The iPhone edition of Final Fantasy II is based on a 2007 PlayStation Portable remake, which features updated visuals and audio as well as a new dungeon. The old-school 8-bit graphics have been completely refreshed, but thanks to the high-res 16-bit aesthetic, maintain their retro charm. On the iPhone, the sharp sprites and bright colors look outstanding. The remixed themes also sound great, especially to ears that think Final Fantasy II remains a highlight in composer Nobou Uematsu's extensive career. (And if that name means zero to you, no worries. Just know that this is some great, classic game music.)
Final Fantasy II benefits from an improved narrative over the original adventure. There are essentially two teams of heroes, though you stick with one set for the majority of the quest. You are in search of Leon, a hero with a dark core seen in the opening scene. On your journey, you must bring down a giant airship called the Dreadnought, help the last surviving dragon, and enter a hellish underworld. If you downloaded Final Fantasy I and found its story lacking, there is a little more drive to this sequel.
I admire Final Fantasy II's attempt to break outside the traditional leveling up mechanic of most RPGs even if I don't necessarily like it. Instead of amassing general experience, the proficiency system improves your aptitude with a weapon, magic, or skill the more you use it. The less you use something, the lower your proficiency with it. This sounds better than it is. To gain HP, you must take damage. Wait. What? I have to let myself get hammered to become stronger, which in turn places me in risk of just getting killed outright? No, you can turn this system on its head and just injure each other to raise stamina. That's pointless.
Final Fantasy II also uses an awkward learning system. When you speak to other characters and important words or phrases are uttered, you need to tap a button to learn it. Memorizing words gives you the option to use them later as passwords and whatnot, or bring them up with a character as a way to glean additional information. It's clunky but effective as an early indication of where conversation in RPGs might go with a few years of evolution.
Final Fantasy II uses the touchscreen to control the action. Just like Final Fantasy I, this system is slow but entirely workable. You touch an action icon and then tap the enemy you want to attack. Because of the proficiency system and excessive random battles (really, it gets a little silly when you cannot take seven steps without being attacked), battle scenes played during your skill- and HP-grinding phases take a lot of time. Hours, in fact. If you aren't ready for this – meaning, you aren't already a Final Fantasy II fan – this may drive you crazy and right back into the arms of a breezier game.