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ActRaiser 2 for Super Nintendo SNES
ActRaiser 2 for Super Nintendo SNES is an action platformer in which you fight Tanzra and his demons as the winged Master. From a flying palace, you survey the land and choose where to descend. Below lie swamps, ruins and other areas filled with monsters and dangerous jumps. The village building from the first ActRaiser is gone: you do not lay roads or control inhabitants. You free the areas by taking up the fight yourself with sword and shield.
Your wings give you more possibilities than an ordinary jump. You jump higher, descend slowly, glide diagonally downwards or dive with your sword towards an enemy below. Your shield blocks certain attacks from above or below. You charge a magical attack by holding the attack button. The spell that appears depends on your posture and movement. Fire cast from the ground therefore calls for a different approach from magic during a glide.
You play alone with one standard SNES controller. Magic is limited, while items you find replenish your health or magical supply. Especially against bosses, you must leave room for a safe landing. Through the flying palace, you receive a password that lets you resume later from the recorded progress. Write down that code; the game does not preserve your adventure as a saved file on the cartridge. You can also adjust the difficulty and button layout.
Region and language
Our Super Nintendo SNES games are PAL editions, unless stated otherwise. This product contains a loose cartridge for the European market. A box is only included if explicitly stated in the product details. We note any different region in the product details. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
With ActRaiser 2 for Super Nintendo SNES, you receive a loose cartridge. A box and manual are not included unless we explicitly state otherwise in the product details. This is the standard way we supply this copy.
The history of ActRaiser 2
Quintet developed ActRaiser 2 for Enix. The game appeared in Japan and North America in 1993 and reached Europe in 1994, with Ubi Soft involved in the European release. The first ActRaiser had combined action with building and protecting settlements. This sequel retained the heavenly palace and the battle against demons, but turned the playable adventures into a complete series of action stages. That change of direction explains why the two games feel very different despite their shared world.
In a later interview, designer Ayano Koshiro explained that Enix's American office had requested the removal of the simulation sections. According to her, American feedback also contributed to the higher difficulty. Staff member Hitoshi Ariga described how the damage dealt by the hero and enemies was subsequently adjusted. Quintet's own retrospective also mentions the highly skilled players within the testing team. The result demands plenty of practice with movement, defence and the right moment to attack.
Yuzo Koshiro returned to compose the music. Large monsters, detailed backgrounds and the winged protagonist gave the sequel a different appearance from its predecessor. Progress was handled differently too: ActRaiser 2 uses passwords instead of the first game's saving system. It is a standalone SNES sequel, not an expansion requiring the earlier game. The later Actraiser Renaissance reworks the first ActRaiser instead; its revised building sections are not part of this cartridge.
Similar games for Super Nintendo SNES
ActRaiser on SNES likewise lets you descend from a heavenly palace to defeat monsters with a sword. Between those fights, however, you build and protect villages and help inhabitants develop their land. ActRaiser 2 removes those tasks and instead expands the hero's movement with wings and various aerial attacks. Choose the first game for the alternation between management and combat; the sequel keeps you almost constantly in the action.
Super Castlevania IV on SNES also combines difficult jumps, fixed enemy patterns and large bosses. Simon Belmont uses a whip that he can strike in different directions and swing from attachment points. The Master in ActRaiser 2 uses sword, shield and wings to overcome obstacles. Distance and timing matter in both games, but in ActRaiser 2 you must also judge your gliding angle and landing carefully.
Super Ghouls 'n Ghosts sends the knight Arthur through a demonic world where a badly judged jump can quickly cost a life. His double jump and throwing weapons require different planning from the gliding and sword fighting in ActRaiser 2. Arthur loses his armour when hit and can find better equipment. The Master works with a health gauge, a shield and a limited magical supply. Both reward learning a dangerous route.
Demon's Crest on SNES also gives you a winged hero in a dark fantasy landscape. Firebrand breathes fire and collects powers that let him take different forms and reach new routes. ActRaiser 2 mainly develops the Master through practice with his existing sword, shield and wing movements. In Demon's Crest, your tools change during the adventure; here you learn to use the same attacks, jumps and spells more precisely against increasingly dangerous opponents.
Super Metroid on SNES combines side-scrolling action with exploring an interconnected planet. New equipment opens previously unreachable passages, so you often return to familiar places. ActRaiser 2 uses a world map with separate action areas and focuses your attention on surviving their obstacles and bosses. Both demand controlled jumps and knowledge of enemies, but Samus builds an arsenal while the Master learns to make better use of his wings and sword.
