Famicom Tsushin's issue of 6 February 1987 lists Enix's Dragon Quest II as released in Japan on 26 January 1987, a Famicom cartridge at 5,500 yen, and Famitsu's 2014 Chunsoft chronology puts its release in January 1987. dragon-warrior-ii-history/release-japan
MagazineFamicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 16, 6 February 1987: 1986 Best Hit Game Awards · p. 95, release calendar, software released in January — ours: Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami (Enix), 26 January, 5,500 yen; listed under 「1月発売のソフト」, software released in JanuaryドラゴンクエストII 悪霊の神々（エニックス）1月26日／5,500円Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 16, 6 February 1987: New Games Cross Review (Dragon Quest II panel) · p. 13, Dragon Quest II panel — ours: Enix, 5,500 yen, cartridge, released 26 Januaryエニックス 5,500円 カートリッジ 1月26日発売すべては『ドアドア』から始まった――チュンソフト30周年のすべてを中村光一氏と振り返るロングインタビュー【前編】 (Chunsoft 30th anniversary interview with Koichi Nakamura, part 1) · chronology at the end of the interview — ours: January 1987, Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami (Famicom) released (publisher: Enix)1987年1月 『ドラゴンクエストII 悪霊の神々』（FC）発売（発売元：エニックス）Cited by: Dragon Warrior II
Nintendo of America's list of NES games dates Dragon Warrior II's North American release to September 1990, with Enix as licensee. dragon-warrior-ii-history/release-north-america
PublisherNES Games (Nintendo of America release list) · PDF p. 4 — one row of the list's Title, Licensee, and Released columnsDragon Warrior II Enix September 1990No source pinned here gives the day.
Cited by: Dragon Warrior II
In the North American manual's story, Princess Gwaelin, who came to the land with Erdrick's descendant after the Dragonlord's defeat, had three children who ruled three kingdoms for a hundred years, until Hargon the Sorcerer attacked Moonbrooke Castle; the player is the heir of the King of Midenhall. dragon-warrior-ii-history/story
ManualDragon Warrior II NES instruction booklet (North America) · pp. 5-6, The Story of Dragon WarriorPrincess Gwaelin brought forth three children.Dragon Warrior II NES instruction booklet (North America) · pp. 5-6, The Story of Dragon WarriorHargon the Sorcerer attacked Moonbrooke Castle and attempted to rule the world by calling the ill-omened gods from the dark.Dragon Warrior II NES instruction booklet (North America) · pp. 5-6, The Story of Dragon WarriorYes, you are the heir to the King and a true descendant of Erdrick the Great.Cited by: Dragon Warrior II
The North American manual's player is the Prince of Midenhall, a fighter who can use every weapon and armor but no spells; the Princess of Moonbrooke is weak in combat but strong in magic, and the Prince of Cannock has some of both; all three descend from Erdrick. dragon-warrior-ii-history/party
ManualDragon Warrior II NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 19, CharactersThree characters are in this adventure.Dragon Warrior II NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 44, Understanding the CharactersYou can wield all weapons and wear any armor, but you cannot use magic spells.Dragon Warrior II NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 44, Understanding the CharactersHer attack power never becomes strong, but the spells which she commands can defeat the most fierce enemies.Dragon Warrior II NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 44, Understanding the CharactersThe Prince of Cannock has some characteristics of both yourself, and the Princess of Moonbrooke.Dragon Warrior II NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 44, Understanding the CharactersYou three are true descendants of his noble line.Cited by: Dragon Warrior II
The North American manual says enemies attack in groups, and the player chooses which to attack first and whether each hero fights, casts a spell, or parries. dragon-warrior-ii-history/groups
ManualDragon Warrior II NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 16, Using Commands in the Fighting ModeYou will have allies to fight with you, but you will also face groups of enemies which you must defeat.Dragon Warrior II NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 45, Study Your Enemies!You must decide which enemies to attack first, and who should fight, chant a spell, parry, etc.Cited by: Dragon Warrior II
