History VideoGame / SkiesOfArcadia

* DistractedByTheSexy: Vyse has his eyes glued to the belly dancer Bellena until Aika snaps him out of it.

* DistractedByTheSexy: Vyse has his eyes glued to the BellyDancer Bellena until Aika snaps him out of it.

** Fina's name means "delicate" or "elegant" in Spanish (though the original Japanese pronunciation is "fy-na"), which is fitting, considering that she's a ProperLady [[VirginInAWhiteDress in white]] and [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl the girly girl to Aika's tomboy]].

** Fina's name means "delicate" or "elegant" in Spanish (though the original Japanese pronunciation is "fy-na"), which is fitting, considering that she's a ProperLady in white and [[TomboyAndGirlyGirl the girly girl to Aika's tomboy]].

* UpdatedRerelease: ''Skies of Arcadia Legends'' for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube.

* PaddedSumoGameplay: Due to the increasing health and defense of certain types of enemies, it can actually be faster to have your entire party charge up the spirit gauge in order to use Prophecy anytime you come across one such foe. This can result in severely protracted battles: on the other hand, it's the safest bet for destroying the {{bonus boss}}es, such as truly demonic Daikokuya.

%%* ImprobablePowerDiscrepancy: The {{Bonus Boss}}es in ''Legends'' are a particularly egregious example, but there's plenty of lesser examples too.

The game received an UpdatedRerelease for the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube called ''Skies of Arcadia Legends''. It reduced the random encounter rate to a more sensible level (and increased the XP rewards accordingly), added in new {{Optional Boss}}es, Discoveries and {{Sidequest}}s, and inserted the content that was originally tied to the Dreamcast's VMU minigame.

* GuideDangIt: It is impossible to find all the Moonfish, Chams, Treasure Chests, Crew Members and Discoveries for the shiny "Legend" title in the UsefulNotes/NintendoGameCube version of the game without consulting some form of guide.

* TheUnfettered: If you're playing right, Vyse becomes this. Also Gilder's epithet is ''Gilder the Unfettered''.

* UnstableEquilibrium: A particularly bad case; worse than most. The game becomes ''much'' easier the further you progress and the stronger you get. MoneyForNothing comes into full effect around the halfway mark, later skills are far too overpowered for the enemies to provide challenge simply by making them stronger and tougher, and once you get the ''Delphinus'', ship-to-ship combat becomes a joke even against bosses.
** [[ThatOneBoss The optional bosses, on the other hand...]]

* VideoGameGeography: The world isn't quite as round as the discovery would have you think. Despite the game saying the world is round, the map used the doughnut-shaped toroidal shortcut. To see the full world, it helps to [[http://i.imgur.com/UgqsiFk.png tessellate the map]].

* VortexBarrier: Due to the nature of the game, this kind of barrier shows up a lot where the player travels by sky ship. White sky rifts separate and block many areas throughout the skies, piercing and navigating these barriers requires properly adjusting the engine output of already-exceptional craft [[spoiler:SuperPrototype The Delphinius]]. The most notable and recognizable sky rift is the perpetual storm serving as the Eastern barrier to your starting area, the Dark Rift [[spoiler:which you will discover bands around Arcadia in all cardinal directions]].

* WalkIntoMordor: Valua. One giant door, opens twice a day for merchants, passport required, no exceptions.

* WaveMotionGun: Quite a few of them

* WhatTheHellPlayer: After you return home from your first adventure and Aika splits off, you can peek through a hole in her wall covered by a piece of cloth...if you want to be called a [[HandsomeLech pervert]]. It's so blatantly SchmuckBait (the schmuck being ''you'', the player, as the scene doesn't happen unless you investigate it) that even Vyse wonders why she put it there—after [[AccidentalPervert falling for it himself,]] of course.

* WrongSideOfTheTracks: Lower Valua is the much poorer to Upper Valua.

** Ixa'taka is [[{{Mayincatec}} Native Central and South America]].

* FogOfDoom: A signal that [[BringMyBrownPants Rhaknam is near]].

** Ultimately, however, it's averted. [[spoiler:They ''weren't'' foolish enough to resist: The noncombatants were left alone, and the Rogues were taken prisoner and later rescued.]]

