History YMMV / SuikodenIV

* UnderusedGameMechanic: The "Confession System", which replaces the "Detective Investigations" from the previous games. Keen always asks the same three questions and nearly every character gives similar answers.

* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: A very short one, which really deserved to be extended: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL18NPyJa9k Magnificent Swordsman]].
** [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHT4l9V1SK4&hd=1 La Mer]], the opening theme counts as well.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotSymbolic: At the early part of the game, when Snowe gives Lazlo the chance to be the one to light the torches in the festival.

* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Warlock, a powerful sorcerer who invented the rune cannons, who was used for warfare. He could have been a much bigger role, but is only a optional character with minimal dialogue interactions. To make things worse, [[spoiler:he is [[DroppedABridgeOnHim unceremonious killed off in the epilogue]], despite the sequel, ''Videogame/SuikodenTactics'' is heavily focused on the Kyril's journey to destroy his inventions.]]

* ScrappyMechanic: Cutting the standard ''Suikoden'' party size from six to four is ''the'' most hated thing about this game. When you've got several dozen playable characters, only being able to use four at a time is quite bad. In addition to reducing the party combinations you can play with, it also makes unlocking and using all of the {{Combination Attack}}s a pain. In particular, the 4-person combo attack by the Razril knights (minus Lazlo and Snowe) can ''only'' be used during ship travel by calling them in as a reserve party, since that's the only way to remove Lazlo from the active roster.

* GoodBadBugs: The duel with Lino en Kuldes can be skipped by innicialy refusing to fight him (choose the option ''"W-wait a minute!"'') then accepting him offer the second time (choose ''"I accept your challenge"''). This will automatically lead to the victory cutscene, where Lino acknowledges his defeat.

* GameBreaker:
** Kika and her triple-damage, non-missing, infinite-use Falcon Rune. Throw in [[spoiler:Ted]] (most powerful spellcaster, bar none) and [[spoiler:Snowe]] (gets an ABSURDLY powerful CombinationAttack with Lazlo), and you've got a team that simply can't be stopped.
*** Oh, [[UpToEleven it gets worse]]: Grab the duo of Lazlo and [[spoiler:Ted]], slap a couple high-level magic runes on them (in addition to their default runes), and let them go to town in the [[LevelGrinding Training Hall]]. Then, take advantage of how the Training Hall works (the enemy levels are based on the highest-level member of your group) to '''grind the entire combat cast to level 100 in a couple hours''' (except the guy who runs the Training Hall, of course).

** Army battles in the series have always varied in quality, but the ship battles this time around don't feature any special tactics, interesting maneuvers, or surprises about your enemies' capabilities--you're basically playing rock-paper-scissors against someone missing their first two fingers. Even worse by comparison to ''SuikodenV'', which features both more interesting and larger-scale naval battles, despite those battles being confined to a mere river while ''SuikodenIV'' is on the open ocean. In ''Suikoden IV'', the number of ships involved is always in the single digits, turning what are supposed to be major engagements into mere skirmishes.

* NightmareFuel: Mao and Nao. There is a genuine sense of dread about who or ''what'' has set up shop in the ship's "Forbidden Room". Even when he is revealed, his presence is still pretty creepy--showing up secretly on the bottom level of the ship, talking to nobody, and growing mushrooms/mint in the darkness....

* GoddamnedBats: This game has an absurdly high encounter rate, especially while navigating through the sea with a slowpoke for a ship.

** The Hero. Pair him with Ted, spend hours at the [[TrainingFromHell Training Room]], and train up to level 100, then train the other party members. With the exception of the guy running the place, EVERYONE will be level 100 by the time you're done.
*** [[spoiler: And he doesn't stop there! Finish SuikodenIV with him surviving, start a game with SuikodenTactics while loading the data from SuikodenIV, recruit him and send him out to a battle field. Unlike other characters who can be KilledOffForReal, he ''does not get killed off'', his [[BlessedWithSuck Rune of Punishment]] becomes so insanely powerful even without the rune, and you can pair him off with either Kika or Kyril for a CombinationAttack.]] How's THAT for a GameBreaker!?

* ScrappyMechanic: Cutting the standard ''Suikoden'' party size from six to four is ''the'' most hated thing about this game. When you've got several dozen playable characters, only being able to use four at a time is quite bad.

