We're playing Suikoden II? Hooray!

Everyone else, post your Suikoden titillation stories now. Mopinks needs the material!

A mountain less misty and a job well done Hiro and his entourage continue north to Kyaro.


Inventory in the original was limited, but it’s made much more constricting in this game, as accessories and items now have to compete for the same spots. During battle characters are limited to only the items they have equipped, but equipping a stack of medicine means you have to forgo an accessory. So let’s say I want to give Rina these lovely cheek guards (I’m sure there’s a dirty joke to be made, but far be it from me to make it). She now has all of her available accessory slots filled up (again, dirty joke), so the only items she can use in battle is that stack of medicine. Again, it’s only a real concern in the beginning because runic healing becomes much more flexible and Hai Yo can cook up some truly exceptional foods for healing, but it is a little difference.


Back at Kyaro Hirowy and the circus people decide to part ways. Eilie tries to pick Hiro up, but realizing the slut apple doesn’t fall far from the skank tree he’s having none of it. (This is a good time to mention that, after the last update, I decided to check Rina’s backstory. Apparently during the course of this game she’s seventeen years old. This, along with Meg’s teen pregnancy just confirms that Suiko girls are whores.) Jowy is concerned about his family and runs off to his house, and tells Hiro he should check in on Nanami. Hiro, well aware of what a visit to Nanami entails, decides to take a little stroll through town first.



Talking to the townspeople shows how effective Luca’s ploy was. This is honestly the first time I’ve bothered to speak to them, and their reactions are a nice touch. Remember, Luca slaughtered the Unicorn Brigade to rile up support in Highland for going back to war with Jowston. The Unicorn Brigade was the pride of Kyaro, and undoubtedly many of these people lost their sons and are now absolutely willing to go along with the war. Luca’s misinformation worked perfectly on the people that it needed to.

This is the Hiro family shrine, but I don’t think he’s quite ready yet to go in. Maybe a stroll around the grounds?



For some reason this tree seems unusual, so Hiro decides to investigate. The investigation turns up…a flying squirrel wearing a cape? Yeah, I don’t know either. Mukumuku IS a Star of Destiny, but fortunately if you miss him here you can recruit him with a less batshit-insane method. Note that his presence does change the coming scenes slightly, though.

Alright, no delaying it further I guess. It’s time to meet Nanami. I’ve been pointing out here and there places where, visually, Suikoden II is a step above the first, but this is the scene that drives it home. Nanami has more frames of animation in this scene alone than in the entirety of the first game, I think.

Nanami barrages Hiro with questions about how he’s been. She mentions that the rumor is a pair of spies were responsible for the surprise attack. She trusts Hiro, but says that Captain Rowd is looking for him. Before they leave, she wants to pray to Genkaku, fearing they might not be able to come back.

As soon as they step outside soldiers appear, accusing Hiro of being a spy. Nanami’s not having any of that, so once again it’s time to fight our way out. As you’d expect, Hiro and Nanami get a unite attack. It’s a fairly standard, 2x damage and unbalance Nanami kind of unite, but with one difference. There’s a small chance that instead of helping out Nanami will hang back and relax while Hiro does all the work. It heals her slightly and prevents her from being unbalanced, but it also does far less damage. Thanks Nanami!

Before they can finish things up Captain Rowd appears. Hiro and Jowy are to be captured and executed as City-State spies, retribution for selling out their squad.


Things aren’t going better for Jowy. When he returns home he doesn’t get the warm reception he was hoping for.


His father, refusing to believe his story, calls the guards and disowns him.

His father and brother abandoning him, all Jowy wants is to see his mother. Keep in mind, Hiro and Jowy are just 16 during the course of this game. They’re children. Jowy watched his country slaughter his friends, nearly died himself escaping, comes back to see his family and is just given over to be executed.


Reunited in a prison cell, Rowd comes by to tell them they’ll be executed at sunset. Rowd explains that their death is necessary for Luca’s ambitions, and that it was necessary for him to get out of the Unicorn Brigade and into a more lucrative position in the army. He apologizes for his actions and says, uncomforting, that you can’t fight destiny.



On the way to the stocks Hirowy passes by Princess Jillia Blight, Luca’s sister. She’s horrified that the spies who are to be executed are just children.


Hiro and Jowy are taken to the stocks and tied up. They’re beaten as Rowd lists their crimes, then gets oddly poetic about the sunset.

