Breath of Fire II

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Breath of Fire II
Developer(s)	Capcom
Publisher(s)	Capcom, Laguna
Release date(s)	Super Nintendo JPN December 2, 1994 NA December 1995 EU April 25, 1996 Game Boy Advance JPN December 21, 2001 NA April 16, 2002 EU June 28, 2002
Genre(s)	Role-playing game
Mode(s)	Single player
Rating(s)	ESRB: Everyone (GBA version)
Platform(s)	Super Famicom / SNES, Game Boy Advance
Media	24-megabit Cartridge

Breath of Fire II (ブレスオブファイアII, Buresu obu Faia II^?) is the second role-playing game in the Breath of Fire series. It was originally released for the Super Famicom in Japan in 1994 by Capcom, and was later brought to North America in 1995 by Capcom, before Laguna released it in Europe in 1996. It was later re-released for the Game Boy Advance in Japan under the name Breath of Fire II: Shimei no Ko, which translates to Breath of Fire II: Mission of the Child. It was re-released in North America and Europe in 2002 under the original title.

[edit] Story

The story is linear and begins in a flashback sequence of when Ryu (the protagonist) is six years old and living in the town of Gate. He goes off to find his sister, who sleeps under the dragon guarding the entrance to the underworld. The dragon is actually his mother, who sacrificed herself to save the village from demons. During this sequence he becomes an orphan as his father and his sister disappear, and no one in town remembers him. He goes to the orphanage, which is run by the dominant church of St. Eva, and another orphan named Bow, who came to the orphanage to rob it, goes out in the middle of the night, with Ryu following him. They enter a cave, and are soundly defeated by a demon named Barubary.

In the present, Ryu and his best friend Bow have recently been accepted into the ranger’s guild. They wish to go on a mission to prove themselves as rangers, but initially are given an easy task of retrieving a pet pig. Bow balks at such an easy task, until he learns that Mina, princess of Windia, on whom he quickly develops a crush, is the one hiring them. Bow and Ryu travel through Mt. Fubi, defeating a trio of harpies in the process. He reaches the ruins of a house, where a destitute old man named Niro is being attacked by some cockroaches. After defeating them and the giant cockroach that leads them, Bow and Ryu learn that Niro is planning on cooking the pig, but they realize that it is Suzy and stop him. They return home, and Bow is disappointed to learn that Mina is leaving.

That night, after Ryu goes to bed, a man named Kilgore gives Bow a job to steal a Magic Hood from Trout. Unfortunately, a bat-winged thief named Patty has already stolen it, and Bow gets discovered. Ryu learns what has happened, and smuggles him out of town, to Niro's house. Bow apologizes for causing Ryu trouble, and asks him to find the thief. Ryu's search takes him to Coursair, a town with an arena in it. Ryu takes the identity of Baba, a warrior whom he defeats in the TagWoods, and signs up for the tournament. A Fullen (or Woren) gladiator named Katt is his opponent, and "Baba" learns that a poisoned needle will be fired at Katt during the fight. A Shell Clanner named Rand, who works at the coliseum, learns of this, and procures two antidotes, one for "Baba" and one for Katt. However, Katt refuses to take the antidote. "Baba" fights Katt, and after defeating her, the player is given an opportunity to shield Katt from the dart. Rand and "Baba" confront Augus, the promoter, and if the player saved Katt, he can use her in the ensuing fight. Augus turns into a two-headed wolf demon, but the party defeats him

The hero returns to Niro, where Rand and Katt learn his real name. Rand stays behind to work on the house, and the party eventually builds TownShip (as is later learned, a pun) around Niro's house. In Home Town, a group of Jokers attempt to take a magic student named Nina back to her house, but Nina repels them with magic. The Jokers have, however, kidnapped her sister Mina, and Nina goes to their hideout. Ryu and Katt follow, and join up with Nina when she faces the boss of the Jokers, who turns into a fat, purple demon with a long tongue and wide mouth. Having saved Mina, they travel back to Windia, where the guards claim that Mina does not have an older sister. In the town of Windia, a Highlander magician named Sten supposedly traps Ryu in another dimension to extort a date out of Nina or Katt. The hero escapes, and Sten joins to make up for the trouble. The party enters a village named Capitan, and defeats a massive Terrapin while saving a lost child. A Paladin of St. Eva named Ray helps them stop a rushing wall of water, while the party defeats monsters that are possessing villagers. Ray teaches the hero an ability as a reward.

