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Game Review: Final Fantasy II (NES)

 

10-15-15 07:45 PM
janus is Offline
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">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj7a91dlI4c

Note: this is NOT a review of the Super Nintendo game with the same name in North America. This game is Final Fantasy IV, and the review is coming soon.

Glad that its “Final” Fantasy was not one after all, Squaresoft produced Final Fantasy II a few years later. Despite a very unusual way of playing – you basically had to mutilate yourselves in order to increase your statistics such as strength and hit points – it was still a great success.

Part of it, I am sure, is because of Nobuo Uematsu’s music, who returned for the composition of the second opus. Two years of waiting made ALL the difference in the world for the composition; we can hear more elaborate tracks with longer loops and more complex arrangements that do not sound as 8-bit as Final Fantasy 1. So here is my review of FF 2’s soundtrack.

1.       Prelude

We can already hear the difference between FF 1 and FF 2. The “harp” actually sounds like one, there are now awkward 8-bit sounds and the “echo” we can hear adds to the magic of the theme. A very nice improvement

2.       Battle Scene 1

The battle theme you hear for every battle but the ones in the trapped chest in the Jade Passage and the bosses inside Castle Pandemonium. It uses the same intro as the FF 1 theme but develops it in a much more complex manner. The main beat is loud and clear, the background beat blends in perfectly and actually “diverges” from the classical battle them. Indeed, after a softer 8-bit intro the battle theme bursts back into a rhythm that is hard to describe but which makes it quite unique. I like it!

3.       Revivification

You hear this one once, when Firion, Maria and Gus are resurrected after their nearly fatal encounter with Imperial troops. The feel of “resurrection” is there, but it loops much too quickly to be enjoyable. I generally skip it because the beat is annoying

4.       Reunion

You hear this one when the friends (and siblings) get reunited, so only once. It is brief, but at least it was done better than revivification. It sounds joyous enough to show the happy feelings of meeting back with your entourage.

5.       Rebel Army Theme

The gentle rebels combating the evil empire. I have seen that before… Anyway the theme was done well, sounding heroic as it should. The notes are played fluidly, and the background beat adds a nice little touch to it.

6.       Town

What you hear inside any town. The arrangements, once again, are far more complex than in FF 1. The main beat sounds like a nice flute – the intro to the loop sounds very soothing – while the background beat sounds like a guitar, which is a very nice addition to the track. Like the battle theme it is divided in 2; they are separated by about a second of silence in the middle. It reminds me a little of the Final Fantasy IV town theme.

7.       Main Theme

What you hear when you are on the world map. This is, to my ears, the most unusual overworld theme from a Final Fantasy game. Usually, such themes sound grand an epic; this one sounds very mysterious instead. The “flute” from the main beat is very slow and mid pitch; as if in another dimension. The background beat, which seems to be the same everywhere, blends in pretty well too, helping to make the theme not “too” mysterious.

8.       Pandemonium Castle

The final dungeon. Honestly, I thought that the final dungeon theme in FF 1 sounded better for the context. This one here sounds too joyous – but it is good in itself. The flute is played well, and the background beats help making the song not too joyful.

9.       Imperial Army Theme

The complete opposite of the Rebel army theme. It is loud, it is evil and it sounds very militaristic. It was quite a feat for 1988. In fact the main beat is so loud we care barely hear the background beat except towards the end of the loop.

10.   Chocobo theme

This is where it was first introduced. The loop barely lasts 8 seconds, but it did inspire all subsequent Chocobo themes. But to be honest, it is not the best track on the album; the arrangements are not very complex and sound more like the ones we could have found in FF 1.

11.   Magician’s Tower

The theme you hear inside the tower of Mysidia. Wow… just WOW! My first contact with the game was through the Origins version for PSX, and THEIR version of the theme was nowhere as memorable as this one. Of the 1,600 video game tracks I have on my computer, this is one of the few I put as a favorite and almost inevitably play it first every morning.

What makes it so great? First it feels just right for the context – you are climbing up a magic tower to get the ultimate spell, Ultima. Second the main beat is arranged in such a way that it carries the mystery of the tower to perfection. Finally the background beat, while relatively simple, adds drama to the track – after all Mindhu will die trying to retrieve it.

