Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals – Greatest Cart Ever?

Known in Japan as Estpolis Denki II

Lufia 2

Released to America in Summer of 96 (Japan early 95, almost immediately before Chrono Trigger by Squaresoft).

This Neverland epic probably lost thousands of gamer hours because Chrono Trigger is on so many “Top (X)” lists around the globe.  The Lufia prequel (see Mother vs. Earthbound) is somewhere between 25-90 hours on a play through. There are many elements to the game, sidequests essentially, which can be completed without too much detouring or retracing (with one huge, deliberate exception).  Let’s break down this RPG and get the word out for why it is so awesome.  Classic games still stack up with releases a decade later because they pushed their limits and reached the boundaries within their simplicity.  Modern developers are constantly restricted by deadlines, technical requirements, and supporting the flash-media genre where every second of the game is interactive.

The Greatest Battle (interface) of All Time

Final Fantasy (nes)

1.  The year is 1990, and Square ports to English Final Fantasy.  By the time you arrive at the second screen you are faced with a decision of what kind of party to form, whether it be balanced with blackbelts and mages and warriors, or the dreaded four white mages.  Whatever your fancy is, this is the style you make your fighting in:

• Random Encounters – Are the huge tiles beneath you that represent miles of map safe?  If you take another step will you fight a monster? 9 Imps? What lies across that bridge?  Will I make it back to town before my last dude dies?  I give this game an overall paranoia rating of 4 out of 5.  I have crossed over 50 squares without a battle only to be stricken down with 3 battles in 15 squares shortly after… and don’t even get me started about that damned boat.