History VideoGame / FinalFantasyII

** This entry in the series was ''enormously'' experimental - character advancement worked differently, conversations worked differently, plot progression worked differently, you get the idea. Very little of it carried into future titles, though some of the ideas later branched off into the ''VideoGame/RomancingSaga'' series.

* YourPrincessIsInAnotherCastle: At one point in the game, Princess Hilda, the leader of the rebel force, gets kidnapped. You have to sneak onto the Empire's warship, where she's being held, and break her out. It turns out that [[spoiler:the Hilda you rescued isn't the real princess, but a Lamia Queen disguised as her, sent by the Emperor as part of a plot to kill you. Said plot involves the Lamia Queen, as Hilda, getting Firion alone and ''trying to seduce him''. And although he's [[AboveTheInfluence flustered at first]], he [[WhatAnIdiot almost falls for it.]] The only thing that saves him is Leila kicking the door in at the last minute, right as the Lamia Queen turns into her actual monstrous form, so the party can team up to kill her]].

It initially got [[VideoGameRemake remade]] on the UsefulNotes/WonderSwan, and later the UsefulNotes/PlayStation as part of the CompilationRerelease ''Final Fantasy Origins'', which added some FMV cutscenes. The aforementioned ''Dawn of Souls'' is another dual release for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance; it came with an {{expansion|pack}} designed [[BrutalBonusLevel with veterans in mind]]. A hi-def remake came out for the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable and UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}}; it rolled out the Arcane Labyrinth, a set of {{bonus dungeon}}s that will appeal only to the hardcore. It also added in a new "Guard" command so you can defend yourself for half damage. In 2021, this game was remastered as a part of the ''Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster'' series, which was released on PC via Steam and mobile devices. 2023 will see the ''Pixel Remaster'' version brought to UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch and UsefulNotes/PlayStation4.

It initially got [[VideoGameRemake remade]] on the UsefulNotes/WonderSwan, and later the UsefulNotes/PlayStation as part of the CompilationRerelease ''Final Fantasy Origins'', which added some FMV cutscenes. The aforementioned ''Dawn of Souls'' is another dual release for the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance; it came with an {{expansion|pack}} designed [[BrutalBonusLevel with veterans in mind]]. A hi-def remake came out for the UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable and UsefulNotes/{{iOS|Games}}; it rolled out the Arcane Labyrinth, a set of {{bonus dungeon}}s that will appeal only to the hardcore. It also added in a new "Guard" command so you can defend yourself for half damage. In 2021, this game was remastered as a part of the ''Final Fantasy Pixel Remaster'' series, which was released on PC via Steam and mobile devices.

* WeaponOfChoice: Each GuestStarPartyMember has their own starting proficiencies. Subverted with Gordon, who [[MagikarpPower starts with fairly low weapon skills and no magic, but very solid base stats.]]

* ShmuckBait: Your first real mission sends you to a town raided by the imperial forces in hopes of finding a member of the rebellion. All the soldiers going around the town can be talked to like anyone else -- at which point you're put into a battle that, at that point of the game short of extreme overgrinding, is going to wipe you out. You've got to entirely ignore and not bump into them.

** Grind until you can defeat the Captains roaming the streets of Fynn. They don't disappear when beaten and they drop Curse and Toad Tomes, as well as Flame Bows and Golden Armor, all of which aren't normally available until quite a bit later, as well as a fair bit of money. The Toad spell, in contrast to its normal usage, is only a BalefulPolymorph when used on your party members, while against enemies it functions as a OneHitKill. Only a few enemies are resistant to it and almost nothing is immune, not even most bosses, so with a few levels in it, that spell and the gear from the Captains can carry you through the whole game.

* TechnicolorDeath

* MythologyGag: You need to defeat nine pirates in order to get the captain to give you their ship. There’s also a familiar looking multi-headed dragon boss to fight in Pandaemonium.

** Desert monsters "Land Ray" [[AdaptationNameChange (or Sand Ray)]] and "Antlion" in the original game, UsefulNotes/PlayStation remake, and Dawn of Souls version can only be fought on World Map random encounters around the BeefGate desert area near Colosseum and Palamecia castle. If your party completes Ultima Tome quest before defeating at least one Land Ray and one Antlion, the Emperor will call upon Cyclone which rearranges most of the World Map monsters' placement; Land Ray will disappear completely from the game while Antlion will be replaced by Scissorjaws.
** "Phorusrhacos" monster in the original game, UsefulNotes/PlayStation remake, and Dawn of Souls version can only be fought on World Map random encounters around the BeefGate northern area of Fynn. If your party completes Ultima Tome quest before defeating at least one Phorusrhacos, the Emperor will call upon Cyclone which rearranges most of the World Map monsters' placement and Phorusracos will disappear completely from the game, leaving one empty space in the player's bestiary files. Averted in the Anniversary Version, where Phorusrhacos can be encountered again if the player choose to take Arcane Labyrinth challenge.
** Undead monster "Skull" [[AdaptationNameChange (or Death Mask)]] in the original game, UsefulNotes/PlayStation remake, and Dawn of Souls version can only be fought on random encounters in Castle Palamecia. If your party completes Castle Palamecia quest before defeating at least one Skull, [[spoiler:the revived Demon Emperor]] will destroy the whole castle, making it unvisitable and Skull can no longer be fought, leaving one empty space in the player's bestiary files. Averted in the Anniversary Version, where Skull can be encountered again if the player choose to take Arcane Labyrinth challenge.

