Dragon Warrior II
Encyclopedia
Dragon Warrior II, known as in Japan
, is a console role-playing game developed by Chunsoft
and published by Enix
(now known as Square Enix
) in 1987 for the MSX
and Nintendo Entertainment System
as a part of the Dragon Quest
series (then known as the Dragon Warrior
series in North America).
The game's story centers on the prince on Midenhall who is ordered to stop an evil wizard after he destroys Moonbrooke Castle. On his adventure, he is accompanied by his two cousins; the prince of Cannock and the princess of Moonbrooke. This game greatly expands on the series formula from the first game by having a larger party and more areas to explore.
series to do so. The game introduced a party system where, instead of beginning the game with an entire party like in previous computer RPGs, the player begins the game with only one character and gradually recruits more party members during the course of the game. The player controls his or her characters as they move in the game world. They can search treasure chests, talk and trade with villagers, equip weapons and armor, and cast spells.
While wandering the fields, towers, caves, seas, or dungeons, the player encounters battles that happen randomly. Battle mode introduces groups of monsters, which is an upgrade from the one-on-one battles of Dragon Warrior
. In the battle mode, the player gives orders to the characters on how to fight the monsters. Once the player defeats all of the monsters, the characters gain experience points and gold. The experience points raise the characters' experience levels. This improves the characters' attributes, and they may also learn new spells.
To win, the player must fight many monsters to improve the characters' experience levels and get gold to buy better weapons and armor. Eventually, the player's characters become strong enough to make it to the next town or dungeon. This repeats until the player reaches the final boss and defeats him. However, the gameplay is not necessarily linear, especially after the player gets the boat. Exploration is a key component of the game.
The game offers a few spots to save the game. In most of the towns, talking to a king or minister saves the game. It also allows deletion and the moving of saved games. This was an upgrade from the Japanese version, which utilized a password system to restore progress.
Dragon Warrior II is noted for greatly expanding the game play from the previous game, Dragon Warrior. Dragon Warrior II is the first game in the series to feature multiple heroes and enemies in a battle, as well as a sailing ship. Unlike Final Fantasy
released that same year which only allowed the player to dock the ship at ports, Dragon Quest II allowed the player to land the ship anywhere, allowing the entire game world to be explored in an open-ended
manner. It was also the first to have weapons which cast spells when used in battles. In addition, Dragon Warrior II offers a wider array of spells and items and a much larger world. The game also expanded the inventory management system of its predecessor by giving each character an individual inventory that holds up to eight items, placing a greater emphasis on conservative item management between the characters.
. A century of peace is suddenly ended when minions of the evil wizard Hargon attack Moonbrooke Castle. One lone guard, a wounded survivor of the battle, makes his way towards the kingdom of Midenhall. There with his dying breath he informs the king of their dire circumstances concerning an evil wizard known as Hargon (an enemy seen later in the Dragon Quest Monsters
games). Hargon has just attacked Moonbrooke castle. The king commands his son, the Prince of Midenhall and a descendant of Erdrick, known as Loto in the Japanese versions and later re-localizations, to defeat Hargon.
The Prince begins his quest alone, but is later joined by two cousins: the Prince of Cannock and the Princess of Moonbrooke. After finding the Prince of Cannock, who leaves on a similar journey about the same time as the Prince of Midenhall, the two must rescue the Princess of Moonbrooke, who was in Moonbrooke Castle when it was attacked by Hargon's army. It is up to the Prince of Midenhall to find them, join forces, and together defeat Hargon. Along the way, the trio secure a ship, which allows them to travel across oceans to reach new continents, including Alefgard, where Dragon Quest took place. There they meet the grandson of Dragonlord, the villain from the previous game, who gives the party valuable information regarding the five crests. By collecting the five crests hidden around the world, the party can create the Charm of Rubiss, allowing them to fight against Hargon and his illusions.
of the party. He can use almost any armor and weapon in the game. He has no natural magic ability (there are some weapons that can be used as items and have the same effects as spells), but his physical attack and defense are the greatest of the three. This is the character the player starts out with in the castle of Midenhall. The Prince of Samantoria (Cannock) is the first character to join the party and is a blend of the classic warrior and wizard archetypes, having a lot in common with the series' well-balanced "Hero" class. He cannot use as wide a variety of weapons and armor as the Prince of Lorasia, but he compensates for this with the ability to use magic. However, it should be noted that his magic is not as powerful as that wielded by the Princess of Moonbrooke. The Princess of Moonbrooke (Moonbrook) is the second and last character to join the party, entering the party with a curse that must be cured, and is the classic mage
in the party. She too cannot use as wide a variety of weapons and armor as the Prince of Midenhall, but she compensates for this with the ability to use magic, being the most powerful caster of the party.