12.   Escape

I can not remember when in the NES version you hear that track – you hear it on the PSX when the friends escape from the Imperial Forces. It is very short, but it actually sounds better than the dramatic theme from Final Fantasy III, and as dramatic as the one in FF IV. Fun fact: the main beat is actually the “simplest”

13.   Ancient Castle

You can hear this one while exploring the Fynn Castle. It does not sound very “regal” but does fit the title of “ancient.” The main beat is a kind of flute that has a mysterious beat to it, the “guitar” in the background sounds fine and the 8-bit “beat” helps making the loop flow well.

14.   Dungeon

The standard dungeon music. It has kind of an “Arabic” feel to it that I just love – even better than the Origins version. It does not sound as dramatic as the dungeon music in FF 1, but it is still highly appropriate for a dungeon. In addition, the main background beat also sounds like a guitar that incorporates well. Finally, the “8-bit beat” is what holds the theme together to my ears – it helps making the transition between the various parts of the main beat.

15.   The Emperor Revives

While highly dramatic as it should, it loops much too quickly like revivification and is just annoying. I just skip it.

16.   Battle Scene 2

This is really the final boss theme, although you can also hear it while fighting the trapped chest that give you super strong weapons. The theme is appropriate for a final boss, sounding very dramatic and upbeat. It was done better than even Dragon Warrior III thanks to more complete arrangements. It starts with an intro that sets the drama right, followed by a decrescendo that is immediately followed by the core of the theme. In the background, the “guitar” is playing feverishly to add to the drama while the 8-bit beat adds the final touch to the drama (especially during the “echo” part of the main beat).

17.   Victory Fanfare

It sounds much more triumphant than in FF 1. The notes from the intro to the theme are much more detached and clear, making them louder. The rest of the theme is clearer too but only slightly; technological limitations were still in the way I guess.

18.   Finale

What you hear at the very end. It starts with the annoying revivification, but fortunately the rest sounds triumphant as an ending theme should. The arrangements do not sound very complex though; the notes still sound stuck together, while the background beat sounds more like FF 1.

19.   Waltz

What you hear during the dance when the Rebels first think they won… While it does sound like a waltz, it is so loud that we can barely hear it. I just skip it.

20.   Temptation of the Queen

You hear this brief track when the fake Hilda tries to lure you. However this track is still great. Music aficionados will recognize it right away: it is the first few measures of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake! It was made more obvious with the Origins version, however.

21.   Dead Music

I hardly die in RPGs, so I never heard that one. However, it sounds sad enough to be appropriate.

22.   Fanfare

The start of yet another classical sound. While very loud, the notes are distinct enough to make the track a classic in gaming. It is also very triumphant.

23.   Added Companion

Another short, yet appropriate track. I preferred it to the similar Dragon Warrior theme; it was inspired from the Fanfare, which is appropriate since your team is now stronger.

Unused tracks

While the FF 2 soundtrack was great, it was nevertheless lacking in diversity. In the game there was no distinct theme for the airship, the shops or even the “legendary” monsters when moving towards the end, a setback from FF 1. Here they are.

24.   Shop

It is a good thing it was not released; it merely sounds like a slightly evolved version of the FF 1 shop thing, which was already very annoying.

25.   Airship

Too bad it was not released. The arrangements, while a little too loud, were more complex than in FF 1 (and even Dragon Warrior III) and set an even better tone for the epicness of such a theme.

26.   Battle Scene 3

This is the saddest omission of them all. Fortunately it was saved during the Origins version; you can hear it while fighting creatures such as the Iron Giant inside Castle Pandemonium. This would have been an excellent addition to the game; the introduction sets the right done for the drama while the core of the loop is only slightly less dramatic than Battle Scene 2. Towards the end, the notes get more high-pitch (but fortunately not louder) and end in a manner I can not describe but which is just perfect. The background beat (not quite a guitar) adds to the drama while the 8-bit beat also helps blending everything together.

27.   Dungeon

I am not sure which dungeon could this track would have fitted, but it was only taken back in Final Fantasy VI, when freeing Rem in the second part of the game. You can easily recognize the beat.

Final diagnosis: if you are able to survive your constant self-mutilation, then you will enjoy the great music this game has to offer.

">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj7a91dlI4c

Note: this is NOT a review of the Super Nintendo game with the same name in North America. This game is Final Fantasy IV, and the review is coming soon.

