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Past Final Fantasy References |
Obviously, any references to these games were completely intentional. Final
Fantasy IX seems to be the "referential" FF game, or some such. Oh, and I'm
not including general FF references, either, such as Cid, Summon Monsters,
Chocobos, Moogles, item names, etc. Only those that come from one or two
games in the series will be included here. Oh, and I've no intent to include
anything about Gaia (FF1) and Terra (FF6). Those aren't references to the
namesakes in the respective FF games, they're basically fancy ways of saying
"Earth". Also, yes, I'm quite aware of the fact that many names FF games use
are from mythology or old works of fiction, but this's a list of *games* FF9
makes references to. (Intentional or not.) It's not a name origin list. ^_^
(Generally, it doesn't matter here if the four fiends were from some old
book...they were in FF1, and reappeared in FF9, so I consider it an FF1
reference.)
One thing: I do *not* guarantee that all these references are correct. Many
*are*, but many are also just coincidences, and results of my suspicious
mind at work. Still, I'm including these things...mostly "just because". :)
Anyway...
· Garland shares the name of an FF1 villian. FF1's Garland, however, was a
knight, not an old wizard. An interesting theory, however, is that they're
actually one and the same. Garland *does* mention trying to rule the world
by force at one point, but failing...
· The Four Fiends make a return appearance. First, at the four shrines, and
later, at Memoria. For some reason, they refer to themselves as "The four
chaoses", and Kary's name was changed to "Maliris". According to a friend
of mine, Kary's name in the Japanese version of FF1 was "Marilis", so I
suppose it's a matter of translation. According to many reports, the
actual name is "Marilith", so I guess both translations are incorrect. =P
· Listen carefully to the Gulug Volcano background music. Sound familiar?
It should. It's actually an enhanced remix of the Gurgu Volcano background
music! In fact, I've heard that "Gulug" is a mistranslation of "Gurgu".
· I can't believe I missed this... The Rat Tail, which I have listed as an
FF4 item, actually originated here. When you meet Bahamut, he sends you to
the Castle of Ordeals to get the Rat Tail as proof of your courage.
· In the description of one of the potions you need to make the medicine to
cure Cid (or is it in all of them? I forget), there's mention of Matoya,
who was a semi-important character in FF1. In fact, she was a witch, which
ties in with the cryptic messages in the item descriptions. ^_^
· Pandemonium, Garland's castle, was named after the final area in FF2.
· In FF2, the leader of the Resistance at Phin is named Hilda, same as
Regent Cid's wife.
· The story Ramuh asks you to tell him at Pinnacle Rocks is actually a very
big FF2 reference. Normally, only one or two sentences is enough to cover
each reference, but Centrablue (Centrablue@aol.com) did such a detailed
(and quite good) job of explaining every step, I decided to include the
whole thing here: (The lines in quotes are the story, taken directly from
FF9. Everything else is what actually happened on FF2.
· Garland and Kuja's vehicle of destruction, "Invincible", was named after
FF3's ultimate airship. Of course, it didn't have the power to control
Eidolons or completely level entire cities, but... ^_^
· "Une's Mirror", and "Doga's Artifact", both bought in the Treno auction
house, are references to Une/Unne and Doga/Dorga, two rather important
characters in FF3. On that same note, I'm quite surprised the Water Maiden
in Cleyra wasn't named "Elia". =P
· Speaking of Unne and Dorga... On Disc 4, at Black Mage Village, go to the
inn and speak to the man next to the phonograph (Black Mage 123, I
believe). If you have Une's Mirror and Doga's Artifact, the black mage
will tell you that "something you have is reacting to the machine", and
an enhanced remix of Dorga and Unne's theme, from FF3, will start playing
in the background! I'm really surprised no one pointed this out...
· Bet you didn't realize that moogles actually originated in FF3. Kupo! =P
· One of Freya's best weapons is called "Kain's Lance". If you don't know
where this item's name originates from, you shouldn't bother playing FF9.