, Alefgard, is included on the world map in Dragon Warrior II (albeit in slightly reduced scale), although the Hero can win the game without ever setting foot there. The song that is played when wandering the fields of Dragon Warrior
, "Unknown World", is also played when the Hero is in that area. Dragon Quest II was the first Dragon Quest
game to include a game of chance (played with found Lottery Tickets), and was also the first Dragon Quest
game to use multiple key types and to include travel doors (warp gates). In the original Famicom version, passwords
were used for saving, but the NES version featured a save feature
without passwords.
The storyline introduction in Moonbrooke is present exclusively in Dragon Warrior II. In Dragon Quest II, the game starts right with the injured soldier from Moonbrooke entering Midenhall castle, seeking help from its king.
Yuji Horii believed many players would play Dragon Warrior II without playing Dragon Warrior and thus had players search for the other party members.
composed and directed the music for the game. Dragon Quest IIs Symphonic Suite was bundled with Dragon Quest Is symphonic suite and a disc of original compositions as Dragon Quest in Concert.
magazine voted the game the number 17th best video game of all time.
Dragon Quest II is generally known as a remedy to problems found in the first game, including allowing parties of three characters, having a larger world, better graphics, and the ability to carry more items. Other noted improvements were keys that can be used multiple times and new strategic elements introduced because of larger parties and larger groups of enemies. The game's music is often praised, despite its limited 8-bit capabilities. Considered a classic for the RPG genre, the game is regarded as praiseworthy.
Dragon Quest I + II was the first remake of any Dragon Quest game released in North America, under the Dragon Warrior name. It received fairly high marks, including a
8.0 out of 10 from IGN
, a 9.6 out of 10 from GameSpot
,
and 8 out of 10 from Nintendo Power
. It also received the RPGamer
's GameBoy Color Award of the Year for 2000.
Together, both the SNES and GBC remakes sold in excess of 1.94 million copies worldwide. With the success of this game, Enix next went on to release Dragon Warrior III for Game Boy Color in 2001, which again was based on a previous unreleased Super Famicom update of the original Famicom Dragon Quest III.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, is a console role-playing game developed by Chunsoft
Chunsoft
is a Japanese video game developer specializing in console RPGs and visual novels. It was founded by Koichi Nakamura, a video game designer from Enix...
and published by Enix
Enix
The was a Japanese company that produced video games, anime and manga. The company was founded by Yasuhiro Fukushima on September 22, 1975 as and renamed Enix in 1982...
(now known as Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
) in 1987 for the MSX
MSX
MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s conceived by Kazuhiko Nishi, then Vice-president at Microsoft Japan and Director at ASCII Corporation...
and Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
as a part of the Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
series (then known as the Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
series in North America).
The game's story centers on the prince on Midenhall who is ordered to stop an evil wizard after he destroys Moonbrooke Castle. On his adventure, he is accompanied by his two cousins; the prince of Cannock and the princess of Moonbrooke. This game greatly expands on the series formula from the first game by having a larger party and more areas to explore.
Gameplay
This game allows the player to control more than one character, and it is the first one in the Dragon QuestDragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
series to do so. The game introduced a party system where, instead of beginning the game with an entire party like in previous computer RPGs, the player begins the game with only one character and gradually recruits more party members during the course of the game. The player controls his or her characters as they move in the game world. They can search treasure chests, talk and trade with villagers, equip weapons and armor, and cast spells.
While wandering the fields, towers, caves, seas, or dungeons, the player encounters battles that happen randomly. Battle mode introduces groups of monsters, which is an upgrade from the one-on-one battles of Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
. In the battle mode, the player gives orders to the characters on how to fight the monsters. Once the player defeats all of the monsters, the characters gain experience points and gold. The experience points raise the characters' experience levels. This improves the characters' attributes, and they may also learn new spells.
To win, the player must fight many monsters to improve the characters' experience levels and get gold to buy better weapons and armor. Eventually, the player's characters become strong enough to make it to the next town or dungeon. This repeats until the player reaches the final boss and defeats him. However, the gameplay is not necessarily linear, especially after the player gets the boat. Exploration is a key component of the game.
The game offers a few spots to save the game. In most of the towns, talking to a king or minister saves the game. It also allows deletion and the moving of saved games. This was an upgrade from the Japanese version, which utilized a password system to restore progress.