* YouShallNotPass: [[spoiler:Ricard]] gets to do this in Castle Palamecia, when he [[spoiler:takes on the resurrected Emperor, who's now wielding the powers of Hell, to buy the rest of your party time to escape]].

** Desert monsters "Land Ray" [[AdaptationNameChange (or Sand Ray)]] and "Antlion" in the original game, UsefulNotes/PlayStation remake, and Dawn of Souls version can only be fought on World Map random encounters around the BeefGate desert area near Colosseum and Palamecia castle. If your party completes Ultima Tome quest before defeating at least one Land Ray and one Antlion, the Emperor will call upon Cyclone which rearranges most of the World Map monsters' placement and Sand Ray will disappear completely from the game, leaving two empty space in the player's bestiary files.

* OneTimeDungeon: The ''Dreadnought'' and the Cyclone cannot be re-entered after the party exits them.

** "Phorusrhacos" monster in the original game, UsefulNotes/PlayStation remake, and Dawn of Souls version can only be fought on World Map random encounters around the BeefGate northern area of Fynn. If your party completes Ultima Tome quest before defeating at least one Phorusrhacos, the Emperor will call upon Cyclone which rearranges most of the World Map monsters placement and Phorusracos will disappear completely from the game, leaving one empty space in the player's bestiary files. Averted in the Anniversary Version, where Phorusrhacos can be encountered again if the player choose to take Arcane Labyrinth challenge.

** This game has a unique feature where a party member is allowed to carry two additional items with them other than their respective battle gears. The original purpose of this feature is possibly to allow some party members to change weapons in midst of battles. Take note that GBA remake ''Dawn of Souls'' has four dead characters becoming playable in a different realm after beating the main storyline, with three of them had been a part of Firion's party in different quests. When certain characters are scripted to die, they will carry their gears and items with them to "Soul of Rebirth". If the player has already know beforehand about which GuestPartyMember is about to die in the main storyline, it is possible to use said characters as a "transporter" to store rare items and weapons from the main game. For example, the player can [[spoiler:win four Masamune blades from the snowfield minigame in the main storyline after leveling up Toad magic to Lv 16 while Ricard was still in the party, then equip two Masamune to Ricard and have him carry the other two, so the player can give the other two blades to Scott later in "Soul of Rebirth"]].

* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Hilda who leads the rebellion and Gordon who teams up with your party on occasion.

* BeefGate: The world map is mostly one giant continent, and it is possible to wander too far if you're not careful and end up being curb-stomped by high-level random encounters. Hopping off a Chocobo in the wrong area can especially screw you over.

** The world map in this game is one big continent with few small islands. Accidentally wandering off too far will result in getting ambushed by high-level monsters and unless you have done some rigorous StatGrinding and possessing [[GameBreaker rare weapons/spells]], you won't be able to walk out alive. While there are vague hints from some [[{{NPC}} NPCs]] which you may have talked to or not, nothing in this game tells you about which place is safe to go and which place is not safe other than first-hand experience of [[CurbStompBattle crushing defeat]] during random encounters. This becomes problematic in the early part of the adventure when your party don't have a map yet and don't know where to go to advance the storyline.

* PermanentlyMissableContent: "Phorusrhacos" in the original game, UsefulNotes/PlayStation remake, and Soul of Rebirth version can only be fought on World Map random encounters around the BeefGate northern area of Fynn. If your party completes Ultima Tome quest before defeating at least one Phorusrhacos, the Emperor will call upon Cyclone which rearranges most of the World Map monsters placement and Phorusracos will disappear completely from the game, leaving one empty space in the player's bestiary files. Averted in the Anniversary Version, where Phorusrhacos can be encountered again if the player choose to take Arcane Labyrinth challenge.

* PermanentlyMissableContent: "Phorusrhacos" in the original game, UsefulNotes/PlayStation remake, and Soul of Rebirth version can only be fought on World Map random encounters around the BeefGate northern area of Fynn. After Cyclone rearranges most of the World Map, Phorusracos will disappear completely from the game, leaving one empty space in the player's bestiary files. Averted in the Anniversary Version, where Phorusrhacos can be encountered again if the player choose to take Arcane Labyrinth challenge.

* PermanentlyMissableContent: "Phorusrhacos" in the original game, UsefulNotes/PlayStation remake, and Soul of Rebirth version can only be fought on World Map random encounters around the BeefGate northern area of Fynn. After Cyclone rearranges most of the World Map, Phorusracos will disappear conpletely from the game, leaving one empty space in the player's bestiary files. Averted in the Anniversary Version, where Phorusrhacos can be encountered again if the player choose to take Arcane Labyrinth challenge.

* PermanentlyMissableContent: "Phorusrhacos" in the original, UsefukNote/PlayStation remake, and Soul of Rebirth version can only be fought on World Map random encounters around the BeefGate northern area of Fynn. After Cyclone rearranges most of the World Map, Phorusracos will disappear conpletely from the game, leaving one empty space in the player's bestiary files. Averted in the Anniversary Version, where Phorusrhacos can be encountered again if the player choose to take Arcane Labyrinth challenge.

** It is possible to raise Esuna proficiency level by using it on your party and enemies alike in midst of battles, as this game counts every usage of magic, even the "missed" ones. Decently level Esuna can heal Amnesia and Curse, while precisely high level Esuna can heal more severe ailment status such as Toad or Stone.

* OlderIsBetter: In the Famicom version, this is actually averted with Ultima, the legendary ancient magic, which turns out to be useless when you finally get it. This was originally a bug, but the lead programmer refused to fix it specifically because he liked the idea of averting this trope and felt it made more sense for the ancient magic to be completely obsolete.