GENRE
	Capcom
	DEVELOPER
	Capcom
	PUBLISHER
	1-2
	NUMBER OF PLAYERS
	no
	CONNECTIVITY
	no
	BUY NOW AT

Breath of Fire 2 is the second of four games in the Breath of Fire series. Each game takes place in a unique universe and covers a story that is unrelated to the other BoF experiences. Naturally, the games share a few elements, most notably character names (Ryu is always the name of the hero) and gameplay elements.

BoF 2 starts out in the small town of Gate. Ryu’s sister, Yua, is missing, and Ryu sets out to track her down. Ryu sees a monster sneaking up on his sister, and desperately tries to defend her, but he is almost struck down. Their father, a priest known as Father Ganer, saves the day, showing his true powers. After Yua and Ganer go home, Ryu falls asleep in the middle of the field where they found her. When he awakens, no one knows or cares who he is. Thus, Ryu’s adventure begins as he searches for answers.

visuals

Even when it was first released, the graphics in Breath of Fire 2 were not considered to be spectacular, especially for a sequel. Thankfully, Capcom changed a few things. Enemies look a little bit cleaner (like they do in BOF 3 and 4), and some are completely redone. Some still cut-scenes have been added to show close-ups of the characters, and the battlefield has been polished. In a world where most GBA ports do not add anything new, this is nice.

The bosses are the highlights of the visuals, since they are often packing some great detail to help them look especially wicked. On the other end of the spectrum, the graphics are at their worst when some enemies are repeated with different color palettes, but what old-school RPG does not use this cheap technique?

audio

The music in the first Breath of Fire is better, but the tracks in BoF 2 are acceptable. Thankfully, the battle theme is above the standard set by the majority of the music. There is a lot of fighting in this game, but the battle theme never gets old. The sound effects are the worst strike against the audio, as they could use some serious improvement.

gameplay

BoF 2 offers classic gameplay, complete with a great storyline and the badly translated dialog that was a staple of the 8-bit and 16-bit generations. At heart, it is a typical RPG. Players wander around from place to place, fighting or avoiding enemies. Usually, there is a boss (or two) in every area. The battles are standard, with options for running, attacking, or casting spells. Some characters have special powers, like Ryu’s ability to sacrifice all of his magic points and morph into a fierce, damage-dealing dragon. Every RPG has these features, but there are a few very nice extras that combine with the fantastic story to set this game apart from the pack. There are three different endings, multiple teams that can be created with Ryu and his allies, a plethora of bonus games (including a fun, bonus-yielding fishing game), the ability to morph into a shaman and alter the statistics of party members, and a town in which the player gets to chose the inhabitants.

As you can tell, the only perquisite for enjoying this game is that one needs to be a fan of role-playing games. If you are a fan of the genre, you will easily be able to enjoy this mix of established traditions and unique gameplay elements.

multiplayer

Surprisingly, BoF 2 has a little bit of multiplayer support. You can trade items with a friend, which is great if you want to get some of the best weapons in the game without doing any of the work. However, it is not a necessary feature, and many will likely consider it cheating.

overall

Breath of Fire 2 was one of the best RPGs of the Super NES era. You cannot go wrong with this game, as it is also one of the best games yet to be released for Game Boy Advance. Be warned that, aside from some small upgrades, it is just a port. If you have played and finished the Super NES version, there is really no need to go out and buy this game unless you are looking for the same experience on a smaller screen. Otherwise, I highly recommend it.

Role-Playing/10