Dragon Warrior II is noted for greatly expanding the game play from the previous game, Dragon Warrior. Dragon Warrior II is the first game in the series to feature multiple heroes and enemies in a battle, as well as a sailing ship. Unlike Final Fantasy
Final Fantasy (video game)
is a fantasy role-playing video game created by Hironobu Sakaguchi, developed and first published in Japan by Square in 1987. It is the first game in Square's Final Fantasy series...
released that same year which only allowed the player to dock the ship at ports, Dragon Quest II allowed the player to land the ship anywhere, allowing the entire game world to be explored in an open-ended
Open world
An open world is a type of video game level design where a player can roam freely through a virtual world and is given considerable freedom in choosing how to approach objectives...
manner. It was also the first to have weapons which cast spells when used in battles. In addition, Dragon Warrior II offers a wider array of spells and items and a much larger world. The game also expanded the inventory management system of its predecessor by giving each character an individual inventory that holds up to eight items, placing a greater emphasis on conservative item management between the characters.
Story
Dragon Warrior II is set one hundred years after Dragon WarriorDragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
. A century of peace is suddenly ended when minions of the evil wizard Hargon attack Moonbrooke Castle. One lone guard, a wounded survivor of the battle, makes his way towards the kingdom of Midenhall. There with his dying breath he informs the king of their dire circumstances concerning an evil wizard known as Hargon (an enemy seen later in the Dragon Quest Monsters
Dragon Quest Monsters
or Dragon Warrior Monsters, as it was known in North America, is a spin off series of the Dragon Quest games. Published by Enix Corporation , it sets the player in a medieval/fantasy world filled with magic, monsters and knights...
games). Hargon has just attacked Moonbrooke castle. The king commands his son, the Prince of Midenhall and a descendant of Erdrick, known as Loto in the Japanese versions and later re-localizations, to defeat Hargon.
The Prince begins his quest alone, but is later joined by two cousins: the Prince of Cannock and the Princess of Moonbrooke. After finding the Prince of Cannock, who leaves on a similar journey about the same time as the Prince of Midenhall, the two must rescue the Princess of Moonbrooke, who was in Moonbrooke Castle when it was attacked by Hargon's army. It is up to the Prince of Midenhall to find them, join forces, and together defeat Hargon. Along the way, the trio secure a ship, which allows them to travel across oceans to reach new continents, including Alefgard, where Dragon Quest took place. There they meet the grandson of Dragonlord, the villain from the previous game, who gives the party valuable information regarding the five crests. By collecting the five crests hidden around the world, the party can create the Charm of Rubiss, allowing them to fight against Hargon and his illusions.
Setting
The early part of the game takes place on land. From a few magical tiles or tunnels, the player can visit a few tiny islands in the beginning, but only upon reaching a major port and fulfilling a specific task does the player get a ship which allows the player to explore much more of the world by sea. Magical teleportation is the last means of transport that the player must use. Architecturally, some castles are presented as ruins.Characters
The Prince of Midenhall (Lorasia) is the main character of the game. He is sent out by his father, the king, after a guard from Moonbrooke announces Hargon's attack. He is the classic warriorWarrior (character class)
Warrior is a character class found in many role-playing games. This class may also be referred to as Fighter, as in Dungeons & Dragons. The class is sometimes also referred to as a Knight, although in some games this is a separate class with a more chivalric aspect...
of the party. He can use almost any armor and weapon in the game. He has no natural magic ability (there are some weapons that can be used as items and have the same effects as spells), but his physical attack and defense are the greatest of the three. This is the character the player starts out with in the castle of Midenhall. The Prince of Samantoria (Cannock) is the first character to join the party and is a blend of the classic warrior and wizard archetypes, having a lot in common with the series' well-balanced "Hero" class. He cannot use as wide a variety of weapons and armor as the Prince of Lorasia, but he compensates for this with the ability to use magic. However, it should be noted that his magic is not as powerful as that wielded by the Princess of Moonbrooke. The Princess of Moonbrooke (Moonbrook) is the second and last character to join the party, entering the party with a curse that must be cured, and is the classic mage
Wizard (character class)
The Wizard is a type of magical character class in certain role-playing games and computer role-playing games. Wizards are considered to be spellcasters who wield powerful spells, but are often physically weak as a trade-off. Wizards are commonly confused with similar offensive spellcasting...
in the party. She too cannot use as wide a variety of weapons and armor as the Prince of Midenhall, but she compensates for this with the ability to use magic, being the most powerful caster of the party.
Development
The game world of Dragon WarriorDragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
, Alefgard, is included on the world map in Dragon Warrior II (albeit in slightly reduced scale), although the Hero can win the game without ever setting foot there. The song that is played when wandering the fields of Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior
Dragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
, "Unknown World", is also played when the Hero is in that area. Dragon Quest II was the first Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
game to include a game of chance (played with found Lottery Tickets), and was also the first Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
game to use multiple key types and to include travel doors (warp gates). In the original Famicom version, passwords
Password (video games)
In many video games of the 8-bit and, to a lesser extent, 16-bit eras , after a level was beaten and/or when all continues were used, the game would display a password, that when entered in the game would allow the player to return to this part in the game...
were used for saving, but the NES version featured a save feature
Saved game
A saved game is a piece of digitally stored information about the progress of a player in a video game. This saved game can be reloaded later, so the player can continue where he or she had stopped...
without passwords.
