Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals

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Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals
North American box art
Developer(s)	Neverland
Publisher(s)	JPN Taito NA Natsume EU Nintendo
Composer(s)	Yasunori Shiono
Series	Lufia series
Platform(s)	SNES
Release date(s)	JPN February 24, 1995 NA August 31, 1996
Genre(s)	Role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: K-A (Kids to Adults)
Media	Cartridge

Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals ( エストポリス伝記II Estpolis DenkiⅡ in Japan ) is an RPG game with puzzle elements developed by Neverland and published in Japan in 1995 by Taito, and in North America and Europe in 1996 by Natsume and Nintendo respectively, for the Super Nintendo video game console.

Lufia II is a prequel to the first Lufia game, Lufia and the Fortress of Doom. It follows the story of the first main character's ancestor, Maxim, and explains the origins of the war between mankind and a group of superhumans called Sinistrals.

Lufia II made a number of changes from the first game. Dungeons no longer have random encounters and there are hundreds of puzzles throughout the game, ranging from simple to extremely challenging. It also introduced new skills, such as a variety of weapons that could be used to stun monsters or solve puzzles, and IP attacks, which work similarly to the limit breaks later introduced in Final Fantasy VII. It also introduced the ability to use captured creatures in battle, similar to the earlier Dragon Quest V and the later Pokémon series.

Contents 1 Storyline 2 Main Playable Characters 2.1 Maxim 2.2 Tia 2.3 Guy 2.4 Selan 2.5 Dekar 2.6 Lexis 2.7 Artea 3 Non Playable Characters 4 Sinistrals 5 Gameplay 5.1 Dungeons 5.2 Skill Ring 5.3 IP Skills 5.4 Capsule monsters 6 The Ancient Cave 7 Differences between versions 7.1 North American and European differences 7.2 North American and Australian 7.3 Japanese and International differences 8 External links

[edit] Storyline

The story is centered around the hero Maxim, a swordsman from the town of Elcid who is born with a natural ability to fight and is destined to destroy the Sinistrals. Throughout his journey, he meets other warriors who are able to confront the Sinistrals as well. The game is a prequel to Lufia & the Fortress of Doom, set ninety-nine years before it, telling the story of how the Sinistrals first appeared in the world and the battles fought against them.

[edit] Main Playable Characters

[edit] Maxim

The main hero of the game. His story begins in Elcid, where after meeting a mysterious woman named Iris in a cave, she informs him that his fate is to travel on a great journey.

His past is unknown, other than bits and pieces. He has said himself that he has always known swordsmanship, even though no one taught him. His father is never mentioned, but he is always cited as the 'beginning' of a legendary bloodline destined to do war with the Sinistrals.

He is mild-mannered and polite, and is an impressive, natural warrior as well as a strong leader. He is childhood friends with Tia, and it is unknown if he is unaware of her romantic advances, or if he is ignoring them. Maxim eventually fell in love with Selan and together they had a child.

As a fighter Maxim has decent strength, and can use some magics (his main limitation is that he cannot learn fire-based spells). He can use strategic, curative, and some defense/strategic spells. He is one of the most well-balanced characters in the game, but other characters of specialties may overshadow his abilities easily. Maxim is the only character who can cast the "Reset" spell and wield the Dual Blade.

[edit] Tia

A young woman who runs the store in Elcid. She is Maxim's childhood friend, and goes to great lengths to impress him in the hopes that maybe he will notice her romantic intentions. She decides to join Maxim on his journey when she realizes that he doesn't plan to stay in Elcid after his encounter with Iris.

When Maxim is in danger, she is stubborn and refuses to leave his side which can lead to trouble. She is possessive of Maxim, and is capable of becoming very jealous if another girl seems to be getting too close. Her affection could stem from the fact that Maxim was the one who told her that the reason why she was being teased is because she would cry easily.

Physically she is not strong, and relies on magic to contribute to a fight. She has a wider range of spells than Maxim.