Glad that its “Final” Fantasy was not one after all, Squaresoft produced Final Fantasy II a few years later. Despite a very unusual way of playing – you basically had to mutilate yourselves in order to increase your statistics such as strength and hit points – it was still a great success.

Part of it, I am sure, is because of Nobuo Uematsu’s music, who returned for the composition of the second opus. Two years of waiting made ALL the difference in the world for the composition; we can hear more elaborate tracks with longer loops and more complex arrangements that do not sound as 8-bit as Final Fantasy 1. So here is my review of FF 2’s soundtrack.

1.       Prelude

We can already hear the difference between FF 1 and FF 2. The “harp” actually sounds like one, there are now awkward 8-bit sounds and the “echo” we can hear adds to the magic of the theme. A very nice improvement

2.       Battle Scene 1

The battle theme you hear for every battle but the ones in the trapped chest in the Jade Passage and the bosses inside Castle Pandemonium. It uses the same intro as the FF 1 theme but develops it in a much more complex manner. The main beat is loud and clear, the background beat blends in perfectly and actually “diverges” from the classical battle them. Indeed, after a softer 8-bit intro the battle theme bursts back into a rhythm that is hard to describe but which makes it quite unique. I like it!

3.       Revivification

You hear this one once, when Firion, Maria and Gus are resurrected after their nearly fatal encounter with Imperial troops. The feel of “resurrection” is there, but it loops much too quickly to be enjoyable. I generally skip it because the beat is annoying

4.       Reunion

You hear this one when the friends (and siblings) get reunited, so only once. It is brief, but at least it was done better than revivification. It sounds joyous enough to show the happy feelings of meeting back with your entourage.

5.       Rebel Army Theme

The gentle rebels combating the evil empire. I have seen that before… Anyway the theme was done well, sounding heroic as it should. The notes are played fluidly, and the background beat adds a nice little touch to it.

6.       Town

What you hear inside any town. The arrangements, once again, are far more complex than in FF 1. The main beat sounds like a nice flute – the intro to the loop sounds very soothing – while the background beat sounds like a guitar, which is a very nice addition to the track. Like the battle theme it is divided in 2; they are separated by about a second of silence in the middle. It reminds me a little of the Final Fantasy IV town theme.

7.       Main Theme

What you hear when you are on the world map. This is, to my ears, the most unusual overworld theme from a Final Fantasy game. Usually, such themes sound grand an epic; this one sounds very mysterious instead. The “flute” from the main beat is very slow and mid pitch; as if in another dimension. The background beat, which seems to be the same everywhere, blends in pretty well too, helping to make the theme not “too” mysterious.

8.       Pandemonium Castle

The final dungeon. Honestly, I thought that the final dungeon theme in FF 1 sounded better for the context. This one here sounds too joyous – but it is good in itself. The flute is played well, and the background beats help making the song not too joyful.

9.       Imperial Army Theme

The complete opposite of the Rebel army theme. It is loud, it is evil and it sounds very militaristic. It was quite a feat for 1988. In fact the main beat is so loud we care barely hear the background beat except towards the end of the loop.

10.   Chocobo theme

This is where it was first introduced. The loop barely lasts 8 seconds, but it did inspire all subsequent Chocobo themes. But to be honest, it is not the best track on the album; the arrangements are not very complex and sound more like the ones we could have found in FF 1.

11.   Magician’s Tower

The theme you hear inside the tower of Mysidia. Wow… just WOW! My first contact with the game was through the Origins version for PSX, and THEIR version of the theme was nowhere as memorable as this one. Of the 1,600 video game tracks I have on my computer, this is one of the few I put as a favorite and almost inevitably play it first every morning.

What makes it so great? First it feels just right for the context – you are climbing up a magic tower to get the ultimate spell, Ultima. Second the main beat is arranged in such a way that it carries the mystery of the tower to perfection. Finally the background beat, while relatively simple, adds drama to the track – after all Mindhu will die trying to retrieve it.

12.   Escape

I can not remember when in the NES version you hear that track – you hear it on the PSX when the friends escape from the Imperial Forces. It is very short, but it actually sounds better than the dramatic theme from Final Fantasy III, and as dramatic as the one in FF IV. Fun fact: the main beat is actually the “simplest”

13.   Ancient Castle

You can hear this one while exploring the Fynn Castle. It does not sound very “regal” but does fit the title of “ancient.” The main beat is a kind of flute that has a mysterious beat to it, the “guitar” in the background sounds fine and the 8-bit “beat” helps making the loop flow well.