* LighterAndSofter: This game was released during a time when companies were pumping out nothing but GrimDark ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII'' clones. Mind, there are still many dark and/or poignant moments in the game, but they don't dominate the story as a whole.

* SaveSat: During the final dungeon, [[spoiler:the sages of the Silver Shrine [[HeroicSacrifice crash their space-based home]] [[ColonyDrop into the dome around Soltis]] [[RedemptionEqualsDeath to give the heroes a chance to get inside]].]]

* SiblingTeam: Jao and Mao, co-leaders of the Tenkou Pirates.

* SimilarSquad: Vize the "Fallen Pirate". The disguise holds up until the minute he opens his whiny mouth.

* TheSkyIsAnOcean
* SkyPirate: Pretty much the whole point of the game.

* SpaceWhale: Rhaknam.
* SpaceZone: The Great Silver Shrine.

* SpoiledByTheManual: Averted: Prince Enrique is briefly mentioned in the manual and has two lines in the game's first act. His recruitment into the party—to say nothing of stealing the ''Delphinus''—is a pretty big twist.

* StalkerWithACrush: Clara, who is absolutely determined to marry Gilder, whether he likes it or not. He doesn't. (Marrying her that is; he's implied to actually enjoy the chase.) In her defense, Gilder ''does'' like her, just not enough to give up his playboy lifestyle and settle down, and she's pretty much the nicest stalker imaginable. Not so nice is Vigoro and his obsession with Aika. Note that his first meeting with her has him trying to ''rape her''. The game plays further instances of them meeting as comedy.

* SuckingInLines: The Moon Stone Cannon AND the Harpoon Cannon, the latter despite the fact that it is a wholly projectile-based weapon.

* TalkToEveryone: Especially if you want to find Discoveries.

* ThrownOutTheAirlock: Alfonso kills his first mate in this fashion at the ''very beginning'' of the game to hide the fact that he couldn't stop Dyne's band from hijacking his airship. His superior sees through his ploy and demotes him.
* ThrownFromTheZeppelin: This wound up being Galcian's plan for [[spoiler:Belleza]], who dared to voice concerns over turning the armada's guns on their own people.
** Subverted - Galcian expects [[spoiler:her to perish in the meteor rain on Valua. ''She survives.'']]

* TomboyAndGirlyGirl: Aika's Tomboy to Fina's Girly Girl.
* TrainJob: Although you're "stealing" back Fina, not any riches.

* TrueCompanions: Vyse, Aika and Fina.

* UnexplainedRecovery: The [[spoiler:entire DoomedHometown.]]

* AdvancedAncientAcropolis: Shrine Island, Glacia, and Soltis.

* AirborneAircraftCarrier: The ''Hydra'', though there is no need for runways, since airships in ''Skies'' function like boats rather than planes.

* AmazingTechnicolorBattlefield: Every S-Attack, from the party members to the enemies, spawns one.

* AntiNihilist: Turns out Daccat was this. [[spoiler:After Vyse and co. are put through Hell and back after being separated and coincidentally solving their half of a trapped deadly dungeon, they find a single gold coin in the chest with a note from him reminding the finders of ThePowerOfFriendship. It's likely he decided to spend nearly all of his fabled fortune before he died to make the most of it. Although it seems like a heartless prank at first, turns out the treasure was famous enough that a single gold coin from it was worth a ton of money.]]

* AlwaysNight: Toyed with in Valua, where the Yellow Moon creates thunderstorms which constantly shroud the continent in darkness. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] in the game's ending when [[spoiler:Enrique and Moegi return after the Rains to help rebuild]], showing sunlight piercing though the clouds. It's also possible the darkness could have been caused at least partly by pollution, due to Lower City being filled with factories and other industrial centers.
* AnimatedArmor: Guardian, the boss of Shrine Island. A tough cookie in its own right—and you face [[DegradedBoss more of them]] in the final dungeon, except this time, they're in mint condition.

* AristocratsAreEvil: Alfonso is the only Valuan Admiral without any sense of honor (except De Loco, who is demonstratively insane), and it's made clear that the only reason he even got the job is because he comes from an extremely prominent family. [[AvertedTrope Averted]] with Enrique, the Prince. Also averted by Illchymis, who wants to heal the sick. This trope is also what causes Ramirez to go mad: He winds up siding with a FourStarBadass who earned his position, rather than inherited it.

