Here are some tips for first-timers getting into Breath of Fire. At the very least, we highly encourage reading the “Beginning” section for a smoother entry into the world of Breath of Fire.
Beginning
- Read the game’s instruction booklet. Older games tend to explain a lot more in them than the game itself.
- Inspect every dresser in a house, even right at the beginning. Items abound!
- Talk to every NPC in every town you visit. While some may repeat the same dialogue as others, they will also give you critical directions to your next objective, among other important clues. Take notes!
- From the get-go, stock up on Herbs/Mrbl3s. Mrbl3 is an item that temporarily disables random encounters, so you’ll want to keep a good supply of them for those moments where you need a break from random encounters!
- Don’t worry about buying any initial equipment; you’ll soon find some without having to pay for it.
- The ‘AB’ icon in battle initiates auto battle. You can cancel auto battle by pressing ‘B’. Don’t use it against large groups or strong enemies, especially the Flea and Gloom enemies!
- Although Ryu can’t “technically” hunt deer and boars on the world map, you can still reap their meaty rewards with some patience. If you see wildlife on the world map, use a Mrbl3 to temporarily disable random encounters, then try to corner your prey in a way that prevents them from escaping. With some patience and careful positioning, they’ll spin in place and eventually explode, letting you collect their reward!
- There are four types of wildlife you can hunt:
- Yellow deer drop antlers that have the same effect as an Antdt.
- Boars drop Meat which heals the entire party.
- Birds also drop Meat.
- White deer drop a rare W. Ant (White Antler) item which recovers AP and can be sold for good money.
- Use Mrbl3 prior to hunting to avoid random encounters!
Camlon
- The two healing fountains in the first dungeon are a great place to grind for 2 – 3 levels.
- P. Bugs in the first dungeon are weak enemies, but will poison you with each hit. You may want to have some Antdts on hand, or simply finish the battle, use a Mrbl3, and backtrack to a fountain to heal up (Fun fact: P. Bugs, called Graniddo in the Japanese version, only sometimes poison you in the Super Famicom version).
- In boss fights, taking the boss’s health down to 0 doesn’t outright defeat them; they’ll have a “second wind” where they’ll get more ferocious, and their remaining HP becomes unknown. Keep at it and they’ll eventually croak!
Nanai
- While sneaking into Nanai at nighttime, make sure to enter all the houses you are able to without getting caught by a guard; there are a bunch of items to be found.
- Nanai’s weapon shop sells a pricey but powerful LongSD (Longsword) for 2250z, which will not be available again until much later. The best way to afford it this early on would be to hunt for a white deer, which rarely spawns on the world map after a battle. Getting a W. Ant from a white deer and selling it should give you sufficient funds to purchase the LongSD.
- Save your F. Stn (Fire Stone), B. Stn (Bolt Stone), and C. Stn (Cold Stone) items for boss battles. When used in battle, they cast a consumable spell that does good damage to enemies.
- After Nanai, you’ll receive the E. Key. When used in battle, it serves as a reusable spell that dishes out 30 HP damage to all enemies! Keep it at the top-left of your item list for easy access.
Winlan
- When going through the cave west of Winlan, make sure to find the “I. Ore” (Iron Ore) item in a treasure chest before you leave; it’ll be needed to progress in the game later on, and by getting it now you’ll avoid having to backtrack.
Romero
- Do not purchase and equip the “Gown” armor for Nina; it will increase the rate of random encounters. Unless you’re into that or want to grind temporarily.
Karma Tower
- Before approaching the boss of Karma Tower as Ryu, head west to find a very effective weapon.
Forest of Despair
- The end of the Forest of Despair’s dungeon can play out in two ways, depending on whether you keep saying “No” to the Chief or saying “Yes”. The “Yes” route is probably better for the sake of gaining additional experience points and money, but the repeated “No” outcome is neat, too!
- With Bo in the lead, you can more easily hunt on the world map & move through forests!
- For the love of all that is holy, do NOT have Bo equipped with the WolfHT; it severely weakens his defense.
- After the Forest of Despair, it may become unclear what the next objective is. Make sure to talk to Tuntar’s chief in his home and his daughter upstairs to figure out where to head next.
Return to Romero
- When returning to Romero, you’ll need to talk to a girl who mentions “the Cleansing Water” in red text in order to trigger additional dialogue from another character at nighttime, which will advance the story.
- When pushing barrels, make sure to press ‘A’ at the spot where the barrel once stood, as there may be a hidden item.
Lake Cave
- After your first visit to Lake Cave, if you return with the empty WtrJr and interact with the spring again, you’ll refill the WtrJr and have a refillable, super helpful group heal. A refilled WtrJr will be marked with an apostrophe, e.g. WtrJr’.
Agua
- As you move through Agua, you’ll notice some locked doors and crumbling walls you can’t bypass. Remember to come back to these when a master of unlocking and bodybuilder join your party.
Shrine
- Before progressing south of Tantar/Tuntar, stop by the shrine for an important trial.
- Take note of and visit the two flower field locations south of the shrine.
Auria
- In Auria, make sure you buy the Pouch item and keep it in your inventory when visiting Bleak.
- Buy a Vtmn from the shop; someone in town will need one.
- Explore all of the homes and talk to all the NPCs in Auria. There is a lot of money to be made here, and you’ll want to save as much money as possible to buy a G. Bar at the shop, as it is required to progress when you visit Bleak.
Krypt
- In Krypt, chests are booby-trapped. Once a fourth character joins your party, you’ll want to put said character in front to disarm traps and uncover pitfalls.
- When you get to the actual crypt within Krypt, open every tomb.
Post-Krypt
- With the fourth character in your party, you’ll want to revisit all the locked doors you came across in Agua, Winlan Castle, the basement in Romero, and especially the cave east of Auria.
- Examining dragon statues at the top floor of Agua is a good idea.
- In the cave east of Auria, you’ll find a second G. Bar after unlocking the doors. Make sure you keep it in your inventory (don’t sell it!), you’ll need it to progress soon.