The party comes to a giant frog in a lake, who was cursed by a witch named Nimufu. The party climbs the witch's tower and defeats her, ending the curse. The frog turns into Prince Jean of Sima Fort, who actually is a humanoid frog. When the party reaches Sima Fort, an impostor prince throws Jean in the dungeon. The party plans on leaving, but Petape, princess of Sima Fort, sinks their boat and urges them to clear her brother's name. After speaking with Jean, they learn that he has a ring that proves that he is the prince, but he gave it to Nimufu. The party learns that Nimufu went to the Wild Cat Cafe, and fights their way through the bouncers to reach the kitchen. The party is ordered to deposit their items in the front, equip forks, napkins, and plates, and smear themselves with salt, or fight guards. When they reach the end, they find that they were being prepared for dinner, and, although weakened, defeat the chef. They recover the ring, but find out that the impostor has one like it. The party then enters a competition to prepare the best dish, a competition in which the loser is executed. The party defeats a Worm, a Fly, and a Roach to prepare Gold Fly Pudding, but the biased judges hand the victory to the impostor. Petape rushes to blow up the castle, and the impostor follows and catches her. The hero learns that the impostor is a demon named Kuwadora in the service of the St. Eva Church, and defeats the demon. Kuwadora activates what he believes is a self-destruct mechanism, but actually reveals the hidden treasure of Sima Fort. Jean's name is cleared, and the party finds Patty in the kitchen of Sima Fort, having been caught trying to find the treasure.

The party turns in Patty and Kilgore celebrates Bow's innocence. Kilgore asks a favour of Bow to investigate Trout's dealings. Bow (with Ryu, if the player so chooses) enters Trout's house, dispatches his men, and finds Patty in a dungeon. Trout arrives, and turns into another demon, but is defeated. The party realizes that the demon attacks are part of a greater disaster at hand, and are told to investigate what is happening to the forest around Gate. The party gains the service of Grandpa Whale after defeating a demon inside him, and sails to a Carnival where a GrassMan named Spar is being held. The owner reveals that he will feed Spar to a demon if the party doesn't procure an UpaRupa or a large amount of money. The party captures an UpaRupa, and the player can decide to let it go or turn it over to the owner. In either situation, the owner turns into a mammoth-like demon and attacks, but is defeated. Spar frees himself, and joins the party, offering his skills at communicating with trees. A Great tree named Gandaroof has amnesia and needs the Therapy Pillow, which is in Tunlan.

However, the party is unable to speak the musical language of Tunlan, so they travel to Highfort to find a flute. Sten leaves the party, which, proceeding without him, overhears an official named Shupkay plotting to use Highfort's technology to take over the world, and is dropped into a cell. Sten goes to look for his friends, but runs into a soldier named Trubo at a bridge between two towers. Trubo is angry with him for running from a battle in the past. During their fight, the bridge collapses. They reconcile and split up to look for Shupkay and the Princess, whom Shupkay is using in her scheme. Sten reunites with the group and defeats Shupkay, who transforms into a demon that looks like a snake with bat wings and long, clawed arms. Shupkay engages the device, but Trubo damages the control room, causing her death and the destruction of portions of Highfort. The party escapes in time with the rescued Princess. Sten is thought to be dead, but had faked his death. The party, having acquired the flute, proceeds to Tunlan, and helps the morbidly obese Queen lose weight by defeating the Fatty demons inside her, and gains the Therapy pillow. Using the pillow, they enter Gandaroof's Mind and defeat the Memory Demon, Aruhamel. Before the battle, Aruhamel reveals that he was responsible for erasing the memories of the citizens of Gate, causing them to forget Ryu.

The party plans on heading south to Namanda, but a thick fog blocks their way. They enter the Sky Tower out at sea and, going through the underwater passages, end the fog. They travel through a twisting canyon to Namanda, where Rand notices that an agent of St. Eva's Church is trying to convert his mother, Daisy, and acquire her land. Daisy is not happy that her son has left, and orders him to work on the land with his friends. They do so, and then make an offering at Namanda Temple. When Rand returns, a Foot Soldier is in his fields, claiming that Daisy converted on her own free will. Rand fights the soldier, but Ray steps in and takes the soldier away.

