Walkthrough Part I

The following is a general guide to the order of events necessary to complete a game of Phantasy Star IV. It has been compiled by me through playing the game several times; if you feel something has been left out, let me know and I'll decide whether or not it should be added. Also, descriptions of the Hunter's Guild Missions are NOT included here, as they are not necessary to complete the game. For overviews of those, see the Hunter's Guild Missions page. Use this guide discretely, as a blind, step-by-step following with detract from enjoyment of the game.

Part I | Part II | Part III

Aiedo:

You start the game with Chaz Ashley and Alys, "the Eight Stroke Warrior" Brangwin. The duo will explain that they, as professional hunters, have been hired by the university in Piata to take care of a monster problem. You take control of the two after they journey to Piata.

Piata Academy:

Go to the Academy (the building in the north of the town) and talk to the Principal. He will ask you to clear the monsters out of the Academy basement. Just before you enter, Hahn, an assistant at the university, will explain that he too wants to check out the basement because he believes it is related to the disappearance of Professor Holt, his supervisor. Hahn will join your party.

After you beat the Igglanova in the basement, return to the Principal. He will explain that Zio, a dark magician, told him never to send parties to Birth Valley, which is where Professor Holt had disappeared from. You now know that Birth Valley is your next objective. Hahn will accompany you on your travels.

Mile:

The first town you come to traveling northeast is Mile, a small farming village. Update your weapons and armor, buy some healing supplies, and continue on to the east.

Zema:

Zema, the next town, is where you will find the path to Birth Valley. But all the townspeople have been turned to stone. Enter Birth Valley, and find the Professor, who has also been turned to stone. You will discover that you need to find a chemical called Alshline to restore the people here. Travel southward to the town of Molcum to find it.

Molcum:

Molcum used to be a Motavian village, but recently Zio appeared and annihilated it. Rune Walsh, a wizard who is known to Alys, is the only one here. He will tell you that you can get Alshline at the other Motavian town of Tonoe. He will join your group.

Krup:

As you travel east, you make it to the town of Krup. This is Hahn's hometown. You learn that he became a university assistant rather than an armorer, which is what his father wanted him to be. You also discover that he has a fiancee here, named Saya. Buy some more healing supplies, but don't get any armor.

Valley Maze:

Go north of Krup to find the Valley Maze. Rune will use magic, a long-lost art of the Algo system, to destroy the boulder that blocks the entrance. Proceed through the cavern to the other side.

Tonoe:

Tonoe is the Motavian town that Rune mentioned. It lies on the other end of the Valley Maze. Here you can buy strong weapons and armor. You will also talk to Grandfather Dorin, the sage of the town. he will tell you about many things, including Alys' measurements. He will explain that you can get Alshline in the basement of the town. Rune and Dorin will go off together on other business, but Gryz, a strong Motavian warrior, will accompany you to the basement. His parents were killed when Zio destroyed Molcum, and he wants revenge.

In the basement at the north end of the town, find the Alshline. Also, get the meseta to hep you buy better weapons.

Zema:

Return to Zema with the Alshline. Chaz uses the medicine, and the people are restored to human form. You will have your hit points and magic points recharged automatically. Professor Holt, ever the scientist, goes back into Birth Valley to discover what's going on. But just after he does, another Igglanova emerges and is about to wreak havoc on the town. After you destroy the monster, head back into Birth Valley. In the back of the cavern, where you initially found the professor, enter the door that leads further.

Bio-Plant:

You are now in a high-tech maze, the Bio-Plant. Proceed through the maze, picking up a ceramic sword along the way. At the end of the maze, you will find Professor Holt, along with his rescuer, Rika, a genetic-engineered humanoid. She has lived all of her life here in the Bio-Plant, though she is only one year old.

Seed, a huge, sentient computer, is her creator. Rika will take you to Seed, and he will explain that the Bio-Plant was built thousands of years ago. After the "Great Collapse" it was used to maintain humans' continued existence. But now, it has gone haywire, producing vile bio-monsters that have been flooding the countryside. In fact, the entire Motavian environmental system is out of whack; to shut it down, you will have to get to Nurvus, and cut off the other installations' power source. Demi, an android who is at Nurvus, will help you with this.

As you leave the Bio-Plant, Seed destroys himself so that he will not lose control and do any more harm to the planet and people he was built to protect. Fortunately, Rika, his greatest creation, lives on. Rika was built upon a thousand years of research on the genetic pattern of Nei, the great one.

Nalya:

Travel across the bridge northwest of Zema to come to the town of Nalya. Half the town has recently been destroyed by an asteroid that crashed nearby. Buy some healing supplies and head west.

