Intro –

When I decided to start playing games in their original forms, I came across Valis IV. Knowing that it wasn’t exactly the same as the SNES version, I decided to play it anyway.

Despite originally releasing in 1990, the game has found new life on modern consoles. I picked it up on Nintendo Switch because I wanted to experience this classic for myself.

Valis IV is the kind of game many players may overlook. At first glance, it appears simple enough, but that first impression can be misleading. While it is a retro game in every sense of the word, underestimating it can quickly lead to frustration.

As someone who enjoys revisiting older games, I have learned that some retro titles are remembered for a reason.

While many classic games are fun to look back on, others still manage to challenge modern players. Valis IV falls into that category. It may not be as well known as some of its contemporaries, but it still has plenty to teach anyone willing to give it a chance.

Early on, you’ll find yourself defeating enemies and moving through stages without much trouble. Before long, however, the game begins introducing enemies with unique movement patterns that make landing attacks much more difficult than expected.

Some enemies are positioned in places where standard attacks won’t reach them. In these situations, you’ll need to rely on character abilities, such as Lena’s Thunder Ball, to deal with aerial threats and secure valuable health pickups.

Because of this, Valis IV rewards players who pay attention. Simple mistakes can be costly, and success often comes from learning how enemies behave rather than rushing forward.

The same can be said for the game’s bosses. The first boss may not seem intimidating at first, but that impression changes quickly once the battle begins. General Dahlgen serves as an early reminder that the game expects players to learn attack patterns and adapt on the fly.

During this fight, you’ll need to study enemy behavior while learning how your own abilities can help you avoid damage. For example, Lena’s slide move can be used to evade several of Dahlgen’s attacks, including the fire blasts from his tiger companion.

Even then, the game encourages players to vary their tactics instead of relying on a single strategy.

I also found that becoming comfortable with the controls made a huge difference. If the default control setup doesn’t feel right, taking the time to customize the button layout can make the game much easier to manage.

Making progress in Valis IV isn’t impossible, but the game will make you earn every victory. Something as simple as adjusting your controls can mean the difference between clearing a difficult section and falling into a pit.

In this article, I’ll discuss my experience with Valis IV, the lessons I learned while playing it, and why this seemingly small game earned my respect.

Valis IV is a game that demands respect from its players. Underestimate it, and it will remind you very quickly why that is a mistake. I learned that lesson the hard way, and hopefully this article will help you avoid doing the same.

Valis IV Is More Challenging Than It Looks –

Valis IV is one of those games that looks much easier than it actually is. From the enemies you encounter to the gaps you have to jump over, the game constantly challenges you in ways you don’t expect.

Take the platforming, for example. It is surprisingly easy to misjudge jumps in this game.

While Amu’s double jump makes crossing pits much safer, there were still several times when I found myself falling into holes because a gap was just a little wider than it first appeared. What looks like a simple jump can quickly turn into a costly mistake.

The enemies are no different. Many of them appear harmless at first, but looks can be deceiving. The Dragon Statues in Babylon are a perfect example.

They may not seem threatening when you first encounter them, but defeating them can be a challenge depending on which character you’re using.

Situations like these are one reason why the game allows you to switch between characters. Choosing the right character for the situation can make a difficult encounter much easier.

The bosses also do a good job of showing just how challenging the game can be. Using maximum magic at the start of a fight can help shorten battles, especially when you’re trying to avoid dangerous attacks.

However, even then, the game expects you to understand the strengths and weaknesses of each character.

Dahlgen, the first boss of the game, taught me this lesson very quickly. While the battle may seem manageable at first, things can spiral out of control if you aren’t paying attention. Lena’s slide ability allows her to avoid attacks that Amu cannot.

Trying to force the fight with the wrong character often leads to disaster. Boss battles like this taught me that every character has a purpose and that understanding their abilities is essential to success.

The game also has a habit of overwhelming you when you least expect it. You’ll defeat one enemy only to discover another waiting nearby.

Before long, multiple enemies are closing in from different directions. It is Valis IV’s way of reminding you to stay alert and watch your surroundings at all times.

Even after Lena becomes the Valis Warrior and gains new equipment, the game continues to punish careless mistakes. I often found myself switching between characters and relying on their unique abilities just to survive difficult situations.

Valis IV taught me that first impressions don’t mean much. What appears to be a simple action game quickly reveals itself to be a game that rewards awareness, adaptation, and patience.

Valis IV Rewards Preparation –

Valis IV may be a challenging game, but it also rewards players who take the time to prepare. In many situations, success comes from understanding the game’s mechanics rather than trying to force your way through every obstacle.

One of the first things that helped me was adjusting the control scheme. Since I couldn’t read the Japanese text, I had to remember what each button did.

