Final Fantasy: Every Numbered Game Ranked

15. Final Fantasy II

Innovate, rather than iterate, seemed to be the watchword when it came to follow-ups for many of the Famicom's most defining titles. With Mega Man as the notable exception, high profile hits such as The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario Bros. and Castlevania all wanged off in bold new directions for their sequels, rather than delivering 'more of the same' (if we ignore the Japanese SMB2, anyway).

That was also the prevailing philosophy behind Final Fantasy II, which, though broadly similar to its predecessor, radically altered its levelling system and NPC interactions. Experience was dispensed with. Now, characters advanced through repeated actions; losing health increased HP, for example, whilst repeatedly casting spells powered them up. Outside of battle, the player could now 'learn' certain keywords, and present them to NPCs to advance the plot. It was a novel feature which made the narrative more interactive, and enhanced the 'RP' options otherwise limited in JRPGs of the day.

These latter changes were welcome. The former were not. In fact, they could fundamentally break the game if exploited. Neither became series staples, leaving Final Fantasy II alone as a brave though ultimately failed experiment.