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So far, I've played several of Square's games: Super Mario RPG, Chrono Trigger, FFIIIj, FFIIus, FFVj, FFIIIus, and FFVII (plus a little bit of FFI and FFIIj). And I've noticed that there are a number of 'trends' common to at least several of the games. I wanted to note them here, as well as let all of you guys post ones you might have found. Rather interesting, eh? (I hope the mods don't mind that I will not use spoiler tags, since practically everything will be spoilers, and it'll just be a pain both to write with spoiler tags and to read them.)

Note about notation: when I use numbers for the FFs, they will refer to the Japanese numbering system. I will make no distinction between the Japanese and American versions unless necessary. For reference, FF2us=FF4j, and FF3us=FF6j.

obvious ones: chocobo (most FFs + some other chocobo game that I've heard of), bahamut (most FFs + Bahamut's Lagoon + SMRPG (as Bahamutt)), Cid (most FFs), moogle (many FFs, Secret of Mana), airship (practically all FFs, also note the Epoch in CT)

others:
-character class choice: FF1,3,5,11
-plot-based character design/class: FF2,4,6,7,8?,9?,10? (I think so, even though I haven't ever played them)
-one unusual main character, usually (but not necessarily) female, who has something special (usually special powers): Rydia (FF4), Terra (FF6), Aeris (FF7), Marle (CT), Mallow (SMRPG)
-a significant character must die: Elia (FF3), Tellah (FF4), Galuf (FF5), Leo (FF6), Aeris (FF7), Crono (CT) (<--somewhat of an exception because you can bring him back to life)
-common summons: Indra/Ramuh, Shiva, Ifrit/Jinn, Titan, Carbunkl(e), Bahamut, Shoat/Catoblepas, Odin/Raiden, Alexand(e)r, Phoenix, Golem, Chocobo, Sylph, Leviat(h)an
-white magic
-black magic
-blue magic/lores/enemy skills
-items
-flare/nuke, holy/white, and meteo (and ultima, if you want to count it as well)
-excalibur (FF4,5)
-masamune (FF4,5,7,CT)
-murasame (FF4,6)
-weapon types
-unusual character names (e.g. FuSoYa, Lucca, Palom&Porom, Cloud, Zidane, Mallow, Galuf, Setzer)
-major battle with major antagonist about halfway through the game (FF4 Golbez in the Dwarf Castle, FF5 Exdeath in Exdeath Castle, FF6 Kefka on the hills of Narshe, FF7 Jenova battles)
-FF victory fanfare (most FFs) (SMRPG also has an albeit different fanfare)
-typical battle theme in A minor (FF2,3,4,5,6)
-typical battle theme, boss battle theme, special boss themes (usually at least two), final battle theme(s)

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

Golbez was Hardly the main Antagonist. ZEROMUS ANYONE? Id like to add that trhe unusual character names are Great. They really add to an experiance. Would any of the games be as fun if names like Gau, Kain, Rydia, Palom, Porom, Ect, were boring dull names like bill, larry, tony ,Julie, katherine, ect.

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If you've been mod-o-fied,
It's an illusion, and you're in-between.
Don't you be tarot-fied,
It's just alot of nothing, so what can it mean?
~Frank Zappa

Sins exist only for people who are on the Way or approaching the Way

He said major, not main. And at that point in the game, he was a major antagonist. As his point would be for the "big fight" towards the middle of the game against the seemed arch enemy.

Don't forget Biggs and Wedge. They are fairly prevalant throughtout the series.

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The clouds ran away, opened up the sky
And one by one I watched every constellation die
And there I was frozen, standing in my backyard
Face to face, eye to eye, staring at the last star
I should've known, walked all the way home
To find that she wasn't here, I'm still all alone

-Atmosphere "Always Coming Back Home to You"

Also note that Cid is not only in most of the games...but he is almost always a scientist of some kind (4,5,6,7) I haven't played past 7 so I don't know about later.

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"I will be the last, and you will go first!" -Saravok

"Silence Dog. You serve no purpose but to die by my hand." - Jon Irenicus

"Doom awaits thee!" -Mellisan

"Eh-Yo, It's me, Imoen"

Well, Cid is DEFINITELY seen throughout the series. Another summon that you see is Shiva.

Another thing that seems to be a reoccuring theme in these games are swords. And magic. Weird, huh?

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Wow. 1,000 posts.

I miss you all now that I'm in boarding school! ;_;

Quote (artent @ 16th February 2004 20:12)

Also note that Cid is not only in most of the games...but he is almost always a scientist of some kind (4,5,6,7) I haven't played past 7 so I don't know about later.

Yes, I think you're right. Cid is usually a scientist or engineer. I never thought about it before.
...

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The FF6*10 webring celebrates FF6's tenth anniversary with fanart (japanese).

I don't know about FF1,2,8,9,10,X-2,12, but here's info on Cid--thanks to Strideo for reminding me!

FF3: a dwarven/elven/just-plain-really-short-but-with-a-huge-hat guy who designs your airship and then bulks it up with mithril so you can break it by ramming it into a boulder then rebuilds it.
FF4: an old bearded engineer who designs your airship, saves your party, designs a hook attachment for picking up the hovercraft, attaches a drill, and makes it fire-resistant.
FF5: an old scientist who designed machines to amplify the crystal's powers. He and his grandson Mid (I don't know why they call him that) are also scholars, and they also fix up an airship for you to use and then give it submarine capabilities.
FF6: a scientist in a raincoat (hmm...raincoat...Celes's swimsuit...???) who developed the procedures for draining magical power from espers and then infusing people with magic. He also acted as a surrogate father to Celes. Unlike imperial leadership, he is at heart a kind man.
FF7: a cigarette-smoking pilot who lets you use his airship.

It seems that most Cids are connected to airships as well.

ADDITION:
BGrugby brought up (in a post in "What makes a FF a FF?") the theme of amnesia/brainwashing in FFs. Here we have Kain and Golbez of FF4, Galuf of FF5, Terra of FF6, and Cloud (I'm not sure about this one) of FF7, as well as Mallow in SMRPG.

ADDITION2:
-a decent number of sidequests at the end of the game. In FFV, you can go straight to the Cleft of Dimension once you get the airship in the third world, but there are a ton of sidequests you can do, including the sealed weapons, the mimic job, play all the pianos, etc.. In FFVI, there are 12 sidequests, one for recovering each of the characters that aren't necessary to beat the game (11), plus the Fanatics' Tower. In CT, each character gets her/his own sidequest: Crono (bringing him back), Marle (the Rainbow Shell), Lucca (the desert, the forest, and her mother), Frog (the Northern Ruins), Robo (Geno Dome), Ayla (Ruby Armor and the Sun Stone--not really Ayla's sidequest but I count so for completeness), Magus (Ozzie's Fort); PLUS the Black Omen as an eighth sidequest.

This post has been edited by Glenn Magus Harvey on 18th February 2004 11:01

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Check the "What games are you playing at the moment?" thread for updates on what I've been playing.

You can find me on the Fediverse! I use Mastodon, where I am @[email protected] ( https://sakurajima.moe/@glennmagusharvey )

I love the connections. It adds a certain deal of character to the items/relics/summons in question. FF9 was chock full of previous game references.

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Lou: There's a couple of guys fighting down at the aquarium, Chief.
Wiggum: Do they still sell those frozen bananas?
Lou: I think so.
Wiggum: Let's roll.