Final Fantasy II (NES) Playthrough [1 of 2]

A playthrough of Square's role-playing game for the NES, Final Fantasy II. This is the first part of a two-part playthrough, showing up through the party's rescue of the last dragon. Part two can be found at    • Final Fantasy II (NES) Playthrough [2 of 2]   The game shown in this playthrough is a prototype build of a work-in-progress English localization of the original 1988 Famicom title. It was canceled once Square decided to move resources to Final Fantasy IV, which was released in North America under the name    • Final Fantasy II (SNES) Playthrough [1 of 2]   in late 1991. In the English-speaking world, Final Fantasy II is saddled with a rough reputation. That's probably due in part to a lack of nostalgia. It didn't see an international release until 2003, when a remake was included as part of Final Fantasy Origins for the PlayStation. I think the bigger issue, however, lies in the widespread perception that it's a broken mess of a game that forces you to exploit its systems in order to make it playable. I don't believe that perception comes from a fair place. If you don't approach the game in good faith and with a willingness to engage with it on its own terms, it's not going to be fun. But, if you play it the way the designers intended, you might just see why the Japanese view it as a classic. Even the notoriously difficult to please Famitsu rated it as one of the top three Famicom games of 1988, putting it in the same league as    • Dragon Warrior III (NES) Playthrough [1 of 2]   and    • Super Mario Bros. 3 (NES) Playthrough  . Final Fantasy II improves on several aspects of the first game (   • Final Fantasy (NES) Playthrough  ). The distinctly Star Wars-flavored plot has more substance than the original's simple "save the world" setup. Progression doesn't lean as heavily on grinding, and you're given more flexibility in shaping your characters' combat roles. The tile sets are better varied and more colorful, the enemy art shows more creativity, and the soundtrack is even better this time around. The depth of the skill-based leveling system gives FF2's gameplay a fresh feel, and if you've played some of Square's non-FF RPGs, its mechanics will likely feel familiar. Many of the ideas that Akitoshi Kawazu introduced here went on to become foundational elements of the SaGa series, which kicked off in 1989 with    • The Final Fantasy Legend (Game Boy) Playth...  . I'm a fan of the first Final Fantasy, but I think that Final Fantasy II is a better game in pretty much every regard. If you're an 8-bit RPG fan, you owe it to yourself to give it a fair shake. _____________ No cheats were used during the recording of this video. NintendoComplete (http://www.nintendocomplete.com/) punches you in the face with in-depth reviews, screenshot archives, and music from classic 8-bit NES games!