The party then must reach St. Eva, but they are prevented from doing so by the fact that Evrai, the main city, is on an island. They return to Windia, where the king has fallen ill and a messenger of St. Eva wants the King to accept the religion in order to recover. The King reveals that he had banished Nina because a prophecy predicted doom if she was born with black wings, which she has. Nina asks to undergo the trials, and enters a maze full of monsters and boulder traps, eventually defeating a Guardian. The Guardian is Nina's ancestor of the same name, who caused her people to lose their powers of the Great Bird when she married a non-Windian. Nina is told that the powers will require a sacrifice to use, and is given the Mark of the Wing. That night, Mina steals the Mark, locks herself inside the tower for the ritual, and sacrifices her humanity to become the Great Bird.

Riding the Great Bird, the party reaches Evrai, but finds themselves unable to enter the Grand Church or leave the town. A resident named Claris, however, helps the party escape by going down her toilet into a network of caverns beneath the city. The party exits the caverns and enters an inn outside Evrai. The party heads to Cot Land, headquarters of the Resistance, where they meet the leader of the resistance, a Fullen named Tiga, who is smitten with Katt. He notes that his organization is short on funds, and sends the party to find the group's sponsor, who is in Thieves' Tomb. The party enters the tomb and rescues Patty, who turns out to be the sponsor. Tiga proposes to Katt, and attempts to challenge the hero to a duel. If the player accepts, he is easily defeated, but the game continues. Tiga and Katt, who does not know if she loves Tiga or not, decide to sort out their feelings at a campfire that night. The party then reaches a church named Bando with the resistance, and enters the catacombs beneath the church. The party pursues the priest through the catacombs, and learns that the members are in trances, if not already undead. The party then catches up with the priest, who reveals that the St. Eva Church is attempting to bring their master, a demon, into the world. He unleashes zombies on the party and transforms into a skeletal dragon known as "Necroman" (presumably short for "Necromancer"). The party defeats him, obtaining the Evrai Rod in the process, which allows them to enter the sealed Evrai. They reunite with the resistance members in the sanctuary, who have obtained disguises, and suggest that the party learn the teachings of St. Eva, in order to prove that they are worshippers when asked.

The party heads to Evrai to infiltrate the Grand Church, and things go wrong from the beginning. Claris, an agent of the resistance, is missing, so the party enters the Grand Church without her, the party being forced to answer the question of what St. Eva's god's name is, which is something they may not have learned at the churches (the player needs to donate to a church 20 times to get the a key item that reviles the name to be evans). Habaruku, the high priest, reveals Claris as a hostage and he attempts to learn the secrets of the resistance. Tiga reveals that he truly loves Claris, and charges Habaruku, only to be struck down; the high priest then drops Claris from where she hovers above the church, no longer having any need of her. Tiga and Claris share their love before Habaruku finishes them off with a lightning bolt. The party pursues Habaruku, but Habaruku forces Ray to fight them. Ray turns into a Purple Dragon, and insists that Ryu use his dragon powers. Upon doing so, Ryu discovers a new power, Gold Dragon, which he uses to defeat Ray. Ray dies, hoping that Ryu builds a church that works for good instead of evil. The party catches up with Habaruku after climbing up the church and he reveals that he took Ray in as his son and insults Ray before collapsing floor tiles to prevent the party from reaching him. The party frees Daisy, and climbs the tower, but a crushing wall trap triggers, and Rand props it open so that the party can escape. Daisy, however, saves him from the trap, but is crushed herself, and Rand rejoins the party. The party continues to chase Habaruku, defeating his archers, and finds themselves in a room with a large machine being powered by an old man. Ryu destroys the machine and frees the old man.

The party returns to TownShip, and if the party did not injure the old man, he recognizes Ryu's voice and remembers his name, introducing himself as Ganer, Ryu's father. According to him, on that day when he and Yua vanished. Aruhamel made the entire town forget his family and abducted him. Ganer attaches himself to the machine from Highfort, which was discovered below the town, and enables TownShip to fly. The party returns to Gate, where they learn that the trees are dying and the people have an almost zealous religious fervour, as the seal is almost broken. An attempt by Father Hulk to destroy the dragon with a bomb fails, and demons are released onto the world. Father Hulk urges the hero to find Patty, a member of the Dragon Clan (who could be Yua, given her age and the fact that she, like Ryu's mother, has wings). The hero does so, but it is a trap; Habaruku plans on sacrificing Patty, but Ryu defeats him.