* ArmiesAreEvil: Empress Teodora believes she's in charge of the Imperial Armada. She is mistaken.
* AttackAnimal: Antonio, the Gigas, and Cupil.
* {{Atlantis}}: Soltis. Also serves as TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.
* AttemptedRape: By Vigoro on [[spoiler:Aika]]. Of course, this being a T-rated game, he didn't get far and the dialogue was not explicit in the localization. It was [[{{Bowdlerize}} more suggestive]] in the Japanese original, where he went shirtless.

* BambooTechnology: The Ixa'Takans use this.

* {{BFS}}: Grand Admiral Galcian uses one of these. Looks out of place because nearly every other hand weapon in the game is realistically proportioned. Vyse's Vorlik Blade certainly isn't ideal for holding in one hand. And the Sky Fang...well, enough said.

* BrokenAesop: Daccat's treasure turns out to be [[spoiler: a single coin and a corny note about how [[ItsTheJourneyThatCounts friendship and teamwork are the real treasure.]] That single coin, however, just so happens to be a valuable antique worth 20,000 gold at the nearest Sailor's Guild.]]

** Fina, although a small one. It even has a non-fanservice purpose: the exposed skin is right above Fina's [[spoiler:shard of the Silver Moon Crystal]]. [[GetYourMindOutOfTheGutter What else would it be above]]?
** Now Bellena's CleavageWindow, on the other hand...
* ClimacticElevatorRide: Three examples. At the end of Rixis, a lift transports you to the ziggurat where the Green Crystal is [[spoiler:or at least ''used'' to be]] stashed. When flying the upgraded ''Delphinus'', you can see that the temple lies just above the cloud line.

* ColonyDrop: The Prophecy Crew Special command drops one of the moons onto the enemies Vyse and co. are facing. Near the end of the game, [[spoiler:The Silvite Elders]] do this with [[spoiler:the Silver Shrine]] in order to help Vyse and co. past the BeehiveBarrier and into TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon.

* CombinedEnergyAttack: Two of them, in fact: Prophecy and Blue Rogues.

* ContrivedCoincidence: The Daccat's Island portion overall manages to cause Aika and Fina to repeatedly miss Vyse by inches, only for the three of them to end up hacking through opposite ends of the same dungeon, which was designed to require teamwork, clearing out obstacles in one anothers' paths.

* CoolShip: The ''Delphinus'' has elements of both a CoolBoat and a CoolPlane, given how ships work in this game.

* CrystalPrison: The Silvite Elders [[InvertedTrope intentionally]] seal themselves in these as a form of [[spoiler:life support]].

* DirtyCoward: Alfonso would have you believe it's just egotism, but no.
* DirtyOldMan: Daikokuya openly flirts with Vyse following their fierce battle. At this, Vyse (a romantic, pulp-adventure hero) looks ready to pass out.
** High Priest Isapa openly hits on both Aika and Fina. Aika even calls him a "dirty old man".

* DualBoss: Sinistra and Destra and Jao and Mao are fought togethwe.

* LoveableRogue: Vyse, Aika, Gilder, Dyne...

* MagicSkirt: Fina's skirt only flutters up to her knees when she uses magic. (Aika's goes higher, but she has shorts underneath.)
* {{Magitek}}: Those previously mentioned GreenRocks power everything even vaguely mechanical in this game, with the exception of a few scattered windmills.

** Vigoro. Self-explanatory.

* MedievalEuropeanFantasy: With SteamPunk and SchizoTech thrown in for flavor.

* MindControlEyes: Characters who are confused in battle get these. Also happens to characters who are hit by Ramirez's "Silver Nightmare" S-Move in the final boss battle.

* MixAndMatchCritters: The Dheerse, Alupas and Rabbats discoveries. The Dhabus used for transport in Nasr seem to be a mashup of camels and emus with a dash of elephant thrown in.
* MetalSlime: Loopers.
* MobySchtick: Drachma's beef with the arcwhale Rakhnam.

* NerdGlasses: Kalifa the Fortune Teller.