[edit] Guy

Guy is an optimistic warrior from Tanbel who is always up for a duel or a bit of adventure. He joins Maxim on his journey after Hilda, Guy's sister, is kidnapped and taken to a tower by a minion of the Sinistrals. Upon her safe return, Guy is hesitant to leave Hilda while she is injured, but Jessy, Guy's girlfriend, urges him to go. Guy is one of the warriors that is destined to travel with Maxim.

Guy tends to have a friendly rivalry with his companions, particularly Dekar and Artea, which leads to some interesting banter. He has a deep respect for Maxim, even electing to leave his hometown to journey with him. He rarely argues the fact that Maxim is much stronger than himself, and it rarely seems to bother him. Since Maxim himself is a wandering loner, Guy is the closest thing he has to a best friend.

One of the strongest characters, Guy can use his weapon to deal a devastating blow. He is unable to use magic and has a low magical defense, and is very susceptible to being hit with spells.

It is known that Guy lives for 100 years beyond when this game takes place, and dies not too long after he hears of the Sinistrals being revived in Lufia and the Fortress of Doom. In Guy's dying breath, he tells the hero to go see Artea, as he is an elf and has a longer life than humans.

[edit] Selan

Selan is the commander of the Parcelyte army, and is the best warrior in the ranks. She joins the party after she is ordered by the king to help retrieve the Treasure Sword. She is independent and resents having to ask Maxim for help, as well as being under his command. She eventually grows accustomed to his leadership, and learns to trust him after a series of events. Selan is also one of the warriors fated to fight alongside Maxim. During a period of time, Selan married Maxim and they had a child together.

Selan lost her parents at a young age, and her only family consists of an aunt. She is tough as nails, yet kind enough to comfort Lemmy, a girl from Parcelyte, when she is being bullied.

She is a better fighter than Tia, but is less talented when it comes to magic. Unlike Tia, she can use light swords.

[edit] Dekar

A protector of Bound Kingdom, Dekar is a formidable warrior. He acts as bodyguard to Prince Alex, and is very protective of his charge. When Alex overestimates his abilities in battle, it is always Dekar who comes to the rescue. He joins Maxim to help fight against Gades after the destruction of Gordovan, claiming he "wanted to meet the bum" who could destroy an entire city.

He is loyal and kind, yet is not the brightest of the bunch. He tends to have a very confident attitude, outright cocky at times, and has a few tricks up his sleeve to deal with monsters. Dekar can be very philosophical, especially when it is someone's feelings that are on the line. He has a rivalry with Idura, a minion of the Sinistrals.

Like Guy, he can use heavy weapons, but cannot use magic. He is stronger physically, but is weaker mentally, thus magic can deal more damage to Dekar than the others.

[edit] Lexis

Lexis Shaia is a great inventor, even if his creations have a tendency of blowing up from time to time. The party meets Lexis in his lab in the search for an engine for their ship. Impressed with the results that Maxim provides with one of his inventions' tests (a measurement of power, to which Maxim buried the needle), Lexis joins the party to observe what might come.

Lexis is a genius when it comes to inventions, some of which include the engine that can make ships sail without wind. He can be a little quirky, but is overall a friendly guy. Lexis is mentioned in the first Lufia game, as it is his descendants that help the hero.

Lexis fights using tools. He can use magic, but as a fighter overall, is not very impressive. He is the only one who can equip tools, such as wrenches.

[edit] Artea

Artea (or Arty, which is displayed on the menu screen) is the only elf to join up with Maxim. Despite claims, Artea is male, not female. He can sense that something is wrong in the world, and that the Sinistrals are a great threat. He joins the party after the elder from his village Eserikto is kidnapped by the Sinistrals.

Artea can be aloof at times, especially given that the relationship between elves and humans is not the strongest. He and Guy are usually verbally sparring about the difference between the two races. He is the oldest member of the party, due to the difference of how elves age compared to humans. Like all the other party members, he grows a respect of Maxim due to his strength and selfless nature.

