is a horizontally scrolling shooter for the Master System published by Sega in 1987. It was ported to the arcade, Famicom, and MSX2, and was remade for the System 16 hardware on a PlayStation 2 compilation in 2008. It was re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in North America on June 29, 2009. Like the first Fantasy Zone, the player controls a sentient spaceship named Opa-opa who fights surreal invader enemies. Like its predecessor, Fantasy Zone II departs from scrolling shooter themes with its bright colors and whimsical designs. For this reason, it is occasionally dubbed a "cute 'em up".
Plot
In the past, the courageous hero Opa-Opa saved the Fantasy Zone from the invading Menon forces, but his victory came at a price as he was forced to fight his own father who led the invasion. It is now Space Year 1432, 10 years after that battle, and the Nenon forces are spreading chaos through the Fantasy Zone. Opa-Opa must once again fly into the Fantasy Zone to rout the invasion.
At the end of the game, Opa-Opa comes face-to-face with the invasion's mastermind: an identical copy of himself. After a tense battle, Opa-Opa's father appears to confront them, and the sight of him brings Opa-Opa to tears which causes the second Opa-Opa to vanish. It is later revealed that this twin is a physical manifestation of Opa-Opa's dark impulses and desires, spawned from a war that took place during his childhood, and seeking to drive the Fantasy Zone into ruin. Reunited with his father, Opa-Opa is able to purge this darkness from himself and swears that such a disaster will never occur again.
Gameplay
Similar to Defender, the player occupies a side-scrolling level that repeats indefinitely, and in which the player can freely travel left or right. Each zone contains several "bases" that serve as primary targets. New to the sequel are "warps" hidden behind certain bases that allow the player to travel between different zones. Each level has at least three zones, and when all of the bases have been cleared in all of the zones of a level, the player can travel through the warp to the boss.
Boss fights do not allow for free travel as the main stages do, and force the player to face the boss or face a particular direction. Bosses are generally very large and change color to reflect damage taken. The final stage is a "boss rush" in which the player must fight a succession of previous bosses before fighting the final boss.
There are two action buttons that correspond to two types of attacks, "fire" and "bomb". The fire attacks shoot horizontally, as in a typical shooter, and different variants can be purchased at shops. The bomb attacks are more powerful, and the basic bomb drops downward. Other variants have other behaviors and are limited in quantity.
Shops, uncovered at key points, allow the player to purchase upgraded weapons, bombs, and speed, as well as extra lives. Upgrades to Opa-Opa's speed (such as larger wings, or jet engines) are permanent as long as the player does not lose a life, but weapon upgrades are time-limited, and bombs limited in quantity. Items become increasingly expensive with subsequent purchases, encouraging the player to vary their purchases.
Reception
The Master System port received positive reviews. Computer and Video Games scored it 88% in 1990. Console XS scored it 90% score in 1992.
Ports
The arcade version of Fantasy Zone II is based on the System E board, and as a result, is almost identical to the Master System version. Differences include the use of the radar that shows which bases are destroyed or not, as well as the use of a timer that, when it reaches zero, the player will lose a life. If the player manages to clear a level, the timer's remaining seconds will add to the score and money.
Unlike the original version, the Famicom port's subtitle on the title screen says The Teardrop of Opa-opa.
System 16 remake
In September 2008, Sega released a remake of Fantasy Zone II, as part of the compilation Sega Ages Vol. 33 Fantasy Zone Complete Collection. Developed by M2, the game is unique from most remakes in that it is not an attempt to modernize an older work, but rather a ground-up reimagining of the title as arcade game on System 16 hardware like its predecessor, rather than a console title for the more limited Master System. It has been described as a "What If" remake, and strictly adheres to the technical limitations of the time in which Fantasy Zone II was originally released.