Valis II
Valis II is a side-scrolling action-platform video game developed by Laser Soft and published by Telenet Japan, originally released in 1989 for the PC Engine CD-ROM² console and PC-88 home computer in Japan.[1][2] As the second main entry in the Mugen Senshi Valis (Fantasm Soldier Valis) series, it continues the story of protagonist Yuko Asou, a Japanese high school student selected as the warrior of the mystical sword Valis, who must travel to the fantasy dimension of Vecanti to thwart the tyrannical emperor Megas—brother of the defeated demon lord Rogles from the first game—before he plunges the world into chaos.[3][2] The game's narrative unfolds through animated cutscenes with voice acting, a technological highlight of the PC Engine version that enhanced its anime-inspired aesthetic and storytelling.[1] Gameplay centers on controlling Yuko across six linear stages, battling enemies and bosses with close-range sword strikes, four types of projectile attacks, and upgradable magic abilities, while collecting power-ups to restore health and vitality.[3] Unlike some ports, the original versions emphasize precise platforming and combat without equipment customization, focusing instead on progression through increasingly challenging environments blending Japanese urban settings with otherworldly realms.[2] Valis II was localized and released in North America as Valis: The Fantasm Soldier II for the TurboGrafx-CD in May 1990 by NEC Home Electronics, marking one of the early CD-ROM titles for Western audiences and introducing the series' blend of action gameplay and supernatural lore.[1] The title received ports to platforms like PC-98 and MSX2 later in 1989, and in recent years, it has been re-released digitally for modern systems including Nintendo Switch and Windows via collections like Valis: The Fantasm Soldier Collection, preserving its legacy in retro gaming.[2][4]Plot and Gameplay
Plot
Valis II continues the story of Yuko Asou, a Japanese high school student who, after defeating the demon lord Rogles in the first game, returns to the fantasy world of Vecanti to confront a new threat.[5] The narrative picks up with Vecanti under siege by the cyborg Emperor Megas, Rogles' older brother, who seeks to eradicate Rogles' followers and reclaim the throne as its rightful ruler.[2] Yuko, haunted by visions and initial attacks in the human world, is compelled to wield the mystical Valis sword once more, transforming from an ordinary schoolgirl into an armored warrior destined to protect the balance between dimensions. She learns she is the daughter of Queen Valia, ruler of Vecanti, and gains support from her twin sister Valna.[5][6] The central conflict revolves around Megas's forces, including his key generals Haizen and Gaias, who lead invasions aimed at weakening Vecanti and threatening the human world.[7][8] Yuko's quest spans the human world, where the story begins amid everyday life disrupted by supernatural incursions, and Vecanti, the primary fantasy realm under siege.[5] As she traverses these worlds, battling Megas's armies and uncovering ancient lore tied to the Valis sword's origins and her own heritage, Yuko grapples with the weight of her role, forging alliances that highlight themes of duty and the friendships that sustain her resolve.[5] Key plot developments include conflicts with Rogles' surviving loyalists, who attempt to steal the Valis sword, leading to confrontations that test her heroism.[3] The story builds to revelations about Megas's motivations rooted in betrayal and vengeance, forcing Yuko to confront the personal and cosmic burdens of her lineage as a chosen protector.[9] These elements deepen the series' exploration of a young protagonist's internal struggle, emphasizing the isolation and responsibility of wielding otherworldly power in defense of multiple worlds.[5]Gameplay
Valis II is a side-scrolling action-platformer where players control Yuko Asou, navigating two-dimensional levels by running, jumping, and engaging in combat against enemies and bosses. The game emphasizes precise platforming challenges, such as leaping across gaps and avoiding environmental hazards, while combating foes in a run-and-gun style despite the sword-based weaponry. Levels are structured across six stages blending environments from the human world and the fantasy realm of Vecanti, each concluding with a boss fight that tests pattern recognition and timing.[3][5] The core combat revolves around the Valis sword, which Yuko wields to perform melee swings and fire long-range energy projectiles with every attack. The sword can be upgraded to three power levels by collecting upgrade items dropped by enemies, increasing the projectiles' damage and reach; additionally, special items allow switching between four attack types, including normal blasts, homing missiles, wave shots that destroy enemy projectiles, and two-way spreads. Players can also acquire limited-use power-ups like protective barriers or invincibility spells, activated via a dedicated control input, and jewels that increase the score. In certain versions, such as the home computer ports, gameplay incorporates occasional shoot 'em up segments where Yuko flies over scrolling backgrounds, shifting to vertical shooting mechanics. In home computer ports, players can switch Yuko's costumes, each altering her abilities—such as enhanced speed or defense—adding strategic depth.[3][5][10] Player progression is managed through a health bar that depletes upon taking damage, replenished by collecting health pickups scattered throughout stages; Yuko starts with a set number of lives, with continues available upon depletion to maintain progress. The game includes minor puzzles, like timing-based platform sequences or item collection for hidden paths, though these are secondary to action elements. Controls are straightforward, using the d-pad for movement (including ducking), one button for jumping, and another for sword attacks, with responsive inputs that support the game's moderate difficulty, though later stages extend in length and intensity. The PC Engine CD version enhances immersion with animated cutscenes between stages, but core mechanics remain consistent across platforms, with port-specific tweaks like the shoot 'em up elements and costume switching in non-console releases.[11][12][10]Development
