History VideoGame / TheatrhythmFinalFantasy

* AscendedMeme: A possible case. Before the [=iOS=] port introduced Ramza with the same ability, Aerith was the only character with the ability "Thoroughbred", which resulted in better chocobos during FMS sequences. [[https://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=72 A famous VG Cats comic]] depicts Aerith attempting to breed a gold chocobo and explaining the breeding mechanics to do it to Cloud.

* BossRemix: The "final boss" track for facing Chaos is a remix of the original ''Final Fantasy'' theme for the Chaos Shrine. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvYlMeMmBbc Remixed]], to feature [[ForDoomTheBellTolls ominous bell rings]], [[OrchestralBombing a dramatic orchestra]], and just a hint of [[OminousPipeOrgan an organ]]. About the only thing Square-Enix left out is the OminousLatinChanting.

* {{Cap}}: The interface-induced cap is invoked if you manage to get all critical hits in a song, [[MinimalistRun without equipping items or abilities in the first game]], resulting in a score of 9999999.

* CombatMedic: [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII Minwu]] is this compared to the other WhiteMage characters: his HP caps at [[ExpospeakGag greater than 9K]] while the next best character's caps at around 6 thousand. Along with all the best healing spells, this makes him great for higher difficulty songs.

* FakeDifficulty: Two particular aspects of the game cannot be anticipated without relying on TrialAndErrorGameplay to memorize the song.

* FunnyBackgroundEvent: The credits roll. Is that a herd of ''[[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Jenovas]]''? Yes. Yes, it is.
** Also in the credits, a group of [[{{Mook}} Mooks]] gang up on an [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII Adamantoise]]. [[OneHitKO The Adamantoise takes a single step and flattens them all]].

* HundredPercentCompletion: This game has trophies, unlockable characters and songs, and [[GottaCatchEmAll 81 CollectaCards]] (in three grades of rarity), not to mention getting 100% scores on the songs themselves. And this is just the first ''Theatrhythm'' game.
** However, getting all the cards is ridiculously easy when you have all the Passwords...
* InterfaceScrew: Versus mode in ''Curtain Call'' has EX bursts that can cause effects that include concealing note types until just before you have to hit them and messing with note speeds. In harder Quest Medley maps, some bosses also cause effects like this when they appear and you can also see them randomly in any FMS songs regardless of difficulty.

* MagikarpPower: Onion Knight; starting with some of the lowest stats, but some of the highest near the end. Also levels up faster in the early levels than pretty much everyone.

* MirrorMatch: Sephiroth is in the game as a party member. Safer Sephiroth is in the game as boss enemy. This trope will likely come up sooner or later.

* MoodWhiplash: Trying to target the Stoic Bonuses on EMS sequences deprive you from getting the extended versions of the cinemas that usually lead to the best moments of the game. Want to see how Aerith's [[spoiler:Holy vaporizes Meteor]]? Too bad! You get her sinking in the water.
** Other JustForFun/{{egregious}} examples include [[spoiler:"Waltz for the Moon" ending with Rinoa sobbing over Squall's "dead" body]] and FFIX's "Beyond the Door" fading out just short of its triumphant final chords.
*** A more general, minor version of this are the descriptions of various [=CollectaCards=]: despite the cheery and cartoony aesthetics, most of them are noticeably gloomy regardless of subject, and the music that's playing when you're viewing them is a remix of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxZlJGtFGcw Rose Of May.]]

* NostalgiaLevel: The Event Music Stages are this if you're staring at the event more than you're paying attention to the notes. '''Warning''': Repetitive tries on one of the thirteen events will eventually make you play the main games again for good measure.

* {{Spoiler}}: The movies from the event stages contain major spoilers from their games (especially if you can read Japanese, since the scenes from FFI-III did not use localizations). [[LateArrivalSpoiler Then again, most of the games represented in this one have been released a while ago]].

* TheUnfavorite: In the original ''Theatrhythm'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIV'' was this in a meta sense. The game had been out for a ''year and a half'' by the time ''TFF'' released in Japan. Nobody and nothing from ''FFXIV'' made it in, not even a reference, not even a single song, not even DLC. All due, likely, to the game's then-infamous reputation for being the worst game product ever released in the franchise. Happily, ''Curtain Call'' remedies this problem with a vengeance, to go along with ''A Realm Reborn'''s massive change of fortune for ''XIV''[[note]]to say nothing of the fact that there is simply too much good music in ''XIV'' for ''TFF'' to ignore at this point[[/note]].

