Overview
The Sword of Hope II, developed and published by Kemco, was released for the Nintendo Game Boy in 1996. It was later ported to the Nintendo 3DS, re-releasing on July 12, 2012 for $2.99; however, it is only playable in 2D. The previous game used a password system for saving progress, whereas players can save anywhere at any time in The Sword of Hope II by pressing the Start button.
In The Sword of Hope II, which has a lot in common with the classic franchises Wizardry and Bard's Tale, you take on the role of Prince Theo of Riccar, a young man who embarks on a mission to find the truth behind a mystery threatening the kingdom. It has been five years since Theo sealed away the Dragon of Darkness in The Sword of Hope. Since then, the kingdom has flourished. Unfortunately, something terrible has happened at the ancient temple long protected by the Collin Clan, and Theo's father King Hennesy sends him to investigate.
The key to solving the numerous puzzles and gimmicks is the use of commands like “look,” “open,” and “hit.” Many secrets can be discovered by examining different aspects of the screen.
Combat is turn-based, with actions like "attack," "magic," and "flee."
Characters
Theo, the Petit PrinceUnlike in The Sword of Hope, Theo can have up to two other party members in his company during battles. As he progresses, he'll meet four addable characters, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Every character can equip a weapon, armor, and accessory item.
Theo is the previous protagonist of The Sword of Hope, as well as the protagonist of The Sword of Hope II. He has strong offense and defense skills, a good selection of weapons and armor to equip, and is able to learn magic spells like Melt, Motion, and Dark.
Mute is his name, not an adjectiveMute comes from a clan of mages. He is a magical powerhouse, learning most of the spells. This boy wizard joins Theo's company after the prince investigates the ancient temple to find everyone but Mute massacred. At first, Mute suspects Theo is the one who murdered his entire family. However, the quick appearance of Mute's father in ghostly forms convinces him otherwise, and the two join forces to find the demon responsible.
Nina, missing her fatherNina joins Theo's company after being rescued from a sandworm attack. She is searching for her father and believes that by using an item called the Sand Drop, it will reveal the underground template where he disappeared to. So far, she has not had any luck finding him.
Bogi the Forthcoming Fire DragonslayerBogi saves Theo's company from a one-sided fight with a creeper monster, dealing massive damage to it in one fell swoop. He's a fighter who calls himself an expert monster hunter, with the main goal in life to kill a Fire Dragon...just for the fun of it. Seeing that Theo is traveling the lands, he joins up with the company in hope of finding a dragon along the way.
Layl, probably short for LaylaLayl is a young woman with strong healing powers. Before joining Theo's company, she saves the prince and his companions from a deadly whirlpool with the help of her submarine. She and the monster hunter Bogi are somewhat connected to each other, which leads some to awkward adventuring.
Prince Theo will also come across a great number of NPCs, from innkeepers to shopkeepers to fortune tellers. Some of the more colorful characters include the demon Jaghi, King Winder, and old man Yota, a hermit living in a sea-side cave.
Magic
As Theo and his company levels up, they will learn new spells. Nina and Bogi are unable to learn magic spells, leaving the majority of casting to Theo, Mute, and Layl.
| Spell name | Learned at | Effect |
|---|
| Motion | Level 2 for Theo, Level 14 for Layl | Unknown |
Snooze | Level 3 for Theo, Level 18 for Layl | Puts a single monster to sleep |
Fire | Level 2 for Mute | Fire-based attack against a single monster |
Stone | Level 3 for Mute | Instant death spell that hardens a monster’s skin |
| Melt | Level 4 for Theo, Level 15 for Layl | Unknown |
Dark | Level 5 for Theo, Level 19 for Layl | Gives a monster blindness, making it impossible to attack |
Flame | Level 4 for Mute | Fire-based attack capable of targeting an entire group of monsters |
Medic | Level 6 for Theo, Level 6 for Mute, Level 20 for Layl | Heals a character for 10 to 20 HP |
Teleport | Level 7 for Theo, Level 16 for Layl | Able to transport Theo’s company to a specific location |
Blaze | Level 7 for Mute | Fire-based spell that engulfs every enemy in flames |
De-spell | Level 8 for Theo, Level 8 for Mute, Level 21 for Layl | Unknown |
| Fortify | Level 9 for Theo | Unknown |
| Blind | Level 10 for Theo, Level 22 for Layl | Unknown |
| Weaken | Level 11 for Theo | Unknown |
| Slumber | Level 12 for Theo, Level 23 for Layl | Sleep spell capable of putting a group of enemies asleep |
| Steal MP | Level 13 for Theo, Level 31 for Layl | Steals a small amount of MP from an enemy |
| Anti Magic | Level 14 for Theo, Level 14 for Mute | Unknown |
| Heal | Level 15 for Theo, Level 15 for Mute, Level 25 for Layl | Unknown |
| Blackout | Level 16 for Theo, Level 26 for Layl | Unknown |
| Steal HP | Level 17 for Theo, Level 30 for Layl | Unknown |
| Exit | Level 18 for Theo, Level 17 for Layl | Unknown |
| Recover | Level 19 for Theo, Level 27 for Layl | Unknown |
| Pillage | Level 20 for Theo, Level 32 for Layl | Unknown |
| Revive | Level 24 for Layl | Unknown |
| Cure | Level 28 for Layl | Unknown |
| Miracle | Level 29 for Layl | Unknown |
Coins
After you win a battle, there's a 75% chance you'll get a Coin. This is different than the standard gold received after a successful fight. The text will say, "The spoils of the battle go to Theo," and you can later use these Coins to play a game of chance in the Casino for various prizes or sell it to merchants for around 400 gold.
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