Final Fantasy II

Final Fantasy II is a 1988 role-playing video game developed and published by Square for the Family Computer as the second installment of the Final Fantasy series. It was ported to and remade for WonderSwan Color, PlayStation, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation Portable, and mobile phones. Originally exclusive to Japan, later versions were released internationally, including the 2021 Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster version. The story follows the warrior Firion and his allies as they join a rebellion against the expanding Palamecian Empire. The gameplay is similar to the original game with an overworld and dungeon exploration, but its combat design is changed to a usage-based growth system where characters' statistics increase according to how they are used or acquired.

The game began development after the success of Final Fantasy, with the team using a new setting to make the game accessible to players. Returning staff included series creator Hironobu Sakaguchi as director, designer Akitoshi Kawazu, programmer Nasir Gebelli, artist Yoshitaka Amano, writer Kenji Terada, and composer Nobuo Uematsu. The team wanted to create a game that was different from the first Final Fantasy, including creating a narrative that drew inspiration from The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and redesigning the combat system. The stat growth system was created by Kawazu, and he later felt the team went too far in making the game different from the original.

Upon its release, Final Fantasy II received highly positive reviews in Japan; retrospective reviews have noted the game as having a stronger story than Final Fantasy, but have described it as among the most divisive entries in the series due to its progression system. As of 2003, the game sold over one million copies worldwide. Final Fantasy II saw the introduction of multiple series staples including chocobos and the recurring character Cid. Due to negative feedback, the next title Final Fantasy III (1990) reverted to the original combat system. Kawazu would continue using his system in the SaGa series, beginning with 1989's Makai Toushi Sa・Ga (The Final Fantasy Legend) for the Game Boy.