Suikoden II | Retrospective Review

Today I'm taking a look at Suikoden 2, Konami's classic RPG released on the PlayStation in 1999. For many years it has been commonly believed that the story for Suikoden 2 was actually written before the first game, but after finding conflicting accounts regarding this rumor, I decided to reach out to Yoshitaka Murayama (the series creator) to get some clarification on this point. Not only did he set the record straight, but provided some other great insight into how Suikoden 2 was made.

HUGE thank you to ZenmenZ for translating my emails with Mr. Murayama, and to Hian for helping me find his contact info as well as providing feedback on translations. This video would not have been possible without them.

Suikoden 1 Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rn28K0vbtvk

Sources:
1. Emails With Mr. Murayama: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1TET7gvdI6L9NlyKuJigEremgUUqzpMpKROPlBQMda7k/edit?usp=sharing
2. Game Informer Article: https://www.gameinformer.com/b/features/archive/2013/12/20/rpg-spotlight-suikoden.aspx
3. NeoGaf Forum: https://www.neogaf.com/threads/why-isnt-suikoden-2-on-psn.750974/page-6#post-97361657
4. The Untold History Of Japanese Game Developers: https://www.amazon.com/Untold-History-Japanese-Game-Developers-ebook/dp/B00Q93N29I/ref=sr_1_1?crid=AGHKB1LZF65P&keywords=the+untold+history+of+japanese+game+developers&qid=1571048675&sprefix=the+untold+history+of+japanese%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-1
5. Suikoden Revival Movement Interview #1: https://www.facebook.com/notes/suikoden-revival-movement/yoshitaka-murayama-community-interview-2016/966367783459406/
6. Suikoden Revival Movement Interview #2: https://www.facebook.com/notes/suikoden-revival-movement/interview-with-yoshitaka-murayama/619511931478328
7. Miki Higashino Profile: http://www.vgmonline.net/mikihigashino/
8. Miki Higashino Interview #1: https://web.archive.org/web/20080902011227/http://mitsuda.cocoebiz.com/friends/higashino.html
9. Miki Higashino Interview #2: http://www.vgmonline.net/mikihigashinointerview/

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