Suikoden IV is certainly nowhere near the quality of the first two Suikoden games. However, that's not to say it's bad.

Suikoden IV had a wonderful sense of nostalgia, which I would mainly credit to the character designer since she did Suikoden I's.

As a stand alone game, it was great, and by no means the horrendous game that fellow is making it out to be. I had loads of fun playing it, and I don't regret the purchase.

The music is great, the character designs are great, and the graphics are nice too. The battles take on a bit more of a fast pace feel than III's, effectively making them feel more like the original's. (On a side note, I'm also glad they got rid of III's two person groups. What a pain that was. ; ; )

However, one thing that really, really bugged me about IV was the method in which it went about story cut scenes. They seemed so out of place, often switching scenes, like five steps away, at awkward times. And the loading times were a bit annoying too, but nothing terrible. What I'm trying to say is that the story seemed cut up, choppy if you will. Though it's a minor gripe in the whole.

And yeah, Ted's the same Ted, which was a rather neat addition. (Just don't miss him, as there's a point when you can't get him if you pass it).

Black Orb, I know you're a fan of the series, perhaps more so than I, (and that's saying something ;P ), so I'm sure you'll enjoy it.