Marche Radiuju
The protagonist who is transported to Ivalice and forms a clan while searching for a way home.
Documented for this version
D-pad | Move the cursor or selected unit |
|---|---|
A | Confirm a command or select a unit |
B | Cancel or return to the previous menu |
L | Rotate the battle-map view |
R | Rotate the battle-map view |
Start | Open or advance the applicable game menu |
Select | Open the applicable information or status display |
Button functions can vary by menu context.
L and R are used for map-view control during battles.
How it plays
Battles take place on isometric, grid-based maps. The player moves units, chooses commands such as attacking, using abilities, casting spells, or waiting, and ends each unit's turn. Victory usually requires defeating the opposing force, though some missions use alternate objectives.
The clan grows through story missions, dispatch missions, recruitable units, equipment, and job changes. Units gain abilities from equipment and can combine skills from multiple jobs. Laws set by the Judge prohibit particular actions in each battle; breaking them can lead to penalties, while following them may provide Judge Points and other advantages.
Plan your run
Build a balanced clan rather than relying on one job. Keep units with healing, ranged attacks, and reliable status recovery, and change jobs as equipment unlocks new abilities.
Read the Judge's laws before committing to a battle. Avoid prohibited actions, stock Judge Points for powerful abilities, and use dispatch missions to develop characters or obtain items while progressing through the main story.
Terrain and elevation matter. Protect fragile units, use ranged attacks from safe positions, and check movement and attack ranges before ending a turn.
Meet the cast
The protagonist who is transported to Ivalice and forms a clan while searching for a way home.
Marche's shy friend whose connection to the magical book profoundly affects the new Ivalice.
A determined classmate who becomes a powerful clan leader in Ivalice.
A moogle who joins Marche and helps establish the clan.
Mewt's father, whose role in the transformed world is central to the conflict.
Before you begin
Save before difficult story missions and before experimenting with job changes.
Keep useful equipment until its abilities have been learned; selling it can delay character development.
Use dispatch missions to develop units that are not ready for the next major battle.
Final Fantasy Tactics Advance is a tactical role-playing game developed by Square for the Game Boy Advance. Its story follows Marche Radiuju and three friends who are transported from modern St. Ivalice into the fantasy world of a magical book. Players lead a customizable clan through turn-based battles on isometric maps, recruit units, learn job abilities, and manage increasingly complex missions. The game combines Final Fantasy races, jobs, equipment, and magic with a mission-based structure designed for handheld play. Its Judge system adds battlefield laws that restrict certain actions and can reward compliance. The game received generally positive historical reception for its deep customization, generous content, and portable adaptation of the Tactics formula, although its lighter story and law system divided some fans.
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