thestopsign
Member
So after reading through the Top 5 JRPGs thread on the front page I came away with two conclusions. 1. I really, really need to play through Lufia II again and 2. Everyone else really, really needs to either try it for the first time or replay it with me.
Looking back in my thread history I have made a similar topic a few times to spread the gospel about this game, as it is something special for me and my gaming history. It was close to the first game I ever remember seeing or playing when I was a young tot. Since then I have revisited it many a time for another run through. I even made it a yearly tradition for myself for 5 or so years. I think I am around ten or so completions. The game may not seem like much at first, but once you get past that initial foray, the game will bless you with some of the best music on the SNES, an interesting battle system, amazing dungeon design, simple, but lovable characters, and of course the Ancient Cave.
Battle System: The battle system is standard fare at first, but once you advance farther into the game you can acquire magical items that have a second use. They can attack, heal, or buff your characters. This makes it sometimes more profitable to use the slightly weaker weapon, to get the better secondary ability. The catch is that these abilities use a third meter during battle called IP that only fills up if you take damage. Of course, there is the standard attack, defend, magic, and items components to the system as well. There is also a monster pet system thrown in for good measure. You can find new monsters scattered throughout the world map and in dungeons and feed them different items and weapons to get them to evolve into better forms.
Music: The music is phenomenal all the way through. The castle theme, the normal boss music, the Sinistral Theme and the ending theme are some of the standouts shown below.
Boss Theme
Sinistral Theme
Ending Theme (just warning this video shows the ending)
Castle Theme
Dungeons: The dungeons are really where this game remains unique in the pantheon of JRPGs. It held a unique blend of puzzle solving and visible enemies that really hasn't been replicated fully since. The puzzles range from simple to incredibly intricate. Each dungeon is laden with secrets behind optional puzzles or hidden passage ways that makes checking every corner, pot, or bush worth the extra effort.
Ancient Cave: The Ancient Cave is a 100 floor, randomly generated dungeon that plays out much like a rogue-like. The cave starts your party at level 1 with no weapons or items, and as you go you can find equipment, items, and magic to help out your cause. The catch is that you can't take any of this equipment out of the dungeon. There is an exception to this rule though, there are blue treasure chests that tend to have rare and extremely powerful items in them. You can also take these back into the cave with you if you restart. The cave is simple, yet very addicting, and will take you many hours to complete, but finding blue treasures and beating the cave is immensely satisfying, and I at least recommend you try it out.
Characters/Plot: It's hard to describe, but Lufia has one of the most lovable casts of all time. It has a wonderful balance of personalities and a few character moments will surprise you. The plot itself isn't very intricate, but it does have heartfelt moments and a very surprising ending.
I will be documenting my play through over the course of the next few weeks and I welcome you all to join along. This is a game that really deserves all the praise you here about it. It might have been lost under the sea of other wonderful RPGs in that era, but those who have had the pleasure of playing almost unanimously sing its praise.
*Just a note, Lufia II is a fine place to start the series, it actually serves as a prequel to the original. Lufia is perfectly serviceable game, but I believe that Lufia II surpasses it in most facets.