14.   Dungeon

The standard dungeon music. It has kind of an “Arabic” feel to it that I just love – even better than the Origins version. It does not sound as dramatic as the dungeon music in FF 1, but it is still highly appropriate for a dungeon. In addition, the main background beat also sounds like a guitar that incorporates well. Finally, the “8-bit beat” is what holds the theme together to my ears – it helps making the transition between the various parts of the main beat.

15.   The Emperor Revives

While highly dramatic as it should, it loops much too quickly like revivification and is just annoying. I just skip it.

16.   Battle Scene 2

This is really the final boss theme, although you can also hear it while fighting the trapped chest that give you super strong weapons. The theme is appropriate for a final boss, sounding very dramatic and upbeat. It was done better than even Dragon Warrior III thanks to more complete arrangements. It starts with an intro that sets the drama right, followed by a decrescendo that is immediately followed by the core of the theme. In the background, the “guitar” is playing feverishly to add to the drama while the 8-bit beat adds the final touch to the drama (especially during the “echo” part of the main beat).

17.   Victory Fanfare

It sounds much more triumphant than in FF 1. The notes from the intro to the theme are much more detached and clear, making them louder. The rest of the theme is clearer too but only slightly; technological limitations were still in the way I guess.

18.   Finale

What you hear at the very end. It starts with the annoying revivification, but fortunately the rest sounds triumphant as an ending theme should. The arrangements do not sound very complex though; the notes still sound stuck together, while the background beat sounds more like FF 1.

19.   Waltz

What you hear during the dance when the Rebels first think they won… While it does sound like a waltz, it is so loud that we can barely hear it. I just skip it.

20.   Temptation of the Queen

You hear this brief track when the fake Hilda tries to lure you. However this track is still great. Music aficionados will recognize it right away: it is the first few measures of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake! It was made more obvious with the Origins version, however.

21.   Dead Music

I hardly die in RPGs, so I never heard that one. However, it sounds sad enough to be appropriate.

22.   Fanfare

The start of yet another classical sound. While very loud, the notes are distinct enough to make the track a classic in gaming. It is also very triumphant.

23.   Added Companion

Another short, yet appropriate track. I preferred it to the similar Dragon Warrior theme; it was inspired from the Fanfare, which is appropriate since your team is now stronger.

Unused tracks

While the FF 2 soundtrack was great, it was nevertheless lacking in diversity. In the game there was no distinct theme for the airship, the shops or even the “legendary” monsters when moving towards the end, a setback from FF 1. Here they are.

24.   Shop

It is a good thing it was not released; it merely sounds like a slightly evolved version of the FF 1 shop thing, which was already very annoying.

25.   Airship

Too bad it was not released. The arrangements, while a little too loud, were more complex than in FF 1 (and even Dragon Warrior III) and set an even better tone for the epicness of such a theme.

26.   Battle Scene 3

This is the saddest omission of them all. Fortunately it was saved during the Origins version; you can hear it while fighting creatures such as the Iron Giant inside Castle Pandemonium. This would have been an excellent addition to the game; the introduction sets the right done for the drama while the core of the loop is only slightly less dramatic than Battle Scene 2. Towards the end, the notes get more high-pitch (but fortunately not louder) and end in a manner I can not describe but which is just perfect. The background beat (not quite a guitar) adds to the drama while the 8-bit beat also helps blending everything together.

27.   Dungeon

I am not sure which dungeon could this track would have fitted, but it was only taken back in Final Fantasy VI, when freeing Rem in the second part of the game. You can easily recognize the beat.

Final diagnosis: if you are able to survive your constant self-mutilation, then you will enjoy the great music this game has to offer.

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(edited by janus on 10-15-15 07:46 PM)    

10-15-15 07:46 PM
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Dude. How did you do this? There's so many things wrong with this post. Like how literally the entire post is a clickable link.
Dude. How did you do this? There's so many things wrong with this post. Like how literally the entire post is a clickable link.
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10-15-15 07:47 PM
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zanderlex : Sorry, I do not know what went wrong. I just edited it
zanderlex : Sorry, I do not know what went wrong. I just edited it
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