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Breath of Fire Series Appreciation Thread

F

Fou-Lu

Member
Breath of Fire

sS9lJXS.jpg


Capcom's greatest attempt at the RPG genre.

It gave us some of the best sprite art ever:
tumblr_nr8flaNLUO1qd4q8ao1_500.gif

tumblr_oatxnuDKpT1u9fgido1_500.gif

tumblr_inline_oeyimcI5181rvytap_250.gif

tumblr_inline_oeyimfxC471rvytap_250.gif


It gave us some very unique and memorable soundtracks.

It gave us one of the best villains in a JRPG:
uU2RUNL.jpg


It had surprisingly dark storylines and themes.

tumblr_oh5qz9Xa8f1tafr4io1_400.gif


And it was about motherfucking DRAGONS.

Breath of Fire II was the first game I ever finished, it was before I could even read properly and my mom had to help a lot, but I beat it and I loved it. It led to a life long infatuation with this series and I hope to share our experiences in this thread.

And...

Maybe one day we will get a 6th game.

Questions for this thread:

What is your favourite game in the series?
Who are you favourite characters? Your favourite versions of Ryu and Nina?
What are some of your favourite songs from the series?
What are some of your most memorable moments with BOF?
What are your favourite fan art pieces?
 
BasilZero

BasilZero

Member
Breath of fire vi does exist


As proof that the series has no future....



Also I love bof- bof2 is my fav

Got all games and the Psp ver of 3 and gba ver of 1 & 2


Wish they would rerelease them on modern systems and pc
 
R

RyougaSaotome

Member
A wonderful little series of games. While I don't have any particular feelings toward 1, I pretty much adore the entire series after that.

I think BoF V is a fascinating game that would have done well in this day and age. Also its Japanese box art is so so good.

Breath_of_Fire_-_Dragon_Quarter_Coverart.png


This thread is just going to cause all of us pain. Let us forget BoF6 even exists (I'm fairly certain it's doing terrible, too).

BoF III will always hold a special place in my heart, but I think IV is a special game, too. I recently went back to V and I'm kind of blown away by how forward thinking it was in terms of progression, how it treats endings and dungeons, etc.
 
L

lazygecko

Member
If you're gonna post BoF2 screenshots please refrain from the GBA port with its completely butchered color palette.

BoF was my proper gateway into JRPGs as well. In retrospect, I don't think the first 2 SNES ones are that distinguished. Mostly they feel like derivative products of their time. 3 was when the series really came into its own, and it remains my favorite JRPG by a long shot. Great vibe and visuals, awesome dragon gene system, and a really refreshing story.
 
N

Neoleo2143

Member
Dragon Quarter might have one of the overall loveliest combat systems I've had the pleasure of experiencing, just the right mix of arcade sensibilities sprinkled in with good risk reward play. So unconventional and yet so genius.
 
E

eMpTy23

Member
RyougaSaotome said:
This thread is just going to cause all of us pain. Let us forget BoF6 even exists (I'm fairly certain it's doing terrible, too).
Click to expand...

Yep :(

Every time I read "Breath of Fire," I remember some of my favorite games of all time and definitely my favorite series. And I remember all the times over the years where I've gone searching looking for any rumor of another one. But it's not going to happen. I'm accepting that at this point.
 
Trojita

Trojita

Rapid Response Threadmaker
One of the best rpg series of all time.

I still think 3 is overall the best game in the series.

I love me that jazz fusion in 3.
 
F

Fou-Lu

Member
Z.. said:
The real question here is... 3 or 4?

Can't choose, personally. =/
Click to expand...

IV for me. It's very very close, but I found it the more enjoyable play experience and that it had more memorable party members. Except for Rei, Rei is the best.
 
C

c1d

Member
Great series that doesn't get enough love. I still remember being 13 and calling >10 thrift stores trying to get a copy of BoF3 (as finding it was quite difficult here) - my parents overhead me and picked up the copy while I was at school the next day. Getting home and seeing it just sitting on the table is one of my happiest gaming-related moments.
 
G

Gnomepowered

Neo Member
I have never played a BoF game all the way through. I think I rented IV once, and was mostly dissapointed that it wasn't as serious as other games I was playing at the time (FF7, FF:T, Xenogears...). Now that I'm not an edgy middle schooler, I have been wanting to play some of the series.

I know the connections between games are there, but will I miss out if I skip straight to 3? It's mostly a matter of wanting to play them on Vita, and I've heard the localization was meh in 1 and 2. Plus I already have digital copies of 3 and 4 from random PSN sales.