* WraparoundBackground: In the backgrounds of the field stages. It's easier to see in the ones for ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'' (one greener one based on the World of Balance and a very similar but less green World of Ruin one), in which it is to be expected to pass Figaro Castle multiple times.

* AscendedMeme: A possible case. Before the [=iOS=] port introduced Ramza with the same ability, Aerith was the only character with the ability "Thoroughbred", which resulted in better chocobos during FMS sequences. [[http://a4.ec-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/89/40abf30d10f243d15a0edf76b4939a66/l.jpg A famous VG Cats comic]] depicts Aerith attempting to breed a gold chocobo and explaining the breeding mechanics to do it to Cloud.

* DifficultySpike:
** Basic Scores are the perfect introduction to the genre for a complete beginner. Expert Scores are more challenging, with a faster pace and more intricate patterns. Ultimate Scores are instruments of Satan that wish only to ''destroy you''.
** ''All-star Carnival'' is harder to score high on due to the introduction of the rainbow Critical judgement and the resulting tweaks to the scoring system. However, ranks are tweaked to accomodate this; whereas in ''Curtain Call'' you need 9,750,000 points for an SSS, in ''All-star Carnival'' you just need 9 million.

* SequelDifficultySpike: ''All-star Carnival'' adds a new rainbow-colored Critical judge rank, making it harder to get a perfect score, although the grading system has been tweaked to compensate[[note]]For example, getting an SSS in the consumer versions requires 9,750,000 points, but ''All-star Carnival'' only requires 9,000,000.[[/note]]. It also adds the [[HarderThanHard Transcendence]] difficulty, which makes Ultimate charts look like tutorial levels.

Turns out, the next game in the ''Dissidia'' series is a SpinOff for the UsefulNotes/Nintendo3DS, a RhythmGame developed by indieszero featuring (as the logo above - a throwback to that of ''Dissidia'' itself - shows) the characters' ''avatar'' versions first seen in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded''.

Turns out, the next game in the ''Dissidia'' series is a SpinOff for the Nintendo 3DS, a RhythmGame featuring (as the logo above - a throwback to that of ''Dissidia'' itself - shows) the characters' ''avatar'' versions first seen in ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsCoded''.

A console version, ''Theathrhythm: Final Bar Line'', was announced to be coming out on February 16, 2023 for the UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4. This version allows for local two-player multiplayer and online four-player versus multiplayer.

Square-Enix would later make other rhythm games based on other franchises which have similar gameplay: ''Theatrhythm Franchise/DragonQuest'' and ''VideoGame/KingdomHeartsMelodyOfMemory''.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyType0'': [[FailureKnight Machina Kunagiri]], [[IllGirl Rem Tokimiya]] and [[ChildSoldier Ace]]

* TheTetrisEffect: You ''will'' start seeing colored dots and lines in your dreams, or hearing the chimes of correct notes whenever you hear the music outside of the game.

* HundredPercentCompletion: This game has trophies, unlockable characters and songs, and [[GottaCatchEmAll 81 CollectaCards]] (in [[UpToEleven three grades of rarity]]), not to mention getting 100% scores on the songs themselves. And this is just the first ''Theatrhythm'' game.

** Taken UpToEleven in the sequel with Chaos. While his stats (except his [[MightyGlacier agility and luck]]) are decent from the get-go, he requires over twice (and in some cases, over four times) the experience to get his early level ups. In addition, he starts with no CP whatsoever. He makes up for it by rapidly gaining CP (to hit the usual unboosted maximum of 50) at late levels, and also being the fastest by far to gain his last 10 levels. In addition, most of his abilities are the highest-level versions of said abilities, or other powerhouse moves (like the aptly-named Ultima spell). It takes several level resets (thereby raising Chaos' max CP) or CP-raising cards that're all pretty rare to be able to equip more than one of his good abilities at a time.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: It's a MassiveMultiplayerCrossover like its predecessor, except this time with even ''more'' characters. ''Curtain Call'' had ''60'' characters in the game, and that's not including DLC.

* OrnamentalWeapon: In addition to the other [[Characters/DissidiaFinalFantasyWarriorsOfCosmos Warriors of Cosmos]] that have ornamental weapons, [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyII Firion]], ''[[ImageSource the]]'' WalkingArmory, only ever uses his Blood Sword in combat.

* BossInMooksClothing: Some monsters that qualify as bosses in easier Dark Notes and Quest Medleys are just normal monsters in harder levels.

