Lufia 2 First Impressions

The summer season is upon us, and the regular video game releases slow for a while. Some fill in the gap by purchasing discounted games on a digital distribution service and engaging in a community metagame to win prizes. Others raise money for charity by showing off how to complete games as quickly as possible, sometimes by breaking the game entirely. A while ago I noticed one video game site was doing a sort of book club by asking people to play through old Japanese developed console role playing games and discuss them at set times. The event inspired me to get a hold on an old out of print Super Nintendo game that, after playing for about an hour, I can say that I really should have picked it up earlier.

Lufia 2: Rise of the Sinistrals seems to be a solid experience akin to other Japanese RPGs before it. The main character hunts monsters for a living, and when he finds out that the world may be in danger, he sets out to help. You set out from a village and explore an overworld, dungeons, and other towns. Along the way you encounter random battles with various enemies in turn-based fashion. At first I had a bit of a problem understanding how to use magic. I would not have known the “Strong” spell recovered hit points without trying it out, but at least the beginning dungeon was not too hard. To distinguish itself more, you have a gauge that increases as your character takes more damage. Like a limit break, you can do special abilities that deplete the gauge, and they’re tied to the piece of equipment you use. For example, I could use a Bomb special to attack all enemies, or I could cast a magic attack with the ability to target one or all enemies.

The more interesting feature of this game is how the dungeons are handled in more of an action fashion. Enemies appear in the dungeon unlike in the overworld, and you can get surprise attacks on them or get ambushed depending on your position. You are also able to hit enemies with arrows to stun them so that you can position yourself accordingly. I would describe the game as a mix between Dragon Quest and Legend of Zelda. There are times where I needed to move and pick up items to weigh down a switch or cut grass using my sword. This puzzle aspect engages me more than I expect from a JRPG. I get a rush when I discover a hidden treasure in the wall and realize that to get the treasure on the other side of the wall I need to fight a gauntlet of monsters. The combination of puzzles and strategy mean that you will want to explore everything in a dungeon without worrying about random attacks that tire you before the area’s boss.

Lufia 2 was released on the Super Nintendo years ago. There was a port to the Nintendo DS, but neither game is available for digital download. Try it out if you have the chance. I ought to finish it sometime now that it is in my backlog.