At this point, the dragon turns back into Ryu's mother, and offers the player a choice. The Gate is safe for now, but the demons could break free the next day. If the player decides not to enter the seal, he or she receives a "bad ending" in which the demons destroy the world. If the player chooses to face the demons, Ryu's mother sacrifices herself to open the gate. The hero enters the Infinity Dungeon, and reaches a lost village of dragons called Dologany. He learns about his mother's life, as well as a power known as Anfini that he needs. The hero gains the power by choosing not to sacrifice his companions, and descends into the bowels of the Infinity dungeon, which resemble the innards of a giant creature. The hero faces Barubary, and defeats him twice, once with his party, and one more time when the hero can either face him alone, or face a stronger version of him with his party.

The party finally reaches the bottom of the Infinity Dungeon, where Evan confronts them. He destroys the hero's companions, and freezes the hero. However, the hero breaks free, and charges after him, dodging magical explosions, and cutting down Evan. However, Evan rises as a massive purple demon, and challenges the hero in the final battle. The hero uses Anfini, and after thinking about the world, and his friends, revives his companions. The party reunites and defeats DeathEvan, who cannot understand why the world continues to survive.

The party makes final remarks, and visits the people of Dologany before exiting the dungeon. At the entrance, one of two endings occurs. If the hero did not help TownShip to fly, he will turn himself into a dragon like his mother did, and his friends will mourn his loss. If he helped TownShip fly, he plans on doing so, despite his friends' protest, but Ganer lands TownShip over the mouth of the cave. He tells Ryu to spread his belief in justice, and if he does so successfully, Death Evan will never return.

[edit] Notes about the story

The story of Breath of Fire II is also notable for featuring a religion bearing a distinct resemblance to Catholicism, whose "God", Saint Eva, is ultimately revealed to be a demon named Evans. Ironically, there are "priests" in every village who will speak to you on behalf of Saint Eva. Also, some of the priests are actually demons in disguise who are well aware of what is going on. The internal structure of the religion is clearly that of one that almost mirrors Catholicism, with emphasis on the priests and the one archetypical pope, Habaruku. Not all worshippers of St. Eva are evil or demons; a prominent NPC in the game is Ray, a worshipper of St. Eva who helps the main characters save the people of a village at one point, who later is revealed to be a member of the Dragon Clan.

The story also has a slightly lighter tone than Breath of Fire. Although the fate of the world rests in the hands of Ryu and his companions, and several heroic characters are killed during the quest, there are more than a few humorous moments in the quest, such as a cafe that serves those that are unable to survive to those who can, a frog who turns into a frog prince, and others.

This game takes place chronologically after Breath of Fire. Evidence of this is that four characters from Breath of Fire – Bleu, Bo, Karn, and Nina – make appearances. Bo and Karn appear as an Easter egg on Monster Island; the playable Bleu is the same character as in the original Breath of Fire; and the original Nina appears in one portion of the storyline. The latter's storyline poses a possible explanation for Nina's black wings and Mina's blue hair.

[edit] Playable characters

Breath of Fire II has nine playable characters, including one secret optional character.

• Ryu,(Japanese: Ryu Bateson) The blue haired protagonist. He is a member of the legendary dragon clan.
• Bow (Japanese:Boche Doggy), a humanoid dog, and Ryu's best friend since childhood. He is not related to Bo from Breath of Fire I.
• Rand (Japanese: Rande Marks), a young member of the armadillo-like Shell clan and manager of the coliseum.
• Katt (Japanese: Rinpoo Furen), a sassy young competitor at the coliseum. She is a member of the Fullen (or Woren) tribe (originally named Furen in Japan).
• Nina (Japanese: Nina Windia), princess of the city of Windia, exiled because she has black wings, where as the rest of her people's wings are white.
• Sten (Japanese: Sten Legend), a once famous soldier of the monkey-like Highlander tribe. He regains his bravery after a visit to his hometown.
• Jean (Japanese: Ekaru pe Hoppe Tapeta), the prince of Sima Fort who is transformed into a giant frog by a witch's spell. He speaks with an exaggerated French accent.
• Spar (Japanese: Asparu Gus), the legendary "grass man" of ambiguous gender, waits for people who know something is wrong in the world, unfortunately, this causes Gandaroof to lose his memory.
• Bleu (originally named Deis in Japan), the powerful sorceress from the original Breath of Fire returns as a secret character.

