Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals

About This Game

Gameplay

Characters walk around an overworld map and then enter dungeons, where they fight monsters and either buy or find new equipment and spells. The player's party supports up to four characters at once, along with a Capsule Monster. There are various forms of transportation faster than walking, including a warping spell, a boat modified into a submarine, and a blimp. The game includes the casino minigames Pachinko Slot, Black Jack, Slot Machine, Stud Poker, and Action Bingo. In dungeons, monsters appear on the map, and can be avoided if the player wishes. Motion in dungeons is also turn-based, and monsters do not move unless the player does. The main player character, Maxim, gains a number of tools and weapons which can only be used in dungeons (similar to The Legend of Zelda titles), such as a bow and arrow, bombs and a hookshot. These, along with his sword, stun monsters temporarily and interact with obstacles. Dungeons place great emphasis on puzzles. On the world map, monsters are encountered randomly. Aside from the RPG standards of "Fight", "Use Item" and "Use Magic", characters have access to IP Skills, which are attached to weapons, armor and accessories.

History

The North American release of the game was initially slated for release in May 1996, but did not actually hit store shelves until around September. It has a few graphical and textual glitches which were corrected in the European version. The European versions were released in English, German, Spanish and Dutch for distribution in Australia, Germany, Spain and the Netherlands respectively. The Australian version was released in 1997, one year after the North American version. Both the European and Australian releases of the game were titled "Lufia", not "Lufia II", and included no subtitle because Lufia & the Fortress of Doom was never released in Europe and Australia.