Crash Site:

As you enter the asteroid wreckage, you discover the remains of another high-tech installation. Head to the main computer at the rear of the maze. Here you will learn that it was not an asteroid at all, but a giant spaceship! One thousand years ago, tens of ships like this one left Parma before the planet was destroyed. This particular ship was damaged, and it orbited Motavia for a long time, until it finally crashed. All the humans aboard had perished long ago. Other ships from Parma had landed on the planet Dezolis, while still others had left the solar system entirely.

Aiedo:

Head west and you will finally return to Aiedo, Alys' home town and headquarters of the Hunter's Guild. Here you will do many things. Buy the strong weapons and gear in the Hunter's Guild private store. Find out what commisions are available for hunters. Find Alys' home, where you can recharge your HP and TP for free from now on. Check out the Guild's private entertainment. And travel just outside of the city walls to the Cake shop and buy a shortcake, which will come in handy for one of the commissions.

You can now complete Guild mission one.

Passageway:

Go north of Aiedo to the cavern. At the other end sits Kadary.

Kadary:

Kadary is a town filled primarily with Zio worshippers. The people here are zealous, but only a few threaten you. Talk to the followers in Zio's temple, then skirt the edge of town to a building that holds the Laser Slasher, for Alys.

Zio's Fort:

Head south from Kadary to reach Zio's Fort. In exploring this maze, be sure to pick up the Laser Sword and the Laser Claw. On the third level, you will meet and fight Jouza, once of Zio's henchmen. After you destroy him, stairs to the top of the fort will appear. At the top, you will free Demi, who has been taken prisoner by Zio. As you free her, Zio appears, and despite your best efforts, you can't beat him. As you retreat, Zio attacks Alys with the Black Energy Wave. She is seriously wounded, and your party returns to Krup in the hopes that Saya can heal her.

Krup:

Alys's condition is worsening. She tells Chaz to find Rune, who, knowing magic himself, might be able to counter Zio's magic barrier. Demi knows where to get a Landrover, a vehicle that will let you travel across quicksand. Hahn will remain behind to help care for Alys and to report back to the Academy.

Machine Center:

Go south from Krup to find the Machine Center. Here you can recharge your HP and TP, and Demi will get the Landrover.

You can now complete Guild mission two.

Monsen:

Monsen is northeast of Krup. Here you will learn that earthquakes have recently been plaguing the town. Demi knows that to stop them, you must travel to the Plate Center and turn it off. Obviously it is another of Motavia's systems that are malfunctioning. Go northeast to find it.

Plate Center:

Here, besides halting the earthquakes, be sure to pick up the Laser Axe, Stun Shot, and Phonomezer, a skill for Demi.

Ladea Tower:

After visiting Termi, head south to the Ladea Tower. On the way to the top, you'll meet Rune again, who has been trying to get the Psycho Wand, a weapon that will nullify Zio's barrier. After he rejoins you, continue to the top, picking up the Frade Mantle for him along the way.
At the top of the tower, the Wand seems to be withig your grasp, but suddenly a Gy-Laguiah, an agent of Zio, claims it before you do. He is very strong, but once you beat him, you'll be able to fight Zio again.

Krup:

Your party automatically returns to Krup, where Alys is dying. She tells the group that Zio is not working alone; there must be another power in this. As she dies, she tells Chaz that he has become a great warrior, and more importantly, an honorable adult.
Chaz, in his mourning, questions what they are all fighting for. But some words from Rune and Rika make him see that they are fighting for life, and freedom. There is a bond developing between Chaz and Rika that will continue to grow as they progress through their mission.

Nurvus:

Nurvus, the power center of the Motavian Control Systems, lies underneath Zio's Fort. Before you face Zio in here, be sure to pick up the Wave Shot, Ceramic Gear, and Spaced Armor for Demi, and the Plasm Claw for Rika. Once you meet Zio again, be sure to use the Psycho Wand as an item in the first move of the battle. This will destroy his magic barrier, and it will make your other attacks effective. Zio has around 3000 HP.
After beating Zio, you will discover that shutting down Nurvus will not stop the other systems from malcuntioning. It seems that Zelan, the orbiting satellite that controls all of the Motavian systems, has been issuing improper commands. There is a spaceship at Nurvus that you can use to fly to Zelan. Demi stays behind to help repair Nurvus and the other systems, but she tells you that her master, another android named Wren, is at Zelan and will help you. Gryz also stays behind; he has satisfied his desire to get revenge on Zio, and he doesn't want to leave his sister unprotected again, so he returns to Tonoe. From now on, a space station will sit next to Nurvus where you can restore your HP and TP for free.

You can now complete Guild missions three and four.

Part I | Part II | Part III