Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness is part of the larger Hydlide series, initially released for the NEC PC-88 in 1985 and ported to various Japanese computer and gaming platforms. This sequel to the original Hydlide remained at first exclusive to Japan, with its first official English version appearing over 20 years later. The game ventures into the realm of morality, in a similar vein to Ultima games. Alongside the morality system, it has a unique time manipulation feature, allowing players to adjust the gameplay pace. Let’s take a deep dive into what Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness offers in gameplay and cheats.
Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness Premise
The premise of Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness revolves around the quest to destroy an evil crystal, that is spawning monsters into the world of Fairyland. This crystal, buried deep under the earth, serves as the source of an ever-growing army of monsters that threaten the peace in Fairyland. The game’s classic fantasy world is presented in a blend of traditional role-playing elements with action sequences.
Players navigate the protagonist through Fairyland, engaging in battles against a variety of monsters to eliminate the source of evil. The game retains the original’s combat mechanics, where players switch between attack and defense modes while introducing conversations with non-hostile creatures. The inclusion of towns for equipment purchases and training is a clear shift in the series towards more conventional RPG gameplay.
Additionally, the game features a morality system, which is likely influenced by games in the Ultima series. This allows players to determine their moral choices, effecting the gameplay itself. The characters’ FORTH stat can be set to Justice, Normal, or Evil. This changes depending on what type of monsters the player defeats.
Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness Characters
While the game’s characters are important to the unfolding story, they also affect the gameplay dynamics. The protagonist, summoned from Earth, faces an array of foes who are spawning from the evil underground crystal. However, the player character can be aligned with good or evil, which affects the outcomes. The world also features a host of non-player characters that can be interacted with and fought. Fighting enemies also affects the alignment of the player characters.
- Varalys: The antagonist from the first game, now a guardian, presents a tougher challenge at the end of the game. He appears in various forms in the game.
- Orcs: The green-skinned enemies. One of these Orcs in the Desert Tower drops a key essential for game progression.
- Ghouls: Purple enemies in the cemetery that might drop a Black Crystal. This item item prevents health regeneration.
- Farmers: Farmers roam the fields everywhere and do not pose danger to the player.
- Knights: Knights are patrolling outside on the fields alongside Farmers.
- Thiefs: Thieves are found in the Desert Tower’s maze, which makes them hard to avoid. The maze is entirely dark unless traversed with light from a lamp.
- Bomber: This NPC is the Weapon’s Shop keeper in the game. Players are able to buy new equipment with gold acquired from slaying enemies. Regardless of the name, the vendor sells both armor and weapons.
- Bonbon: This vendor sells both magical equipment and general items. Players can purchase things like a lamp, rods, and a helmet.
Games in the Series
The Hydlide series is a lesser-known collection of action RPGs in the West, although it left a significant mark on the genre, especially in Japan. Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness is particularly notable for its introduction of gameplay mechanics, such as a morality meter, which makes a return in the upcoming titles in the series. Additionally, it added a time control feature, which was ahead of its, well, time. The Hydlide series began with the original titular game released in 1984, and was followed up in quick succession with two sequels. Later on, a remake of the original game, Virtual Hydlide, was released for Sega Saturn with improved graphics.
- Hydlide (1984)
- Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness (1985)
- Hydlide III: The Space Memories (1987)
- Virtual Hydlide (1995)
Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness Cheats
Cheats for Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness are scarce, perhaps reflecting the game’s era and the focus on exploration. However, there are a few hints we can give to make it easier for the gamers. Here are some of the tips that might come in handy.
Lamp in the Maze
The Desert Tower is almost impossible to navigate without the use of a light source. As the player enters the tower, they are presented with a black screen. This maze-like environment is entirely dark without a lamp. Fortunately, one of the vendors, Bonbon, sells a lamp that can be used to light up the screen. Simply just equip the lamp from the menu, and you are ready to escape the maze.
Identifying Friend From Foe
As players embark on their journey, distinguishing between allies and enemies becomes crucial. Engaging only those who initiate combat preserves the player’s morality, which in turn ensures that they can interact with town residents and access important resources. Attacking on non-aggressive characters can severely impact one’s progress.
Crucial Item Collection
To get the game’s most powerful weapon, the Laser Sword, and to complete the game, players must acquire a key that only specific enemies drop, specifically the Orc in the Desert Tower. However, it doesn’t drop each time so keep killing Orcs until you’ve got it. After that, you’ll be able to access the sword in one of the corners of the Tower.
Hydlide II Cheats FAQ
How does Hydlide II differ from the first title?
It expands on the original’s gameplay with RPG elements, including the morality and time manipulation systems, offering a more complex gameplay.
What is the morality system in Hydlide II?
The morality system affects player interaction based on their actions towards creatures, impacting the game’s progression.
The image featured at the top of this post is ©Screenshot for Hydlide II: Shine of Darkness.