* ViewerGenderConfusion: In-world example: Wendel, a {{Tomboy}}ish ActionGirl who declares herself the apprentice of Nico, your ship's lookout. Who, despite his frequently-praised vision and having her constantly hanging around him, thinks she's a guy.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny: Speaking of mermaids, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXA1C2CxfDs this scene]] is EXTREMELY funny!

* CrowningMomentOfFunny - Speaking of mermaids, [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXA1C2CxfDs this scene]] is EXTREMELY funny!
* CrowningMusicOfAwesome: A very short one, which really deserved to be extented: [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PL18NPyJa9k Magnificent Swordman]].

*** Oh, [[UpToEleven it gets worse]]: Grab the duo of Lazlo and [[spoiler:Ted]], slap a couple high-level magic runes on them (in addition to their default runes), and let them go to town on the [[LevelGrinding Training Hall]]. Then, take advantage of how the Training Hall works (the enemy levels are based on the highest-level member of your group) to '''grind the entire combat cast to level 100 in a couple hours''' (except the guy who runs the Training Hall, of course).

* NeverLiveItDown: Snowe's poor leadership during his first real crisis continues to haunt him, both [[ButtMonkey in-]] [[TheScrappy and out-]]of universe.
* Nightmarefuel: Mao and Nao. There is a genuine sense of dread about who or ''what'' has set up shop in the ship's "Forbidden Room". Even when he is revealed, his presence is still pretty creepy - showing up secretly on the bottom level of the ship, talking to nobody, and growing mushrooms/mint in the darkness....

** Army battles in the series have always varied in quality, but the ship battles this time around don't feature any special tactics, interesting maneuvers, or surprises about your enemies' capabilities - you're basically playing rock-paper-scissors against someone missing their first two fingers. Even worse by comparison to ''SuikodenV'', which features both more interesting and larger-scale naval battles, despite those battles being confined to a mere river while ''SuikodenIV'' is on the open ocean. In ''Suikoden IV'', the number of ships involved is always in the single digits, turning what are supposed to be major engagements into mere skirmishes.
* ViewerGenderConfusion - In-world example: Wendel, a {{Tomboy}}ish ActionGirl who declares herself the apprentice of Nico, your ship's lookout. Who, despite his frequently-praised vision and having her constantly hanging around him, thinks she's a guy.
* TheWoobie - In a sense, Snowe is this GoneHorriblyWrong; he'd be more sympathetic if he weren't [[TooDumbToLive so damn]] ''[[TooDumbToLive dense]]''.

** Army battles in the series have always varied in quality, but the ship battles this time around don't feature any special tactics, interesting maneuvers, or surprises about your enemies' capabilities - you're basically playing rock-paper-scissors against someone missing their first two fingers.

* CrowningMomentOfFunny - Speaking of mermaids, I personally find [[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXA1C2CxfDs this scene]] to be EXTREMELY funny!
* GameBreaker - Kika and her triple-damage, non-missing, infinite-use Falcon Rune. Throw in [[spoiler:Ted]] (most powerful spellcaster, bar none) and [[spoiler:Snowe]] (gets an ABSURDLY powerful CombinationAttack with Lazlo), and you've got a team that simply can't be stopped.
** Oh, [[UpToEleven it gets worse]]: Grab the duo of Lazlo and [[spoiler:Ted]], slap a couple high-level magic runes on them (in addition to their default runes), and let them go to town on the [[LevelGrinding Training Hall]]. Then, take advantage of how the Training Hall works (the enemy levels are based on the highest-level member of your group) to '''grind the entire combat cast to level 100 in a couple hours''' (except the guy who runs the Training Hall, of course).

** Oh, [[ItGotWorse it gets worse]]: Grab the duo of Lazlo and [[spoiler:Ted]], slap a couple high-level magic runes on them (in addition to their default runes), and let them go to town on the [[LevelGrinding Training Hall]]. Then, take advantage of how the Training Hall works (the enemy levels are based on the highest-level member of your group) to '''grind the entire combat cast to level 100 in a couple hours''' (except the guy who runs the Training Hall, of course).

* MagnificentBastard - Graham Cray.
* NeverLiveItDown - Snowe's [[{{Understatement}} poor leadership]] during his first real crisis continues to haunt him, both [[ButtMonkey in-]] [[TheScrappy and out-]]of universe.