The Breath of Fire Appreciation Thread

[Wolf Kanno]

Since its been popping up in threads and whatnot, I felt it was time to have a serious fangasm about this beloved series.

Which is your favorite?
Least Favorite?
Best Dragon system?
Favorite dragon form?
Favorite Battle system?
Favorite villain?
Favorite OST?
Favorite Ryu/Nina?
Favorite cast?
What do you hope to see if hell froze over and Capcom finally made BoFVI?

Any other BoF related topics you want to converse about?

[Del Murder]

My favorite is BoFIII. It was such a great game. My least favorite was II because the Township thing was lame. If I played V it might be my least favorite. I heard it is a lot different than the other games.

I don't remember enough about the series to answer a lot of your questions because it's been so many years. What I remember most are changing into dragons, the variety of races in your characters, and the fun fishing mini-game.

[Polnareff]

Favorite BoF is 3.
Least favorite is Dragon Quarter though I still like it.
Best Dragon system, 3, no question (at least for me)
Favorite Dragon form is either Tiamat (3) or Astral (4).
Favorite battle system....Hmmm....tie between 2 and 3. 2 for the shaman system, and 3 for the dragon system and skills.
Favorite villain? As strange as this will sound, Fou-Lu. Mostly because he got quite a bit of screen time in IV so it was easy to like him.
Favorite OST. 3. I'm a jazz fan.
Favorite Ryu: 3 because he experienced a shift from a cowardly kid to a tough warrior. My favorite Nina in the one from BoF2; she doesn't really take tit from anyone.
Favorite cast: Overall, I'd actually have to say 3 again.

Actually I'll just do this: 3, 2, 4, 1, 5, in that order. The first three are VERY close though.

If Capcom ever makes another BoF, which is looking less likely (but has not been completely ruled out) I'd like to see the combo feature return from IV, and the character switching from IV, and the dragon system from III. I'd like the skill system from IV because the one in III could be kind of a pain sometimes. Maybe find some way to squeeze the shaman system from II in there too. I REALLY loved the fishing mini game and the fairy colony. I liked the fairy colony in 4 the best though.

It should be noted that Camelot of Shining Force, Beyond the Beyond, Golden Sun, and the Mario sports games' fame has expressed interest in making a new BoF, although this was 4 years ago and no mention has been made since.

I wrote a small article on BoF3 at Capcom-Unity during my duration as a mod, and wrote a huge retrospective on the series elsewhere, which was wiped completely when the forum went down. I may rewrite it but for now here's the Capcom-Unity blog about 3:

Whoops! Browser Settings Incompatible

Capcom was trying to get the third and fourth games up on PSN for the past few years. They couldn't clear 3 for an unknown reason (I think I know what it is, more on that in a second) and supposedly they're still trying to work on getting 4 onto the service.

Now my theory on what could be keeping 3 off PSN is that when Capcom first translated the game, they hired an outside company called Bowne Global Solutions to help them translate the game. The company did a serviceable job but the game's translation lost some nuances along the way (like, for example, the two golems' names were "Pantson" and "Fire" while in the English version they were unnamed. Also, Lyla was named a variation on the word "liar.")

In 2005 Bowne was acquired by another company, I forget the name of it but this was not long after (or was it before?) they completed the translation of the first Phoenix Wright game. After PW, to my knowledge, they never worked with Capcom again.

Capcom translated 4 completely in-house and the deadline was so short that they didn't even translate Scias's "Identification" spell. As well as leaving the title screen completely untouched and not putting subtitles in the opening movie.

It's odd that BoF has such a weird translation history. Squaresoft published the first game in the US, and the script/translation was done by Ted Woolsey (that name should ring a bell). I don't remember who translated the second but the game was really badly translated, and that's why Capcom hired an outside company for the third game. By the time 4 and 5 came around Capcom got more competent at translating and those games mostly turned out fine translation-wise, other than the dragon spell names in 4 being translated into Korean.

I just played through all the games again in about 3 weeks (due to lol work lol) and they're still all as fun as they were when I first played them.

[Jiro]

I can't remember much right now but smurfING FLOATING CITY AS A BASE AW YEA.

I didn't mind V so I'm probably not welcome here any more

[NeoCracker]

Breath of Fire is freakin' sweet. I'll put II as my favorite, but III comes really close. My least favorite is 1, unlike the others that game feels dated and doesn't hold up well.

And BoF there is no BoF V. There is only a large amount of photoshoped shclock people created in frustration of no new Breath of Fire games, though I am sure if that drivel was ever made into an actual game it would be utter trash, trash so bad it would possibly kill the franchise.

Jiro is simply a legion of many who would make you think this game is real, probably because he was never hugged as a child.

[Polnareff]

I really wonder what would have happened had Fujiwara stayed at Capcom instead of forming Whoopee Camp. Would his versions of 3, 4, and 5 have been drastically different from Ikehara's? Especially since Ikehara seemed like he tried to make the games in the way he thought Fujiwara would have.