Between Lena’s slide, Amu’s double jump, and the various magic attacks, I often found myself forgetting commands during important moments. Customizing the controls made everything easier to remember and helped me play more confidently.

Learning each character’s abilities is also important. Lena’s slide is one of the most useful moves in the game. Not only can it help avoid enemy attacks, but it also becomes necessary in later stages when crossing certain hazards and gaps.

Amu’s double jump is just as important. While it may seem easy to use at first, timing the jump correctly takes practice.

More than once, I thought I had enough distance to clear a gap only to fall straight into it. Whenever I wasn’t sure if a jump could be made safely, I usually trusted Amu to handle it.

Another trick that helped me was changing the basic attack to rapid fire in the controller settings. This allowed me to attack continuously without repeatedly pressing the button. While it isn’t required, I found it made boss battles smoother and helped shorten fights considerably.

Magic is another mechanic that can easily be overlooked. However, learning when and how to use it can make a huge difference.

With a full magic meter, each character gains access to powerful attacks that can clear enemies from the screen and quickly turn a dangerous situation in your favor. Lena’s Thunder Ball is especially useful for dealing with enemies positioned above or in front of her.

Preparation also means knowing which character to use in specific situations. Amu excels at platforming sections, Lena handles most combat encounters well, and Asfar’s raw strength can make difficult battles much more manageable. Trying to use the same character for everything often creates unnecessary problems.

Valis IV taught me that preparation beats brute force. Taking the time to learn the controls, understand each character’s strengths, and make use of the game’s mechanics often meant the difference between success and failure.

Valis IV Will Test Your Patience –

Valis IV isn’t one of those games you can casually walk through without facing adversity. The game will test your patience more than once. At times, it can be frustrating, but that frustration is also part of what makes victory feel rewarding.

The reason to keep going is simple: Valis IV makes you earn every success. Whether it’s surviving a difficult boss battle or reaching the next stage with most of your health intact, the game rarely gives you anything for free.

Gallagher, one of the final bosses in the game, is a perfect example of this. Fighting him twice, first with Asfar and then with Lena, taught me the value of patience. His attacks come quickly, and his aerial charge can be difficult to avoid, especially when using Asfar.

To succeed, I had to stay focused, keep moving, and use magic wisely while avoiding his energy attacks.

The battle wasn’t easy, and I suffered several defeats before finally overcoming him. However, every attempt taught me something new.

By the second fight, I had a much better understanding of his attack patterns. Instead of panicking, I learned when to move, when to attack, and when to slide under his attacks rather than directly into danger.

Learning enemy patterns is one of the most rewarding parts of Valis IV. Medius is another good example. She attacks with fire magic, disappears, then reappears on the opposite side of the screen before launching another attack.

Once I understood her pattern, I began attacking immediately after she landed and after safely avoiding her fireball.

Even regular enemies reward patience and observation. The shield maidens on Stage 4-2 seem difficult at first because they constantly defend themselves.

However, getting close to them causes them to lower their guard, creating an opening for attack. Encounters like these taught me that rushing forward isn’t always the answer.

By the end of the game, I realized that persistence was just as important as skill.

Every defeat, every setback, and every frustrating boss battle taught me something valuable. I didn’t reach the ending because everything went smoothly. I reached it because I kept learning, adapting, and trying again.

Valis IV rewards players who refuse to give up. If you’re willing to step back into the fight after a difficult defeat and keep pushing forward, you’ve already learned one of the game’s most important lessons. Persistence pays off.

If You’re Just Entering the Valis World, Here’s Some Tips That’ll Help, Just in Case.

Learn Before You Attack –

Valis IV is one of those games where enemies don’t wait for you to study them. More often than not, you’re forced to learn their attacks while the battle is happening.

That can be frustrating at first, but it also teaches one of the most important lessons in the game: learn before you attack.

Take General Luzard, for example. During the fight, he’ll slowly move around the arena while launching spikes in your direction. Then, without warning, he’ll move to another side of the screen and begin attacking again.

At first, it can feel overwhelming, but once you start paying attention to his movements, the battle becomes much easier to manage.

Luzard isn’t necessarily difficult, but he teaches an important lesson. Learning attack patterns and understanding when it’s safe to strike are often more important than attacking as quickly as possible.

In fact, using your magic attack can help deal damage without forcing you into dangerous situations.

The same lesson applies throughout the game. When facing Valis Yuko and Angel Yuko, your first instinct might be to attack the aerial opponent first.

However, I found it much easier to eliminate Valis Yuko before focusing on Angel Yuko. Sometimes success comes from understanding the battle rather than rushing into it.

Of course, not every encounter gives you time to stop and observe. Some battles require you to adapt on the fly. Gallagher is a good example of this.

Even so, I found that many of his attacks remained consistent from one attempt to the next. Once I recognized his patterns, I knew what to expect and how to respond.