Original Development
Valis II was developed by Shin-Nihon Laser Soft, a subsidiary of Telenet Japan established in 1988 to focus on optical media games, marking it as the studio's inaugural CD-ROM title.[13] The project was directed by Masami Hanari, with Fumiyuki Moriyama serving as producer, under the oversight of Telenet Japan and publisher NEC.[14] Development emphasized building on the original Valis as a direct sequel, incorporating a darker tone through the introduction of the warlord Megas and expanded world-building that revealed deeper ties to protagonist Yuko Asou's family and the Dreamworld.[5] The production encountered technical challenges inherent to the emerging CD-ROM format, such as slow loading times and limited RAM capacity.[15] These hurdles necessitated small team sizes and intense workloads, with core development often handled by just a handful of programmers and designers amid broader resource constraints at Telenet.[15] Key innovations leveraged the CD-ROM's storage advantages to integrate anime-style cutscenes and voice acting, a departure from the floppy disk limitations of prior titles, enhancing narrative delivery and immersion.[5] This was achieved through collaborations with animators from the anime industry, who contributed to the high-quality visuals despite the limited budget that prompted outsourcing of art assets.[15] Published jointly by Telenet Japan and NEC, the game represented an ambitious step for Laser Soft in adapting the Valis series to console hardware while pushing multimedia boundaries.[3]Ports and Adaptations
The home computer ports of Valis II, developed in parallel to the PC Engine version by Renovation Game and released in 1989 for the NEC PC-8801, MSX2, NEC PC-9801, and Sharp X68000, adapted the content to floppy disk storage, necessitating reductions in visual and audio fidelity to fit hardware constraints.[5] These versions replaced the CD audio with chiptune soundtracks, which provided MIDI-like music but lacked the original's orchestral depth, and featured more compact cutscenes that emphasized violence and included semi-nudity, such as explicit depictions of the antagonist Megas murdering the character Valia—elements toned down or omitted in the PC Engine release. Gameplay was enhanced with more dynamic stage designs, including additional flying sections that consumed special item charges, and an improved power-up system allowing players to select weapons and costumes from a dedicated screen prior to levels, diverging from the original's simpler progression. However, the PC-8801, MSX2, and PC-9801 implementations suffered from choppy performance due to limited processing power and memory, resulting in less fluid platforming compared to the baseline PC Engine mechanics of side-scrolling action and sword-based combat.[5] The X68000 port addressed some of these issues by running at a smoother frame rate, shortening repetitive segments for better pacing, and removing certain unfair enemy placements or obstacles, though its audio remained somewhat muffled relative to the crisp chiptunes of the other computer versions. To accommodate floppy disk loading times and the absence of save functionality on these systems, the ports incorporated password systems for resuming progress, alongside minor level adjustments like streamlined enemy patterns to mitigate hardware-induced slowdowns during intense sequences. A distinct adaptation arrived in 1992 with the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis remake, developed by Imaginative System Create and published by Telenet Japan as SD Valis in Japan and localized as Syd of Valis in North America. This version adopted a super-deformed (chibi) art style with exaggerated proportions and brighter, cartoonish visuals to suit the console's sprite capabilities, while simplifying core gameplay from the PC Engine original by emphasizing platforming over complex mechanics and replacing elaborate cinema cutscenes with in-engine text dialogues featuring humorous, abbreviated interactions. It incorporated elements from the home computer ports, such as the weapon and armor selection screen, and allowed upward firing for better versatility, but removed shoot 'em up segments present in the original's flying stages to streamline the action-platformer focus. Technical adaptations for the cartridge format involved compressing graphical assets, leading to resized sprites that maintained the chibi aesthetic but reduced detail in backgrounds and animations, alongside audio downgrades to the Genesis's FM synthesis, which produced less nuanced tracks than the PC Engine's CD sound. The title was released exclusive to Japanese and North American markets.Release
Initial Releases
Valis II was initially released for the PC Engine CD-ROM² in Japan on June 23, 1989, published by Telenet Japan in collaboration with NEC.[6] This version leveraged the system's CD capabilities for enhanced audio and cutscenes, marking an early showcase of the platform's potential for anime-influenced storytelling.[3] The game later launched in North America as Valis II for the TurboGrafx-CD on May 23, 1990, distributed by NEC Home Electronics, with Hudson Soft handling aspects of the TurboGrafx ecosystem support.[6][16]| Platform | Region | Release Date | Publisher |
|---|---|---|---|
| PC-8801 | Japan | July 8, 1989 | Renovation Game |
| MSX2 | Japan | August 5, 1989 | Renovation Game |
| PC-9801 | Japan | August 5, 1989 | Renovation Game |
| X68000 | Japan | November 18, 1989 | Renovation Game |