^_^
· Zorn and Thorn seem to have inherited Palom and Porom's "Twin" ability.
During the battle against them on Disc 2, they give each other the power
to use Flare and Meteorite (or, in FF4 terms, Comet).
· The Namingway card. In fact, with it (indirectly, anyhow), you can rename
your characters. This was Namingway's purpose in FF4.
· This's probably an FF8 reference, but the "Darkside" skill was first
introduced in the Japanese version of FF4...under a different name: Dark
Wave. Dark Knight Cecil's special command. (Actually, I've heard the names
were the same in the Japanese version.) The big difference is Dark Wave
hit all enemies, whereas Darkside only hits one. Still, same thing. :)
· The dwarves in Conde Petie... Their greeting, "Rally-ho!" is probably the
correctly translated version of "Lali-ho!", the dwarves' greeting in FF4.
Or maybe it's a mistranslation. I have no idea...the dwarves have a
different greeting in every FF game they're in. In FF5, they say "Tally
ho!", and in Chrono Cross (which...isn't an FF game), they say "Hi Ho".
Ok, *one* of their greetings must be correct! I give up. ^_^
· The Rat Tail, also bought in the Treno auction house, was a special item
in FF4 that you could trade for Adamant. In FF9, it's just some background
item that you can only sell for money.
· Cid's "family name" on FF9 is "Fabool". In FF4, there's a castle called
"Fabul". Pronounced the same way, anyhow. Nothing really to do with each
other, probably, but worth noting nonetheless.
· The Antlion in Cleyra... In FF4, the Antlion was supposedly tame, yet
became violent and attacked you regardless. The exact same thing happens
in FF9. An interesting side-note is they both attack a prince. The FF4
Antlion attacks Edward, while the FF9 Antlion attacks Puck. (Furthermore,
the antlion in FF5 attacks while Kururu/Cara/Krile is on your team. Galuf
is king of Val/Bal Castle, and she's Galuf's granddaughter, making her a
princess... Do Antlions not like royalty or something?)
· Don't you think Hilda Garde 1 looks...strangely whale shaped? Could it be
that Regent Cid stole the plans for the "Legendary Airship from the Moon"
and remodeled it? =P
· The Boco Card. In case you didn't know, Boko/Boco (translation issue) was
Butz/Bartz's pet Chocobo in FF5.
· Similarly, does the icon on the Airship Card seem a bit SNES'ish to you?
That's because it's actually the airship from FF5! Or is it from FF4? Eh,
they both look the same.
· The ever-popular Moogle theme, which first appeared in FF5, returns as the
background music at Mognet Central! Well, it's enhanced and remixed, but
people who've played FF5 and FF6 will remember it. Yes, Moogles were also
in FF5. ^_^
· In a trend that seems to be continuing, Atomos, the boss from the barrier
tower, became a Summon Monster. Why'd they pick *this* monster? I have no
idea.
· Freya's "Lancer" tech also originated in FF5. It was much more useful back
then, however; rather than being an attack that also reduced MP, it
*drained* HP and MP, and didn't cost anything.
· In FF5, you can use Softs to instantly kill enemies made of stone. You can
do the same thing in FF9.
· Gilgamesh, everyone's favorite inept multi-limbed ninja, makes yet another
return appearance in FF9. He's really obscure, though, and most people
probably won't find him. ^_^
· Speaking of obscure references... Take a look at Tantarian, the book
monster in Alexandria. The cover of the book has a picture of a Page 256,
and the monster itself looks like a Page 64. Both of these were "book
monsters" in FF5's Ancient Library.
· In FF5, one of X-Death/Exdeath's ultimate attacks is Grand Cross. Necron
also uses this spell, but it's a bit different.
· The Moogle theme, remixed and enhanced. I covered this in the FF5 section.
· I may be wrong, but it's my guess that references to Madeen and Madain may
actually be mistranslations of Maduin. Or maybe it's the other way around.
I'm not sure, since Ted Woolsey changed pretty much everything when he
translated FF6.