Learning attack patterns and surviving go hand in hand. It’s not enough to recognize an attack.

You also need to find the safest way to avoid it. Sometimes that means jumping. Sometimes it means moving to a specific spot on the screen. Other times, it means using a special ability at exactly the right moment.

Lena’s battle against Gallagher demonstrates this perfectly. Her slide move isn’t just useful; it’s often necessary.

When Gallagher launches himself through the air with his axe attack, sliding underneath him is one of the safest ways to avoid damage and create an opening for a counterattack.

This is one reason Valis IV became one of my favorite games. The game constantly encourages you to learn, adapt, and improve. Every enemy and boss has something to teach you if you’re willing to pay attention.

Don’t make the mistake of assuming an enemy is harmless. Valis IV rewards players who stay alert and punishes those who stop paying attention. Learning before you attack may take patience, but it can mean the difference between victory and seeing the Game Over screen.

Use Your Tools Wisely –

This is a lesson I learned the hard way while playing Valis IV. I didn’t always use my resources correctly, but over time I realized that knowing when to use them was just as important as having them in the first place.

One example is Lena’s Rolling Spark magic. At first, it can be tempting to use magic whenever it becomes available, but doing so isn’t always the best strategy. Timing often matters more than simply casting a spell as soon as possible.

The Gallagher boss fight is a perfect example. When Gallagher levitates and moves above Lena, activating Rolling Spark before sliding underneath him allows you to avoid damage while continuing to deal damage at the same time.

Used correctly, the spell becomes much more effective than if it had been used randomly at the start of the fight. Like this, 

Many players may assume that opening every boss battle with maximum magic is the best approach. While that strategy can work in certain situations, it isn’t always the most effective use of your resources. Some fights reward patience and proper timing more than raw damage.

Magic is one of the most valuable resources in Valis IV. Whether you’re fighting a boss or dealing with groups of enemies, your magic can quickly turn a difficult situation in your favor. However, because it is limited, you need to think carefully about when and where to use it.

Valis IV taught me that resource management matters. Understanding your magic abilities, knowing what each level of magic can do, and using those abilities at the right moment often makes a bigger difference than simply using them as soon as they become available.

The better I became at managing my resources, the easier it became to handle the game’s toughest challenges.

Rewind Is THE Teacher –

One of the most useful features included with Valis IV is Rewind. At first, it may seem like a simple convenience feature, but I quickly discovered that it can be one of the best learning tools in the entire game.

Think about it. You’re fighting a boss, making good progress, and then suddenly take a hit that ends the battle. Instead of starting all over again, you can rewind a few seconds and try a different approach. The same applies when you’re attempting a difficult jump, trying to grab a healing item, or learning how to avoid a dangerous attack.

Rewind doesn’t just help you recover from mistakes. It helps you understand why those mistakes happened in the first place. More often than not, I found myself using the feature to study enemy attacks, improve my timing, and experiment with different strategies.

I relied on Rewind several times during battles with bosses such as the Yuko duo and Gallagher. Being able to replay critical moments allowed me to better recognize attack patterns and learn when it was safe to strike. Over time, I became more confident because I understood the battles better.

What makes Rewind so valuable is that it encourages learning rather than frustration. Instead of repeatedly failing and wondering what went wrong, you can immediately see the mistake, correct it, and move forward.

For that reason, I strongly recommend using the feature. Some players may see Rewind as a shortcut, but I see it as a teaching tool. Used properly, it can help you improve your technique, recognize enemy openings, and gain a much deeper understanding of the game.

Valis IV is still a challenging game, but Rewind gives players the opportunity to learn from their mistakes rather than simply being punished for them.

Conclusion –

Valis IV is one of the most challenging retro games I’ve played, but it also provides players with the tools they need to succeed. Features like Rewind give you the opportunity to learn enemy attacks, improve your timing, and recover from mistakes while continuing to improve.

More importantly, Valis IV rewards patience and preparation. Taking the time to learn attack patterns, understand character abilities, and even adjust the control scheme can make a tremendous difference throughout the adventure.

One of the biggest mistakes a player can make is judging the game based on first impressions alone. What initially appears to be a straightforward action game quickly reveals itself to be a challenging experience that demands focus, adaptability, and persistence.

That doesn’t mean the game is unapproachable. It simply means you need to enter each stage expecting the unexpected and remaining ready for whatever comes next.

Valis IV may have been the final entry in the series, but it remains a game that rewards players who are willing to learn, adapt, and persevere. If you’re willing to give it the respect it deserves, you’ll discover a challenging and rewarding adventure that still holds up today.

Valis IV isn’t the only game that rewards patience, preparation, and persistence. If you’re looking for more games that challenge players to learn, adapt, and improve, be sure to check out my Benable list, Games That Demand Respect From Players. – https://benable.com/RoddyMcG/games-that-demand-respect-from-players