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This is a list of known version differences in Final Fantasy II releases. In most cases, each version has built its feature set over a previous release, with new releases adding additional content and removing bugs and glitches presented in the original version; changes are cumulative unless otherwise noted.

Famicom

The first iteration of Final Fantasy II was released on December 17, 1988.

Dark Shadow Over Palakia

The intended international release of Final Fantasy II, with the prototype dating back to 1990. Little is known about the changes that would have been implemented for international audiences from the original Famicom release, as Dark Shadow Over Palakia never moved past the transcription stage, even though text was inserted. Ultimately, it was scrapped in favor of the release of Final Fantasy IV for the SNES. The changes featured had been made to satisfy Nintendo's religious imagery policies:

• The sigil in the room where Firion is revived in Altair was a Hexagram in the Famicom version; it was replaced with a simple triangle.
• The cross that replaces the character's face on the main menu when a character is Knocked Out was replaced with a gravestone.
• Maria's portrait on the main menu was given a more feminine look with minor alterations to her hairstyle.
• The fist icon for unarmed was replaced by a hand, likely because the glove icon added for the English translation is very similar to the original fist icon.

Final Fantasy I∙II

A compilation of both Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II released on February 27, 1994 for the Famicom in Japan only, with the only revision correcting a typo in the opening narrative.

WonderSwan Color

Released on May 3, 2001 in Japan only, a number of major changes were introduced for the WonderSwan version:

• Updated Logo - An updated logo using the standard series typeface featuring the Emperor.
• Upgraded Visuals - The WSC version utilizes 16-bit pixels equivalent to the Super Famicom, which included larger color palettes and full background images for battles.
  • Spells used in battle now have unique, progressive animations. Dungeons now have pre-rendered textures and 2.5D effects.
• Party - Characters are now named from a single screen with their default names instead of separate screens.
• Cutscenes - New in-game cutscenes have been added, including an introductory chase scene taking place before the party's encounter with the Black Knights.
• Gameplay - Numerous changes to make the game more accessible were added:
  • Keywords now display in color instead of being bracketed.
  • Growth bonuses gained for weapons have been increased, enabling faster level progression.
  • Auto-targeting option added, where characters will now randomly target their next enemy in battle when their current target is defeated. Previously, attempts to strike a defeated enemy were "ineffective". This option can be toggled in the menu.
  • The option to view the World Map, with a menu of previously visited locations being marked.
  • The Start Menu appears on the redesigned title screen as opposed to after the prologue.
  • Increased inventory space.
  • The option to optimize all equipment or just armor.
  • Real-time display of damage incurred or recovered, hit count, and status on the battlefield.
  • Status changes are also indicated by the color of a character's current HP value: status effects are displayed yellow, while KO or HP Critical will display red.
  • Menu design follows format of later installments, with the party and their statistics displayed to the left and the menu on the right.
  • Instead of using an icon, KO'd party members' avatars are given a shadowed palette.
  • Similarly to the original release of Final Fantasy, the specific spells and equipment that were not correctly functioning in the Famicom version have been fixed.

• Movement - The option to "Dash" was introduced: holding down a specific button while walking around a town or dungeon will double the character's movement speed. Both options can be toggled via the game's configuration screen.
• Saving – The WonderSwan version provides up to eight individual slots for saved game data. The "Quicksave" feature allows the player to save progress at any time outside of battles. This will exit the game, however, and as soon as the game is resumed any Quicksave data is lost.

• Music & Sound - Music and sound effects have been updated using the WonderSwan's sound chip:
  • "Prelude" does not play as the prologue is told; instead, a new track has been added.
  • The "Save" and "Rest" theme from the original Final Fantasy have been added, with the latter playing when the party rests at an inn.
  • Addition of two new boss battle themes, "Battle Theme A" and "Battle Theme B", with "Battle Theme 2" now acting as the final boss theme against the Emperor.
• Minigame - A memory puzzle minigame is available to play while riding the snowcraft. The player must match the corresponding character portraits to receive prizes, with better rewards the faster its completion.

PlayStation

The first international release of Final Fantasy II was released along with the original Final Fantasy for the PlayStation, titled Final Fantasy Origins (or Final Fantasy I+II Premium Collection in Japan). Both games are based on the WonderSwan Color versions, retaining most of the changes featured. The game was released on October 31, 2002 in Japan, followed with a March 14, 2003 release in Europe and a April 8, 2003 release in North America.