* NoHeroDiscount: Subverted; most shopkeepers steadily raise their prices, but Inns will recognize you the higher your Captain rating is and give you a discount.

* ObviouslyEvil: The game doesn't even try to hide this about Kangan and Muraji the moment you arrive in Yafutoma.
* OceanPunk: Albeit in the sky.
** {{Steampunk}}: The upper echelons of Valua are inspired by this aesthetic. Traditional Victorian ball gowns and hand fans clash wildly with the sleek monorail sitting in the middle of town. Lower City (and its sister city, Esparanza) is oddly more futuristic than any other non-Silvite setting, but the buildings have fallen into [[UsedFuture such extreme disrepair]] that you're afraid of sitting too close to the TV, lest your cut yourself on the rusted fanblades and jagged metal.
* OminousCube: The Yellow Moon Crystal, which was imbued with the power of lightning. It was the means of controlling the yellow Gigas, Yeligar. It was also one of the six keys to raising the lost continent of Soltis, and awakening the PhysicalGod, Zelos.

* OneTimeDungeon: Only five, surprisingly: Alfonso's first ship (a very brief dungeon, to be sure), the prisons of the Grand Fortress, Dangral Island, the interior of the ''Hydra'' air fortress, and [[spoiler:the Great Silver Shrine.]] Dangral Island is visited twice for story-related events and destroyed after the second time, and [[spoiler:you can repeatedly visit the Great Silver Shrine until the assault on Soltis, when the elders of the shrine sacrifice both it and themselves to break Soltis' barrier; after that, it's permanently gone.]]

* PermanentlyMissableContent: Pointedly averted, at least when it comes to Chams and Moonfish. Not so much with treasure chests, which are required for Vyse's [[InfinityPlusOneSword Infinity Plus One Title]] in ''Legends''.
* PhallicWeapon: The ''Draco'' with its "Vigoro Cannon", although the telescoping Moon Stone Cannon on the ''Delphinus'' also counts.
* PimpedOutDress: Clara, The Empress, Fina (on the milder end).
* PirateGirl: Quite a few. Aika's the most memorable for obvious reasons, but there's also Clara and her entire ship, including Belle and her two friends, whom Clara lets you take on as gunners when it comes time to recruit your own crew. Mabel is a member of the Pirate's Isle group, Piastol is kind of along these lines in ''[[UpdatedRerelease Legends]]'', and the game's epilogue shows [[spoiler:Fina getting on board with it too]].

* PlotCoupon: The Moon Crystals.
* PlugNPlayTechnology: Drachma boosting the engine from Belleza's battleship and attaching it to his own fishing boat.

* ThePowerOfFriendship: Aika is rather annoyed when Daccat's treasure turns out to be this, despite the fact that the power is required to reach the end of dungeon.

** [[spoiler:How the Blue Rogues of the Dyne Family are to be executed by the Valuan Empire, requiring Vyse, Aika and Drachma to infiltrate Valua to save them.]]
** [[spoiler:The fate likely to await Vyse and his crew after his capture by Ramirez.]]

* RagnarokProofing: Justified, since it makes sense that the ancients would store their Moon Crystals in a safe spot.
** The final dungeon, Soltis, is split between the rotted-out periphery (which has been exposed to the elements for hundreds of years) and the pristine interior, which is clean as a whistle and still humming with energy. In fact, Soltis is in amazing shape, considering it's been encased in mud all this time.

* RedOniBlueOni: The Tenkou Pirates Jao and Mao.
** Strangely enough, Vyse and Aika fit this description as well. While they are both prone to commit crazy actions, Aika tends to be more impulsive and expressive (she also favors fire-based magic and specials), while Vyse is the calmer and more level-headed of the two. This also applies to their appearance; first thing you notice about Aika is her vibrant red hair, while Vyse typically wears a blue coat.

* RuleOfCool: Many of the special moves.

* ShroudedInMyth: Occurs as the game progresses, with outrageous rumors spreading like wildfire. You can pay for some at Sailor's Guilds to help you find Discoveries.

* StabTheSky: Enrique and Drachma's victory poses.

* DistractedByTheSexy: Vyse was having his eyes glued to the BellyDancer, Bellena, until Aika snapped him out of it.

* DualBoss: Sinistra and Destra, Jao and Mao.

