BlueSmoke - Guide : A History of Final Fantasy - Part II

		Date	: May 10th, 2001
		Genre	: RPG
		Developer	: Squaresoft
		Author	: Jin-Ning Tioh

In our last installment, we introduced Square's humble beginnings as well as the pioneer of the series, Final Fantasy I. Today, we bring you the lesser known part of the series - Final Fantasy II and III. Theses two games have unfortunately, never been officially released in English. So with no further ado, let's go on in and find out why.

Final Fantasy II   Released:  Not Released  17th December 1988   Systems: Famicom Disk System Wonderswan PC Emulators

The Story

The evil Empire Of Baramekia ruled by Emperor Baramekia has slain the parents of four idealistic youths, and then later chased them into the forest only to defeat the four youths and leave them injured and dying there. Fortunately, they are rescued by a rebel faction who are against the evil empire and brought to the castle of Althea to recover. These youths join the resistance and help the rebel effort in any way they can. Many comrades like Cid The Engineer, Richard The Dragoon and many others make many sacrifices for the youths. They gain in power and come closer and closer to the evil threatening the world. Some former friends turn traitor, only to later return to aid the side of good. In the end, it is not the Empire that threatens the world, but an insidious evil that lies behind it all: the Dark Cloud.

The Heroes ( Good Guys )

Final Fantasy II has four main characters: Guy, Frionel, Maria and Leonhart. You can still name them whatever you like of course. Many other characters will help our heroes in their quest to slay the actual evil behind the Empire Of Baramekia, like: Cid The Engineer, The world's greatest thief - Paul The Ninja, Hilda The Benevolent Magician, Gordon the ashamed heir to the throne of Kashuon, and many others.

Maria - Leonhart's younger sister. She joins the fight against the empire, while searching for Leonhart. She excels in casting strong magic and fighting with ranged weapons from far.

Frionel - Frionel's true history is unknown. He was found and adopted at a young age by Leonhart's parents. Frionel thinks of Leonhart and Maria as his true siblings. However, when his foster parents are killed in battle, and he seeks vengeance for their deaths.

Guy - Known as one of the strongest man alive, Guy is nevertheless gentle hearted. This has rewarded him with the ability to speak with animals around the world. He is also known to sometimes fall into a tantrum.

Leonhart - Leonhart is Maria's older brother and Frionel's foster brother. After his parents are murdered during an invasion he flees the town of Phin. However, after a fight with a dark knight, Leonhart disappears and quickly masters the art of sword fighting.

The Villains ( Bad Guys )

The Empire Of Baramekia is the omnipresent evil. The Emperor Baramekia is a pushover until he combines himself with the Dark Cloud to form the Emperor of Hell. In addition, Leonhart will leave your party at the end of the game to return as the villainous Dark Knight. Fortunately, he soon returns to the light.

Leonhart ( Dark Knight ) - Leonhart returns as the villainous Dark Knight after his long disappearance. This time, he is the emperor's right-hand man. He has also developed a lust for power. Fortunately, he soon returns to the side of good.

Emperor - Pure evil, this dude decided to draw demons from Hell until he received the power to live after death, through hate. But instead of going to Hell, he decided to bring Hell to him. His evil was enough for him to bring his castle from Hell back with him after his untimely death. He has sold is soul to the Devil and lives in an ancient castle, Pandemonium.

Additional Hints & Tips

Hint #1

During battle, you can raise your stats extremely quickly by selecting the attack or spell you desire, direct it at your target, then cancel the attack / spell. This increases the appropriate skill counter even if you don't use that weapon or spell at all during the actual battle. Unethical, yes, but who wouldn't want to toast Imps and Hornets with Fire 18 or 9th level axe blows only an hour or two into the game?

Hint #2

Nothing you wouldn't know about already really. Always remember to show & tell. Whenever you talk to an important character or even important inanimate objects a Show/Learn/Item menu will appear. "Show" tells the selected person a password, "Learn" allows you to acquire any keywords a.k.a. passwords that person might be teaching, and "Item" shows or gives one of your inventory items to a person. Use these commands often, when you can, to see what different characters might have to say to you.

Historical Facts

Final Fantasy II is the first in the series to take the Final Fantasies in a decidedly more plot-oriented direction. Final Fantasy II's level-up system is also unique. The more one uses a skill, the more powerful it becomes. For example: If Guy used a mace a lot, his skill levels in using a mace would improve dramatically. It also introduced one of Square's most loved creations: The Chocobo.