* {{DLC}}:

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'': [[MysticalWaif Terra Branford]], [[LovableRogue Locke Cole]] and [[LadyOfWar Celes Chere]][[note]]{{DLC}} iOS version only[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': [[HurtingHero Cloud Strife]], [[InnocentFlowerGirl Aerith Gainsborough]], [[WhiteHairBlackHeart Sephiroth]] and [[MsFanservice Tifa Lockhart]][[note]]{{DLC}} iOS version only[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVIII'': [[TroubledButCute Squall Leonhart]], [[RivalTurnedEvil Seifer Almasy]] and [[ManicPixieDreamGirl Rinoa Heartilly]][[note]]{{DLC}} iOS version only[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIX'': [[ChivalrousPervert Zidane Tribal]], [[ChildMage Vivi Ornitier]] and [[PoliticallyActivePrincess Garnet til Alexandros XVII]][[note]]{{DLC}} iOS version only[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': [[LovableJock Tidus]], [[SilkHidingSteel Yuna]] and [[{{Ronin}} Auron]][[note]]{{DLC}} iOS version only[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXII'': [[SkyPirate Vaan]], [[FallenPrincess Ashe]] and [[GentlemanThief Balthier]][[note]]{{DLC}} iOS version only[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII'': [[SergeantRock Lightning]], [[GentleGiant Snow Villiers]] and [[AdorablyPrecociousChild Hope Estheim]][[note]]{{DLC}} iOS version only[[/note]]
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII2'': Serah Farron[[note]]{{DLC}} iOS version only[[/note]]
* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'': [[HeroWithBadPublicity Ramza Beoulve]][[note]]{{DLC}} iOS version only[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'': [[{{Ninja}} Edge Geraldine]], [[WhiteMagicianGirl Rosa Farrell]][[note]]{{DLC}} only[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'': [[ScaryBlackMan Barret Wallace]], [[NinjaBrat Yuffie Kisaragi]][[note]]{{DLC}} only[[/note]] and [[TheGunslinger Vincent Valentine]][[note]]{{DLC}} only[[/note]]

** ''Anime/FinalFantasyVIIAdventChildren'': [[GirlyBruiser Leather Suit Tifa]] and [[HurtingHero Cloudy Wolf Cloud]][[note]]{{DLC}} only[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyX'': [[JerkJock Jecht]] and [[TheAtoner Kingdom Hearts II Auron]][[note]]{{DLC}} only[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'': [[BodyguardBabes Agrias Oaks]] and Cidolfus Orlandeau[[note]]{{DLC}} only[[/note]]

** WhiteMage: Minwu, Yuna, Lenna, Garnet, Y'shtola, Eiko focus primarily on recovery of HP although some will branch out into defensive magic, the HolyHandGrenade and summon boosters.

* ZeroEffortBoss: Gather 10000 Rhythmia and you're facing [[spoiler:Chaos]], to the [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic epicness that is]] ''the only'' original remix in the game: [[spoiler:Chaos Shrine]]. Try as you might, armed with a level 99 [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Terra]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII Onion Knight]], and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII Lightning]], equipped with [[NonElemental Bahamut's Magictite]], and you ''[[FakeDifficulty will not]]'' defeat him until the stage ends. On the other hand, you can give yourself four level one characters, play the shortest song in the game, and drop the 3DS. You will constantly be revived before your HP can even hit zero, and when the song ends, [[spoiler:Chaos]] will simply [[MadeOfExplodium be engulfed in a massive fireball of spontaneous combustion and perish]]. Either way, you may not pause the game; the only way out is to turn off the system (or head to the home menu and close suspended software) and reboot, in which case he will simply ambush you after the next fight.

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyV'': Lenna Charlotte Tycoo, [[BadassGrandpa Galuf Halm Baledesion]] and [[NoExportForYou Krile]][[note]]Japan only[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyTactics'': [[BodyguardBabes Agrias Oaks]] and [[BadassGrandpa Cidolfus Orlandeau]][[note]]{{DLC}} only[[/note]]

** [[BadassGrandpa Orlandeau]], who has a special attack, is tied for the highest ex-Crystarium strength in the game, and gets nearly max HP. On the other hand, he has most of the game's strongest healing and protection spells, excluding Full Cure but including Mighty Guard.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: Of the three games in the series (not counting ports), the original is the only one to have a score bonus for having no equipment or special abilities equipped.

