Breath of Fire 2's a prime example of a well-known fact; that the SNES made some of the most spectacular RPG games ever.
always providing gamers with a compelling story of a bloodline that is capable of morphing into a dragon.
The game begins with Ryu (I'm using his default name here, a name of up to four characters can be used to replace the main character's name) at a young age.
Roughly ten or twenty minutes into gameplay, after some advancement in story, Ryu ages into an adult.
You'll soon learn that saving can be done in two ways; by visiting a Dragon God statue, or by talking to the priest at St. Eva's Church.
As with many RPGs, your party consists of up to four characters, out of a possible eight (nine if you include the game's hidden character, whose identity I'll keep secret for spoiler reasons) Some characters (using Y) have special abilities required to gain access to certain areas throughout the game.
Also, like any Role Playing Game, the story is the core of the game, and Breath of Fire 2 is no different-from the game's prologue cutscene (which can be seen if you leave the controller unattended for a few minutes in the main menu) to the three different obtainable endings.
Throughout the game, characters may ask you questions.
Your response to these questions will affect your dragon meter, negatively or positively depending on the moral of the question.
One question, toward the end, could earn you the worst ending (even if you've fulfilled the requirements for the Best ending) but I'd say, when the time comes, you'll know which decision to make.
In TownShip, there are three houses (two added on later once you ask to upgrade the town, and revisit it around eight times- in a row if you're in a hurry) whose occupants are decided by yourself.
Again, here it's important to consult an FAQ because there are some useless characters that can occupy these houses, and then there are some that will make game progression so much easier.
For instance, should one house be occupied by a cook, two to four items can be cooked together at once, to create unique and, in some cases otherwise unobtainable items that are incredibly useful for permanently raising your character's stats individually (Strength, Stamina, Wisdom, etc.) as well as creating items that can raise your entire party's HP or AP by 100, useful in the more difficult battles.
The other two houses, should you choose the right people (again, I highly recommend consulting an FAQ) can give you items and fish-both of which are required to raise certain stats and create certain items at the volume you will need to be, by the time you're at the end of the game.
There's also two islands ideal for heavy level-upgraders; Nightrider Island and Monster Island.
These can only be visited later in the game, but are essential for getting your characters to end-game standards (I completed the game with my main character at Level 48, some may say that's overkill, that's just how I like to play RPGs, always be prepared)
Some of the levelling up can be time-consuming compared to other RPGs, but if you have the patience Breath of Fire 2 is as worthwhile as what some call the "god of Role Playing Games" (and I would agree) Earthbound.
Not to mention the game's beautiful soundtrack, its wide array of unique field enemies (whose health bars become visible after you've fought one of their type at least once, otherwise you see a ? mark) and its graphics style that really demonstrate the Super Nintendo's capabilities.
Well worth a purchase on the Wii Virtual Console for any RPG gamer or fan of the series, or for that matter any gamer who can appreciate the value of a rich story packed with plot twists and intrigue, just remember to bring along an FAQ or strategy guide, otherwise choosing the right people for TownShip, and achieving the best ending are near impossible.
As for length, it took me around, three days to complete the game-but I'm an agoraphobic who never leaves his house, so keep that in mind.
Blessed Be