The storyline introduction in Moonbrooke is present exclusively in Dragon Warrior II. In Dragon Quest II, the game starts right with the injured soldier from Moonbrooke entering Midenhall castle, seeking help from its king.
Yuji Horii believed many players would play Dragon Warrior II without playing Dragon Warrior and thus had players search for the other party members.
Other releases
- Dragon Quest II was released initially for both the MSX and Famicom.
- Dragon Quest II was remadeEnhanced remakeA video game remake is a game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game for newer hardware and contemporary audiences. Typically, a remake shares essentially the same title, fundamental gameplay concepts, and story elements of the original game...
and combined with Dragon QuestDragon Quest, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
as part of Dragon Quest I & IIDragon Warrior I & IIDragon Quest I & II or Dragon Quest I + II are remakes on various consoles of the role-playing video games:*Dragon Warrior*Dragon Warrior II...
for the Super FamicomSuper Nintendo Entertainment SystemThe Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and later the Game Boy ColorGame Boy ColorThe is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
. Dragon Quest I & II became localizedInternationalization and localizationIn computing, internationalization and localization are means of adapting computer software to different languages, regional differences and technical requirements of a target market...
as Dragon Warrior I & IIDragon Warrior I & IIDragon Quest I & II or Dragon Quest I + II are remakes on various consoles of the role-playing video games:*Dragon Warrior*Dragon Warrior II...
for Game Boy Color. - The world of Dragon Quest II was later used as the setting of Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan HeartDragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heartis the third game in the Dragon Quest Monsters series, released only in Japan by Enix for the Game Boy Advance. The game was simultaneously announced with Dragon Quest VIII in Famitsu in 2002...
on the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy AdvanceThe is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
. It starred Kiefer, a hero from Dragon Warrior VIIDragon Warrior VIIDragon Warrior VII, known in Japan as is a Japanese console role-playing game developed by Heartbeat and ArtePiazza, and published by Enix for the PlayStation in...
. - Dragon Quest II was announced as being in development for cellular phones in Japan, with updated graphics that are similar to those of the Dragon QuestDragon WarriorDragon Warrior, known as in Japan, is the first role-playing video game in the Dragon Quest media franchise. It was developed by Chunsoft for the Nintendo Entertainment System and published by Enix in Japan in 1986...
remake. It was released in 2008. - Both the Famicom and Super Famicom versions of this game, along with Dragon Quest I and Dragon Quest III, are scheduled to be re-released under the Dragon Quest 25th Anniversary Collection compilation for the WiiWiiThe Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in Japan on September 15, 2011. The compilation will include original copies of the strategy guides for the games, along with original artwork and material on the games' development
Music
Koichi SugiyamaKoichi Sugiyama
is a Japanese music composer, council member of JASRAC , and honorary chairman of the Japanese Backgammon Society...
composed and directed the music for the game. Dragon Quest IIs Symphonic Suite was bundled with Dragon Quest Is symphonic suite and a disc of original compositions as Dragon Quest in Concert.
Reception
The Famicom version of Dragon Warrior II was a financial success in Japan, having sold approximately 2.4 million copies as of March 31, 2003. In 2006, readers of FamitsuFamitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
magazine voted the game the number 17th best video game of all time.
Dragon Quest II is generally known as a remedy to problems found in the first game, including allowing parties of three characters, having a larger world, better graphics, and the ability to carry more items. Other noted improvements were keys that can be used multiple times and new strategic elements introduced because of larger parties and larger groups of enemies. The game's music is often praised, despite its limited 8-bit capabilities. Considered a classic for the RPG genre, the game is regarded as praiseworthy.
Dragon Quest I + II was the first remake of any Dragon Quest game released in North America, under the Dragon Warrior name. It received fairly high marks, including a
8.0 out of 10 from IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
, a 9.6 out of 10 from GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
,
and 8 out of 10 from Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
. It also received the RPGamer
RPGamer
RPGamer is a media and news website dedicated to covering computer and video game RPGs. Its coverage includes North American game news, European game news, Asian game news, gaming industry news, game reviews, game previews, hands-on game impressions, gaming conventions, game merchandise, release...
's GameBoy Color Award of the Year for 2000.
Together, both the SNES and GBC remakes sold in excess of 1.94 million copies worldwide. With the success of this game, Enix next went on to release Dragon Warrior III for Game Boy Color in 2001, which again was based on a previous unreleased Super Famicom update of the original Famicom Dragon Quest III.