The game's success has earned it the right for a sequel, [[http://www.siliconera.com/2013/09/10/theatrhythm-final-fantasy-curtain-call-announced-for-nintendo-3ds/ Threatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call]] for the [=3DS=], which released in Japan of April 24, 2014, with North America and Europe getting it Sep.16th and 19th of 2014 respectively. and It now has over 200 tracks (including a number of DLC tracks from ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'', ''VideoGame/{{SaGa|RPG}}'' series, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure'', ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'', ''VideoGame/TrialsOfMana'' (then known as ''Seiken Densetsu 3'' even outside Japan), ''{{VideoGame/Xenogears}}'', ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' and ''VideoGame/{{Nier}}'') with 60 playable characters, which seemingly includes characters from the [=iOS=] version of the game plus more. It also has a new Versus Mode to compete in rhythm battles against other players that can also be played online and the option to use the buttons the play the game instead of the touchscreen. Finally, it also has a new set of Event Music stages with the ones in the first game remaining exclusive to it, and Airship Stages that show the notes flying into the screen from the horizon.

* ExcusePlot: Perhaps notably, this game may have the ''least'' plot of any title in the ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series. Asides from a "boss fight" against Chaos triggered once you accumulate a certain amount of Rhythmia, the only bits of plot come in two scrolling blurbs in a text box. [[TropesAreTools This is not necessarily a bad thing]], given the contortions gone through to make a plot for the original ''Dissidia'' spinoff, it's sort of hard to imagine any kind of sensible plot arising from the "... and then they became super-cute and used music to solve their problems" premise inherent to the rhythm game.

The game's success has earned it the right for a sequel, [[http://www.siliconera.com/2013/09/10/theatrhythm-final-fantasy-curtain-call-announced-for-nintendo-3ds/ Threatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call]] for the [=3DS=], which released in Japan of April 24, 2014, with North America and Europe getting it Sep.16th and 19th of 2014 respectively. and It now has over 200 tracks (including a number of DLC tracks from ''VideoGame/BravelyDefault'', ''VideoGame/{{SaGa|RPG}}'' series, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure'', ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'', ''VideoGame/SeikenDensetsu3'', ''{{VideoGame/Xenogears}}'', ''VideoGame/TheWorldEndsWithYou'', ''VideoGame/LiveALive'' and ''VideoGame/{{Nier}}'') with 60 playable characters, which seemingly includes characters from the [=iOS=] version of the game plus more. It also has a new Versus Mode to compete in rhythm battles against other players that can also be played online and the option to use the buttons the play the game instead of the touchscreen. Finally, it also has a new set of Event Music stages with the ones in the first game remaining exclusive to it, and Airship Stages that show the notes flying into the screen from the horizon.

** Also from ''Curtain Call'' is ''[[VideoGame/SeikenDensetsu3 Sacrifice Part Three]]'', a DLC BMS level that is 3:52 long with ''638'' notes on Ultimate. ''[[VideoGame/BravelyDefault Evil Wings]]'', another DLC BMS level, is four minutes long with 600 notes on Ultimate.

** The passwords that you can use to unlock some [=CollectaCards=] (or level up the ones you already have) are also taken from their respective games, or something related to them : For example, one of the passwords that unlocks Tidus's cards is Zanarkand Abes, the blitzball team he was the star player of, and one of Shantotto's passwords is her trademark NoblewomansLaugh.

* ZeroEffortBoss: Gather 10000 Rhythmia and you're facing [[spoiler:Chaos]], to the [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome epicness that is]] ''the only'' original remix in the game: [[spoiler:Chaos Shrine]]. Try as you might, armed with a level 99 [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII Cloud]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI Terra]], [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyIII Onion Knight]], and [[VideoGame/FinalFantasyXIII Lightning]], equipped with [[NonElemental Bahamut's Magictite]], and you ''[[FakeDifficulty will not]]'' defeat him until the stage ends. On the other hand, you can give yourself four level one characters, play the shortest song in the game, and drop the 3DS. You will constantly be revived before your HP can even hit zero, and when the song ends, [[spoiler:Chaos]] will simply [[MadeOfExplodium be engulfed in a massive fireball of spontaneous combustion and perish]]. Either way, you may not pause the game; the only way out is to turn off the system (or head to the home menu and close suspended software) and reboot, in which case he will simply ambush you after the next fight.

* CompressedAdaptation: Some of the longer songs from the 3DS and iOS games are cut in length for ''All-star Carnival''. After all, who wants to wait their turn for so long because someone decided to play "Dancing Mad" or "One-Winged Angel" three times in a row?

* CompressedAdaptation: Some of the longer songs from the 3DS and iOS games are cut in length for ''All-star Carnival''. After all, who wants to wait around for so long because someone decided to play "Dancing Mad" or "One-Winged Angel" three times in a row?