When summer came, the infinite potential of the TI-85 went with it. It being a school-issue calculator meant our formulas, the only means of playing, were gone. This was devastating. We did write down, by hand, a lot of the formulas and how they were programmed. The hope was that we could buy another and put them back in. That was a far-off hope thanks to the cost of the device. So how then could we move forward? Well, we kept the same basic idea: video games without video games. This, in reality, led to two different versions of the next iteration of Final Battle. Developed in sequence, as one flopped and never made it to the table. But it of course made some massive contributions. The second lasted enough to run a very exciting campaign.

Our first foray into TTRPGs was, from what we know, pretty typical. Two children, a piece of paper, and a world of imagination. It sounds so very clichéd. And it was. I was a halfling archer, with a magic bow that could shoot magic arrows. We adventured into the woods and fought goblins. Nothing grand, but it sparked a new concept for us. Something we hadn’t considered before; video games without video games. Of course, we would talk about other games, shows, and movies and discuss what neat abilities were in those. After two weeks, it was over. We never saw our first GM again and never could thank him for everything he did and what it all led to. So I dedicate this series of retrospectives on Final Battle as follows:

To Daniel. Thank you for ignoring what our teacher wanted us to be to each other. And thank you for showing us a doorway towards who we could be instead.

Kickstarted around April 2020, I was a backer for this game. I backed it because it promised a fun rogue-lite experience and a queer plot. What isn’t there to enjoy? I ended up playing the Switch version on my stream one morning after receiving my key in March of 2021. This game is exemplary. Sadly, it is exemplary of so many negative things. Let’s get into this. While I will avoid getting into too much of the details, there will be some spoilers ahead.

AN: It’s time to go backward and revisit the game in this franchise that has given me the most hassle. Final Fantasy has been difficult to get running, let alone getting it (in)completed. You can read about that saga here if you want. Needless to say, I know the opening of Final Fantasy II by heart. With that said, let’s get to this review, shall we?

We go back in time to 1988. Fresh off the success of a project vested with all their hope, Squaresoft kept the hype train going. And so Japan got Final Fantasy II. In the west, it wouldn’t see an official release until 2003. At that time it was bundled with Final Fantasy on the Playstation as Final Fantasy Origins. Some may remember that I played the Origins version of Final Fantasy. The Final Fantasy II port on that disc was less than stellar. This means the version we are playing was actually released the next year. Bundled again with Final Fantasy, Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls on the Gameboy Advance. Before either of these, I actually played (and beat) a fan translation on the NES!

I own, far too many games for my own good. While I have beaten a good number of them, I don’t have clear and recent memories of them. So in this series of articles, I’ll be going into depth as I finish each game, detailing my thoughts as I go. Each will be graded on five points—Gameplay, Story, Graphics, Sound, and Replay. These are key points that I find important for my true enjoyment of a game. I will also be defining how finished I am with the game—Unfinished, Beaten, Completed, or Mastered. This is a lot, so I’ll break it all down. So strap in and open your Instruction Manual, because it is time to learn how to play!