Final Fantasy II is one of those weird, experimental entries in the series—the black sheep that tried something totally different with its leveling system. Instead of grinding XP, your stats grow based on what you actually do in battle. Swing a sword a lot? Your strength goes up. Get hit constantly? Congrats, your HP climbs. It’s janky but weirdly satisfying once you figure out how to game it.

The story’s darker than the first game, too—you start with your hometown burned to the ground and your parents dead, which was pretty heavy for an NES RPG. You’re basically thrown into a rebellion against an evil empire, sneaking around, stealing airships, and slowly realizing one of your childhood friends has gone full villain. The writing’s simple by today’s standards, but there’s a rawness to it that sticks with you.

Oh, and this is where chocobos first showed up! They’re just these weird, barely-explained rideable birds, but hey—franchise history right there. The GBA remake adds a neat postgame side story, but honestly, the original’s clunky charm is what makes it memorable. Just don’t expect it to play like any other Final Fantasy.