Line #125 VideoGame/WildArms


1	[[quoteright:330:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/WildArmsAll_3461.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:330:Counterclockwise from front-left: [[VideoGame/WildARMs1 Rudy Roughnight]], [[VideoGame/WildARMs2 Ashley Winchester]], [[VideoGame/WildArms5 Dean Stark]], [[VideoGame/WildARMs3 Virginia Maxwell]], and [[VideoGame/WildARMs4 Jude Maverick]].]]
3
4	A cult RPG series by Creator/MediaVision and published by Creator/XSEEDGames, ''Wild [=ARM=]s'' combines classic RPG gameplay with a [[TheWestern Wild West]]/SteamPunk [[CattlePunk setting and influence]]. Take the best parts of ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' and ''Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda'' and toss in some ''Film/TheGoodTheBadAndTheUgly'' for good measure and you've got most installments of ''Wild [=ARMs=]''. The series currently has seven installments. The [=ARM=] in the title refers to the guns used by various characters. The reason it is capitalized is because it is an acronym that [[MeaningfulName means something different in each game]].
5
6	The games often deal with themes of [[JourneyToFindOneself self-discovery and growing up]]. Other important themes involve rebuilding the world, since each game takes place on the barren wasteland known as Filgaia. While a traditional RPG in the sense of battling, Wild ARMS also introduces tool-based exploration and puzzle-solving, giving it some minor action RPG elements. Combined with this, later iterations of the series also gave each character a special ability that complements their roles: Mage characters can use Extend to cast his magic on every enemy while the JackOfAllStats characters can use Accelerator to go first, for example.
7
8	In addition to the game series, there has been a manga adaptation for each installment, as well as an original manga known as ''Wild [=ARM=]s: Hananushubito / Wild [=ARM=]s: Flower Thieves''. The series has also had its own anime, which is called ''Wild [=ARM=]s: Twilight Venom''.
9
10	While the franchise hasn't enjoyed the massive success of Square-Enix's {{RPG}}s, it has managed to build up a loyal fanbase, especially in Japan where the first five games have all managed to become part of the "[=PlayStation=] The Best", which is similar to the Greatest Hits and Platinum Range labels.
11
12	----
13	!!The series consists of:
14	[[index]]
15	[[folder:Main Games]]
16	* ''VideoGame/WildArms1'' (Platform/PlayStation, 1996) - On the dying planet of Filgaia an [[RagtagBunchOfMisfits unlikely trio of allies]] found themselves chosen by the Guardian Spirits of Filgaia to stop demons, that were banished in a [[GreatOffscreenWar great war]] many years ago, from returning.
17	** ''[[VideoGame/WildArms1 Wild ARMs: Alter Code F]]'' (Platform/PlayStation2, 2003) - A VideoGameRemake of the first game.
18	* ''[[VideoGame/WildArms2 Wild ARMs 2nd Ignition/Wild ARMs 2]]'' ([=PlayStation=], 1999) - A young soldier from an elite unit gets turned into a demon by a mysterious group that desires to rule over the planet. He's saved by the powers of a magical sword, that used to belong to a great hero. Together with his restored unit, he must put a stop to the insane conqueror's plans.
19	* ''[[VideoGame/WildArms3 Wild ARMs Advanced 3rd/Wild ARMs 3]]'' ([=PlayStation=] 2, 2002) - Four Drifters find themselves fighting over a mysterious artifact known as the Arc Scepter. Instead of killing each other, they decide to form a team, and track down a priceless treasure known as the Eternal Sparkle.
20	* ''[[VideoGame/WildArms4 Wild ARMs: The 4th Detonator/Wild ARMs 4]]'' ([=PlayStation=] 2, 2005) - A teenage boy finds his life completely changed, when one day a fleet of airships literally breaks through the sky above his hometown. In the following chaos he accidentally [[ClingyMacGuffin bonds]] with a forbidden weapon known as "ARM", and must escape from an elite unit, that seeks to return it no matter what.
21	* ''[[VideoGame/WildArms5 Wild ARMs: The Vth Vanguard/Wild ARMs 5]]'' ([=PlayStation=] 2, 2006) - A couple of teens from a countryside witness as a humongous metal hand falls from the sky near them. It turns out to carry a [[MysticalWaif strange white-haired girl]] [[AmnesiacHero with no memories of herself]]. The heroes move out to help her restore her memories and find out the truth about the world.
