"A blot on Square's track record (right next to FFVIII)"

Square released only one FF game (Final Fantasy I) on the NES in the United States, but in Japan, two sequels were released. This is the first of the two sequels.

As is Square's tradition, several new elements have been added to the game to try to spice it up a bit beyond FF I and to thus make it more of a new gaming experience then 'more of the same'.

Now, while Square certainly cannot be faulted for trying new things, a sequel like this is inexcusable. There is such a thing as making sure that the end result of a game is playable, and if what you are left with is more of a chore then a game, then I would consider that a failure.

Not that Square didn't try to make this an interesting entry in the series. A couple of new gameplay nuances have been added on to try to deepen the experience a bit. For the first (and last) time, 'Passwords' become an important part of the game. Knowledge of certain Passwords enables you to learn pertinent information and thus move the story along.
There are no problems with this system, and I in fact see it as a shame that this is the only installment in the FF series that Passwords are an integral part of gameplay.

Also new is the (liberally titled) 'Level Up' system. The system is not based on 'Levelling Up', per se, as Stats are not increased per a pre-defined experience level. Instead, individual stats increase or decrease based on how you go about your combat, and what types of weapons and armor you use. Now, that sounds pretty deep, right? It does, in fact, theoretically allow for a deeper level of personalization on a given character.
It sounds good on paper, right? Well, so did Communism, and neither worked out.
The problem with this system is that in order to raise a stat, you need to excel at using it in combat. What this boils down to is that if you attack a lot, then you'll be a better fighter. If you cast magic a lot, you'll be a better spellcaster. But you can never have them be both, unless your stat rolls happen to be incredibly lucky.
Let me explain this point a bit more. Your 4 main characters can either fight or cast magic equally well based on how much time you spend developing them in that skill choice, but it is nearly impossible to create a 'jack of all trades' or a well-balanced character who can both slice an enemy in half and cast a damaging Ice spell without draining their entire MP resovoir.
And this is only made worse by the fact that Boss battles are incredibly tough. If your stats for individual characters aren't up to snuff enough, you can count on seeing 'Game Over' more then once while playing this game.

The storyline is nothing remarkable and no where near as good as some reviewers say it is. The story has nice flow for an RPG title, involves several characters, and a lot of people die. But beyond that, it's nowhere as near as deep as you may like to think. FF III has a much better storyline.

The graphics are improved heavily from the first FF, and the music is pretty nice. But these two factors are minor when compared to gameplay, which is ruined by the new 'Level Up' system, which makes combat a chore, both in deciding who you'll make a weak but intelligent caster and a strong but dumb fighter, and makes several boss battles just too hard.

Let's run it down..

Graphics - 4/5
Music/Sound - 4/5
Gameplay - 1/5
Story - 2/5
Predicted Interest Level - 1/5

Overall - 2
The weakest Final Fantasy installment ever to hit the consoles, right next to Final Fantasy VIII.

Reviewer's Score: 2/10, Originally Posted: 06/22/01, Updated 06/22/01