Since I am seeing a lot of love for 2, at least, we are the best versions of 1 and 2, anyway? I vaguely remember a GBA port,but not if it had made any significant improvements.
 
M

MechaX

Member
I will always have a soft spot for this series because Breath of Fire I was literally my first RPG as a child. Hell, somehow managed to convince my parents to order a copy of Breath of Fire II from one of those dodgy call-in places found in Gamepro or NextGen Magazine. 6 is a travesty, but I will always remember 1 through 5 (and I even found a lot to love about Dragon Quarter on release too)
 
F

Fou-Lu

Member
Gnomepowered said:
I have never played a BoF game all the way through. I think I rented IV once, and was mostly dissapointed that it wasn't as serious as other games I was playing at the time (FF7, FF:T, Xenogears...). Now that I'm not an edgy middle schooler, I have been wanting to play some of the series.
Click to expand...

Joke's on middle school you, these games can get really dark. ;)

I know the connections between games are there, but will I miss out if I skip straight to 3? It's mostly a matter of wanting to play them on Vita, and I've heard the localization was meh in 1 and 2. Plus I already have digital copies of 3 and 4 from random PSN sales.

Since I am seeing a lot of love for 2, at least, we are the best versions of 1 and 2, anyway? I vaguely remember a GBA port,but not if it had made any significant improvements.
Click to expand...

The connection between them is there, but it's not a huge deal. Think reading The Lord of the Rings before the Hobbit, not the 7th Harry Potter book before the other six. The first game has aged pretty badly but I still find it fun, II has an awful translation but a great story, so that kind of sucks, but it's still a good game IMO. I would play them all if you could, but wouldn't be afraid to play III first.
 
D

dreampeppers99

Member
What is your favourite game in the series?

BF3

Who are you favourite characters? Your favourite versions of Ryu and Nina?

Ryu, BF4

What are some of your favourite songs from the series?

I don't remember ;(

What are some of your most memorable moments with BOF?

I didn't know English at the time I was playing BF3 and there was a simple task to do, something related to push the button when something is in the middle, anyway, I had a great time!

What are your favourite fan art pieces?

Idunno
 
C

Chie Satonaka

Member
I love this franchise.

I hate Dragon Quarter.

Breath of Fire 6 doesn't exist.

Not having Nina in MvC:I is a crime.

I wish Capcom would bring it back, but the only thing Capcom seems to do right these days is Phoenix Wright, and even that's only downloadable, not to mention no Great Ace Attorney...

But yes, I really miss this series. One of my all time favorites.
 
E

exfatal

Member
This was a series i always wanted to get into but never had the chance. i played number 5 and i enjoyed it was great but was terrible.
 
B

Blues1990

Member
I did hear about a mobile Breath of Fire, but I honestly don't know how good/bad of a game it is, as it's only been released in Japan with little fanfare.

For me, Breath of Fire III holds a special place in my heart, but I also have a soft spot for IV.
 
A

A_Dang

Member
I am glad to see the BoFV love already present in this thread. I loved 1, 3 and what I've played of 2 and 4 (I know, I'll get right on finishing those up...sometime), but 5 is just so unique. The save system, combat and story grabbed me and didn't let me go. I think of replaying it often.
 
SolVanderlyn

SolVanderlyn

Thanos acquires the fully powered Infinity Gauntlet in The Avengers: Infinity War, but loses when all the superheroes team up together to stop him.
I have an odd relationship with this series. I adore. I love it! I do. But I haven't beaten any of them.

I had to return Breath of Fire III as a kid before I could beat it. On subsequent playthroughs, I can never get past the child segment. I haven't played the timeskip since the 90's. But I want to. Badly.

BoF IV is one of my favorite games of all time.Here's my LTTP from a couple of years ago. In short, it's a great game hampered by too many minigames. The Fou-lu segments were amazing, though. I love the idea of playing as the antagonist, especially when he's an ancient Korean war god with a lightsaber than can turn into a dragon. (I say Korean due to the theme the western continent has going on). Again, I had to return the game as a kid, and never mustered up the patience to get to the end again.

I never played any of the others.

Of the two I did play, they had atmospheres completely unlike other RPGs I've played. They remind me of Suikoden in that regard - a true standout franchise in what was at the time an over-saturated genre.
 
