SquareEnix's male characters are notoriously pretty, this just might be the first one.
Freedom in More Ways Than One: Final Fantasy II
Final Fantasy II marked the first of many disagreements that SquareEnix had with Nintendo. The true reason was not known, but “the many difficulties” as SquareEnix's then Executive Director Hiromichi Tanaka described in an interview from GameSpot.com, led to the absence of both Final Fantasy II and III in the American market and ultimately triggered the decision to leave Nintendo for Sony in 1997.
The Word on the Street
Every week, UrbanWire reporter Colin leaves the comfort of his office and exposes himself to the naked elements of nature in hopes of getting gamers to say what they think of the series. This week…
What do gamers think of the Final Fantasy series as a whole?
“I've not played the games but I'm very impressed by the animations and its popularity…”
- Alexis Chua, 21, student -
“…besides the top-notch graphics, [it] obviously has another appeal: the storyline”.
- Ivan Koh, 16, student -
“…the series is great [because] of the mini games, plus every game is different...”
- Ronald Sin, 21, student -
“...its uniqueness is that they retain names [like Shiva] to maintain its identity…”
- Justin Heng, 22, student -
“There's never a best game since the next is always better…”
- Benny Lim, 23, student -
The Story Freedom is the underlying theme throughout Final Fantasy II , mirroring the struggle that SquareEnix was then facing with Nintendo. 4 youths were orphaned as a result of a war waged on their homeland of Phin by the Paramekian Empire. Scarred by the ravages of battle, the youngsters flee to the nearby Altea and there, they joined the resistance against the evil empire and its sinister emperor.
Trained as rebels, the 4 soon grew up and were close to exacting revenge when they discover an even greater threat: the Dark Cloud. The twist this time around lies in betrayal and deceit as allies turn against the heroes and former enemies become friends, fighting alongside the good.
The Heroes The first in the series to put a name to the faces, the heroes of Final Fantasy II came in an assortment of characters and sizes. Frionel – though the game never officially says it – the lead character is assigned to the role of a fighter, an association, which later became a stereotype in the series.
Maria, the female lead character is a strong but free-spirited ninja, while her fighter brother Lionheart is strangely drawn towards the darker side, disappearing early in the game. Of the remaining foursome, Guy is perhaps the most predictable with his big size but unfortunately small brain to match. Despite their differences, all 4 main characters contribute to the story's experience in one way or another.
The heroes are aided by a motley crew of characters including Minh, a kindly wizard; Paul, an accomplished thief; Gordon, heir to the throne of Kashuon; and Cid, owner of an airship.
The Villains The ultimate evil is of course, the Emperor. At the early stage however, he contends as a simple opponent, until he gets possessed by the Dark Cloud and returns as the dark emperor. The other notable villain is none other than LionHeart. After disappearing at the beginning of the game, he returns to challenge the party as the insidious Dark Knight.
The basis of all drawings: pencils and sketches.
System Mechanics Individualising the main heroes for the first time, Final Fantasy II also features a new character growth system. Rather than undergoing metamorphosis a la Final Fantasy I , the general rule of the thumb now is, the more one uses a skill, the more powerful it becomes.
Also, the now-familiar “turn based” battles have been tweaked such that one no longer has infinite time to choose an action. The more time a player takes to decide, the more time the player leaves for the enemy to attack. This subtle change may not seem much in words but it translates to quicker-paced realistic battles and naturally, greater involvement for gamers.
Release Notes Despite the popular sales of Final Fantasy II in Japan, localisation for the western shores never happened as inside sources reported that ties between Nintendo and SquareEnix were beginning to fray due to disagreements. In the end, even Final Fantasy III was skipped, leaving many American fans disappointed.
“I've not played the games but I'm very impressed by the animations and its popularity…”
“…besides the top-notch graphics, [it] obviously has another appeal: the storyline”.
“…the series is great [because] of the mini games, plus every game is different...”
“...its uniqueness is that they retain names [like Shiva] to maintain its identity…” 
