NES

Final Fantasy II

FF2 will remain the most different of the NES games, and tie with FF4 as the most different. Don't be picky when you find this. As with FF4, there is more than one type of FF2. There's a multi-cart, which Square called "Final Fantasy I.II", as done with Dragon Quests I and II (Super Famicom), before FF1,2 was released on the Famicom, again. This multi-cart is perfectly legal, but even harder to find than FF2 itself. If the price is over $60 complete, don't buy it there. If it is over $40 with cart only, don't get it. Only good Japanese stores will sell it like it's crap. Like in Final Fantasy IV (which is US FF2, if you don't know), this isn't a game that will stay cheap, so get it!

Simply put, Final Fantasy II is an amazing experience for the Famicom. Its scale is grander than the original Final Fantasy's, its gameplay and story more complex, and its challenge much greater. Square will never fully realize what a great disservice they've done for non-Japanese gamers by keeping this gem confined to Final Fantasy fans on the shores of just one island nation.

Peut-on considérer cet épisode mieux réussi que le précédent ? Dur à dire puisque beaucoup d'éléments ont été modifiés entre les deux. Les bases de Final Fantasy restent cependant bien présentes, mais Squaresoft cherche encore à les consolider en remaniant ou en incorporant différentes idées plus ou moins audacieuses. Au final, peu d'entre elles seront conservées par la suite.