Along with the changes incorporated from the WonderSwan version, additional features were added:

• Updated Visuals – Visuals have higher resolution with new graphical effects, an increased color palette. Battle backgrounds are now wider in size.
• Rearranged Soundtrack – Improved sound quality for music equivalent to the existing Final Fantasy titles on the PlayStation, with additional tracks added by Nobuo Uematsu.
• English Localization – The first official English translation, where numerous changes were incorporated:
  • The Japanese version's script was changed to include kanji.
  • Dialogue, info, and save screen typeface is Helvetica/Arial clone; other areas use fixed-width.
  • Character name changes: Frioniel → Firion, Guy → Gus, Leonhart → Leon, Ming-Wu → Mindu, Reila → Leila, Richard → Gareth, Paul → Pavel. "Pavel" is the Slavic form of "Paul", so the motivation behind this change is yet unknown.
  • Specific script changes to several characters, such as Guy's crude manner (e.g. "Where real princess?!") and Leila's pirate accent.
  • New dialogue was added for several scenes, including the Emperor's conversation with Leon upon being revived after the party defeats him.
• Save System – Saved game data takes up one block on the PlayStation memory card, which means that up to fifteen games can be saved onto each card. The "quick save" feature of the WSC version was excised, but in its place a "memo save" feature was introduced where game data can be temporarily saved to the PlayStation's RAM. The data remains until the system is turned off, or its power supply is otherwise interrupted.
• Gameplay Changes - Weapons and shields no longer have magic interference.
• Full Motion Video - An introductory FMV appears before the title screen, featuring the Emperor and Firion's group escaping the Palamecian army.
• Additional Cutscenes - New in-game cutscenes were added, including:
  • A scene of the Dreadnought pursuing the party's airship and using its underside crane to capture it.
  • A scene showing Pandaemonium rising from the ground (Upon completing Castle Palamecia, it simply replaced it on the World Map).
• Bonus Content - An "Omake" (or bonus) section was made available that includes a Bestiary, an Art Gallery and an item collection which are unlocked as the player progresses through the game.
• Difficulty Levels – The game features difficulty levels - on Easy difficulty, the dash and auto-target functions are available, the map can be changed to look like a 2D map like in other games, or like a globe like in the original releases, and characters can use equipped non-offensive items on other characters. Completing the game on Easy unlocks Normal difficulty, where dash and auto-target functions are locked and unavailable, the world map always looks like a globe and characters can only use equipped non-offensive items on themselves.
• DualShock Support - The game features rumble support with the DualShock controller.
• Performance - Due to the disc-based format of the PlayStation, load times are significantly longer during battle transitions.

Game Boy Advance

A third compilation of both Final Fantasy and Final Fantasy II, titled Final Fantasy I & II: Dawn of Souls, was released in Japan on July 29, 2004, North America on November 29, 2004 and Europe on December 3, 2004. The game marks one of the first releases of the newly formed Square Enix. The Game Boy Advance edition featured a number of substantial changes to both titles:

• Gameplay Changes - Numerous changes were added:
  • New portraits for key characters when spoken to during dialogue.
  • Sages will appear in the room where Firion first awakens in Altair, acting as tutorial guides.
  • Auto-targeting is now permanent.
  • The inventory cap of 32 items has been removed.
  • Characters need no longer to be equipped with an item to consume it.
  • Items of the same type now stack within the item pool and can be bought in bulk.
  • Prices have been reduced in shops.
  • Later chests containing Potions now contain Elixirs.
  • The target-cancel bug was fixed.
  • The party now has 10 MP instead of 5 MP in the beginning by default.
  • Holding the + buttons enables fleeing.
  • The Snowcraft minigame's prizes were altered.
  • Stat values no longer decrease.
  • HP values now increase every ten battles for surviving party members.
  • Skill growth for weapons and magic have different values when gaining a level instead of being identical, which enables faster growth in the beginning of the game.
  • Intelligence and Spirit have twice the effect on magic damage and healing.
  • Teleport's accuracy bonus was increased from +0% to +55%.
  • Equipment bonuses now stack with each other.
  • Guest party members have been buffed, specifically to their HP and MP values as well as their unique skills.
  • The Blood Sword in Castle Fynn's basement is replaced with a Power Staff. Only one Blood Sword is available in the game and is missable.
  • Inflicting more than 9,999 damage will still display 9999 regardless if more damage is inflicted, instead of displaying the last four digits in the damage window.
• Adjusted Difficulty – The GBA version's difficulty is based off the Easy Mode of the Origins version, though there is no option to adjust its level. The redirection of "ineffective" hits, the ability to dash, 2D map, and the ability to use items, which were optional since it were introduced in the WSC version, are now mandatory.
• Localization - Under a new localization team, the script for both games was almost entirely rewritten; Nintendo contributed a unique typeface to localization that was easy to read within the Game Boy Advance's small screen.
  • Several character's receive new name changes: "Gus" corrected to Guy, "Mindu" → Minwu, "Gareth" → Ricard, "Pavel" corrected to Paul.
  • The PAL versions offered multiple language support: English, German, French, Italian, and Spanish. As a result, the PAL versions feature thinner font to accommodate the language-specific pronunciations.

    

• Visuals – Higher screen resolution with the overall presentation identical to the Origins version, whilst featuring a brighter color palette from the WonderSwan port.
• Characters - Paul's character sprite was changed to resemble his official art by Yoshitaka Amano.
• Cutscenes - The introductory prologue featuring the Emperor's initial conquest now plays upon starting a new game, instead of when waiting on the main menu. The scene featuring the initial chase by the Black Knights was removed, reverting to the immediate battle encounter against them.
• Save System – The game can now be saved at any time outside of battles, with three available save game slots.
• Bonus Content – The Art Gallery and Item Collection present in the Origins version have been omitted, but the Bestiary remains and operates in much the same way, in addition to a BGM player unlocked after completion of the game.
• Soul of Rebirth - A new bonus quest unlocked upon completion of the game, following Minwu and several companions.

Mobile Phone

Released on February 4, 2005, Bandai Namco released a mobile port of Final Fantasy II in Japan only. Built on Java ME, this port is primarily based on the Dawn of Souls version, with several changes:

• Bonus Content - Cutscenes, character portraits and all bonus content have been removed.
• Performance - The size of the sprites determines the power of the mobile phone platform. Larger devices incorporate touch controls.
• Sound - Boss battle music is absent, and music and sound cannot play at the same time depending on the limitations of the device. The player may choose to toggle the BGM, with the music rearranged in MIDI format that doesn't loop.

Following the closure of Square Enix Mobile in early 2018, Final Fantasy II is no longer available for BlackBerry and other 2G/3G devices.

PlayStation Portable

A PlayStation Portable version was announced in celebration of the series' 20th Anniversary, released on June 7 and July 24 in Japan and North America respectively, and February 8, 2008 in Europe. In addition to retaining the FMVs from the Origins version and the Soul of Rebirth storyline, additional changes were featured:

• Updated Logo - An updated logo which still features the Emperor, now in a different pose. It has since been used in all media that features Final Fantasy II.
• Language Options - Three available languages to select from the beginning: English, Japanese and Japanese Kana.
• Full Motion Video – The introductory FMV returns and is updated to feature the Square Enix logo that replaces the original Squaresoft version, as well as the new version of the Final Fantasy II logo.

  

• Localization - Additional script tweaks.
• Cutscenes – A new cutscene is shown following the party's defeat by the Black Knights, where they are found by Hilda and her rebel army. In addition, cutscenes can now be skipped.
• Visuals – Sprites in both characters and environments have been updated and are more detailed, with new aerial effects added to the towns and dungeons, such as clouds passing through the sky.
• Music – The Origins version of the soundtrack is retained.
• Gameplay Changes - Several changes were implemented:
  • Encounter rates for specific locations were lowered.
  • Skill points for weapons and magic were slightly lowered, increasing character progression.
  • The "Defend" command has been added in battle menus.
• Bonus Content – The art gallery from the Origins versions has returned, along with the Item Collection and Bestiary.
• Arcane Labyrinth - Three new dungeons exclusive to the 20th Anniversary edition, where progress is required through the use of Key Terms.

