Final Fantasy II Part 1: Introduction--The Nightmare Begins!

Enter Final Fantasy II.

The infamous, the only, the true Final Fantasy II.

Don’t get me wrong. I love Final Fantasy IV, the game that Square CLAIMED was Final Fantasy II back in the day. But this game’s reputation holds a special place in my heart. Maybe it’s the same reason I also like Super Mario Bros. 2 (USA version) and The Legend of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. It’s because it’s different from its predecessor (However, I don’t have the same liking for Castlevania II: Simon’s Quest.). It’s not afraid to be different, and while it suffers for it, I respect it. At the very least, it lays down the foundation for the SaGa series that follows in the footsteps of Final Fantasy II.

A little about the game. Final Fantasy II was slated to make it to the States on the NES. However, Square cut translation efforts. Final Fantasy was published first in 1987 but didn’t make it here until 1990, when Japan already had Final Fantasy III for Famicom (the Japanese NES). By the time Final Fantasy II was being translated, Square was ready to bring over Final Fantasy IV for Super Famicom, so we got it here as Final Fantasy II (assuming there would be no need for continuity...whoops!).

Confusing huh? I think it’s also very interesting, and you can read more about it at http://www.lostlevels.org/200312/200312-ffan2.shtml. Thanks for the great read, Chris Collette!

Final Fantasy II didn’t make it to us until 2002 with Final Fantasy Origins for PlayStation. I played through it and was intrigued, though at the time I didn’t really play it well. The game kicked my butt, but kicking and screaming, I made it through the very end and was proud of myself.

This time around, I’m going to teach this game a lesson, and I’m pleased that you’ll be joining me on this notorious adventure. I have chosen to play on a NES fan translation this time to get a different experience than I did when I played it on PlayStation. Many thanks to the group Neo Demiforce for providing the translation, and may God have mercy on us all!

The Prologue

Oh dear lord! Hellspawn?! Can I have Garland back please?

I begin the game with four dark knights chasing my party down. Before I get a chance to snap a shot, the crew takes out two of my characters with one hit apiece! Good thing that the old you-miss-when-you-target-the-air mechanic is still around, because now I have a fighting chance….nevermind!

I have to survive! They're RPG heroes!

Minh and Hilda bring Firion (who looks suspiciously like Arek/FF Fighter and nothing like his Amano drawing) back to his feet. He steps outside to find two of his companions.

Go on...?

He asks Maria if Leon (I know his official name is Lionheart, but since I can’t fit his name in the spaces, he gets to be Leon!) is around, and we find out that he has been lost. The party reunites and goes to speak with Princess Hilda, where they demand her attention.

Like they’d hire you. The Empire left you for dead!

Oh thank God. She's a smart one!

New game mechanic alert! Key word system. By the way, didn't you just tell me you wanted me to stay safe in Altea?

In Final Fantasy II, you can learn key phrases surrounded by brackets. When speaking with certain people, by telling them the key phrase, you can progress the story or get additional information. When the window comes up, you can also use a key item to the same effect. When you hear a tone and see the words in brackets, don’t forget to learn it! In this castle, I learn the phrase Wild Rose, which is the password and crest of the town of Phin, the town from which Firion’s party fled. When I mention the phrase right back to her, Hilda tells me that I can search for Leon in Phin, but I have to be careful because it’s occupied now.

Only potential party members and enemies say that to one another. Which one will you become, Minh?

While in the rebel hideout (seems like a vast place to be just a hideout if you ask me), I also learn that Palm is to the east but I can’t reach it without a canoe (Oh boy! Is it coming back?) I'm also pleased that the music does not cut off and switch when I enter the menu screen.

Look! Character portraits and real MP! And I can save outside now without a tent! One year sure does make a difference!

I walk over to the King’s bedroom (I love castles with full access!). He was harmed in the attack on Phin, and when I mention Wild Rose, he looks at me confused. Apparently nobody has kept His Majesty informed.

I guess they didn't want to program that the King is an avid Newsweek reader!

As I walk around, I speak with many of the rebels and learn more about Hilda's new responsibilities since the attack on Phin.

Let's not get too hasty now; the King is still alive!

 I repay the rebel forces by plundering their hideout! Unfortunately, all I find is a potion, but I notice something new after I open the treasure chest.

Oh my word! The chests actually look open now!

Exploring Altea

I step outside of the rebel base (Empire and rebels? I do love Star Wars!) into the town of Altea, where I talk to what looks like a ninja! 

Can you steal a Wild Rose?

As I walk around the town, I notice that when I enter shops and inns, I can actually walk inside now and not be in a black vortex with just the owner and the counter!

Only 0G a night? That's amazing! Must be a recover as needed kind of Inn.

I also encounter an odd fellow north of the rebel base, but I'm not sure if I believe his story or not.

I didn’t know Chef Ramsey was a Prince! Although I don’t think it’s really him. Would he really call himself a coward?

When I speak with Gordon, he tells me that his brother Scott was captured by the Empire. I learn a lot more about people I walk by when I use the key word, so I’m automatically pleased with the system. Not bad for 1988 console RPGs. NPC’s (non playable characters for the uninitiated) can also use more than one text box if they have more to say, so it’s not crammed like it was in Final Fantasy. After having read the web page about the original prototype, I wonder if the original translators also used multiple screens.

I enter a house without any labeling to find an altar and a statue. In the background, the familiar Prologue song plays. I try to interact with the statue, but nothing happens. I must need to come back to these statues later.

Maybe I could if you let me try!

I find a magic shop in the east side of town, where I buy Cure. I’ll have to buy Fire later on. It’s a spell book, so I try to use it and learn it. In the item menu, when I click on Cure, I have the option of teaching it, so I teach it to Maria since I have pre-designated her as the party's healer.

I wonder what the number next to the spell means.

Next to the weapon shop, I learn that there is a blacksmith named Tobul that has been in hiding since the Empire attacked (So much for being a reliable blacksmith. Just when you would need one too!)

That was really easy. Good thing I knew to say Wild Rose or I would have thought he was just an old man!

In the weapon shop, I can’t afford much of anything, so I check my menu and find that my characters are already equipped! So even though they lost early on, they’re automatically better than my Light Warriors from the first game. I buy a buckler and notice that when I equip a shield, my attack decreases, and my defense does not increase! On the other hand, maybe they are more likely to block. I don’t know, so I buy a leather helmet and leather gauntlets and move out. Upon stepping out on the world map, I save my game using the new save feature (no more Inn saves for me!).

Might be hard to accomplish that in Windows!

Coming next time! Journey to Phin!

Thanks for reading, and leave your comments below!