Artea is capable of wielding light swords, and more particularly, bows. His magic is the strongest in the entire game, and he can use two spells that no one else in the game can: "Zap" and "Fry", which are holy light based.

In Lufia and the Fortress of Doom, it is revealed that the fight with the Sinistrals left him blind, but he could sense Maxim's bloodline from the hero and at first thought Maxim was back. Artea gives Jerin his bow, as it can only be used by an elf (or a half-elf, in this case).

[edit] Non Playable Characters

Iris

A mysterious woman who seems to come and go with the wind. She possesses very powerful magic, which she uses to help Maxim and his party. She is the one who tells Maxim that he should start his journey, although her motives at times are not completely known. She is more often than not able to save Maxim at the last moment, and it seems the Sinistrals have an interest in her as people often tell Maxim during his journey that "The Female Traveller was kidnapped!". This is at least twice the case, in Gordovan and Karlloon.

Hilda

Guy's sister. She owns the inn in Tanbel, and is a good cook and a much better housekeeper than her brother. She is captured by a minion of the Sinistrals, and is wounded during the event. She is recovering through part of the game, and is being cared for by Guy's girlfriend Jessy.

Jessy

Guy's girlfriend. She enjoys poking fun at Guy, especially at his unease of being able to comment on their commitment. She plans on marrying Guy, although she is getting impatient with how long he is taking to propose.

Jaffy

A glass maker from Clamento, his work is much admired by those who see it. Jaffy was the apprentice of the master glass worker who created the Ruby Icon. Jaffy's business falls on hard times, and it is Maxim who helps pull it out of trouble. Jaffy is pertinent to the story a couple of times.

Berty and Bart

A couple of dim-witted thieves. Maxim encounters these two throughout the story, with their first appearance being in Alunze, when they try to steal the king's crown. They don't pose much of a threat, but their actions can lead to some irritating consequences.

Prince Alex and Joseph

Prince Alex is the crown prince of Bound Kingdom. He is adored by his subjects, for he is a kind and gentle person. He is often followed by his attendant Joseph, who usually encourages the prince to do whatever Alex thinks is right.

Alex's only downfall is that he is not a good fighter in the slightest, which leads to trouble when he feels that it is his duty to protect his kingdom. Dekar (his bodyguard), often has to save him, and is asked by the king to do so secretly to prevent hurting Alex's ego.

Jeros

The son of Maxim and Selan, he is still very small during the events in Lufia II. Jeros lives with his great aunt in Parcelyte.

[edit] Sinistrals

Gades

The Sinistral of Destruction. The weakest of the four Sinistrals, Gades is fought on multiple occasions. Gades is responsible for the destruction of two cities. Proud and headstrong, Gades' use of his might causes much destruction in the battle for the Sinistrals' supremacy.

Amon

The Sinistral of Chaos. He stands tall in his gold armor, and is capable of attacking with strong physical attacks as well as powerful magic. He is also an intelligent tactician.

Erim

Erim is the Sinistral of Death. She is the only female sinistral out of the four. However, Erim is a crucial character in the game's storyline. She is responsible for the resurrection of the Sinistrals, as they can be revived as long as she is alive. She is revived 100 years after the events of the game as a young girl named Lufia, and again in her original form another 100 years later.

Daos

The Sinistrial of Terror. He is the strongest Sinistral and is responsible for the rise of Doom Island. Called Dios in Japan. Leader of the Sinistrals, he is looking for the ultimate weapon which will lend its strength to his cause, the subversion of all the peoples of the earth to the Sinistrals' rule. Causes much strife among the population and destruction through his lieutenant, Gades.

Arek the Absolute

Not much is mentioned about Arek in the game. In the beginning of Lufia 2, he talks with Erim about who should rule the world, humans or the Sinistrals. Called Arekdias in Japan. His role in the ending of the game is not revealed much to the surprise of players.