[edit] Other characters

[edit] Allies

• Ganer Bateson is Ryu's father who mysteriously disappeared.
• Yua Bateson is Ryu's sister who disappears at the same time Ganer does.
• Valerie is Ryu's mother who supposedly died before the events of the game.
• Ray Bradoc is a member of St. Eva church who helps you several times on your journey.
• Mina Windia Nina’s sister who provides a side-quest for Ryu. She later plays a major role in awakening the Great Bird. She owns a little piglet named Suzy Q.
• Patty "the Phantom Thief" Smith is a bat-winged thief who Ryu's party runs into several times during the plot and is the focal point for much of the beginning of the game. She also appears to be Ryu's long-lost sister Yua. While it's never outright confirmed in the game, such factors as her appearance, her being a member of the dragon clan and her having an older brother strongly suggest it.
• Niro, a homeless old man who lives in ruins of an abandoned building. He gladly offers to share his place as a hideout for Ryu and his friends and eventually they build their own town there and attract many kinds of people from around the world to live there.
• Gigli Ziz an old shaman lady that helps Ryu and his party fuse with other Shamans.
• Baba (Babadel in Japanese) is a woodsman who was suppose to fight Katt at the Colosseum. He gave his spot to Ryu after he was defeated. Its interesting to note that after this, he would appear in the later Breath of Fire games with his name translated to Bunyan.
• King Kenny and Queen Hina Windia are the king and queen of Windia and Nina and Mina's parents. They gave Nina up and moved her to the magic school in Home Town so they won't have to kill her because of her black wings.
• Petape, is the Princess of Sima Fort and Jean's sister. She is rather loud and nagging because she feels that she needs to be responsible for both her and her brother.
• Potopo is the king of Sima Fort and Jean and Petape's father. He seems to be a bit senile now and only worries about what he's going to have for dinner.
• Nimufu Mani (Nympho Mani in Japanese) a witch that lives in witch's tower. She collects cute boys and has a tendency to turn them to stone. She also turned Jean into a huge frog, but turned him back to normal when Ryu defeated her. Her name is a mistranslation and the proper translation is Nympho Mani, an obvious pun on the word Nymphomaniac.
• Wildcat is the owner of the Wildcat restaurant which is well known all across the world. His philosophy is to feed the weak to the strong, thats why when Ryu and his gang first enters his restaurant, he tries to cook them. He teaches the party the secret magic spell known as chopchop. Known patrons to his restaurant are Patty the Phantom Thief and Old Dame and her Witch's club. It is unknown if he and his partner are considered as Furen/Worens since they resemble cheshire cats more than tigers. He and his partner are known as Mitibag and Ru-San-Jin in the Japanese version.
• Elforan (Herfarann in Japanese) is the princess of the warrior nation of Highlanders and Sten's fiancée.
• Trubo (Turvoe in Japanese) an imperial guard for the highlander clan that fought in the war and led the demolitioners. He fought alongside Sten, Woolman, Yohan and Tselner during the war of Goonheim, a war that was thought out by the "big shots". He considers Sten his rival and holds a grudge since the Princess chose Sten over him to be her lover. His name is inconsistently translated through the game, and is sometimes translated as Torubo.
• Poporo, the queen in Tunlan. She was always a spoiled brat always got what she wanted. She became so fat because of her glutton and was slowly being possessed by a demon, but thankfully Ryu and his friends save her in time before the transformation began.
• Daisy Marks is Rand's mother. She is a believer of Namanda and thinks that the Church of St. Eva is full of hogwash. She is later kidnapped when she refused to let the St. Eva build a church on her land. She later dies when saving her son Rand.
• Tiga Lee (Tigger Lee in Japanese)is Fullen leader of the resistance against Evrai. His group is sponsored by Patty. It is mentioned that the Fullen clan is extremely small and that Tiga is the only other Fullen that Katt has encountered in all her life. He asks Katt to marry him but later recants it when he realizes that he was in love with Claris. He is killed by Habaruku when he attempts to save Claris from being executed. He suffers from claustrophobia, which is why he doesn't accompany Ryu and his party into the dungeons of Bando.
• Claris, one of Tiga's subordinates who is secretly in love with him. She is a mole within Evrai that provides the resistance with inside information, but she was captured and used as bait to lure Tiga into the open. She and Tiga were both killed by Habaruku.
• Gandaroof (Gandharve in Japanese) the wise tree filled with much knowledge of past events and knows of the Legend of the 8 warriors. When he was still young, he was told that the Dragon Clan had a mission to accomplish, soon after that all the Dragons disappeared. Since he has vast knowledge, a demons erased much of his memory so that he couldn't effectively aid the heroes.
• Grampa, a gigantic sperm whale that understands the human language. He provides transportation for anyone who wants to cross the vast seas. He can be summoned with the "whale bell". When Ryu first finds him, he is lying dormant at Whale Cape, but Ryu awakens him by exterminating the nightmare that lurks inside him.
• Eichichi, a mechanical whiz from Guntz who discovers that the machine underneath TownShip is used to make it fly. She serves as the pilot of the TownShip.
• Ryu Rider, the elder of the Dragon clan in Dologany/Dragnier.

