Let's Laugh at Bad Final Fantasy IV Art From Nintendo Power (And Play The Game Too!)

[RevenantKioku]

I just started playing FFIV Easy Type after finishing my totally awesome FFV challenge. I noticed a few weird things like the first dancer doesn't strip and Cecil actually has his Darkness attack. (I thought it was removed from this as well as the US version? Guess not!)
As I was playing I remembered the godawful art from Nintendo Power. I thought it was bad, but then I looked it up!
Taken from here.


Not terrible but as you can see once he becomes a Paladin...


His pants are gone!


You can actually see Kain's balls if you look hard enough.


I can't even imagine how they devised this from the game's art.


This is just awkward.


This is probably the least worst one but it is still Gilbert.


This is a man.


Just look at his thighs. And his boner.


I guess this isn't so bad. Except for the fact that he is clearly playing pocket pool.


I don't even fucking know.

But yeah! I'm playing FFIV again. So good.

[B.K.]

That art is scary.

[manueldelalas]

[Himuro]

[Ether_Snake]

Ermm, the art was quite nice, stfu all. Reminds me of Moebius art.

[DimmuBurgerKing]

What the FUCK did they do to Palom and Porom? I can't even tell which one is supposed to be female.

And what's with Kain and Cecil wearing bikini briefs in lieu of pants? Did NP's artist at the time think FFIV took place in Eternia?

[speedpop]

Why was it only these artists hired by game companies in the U.S. during the late 80s to mid 90s? It's as if there was a collective force of shitty artists commissioned year after year to do absolutely crap covers and manual art.

I remember the old days of practically begging in my mind that we'd cop a Japanese cover untouched.

[CO_Andy]

Compared to Amano the art isn't really all that strange.

[Aeana]

Compared to Amano the art isn't really all that strange.

I was told that this is supposed to be Rydia.

[RevenantKioku]

Ermm, the art was quite nice, stfu all. Reminds me of Moebius art.

Compared to Amano the art isn't really all that strange.



[BorkBork]

It's so 80's. Everything was so damn ugly in the 80's.

[RevenantKioku]

It's so 80's. Everything was so damn ugly in the 80's.

If by 80s you mean 90s, then yes?

[jett]

Rydia is lulz

[Link Man]

Yikes.

Funnily enough, I just went back to finish FFIV DS last night. I had stopped at the entrance to the final dungeon because I was getting frustrated with it.

Let's see who finishes first (I've got a considerably more challenging run).

Compared to Amano the art isn't really all that strange.

[Docpan]

I don't know if this is a joke thread, but I find this art to be quite good. At any rate, (that first picture) is really cool, even superior to the Japanese version.

[KTallguy]

That's fucking Rydia??
Looks like Quina!

[USD]

Though it's not very representative of the characters, I actually like the style, those some of the character designs are pretty ugly (He-Man Cecil, Stripper Kain, and lol wut Rydia).

[Zoso]

Oh wow that's pretty bad.


I'm playing the PS1 verson of FFIV right now. Just finished the Tower of Zot.

[RevenantKioku]

I dunno, I'm no artist but there seems to be something fundamentally amuck with the style.

Just had to run back from Tellah after he yelled at me. I always fucking forget to check on sick Rosa before hitting up that cave.

[rainer516]

I don't know if this is a joke thread, but I find this art to be quite good.

[Narag]

Though it's not very representative of the characters, I actually like the style, those some of the character designs are pretty ugly (He-Man Cecil, Stripper Kain, and lol wut Rydia).

Yeah, looks like generic fantasy art to me. Not to say that its bad but its horribly out of place here.

[Link Man]

I don't know, I do kind of like Tellah.

[minus_273]

all of this looks like it was done by the guy who did the nester and howard comics.

[donkey show]



I remember reading this mag (I think I still have it somewhere in storage) and that picture of Palom and Porom still sticks in my head as to their actual appearance. Kinda funny considering I just finished playing the first two chapters of FFIV: The After Years and started FFIV DS.

Ah when RPGs were pure and awesome.

[slayn]

They don't match the characters at all from ff4, but taken on their own, Tellah, Rosa, Palom, and Porom are not terrible.

[BorkBork]

If by 80s you mean 90s, then yes?

The artstyle is what I was referring to as distinctly 80's, I'm not saying the game was released in the 80's.

[RevenantKioku]

The artstyle is what I was referring to as distinctly 80's, I'm not saying the game was released in the 80's.

Yeah, I misread at first.

[Lord Helmet]

Holy shit. I think I still have that issue somewhere. Sooooooo awful.

[ReiGun]

Rydia.....what the fuck did they do to you? :( And let's not even look at the twins.

