Welcome to VC Weekly, N-Europe’s guide to the wonderful world of Nintendo’s download service. Written by Sam C Gittins

Fans of the RPG genre should be kept relatively happy as a more unconventional but no less enjoyable example can be yours to download. Anyway enough from me and on with the game!
 
Available for download this week we have...     

The Sword Of Hope II



Price: GB £2.70, EU €3
Publisher: Kemco
Developer: Kemco
Released: 1996
System: GameBoy

If you've not heard of The Sword Of Hope II then fear not because it wasn't originally released in Europe even taking its time before it was even released in America despite the original game getting a European release in 1991 but it seems that this isn't such a bad thing afterall being that this entry is most definitely the better of the two plus it means that we finally get to play something of a little-known gem which is always a good thing. Naturally this sequel leaves off a little after the first game ends but it's your standard story of a previously sealed away evil being set free once again and it's up to you as the hero Prince Theo to recover the Sword of Hope, smite evil, clear your name, save the day... pretty standard fare really but there's no point in changing that which works.

Of course all of these events merely serve as an excuse for an epic adventure which for you as the player is indeed a good thing, starting out as a lone wanderer you'll find yourself just trying to get by but you soon find some companions so you then have a trusty squad that you will need to manage every element of if you want to survive for long. The intense nature of item management et al is rather satisfying, it's also of course what will determine your success or failure so it can be worth spending some time on; but if you should fall leaving your party unconcious then fear not for all it means is that you will go back to the first area having your health restored by King Hennessy which of course means you are then left to battle back to where you were but it never feels frustrating... indeed you will learn from your mistakes and become stronger in the process gradually making more progress within a short space of time.

Unlike most RPG's you are not in direct control by using a conventional overworld but instead you must navigate everything using a series of menus including the movement of your character, granted this may seem odd at first but the more than you play it actually makes a lot of sense plus when you factor in that your location is always displayed and ever-changing as you move across the land without a map it actually makes for a rather compelling experience. Battles are of course for the most-part random but they aren't too frequent which is a blessing and navigation isn't complicated at all because of the relatively linear nature of the game so you won't have to worry about getting lost much but if you do it won't be long at all before you find your way again getting back to levelling up once more plus the later learned teleport spell makes things much more managable.

Everything may be in monochrome but there is a devilish amount of detail in every screen which really shows off what the original GameBoy was capable of way before colour was introduced making for a refreshing visual alternative that's easy on the eyes. The soundtrack is similarly basic but still amazingly accomplished considering the hardware as each piece of music is certainly well suited no matter where you are in the adventure along with some decent sound effects which help to absorb you into the game world even more.

Absolutely worth playing in almost every respect The Sword Of Hope II is something of rare classic that should be experienced by anyone with even a passing interest in the genre as even if
you're doubtful about trying something different at the paltry pricetag that it's available for I'd wager that it's a worthwhile risk as it might just surprise you. Otherwise many keen adventurers will have already been patiently awaiting the release of this title and to them I simply remind them to play, be merry and enjoy one of the GameBoy's finest yet understated adventures.
    
Verdict : A nice but niche RPG with high hopes of finding a fresh fanbase.

That's it for another installment of VC Weekly which will return again soon. So until then, enjoy the rest of the week and Game On!