[edit] Gameplay

In Lufia II, characters walk around an overworld map, enter dungeons, fight monsters, buy or find new equipment and spells, and set out on a quest to save the world. The player's party will support up to four characters at once, along with a Capsule Monster. The game features a number of new gameplay features, explained below:

[edit] Dungeons

All monsters appear on the dungeon map as well, and can be avoided if the player wishes. Motion in dungeons is also "turn-based," in that monsters do not move unless the player does. Maxim gains a number of tools and weapons for use in dungeons (similar to the The Legend of Zelda titles), such as a bow and arrow, bombs and a hookshot; these, along with his sword (swung using a face button), will stun monsters temporarily and interact with obstacles. Finally, dungeons place great emphasis on challenging puzzles.

[edit] Skill Ring

During the course of the game, utilization of acquired "skills" are key to progressing in dungeons and towers. The player starts out with 'Reset', which when activated either by pressing Select or using it as a spell, resets the whole area to its previous state, if by accident something was placed that couldn't be fixed. Other skills are acquired later in the game, such as Hammer, Hook, and Arrow, all of which are added to the 'Skill Ring'.

[edit] IP Skills

Aside from the RPG standards of "Fight," "Use Item" and "Use Magic," characters also have access to IP Skills, which are attached to weapons, armor and accessories. Each character's IP bar fills when he or she takes damage, and can deplete it to invoke available IP skills at any time, assuming they have enough charge in the bar. IP Skills take varying amounts of charge to activate. Players can purposely wear weaker equipment and/or fight higher-level monsters to fill the gauge faster, but run the risk of having characters killed in battle. Also, IP Skills cannot be customized, sometimes forcing the player to choose between a newer and stronger piece of gear, or an older, weaker one that has a useful IP Skill.

[edit] Capsule monsters

Capsule monsters are special creatures which the player may only find on specific locations of the world. Once a Capsule monster is found, the party acquires a fifth, computer controlled member. These monsters can be fed items and equipment, and once they are satiated they evolve to a different form, up to a fifth and definitive form, labeled M. Seven of them exist, and each Capsule monster belongs to a different element (Neutral, Light, Wind, Water, Dark, Fire and Soil), and has a different set of skills. This gameplay element is similar to Pokémon (Lufia II was produced a year before Pokémon).

[edit] The Ancient Cave

One of the most notable features of Lufia II is the Ancient Cave, a randomly generated dungeon comprised of 99 floors which is presented to the player as a side-quest in the town of Gruberik. Every time the player enters the cave, a new layout is generated.

Within the cave, the characters are downgraded to zero experience points and are stripped of nearly all equipment and items. The player must then proceed through the cave's floors, collecting equipment, finding magic spells and increasing levels, with the objective of reaching the Ancient Cave's final floor. There are three ways of exiting the cave: by dying, by reaching its bottom or by finding and using an item exclusive to the cave, named "providence".

Within the cave lie two kinds of chests — blue and red. A red chest contains items which can only be used inside the cave for the duration of the playing session. As soon as the player leaves the cave, all items from red chests disappear. On the other hand, the rare blue chests contains items that are for the most part unique to the Ancient Cave (though not completely — the Catfish Jewel, for instance, can also be won in the battle against the giant Catfish), which can be used outside the cave and can be brought back to the cave on subsequent journeys. The equipment found in the blue chests is often far superior than those found outside of it. Some items that can be found in blue chests can also be found by other means, such as monster drops. These can also be taken in and out of the Ancient Cave just as if you had found them in blue chests. Also found in the Ancient Cave are the "Iris Treasures," which are found in red chests. Unlike normal red chest items, the player is allowed to take them out of the cave. They are not equippable and serve only as collectibles. The bottom floor of the inn and Gruberik serves as a storage for these items.

Several very powerful monsters exist only in the Ancient Cave, most notably the Bronze, Silver, and Gold Dragons.