In Famicom Tsushin in July 1987, Yuji Horii wrote that he had set the levels and monster data with a battle simulator from Nakamura, one fight at a time, but that in continuous play the first build was far too harsh, so release was put back a month to rebalance it. Among his fixes he capped the monsters met at once on the first continent at three and put a cave where Cannock Castle had first stood, moving the castle closer to a town with an inn. dragon-warrior-ii-history/horii-balance
MagazineBiweekly Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 27, 10 July 1987: Yuji Horii, 'Making of Dragon Quest II' (part 2) · p. 48, Horii, "Making of Dragon Quest II" (part 2) — ours: (I got) a battle simulator from Nakamura中村くんのほうから戦闘のシミュレータBiweekly Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 27, 10 July 1987: Yuji Horii, 'Making of Dragon Quest II' (part 2) · p. 48 — ours: when we actually fought one battle after another while moving around in the game, it was extremely harsh実際にゲームになり移動しながら連続的に戦ってみると、非常にキツイものであったBiweekly Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 27, 10 July 1987: Yuji Horii, 'Making of Dragon Quest II' (part 2) · p. 48 — ours: so the first version was nowhere near playableこのため、最初にできてきたものはとても遊べたものではなかったのだ。Biweekly Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 27, 10 July 1987: Yuji Horii, 'Making of Dragon Quest II' (part 2) · p. 48 — ours: (commercial release was) delayed a month, and the balancing began; the OCR drops the 1 of 1ヵ月ヵ月遅らせて、バランス取りがはじまったのだった。Biweekly Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 27, 10 July 1987: Yuji Horii, 'Making of Dragon Quest II' (part 2) · p. 49 — ours: on the Lorasia continent, the number of monsters appearing at once (was limited to three)ローレシア大陸においては、同時に出現するモンスターの数をBiweekly Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 27, 10 July 1987: Yuji Horii, 'Making of Dragon Quest II' (part 2) · p. 49 — ours: at the former site of Samaltria (Cannock) Castle we put a cave元サマルトリア城の位置には洞窟を置いたのだった。Horii says the castle first stood where the lake cave is, too far from the inn at Liliza. The Japanese names are Lorasia (Midenhall in North America) and Samaltria (Cannock).
Cited by: Dragon Warrior II
In 2014 Nakamura told Famitsu that making Dragon Quest II was the hardest time in Chunsoft's thirty years: it was the first time he split the main program among three or four people, bugs appeared that no one could trace to an author, the release slipped, and the finished game's balance was harsh, so that he thought of quitting the company. dragon-warrior-ii-history/nakamura-hardest
Interviewすべては『ドアドア』から始まった――チュンソフト30周年のすべてを中村光一氏と振り返るロングインタビュー【前編】 (Chunsoft 30th anniversary interview with Koichi Nakamura, part 1) · section on Dragon Quest II — ours: looking back, what I feel was hardest was when we were making Dragon Quest II振り返っていちばん辛かったと感じるのは、『ドラクエII』を作っているときなんですすべては『ドアドア』から始まった――チュンソフト30周年のすべてを中村光一氏と振り返るロングインタビュー【前編】 (Chunsoft 30th anniversary interview with Koichi Nakamura, part 1) · section on Dragon Quest II — ours: for the first time, we split the main program among three or four people初めて本体のプログラムを3～4人で分担して作ったんですね。すべては『ドアドア』から始まった――チュンソフト30周年のすべてを中村光一氏と振り返るロングインタビュー【前編】 (Chunsoft 30th anniversary interview with Koichi Nakamura, part 1) · section on Dragon Quest II — ours: (we) couldn't tell whose program was at fault誰のプログラムが悪いのかわからない。すべては『ドアドア』から始まった――チュンソフト30周年のすべてを中村光一氏と振り返るロングインタビュー【前編】 (Chunsoft 30th anniversary interview with Koichi Nakamura, part 1) · section on Dragon Quest II — ours: and so it came out later than the release date first plannedそれで、当初予定していた発売日より遅れてしまって。すべては『ドアドア』から始まった――チュンソフト30周年のすべてを中村光一氏と振り返るロングインタビュー【前編】 (Chunsoft 30th anniversary interview with Koichi Nakamura, part 1) · section on Dragon Quest II — ours: the finished game's balance was harsh too, and feeling that after all that struggle… I had come to the point of thinking of quitting the companyできあがったものもバランスがキツくて、こんなに苦労したのに……という思いもあって、会社を辞めようかと思うレベルまで来ていました。Cited by: Dragon Warrior II
Nakamura said in 2014 that he still wonders how players got through so hard a game, answered the interviewer's remark that the Rondarkia area was severe by calling the spell Zaraki "a demon", and credited the difficulty, talked about among players, with spreading the game. Both manuals describe Zaraki, Defeat in North America, as a spell of death cast on one group. dragon-warrior-ii-history/nakamura-rhone
