Final Fantasy V was the fifth game in the series, and the second to be released on the Super Nintendo, however it was not ported to the US or Europe until it was packaged with Final Fantasy VI as part of Final Fantasy Anthology.
The story follows Bartz and his friends as they attempt to save the Elemental Crystals and the world from destruction by a force known only as "The Void".
Differences between versions
Translation
It should be noted that Final Fantasy V has undergone five English versions with three attempts at transcription. First, each version was apparently translated from the Japanese independently of the others; the Super FamiCom (SNES) version by a group known as RPGe, the PlayStation version by Electronic Arts in partnership with Squaresoft USA, and all subsequent releases by the combined Square Enix. The result is that dialogue scripts, place names, item names, enemy names, and character names differ from version to version. For dialogue sequences, the wording is different but the gist is pretty much the same. In most cases, names are either identical, for example Excalibur (SNES) = Excalibur (PS1) = Excalibur (GBA), or can be chalked up to limitations in Japanese orthography and variations in English spelling, for example Gala Cat (SNES) = Ghilacat (PS1) = Gaelicat (GBA). In some cases though, the translations are very different, for example Garkimasra (SNES) = Harpy (PS1) = Jackanapes (GBA). One confusing difference is that Potion (SNES & GBA) = Tonic (PS1) while Potion (PS1) = Hi-Potion (SNES & GBA).
Gameplay
The differences between the SNES and PS1 seem to be only in translation and minor differences between controls and screen layout, so they are essentially the same game. The GBA version has several additions though, which include:
- 4 new Jobs.
- An entirely new dungeon with new enemies and bosses
- Additional Weapons and Armor.
- Better graphics.
The mobile versions released for Android and iOS essentially take their cues from the GBA version, but the controls are optimized for the touchscreens of these devices. The in-game dialogue and character names appear to be faithful to the original Japanese script. These versions also add enhanced character renders in dialogue sequences, based on the original artwork of Yoshitaka Amano (e.g. Lenna's avatar has blonde hair in dialogue, though her sprite's hair remains pink). You can also save your recent data to a corresponding cloud account (Apple or Google) and transfer it to other devices on the same platform, a mobile exclusive.
About this guide
Most of this guide has been written using the PS1 version as a reference and uses the PS1 version of names, but names for other versions have been included in lists (when known). There have been many videos posted on the internet of people playing different versions of the game, so you can get a feel for what the differences are if you're interested.
Spoiler Warning
This walkthrough contains detailed information about the game's plot (spoilers) to an extent necessary to help players move through it efficiently. If you are here because you got stuck in a particular area and/or do not want plot elements revealed to you, you are encouraged to skip to the sections most relevant to you. We are working to reduce the impact of spoilers as time and energy permit.
Table of Contents
- Tycoon and Chocobo
- Earth Lithograph
- Airship and Mirage
- Wind Lithograph
- Fire Lithograph
- Water Lithograph
- Optional Bosses
- N-zone I (desert, pulleys, forest, waterfalls)
- N-zone II (castle)
- N-zone III (space)