So I have heard the name Suikoden spoken with reverence for a long time and I've never played them. Today I see Suikoden II is trending on Twitter and apparently it is out on PSN today.

I'm ready to go with the fervor and buy it but is it necessary to have played the first one?

@citizencoffeecake: While there are some connections between the games, you don't really need to have played the first Suikoden to enjoy Suikoden II. The stories themselves are standalone, even if some characters appear in both.

always heard reverence for suikoden 1 and 2. ill probably jump on this in that case.

You don't need to play the first one, but I would recommend it if it's an option. There are more than a few cameos and references in Suikoden 2, and you can even import your data from the first game for an extra quest and secret character.

The first game is only like 10 hours long anyway.

Hmm ten hours doesn't seem too bad and the save import thing makes me think I should just buckle down and start from the beginning. Thank you for the info @jesna and @zeik.

I've been poking around on the PSN and can't actually find it for purchase. I can view it on the web store but it doesn't pop up as something you can buy.

My favorite game of all time, though.

@marokai: Yea when I went to buy it on the website it told me I wasn't authorized or something. Guess it's still rolling out.

To be fair, it's probably more like 15 hours if you don't practically know the game by heart like I do, lol.

With all this talk of Suikoden lately I might have to replay it myself.

@marokai: Suikoden 2 doesn't seem to be up yet but the first one is there.

I am not seeing it in the store yet. But I'm downloading it as soon as I see it.

It's about time Suikoden II got the NA re-release it deserved. Far as I know, it only got a limited print run when it first released, and then dropped off the map. It's a shame because Suikoden II is a classic.

I wonder if they will do a quick look of this game? Or I guess it could be a bombastica or something.

@devil240z: I don't think there's anyone on staff that would enjoy it. Maybe Patrick?

It's listed under the "New Games" section on the Vita PS Store for $9.99(USA Store)

@corevi: I want to say Jason is our best bet.

@corevi: I've heard Jeff reference Suikoden several times over the years, which always surprised me, but I don't get the impression it's because he's a fan.

I could see Patrick liking it if he was willing to put aside the time to give it a real chance, but I don't see that happening.

Does this have the bug fixes from the EU version? A lot of the bugs in the NA version (broken music, etc) were really unfortunate.

I will definitely endorse this, though. Probably my favorite JRPG of all time, even though it's not flawless (what is?).

Ohhh wow now there's a blast from the past. Me and some of my cousins played through this game a weekend. Good times! Don't think I'll buy it again, but it's probably not out on PS4 anyway? Maybe it's aged poorly, I don't know, but I really liked Suikoden I & II back then.

.. I'll just check the PSN store for funsies!

I found it in the vita store like was said above. its downloading! cant wait.

It was up for a brief window at $5.99, but they fixed that and its back for $9.99 now. Worth it in either case.

Suikoden II is legitimately my favorite PS1 RPG. I like it better than FFVII, FFVIII, FFIX, Xenogears and all the rest of the hallowed and revered collection there. Suikoden I isn't as great as II, but it is an easy game to get through (25-30 hours for a PS1 RPG is short), and the save import stuff into Suikoden II is really cool. Everyone that never had a chance to play this game needs to give it a chance. It has auto-battle to deal with the "grindy" nature of old school RPGs, and characters that are behind in levels will catch up quite fast. I think the 2D nature of the graphics lends it a more timeless quality than some of the early 3D stuff being done on the PS1 (FFVII I'm looking at you).

Please play this game if you haven't, it really is a great game.

@geirr: I think Suikoden 2 has aged quite well. The graphics hold up better than most RPGs of the generation and most of what it did what it did well back in the day is still good today. (I still haven't found an RPG that does the homebase/HQ better than Suikoden 2.) The localization is probably the big thing that is notably lacking. Most modern RPGs are better at that these days.

Good stuff, thanks.

It's supposed to be $5.99, according to the Playstation US blog. Usually the store updates at 5pm alongside the "Playstation Store Update" blog, but occasionally it's a bit slow to finalize (which seems to be the case right now). It'll most likely be up and purchasable at the correct price in the next couple of hours or so.

Edit: And they changed it to $9.99. Not surprising, this has been one of the most asked for PS classics for a while.

I guess Konami changed their mind on the price and they had to change it to 9.99 which is a smart move I think. they're gonna make most of their money off it early on. if those extra profits help a new suikoden come to consoles in the future I'm happy.

