita/PSTV. Looks quite fantastic on a Vita OLED screen!
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I have a ~5 hours Xenogears save on my Vita. I should keep playing it! So many games to play... LG (Life's Good).
 
OdjnRyu

OdjnRyu

Member
Nov 8, 2017
775
Kirth Gersen said:
I remember playing 4 on my PS1. What a charming game. Beautiful graphics.
What's the best way to play the first game nowadays? Maybe I'll re-start my journey too.
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Nintendo Switch Online is your best bet! Gives you rewind and 4 save states, too. Rewind's great for getting wild animals to spawn after a battle (for hunting).
 
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angelgrievous

angelgrievous

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Member
Nov 8, 2017
9,133
Ohio
GBA vs SNES comes down to your preferences. Do you value sound and video quality over QOL features? Specifically random encounters. Bear in mind that the video quality difference is minimal and probably only noticeable to those that have played the original. The sound has some noise to it that may or may not bother you depending on your tolerance.
 
skillzilla81

skillzilla81

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Banned
Oct 25, 2017
10,043
no dash in the SNES versions of BoF1 and 2 means I'll never even consider touching them.
 
ShadG

ShadG

Member
Aug 6, 2019
6
They had a lot of complaints about the walk speed in 1 and 2, hence the running in 3
 
werezompire

werezompire

Zeboyd Games
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
11,318
Dragon Quarter is amazing, 3 & 4 are great, 2 is good (but needs a retranslation patch) and 1 is okay.
 
FrostweaveBandage

FrostweaveBandage

Unshakable Resolve
Member
Sep 27, 2019
6,611
The whole series is great. Dragon Quarter was a pretty huge departure for the series but is very unique on its own merits.

I was initially pretty down on the art style changes introduced in III, but I've turned the corner on that and recognize it as something that no one else has been able to capture.

My favorite will always be BoF2, despite the bad translation, if only because that story was something else in 1994-95.
 
FrostweaveBandage

FrostweaveBandage

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Sep 27, 2019
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OhSatan said:
III is the standard, some weirdos love II above all but IV reigns supreme with its battle system, V is a unique rpg experience that should be experienced.
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I feel personally attacked. :D

But I get it. It's not a technical achievement by any means, but the town-building aspect was unique for its time, the shaman transformations made for a lot of fun experimentation, and I felt like it did a great job exploring its characters. It was a massive jump from the original. It's probably not a better game than III or IV, but it holds my heart.
 
Rackham

Rackham

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
8,532
IV is such a special game. The music, characters, story and gameplay are sublime as far as classic RPGs go. There's a part in IV with fairies that is a bit slow for my tastes but other than it's phenomenal. I love Ursula and Ershin(before the reveal mind you lol). It was the first RPG that I really wanted to play through.

Fou Lou's theme is the fucking bees knees.
 
Dogui

Dogui

Member
Oct 28, 2017
8,784
Brazil
DragonQuarter said:
I don't think it's crazy at all to play the SNES versions. While the QOL changes for GBA are nice, the visuals, contrast, and audio all suffer on GBA. They're fun ports, but the contrast/audio issues don't make them definitive, IMO.
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I think it all comes down on your tolerance to grind and encounter rate. I'm admittedly not super demanding about visuals and stuff so it may be a factor.

I probably underrate the standard people have on visuals versus mechanics, but at the same time i don't really imagine most people used to modern games playing a grindy snes RPG without even thinking of ragequit it.

Maybe memory is playing tricks on me and that wasn't actually that bad, but i remember wasting a lot of grind time to defeat the harpie sisters boss, which is the first non scripted boss in BoFII. In the Gba version it was just like any modern Jrpg where you enter the dungeon, fight the random battles that appear on the way and defeat them.

Then again, the snes games on Switch are the best way for people to play them today without going out of their way in search for a GBA and the actual carts.
 
OdjnRyu

OdjnRyu

Member
Nov 8, 2017
775
Time to ruffle some feathers. Original Breath of Fire II SNES is the best way to play, with its original translation, IMO.

Not to knock on the fan translation as it was very much a labor of love, but the original translation for all its warts, is OK when it comes to a majority of the plot. As a kid I was able to understand everything that was going on and explained to me. Even then, I feel like the fan translation adds a bit TOO much "flavor" to the dialogue, which was admittedly hard to accept having been raised on the original.

Did BoFII deserve better with its translation? Absolutely, but I think there's some charm to its original English script, a taste of the old "Wild West" days before good localization was taken for granted. I liken it to how people still hold the hammy voice acting from RE1 and Symphony of the Night near and dear to their hearts.

I mean, this line alone is sort of a mini-meme in the BoF community. The fan-translated equivalent is...completely forgettable.