· With moogles intertwined into the storyline, it's no real surprise that
one of them, Eiko's "little sister", is named "Mog". If you haven't played
FF6, Mog was the name of the dancing moogle who joined the team.
· Some old man in Lindblum is named "Locke". Could it be a reference to the
thief? ^_^ (Note: He appears only in the Business District before the town
is destroyed.)
· I can't believe they did this, but the floating eyeball thing commonly
known as "Ahriman" in more recent FF games was changed back to "Veteran",
its FF6 name...
· I wasn't really gonna include this because it seemed rather general, but
since several people mentioned it, I will. One of Steiner/Beatrix's moves
is called "Shock", which was the same as General Leo's command in FF6. The
effect is different (Leo's Shock hit all enemies and cost nothing), but
nonetheless...
· Flare Star! Why didn't anyone remind me I was missing such an obvious
reference!? Anyway, the Flare Star attack, used by Ozma and Trance Kuja,
originated in FF6. I believe Atma (not Atma Weapon...the one in Kefka's
tower), and Kefka himself used this spell. But it's been so long since
I've *played* FF6, so I may be wrong...
· Zidane's best weapon, Ultima Weapon, actually originated in FF6. Either it
was mistranslated or shortened for space reasons, but you know it as "Atma
Weapon".
· In an early Active Time Event in Evil Forest called "Orchestra in the
Forest", the band from Tantalus begins playing Rufus's Welcoming March.
Yes, the exact song, with almost no changes. If you return to the Prima
Vista crash site anytime after this scene, they'll still be playing it.
· Listen carefully to the music played just before the fight scene in the
play early on in the game. (*NOT* the normal battle theme!) Just before
the "battle" music starts, there're a few notes played that sound exactly
like part of FF7's Highwind theme.
· In the weapon shop at Lindblum, check the swords on the wall. Zidane makes
a comment about how a "spiky haired guy" who wielded one of these. The
spiky haired guy, obviously being Cloud.
· Ironically, Zidane and Cloud share the best sword: Ultima Weapon.
· Steiner and Beatrix both have an ability called "Climhazzard". Sound
familiar? =P Yep, it's one of Cloud's second level Limits.
· Hades, one of the summon monsters from FF7, was turned into an optional
super boss.
· Chocobo footprints on the world map are used to call Chocobos. It's done
in a different way than FF7, obviously, but the idea is still there.
· Ever played that annoying "Mog House" mini-game on FF7? "Kupo Nuts" are
Mog's favorite food on that game. Kupo Nuts make another appearance in
FF9, where they're an actual item. And yes, they're still moogles'
favorite food.
· Speaking of Mog's House... Notice how the moogle's "Kupo" sound in that
game seems similar to the moogle sound used in FF9?
· Heh. Square was beating around the bush here. After Alexandria gets
destroyed, one of the Pluto Knights is talking to a flower girl near the
ruined steeple. If you talk to the flower girl, she'll mention that the
soldier is "nice, but isn't much for personality". Remind you of another
flower girl and "personality-less soldier"? =P
· Cloud is referred to yet *again* in the ending...well, sorta. During the
retelling of the intro play, Marcus delivers the line "let no cloud nor
squall drive us apart", or somesuch. Gee, how fitting that he'd choose
those two words. :P
· Steiner's "Darkside" was originally a normal command in FF8. It even has
the same effect.
· Amarant's "No Mercy" was Seifer's single Limit ability. The effect is
different (it hits only one enemy instead of all enemies), but the name is
the same, and the animation is similar.
· Beatrix's weapon, "Save the Queen" was Quistis's best weapon in FF8. The
name was first used in FFT, however.
· Similar to above, though the effect is completely different, Quina's "Eat"
command is similar in nature to the "Devour" command in FF8.
· "Ultima Weapon" was also in FF8. It wasn't a weapon, though -- it was an
optional super boss.
· The same spell "name" system used in FF8 was also used in FF. Fire, Fira,
Firaga, etc. Actually, this was used in all (?) the FF games in Japan.
