About this game
Final Fantasy II, released exclusively in Japan in December 1988, rewrote the rules of its own franchise after just one entry. It abandoned experience-point leveling entirely, replacing it with an activity-based growth model — characters become stronger in precisely the skills they use in battle. The game also introduced the Chocobo rideable mount and the recurring character Cid, two series staples that would appear in nearly every Final Fantasy for decades to come.
The Story Behind
A Western NES localization titled 'Final Fantasy II: Dark Shadow Over Palakia' was in development in 1991 but was cancelled as Square shifted focus to the Super Famicom. The game remained Japan-exclusive on original hardware for nearly 15 years, first reaching Western players through the 2003 PlayStation anthology Final Fantasy Origins. Programmer Nasir Gebelli — an Iranian-American developer already legendary in Silicon Valley for his Apple II work — wrote the game's engine.
Tricks & Tales
The Chocobo was designed by Koichi Ishii and initially rejected by director Sakaguchi before being included as a rideable bird — a last-minute decision that would define one of gaming's most beloved creatures. The activity-based stat system is intentionally exploitable: players quickly discovered that repeatedly casting spells on their own party, or equipping inefficient weapons for longer fights, could train stats artificially.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Japan exclusive on Famicom. No official North American release on original hardware.
Maintenance Tips
The gold-plated edge connectors on Famicom and NES cartridges pick up skin oils and oxidation over decades — a gentle wipe with a cotton swab dampened in 90% or higher isopropyl alcohol, stroking along the length of the pins rather than across them, is the accepted standard. Let the alcohol fully evaporate before reinserting. The old habit of blowing into a cartridge is folklore: the moisture in breath causes slow corrosion of the contacts over time, and any improvement you felt came from the act of re-seating the cart, not from the breath itself. Nintendo eventually updated its own troubleshooting guidance to say explicitly: do not blow into your Game Paks.
Going deeper
More on keeping a Family Computer (Famicom) / NES alive, and what to check before you buy one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Final Fantasy II copies regularly.
How do I know if a Famicom or NES cartridge is authentic and not a reproduction?
Authentic Nintendo cartridges have security screws — a proprietary gamebit pattern, not standard Phillips heads. The PCB inside should have a copyright year and 'Nintendo' etched directly onto the board. The back label of genuine carts has imprinted stamped characters (such as 11A or 03); reproductions typically have no imprint at all. If screws look jagged or the board inside is undersized with no Nintendo branding, treat it as a repro. When in doubt, ask the seller for interior photos.
My Famicom cartridge won't start — what should I try first?
Clean the edge connector with a cotton swab and 90%+ isopropyl alcohol (IPA). Do not blow into the slot. If cleaning does not help, re-seat the cartridge firmly and try again. Persistent read failures on a NES may also be caused by worn-out 72-pin connector pins on the console side, which is a separate repair.
Can I play Famicom games on a NES, or NES games on a Famicom?
Not without an adapter. The cartridge shapes and pin counts differ (60-pin for Famicom, 72-pin for NES). A 60-to-72-pin physical adapter allows Famicom carts to run on a NES. In the other direction, NES-format carts are too wide for the Famicom slot and cannot be inserted at all.
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