Square surprised the market by betting part of its classic catalogue on Bandai's handheld instead of sticking to PlayStation, and this remake of "Final Fantasy II" — the second Japanese entry, distinct from the game the West knew under that same number on the SNES — updated the graphics and sound of the Famicom original without touching its most distinctive progression system: characters don't level up through accumulated experience, but instead improve the stats they actually use, whether that's swinging a sword or casting spells.
For anyone who only knows the series through its Western numbering, this is a great entry point into a chapter that stayed sidelined in Japan for years — one that WonderSwan Color helped rescue with a presentation far friendlier than the original 8-bit release.
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