Strangelove77

Strangelove77

Member
BoF3 is my favorite rpg ever and I consider myself a huge fan of the series, but I still haven't played BoF5. I'm still hoping it'll come to PS4 as a PS2 Classic.
 
V

Varna

Member
Dragon Quarter is a pretty special game. Shame it didn't get the attention it deserved.

Don't know if I could stomach the rest these days. They just feel pretty derivative all around.
 
E

Eila

Member
What are the best versions of III and IV? I'm playing II at the moment, got stuck and I switched to something else (Dragon Slayer) but I have to get through this series eventually.
 
A

Aeana

Member
I love all of the games a lot. It's really too bad that English speakers got such a junk version of 2, but at least the retranslation is available now.
 
A

Aeana

Member
Gnomepowered said:
I have never played a BoF game all the way through. I think I rented IV once, and was mostly dissapointed that it wasn't as serious as other games I was playing at the time (FF7, FF:T, Xenogears...). Now that I'm not an edgy middle schooler, I have been wanting to play some of the series.

I know the connections between games are there, but will I miss out if I skip straight to 3? It's mostly a matter of wanting to play them on Vita, and I've heard the localization was meh in 1 and 2. Plus I already have digital copies of 3 and 4 from random PSN sales.

Since I am seeing a lot of love for 2, at least, we are the best versions of 1 and 2, anyway? I vaguely remember a GBA port,but not if it had made any significant improvements.
Click to expand...

Breath of Fire 1's translation is actually pretty good. It was done by Ted Woolsey, and he did the best he could within the constraints he was given. The biggest shame about it is the item names (Mrbl1 pls)
 
S

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
One of my fondest gaming memories was playing BoF2 as a podunk 14 year old and thinking how amazing it was to be up at 2am playing this amazing game on a Saturday night in the middle of winter.

The music and characters are ingrained in my head and I enjoy chucking it on every now and then for the first couple hours of the game.
 
F

Fou-Lu

Member
Aeana said:
I love all of the games a lot. It's really too bad that English speakers got such a junk version of 2, but at least the retranslation is available now.
Click to expand...

I still haven't played the retranslation, but I'd love to get around to it.
 
M

Magnus

Member
Loved this series. BOFV was too much of a curveball for me to enjoy, even though I respected that it was trying something ambitious. I would have loved a more traditional BOF for the series' first PS2 outing and fear that it would have sold way better (and maybe kept the series going).
 
S

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
Fou-Lu said:
I still haven't played the retranslation, but I'd love to get around to it.
Click to expand...

Definitely do it. It fleshes the game out so much more. I always thought the return of Sten to Highfort was an emotional experience, but the "missing" dialogue pushes it to another level throughout those key moments.
 
F

Fou-Lu

Member
Varna said:
Dragon Quarter is a pretty special game. Shame it didn't get the attention it deserved.

Don't know if I could stomach the rest these days. They just feel pretty derivative all around.
Click to expand...

I can't see the series as derivative, it has a lot of unique systems and storyline beats. Definitely some of the definitive JRPGs of their generations.

speedpop said:
Definitely do it. It fleshes the game out so much more. I always thought the return of Sten to Highfort was an emotional experience, but the "missing" dialogue pushes it to another level throughout those key moments.
Click to expand...

That sounds incredible.
 
BasilZero

BasilZero

Member
Fou-Lu said:
*plugs ears* Lalalala, I can't hear you!



Breath of Fire VI? I sure wish that had happened.
Click to expand...

l0l


Anyways @OP

What is your favourite game in the series?

Breath of Fire II for both SNES and GBA

Who are you favourite characters?

Bo from BoF1
Katt from BoF2
Rei from BoF3
Elyon from BoFDQ

Your favourite versions of Ryu and Nina?

BoF1 Ryu
BoF2 Ryu
BoF1 Nina
BoF3 Nina

What are some of your favourite songs from the series?