The camera pans to the setting sun as the sounds of the beating intensify. The camera pans back…


…to reveal where all that noise was coming from.



In two swings Flik cuts Hirowy down and frees them from the ropes.


Viktor shows up from the rear. Apparently they couldn’t let their servants prisoners be executed. Hirowy are saved from execution, but before they can leave they need to help out Nanami and Mukumuku.

Apparently, not so much.


The irony of the situation isn’t lost on Jowy.


Before they leave, Nanami wonders if they’ll ever be able to return. Either way, she reasons, she’ll still be Nanami, and Hirowy will still be Hirowy.


Though they’ve apparently atrophied since the fall of the Scarlet Moon Empire, AND lost their awesome endgame weapons, armor, and runes, Viktor and Flik are still strong enough to change all the encounters to Let Go, making the trip over the mountain much more palatable.

Back at Camp Fliktor Hiro and Jowy are told that, since they don’t have any place left to go they’re free to do as they’d please. No more forced service! Viktor also tells Hiro exactly what he’s been waiting to hear: we can start recruiting!

Coming up next: Recruitment? Oh hell yes.

This is one of my favorite scenes in any game ever.

I hate to say this... but I'm not sure I can read any more. I want to save experiencing the game again for myself. With every post and screen I want to play it myself so badly.

So good to see you once again
I thought that you were hiding from me.
And you thought that I had run away.
Chasing a trail of smoke and reason.

I missed you so much!

The execution scene was one of my favorite parts of the game. Everything is grim for our heroes, then suddenly Flik and Viktor out of nowhere, accompanied by sweet rescue music.

I'm really amazed at the sprite detail in this game. Undoubtedly one of gaming's last instances of detailed/careful sprite work.

I'm in total agreement that one thing Suikoden II does very well is remind you occasionally that the heroes are, indeed, children. It's not unusual for kids to go to war, unfortunately, but they're rarely the perfect heroes shonen characters always end up being.

On that topic, if I'm not mistaken, isn't Jowy's "father' in that scene not his real father? I think Luca mentions something about Jowy being illegitimate.

This LP is depressing for two reasons. 1) It makes me want to play Suikoden II again and I don't own it and 2) it makes me want to play Suikoden III again immediately after, but the aforementioned "not having II" thing keeps me from doing this.

I forget the full details of Jowy's background (I think his mother gave birth to him in a previous marriage and this is his adopted father) but his mother is the only one in this family who cares about him and those bastards won't even let him see her.

It adds wonderfully to the melancholy that suffuses so much of the story. I love this game.

The next update will contain... A PUPPY, correct? although shiro is infinitely inferior to Suikoden 3's puppies

If you can call that...thing, a puppy. GOD I hate Gengen. Oh wait, you mean...

[...Shiro? He's even worse. He's a wolf...and that's it. Wolves are pretty bad ass, but considering how super bad ass the cast of Suikoden II is, your resume has to have more on it "Is a wolf" in order to make it into my party.]

I still despise Gengen, though. Seriously; fuck that guy.

Hey, that's not fair. Eilie happens to be a unicorn-certified virgin. Rina takes care of all the whorin' duties in that family (I assume Eilie does the dishes or something).

See, this is exhibit numero uno as to why all those haters who think Nanami isn't thirty ways of awesome are totally wrong.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . hey!
Hey!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What did you say! What did you say!
Did you say HATER????????????? Huh????????? Huh????????

Did he say HATER, Pilika?????????????

Seems familiar...



Maybe that hacker was just a Nanami fan? I can't really explain any other reason for such blatant punctuation abuse.

Anyone else only just notice that the stagecoach driver leans over to look at Jillia or Jowy, depending on whom's talking? That's bonkers, but in a beautiful way.

is there any reaason to doubt why people consider this one of the best games ever? The sheer amount of detail and art and love poured into this game is insane.

Thank you!!!!

Yeah, that was awesome.

This whole update made me a little giddy.

Me too. I could even hear the appropriate soundtrack numbers while looking at the scenes.

Well you see, in the prologue you kill a huge amount of soldiers with no effort, and then you fight dust bunnies with no effort, but then you die when you meet bandits on Mt Seifu because you can't fight them the same way you fight dust bunnies. This game is shit. Oh and there's menu-based combat. Shit.



... I've been discussing this game for more than a month with some ass on another forum.