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Glitches

Vanilla FF4 contains numerous major and minor glitches. Some are disabled by default, but can be re-enabled with flags. Some are left intact. Some are disabled and cannot be re-enabled. The behavior of each glitch is described here.

If a glitch is not referenced in the text below, assume that it is enabled and intact.

Item duplication

The item duplication glitches from the battle item menu and the post-battle treasure menu are disabled by default, but can be re-enabled with Gdupe.

Glitch details

MP underflow

The MP underflow glitch, allowing casters to have effectively infinite MP in battle, is disabled by default, but can be re-enabled with Gmp.

Glitch details

Outside of battle, this glitch can be applied in the magic menu by doing the following:

  1. Navigate to a spell that is castable outside of battle and costs more MP than the caster currently has
  2. Press A
  3. Move the cursor to an adjacent slot that is either empty or a spell that can currently be cast
  4. Simultaneously move the cursor back to the original slot and press A

Note that an MP-glitched caster will be unable to use magic outside of battle.

Dwarf castle warp

The glitch allowing you to take the Sealed Cave item by warping from Giott's throne room is disabled by default. You can still cast Warp to return to the crystal room, but you will not be able to take the item.

This glitch can be re-enabled with Gwarp.

Life glitch

The glitch allowing you to use Life potions (or cast Life1) on defeated enemies for bonus EXP is disabled by default; these actions will no longer have an effect.

This glitch can be re-enabled with Glife.

Sylph glitch

In vanilla FF4, casting Sylph will only cost Rydia MP if she is in the middle party slot. This glitch is disabled by default, and casting Sylph will always expend the appropriate MP.

This glitch can be re-enabled with Gsylph.

Back row glitch

In vanilla FF4, if a character gains the long-range bit, it is retained for the rest of the game. This glitch is disabled by default, and can be re-enabled with the Gbackrow flag.

Glitch details

Equipping a character with a long-range weapon1) - and taking an action, if this is done in battle - gives them the long-range bit, bypassing the penalties normally applied when attacking from the back row or attacking enemies in the back row.

Note that in order to back row glitch Edge, the long-range weapon must be equipped in his right hand.2)

64 floor glitch

The 64 floor glitch is disabled by default. Attempting to underflow the warp stack will instead trap you in the top-left corner of Baron Town or the Smithy house.

This glitch can be re-enabled with the G64 flag.

Note that the techniques used to manipulate the spell list in the NoCW speedrun do not work in Free Enterprise, since that memory has been reworked to support duplicate characters.

Performing the 64 floor glitch in FE

PlumeriaKnight has written out a sequence of steps for performing the glitch. There are still some factors to iron out as indicated by this comment:

Note that the existence of the Big Whale, Falcon, Hovercraft, or Black Chocobo can alter what happens. For the simplest explanations, we will simply assume you have not summoned any of them (I have to do research to figure out what is safe, but it should be pretty generous). Also if you have summoned a yellow chocobo for some reason, it can be unsafe depending on where it leaves the screen. We'll assume you just never ride one.
  1. You must have an exit caster or item. Land outside Dwarf Castle. Placing the Enterprise 1 square South of the SouthEast square of the castle is safe.
  2. Begin counting screen transitions and head straight to the shops. The first time you enter the shop screen should be “3”
  3. Walk up and down the stairs. When you get to 63, enter Cafe Howdy (between the shop counters).
  4. Walk out of Cafe Howdy and begin counting screen transitions again. The first screen transition should happen automatically, and you will gain control on “2” (1 to leave Cafe Howdy, 2 as automatic)
  5. Continue walking left and counting. On step 12, you must head LEFT. On step 13, you must head UP.
    • At this point (or earlier) you must go to the config menu. Turn the Music OFF. Set Battle Speed to 6, and set your menu color to your desired destination room as follows:
      • Zeromus: R 18, G 27, B 3
      • Ribbon: R 28, G 11, B 1
      • Sealed Crystal Room: R 25, G 2, B1
      • Hummingway: R 5, G 11, B0
  6. Continue going left and counting. On 43, the next screen transition should take you to where you want to go. (You shouldn't actually need to count, the Music being OFF will take you to Kokkol's on the penultimate transition, and the menu color being set should take you to your destination).
  7. Get what you want and exit. For Hummingway and Sealed, there is some chance you'll get stuck leaving. This can be avoided by not dawdling on any save menus while saving (at least as far as I'm aware. Ribbon is 100% safe as the room enables exit by itself)

Ongoing discussion of the glitch is available on the discord in this thread https://discord.com/channels/411615349579186178/1364696286581751910

Other known glitches

The following glitches are known and still intact in Free Enterprise:

  • The Avenger glitch, allowing a character equipped with the Avenger to retain their combat stats from their previous weapon
  • The permanent elemental vulnerability caused by unequipping Adamant Armor
  • The Sneak glitch, where any weapon or shield stolen by Edge can be equipped by any character, as long as their menu is up when Sneak takes place
  • The Mimic glitch, as it stands in the 1.1 US version of FF4
  • The 99% (physical) Evade given by Glass Mask and Adamant Armor, caused by the Immune bit

The following glitches are known and have been removed from Free Enterprise:

  • The “Mist clip” (map position de-sync caused by using Tents/Sirens/other overworld items while standing between two map tiles)
  • The softlock caused by mashing the menu button during cutscene transitions to the airship in flight
  • The ghost 5th menu item in Edward's battle menu that appears after using Show
  • The ghost “treasures” that can be picked up by “talking” to certain entrances/exits
  • The Black Robe in FE gives +5 WIS as intended, instead of the +5 WIL given by vanilla FF4.
  • The glitch where some text boxes with fanfares attached would appear blank
1)
harps; whips; bow+arrows; Boomerang/Full Moon; Dwarf Axe
2)
Either hand will work if his right hand is empty
glitches.txt · Last modified: 2025/04/23 20:43 by antidale