22	[[/folder]]
23
24	[[folder:Side Games]]
25	* ''[[VideoGame/WildArmsXF Wild ARMs XF / Wild ARMs: Crossfire]]'' (Platform/PlayStationPortable, 2007).
26	* ''[[VideoGame/WildArmsMillionMemories Wild ARMs: Million Memories]]'' ([[Platform/IOSGames iOS]] and Platform/{{Android\|Games}}, 2018)
27	[[/folder]]
28
29	[[/index]]
30	[[folder:Supplementary Material]]
31	* ''Wild [=ARM=]s: Twilight Venom'' (2000) - an original 22-episode anime.
32	* ''Wild [=ARM=]s: Flower Thieves'' (2001) - an original 12-chapter manga.
33	[[/folder]]
34
35	In August 2022 some of the former developers of ''Wild [=ARMs=]'' and ''VideoGame/ShadowHearts'' have collectively announced {{Spiritual Successor}}s to their respective series, and launched a [[https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/doublekickstarter/armed-fantasia-and-penny-blood Kickstarter campaign]] to fund them. The ''Wild [=ARMs=]'' side of the deal is called ''VideoGame/ArmedFantasia'', which is to be released sometime in 2025.
36
37	Has an Anime SpiritualSuccessor in the form of ''Anime/{{Symphogear}}'', which shares a lot of the same writing and directorial staff. Not to be confused with ''VideoGame/{{ARMS}}''.
38
39	----
40	!!This videogame series provides examples of:
41
42	* AbilityRequiredToProceed: The various tools that you get throughout your adventure are used to solve various puzzles. In particular, expect to use said ability a great deal in the dungeon in which you find the item.
43	%% * ActionCommands
44	* AfterTheEnd: [[spoiler:Planet Hiades that the Metal Demons come from is implied to be Earth...after the humans all became robots.]]
45	%% * AllThereInTheManual
46	* AndNowForSomeoneCompletelyDifferent: The first three games open with three[=/=]four prologue stories with a party member as the sole character. They are largely disconnected from the plot, but serve to introduce the world and characters, as well as some {{Foreshadowing}}.
47	%% * AnimeThemeSong
48	* AttackFailureChance:
49	** If an ARM has low accuracy, then there's a higher chance its attacks will miss. (The most notorious for this is Rudy's Wild Bunch ARM in the original game.) Upgrading [=ARMs=] can mitigate this, as can the Lock-On force (if a character has it).
50	** In some games, [=ARMs=] can malfunction. This can happen to Jude in the fourth game, as well as to Rudy in the remake of the first game.
51	%% * BaitAndSwitchCredits
52	* TheBattleDidntCount: A natural result of {{Recurring Boss}}es.
53	* BittersweetEnding: Most of the games end with the heroes saving the day, but Filgaia worse off than it was before. It's more bitter than sweet in 5 and XF, especially.
54	* BlackMarket: They sell healing items!!
55	%% * BlockPuzzle
56	* BonusDungeon: The Abyss in many of the games, and a few others.
57	* BossInMookClothing: [[InconsistentSpelling Hayonkonton/Hyulkonton/Creeping Chaos]]
58	* BraggingRightsReward: The Sheriff Star, for the most part. It's almost always given as a reward for beating the hardest superboss, but of course, by that point, you don't ''need'' the tremendous stat boosts it gives you. Recent games have begun to allow you to carry over accumulated Sheriff Stars via NewGamePlus, making this a little more feasible.
59	** 4, 5 and XF subverted this by allowing you to make your own Sheriff Stars. Instead, this turned the most powerful item in the game into something you almost desperately need in order to defeat Ragu O Ragla. That said, [[DoubleSubverted sometimes the reward was another Sheriff Star.]]
60	* BraidsBeadsAndBuckskins: The Baskars in most incarnations, especially in 3.
61	* CanisMajor: Luceid, the Guardian of Desire, takes the form of a wolf (or wolf-like dog).
62	* CattlePunk: The setting is definitely inspired by TheWildWest, with plenty of advanced technology thrown in.
63	%% * CharacterLevel
64	* ChestMonster: The mimics and the Black Box boss, which can only be fought if you [[LastLousyPoint open every single chest in the game]].
65	* CombinationAttack: Fourth and fifth games have a unique combo attack for every pair of characters. They require both characters to stand in the same HEX.
66	* ComicBookAdaptation: ''Wild [=ARMs=]: Flower Thieves''
67	* DesertPunk: Especially ''Wild [=ARM=]s 2'' and ''3''.
