The weapons worth chasing
| Item | What & where | Who uses it |
|---|---|---|
| Masamune | The best weapon in the game, in a chest deep in the Flying Fortress. High attack and casts Haste when used as an item. | Anyone — every class can equip it. Often best on a mage to give them a real attack. |
| Excalibur | Forged by the dwarf smith from Adamantite (found in the Flying Fortress). The top Knight sword. | Knight |
| Katana | Strong sword usable by the Ninja line — makes a promoted Thief hit like a fighter. | Ninja |
| Ribbon | Accessory granting broad status/element resistance — priceless for the finale. Limited copies; equip your squishiest casters. | Anyone |
Don't leave the Flying Fortress without the Adamantite and Masamune. The Adamantite→Excalibur forge and the Masamune chest are the two biggest power items in the game and both live in that one dungeon.
The Peninsula of Power & leveling
- The Peninsula of Power — a thin strip of land east of Pravoka where unusually strong, high-EXP enemies appear early. Fight there (carefully) to over-level your party fast. It still exists in the PR.
- Pixel Remaster boosts make grinding optional. The settings menu has EXP and Gil multipliers and an encounter toggle — turn EXP up if you want to breeze through, or off to explore without random battles.
- Autobattle repeats your last commands — great for clearing trash quickly without menu fatigue.
- Level for the Fiends, not the dungeons. If a Fiend is hitting too hard, a few levels and Protect/Haste usually solve it faster than better gear.
What the Pixel Remaster changed
- Intelligence works — black magic finally scales with the caster's Int, so dedicated mages outgrow Red Mage late.
- Buff & resist spells fixed — Temper, Saber and the NulX resist line all do what they say now.
- Item-cast spells work — weapons/items that cast spells when used in battle (like the Masamune's Haste) function correctly.
- Smoother balance & QoL — rebalanced magic, modern UI, bestiary, world map, auto-battle, and save anywhere.
- No bonus dungeons. The Soul of Chaos dungeons and other GBA/PSP extras are not included — the PR is purely the rebalanced original.
If you own the PRThis guide matches the Pixel Remaster you have on Steam/console/mobile. Spell and monster names use the PR localization (Curaga, Marilith, etc.), and everything above — the charge system, the three-of-four spell limit, fixed Int, no bonus dungeons — is specific to this version.
Durable tips
- Plan your spell trios. You can only learn three of four spells per level — decide before you buy. Skip the weak fourth (often a redundant or niche spell).
- Buy Haste as soon as it's available. It's the highest-impact spell for a physical party, period.
- Carry Ethers for boss runs — charges don't refill mid-dungeon without them or an inn.
- Spread Ribbons and resist gear to the party members most likely to get one-shot by status (your casters).
- Re-equip after Class Change — Knights and Ninjas can suddenly use much better gear you may already be carrying.
- A Monk needs no weapon. Don't waste gil arming your Black Belt/Master — bare fists are the point.