· Squall got a mention in FF9's ending...sorta. See the FF7 section. ^_^
· Tons of items were taken almost directly from FFT. These include Germinas
Boots, Battle Boots, Robe of Lords, Whale Whisker, Venetia(n) Shield,
Octagon Rod, Mace of Zeus, Feather Boots, Cachusha, N-Kai Armlet, Jade
Armlet, Blood Sword, Save the Queen, Maximillian, Twist Headband, Zorlin
Shape, Flash Hat, Carabini Mail, and a whole bunch of other, more generic
items.
· Maybe not a direct reference, but aside from FF9, FFT was the only game
I've played where you could equip perfume as accessories.
· Freya's "Reis's Wind" technique makes an obvious reference to Reis from
FFT, who was, not too surprisingly, a dragoner.
· Freya's "Cherry Blossom" skill is Cloud's 8th Limit in FFT. How she
inherented this skill, I don't know. =P
· The Stellazzio Coins are all named after the Zodiac Signs. While FFT
didn't 'invent' these, it *was* the first RPG, to the best of my
knowledge, that included them. In fact, there's even a 13th Stellazzio.
Ok, it's not Serpentarius, but still...
· Many of Steiner's Sword Techs are taken from FFT. They don't break
equipment, but have the similar effect of lowering stats.
· The "Auto-Potion" support ability is also from FFT, and has the same
effect.
· Similar to FF5, Altima also uses Grand Cross, which has an effect almost
identical to FF9's version. (That is, it causes no damage, but *lots* of
nasty status ailments.)
Again, these references were probably intentional, though some were just
coincidences. I don't have much else to say here, really.
· A shirt-type item in SaGa Frontier is called "Power Belt". This's also in
FF9, though it's now an accessory with a different effect.
· Steiner's "Rune Sword" was also an item in SaGa Frontier. It was actually
an item in several earlier games, but most of them renamed it slightly.
(Rune Edge, Rune Blade, etc.)
· Well, it's probably not a real reference, but like SaGa Frontier, FF9 also
lists the name of the area in big bold letters when you enter. (But only
the first time.)
· Looks like FF9 borrowed some of it's colder equipment from this game. Both
games have an Ice Staff and an Ice Lance.
· Hmm... Did Gustave have something to do with the construction of Lindblum
and Alexandria? Like his homecity in SaGa Frontier 2, Hahn Nova, Lindblum
has three sectors: Industrial, Business, and Theatre...think "Blacksmith",
"Shopping", and "Entertainment". Similarly, take a look at Alexandria from
the world map. The castle sits in the center of the lake, with three
segments of the town divided by rivers. Hahn Nova has a very similar
setup: The castle in the center of town and roads seperating three sectors
of town. Probably a coincidence (or my suspicious mind :), but interesting
nonetheless.
· In the Lindblum Synth Shop, the owner is named Torres, and the man at the
counter is named Wayne. These were the two people in the NYPD weapons room
on PE. In addition, when you first enter the said shop, the two of them
have a skirmish which is practically the same as the "Safety vs. Power"
lecture you overhear when you first enter the NYPD weapons room. =P
· Zidane's "Thief Swords" seem to greatly resemble Serge's double-bladed
swords. In fact, some look completely identical.
· Fargo's ship in Another World is called the "S.S. Invincible". I seriously
doubt the airship in FF9 bearing this name has anything to do with a
pirate ship, however. But it's worth mentioning. ^_^
· The barkeep (and later the mini-theatre owner) in Alexandria is likely a
reference to Ashley Riot, the hero (Err... I've never played Vagrant Story
so I don't know). His name is Ashley, and he has the same hairdo,
supposedly. (...Including references to games I've never played scares me
for some reason. *sweatdrop* :P)
· I've heard that "Reis's Wind" was actually a reference to Reisz (sp?) in
SD3, who was also a dragoner. I've never played the game, so...
Ok, these references to things in games made by other companies are probably
just pure coincidence, or were perhaps inspired by one of these games.