[edit] Demons

Deathevan and his demons in Breath of Fire II on the SNES.

• Augus Cont (Algus in Japanese) is the manager of the Colosseum. He conspired to have Katt killed when she was to fight Baba so that he could send all the negative energy of the audience to his God.
• Joker Heart is the leader of the Joker Gang, a band of thieves composed mostly of his family members. He kidnaps Mina to blackmail Nina into becoming his slave. His lust and obsession over Nina is what probably led him to be possessed by a demon.
• Kuwadora (Quadar in Japanese) is a demon that impersonates Jean as the prince when he was away as a means for his people to follow his God. Only Petape noticed the difference between the imposter and the real Jean and was actually willing to do something about it. His plans to take over the kingdom is foiled by Ryu and Petape when she attempted to activate the self-destruct machine in the castle.
• Trout Barm is a rich and stingy man who lives in Home Town. He's so stingy that he doesn't even hire any maids. He hires thieves to steal from other people so that he can be the richest person in the world. His greed allowed him to be possessed by a demon.
• Thon owner of the Circus. After the mysterious grassman display stopped attracting people, he decided to feed him to a demon so he could have a bigger audience and send those negative feelings to his God.
• Shupkay (Spuke in Japanese) is the general of the Highlander Army. She took charge after Sten left and has been hiring out her army as a mercenary force for the highest bidder. She seeks to resurrect the hidden secrets of Highfort by manipulating the princess into powering an ancient machine, which she could use to take over the world.
• Aruhamel (Alzheimer in Japanese) was the demon that erased everyones memory at Gate 10 years ago so they forgot about Ryu, Ganer, Yua and the Dragon. He captured Ganer and forced him into sending his life energy to Deathevn. He later was responsible for erasing much of the memory of Gandaroof. His Japanese name Alzheimer, a reference to the disease that causes memory loss.
• Mason was the priest at Bando. He would take those he deemed worthy to the Grand Church of Eva. Before that though, he would lock them up inside a dungeon until they grew so depressed and miserable that their only hope for salvation was their faith in St. Eva.
• Habaruku (Habalq in Japanese) founder of St. Eva and worshipper of the demon Deathevn. It was he that ordered the attack on the people of Gate so that he could install himself there as the local preacher, disguised as Father Hulk. He raised Ray Bradoc when he found him many years ago but only treats him as a tool. He laters attempts to open the seal into Infinity by killing the Dragon but was ultimately defeated.
• Barubary (Balbaroy in Japanese) is the great demon that Ryu and Bow encounters at the very start of the game. He went easy on Ryu that night because he wanted him to grow strong and open the Gate to Infinity. Ryu has constant nightmares about him. Unlike the other demons, he seems quite honorable and does seem to have some code of ethics.
• Deathevan is the offspring of Myria (also known as Maria and Tyr), the Goddess of Destruction in Breath of Fire I. He is known under the alias of Evan, St.Eva's god.

[edit] Combat

As the game progresses, the combat element of gameplay becomes progressively more difficult and more drawn out, a general trend in RPGs. A notable feature in the game's combat system is Shaman fusing, which allows the player to fuse multiple elemental Shamans to a character. If this process is successful, the character's appearance, statistics, and abilities are altered. There are six Shamans is the game, two of which you find during the plotline; the other four are hidden.