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Plus, not paying money for the original on Wii U / New 3DS or increasing the player count of the Switch Online version (assuming Nintendo tracks that stuff) doesn't necessarily "help" this fledgling IP, does it?
 
skillzilla81

skillzilla81

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DragonQuarter said:
Time to ruffle some feathers. Original Breath of Fire II SNES is the best way to play, with its original translation, IMO.

Not to knock on the fan translation as it was very much a labor of love, but the original translation for all its warts, is OK when it comes to a majority of the plot. As a kid I was able to understand everything that was going on and explained to me. Even then, I feel like the fan translation adds a bit TOO much "flavor" to the dialogue, which was admittedly hard to accept having been raised on the original.

Did BoFII deserve better with its translation? Absolutely, but I think there's some charm to its original English script, a taste of the old "Wild West" days before good localization was taken for granted. I liken it to how people still hold the hammy voice acting from RE1 and Symphony of the Night near and dear to their hearts.

I mean, this line alone is sort of a mini-meme in the BoF community. The fan-translated equivalent is...completely forgettable.

t4aJ6jc.png
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Plus, not paying money for the original on Wii U / New 3DS or increasing the player count of the Switch Online version (assuming Nintendo tracks that stuff) doesn't necessarily "help" this fledgling IP, does it?
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Neither of those lines would be memorable...and, they don't really have to be because it's just a throwaway line by an NPC, but at least the one on the right sounds like something a person would actually say.
 
Setreal

Setreal

Member
Oct 27, 2017
133
Having never played any of these are they direct sequels to one another or are they more like Final Fantasy? If the former would you say 1/2 are required to play 3?
 
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angelgrievous

angelgrievous

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Setreal said:
Having never played any of these are they direct sequels to one another or are they more like Final Fantasy? If the former would you say 1/2 are required to play 3?
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I'd counter and say the lore is more ingrained than not and playing the games in release order works well but only if you watch a lore video on YouTube. It's all pretty obtuse but makes sense with the companion piece.
 
OdjnRyu

OdjnRyu

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Nov 8, 2017
775
skillzilla81 said:
Neither of those lines would be memorable...and, they don't really have to be because it's just a throwaway line by an NPC, but at least the one on the right sounds like something a person would actually say.
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The original translation became a meme among fans.

And again, yes, the Retranslated is the one that sounds like something a person would actually say, but also, nobody would call somebody a "master of unlocking" casually, either, but it stuck with RE fans.

tl;dr I'm just saying that the OG translation has some charm points to it despite its hammyness. Maybe that NPC line isn't the best example, but there are others.
 
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angelgrievous

angelgrievous

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DragonQuarter said:
The original translation became a meme among fans.

And again, yes, the Retranslated is the one that sounds like something a person would actually say, but also, nobody would call somebody a "master of unlocking" casually, either, but it stuck with RE fans.

tl;dr I'm just saying that the OG translation has some charm points to it despite its hammyness. Maybe that NPC line isn't the best example, but there are others.
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Hardest parts for me were the item names. The character limitations made shit like b.stn a fucking mystery.
 
OdjnRyu

OdjnRyu

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Nov 8, 2017
775
angelgrievous said:
Hardest parts for me were the item names. The character limitations made shit like b.stn a fucking mystery.
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Haha yeah the abbreviations are really something. A SNES RPG staple. I'd chalk that up to memory limitations and English not being a priority for the original dev team, which probably made Squaresoft's work a LOT harder.

B. Stn
Bee Stin
B. Stone
Bee Stone
Bolt Stone
BEASTIN'
 
Nax

Nax

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Oct 10, 2018
6,672
Dragon Quarter gets hate but it's my favorite. Such a unique setting and vibe.
 
TheBlackMarvel

TheBlackMarvel

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Oct 26, 2017
3,326
Setreal said:
Having never played any of these are they direct sequels to one another or are they more like Final Fantasy? If the former would you say 1/2 are required to play 3?
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Playing 1-2 fleshes out 3 a bit more but you can play them in pretty much any order (though 2 hits harder if you're at least familiar with the characters and story of 1).
 
Lanaka

Lanaka

Member
May 11, 2018
69
I just recently finished up a series playthrough myself, and this was the first time I finished 3, as well as the first time I played 5. I really love this series, as there's a lot of interesting things being done here, even in the older games.

As for ranking them, it'd have to be 4>3>5>2>1. 4 is just gorgeous and tragic and such a wonderful game. 3 has some fantastic characters and an interesting story to tell involving all of them. 5 is such a strangely welcome breath of fresh air, and still quite unique to this day. 2 had a lot of guts to do what it did back when it released, and had some really interesting ideas. 1 is very paint by numbers, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.
 
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