Final Fantasy II
Review by Sky Render

Tagline: The game that really was almost the final one... almost.

Graphics - 6/10 (GBA: 8/10)

 If FF1's graphics were unimpressive, FF2's were equally so, as most of FF2's visuals were directly ripped from FF1.  They didn't even bother to give Frioniel a unique sprite; he just uses a Warrior sprite from FF1.  The GBA remake improved on the visuals significantly, but suffers from the same pitfalls as the FF1 GBA remake: the original area designs were lacking (and annoying, but that's a gameplay issue).

Sound and Music - 8/10 (GBA: 9/10)

 One thing the FF series quickly became known for was its music, and FF2 delivered, as its predecessor did, a fairly impressive soundtrack for an NES game (moreso than the previous game, in fact).  The GBA version's remastered music, with additional tracks, makes the game's music truly amazing.

Gameplay - 3/10 (GBA: 7/10)

 This almost killed the original release.  FF2 was designed by the man who later went on to design the SaGa series, which would explain its propensity for totally random boosts (and drops) in stats, as well as the obscene amount of effort required to accomplish, well, anything.  The original FF2's gameplay engine is what I like to call a great idea with zero refinement.

 The GBA release did its best to fix the NES version's shortcomings, and actually turned out a much more playable (if still flawed) title.  The spell/weapon experience system is revamped, stats no longer drop randomly, and HP goes up at regular intervals as you win more fights.  It's still not an ideal implementation, but it's way better than the original was.

Story - 7/10 (GBA: 7/10)

 FF2 also marked the series' first attempt at a real plot.  It feels pretty hackneyed at times, and players can practically predict how their party members are gonna ditch them, but it's still a huge improvement over FF1's story.

Replay Value - 3/10 (GBA: 7/10)

 The prospect of playing the NES version even once is daunting, given the brokenly bad gameplay engine.  A second play-through, while it would possess endless potential for ways to play, would be just as daunting.  The GBA release is far more friendly, and has just as many options (if not more, thanks to the bonus side-story), but the prospect is still pretty daunting.

Overall - 5/10 (GBA: 8/10)

 The NES version falls flat on its face, but the GBA release actually manages to improve on the game significantly.  If given a choice, it's really a no-brainer on which you should pick.  Just keep in mind that, as an early FF, FF2 expects you to grind no matter what format it's in.


Pros:
+ Top-notch music, and GBA version has great graphics too
+ Pretty good story, for an NES game
+ GBA release has decent gameplay
+ Plenty of replay value

Cons:
- NES version's gameplay is brokenly bad
- NES version's graphics are a total rehash of FF1

Target Audience: I guess the NES version was meant to appeal to massochists.  The GBA one would appeal to a more deliberate player who doesn't mind spending a few hours making his characters worthy.

Buy or Rent? Well now, there's a conundrum.  You can't really "rent" the NES version (since it never got an English release), so we'll skip it.  The GBA version, though...  Well, if it sounds like your kind of game, go for it.  If it turns out it's not, at least you have FF1 too.