Wii Virtual Console (Discontinued)

The original title was re-released as part of the Virtual Console library of retro games on the Nintendo Wii. The original Famicom version released on June 16, 2009 in Japan, with the only change being the reduction of brightness and flashing when casting spells.

PlayStation Network

Two versions of Final Fantasy II were re-released digitally on the PlayStation Network. The Origins version released on June 7, 2007 in Japan, while the Anniversary Edition released on March 2, 2011 in Europe & Australia and on January 10, 2012 in North America.

iOS and iPadOS/Android (Delisted)

The now defunct Mobile ports of the Anniversary versions was released on February 25, 2010 for the iOS and on December 21, 2012 for Android. These versions were available up until July 28, 2021 and were replaced by the Pixel Remaster version.

• Touch Controls - Implementation of touch-based controls, with reworked menus during battle to accommodate the changes.
• Removed Features - The option to change the window color was removed. The Art Gallery and Item Collection have also been removed.
• Music - Quality of the soundtrack has been reduced.
• Language - UI language is now determined by system language.
• Text - A smaller Times-based typeface was used for text display.
• Save Suspend - Automatic suspend/resume added. If a device receives a phone call or enters sleep, or if the user closes the game, progress will be saved at the time it was interrupted. Like the Quicksave system present in handheld ports of Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy V, and Final Fantasy VI, a temporary file is created. Once this file is resumed, however, it is deleted and replaced with the next suspended state. The player cannot use this feature in battle (e.g. to recover from an unexpected KO), and should save the game to a dedicated file as needed.
• Save System - Number of saves is again fixed at three.

Final Fantasy II Pixel Remaster

As part of the series of Pixel Remaster re-releases of the first six games in the main series, the first three games were released on July 28, 2021 for both Steam and Mobile.

Original Famicom sprite of the "Bomb" (left) and the updated Pixel Remaster depiction (right).

• Pixel Remaster - Refined pixel art presentation built with the Unity engine. Character and enemy designs have been further revamped, with the latter now using designs based off the original 8-bit installments. NPC sprite designs are lifted directly from later releases of the original game and Final Fantasy V. Environmental effects from the Anniversary versions are retained.
  • New animations for items and spells have been remade in a pixel inspired style.
  • Character portraits are based off the Famicom versions in the menu, with Firion's appearance incorporating his bandanna.
  • Less animations for nearly every character, such as looking and left and right when on the field.
• Framed Text - Highlighted names in text boxes for main and temporary playable characters; e.g. Firion's name is framed in blue, Guy's name is framed in green.