@winsord: I don't know, it is purchasable now and it was showing up as 5.99 and then changed to 9.99.

Nice. I started playing it earlier this year on emulator when the ESRB leaked it, but didn't get too far so maybe I'll just buy this and start over. (And still probably never finish)

Also, why is there a PC version listed on the Wiki?

Edit: Apparently China got a PC version? Wut?

Couldn't praise it enough, glad more people will be able to play this gem now.

2 is undeniably a richer, better game, but I've always found it a bit sad and puzzling that the praise seems to overlook or even overshadow the original. They are mechanically and artistically similar, and one of the most appealing tenets of the series, its characters, are in full force and as likable in the first as they are in any other.

I'm a huge fan of the series overall, seriously even the latter games remain some of the best JRPGs ever made in my opinion. They are sometimes very progressive and provocative for the genre, featuring very diverse characters and tackling surprisingly complex social and political issues, albeit in a fantasy setting. I think they're all worth at least a look, and to completely skip the first one (which might even be my favorite) seems like such a weirdly common disservice.

@meauntienora: I feel like 2 pretty much did everything the first game did better, so if I had to only recommend one the 2 always comes first. But playing both is definitely my preferred recommendation. 1 is is still an enjoyable game, and 2 is even better if you've played it.

I've seen a lot of people saying this doesn't copy over to the PSP. Anyone who doesn't have a vita or PS3 to play it with should be cautious. Maybe it's a glitch in the store that'll get fixed, or maybe it's a permanent thing.

My older brother was lucky/prescient enough to grab Suikoden II close to when it first came out, it's my favorite jrpg by far. Really stoked about this news, now I can finally recommend it to people without going "also you have to spend $120 to play it"

While it's not at all nexessary from a plot standpoint you should play the first game because not only is it a classic in its own right, but it also makes the second game better by giving you some back story informing the motivations of some of the main characters of the second game. The two games together are probably my favorite games on the original Playstation. Considering the second game alone used to cost about 100 bucks, the current prices are an absolute steal.

I still forget that Suikoden 2 became one of those sought-after rare games that appreciated in value.

Almost makes me feel bad that I still have a copy that I "borrowed" from my good friend many years ago.

Almost. He has like my entire SNES cartridge collection, so I'll call it even.

Yeessssss! Just purchased downloaded it

Now Sony and Konami about Suikoden V...

I am so buying this . I sold 2 copies of Suikoden 2 and also a copy of 1 and 3 back when I was broke. I have been regretting it this entire time.

I immediately jumped on this despite the part where I have yet to play the first game. (but hearing that it's not super long is certainly a plus) I really liked Suikoden III (and played enough of IV to say "naw, I'm good"), so the fact that the most beloved game in the series is now available for purchase at an affordable price is enough for an instabuy.

Now if I could find a nice copy of Suikoden V for less than like $50, I'd be golden.

@arbitrarywater: Suikoden V is great. Suikoden II is a JRPG so it's going to be fairly long regardless.

Ah, allow me to correct myself. Hearing that Suikoden the first is not a long game is good because most people seem to pen II as the best in the series and I'd like to play the first for myself and do whatever weird save import thing it has.

Is there a way to get this on the vita tv or is it coming in the next few days? It's not in the store any help would be great.

What platforms is this on? PS3/Vita? PS4?

Suikoden II is great! I remember dumping a good amount of hours playing it "the other way" on my old PSP. Glad it's finally available on PSN.

Now let's talk about Suikoden III, Sony....

All hail the cooking contest.

For everyone that is playing this for the first time, enjoy! I wish I could experience it again for the first time. For me, it is one of the greatest games ever made.

I actually have physical copies of Suikodens 1-5 and Tactics. I love this series, even 4 which isn't well-regarded.

Everyone should be super happy they can get S2 for 10 bucks because it is fantastic and I will definitely buy it on PSN when I get paid on friday. I paid 90 bucks for a used copy a few years ago, it was worth it.

The cooking contest is seriously one of my favorite RPG mini-games/sidequests ever.

So I just bought this but I can't play it on my PSP, I have a PS3 and a PSP but not a Vita. Had intended to play this on a portable. What is going on?

No ps4 version :[

And thus begins my winter of playing every numbered Suikoden game in succession.