Either way, the references aren't usually direct, and you have to look a bit
closer to see them.
· The music in Gizamaluke's Grotto (and the similar song that would appear
to be Freya and/or Sir Fratley's theme) sounds remarkably similar to the
Dragon Knights' theme on Suikoden... The Burmecians are also Dragon
Knights... Coincidence?
· Luca Blight's father, Agares, makes an appearance! ...Well, not really.
One of the random enemies inside of Ipsen's Castle is called "Agares",
though. =P
· Some random location in the Mist Continent is called "Byan Heights". Byan
is a Wizard in TO.
· One of the optional super-bosses in FF9 is named "Ozma", which is the same
as Tactics Ogre's female Temple Commando. Of course, Ozma in FF9 and Ozma
in TO are...well...completely different. ^_^
· The Mist. While it's not exactly the same as the Legaia variety of Mist,
it's easy to say that this's the biggest rip-off of another game. In
Legend of Legaia, the Mist turned tame creatures (Seru) into vicious
monsters. In FF9, it simply created mutated monsters. What *is* the same,
however, is that they were both used (or intented to be used) as a tool of
war.
· Is it just me, or does the Gargant in Gargan Roo resemble the flying Seru
that travels between Sebucus Islands and Karisto Kingdom?
· One of the Ra-Seru in Legend of Legaia is named "Ozma". See above.
· A total coincidence, probably. But in OB, there were also birthstone
items, as in FF9. ...Or is it a coincidence? According to one report,
a lot of people who worked on OB also worked on FF9. Hmm...
· Why is Baku dressed up as Dragon Knight Fogel in the intro battle? =P
· One of the card players you can challenge at the Treno Card Stadium is
called "Beast Master Gilbert". And Gilbert is a Beast Tamer in OB. =P
(Yes, I know Gilbert was Edward's name in FF4j, but he's a bard, not a
beast master!)
· There's a Blue Magic called "Pumpkin Head". Perhaps a reference to Deneb's
famous pumpkin monsters?
· Remember what happens after Adlehyde gets destroyed by demons on Wild
Arms? Right. Cecilia asks for Rudy's sword (or was it Jack's? I forget),
then proceeds to cut her hair off with it. Sound familiar? Garnet does the
same thing near the end of Disc 3. Ok, ok, so after getting a lot of slack
about this, I'll change it. From what I've heard, this seems to be more of
a Japanese culture reference. "Long hair is a symbol of power", or
somesuch. I included this as a WA rip-off mainly because I'd never heard
of this... Still, the execution between the two scenes is too similar
(both princesses do it after their parent(s) die(s), both use the hero's
sword, both do it seemingly at random, etc), so the reference stays. ^_^
(This's a list of stuff that wasn't taken from any "game", per se, but *is*
a reference, or at least, is somewhat similar to something from anime, a
movie, TV shows, etc. No, I'm not including mythology references here.)
· While you're searching for the potions in Lindblum, there's a guy just
across the street from the Business District aircab station who, if you
talk to him, will say "Dammit Jim, I'm a doctor, not a miracle worker!"
This's a very obvious Star Trek reference. I'm surprised they got away
with this. ^_^
The one who submitted this reference also included a Screenshot, which
I've included in case anyone doesn't believe this. View it by clicking here
Screenshot
· Apparently, the battle between Alexander and Bahamut on Disc 3 bears a
striking resemblance to one from the anime "Macross". I've never seen it,
but my source for this info was pretty reliable, so I believe it. Several
people have also backed this up.
· Yes, it's true... While in Trance, Zidane and Kuja strongly resemble the
"Super Saiyan 4" (I'm a dubbie... ^^;) from in Dragonball GT.
· "Fear leads to anger. Anger leads to hate. Hate leads to suffering."
Words heard in Memoria. Apparently, these were taken from Star Wars:
Episode 1. (I haven't seen it, so I don't know. *Hides from the ensuing
mob of angry Star Wars fans* :)
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