Final Fantasy II version differences

This is a list of known version differences in Final Fantasy II releases. In most cases, each version has built its feature set over a previous release; changes are cumulative unless otherwise noted.

Famicom (December 1988)

 * Original release

Dark Shadow Over Palakia (NES prototype, c. 1990)
Little is known about the changes that are or would have been implemented for international audiences vs. the original Famicom release, as DSOP never got past the transcription stage. This prototype is known to have had text inserted, but it was dumped in favor of the SNES and Final Fantasy IV.

WonderSwan Color (May 3, 2001)
Bandai's handheld system may not have had a fanbase outside of Japan, but Square's efforts on the platform, though largely in vain, were not without merit. It is from this base that the international version of Final Fantasy II began to take shape.


 * Changes in this version
 * The game start menu has moved to a redesigned title screen. In the Famicom version, the options menu was displayed after the prologue.
 * Characters are now named from a single screen, with default names set. In the Famicom version, party members were named in order on separate screens.
 * Game engine aligned with 16-bit titles:
 * Real-time display of damage incurred or recovered, hit count, and status on the battlefield.
 * Status changes are also indicated by the color of a character's current HP value: status effects cause this to be yellow, while KO or HP Critical will turn it red. The Famicom version changed the Max HP value to a status effect text.
 * Menu design follows format of later series games: party to the left, menu to the right. The Famicom version had its menu on the bottom of the screen.
 * Prologue, in-game, and end-game cutscenes added. The Prelude does not play as the prologue is told; instead, a new track has been added.
 * Introductory chase scene added prior to the battle with the four Black Knights. The Famicom version went directly into this battle.
 * Graphics upgraded to 16-bit quality.
 * Sprite detail increased
 * Keywords now display in color. This might have been more difficult with the Famicom's color palette, so the original version bracketed these instead.
 * High-quality pre-rendered backgrounds in battle.
 * Auto-targeting option added. Characters will now randomly target their next enemy in battle when their current target is defeated. Previously, attempts to strike a defeated enemy were "ineffective". Players can switch this behavior on or off.
 * Spells used in battle now have unique and progressive animations.
 * Dungeons now have pre-rendered textures and 2.5D effects.
 * Music and sound effects have been slightly updated using the WonderSwan's sound chip.
 * The save/rest theme from the original Final Fantasy has been added. When the party rests at an inn, the theme will play.
 * Addition of two new boss battle themes. Battle Theme 2 now only plays during the final confrontation with Emperor Mateus.

Final Fantasy Origins (PlayStation)
For players outside of Japan, Origins was likely their first run-in with Final Fantasy or Final Fantasy II. As such, the original game engines remained largely intact. Much of the work from the WonderSwan Color release was upscaled to TV-quality graphics and CD-quality sound. This release also takes advantage of the PlayStation family's full-motion video capabilities. However, the transition to CD resulted in increased transition times between field movement and battle gameplay, which became a common lament among reviewers of the time and owners of the game.

In collaboration with Sony Computer Entertainment, Square Enix released a digital distribution version for the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable units as part of the former company's "PSOne Classics" library. The digital release is identical to the original CD release, though being digital eliminates the perceived lag of a CD and allows the game to be played on Sony's portable platform as well.

CD release (October 2002/March-May 2003)

 * Changes in this version:
 * Upgrades to WSC resolution to match PlayStation resolution.
 * The game's soundtrack is upgraded to a quality similar to that of the Final Fantasy IX soundtrack.
 * An omake (extras) mode was added, including a Bestiary page, art gallery, and item collection.
 * Addition of introductory FMV cutscenes.
 * The prologue sequence from the WSC version alternates with the intro FMV should the game not be started, creating a mock "demo mode".
 * Save screen adapted for 128K PlayStation Memory Card; players may save up to 15 game files.
 * Choice of Easy or Normal difficulty levels.
 * Memo save feature added. Players can quickly save their progress to the PlayStation's internal memory. However, the data will be lost if the console is turned off or a hard reset is initiated. To retain the data, the player should save to a PS Memory Card and make use of the SquareSoft Soft Reset (all shoulder triggers + Select + Start).
 * First localized release
 * Dialogue, info, and save screen font is Helvetica/Arial clone; other areas use fixed-width.
 * Character name changes: Frioniel → Firion, Guy → Gus, Lionheart/Rhinehart → Leon, Minwu → Mindu, Ricard → Gareth, Paul → Pavel. "Pavel" is the Slavic form of "Paul", so the motivation behind this change is yet unknown.
 * Script changes: Guy speaks in a crude manner (e.g. "Where real princess?!"); Leila has a pirate accent.