Edward looks 1000 times manlier than he really is. Little bitch.

[The Abominable Snowman]

Who is this? What is it even supposed to be?




Playing FFIV on the DS currently also, BTW.

[Cdammen]

I like it, reminds me of Jean "Moebius" Giraud and other Franco-Belgian comic artists.

[The Abominable Snowman]

Ugh. Amano's Rydia is just as bad.

[Lagunamov]

wow.........is enormous

[RevenantKioku]

I like it, reminds me of Jean "Moebius" Giraud and other Franco-Belgian comic artists.

Second time I see that "Moebius" in this thread so I looked 'im up.

Dudes.

The lumpy factor is significantly down in Moebius's stuff. Significantly. Characters have real bodies and stuff. I get what you're saying but this shit posted above is a mess. I mean, look at Yang's legs. Look at Rydia's head and Kain's nuts. Look at his nuts! And the twins, the twins!

I can see liking the "style" but this artwork is bad.

[RocketDarkness]

I just finished IV (the DS version) for the first time a week ago. I really enjoyed it, the game felt VERY well-designed. I just downloaded The After Years, so I'll get started on that soon. Looking forward to it already. =)

[Jive Turkey]

I remember all of these. The Tellah pic isn't so bad but the rest...Yeesh.

I'm playing the DS remake and loving it but damn I don't remember Dr. What's-His-Name being this hard. He keeps popping that reverse damage so fast I don't have time to get any spells off.

[Draft]

That are is awesome. I'm not being sarcastic. Reminds me of the Hobbit/LOTR cartoons from the 80s.

[Doc Holliday]

These are pretty good imo. I'm also 100% sure these were done by a Japanese artist. Looks like tetsuya kuraya (sp?)

[RevenantKioku]

That are is awesome. I'm not being sarcastic. Reminds me of the Hobbit/LOTR cartoons from the 80s. [img]http://www.collecttolkien.com/images/Music/Recordings%20Hobbit%20Animated%20Characters%20Cover.jpg[img]

I just don't see how you can lump these two things together.

These are pretty good imo. I'm also 100% sure these were done by a Japanese artist. Looks like tetsuya kuraya (sp?)

Oh, well now I love it.

[RocketDarkness]

I just don't see how you can lump these two things together.

I concur. That LotR stuff actually looks like it was based off of book descriptions and other LotR art that may have existed at the time.

The NP artwork, on the other hand...not sure what game they were playing.

[Shig]

These are pretty good imo. I'm also 100% sure these were done by a Japanese artist. Looks like tetsuya kuraya (sp?)

Katsuya Terada. Yeah, I think it may be, he did a lot of stuff for NP.

They're awful representations of the characters, but it's good art.

[RevenantKioku]

I concur. That LotR stuff actually looks like it was based off of book descriptions and other LotR art that may have existed at the time. The NP artwork, on the other hand...not sure what game they were playing.

I'm not even really talking about the likeness to the characters, though. I mean just look at the bodies of the characters. The way things are actually drawn and all. The FF4 stuff is just shitty. Cecil on the Airship I will grant but damn at the other stuff.

[speedpop]

Ugh. Amano's Rydia is just as bad.

Concept artwork.

His style is much more refined in the lines itself, let alone much more colourful.

[Dascu]

Awesome oldskool style. I like his Zelda artwork better though.

[JimmyV]

see what happens when you try to copy Manowar?




^thats how you do it! Nice try, Square.

[RevenantKioku]

So Darkness is still in Easy Type, but Remember has been stripped out. I wonder if the Wonder Fat Twins lost their extra abilities as well.

[Doc Holliday]

These are pretty good imo. I'm also 100% sure these were done by a Japanese artist. Looks like tetsuya kuraya (sp?)

katsuya terrada actually, not sure but it looks a lot like it. He did some front mission work and he's heavily influenced by moebius.

[RevenantKioku]

Just got to the first savepoint in any video game ever. I think? I made a thread about this before but no one could think of something earlier.

Anyway.

I always forget about the tiny hand for YES/NO prompts in this game and it always weirds me out.


Beat the Mist Dragon.


And the first savepoint ever! I am trying to remember if the original Super Famicom version had the S or not. I think this was an Easy Type change, but I can't remember.

[CO_Andy]

Nintendo Power mentioned the name of its old NP illustrator in one article. It was something like Jumping Jack Yoshi, but his name should be in the credits anyway.

[zoukka]

Ehh some of those are really great, especially the first piece. The "turds" of the pack are bad because of the clothing looks atrocious. Not because the guy can't draw.

You watch too much anime (haha I totally went there)