English-speaking fans of the series were close to seeing this game. Unfortunately, this was not to be. In an interview, Executive Director Hiromichi Tanaka revealed that Square had almost completed an English version of Final Fantasy II at the time, but there were many difficulties between Nintendo and Square. "We gave up on releasing Final Fantasy II and couldn't develop Final Fantasy III for the U.S. either." The next Final Fantasy game that gamers in the States would see in the future would be the fourth installment in the series, Final Fantasy IV, otherwise known as Final Fantasy II in the States. For those of you who still want this title, NESticle ( An emulator for the Nintendo Entertainment System ) as well as the "ROMs" for Final Fantasy I, II and III can be downloaded from the last page of this article. Don't worry, NESticle is freeware courtesy of Bloodlust Software. As for the "ROMs", you're supposed to delete it after 24 hours of usage if you don't own the original catridge for the NES. It won't self-destruct or anything so Square is counting on the goodness of your heart to delete it.

Final Fantasy III   Released:  Not Released  17th December 1988   Systems: Famicom Disk System PC Emulators

The Story

Four youths raised by the Priest Topapa from the village of Uru fall into a hole and discover the shrine of the Wind Crystal. They had only intended to test their courage. The Crystal tells them that they have been chosen as the four Light Warriors and they must restore the balance of Light and Dark. After fighting many evils, they acquire an airship and leave their Floating Continent ... only to discover that the entire world is submersed in water. With the help of Elia and the Crystal of Water, the flooding recedes. They ascend the Crystal Tower to meet Zande, a powerful magician corrupted by a lust for power. Zande is rumored to be the source of the world's trouble, but as soon as the heroes defeat him they are confronted and unfortunately, crushed by a great Cloud of Darkness. The four warriors then proceed to the Dark World, where they meet their four counterparts, the Dark Warriors. The Dark Warriors are not actually evil. They were once in the Light Warriors' positions, restoring the balance between Light and Dark. Hence, the heroes once again confront the Cloud of Darkness, but this time the four Dark Warriors use their power to weaken the Cloud just enough for the Light Warriors to defeat it and return peace to the world.

The Heroes ( Good Guys )

Similar to Final Fantasy I, the four youths can be named by the player as usual. The Job Classes System is used again, with a difference: You need certain crystals to gain higher job types. For example, in the beginning of the game you start off with four Onion Kids. When you have won over the Wind Crystal to your cause you can now change into five new job classed: Fighter, Monk, Red Wizard, Black Wizard and White Wizard. If you choose to have a knight in your group, the knight will gain "class points". This can be used to change the character's job class as well as improve the knight's skills accordingly. Along the way, several key characters will help you: Desh the adventurer; Cid, the engineer; Sara, the Princess of Sasoon; and Elia, Maiden of the Water. Most people are willing to help the four warriors. So remember to talk to everyone you meet in any village. Here's a list of jobs you can change into:

		Class
		Weapon Type	-	Type of usable weapons.
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
				Medium ( Not Too Bad )
				Strong ( Walking Tank )
		Commands	-	Available battle commands.
		Strengths	-	Level up and stat strong points.
		Special	-	Special abilities.
		Use	-	Recommended use.

		Onion Kid
		Weapon Type	-	Sword / Knife
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Parry / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	None
		Special	-	Equip crystal armor
		Use	-	You start out with these guys, so you don't have much of a choice. Upgrade as soon as you get to the wind crystal.

		Fighter
		Weapon Type	-	Swords
		Armor Class	-	Strong ( Walking tank )
		Commands	-	Fight / Parry / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Attack / Defense / Hit Points
		Special	-	None
		Use	-	Resist the temptation to equip shields and instead arm your fighter with two swords. Makes the battles a lot easier.

		Monk
		Weapon Type	-	Fists / Nunchucks
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Parry / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Attack / Hit Points
		Special	-	Fists results in up to 50x hits as skill increases.
		Use	-	Nunchucks only decrease attack power. Use Fists.

		White Wizard
		Weapon Type	-	Staff
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Magic / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Magic
		Special	-	White Magic Level 1 - 7
		Use	-	Keep your white wizard well stocked with magic as they are responsible for keeping your party alive throughout a battle.

		Black Wizard
		Weapon Type	-	Knives / Rod
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Magic / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Magic
		Special	-	Black Magic Level 1 - 7
		Use	-	Keep your black wizard well stocked with magic as they are your party's main offensive magic throughout a battle.

