Dragon Warrior II

Dragon Warrior II, known as Dragon Quest II Akuryo no Kamigami in Japan (translated as"Dragon Quest II: Pantheon of Evil Spirits"), is a role-playing video game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix (now known as Square Enix) for the MSX and NES video game consoles. It is the second installment in the Dragon Quest series (then known as the Dragon Warrior series in North America). It was the number one selling Famicom game released in 1987, selling approximately 2,400,000 copies in its lifetime. 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. 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 world of Dragon Warrior, Alefgard, is included on the world map in Dragon Warrior II (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 Warrior II was the first Dragon Quest game to include a game of chance, and it was also the first Dragon Quest game to use multiple key types and to include travel doors (warp gates). Dragon Warrior II uses a save feature to record progress whereas Dragon Quest II uses 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. When the Super Famicom remake was released in Japan in 1993, this additional Moonbrooke introduction was included in the game's opening sequence.

Dragon Quest II was released initially for both the MSX and Famicom. The game was re-released with Dragon Quest in the compilation titled Dragon Warrior I & II for the Super Famicom and later the Game Boy Color.

The world of Dragon Quest II was later used as the setting of Dragon Quest Monsters: Caravan Heart on the Game Boy Advance. It starred Kiefer, a hero from Dragon Quest VII.

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 Quest remake.

Story
Dragon Warrior II is set one hundred years after Dragon Warrior. 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. The king then 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. It is up to the prince of Midenhall to find them, join forces, and together defeat Hargon.