68	* DuelBoss: Usually several per game, not counting prologue bosses.
69	* EdgeGravity: In the first three games characters will balance on the edge of a platform, but only if there's ground below. If there's a {{Bottomless Pit\|s}}, they will fall to their doom, and the game will reset you to the entrance of the room. Dashing also bypasses this mechanic.
70	%% * ElementalRockPaperScissors
71	* EliteFour: Antagonistic groups in the games tend be comprised of four members. There are the Quarter Knights from ''VideoGame/WildArms1'', Cocytus in ''VideoGame/WildArms2'' and the Sentinels from ''VideoGame/WildArms5''.
72	* EmpathicWeapon: The titular [=ARMs=], usually.
73	%% * EmoteAnimation
74	* EnemyScan: The Analyze spell.
75	* EvolvingCredits: The opening animation generally changes based on how far into the game you've gotten.
76	* FakeDifficulty: ''Wild [=ARMs=] 2, 3,'' and ''Alter Code F'' don't allow you to buy healing items in shops. This is [[JustifiedTrope justified]] in that healing items are fruits or berries, and you're living in a wasteland. There are sidequest that allows you to grow your own fruits and berries, but they do not usually come in until about halfway through the game.
77	* FantasticFirearms: {{Subverted}}. Arms are perfectly mundane firearms (or laser guns), but are almost universally regarded as accursed {{Evil Weapon}}s wielded exclusively by demons.
78	* FantasyCounterpartCulture: The setting is generally SpaceWestern[=/=]DesertPunk, but there are random terms and cultural elements from many different sources scattered throughout. The Baskars are a mix of Native American and a [[GranolaGirl hippie-ish]] religious commune.
79	* {{Foil}}: Rudy from the first game and Jet from the third. [[spoiler: Both are artificial humans]] but have near opposite personalities.
80	** Rudy is kindhearted, longs to connect with others and is deeply sentimental, using his memories as a coping mechanism when he's upset. Jet is anti-social, prefers being by himself and lacks any memories so finds it hard to get attached to anything or anyone.
81	** [[spoiler: Rudy believes he is fifteen, but was created a thousand years ago. Jet believes he is nineteen but was actually created only ten years ago. Similarly, Rudy is made from the same metal as the demons, making him unnatural, while Jet is made from Filgaia itself, turning him into a {{Nature Hero}}.]]
82	** [[spoiler: When the truth about what they are is revealed, Jet is initially angry, but after the next battle he's generally accepted it, while Rudy is so shocked and distressed that he enters an {{Angst Coma}}.]]
83	* TheFourGods: The guardians Grudiev (the Azure Dragon), Moor Gault (the Vermillion Phoenix), Fengalon (the White Tiger), and Schturdark (the Black Turtle).
84	* FunWithAcronyms:
85	** The eponymous [=ARM=] stands for something different every game.
86	** There's also the [=EMMA=] Motor, which appears in the first two games, but Marivel from ''2'' claims that the name is an acronym, and that it definitely is NOT named after its inventor. In reality, she's got it backwards (it's still a nice ContinuityNod though).
87	* GuideDangIt:
88	** Finding all the Puzzle Boxes, let alone solving some of the later ones.
89	** Finding all of the EX File Keys.
90	** Forget that: Finding all of the treasure chests!
91	* TheGunslinger: Almost everyone who wields an ARM.
92	* HelloInsertNameHere: Taking this one step further, practically every spell in some of the games can be renamed and in some games nearly every named NPC can be renamed.
93	* HeroesPreferSwords: Notably averted. Unlike most other {{Eastern RPG}}s, heroes of ''Wild [=ARMs=]'' use the titular [=ARMs=]. Rudy from the [[VideoGame/WildArms1 original game]] has a sword as an EmergencyWeapon, but that was retconned in the remake.
94	* InconsistentDub: The game's were translated by different companies, with varying levels of quality.
95	* InterchangeableAntimatterKeys: Duplicators.
96	* IronicName: Siegfried, one of the series' most ruthless villains, is named after a hero in Norse mythology.
97	* LeyLine: The Ley Line is referenced in 1 and 3. Ley points also appear in 4, 5, and XF as a gameplay element.
98	* LimitBreak: The Force Point system. How it works is slightly different in each game, but in every game there are special moves you can perform by spending 25, 50, 75, or 100 Force Points. In some games, you must build your Force Points up before you can access some of your other spells and abilities. Typical moves are Extension and Mystic(which expand the range of Magic and Items respectively), Accelerator, which makes you go first in the round, and Aim, which makes your attack hit without fail. Summons also use Force Points.