• Sana (Sanamo in Japan): the Fire Shaman
• Seso (Sesso in Japan): the Water Shaman
• Spoo (Spoona in Japan): the Wind Shaman
• Solo: the Earth Shaman
• Seny (Seiny in Japan): the Holy Shaman
• Shin: the Devil Shaman

(It is interesting to note that when you locate the Holy Shaman she is rather rude and obnoxious, while the Devil Shaman is sweet and polite.)

All of the shamans in the official art depicted as beautiful females, while the Earth shaman is depicted as a heavy, round woman, an allusion to Mother Earth.

[edit] Locations

• Capitan is a town with many carpenters. It also has a ferry that takes people to the western continent.
• Cot Land is a small village located in between two mountains south of Farm Town. It is the home base of the resistance against St. Eva.
• Coursair a big city known for the fights it hosts at the Colosseum.
• Dologany (Dragnier in Japan) is the village of the Dragon Clan that is located underground in Infinity, the area sealed behind the gates of Gate. The Dragon Clan moved there in order to keep a watch on Deathevn.
• Evrai is a large city where the most devout believers of St. Eva are taken to live. It is also the location of the Grand Church, the main headquarters of the Church of St. Eva. In the basement of the Grand Church, there is a machine that transforms human life energy and sends it to Deathevan.
• Farm Town home of the Shell-clan and as the name suggest, is a farming community. It is located pass Fog Valley which just south across the bridge from the Sea of Trees. The people of this town don't believe in St. Eva but instead practice the Namanda religion.
• Gate is Ryu's hometown. The village was attacked by demons that escaped form the seal 3 years ago, but they were stopped by Ganer and a dragon that appeared from nowhere. The Dragon now sleeps in the forest behind Gate to protect the seal and keep the demons trapped inside.
• Guntz is the hometown of the Iron Orge Clan. Located on an island at between the Eastern and Western continent, the town is known for their excellent blacksmith's and has the world's finest armory.
• Home Town is a village located on the eastern continent. The town has a magic school where aspiring wizards attend and is also the home base of the Rangers. It is known as a particularly boring town as the only jobs being offered to the Rangers there are for domestic chores such as laundry and house cleaning.
• Highfort is a fortress belonging to the Highlanders where the Famous Flute is kept. There are many mysterious machines and cogs all through out the fortress that is said to be the true power of Highfort, but has been forgotten about through the generations. The blood of the Royal family is required in order to activate this secret.
• Sima Fort is a fortress located at the center of lake which is powered by a windmill. This is the home of the Creeping Clan/Creepers and ruled by King Potopo. The forts basement is filed with monster that are used for cooking delicacies for the royal family. A magical sword is sealed within the city, but to keep people from stealing it, the royal family started to spread a false rumor that it was a self-destruct machine that would blow up the entire fortress if it was tampered with.
• Town Ship is a town founded by the player. TownShip starts off as a small village but grows in size as the character donates zenny and recruits characters. Eventually, TownShip offers shops that sell the best equipment, as well as a savepoint, inn, and a building that allows characters to fuse. However, the player can pick characters that add nothing to TownShip, such as a cat, or someone who gives you the same clue no matter where you are in the game; thus, the player has to be careful who he picks to live in TownShip, since there are only 6 houses to fill. One other remarkable thing about TownShip is the "Flying TownShip." At one point in the game, demons are released, and your "only" means of flying transportation is cut off from you. However, if you can find one special character, plus save another from a boss fight, rather than just killing all the targets, they use their powers (the first's knowledge, and the second's body) to power a machine hidden under TownShip that enables it to fly. If the flying TownShip is unlocked, then an alternative ending will be shown.
• Tunlan a village on a tropical island inhabited only by women. They communicate through music and melody and are ruled by a fat queen who eats too much. The village's treasure is called the Therapy Pillow, which allows its users to enter dreams.
• Windia is the town of the Wing Clan and ruled by the Windia royal family. At the center is a huge castle that houses many of the clan's secrets and is guarded by the Guardian. There is a legend in this town that if someone with black wings is born into the royal family, it would mean disaster for the nation. The basement of the castle which is connected directly to the eastern side of the continent is built like a maze to keep intruders out.