		Red Wizard
		Weapon Type	-	Swords / Knives
		Armor Class	-	Medium ( Not Too Bad )
		Commands	-	Fight / Magic / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Magic / Hit Points
		Special	-	Black & White Magic Level 1 - 4
		Use	-	Red wizards are useful in the earlier parts of the game, but it is recommended that you upgrade him to a more specialized magic user later in the game.

		Archer
		Weapon Type	-	Bows / Arrows
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Magic / Parry / Item
		Strengths	-	Magic / Attack
		Special	-	White Magic Level 1 - 3
		Use	-	The armor level for the archer is not really high, and lots of gold is needed to equip him with the proper arrows, but in the end, he is quite an effective class. Make sure that you keep his stock of arrows up though.

		Knight
		Weapon Type	-	Sword
		Armor Class	-	Strong ( Walking Tank )
		Commands	-	Fight / Parry / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Attack / Defense / Hit Points
		Special	-	Guard - Protects other party members when severely damaged.
		Use	-	Resist the temptation to equip shields and instead arm your fighter with two swords. Makes the battles a lot easier. Also note that only the knight can wield the sword Excalibur.

		Thief
		Weapon Type	-	Knives;
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Steal / Flee / Item
		Strengths	-	Agility
		Special	-	Flee	-	Has a higher chance of success compared to running.
				Steal	-	Enables thieves to steal items or gold from enemies.
				Unlock Doors	-	Allows thieves to unlock doors that usually require a magic key to open.
		Use	-	Equip him with two knives and use him to flee in tight situations such as when you are in toad or small form.

		Scholar
		Weapon Type	-	Books
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Peep / Scan / Item
		Strengths	-	None
		Special	-	Peep	-	Shows you the target's Hit Points and Magic Points.
				Scan	-	Shows you the target's weaknesses.
		Use	-	Scholars are useless in most battles, but scan is useful when you have to battle the wizard Hyn. Due to Hyn's ability to change his weaknesses, you'll need scan to time your various attacks for maximum efficiency.

		Geomancer
		Weapon Type	-	Bells
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Terrain / Parry / Item
		Strengths	-	Elements
		Special	-	Terrain - Magic attack depending on your surroundings.
		Use	-	Useless. They look cute in those outfits but they are worthless in battle.

		Dragoon
		Weapon Type	-	Spears
		Armor Class	-	Strong ( Walking Tank )
		Commands	-	Fight / Jump / Parry / Item
		Strengths	-	Attack / Hit Points
		Special	-	Jump	-	Takes the dragoon out of the battle for one round, only to come back smashing on your target with 200% more damage.
		Use	-	Give him two spears and then keep him jumping. He may be the only thing keeping you alive if a boss decides to conjure up some really powerful magic.

		Viking
		Weapon Type	-	Axe / Hammer
		Armor Class	-	Medium ( Not Too Bad )
		Commands	-	Fight / Parry / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Attack / Hit Points
		Special	-	None
		Use	-	Able to equip powerful weapons such as axes and hammers. His accuracy does leave something to be desired though.

		Karate Master
		Weapon Type	-	Fists / Nunchucks / Claws
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Keep / Parry / Item
		Strengths	-	Attack / Hit Points
		Special	-	Keep	-	Saves up attack energy for one round. While saving, his defense is lowered, but when his attack is unleashed, it will do up to two times the damage. This technique can only be used twice in a row. Subsequent charges in a row will blow the energy up in your face for a loss of about half your hit points.
		Use	-	Use two claws for maximum efficiency. If your master's level is higher though, remember that his fists can deal out more damage.

		Mystic Knight / Paladin
		Weapon Type	-	Katana / Boomerang
		Armor Class	-	Strong ( Walking Tank )
		Commands	-	Fight / Magic / Parry / Item
		Strengths	-	Attack / Magic / Hit Points
		Special	-	White Magic Level 1 - 3
		Use	-	Double up on the Katanas for a killer combo against enemies.

		Caller / Conjurer
		Weapon Type	-	Rods
		Armor Class	-	Medium ( Not Too Bad )
		Commands	-	Fight / Magic / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Magic
		Special	-	Call Magic Level 1 - 8
		Use	-	The conjurer can summon up creatures to dish out damage for him. Note that only some of its later spells can dish out more damage than black magic.