99	* LimitedSoundEffects: exactly one block-pushing sound, multiple floor surfaces the blocks are on.
100	* LostTechnology: The Holmcross, the Golems, the Dragons, the Metal Demons, [=ARMs=], etc. etc.
101	* LostColony: The human population of Filgaia are revealed to be colonists from Earth in the third game, and this is also referenced in the fifth. The planet's tumultuous history has meant this is largely forgotten.
102	* MagicFromTechnology:
103	** Magic on Filgaia [[FlipFlopOfGod may or may not]] be based on {{nanomachines}} dispersed in the atmosphere. They can be somehow controlled with "Crests", which [[AllThereInTheManual supplementary materials]] depict as playing cards with mystical symbols in place of suits. %%{{Magitek}}, MagicVersusScience, DoingInTheWizard
104	** Mediums are pieces of technology that can be used to summon Guardian Spirits of Filgaia. They also provide the user with their magic.
105	* MusicalNod: "Into the Wilderness" from the first game has been remixed and used in most of the rest.
106	* {{Nanomachines}}: They are a common plot device and background element, being ([[FlipFlopOfGod possibly]]) the source of the magic on Filgaia, the force behind [[spoiler:Metal Demons]] in ''1'' and ''3'', as well as the meaning of the acronym "ARM" in ''4''.
107	* NewGamePlus: The EX Keys unlock bonus content after you have completed the game including this.
108	* NighInvulnerable: One of RecurringBoss Trask's central traits is his absurdly high defense.
109	* NonLethalBottomlessPits: If you fall into them, you'll just be reset to the entrance of the room. It's a good thing, because EdgeGravity for some reason doesn't work on BottomlessPits.
110	* NonLinearSequel: As of the latest WordOfGod, there is only one Filgaia, but you wouldn't know that from playing the games. Each game is completely disconnected from the rest, and there is no official timeline. ''VideoGame/WildArms5'', however, ensures that the planet has been in roughly the same state for at least ''12000'' years.
111	* NumberedSequels: All of the sequels except XF are numbered in their North American releases. Their names contain those numbers in the Japanese releases, but are named much more colorfully.
112	* OurElvesAreDifferent: The Elw, native inhabitants of Filgaia, are immortal (versus natural causes), highly spiritual, and far better than humans in terms of FunctionalMagic and {{Magitek}}. They have the "thin and pretty" part of the traditional elf image, but their ears are vaguely rabbit-ish rather than simply pointy.
113	* OurDragonsAreDifferent: They're biomechanical extradimensional creatures who can turn into airships. Their bones are also made into weapons, such as the titular [=ARMs=].
114	* OurDemonsAreDifferent: The Metal Demons of the first and third games are humans turned into living metal by [[{{Magitek}} alchemical]] {{Nanotech}}. The demons of the second game (and one in the third) are some mix of AnthropomorphicPersonification and EldritchAbomination.
115	* OurVampiresAreDifferent: Crimson Nobles are powerful long-lived blood-drinkers who take damage from direct sunlight, but they are born normally, not by being bitten, and are not really "undead".
116	* PimpedOutDress: Quite a few character designs, like Virginia and Alexia.
117	* PuzzleBoss: Sort of. Many bosses can be made much easier by using specific trick methods, including [[spoiler:Vinsfield's ghost]]: a secret boss in the second game who can repeatedly take off most of your party's health on each of his turns, but can be killed instantly, before he acts, with absolute certainty, by casting one spell.
118	* QuirkyMinibossSquad ([[LizardFolk Liz and Ard]] in ''Wild [=ARM=]s 2'', Maya and the Schrodinger family in ''Wild [=ARM=]s 3'')
119	* RareCandy: LVL Apples automatically increase level of one character by 1. They can be stolen from bosses.
120	* RecurringBoss: Trask[=/=]Tarasque, a NighInvulnerable turtle...thing that debuted in ''VideoGame/WildArms2'' and has appeared in most games since.
121	* RecurringCharacter: Similar to [[Characters/FinalFantasyRecurringCharacters Final Fantasy's Cid]], each game has a character named "Tony", who has a different role each time.
