Dragon Warrior II (1987-)

• Developer: Chunsoft

• Publisher: Enix

• Genre: Role Playing

• Designer: Yuji Horii

• Composer: Koichi Sugiyama

Dragon Warrior II for the NES, known as Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line in Japan, was developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix. It was first released in Japan in 1987 for the Famicom, with the North American NES version arriving in 1990. This title is a direct sequel to Dragon Warrior, expanding upon the events of the first game by taking place a century later in the same universe. It was later ported and remade for multiple platforms, including the MSX, Game Boy Color, and various mobile devices, often bundled with the first game as a two-in-one collection.

The story follows the young Prince of Midenhall, a descendant of the original hero Erdrick, as he embarks on a quest to defeat the evil sorcerer Hargon, who plans to summon the dark god Malroth to destroy the world. Over the course of the adventure, the prince is joined by two companions—the Prince of Cannock and the Princess of Moonbrooke—each with their own abilities. The narrative builds on the lore established in Dragon Warrior, giving a larger scope to the world and introducing multiple kingdoms, varied terrains, and a more complex political backdrop. The expansion of the story and setting reflected Enix's desire to make the sequel feel grander and more adventurous than its predecessor.

Gameplay in Dragon Warrior II introduced several innovations for the series. It moved away from the single-character format of the first game, instead offering a three-character party system with distinct roles in combat. The world map was significantly larger, requiring the use of a ship to traverse oceans and discover new lands. Battles remained turn-based but now involved fighting multiple enemies at once, adding strategic depth. Players explored towns, dungeons, and remote islands, balancing exploration with resource management. The soundtrack, again composed by Koichi Sugiyama, built on the themes from the first game, incorporating more varied and expansive arrangements to match the larger world and heightened stakes.

Upon release, Dragon Warrior II was praised for its expanded scope, more complex gameplay, and ambitious world design, though some players noted the increased difficulty and grind-heavy nature of the later stages. In North America, the game was promoted through Nintendo Power magazine and word-of-mouth among early RPG fans, though it did not receive the same level of giveaway marketing as the first title. The game’s legacy is that of a bold sequel that successfully broadened the series’ vision and set the stage for further entries, including Dragon Warrior III, which would delve deeper into the lore of Erdrick’s lineage while refining the mechanics introduced in Dragon Warrior II.

Images from MobyGames