		Bard
		Weapon Type	-	Harps
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Sing / Scare / Cheer / Item
		Strengths	-	None
		Special	-	Sing	-	The Bard's version of attacking.
				Cheer	-	Rouse your party's morale.
				Scare	-	Scare enemies into running.
		Use	-	Well, if you've nothing else better to do or you're just feeling adventurous, than the Bard is for you.

		Warlock
		Weapon Type	-	Rods;
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Magic / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Magic
		Special	-	Black Magic Level 1 - 8
		Use	-	Warlocks offer a whole new level of offensive magic. To be more precise - Flare & Meteor.

		Shaman
		Weapon Type	-	Staff
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Magic / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Magic
		Special	-	White Magic Level 1 - 8
		Use	-	Shamans offer you a whole new range of white magic. Upgrade to them as soon as possible.

		Summoner
		Weapon Type	-	Rods
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Magic / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Magic
		Special	-	Call Magic Level 1 - 8
		Use	-	The summoner can summon up creatures to dish out damage for him. Note that only some of its later spells can dish out more damage than black magic. The only difference between him and the conjurer is that he can equip more types of armor and cast spells more effectively.

		Sage
		Weapon Type	-	Books
		Armor Class	-	Weak ( Several )
		Commands	-	Fight / Magic / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Magic
		Special	-	Call, Black & White Magic Level 1 - 8
		Use	-	Your wizards ultimate goal. Three short words describe this guy - God Of Magic.

		Ninja
		Weapon Type	-	All Weapons
		Armor Class	-	All Armor
		Commands	-	Fight / Parry / Run / Item
		Strengths	-	Agility / Escape
		Special	-	Uses everything and anything.
		Use	-	Your fighters ultimate goal. Three short words describe this guy - God Of Fighting.

The Villains ( Bad Guys )

Ever since Final Fantasy I, there has always been a tradition in the storyline. The heroes would first face off with the bad guy, only to find out that the bad guy was merely a puppet in the ultimate bad guy's evil plans. It is no different in Final Fantasy III, with the wizard Zande being the puppet in the ultimate bad guy, Dark Cloud's evil plans to conquer the world. So, the heroes will have to travel to the Dark World to defeat Dark Cloud.

Zande - Just like any good RPG citizen, Zande used to be a powerful and good magician striving to make the world a better place. However, lured by the temptation of even greater power, he turned to the side of evil and is now helping Dark Cloud carry out her evil plan. He resides in the Crystal Tower.

Dark Cloud - She's responsible for setting her evil plan in motion to dominate the world by helping to increase the world's monster population as well as trying to crush the Light Warriors. You'll first meet her after defeating Zande in his Crystal Tower. She'll mow over you. You'll then travel to the Dark World, where the four Dark Warriors will assist you in paying her back the favour.

Additional Hints & Tips

Hint #1

Head over to a town called Gishal. Once there, speak to the person hidden away in the backroom to gain access into the Secret Programmer's Room. Once there, you can speak to the game designers and programmers. One of the engineers will even say "We're waiting for your letters! - Square Development Team." So be sure to get you writing pad out and start writing to these talented people.

Historical Facts

Final Fantasy III was to be the last Final Fantasy released on the Famicom Disk System ever again. So, as usual, Square wanted to exit the scene with a bang. So Square's programmers squeezed out one of the 8-bit system's most astounding performances. It also introduced Square's other lovable creation, the Moogle. Final Fantasy III's gameplay is similar in many ways to the future Final Fantasy IV. The graphics are far more intricate than either of the first two games, and the music fully exploits the Famicom's primitive sound chip. Characters are not limited to a single class, but instead can change classes via the Job System. Unfortunately, although it was a big hit in Japan, it never set foot in the States. For those of you who still want this title, NESticle (An emulator for the Nintendo Entertainment System) as well as the "ROMs" for Final Fantasy I, Final Fantasy II and Final Fantasy III can be downloaded from BlueSmoke. Don't worry, NESticle is freeware courtesy of Bloodlust Software. As for the "ROMs", you're supposed to delete it after 24 hours of usage if you don't own the original cartridge for the NES. It won't self-destruct or anything so Square is counting on the goodness of your heart to delete it.

Hope you enjoyed the history lesson. Be sure to tune in for Part III of "A History Of Final Fantasy" which will cover the hey day of the series - Final Fantasy IV, V and VI. Hope to see you next time!