While Final Fantasy 4 in Japan, this is the second Final Fantasy released in the USA, and woah....  this is the sort of genre-defining masterpiece that not only changes the way people see role playing on video game consoles, but it pushes the limits of video games as a legitimate form of artistic expression.  

I am not an expert on the incremental improvements implemented in the Japanese, legit FF2 and FF3, but in my opinion the difference between FF1 and this game is like night and day.  The main difference for me is the story.  In Final Fantasy 1, the story seemed almost incidental, a flimsy excuse to move from place to place and eventually save the world, with some occasional memorable bits such as unintentional hilarious awkward translations eg I Garland will knock you all down!  Granted, FF1 probably has a great plot compared to most Nintendo games that have a nonexistent plot by comparison, but compared to this sequel the plot of FF1 pales in comparison.  
FF2 is packed with memorable characters, heartfelt moments, and twists and turns that often inspire shock and horror, laughter (of the intentional, comedic variety, particularly when Palom and Porom and Edge join the group), tears and joy and exhilaration.  I don't want to spoil anything, I encourage you to check out this game if you have not already, it's quite good.  

Graphics = 9

The overworld map is quite good, there are a wide variety of cute little pixel people to control and to interact with, but this game shines most in the huge variety of enemies, battle scenes, summoned monsters to fight alongside the allies, and the great variety of attack animations most impressively animated magical spells.  Not only are all the magical spells animated impressively, but the spells become progressively more awe-inspiring as you acquire higher versions of the spells, i.e. Fire 2 is more impressive and deadly-looking than fire 1, and fire 3 moreso than fire 2, same with ice, etc.  

Sound = 9

Sound effects in this game are numerous and top-notch, and while it is not the #1 super-nes soundtrack I can think of, it still is packed with some memorable and appropriate music.  

Addictiveness = 9
The drive to strengthen the game's diverse cast of heroes is coupled with the drive to see what craziness the game throws out story-wise as you progress in the adventure.  If you play through the game speedy style, when you get to some really difficult spots if you have difficulty surviving you may feel tempted to start over and spend more time strengthening your team.  That is always impressive when the more tempting option is to start from scratch and grind rather than give it up, I can't think of any other game I would voluntarily start from scratch to get myself out of a jam.  However skillful, strategic and hopefully experienced RPG fans will probably be able to fight their way through without getting stuck in any particularly dangerous dungeon areas.  

Story = 10  

I don't want to spoil anything, but the story is quite good.  I feel I've commented on this a bit already...

Depth = 9  

The depth is really good here, there is a strong incentive to wander around, leave no stone unturned and there are some spots in the game that seem optional but highly rewarding, and that's always great when the deepest, most challenging parts of the game are optional, when the RPG fanatic takes on these challenges entirely voluntarily, you know as a game-maker you are doing something right when you entice gamers to go that extra mile to earn their way into all the game's hidden dark corners and things.  

Difficulty = 8  

The game starts out gradually enough that as long as people understand basic math and aren't afraid to level up a little here and there to shore up their skills, there is nothing in this game that is impossible or too discouraging for even RPG noobs.  

I am not a huge fan of RPGs generally, but Final Fantasy 2 holds a special place in my gaming heart.  Check it out and check out its sequels too!!

bsnowotter : Smell that awesome nostalgia. Hello, and nice review! It is detailed, categorized, and made me think of the first FF games.

B619ook : There's nothing wrong with 600+ words. It's an average review.