122	* RecurringElement:
123	** Take place on a world called Filgaia, with money called gella, and usually star a blue-haired hero. The party frequently includes a {{Cyborg}} or ArtificialHuman. Additionally, the Guardians, the Baskar and an often sentient robot/golem named Asgard.
124	** Each game's soundtrack includes tracks titled "From Anxiety to Impatience" and "Condition Green!" (the victory theme). The songs are different, but these particular titles are always used.
125	* SandIsWater: Especially in 3, but present in 1 and 4 as well.
126	* ScavengerWorld: Varies with each game, but technology is usually in a decline, and lost technologies are highly sought after.
127	* SchizoTech: Titular [=ARMs=] can be anything from regular guns to almost magical EmpathicWeapon, {{Nanomachines}} are a recurring plot element, there is a communication network that covers the entire planet with exactly ''one'' tower, and there are HumongousMecha. All the while general populace lives in a mix of standard RPG towns and WildWest settlements. Justified, because games take place during decline of technology in the world.
128	* ShoutOut: [[spoiler:Siegfried]] might as well have been called [[VideoGame/SoulSeries Nightmare]] in Wild Arms 3. There are also many recurring names and events throughout the series, and every single playable character is seen as an NPC in 5.
129	* SlidingScaleOfIdealismVersusCynicism: Ultimately fairly idealistic, though some games (particularly ''2'' and ''3'') tend towards cynicism a bit more then the others.
130	* SpaceAmish: The Baskars are a religious community who live a simple life "in harmony with nature", despite having a better-than-average knowledge of the setting's {{Magitek}}. Elw have a bit of this too.
131	* SpritePolygonMix: In the first two games you control sprite characters in a 3D enviroment. The battles are completely in 3D, though.
132	* SuddenlySpeaking: Rudy speaks in [=WA4=] (when using [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJsl3uF84yQ&ab_channel=TalaysenFBW Kindred Souls]]) and in [=WA5=]. He also has actual voice acting during battles in the Japanese version of ''Alter Code F''. Averted in Million Memories for Rudy, who speaks through choices.
133	* SummonMagic: The Guardians can be summoned to deliver a powerful attack.
134	* SuperTitle64Advance: Averted so far, as all games in the series have appeared on MIPS-powered consoles, not the ARM-powered [=PlayStation=] Vita.
135	* {{Superboss}}: Ragu O Ragla in every game, and bunches of others that vary from game to game.
136	* TempleOfDoom: A staple of the series, packed with traps and puzzles that can be conveniently bypassed and solved with the tools the party has picked up along the way.
137	* ThemeNaming: Several main characters are often named after types of guns.
138	* TimeStandsStill: Summoning Dan Dariam.
139	* VideoGameTools: The series makes heavy use of various tools to solve puzzles in dungeons.
140	** In the first three games (''[[VideoGame/WildArms1 1]]'', ''[[VideoGame/WildArms2 2]]'', and ''[[VideoGame/WildArms3 3]]'') each character has a set of three or four tools that they have to find throughout the game. Most of these are mandatory for story dungeons, but a couple of them just provides some utility. Examples of recurring tools include Bombs, Radar, and {{Grappling Hook\|Pistol}}.
141	** ''VideoGame/WildArms4'' reworks the system. Instead of having tools on you at all times, you just find them lying around dungeons where they can be potentially used. Jude can pick up and use these tools, but they disable jumping, always forcing you to leave them behind. Certain tools can interact with the surroundings, such as swords breaking after several hits so you can throw the handle, or "[[MagicStaff Wonder Staves]]" being lit on open fire to shoot projectiles. Radar also returns, in a manner more similar to past games.
142	** ''VideoGame/WildArms5'' replaces all tools with AbnormalAmmo for the Dean's ARM, but uses them in a manner closer the first three games. You collect these cartridges over the course of the game and use them for solving puzzles in dungeons (by shooting at things, that is). Grappling Hook and Radar return, albeit under different names.
143	* WalkingTheEarth: Those who call themselves Drifters. Can be anything from heroes to outlaws to neutral mercenaries.
144	* WeirdWest: A desert world with magic, [[spoiler:alien]] demons, robots, monsters, and MagiTek guns.
145	* AWorldHalfFull: Filgaia in almost all its incarnations. (It's much more of a DeathWorld in ''3'', though...)
146	* TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed: Filgaia may be the most unlucky planet in the history of fiction. At least planets that blow up stop having problems.
147	* TheVeryDefinitelyFinalDungeon: The series has a tendency for this.

Context VideoGame / WildArms