Breath of Fire 2

Breath of Fire 2

    Breath of Fire 2 (by Capcom) is an RPG often forgotten amongst the numerous hits on the Super Nintendo/Famicom library. It's not hard to understand at first glance... average, even sub-par graphics for the time... a simple combat system... and, for the US version, a decidedly amateurish and illegible 'translation' combined with an abysmally poor run.
    However, Breath of Fire 2 has many good properties, especially considering when it was made. Despite the hacking that was done to it's script for the US release, it was among the first games released past Nintendo of America to feature a sinister, evil religion (long before Squaresoft started tossing them in like popcorn). It also had some rather blatant sexual innuendo, especially compared to lighter fare that was cut out of bigger name titles, such as Final Fantasy 3 (US). And, most importantly of all, are the distinctive and enthralling characters.
    Ryu Bateson is one of the few members of the Dragon Clan in the world, along with his sister Yua. One day, after encountering his mother... in the form of a dragon... resting in the woods, he returns to his hometown, to find that nobody remembers him, and the church to the dragon god replaced by an altar to Saint Eva. Ryu flees, eventually becoming a Ranger, and meeting numerous friends, including Rinpuu (Katt) Chuan and Nina Windia. Little does he know that his quest will eventually bring him head-to-head with a mad God...