Reader Reviews

Lufia 2 (SNES)

by Kami

I dunno about Tom, but I'm still on a retro kick after raiding my attic. All those games... so few hours in the day! But my particular holy grail, the one game I can truly say destroyed my childhood, the one game I wasted my life away on - was Lufia 2. Which our American cousins didn't get. Shame! [Cackle]

The premise is simple: it's a prequel to Lufia 1. Maxim is a gifted swordsman, who hunts down jellies for cash. It's a simple life... until a ball of light in the sky forces other monsters to make a move. From there on Maxim has to realise that he did not become a swordsman by chance... and the game plays heavily on the whole destiny vibe.

Of course, there's more to the plot. Marriage, jealousy, a baby, two stupid thieves who get it wrong all the time but think they're the best... Sinistrals planning to destroy the world... You know, the usual stuff. What set Lufia 2 apart from FFVI, was that not only did it pull off a tale of 'life' effortlessly, it was also more polished than it's main rival! [Riiiiight -Ed]

Graphics were a pleasing change from Final Fantasy - the large heads and little bodies were kinda cute but still detailed enough to suck you in. The graphics: polished, detailed. The world: fascinating, beautiful, well crafted. Warping to towns was refreshing, and the battle system was simple.

But in layout only. The core battle system was refined - a plus sign of options. Attack? Items? Spells? Special Moves? Check all those. The menu systems were presented well, and didn't confuse. And above all that, was the added extra of training little "Capsule Monsters" up to be a good, strong part of your team! Usually by feeding them the junk you couldn't sell or didn't need.

Of extra note, however, should be the ending. The only ending in a videogame - nay, the only moment in any videogame - where I blubbered like Gazza after losing at football. What can only be described as the most moving, most touching and most emotional ending to any videogame, ever. [A bold claim indeed -Ed] This was more than a game. It hit too many emotional chords for that.

Then there are the downers... umm... err... or the lack thereof. Lufia 2 was perfect. Despite the occasional butt-kicking when you hadn't saved for a while, and the lengthy 100 floors of the Endless Cave (But the prizes were always good!)... Lufia 2 didn't have too many major factors against it.

Of course, we can't forget mentioning the recent (and decidedly average!) sequel, Lufia Gaiden, which I urge most to avoid like the plague. If you want Lufia action, then this is the game you want. That is, if you can find it... And play it... And afford it.

So, Lufia 2. One of the best RPG experiences ever. Give it a few months of your life and be prepared to be amazed. It is still as good as it ever was, and the story still as dramatic and roller coaster-like. The only problem, though, is that it might be too much RPG. If you never liked 16-bit RPG's, then I doubt this one will lure you (though it should). If you do like them, but have never played Lufia 2... then it's worth a shot.