(for those who don't know, Tokuro Fujiwara directed the first two BoFs while Makoto Ikehara, previously a planner, directed the last 3 games)

Since I always seem to do this type of thing, here are all the BoF games so far, some of them with notes:

Breath of Fire (SNES)
Breath of Fire 2 (SNES)
Breath of Fire 3 (PSX)
Breath of Fire 4 (PSX)
Breath of Fire 4 (PC) - the font is different compared to the PSX version, and there were minor changes to the dialogue in the European versions. Graphics are also a bit clearer too.

Breath of Fire (GBA) - streamlines the interface, and multiplies zenny gained by 4 compared to the first game. Much easier to get equipment now.

Breath of Fire 2 (GBA) - streamlines the interface, double experience and money compared to the original 2.

Breath of Fire 3 (PSP) - Adds fishing mode and a couple other modes to the main menu (the fishing mode has ad-hoc multiplayer), Pilfer seems to have a lower chance of working, especially in the beginning of the game, Beyd sounds different when you train him, Stallion's color scheme was changed so that he doesn't look much like Ultraman anymore and Utmost Attack is called Vortex Wave, and there's all sorts of other little differences.

Breath of Fire: Dragon Quarter (PS2)

There's also all the mobile phone games, and they were all based on IV. A card game, two RPGs, and an enhanced fishing minigame.

[Dreddz]

I've played Breath of Fire III-V and enjoyed them. BoFIII was the only one I beat though. Despite being very generic and standard RPG fare BoFIII was a really solid game. I wouldn't go back to it though in case I change my mind. I tend to do that a lot with old RPG's.

[Madame Adequate]

Breath of Fire is an excellent series, and one which really deserves to continue.

Which is your favorite? III. II is probably the better game, but I like III more.
Least Favorite? Dragon Quarter.
Best Dragon system? III
Favorite dragon form? BEHEMOTH MOTHERsmurfERS
Favorite Battle system? IV
Favorite villain? Yohm. So competent it hurts. I mean, his target falls into a ravine and he says "Find the body" rather than assuming he's dead? Also Balio and Sunder. And Zig in III. Yuna is a sick smurf and oh man I don't even know.
Favorite OST? III.
Favorite Ryu/Nina? III
Favorite cast? Peco vs. Ershin, I can't decide.
What do you hope to see if hell froze over and Capcom finally made BoFVI? A charming, long RPG with plenty of side content, a battle system that makes use of your whole party, an entire fairy COUNTRY to develop, and a really complicated Dragon system and also the return of combos.

[VeloZer0]

I've only ever played Dragon Quarter, which I didn't like at all. This thread has motivated me to give BoF III a play.

[Carl the Llama]

Which is your favourite?
Hmm... its tough but im going to go with IV

Least Favourite?
I

Best Dragon system?
Definitely III, having a hulking dragon on the screen was just awesome

Favourite dragon form?
*look at name* need I say more?

Favourite Battle system?
This is easy IV the combo system was awesome as was the master system

Favourite villain?
The God Emperor Fou-Lu

Favourite OST?
hmm... on this I will have to say III, the ending song was awesome, so awesome after hearing it for the first time I had to download it so I could listen to it again and again.

Favourite Ryu/Nina?
IV - Dragon Quater comes very close though, I loved how they switched the normally silent Ryu to a silent Nina

Favourite cast?
IV - Again this was a very close call, between Rei Garr Momo and Peco, but in the end it has to be IV, wasn't a huge fan of young Nina in III, don't get me wrong, I though she did a great job once she grew up but... nah little Nina was a little to idiotic for my tastes (like letting those horse bad guys out...)

What do you hope to see if hell froze over and Capcom finally made BoFVI?
I would simply love to see a new Breath of Fire game, it has long been one of the best series of all time imo, if they made a new game I would love to see something along the lines of the combo system from IV (plus the way you can exchange all characters during the fight) with the dragon system from III, and most definitely a fully competent set of voice actors. Oh and its a given but awesome cut scenes and graphics would be nice to.

Any other BoF related topics you want to converse about?

Well no one has spoken about the Masters system, for me thats what made IV the best, the master system was awesome but IV perfected it.

Honerable mention to Breath of Fire Dragon Quater, a very hard game to beat, which is in my opinion what makes it worthy of the Breath of Fire name, oh and ftr Ryu 1/4 ratio reporting for duty.

[Wolf Kanno]

Ignoring NeoCracker's denial... guess I should mention my answers as well.

Which is your favorite? III is easily my favorite, though IV and V are close seconds.

Least Favorite? BoF1, it is not a bad game per se, its just the sequels have added so much unique elements that they are generally more fun to play.

Best Dragon system? III, Dragon Genes allowed for some awesome customization options, not nearly as fun as the stock dragons forms of most BoF titles. Though "I'm totally broken which is why you'll die if you use me" Dragon Mode from Dragon Quarter was always satisfying.

Favorite dragon form? Kaiser Dragon (BoF2), Tyrant (BoF4) and the Fusion Dragons (BoF3)

Favorite Battle system? III, the combo system was amusing in IV but I kind of felt like it was busy work at some points and no one appreciates a straight up normal combat system anymore... Besides, Persona 2 had the better combo system...