On the 99th floor, the player must fight the "Master" (a huge red jelly). It must be defeated in four turns (actually three, since it goes before the characters - unless you repeatedly use some speed lowering IP moves like Spiderweb), or else it will commit suicide and give no reward. Upon defeat, however, it gives the player the Ancient Key, unlocking the room in the lobby, as well as one of the Iris Treasures. It is very difficult to actually defeat the Master due to the time limit and its high HP value (which is always 9980 and not based on the party levels as some rumors say). Thus, a much easier and somewhat cheap way has been devised to kill it. It was found that it was not necessary to kill it-the battle only needed to end. So if the characters killed each other in the allotted time limit, the game would still consider it to be a victory. Equipping and using items which removed set fractions of enemy health (from 1/8 to 1/2 of all enemy health) was also very helpful in defeating the monster.

[edit] Differences between versions

[edit] North American and European differences

The North American release of the game has a few graphical and textual glitches which were corrected in the European version. These appear, most notably, on areas of complicated access, such as the underwater caverns—which can only be accessed with the submarine vehicle—and the last floor of the Ancient Cave. In the North American release, the Capsule Monsters' cravings were buggy. Whereas Capsule Monsters would request easily-obtained items in the Japanese and European releases (with enough money, the player could purchase any requested item from a shop). However, they would request rare items in the North American version, including Dragon Eggs (this is clearly a bug, as there is a finite supply of Dragon Eggs, and the player needs a complete supply to fulfill a subquest).

[edit] North American and Australian

The Australian release of the game was titled "Lufia", not "Lufia 2", and included no subtitles. The Australian version was released in 1997, one year after the North American version. The background color for the instruction booklet/box/cart is also purple-pink, not black, although it maintains the same image of Maxim with the sword and the island.

[edit] Japanese and International differences

Bunny ladies

In the Japanese version of the game, inside the Markao Casino, most women are dressed up like bunnies. They were changed into ordinary women in the other versions. This also explains why there is a set of bunny equipment for sale in the Casino.

Priests

In every church there is a priest to be found; however, in the original Japanese version, the priest had a cross instead of a vertical line on his miter. Also, inside every church, there was a cross behind the priest instead of an obelisk.

Interestingly enough, at the churches in the destroyed towns of Gordovan and Agurio, the crosses are still visible on the altar in the US version of the game.

Treasure Sword Shrine's alternative puzzle

The Block Puzzle rooms inside Treasure Sword Shrine aren't there in the original version of the game. In the Japanese version this was one big room with a simple teleporter puzzle. The room is an Amidakuji puzzle where the player had to find the spot that would allow him or her to reach the door based on the rules of Amidakuji. Amidakuji is a Japanese lottery game where the players choose a course to receive a prize. The player must take the first available (complete) turns into another path until the player reaches the end of the course.

Ancient Tower's "X" & "O" puzzle

On the Second Floor of the Ancient Tower there is a small puzzle which was removed from the game in the international versions. All that remains is an empty room with one enemy in it. To solve this puzzle the player had to walk on the tiles so that the "X" changes into an "O".

Gordovan's Holy Cross puzzle

In the Japanese version of the game the player had to form a cross on the ground using 6 blocks to get past the undead Zombie for the Sky Key. The other versions all have a puzzle where the player had to hit 7 blocks in the right order.

Harbor men's hair

In the U.S. version of the game, all men in the Harbor town have brown hair, but in the Japanese version they have light blue hair.

Configuration menu problems

During the development of the US version, a glitch made its way into the game which could cause issues from characters leveling down to causing the end of battle exp calculations to take more than 10 seconds at a time to finish. This also left some characters more powerful than normal. The glitch involved going into the menu, changing the audio to Mono, then pressing the left D-Pad button to change it back to Stereo.

[edit] External links

• Lufia II: Rise of the Sinistrals at GameFAQs
• Forfeit Island - Lufia II
• AncientCave.com - a Lufia Fansite

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