bit-tech Shopping: Capcom Breath of Fire II (GBA)

Rating: 8

Time with product:

Strengths: Wonderful 2D Sprites, Great story, and well developed characters.

Weaknesses: Unlike Breath of Fire on the GBA, there are no improvements from the original. Somewhat high encounter rate can make it frustrating getting from point A to point B

Summary: I had always been interested in the 2nd Breath of Fire since its release on the SNES, but I was unable to play it until its release on the GBA.The battle system, while fairly generic adds a bit a tactical aspects with character placement. With 8 characters plus a secret 9th character make a fairly extensive roster of party members to chose from.The story itself is a direct sequel to the original rather than the spiritual sequels of most major RPG franchises. If you enjoyed the first Breath of Fire, the second game in the series does a great job of improving upon it in practically every way.

Rating: 8

Time with product: 1 Week

Strengths: Classic SNES RPG goodness

Weaknesses: No extras over the original release

Summary: I had never gotten around to owning the original release of Breath of Fire II for the SNES, so this one was a no-brainer. The graphics and battle system were slightly improved from the original Breath of Fire, but I felt the story was a little lacking in this sequel. If you own the SNES version, there's really no reason to spend the extra cash on this one, unless you really need a portable fix. No extras or enhancements are included that I could see.

Rating: 10

Time with product:

Strengths: Great story, nice box artwork, fun RPG

Weaknesses: None at all

Summary: This is an old RPG that first was released on the SNES that was remade to be on the Gameboy Advance. This is a great RPG for those who enjoy playing RPG-type games. The game is very similar to the first one in terms of the battle system and game play. The story is great and since the game has multiple endings, replaying this game is enjoyable. A must own for any RPG lover!

Rating: 10

Time with product:

Strengths: Great old school rpg, awesome characters

Weaknesses: none

Summary: This game is pretty awesome. The box art is also very well done. Compared to the original box art, this one is leaps and bounds above the rest. The game is a typical RPG, get characters to join your party, battle monsters, and gain levels. There are a couple endings so you will play through a few times. Great game overall.