Favorite villain? Myria from BoF3, she only wanted to help... Fou Lu is a close second, as well as Origin and Bosch in Dragon Quarter.

Favorite OST? BoF4, I like the more Asian inspired music, though II, III, and V weren't bad either.

Favorite Ryu/Nina? Ryu from BoF3 mostly cause what Polnareff said about him actually growing into a bad ass after being a cowardly kid.

Nina from BoF2, she has a tragic story, looks awesome, and is one of the few times she isn't innocently sweet.

Favorite cast? BoF3, I just felt like the group really grew together very well, and while the other casts had their moments, watching the cast reunite in the second half of the game as older adults was handled really well, especially when Ryu started to run into Rei and Teepo, those were some tragic and awesome moments. Besides, Momo and Garr are just awesome.

What do you hope to see if hell froze over and Capcom finally made BoFVI? I'd like to take the best elements from the series and put them together. Bring back the Shamans and Fusion systems from BoF1-2, Bring back the Dragon Gene system from BoF3 cause its easily the best dragon system in the series. Keep the blue Mage system for learning additional attacks as well as the Masters system (though use IV's version of them), and utilize BoF5's interactive dungon elements where you can poison or damage enemies before fights, or even lay traps down to avoid them.

I can't really say much on writing cause I never felt BoF has been bad about it, frankly each installment is an improvement over the last title if you ask me.

As for the Master system, I do really enjoy it but its a toss up between III and IV's system. My favorite thing about IV's system was you had to do special challenges to rank up with the masters, but overall, I felt III gave you a better selection of masters with skills actually worth learning. This may have to do with IV breaking the normal stat limits from previous entries, where in the earlier titles, a few points went a long way.

I can't really decide what my favorite "build your own city" game was best, cause the difference in the last three titles is not so much besides a few special jobs, but part of me is also partial to BoF2's cause its deceptive. It seems really simple and gimmicky but the rewards you get for getting the right people and making the right choices are amazing, and can change the game dramatically if you know what you're doing.

Fishing minigame wise? I'm partial to III's cause its both challenging but simple, whereas the first game was too simple, the second title made it a button mashing nightmare, BoF4's version is much more complex (practically a game of its own) and can be a pain in the ass for completionist, and BoF5 decided to leave it on the cutting room floor, thanks to time restraints.

[black orb]

>>> I had fun with BoF 3..

[Polnareff]

Yeah, I liked how Masters were handled better in the fourth game, where you do tasks instead of having to level up. Although in 3 I did mostly use Peco as a skill slave and then just used Skill Inks to transfer skills over to other characters.

About the writing, I kinda think it was a learning experience for Capcom. Previously the only RPGs they had under their belt were the Destiny of an Emperor games, and Sweet Home (Sweet Home stayed a Japan only game). With the Japanese versions of the BoF games they had some awesome stories going.

But when it came to them being translated, the first two games suffered a lot. Especially 2 where the translation is so bad it actually stifled the impact of the game's plot twists. Most people would have never believed that 2 was one of the darkest games in the series, and a lot of them still don't.

By the time 4 rolled around they were better getting the hang of writing decent translated scripts and nearly perfected that in 5 IMO.

I forgot just how polarizing 5 was, but that's a subject for later.

[Madame Adequate]

Hard to top the darkness that suddenly shows up near the end of IV, given that they thought about getting help from the Resident Evil department but then went over to Konami and borrowed the Silent Hill department.

[Wolf Kanno]

While I agree that BoF2 had a pretty awful translation, I do feel its still possible to get the gist of the original from it. Yes, it requires some reading between the lines, but I feel its hard to ignore a demon cult based on the Catholic Church slowly conquering the world, watching the main character lose his family and almost have everyone in the world seem to forget what Gate was like before the Demons showed up, and just the general dickery that is going on in Wyndia and Sten's kingdom; not to mention that the cult is powering their machines with the main characters father, who later volunteers to power your township.

There is just some twisted crap going on in the game, and while some of it may go over a child's head, I think older gamers noticed the darker themes in the title. III is pretty depressing if you look deeper into it as well, since you're dealing with the near genocide of the Brood, the outright remorse their killers have who spend their days questioning whether their god was just, not to mention that not only is the world revealed to be recovering from being knocked back into the stone age some centuries ago, but its slowly becoming a desert and its only thanks to Myria that the decay of the planet has been slowed down. Granted most of this stuff is generally said off hand in the background of the main story but it leaves the ending to be a bit more bleak than the game would lead on.

Really, BoF has been getting darker and darker with each title. Religious world domination organization that is powering demons, a world slowly decaying which is only being kept back by a mad goddess who wipes out anyone who opposes her will, a nation that is doing inhumane experiments to create artificial gods to help fight their wars by using their souls as ammo for a Hex cannon, and a world so polluted that corporations create disposable human air filters while the government keeps everyone trapped underground and is also secretly funding the resistance group that opposes them in order to keep the masses from rioting.

Suddenly the Black Dragon Empire's world domination doesn't look so bad...