PlayStation Network release (since 2009)
The only changes present in this release relate to its retrofitting as downloadable software.


 * Changes in this version
 * An onscreen user guide was added.
 * Support for software Memory Cards was added. The PS3 and PSP can read from and write to virtualized Memory Cards. On the PS3 system, an emulator handles the playback of original PlayStation discs and converts hardware Memory Card requests to software automatically.

Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls (GBA, 2004)
Technically a part of the Finest Fantasy for Advance series, Dawn of Souls returned Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II to the cartridge format. Square and Enix had merged only months earlier, making this game one of the newly-formed Square Enix's first releases. Under a new localization team, the script for both games was almost entirely rewritten; and for the first time in series history, an optional gaiden (side story) was added in Soul of Rebirth, telling of the postmortem journey of all who fell at the Palamecian Empire's hand. As the game's publisher, Nintendo contributed a unique font to localization that was easy to read within the confines of the Game Boy Advance's screen, also giving the series even more of a fantasy feel. The Final Fantasy II engine itself was modified significantly so as to make the game easier to play, especially for younger audiences. While the general aesthetics of previous releases remain, Dawn of Souls is a markedly different game than the previous two.


 * Changes in this version
 * Graphics and sound were slightly downscaled for GBA.
 * Most omake features were removed vs. PlayStation. The Bestiary remains.
 * FMV sequences removed
 * The prologue sequence will play upon starting a new game from the title screen. This feature is carried through to the PSP version as well.
 * The chase scene in the WSC and PlayStation versions was removed for this release, restoring the Famicom intro battle.
 * Difficulty levels removed. The game now operates as if in the Easy mode of the PlayStation release.
 * New script
 * Character avatars added. Whenever a key figure speaks, his/her portrait will appear left of the dialogue.
 * A tutorial room is created where Firion is first revived in Altair, after viewing the opening sequence. The player can speak to the sages within for tips and hints. This also carries forward to the PSP version.
 * Auto-targeting is now permanent.
 * The inventory cap of 32 items has been removed, replaced by a global pool as in later games. Likewise, characters need no longer to be fitted with an item to consume it.
 * Items of the same type now stack within the item pool.
 * Number of saves fixed at three.
 * Localized text uses Square Enix-Nintendo scalable global font.
 * Stat values no longer decrease; they can only increase.
 * Action-cancel bug removed
 * Soul of Rebirth side story added.

Final Fantasy II: 20th Anniversary (PSP)
Marking the 20th anniversary of the original Japanese Final Fantasy, Square Enix released the 20th Anniversary collection for Sony's emerging PlayStation Portable handheld. The PSP's optical Universal Media Disc (UMD) allowed greater liberty on the part of game developers. Games could now be cast in higher definition and had greater capacity for content. Square Enix took full advantage of the format, restoring the original PlayStation release's FMV sequences, upscaling and further refining the Dawn of Souls release for the PSP's wider screen, and adding an entirely new set of bonus dungeons known as the Arcane Labyrinths for players seeking a greater challenge.

Later in the handheld's lifecycle, Sony dropped UMD from its portable roadmap altogether, necessitating yet another digital conversion for the PSPgo and the then-forthcoming Vita. Gameplay mechanics for both versions remain identical to those in Dawn of Souls.

UMD release (2007)

 * Changes in this version
 * Many features from the PlayStation release have been reintroduced.
 * However, the PlayStation/WSC chase scene does not return. Instead, a scene depicting the Wild Rose Rebellion's recovery of the wounded party after the battle with the Black Knights is shown.
 * A language selection screen was added. Players may choose to view text in English or one of two Japanese scripts.
 * Dawn of Souls features retained.
 * Additional script tweaks.
 * Graphics updated for HD/16:9 widescreen format.
 * Field sprites are now fully rendered, based on original Amano artwork.
 * Save screen now allows for unlimited saves.
 * Custom Times-based font is used in-game, except in instances where the PSP system gives the user feedback.
 * Arcane Labyrinths added.

PlayStation Network release
The PSP version was released as a downloadable for model N1000 (PSPgo) and PlayStation Vita handhelds. This version is identical to the UMD release.