Breath of Fire II

Lore & Background

Breath of Fire II centers on an orphan named Ryu, whose family vanished mysteriously. After his friend Bow is falsely accused of a crime, Ryu embarks on a journey to clear his name. The story opens with Ryu at age 6, living in the village of Gate with his sister Yua and his father. After his family disappears and everyone forgets him, he is sent to live at the church, where he meets Bow. Ten years later, Ryu and Bow live together in HomeTown as Rangers. Bow is framed for stealing, and Ryu leaves to find the real thief, recruiting allies including Katt, Rand, Nina, Sten, Jean, Spar, and optionally Bleu.

Reader's Guide

Breath of Fire II is significant as a traditional role-playing game that refined the series' mechanics. It features a redesigned text-based menu, a Monster Meter indicating encounter probability, and a town-building feature where players populate a village with special characters. Combat is turn-based with a Formation feature affecting speed, defense, or attack. The game introduced Personal Actions for each character, usable outside combat, and a Shaman fusion system granting new forms and abilities. Its release history includes a mistaken announcement by Nintendo of Europe for July 27, 2007, with the actual Wii Virtual Console release on August 10, 2007 in Europe, and August 27, 2007 in North America. The game's legacy lies in its direct connection to the first Breath of Fire and its expansion of gameplay elements like the town-building and shaman fusion.

Did You Know?

• Breath of Fire II was licensed to Laguna for European release in 1996.
• Nintendo of Europe's website mistakenly announced the Wii Virtual Console release for July 27, 2007, but it was released on August 10, 2007.
• The game features a new 'Monster Meter' that indicates the probability of encountering enemy monsters.
• Six special inhabitants known as Shamans may be fused with party members to grant new forms and abilities.