As a young person, I didn't have a lot of friends. My mother was often critically ill, and I felt that many of my peers were too childish to really get to know better. What did they know of suffering? Adding to this was the fact that my neighborhood did not have a lot of children in it anyway, so I became engrossed in single player games that involved epic journeys, living out a fantasy world where I could escape the pain I was feeling. Since epic journeys naturally take place in RPG's, I was instantly drawn to this genre, which I still enjoy today. I had a game called Landstalker for the Sega Genesis, and I enjoyed it, although I found it difficult to remember where to go, so it was never finished. I remember distinctly looking at the back of the instruction manual and seeing a brightly colored screenshot of a game called "Shining Force 2." It apparently had swords, sorcery, and centaurs. Sign me up!


 
In the days of pre-internet shopping, it was difficult to find games if the local stores did not carry them. You could order them at Babbages, but it was difficult for me to get to a store because I could not drive and my parents were understandably occupied with more important things. However, in those days FuncoLand would send gamers a catalog with all the games that you could order through them. I recently found an old catalog and was smiling as I looked at all the games you could order. Amazon.com, paper style!

Anyway, my Mother happily called the number and ordered this game for me. When it arrived, I was instantly hooked. The colors were bright and cartoony, which for my young brain worked extremely well. The story at the time was epic, although it does not hold up well to age admittedly. The gameplay, however, was what I really sunk my teeth into.

GAMEPLAY:
As a kid in the 90's, I had no real notion that video games came from Japan, or that specific titles did not come out in the United States. As such, I was unaware of games like Fire Emblem and foolishly felt that the Shining Force series invented the gameplay mechanic of top down, grid based strategy. Playing it again as an adult, it really does mix the best parts of DragonQuest and Fire Emblem in a package that is both enjoyable and challenging. This was the time period before Final Fantasy Tactics and Tactics Ogre came out, so I truly had not seen anything like it before. You and the opposing army line up against one another, and based on your agility, the units move in a pre-determined order. The strategy aspect was such that if your main character Bowie died in battle, you'd be booted back to the last priest with half your loot. This reeks of DragonQuest, as you all know that this is a core gameplay mechanic in that everlasting series. If a character other than Bowie dies, a simple trip to the priest and a modest fee will return them to life. This makes it, in my opinion, the most accessible and forgiving grid based tactical game available.

Story:
An evil demon is awoken by a Robin Hood-type character who steals the jewels which keep him sealed. Very generic RPG style plot, I know. It was rather charming at the time, when many fantasy games used the story mostly as an overview to set the stage. They often, however, did not consciously keep up with it. As an "advisor," your mentor continually guides your progress and interacts with the character and player by bringing up plot elements and bringing purpose to what you are doing.  Rather generic I admit.

Characters:
The game has one main character, Bowie, who retrospectively is given a link to the first game's hero, Max. One aspect that I was critical of then, and am still irritated by, is the tendency for many characters in these games to fall out of the story. In Final Fantasy Tactics, Agrias, T.G. Cid, Mustadio, and all those major characters become just soldiers when they join your army. They cease becoming dramatic parts of the narrative, and I am always frustrated when that happens. Shining Force 2 is no different. People say that it's because the choice to keep the characters in your party is up to the player, but I really feel something could be done.
                   They never wake up on time, do they?

Legacy:
While I now know this game is part of a larger narrative, I really think that this is the pinnacle of the series. The game is fun, challenging while not overbearing (something most tactical games should be taking notes on. I'm looking at you Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn!) Having just gone back and played it, it makes me smile to go through the battles, especially when there is minimal grinding and reasonable expectations. So readers, tell me what you think. Have you played this game? Have any nostalgic games you'd like to mention? Talk to me folks, let's have a discussion!