Play Final Fantasy Ii (japan) Online

Final Fantasy II came out for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1988, developed by Square. It was part of that early wave of console role-playing games where developers were still figuring out the rules. This one stands out because it tried something different with how your characters get stronger.

You control a party of four young characters whose families are killed by an empire. Your main goal is to help the rebellion fight back against the Emperor's armies. Instead of gaining standard experience points, your characters improve through a usage-based system; if you use a sword a lot, your sword skill goes up, and if you take damage, your maximum hit points slowly increase. You explore the world screen by screen, talk to people in towns for clues, and delve into dungeons filled with monsters and traps. The game can feel grindy as you try to boost specific stats, and some dungeons are long and difficult. It feels like a personal experiment, watching your party evolve based directly on the actions you choose in battle.