Interviewすべては『ドアドア』から始まった――チュンソフト30周年のすべてを中村光一氏と振り返るロングインタビュー【前編】 (Chunsoft 30th anniversary interview with Koichi Nakamura, part 1) · section on Dragon Quest II — ours: I still think, how did everyone play such a hard gameよく皆さんあんなに難しいゲームを遊んだなあと、いまでも思いますすべては『ドアドア』から始まった――チュンソフト30周年のすべてを中村光一氏と振り返るロングインタビュー【前編】 (Chunsoft 30th anniversary interview with Koichi Nakamura, part 1) · section on Dragon Quest II — ours: (answering the interviewer's 'the Rhone area is severe') Zaraki and the like are demons (laughs)ザラキとか、鬼ですよね（笑）。すべては『ドアドア』から始まった――チュンソフト30周年のすべてを中村光一氏と振り返るロングインタビュー【前編】 (Chunsoft 30th anniversary interview with Koichi Nakamura, part 1) · section on Dragon Quest II — ours: I think it spread because everyone talked about it, that difficulty includedそういう難しさも含めて、皆さんで話題にしていただいたおかげで、広がったのかなと思いますね。Dragon Quest II: Akuryō no Kamigami Famicom instruction booklet (Japan) · spells, Zaraki — ours: Zaraki (effect: one group of monsters). Old books also record it as 'the spell of death'ザラキ(効力:怪物1グループ)古い書物には『死の呪文」とも記されています。Dragon Warrior II NES instruction booklet (North America) · p. 39, spellsDEFEAT (one group of enemies) In some ancient books, this spell is described as "the Spell of Death".The interviewer, not Nakamura, names the Rondarkia area (ロンダルキアあたりはきびしいですね).
Cited by: Dragon Warrior II
Famicom Tsushin's issue of 6 March 1987 said Dragon Quest II's preorders had sold out at almost every shop, that a photo weekly had come to cover the commotion, and that it was the first game whose selling out had become a social problem. dragon-warrior-ii-history/sold-out-1987
MagazineBiweekly Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 18, 6 March 1987 · p. 8, Top 30 chart, Dragon Quest II — ours: preorders sold out at almost every shop; the OCR reads 予 as 手ほとんどの販売店で予約完売。Biweekly Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 18, 6 March 1987 · p. 8, Top 30 chart, Dragon Quest II — ours: in the end even a photo weekly came to report on itついに写真週刊誌まで取材にきちゃった。Biweekly Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 18, 6 March 1987 · p. 8, Top 30 chart, Dragon Quest II — ours: a game whose selling out becomes a social problem, that's a first!売り切れが社会問題になるソフトなんて、初めてだぜ!Cited by: Dragon Warrior II
Famicom Tsushin's cross review of 6 February 1987 gave Dragon Quest II 9, 10, 10, and 9 out of 10 from its four reviewers. One called it Yuji Horii's long-awaited new game, still strongly in the mold of Ultima, set apart from ordinary Famicom games by its elaborate scenario and game balance; another found it more complex than the first game, with a wider map, and expected it to take a long time to finish. dragon-warrior-ii-history/famitsu-review
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}p. 13, Dragon Quest II column, the four scores — the large numerals printed behind each reviewer's comment, top to bottom; the page's footnote says the numbers are overall ratings out of 10 (数字は10点満点の総合評価です)9 10 10 9Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 16, 6 February 1987: New Games Cross Review (Dragon Quest II panel) · p. 13, Dragon Quest II column, first reviewer — ours: the long-awaited new game from Yuji Horii, who has now become a star of the Famicom worldいまやファミコン界のスターとなってしまった堀井雄二氏が放つ待望の新作。Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 16, 6 February 1987: New Games Cross Review (Dragon Quest II panel) · p. 13, Dragon Quest II column, first reviewer — ours: in the elaborateness of its scenario, its game balance and so on, it is set apart from ordinary Famicom gamesシナリオの精巧さ、ゲームバランスなど、一般的なファミコンゲームとは一線を画している。Famicom Tsushin (Famitsu) no. 16, 6 February 1987: New Games Cross Review (Dragon Quest II panel) · p. 13, Dragon Quest II column, third reviewer — ours: it's more complex than the previous Dragon Quest, the map is wider, and I think it will take quite a while to finish前の『ドラクエ』より、複雑になってるし、マップも広いし、解き終えるまで、かなり時間がかかると思います。The pinned copy is the page image, read for this claim; the reviewers' names are on p. 12, which isn't pinned. The first reviewer also says the game is still strongly colored by Ultima (相変わらず『ウルティマ』…色の強いものになっているが).
Cited by: Dragon Warrior II