* EggshellClothing: Maria's pet Hamachou.
* EldritchAbomination: All of the Gigas. However, they are all [[MechanicalAbomination biomechanical beings built by humans]].
* EldritchLocation: The Dark Rift.

* TheEmpire: Though, like most JRPG examples, Valua can only lay claim to a continent of wasteland and a few islands to their south. Their only major colonies at the start of the game are Esparanza and Ixa'Taka; acquiring governorship of the latter is viewed by Alfonso as [[ReassignedToAntarctica a horrible punishment]]. [[spoiler: They do eventually manage to conquer their rivals in Nasr, though Vyse and company foil attempts to turn Yafutoma into a puppet state, and they ultimately lose control of their own military and get reduced to a rump state by an ambitious general planning to take over the ''entire'' world.]]

* FloatingContinent: Every single one, in fact, though Soltis has been on the actual surface for a while now.

* ForbiddenZone: The Dark Rift may fool you into thinking it's the most terrifying environment imaginable. Deep Sky takes it up to eleven.

* ForWantOfANail: Had Vyse and Aika not seen the moonstone land on Shrine Island, they wouldn't had have an excuse/motive to leave Pirate's Island and would've gotten arrested by the Valuans.

* GangstaStyle: At short range, Gilder fires his pistol like this. At long range, he uses a more sensible two-handed grip. Somewhat [[JustifiedTrope justified]], since "short range" for Gilder essentially means placing the barrel right in the enemy's face.

* GiantMook: The Giant Looper.
* GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere
** An overweight, acid-spewing rabbit, a giant robotic penguin with a death-ray, a floating tortoise that could make itself invincible, and a cockatrice-esque giant bird all appeared suddenly (being as invisible as a random encounter at first), were dispatched by the heroes, and died without comment from anyone. Some fit the area more than others, but many are placed because the game says there ''must'' be a boss wherever the level ends.
** The best example is the Bleigock (the aforementioned "acid-spewing rabbit"), a gigantic blob in the game's sewer level. Not only does it appear out of nowhere, but after beating it, you ''immediately'' have to fight a boss that IS related to the story. That sequence sticks out is one of the toughest parts of the entire game, partially because it happens so early and your healing options and resources are comparatively limited. It thematically fits, eating the corpses thrown down from the arena, but it appears in an unassuming empty room guarding the ladder to ''another boss fight''.
* GlobalAirship: You get several throughout the game, though the ''Delphinus'' is the only one that can (eventually) fly absolutely everywhere without restriction.
* GodGuise: Fina is treated as a goddess upon stepping into Ixa'Takan territory. This stems from the fact that an [[IdenticalGrandson ancestress who looked just like her]] and helped subdue the Green Gigas was in their cave paintings and carvings.

* GreenRocks: Moon Stones, also available in Red, Blue, Purple, Yellow, and Silver. Also the mysterious Black Moon Stones with the power to reverse energy; they're only mentioned in passing and have been a fertile ground for EpilepticTrees in the fandom.

* GunsAreWorthless: Valuan gun troopers are generally amongst the weaker of enemies (even when compared to swordsmen) and Gilder, while a character firmly on the ''physical'' side of physical attacks vs. magic, is less powerful than Vyse and Drachma. Can be partway explained in that personal firearms in ''Skies Of Arcadia'' are still at the flintlock stage, even if the ones Gilder and Dyne use are shown to utilize moonstones as well.
* GunshipRescue: The ''Little Jack'' comes to Vyse's rescue at the end of the monorail chase. Just as Galcian has Vyse cornered in the engine car, Drachma ''blasts it in half'' with a well-placed shot.

* {{Gunslinger}}: Gilder. He even has a move by this name.

* HandsomeLech: One hero, Gilder, and one villain, Vigoro.
* HeelFaceTurn: [[spoiler:Prince Enrique, Admiral Belleza, Admiral Gregorio, the Elders of the Silvite Civilization all do one upon seeing the error of their ways.]]
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Admiral Belleza, Admiral Gregorio, the Elders of the Silver Civilization]]. [[RedemptionEqualsDeath Note a pattern]]?
* HighTechHexagons: The Great Silver Shrine and Soltis, especially its BeehiveBarrier. The Silver Moon is also strongly associated with the number 6.