Please,God: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpzkSaztk4g&index=3&list=PLirSddeMOYZ75CMzuNvra_z-0uFnuQcrg

God of Decadence: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCNcCG5PEVs&index=36&list=PLirSddeMOYZ75CMzuNvra_z-0uFnuQcrg

Breath of Fire: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QOdjNeF3XoE&index=47&list=PLirSddeMOYZ75CMzuNvra_z-0uFnuQcrg

The Dragon Family: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwb7T3a18C8&index=2&list=PLC2D1EF173D0F13CE

Underwater: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5e1VV5eqBdg&index=28&list=PLC2D1EF173D0F13CE

Tears: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-FWm2OxYd0&list=PLC2D1EF173D0F13CE&index=38

Without a Care (Worldmap theme): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pe3Sr4JmMXw&index=10&list=PLBE4EF730330B79FF

Country Living: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31fba-gnIfk&list=PLBE4EF730330B79FF&index=11

Battle in the Coming Days: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q6ceQ8DG3U&list=PLBE4EF730330B79FF&index=20

Kind Friends: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q6ceQ8DG3U&list=PLBE4EF730330B79FF&index=20

Ranger Base: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmFmt0ybWpE&index=2&list=PL0772E34775C81D9E

Trinity Pit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ8Siof3HXY&index=26&list=PL0772E34775C81D9E

A Moment of Joy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDJ4QWNgg7o&list=PL0772E34775C81D9E&index=31

Calling from a Distance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-3UTHtBxsQ&index=33&list=PL0772E34775C81D9E

What are some of your most memorable moments with BOF?
The fusion forms in BoF1 and BoF2
Building your own town in BoF2
Building your own town in BoF3 with the faeries
Building your town/place in BoF5 with the ants and faeries
Majority of story events in BoF2

What are your favourite fan art pieces?

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/6c/33/ba/6c33ba6f66147fdf6d30aa73865eda4c.jpg

https://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.ne...IGBAArt.png/revision/latest?cb=20091211051349

http://68.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lfqagf9VLu1qgxh8fo1_1280.jpg

^ Minus the earth shaman
 
ethomaz

ethomaz

Banned
BF3 for me is the best in the series because the character design and personalities, battle system, villain, side quests, and world.

I like all of them of course but BF3 is give me a vibe while playing that others didn't.

Ryu, Rei and Teepo are awesome in 3... the whole cast is better than orhers games.
 
J

JeffZero

Purple Drazi
Strangely, the only one I've beaten is 1. When I was 11-13, I caught up on the SNES classic JRPGs I'd missed not having a console until the PlayStation, and Breath of Fire was on that list. (As were FF4, Tales of Phantasia, Secret of Mana, Seiken Densetsu 3, and plenty of other games. I played FF5/FF6/Chrono Trigger for the first time via their PSX ports.)

I enjoyed 1. More than most, it seems. So it's weird that I never got to 2. I just... I don't know. It just never happened. I'm gonna be 30 this year, so to say I barely remember 1 is fair. And yet, I do remember bits and pieces. A giant. A blue-haired boy. A... canyon? I'm not sure what else. The giant traipsed across the world map, perhaps?

Right now, I'm on another missed-JRPGs kick. I never played many PS2 JRPGs, either, because I ran into tough times as an adolescent and mostly skipped gaming after PSX. I played FF10, FF12, Xenosaga Episodes I and I, and Star Ocean 3, but no other PS2 JRPGs come to mind offhand. I made time in life for those few, and for Metal Gear, and that was about it. So, that's another little gauntlet I'm going through.

I'm doing Shadow Hearts at the moment, and I'm headed into Covenant afterward if my enjoyment level keeps up. I've played Persona 3 and Persona 4. I'd like to do a Suikoden run. Stuff like that.

But Breath of Fire's on the list. It's absolutely on that list. I've heard very good things about 2-4, and occasionally (see: this thread) about Dragon Quarter as well. I look forward to seeing what the fuss is about, and I thank you, OP, for celebrating a classic JRPG franchise. I may not have much experience with it personally, but I have plenty of experience loving the genre, even despite my big gaps in gaming. My heart beats J-R-P-G.
Even when the dialogue gets rough like that. :p
 
S

speedpop

Has problems recognising girls
I feel that there was nothing ever wrong with BoF1 - it was a great game and a fun romp during a period of console RPGs where it was strictly medieval in aspects and no deviations. Breath of Fire introduced a world where it wasn't just populated by humans (or inspired by elves or dwarves) and so there was a bit of variation visually at the very least.

I think it's more to the point that BoF1 didn't receive a PAL release initially and the fact that BoF2 took those loose strings that its predecessor had provided and went full hilt with no compromise.
 
T

Torkith

Member
3 still remains one of my favourite games to this day. Memorable characters, Brood vs Guardians lore, the showdowns and of course the AMAZING soundtrack.

Huge fan of the series, beaten all five, still holding out than someday we'll get VI and not whatever the hell "6" is... ;_; Not sure I can think of game series that got a bigger slap in the face.
 
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