Lufia 2 is an
RPG for
SNES. It is the prequel to the original
Lufia, also for SNES.
From a gameplay point of view, it is very similar to the installments of the
Final Fantasy series on the SNES, except that
dungeons are handled somewhat differently. Monsters are visible and movement is turn based; monsters will only move when you move.
In the dungeons, you have a number of
skills available:
arrows can flip
switches or stun monsters, bombs can blow up crates and walls, and a
zelda-like
hookshot allows you to cross pits. The dungeons are full of various
puzzles, ranging from simple 'shoot the switch to extend the bridge' deals to much more complex and devious ones.
Combat is much like
Final Fantasy: you select an action for each of your characters (
fight,
cast spells,
use items,
defend, or
run), and then the round plays out. A couple of key differences are Lufia 2's
rage attacks and
capsule monsters.
As you take damage, your
rage builds. Different equipped items allow you to unleash various attacks with your accumulated rage. Some of these are incredibly devastating; one
sword carries a rage attack that will allow you to hit eight times in a single round.
Capsule monsters are found in the wild or in dungeons, and you can select one to join you in battle. You can not issue commands to them; they will fight using
random attacks. You can, however,
feed them items. Once you feed one enough stuff, it will metamorph into a more powerful form and can learn new attacks. Capsule monsters are also unkillable; if one dies in battle, it will be alive again after the
battle ends.
Lufia 2 has many side quests and optional areas, including the
Ancient Cave. The ancient cave is a randomly generated, 99-level dungeon. When you enter it, your party members are stripped of their gear and temporarily reduced to level 1. The only way to get back out of the
cave (and to get your levels and gear back) is to use an item ("Providence") found randomly after the 20th level of the dungeon. When you do return to the surface, any items you've found in the cave are removed except certain powerful items found in special
blue treasure chests. These can also be taken back into the cave, and the advantage of having them will let you get deeper next time, to find even more items, or so you hope.
In my opinion, Lufia 2 is an excellent game. If you like
Final Fantasy, I'd urge you to go
downlo.. er,
buy a
ROM.. er,
copy of the game to play on your
emulat.. er,
SNES.