* HopelessBossFight: It is possible to fight Galcian and Ramirez three different times before the endgame, but you ''[[CurbStompBattle really]]'' ''[[FailureIsTheOnlyOption shouldn't]]''. Luckily, in all three times, it's possible to avoid them, but the second time you are given the option to fight Ramirez on Crescent Isle, you actually [[ViolationOfCommonSense have to fight him and lose]] to get a boost in your Swashbuckler rating.

** Different varieties of Blue Pirates, from the Dyne family to Centime, Gilder, and Clara. All of them join [[spoiler:the final fight against Galcian]].

* InexplicableTreasureChests: Justified in the Maramba sewers, of all places. The weapons merchant knows the story of how they came to be there.

** Averted for your two female party members (and a vast majority of other female characters, including Piastol, an otherwise leather-clad dominatrix-looking type).

* JustEatGilligan: Averted. The Moon Crystals are objects of incredible power and can control ancient bioweapons. The main point of the plot is to acquire these so the villains can't use them, and yet it never really occurs to our heroes to simply throw them overboard. Even the one character who ''does'' think of it decides not to. The avoidance of this trope is mostly a setup for the PlotTwist, and [[JustifiedTrope Fina also had explicit orders to retrieve them]], ''not'' destroy them.
* JustLikeRobinHood: The Blue Rogues.

* KillSat: The Rains of Destruction, after a fashion.
* KingMook: Elcian and the Giant Looper.

* LeaveNoSurvivors: Let's just let Galcian explain:

** [[spoiler:They ''weren't'' foolish enough to resist: The noncombatants were left alone, and the Rogues were taken prisoner and later rescued.]]

* EldritchAbomination: All of the Gigas.
** EldritchLocation: The Dark Rift.

* AnInteriorDesignerIsYou: After getting your own pirate base, you can design the buildings in various styles, depending on the carpenter you choose to build them.

* OneTrueSequence: Due to the game's linearity, it looks like this is going to be the case at first. [[spoiler:But in reality, Valua is nowhere to be seen when the Purple and Yellow Moon Crystals are found, Belleza leaves Vyse's team alone to [[MacGuffinDeliveryService recover the Red one for her]], the Green Crystal is recovered by the very civilization that was guarding it, Valua only attacks Yafutoma after Vyse comes back with the Blue Crystal, and the Silvites always have their own.]]

While a revival is still THOUSANDS OF FEET IN THE AIR, Sega hasn't forgotten about the game; they've made the full soundtrack available on Amazon and Spotify, cameo versions of Vyse, Akia, and Fina were playable characters in ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'', and ''[[VideoGame/SEGASuperstars Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed]]'' included Vyse as a playable racer and a track based on Arcadia's airships and floating islands.

While a revival is still up in the air, Sega hasn't forgotten about the game; they've made the full soundtrack available on Amazon and Spotify, cameo versions of Vyse, Akia, and Fina were playable characters in ''VideoGame/ValkyriaChronicles'', and ''[[VideoGame/SEGASuperstars Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed]]'' included Vyse as a playable racer and a track based on Arcadia's airships and floating islands.

* UselessUsefulSpell: All of the Silver instant-death spells have a pathetically low chance of success ([[TheComputerIsACheatingBastard except when the computer uses them]]), with the exception of the strongest Silver spell, which has a 100% success rate and inflicts damage on immune enemies.

* AttemptedRape: By Vigoro on [[spoiler:Aika]]. Of course, this being a T-rated game, he didn't get far and the dialogue was not explicit in the localization. It was [[{{Bowdlerize}} more suggestive]] in the Japanese original.

* FrothyMugsOfWater: Loqua. It's stated that it's just juice, but it's treated as a type of liquor or beer, and the tavern in Esparanza has a couple of people who are [[DrowningMySorrows Drowning Their Sorrows]] in it. In the Japanese, it's more openly liquor.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: The game is ''just'' ambiguous enough about whether or not loqua has psychoactive properties similar to alcohol to avoid getting into trouble.

* LegitimateBusinessmensSocialClub: To outsiders, Pirate Isle is listed on maps as "Windmill Isle." A heroic example.