[edit] Relations to other Breath of Fire Games

• The main antagonist of the story is a demon spawned from the Goddess Myria, who was the final boss in the first installment of the series.
• This game signals the debut of Babadel (Baba in most parts the English translation due to space contraints), who will later occur in every game after this installment, playing the same role as a woodsman. It is unknown if he is the same person in every game, or merely just descendents of the original. Since he appears in the fourth installment as well, it has led many to think that he is an Endless like Deis. His name in the later games is translated as Bunyan in English.
• The town of Guntz (known as Gant in BoF I) is still home to the Iron Ogre Clan and serves as a side-quest area.
• The town of Tunlan remains largely unchanged, although it is ironic that in BoF I, the queen was vain and cared only about her beauty, while the current queen only cared about food and didn't give any thought on how fat she is.
• The Thieves' Tomb where you first meet Karn in BoF I is still being used by thieves today (including Patty) to prove their worth as thieves. The desert surrounding the area however has widened and the town of Arad, which was also located in this area, is nowhere to be found. The desert area may also become what is later known as the Desert of Death in BoF III.
• What remains of the town of Wisdon, where the Great Sorceress Deis/Bleu slept is now merely a hole in the desert sand. Deis was one of the Eight Heroes who helped defeat Myria/Tyr in BoF I. The spirits that guarded Deis in BoF I are still there.
• The Wing Clan of the Kingdom of Windia (known as Winlan in BoF I) has been gradually losing their power. In BoF I, they had large wings and could use the power of the Great Bird. Now their wings are much smaller. Later in BoF III, they have completely lost their wings.
• Nina of Breath of Fire is blamed for the Wing Clan's lost of power because she married a man from outside her clan. She is the great, great, great, great, great, great grandmother of the current Nina and now serves as the Guardian for the Mark of the Wing. You meet her when the current Nina tries to transform into the great bird but must prove herself worthy to the Guardian. According to an official manga from Capcom, that man was the Hero from BoF I Ryu. That could explain why Mina has blue hair and the current Nina has black wings.
• The Spyre from BoF I is now known as the Sky Tower and is almost completely submerged in water.
• Dologany/Dragnier/Drogen is now home to the entire Dragon clan, not just the Light Dragons as in BoF I. Now even the Dark Dragon clan lives together with Light Dragon Clan. What is more interesting is that the elder of the clan is a dragon named Ryu Rider. It is unknown if this is the very same Ryu from BoF I since we were never given his last name. In BoF III, Dragnier is partially underground to keep it from Myria's prying eyes.
• The Dragon clan originally did not have wings, but because of their long exposure to Deathevn, their appearances changed. This theme of gaining power by merely being near a God for a long period of time is a theme heavily developed in the fourth installment, and is used to explain how the Windians gained their wings and as well as the powers of the other clans.
• It is implied that Township is, or was built atop, the remains of the Obelisk, the flying fortress of the Goddess Myria in BoF I.
• The party of BoF II explores Gandaroof's dreamworld in the same manner that the party of BoF I did with Mogu. The item used to accomplish both feats is the Therapy Pillow (called the Bolster in BoF I), the royal treasure of Tunlan.
• The Magic Hood (known as Cowl in BoF I) and the Famous Flute (known as Maestro in BoF I) are still required to communicate with the people of Tunlan. The Magic Hood has been in Kilgore's family for many generations now, while the Famous Flute is a keepsake of the Highlanders at Highfort.
• The Gills' powers have been reduced, as they only allow users to breathe in shallow water, and the user could drown if they were in deep water too long. The gills in the first game allowed users to breathe even when they were at the bottom of the ocean, and there was no limit to how long they could stay underwater.

[edit] Trivia

• Breath of Fire II contains remixes of a few tracks from the original Breath of Fire game.

• The Creeping Clan makes their debut in this game. What should be noted is that although they did not appear in the first game, there were sentient, talking frogs. It could be that they evolved from these frogs after eating the Golden Fly, a quest item.

[edit] External links

• Unofficial arrangements (ReMixes) of Breath of Fire II's soundtrack at OverClocked ReMix
• Dragon-tear.net English Breath of Fire fansite with indepth character information, high-quality artwork, and forums.
• Breath of Fire II at MobyGames