• Video Filters - An option to display the game using a CRT filter, emulating the display of retro games.
• Resolution - Exclusive to the Steam version are multiple options to to adjust aspect ratio and screen resolution.
• Tap Mode - Exclusive to the Mobile version is the option to tap to reach a specfic tile when on the field.
• Localization - The game reuses the localization 20th Anniversary version, with some additional polish. In addition to retaining all European language options from the Dawn of Souls version, new languages are now available: Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Simplified and Traditional Chinese.
• Auto-Battle - Auto-Battle has been implemented, which repeats the last action chosen for each character, enabling faster progression.
• Map System - In-game maps have been introduced for every area. The World Map displays the number of chests and items remaining to be collected in every location, with the dungeon map floors now displaying the location of chests for easier progression.
• Progression - Tall scenery objects such as pillars and trees can now be walked behind on their upper tile, enabling many shortcuts through towns and dungeons.
  • Diagonal movement is enabled, allowing for quicker exploration and shortcuts.
  • The option to display a different party member on the field is now available.
• Gameplay - Gameplay elements feature several amalgamations from previous versions:
  • Instant message speed for displayed text in both field and battles.
  • Cutscenes cannot be skipped.
  • Fleeing with the shoulder buttons no longer affects the entire party, but escape from certain enemies is no longer impossible early game.
  • Stat growth is based off the Dawn of Souls version.
  • HP, MP, Stamina and Magic stat gains now track total HP and MP lost over the course of the battle, rather than taking the difference between the starting and ending HP and MP. This means it is possible to lose a lot of HP/MP, heal back to full before the battle ends, and still have raised chances of increasing those stats.
  • For proficiency level increases for weapons, spells, Evasion and Magic Defense, the usage count cap of 100 in a single battle is removed.
  • Equipment optimization now affects weapons that are statistically higher than an equipped weapon.
  • Weapons and shields regained their magic interference.
  • Several enemies have been tweaked or rebalanced.
  • Rows now function similarly to later games in the series; characters placed in the back row will now take half damage from enemies. The position of a character's row can now be changed during battle.
  • The results screen after winning a battle displays more information.
  • Esuna can no longer cure Venom at level 1. To cure Stone, Esuna needs to now be on level 6, in comparison to previous versions requiring it to be level 5.
  • Teleport's accuracy bonus was reduced from +55% to +20%.
  • Enemies all have set chances to flee rather than using their fear value.
    • The Fear spell effectively does nothing.
  • Bomb-type enemies can immediately use Self-Destruct rather than requiring their current HP to drop below a threshold.
  • Encounter rates have been rebalanced from the 20th Anniversary version, with enemies now appearing equally as often in every location.
    • Trap rooms in dungeons no longer have an excessively high encounter rate, making it far more likely to walk out of them without triggering a battle.
  • Encounter groupings on the world map are now determined on a per-tile basis, rather than the map being divided into 64 sections. This change removes the section overlap that created the "Peninsula of Power".
  • Characters can attack with two shields equipped, which give unarmed attack animations. They can still gain evasion stat boosts in addition to unarmed (called hands) and shield level ups after battle, though damage will be less than if they are unarmed in both hands.
  • Poison deals 1/16th of maximum HP damage each turn.
  • Characters can use weapons with abilities as reusable items like Holy Lance. The old version (delisted mobile/PSP) would remove it from inventory after 1 use.
  • Castle Fynn can now be entered immediately, though a gate blocks access any deeper than the first step. However, it is possible to encounter later game enemies by running left and right. If the player can win the encounters, this allows them to hunt for previously late game spells such as Berserk Tome from Magicians and Haste Tome from Sorcerers, in addition to stronger equipment.
• Save System - It is no longer possible to save in towns and dungeons, but the option to do so is still available on the World Map.
  • Quicksave - The option to quicksave anywhere is now available.
• Music - Re-orchestrated musical score overseen by Nobuo Uematsu, including the new arrangements added from the Origins version.
• Sound - Many of the sound effects from previous versions have been replaced with the sound effects found in the 3D remake of Final Fantasy IV as well as the Mobile/Steam ports of Final Fantasy V and Final Fantasy VI.
• Bestiary - A new feature implemented to the Bestiary is an interactive World Map, in which the player can find an enemy specific to its encountered location on the map.
• Bonus Content - The Art Gallery as well as the BGM player from previous versions return, while the snowcraft minigame, Arcane Labyrinth bonus dungeons and the Soul of Rebirth storyline have been removed, along with the unique items and enemies encountered within the latter two.

Patches

1.0.4

• 100% status affliction from normal physical attacks was fixed.^[1]
  • Prior to the patch, status effects from normal physical attacks were initially triggered at 100% chance, with no way of lowering the chance or gaining immunity. This included enemy attacks, such as attacks from Malboros, Devil's Blooms, and Antlions. In particular, Coeurls became extremely dangerous as every hit by them became an instant KO. Status effects could also be inflicted against bosses using weapons with added effects, such as the Poison Axe against the final boss.
• Aura and Wall cast one level lower when multi-targeted.
• Dual-wielded attacks will now always target the same enemy even if the first attack reduces their HP to 0. Prior to the patch, the second weapon attack would auto-target to a different enemy if the first attack killed the original target.

PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch

All six games were released on April 19, 2023 for both PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch with additional features. The additional features implemented were also added to the Steam version via patch 1.1.0.

• Experience and Gil - An option to adjust attribute EXP and gil intake from battles. They can independently be set to 0x, 0.5x, 1x (default), 2x, 3x, or 4x. The auto HP levelling after every 10 battles survived can also be toggled off for the first time since it was forced active on GBA version.
• Random encounters - Option to disable random encounters.
• Music - An additional option to choose between the rearranged or the original Famicom soundtracks.
• Typeface - An additional option to choose between the "Modernized" typeface used in the original Pixel Remaster release or a pixelized "Classic" typeface more closely resembling that of the Famicom version.
• Gameplay - Magic Interference was made visible.