Magical Drop II (マジカルドロップ2) is the second installment of the Magical Drop franchise, released in 1996. The arcade version was developed for SNK's Neo Geo hardware, as opposed to Data East's proprietary Simple 156 System that the first game was developed for. It includes a variety of gameplay changes, as well as new characters.
Gameplay Additions[]
The core gameplay is similar to that of the first game, though with a few additions and modifications. Special Balloons can now be matched with normal Balloons, unlike the first game where they must be matched separately. The game also introduces Rainbow Balloons, colorless Balloons that will become Special Balloons when matched with two or more balloons of the same color.
The non-competition-based single player mode introduced in Magical Drop Plus 1! has been completely reimagined. The player is now given a much larger field spanning the entire screen, as well as a clown that can instantly teleport from the right edge of the field to the left and vice versa.
Game Modes[]
1P Mode: Survival Mode[]
In this mode, the player either plays as Devil (Medium) or High Priestess (Hard) The goal is to survive as long as possible. When playing this puzzle mode longer, the game gets progressively harder, throwing in Ice Chunks, Bubbles, and giving the player less Crystals and Super Balloons. Star (Expert) is only available in the Japanese version. In the Super Famicom version, Fool (Easy) and World (Master) are introduced in this mode.
1P Mode: Vs. CPU[]
In this mode, the player selects a character and battles against CPU opponents, leading to a climactic battle against Empress.
2P Vs. Mode[]
In this mode, both players go at it head to head. Each player selects a character to use, and then try to take each other out. The player can force extra lines to its opponent by making chains or clearing a large amount of balloons at once. The game finishes when the player finishes his / her quota or let the opponent's balloons reach the bottom of the screen.
Flash Mode[]
Flash Mode (Puzzle Mode in the '90s SNES translation, "Ah Hah!" Mode in the Aeon Genesis Super Famicom translation) provides a series of preset fields and challenges players to correctly clear them. A timer counts down during gameplay; if it reaches 0, the ceiling will rapidly drop down in an attempt to eliminate the player. If the player makes the puzzle unsolvable, the game will charge a time penalty and then provide the player a fresh row of balloons.
Game Versions[]
Neo Geo (Japan)[]
The original version of the game.
Neo Geo (North America)[]
The North American version replaces all of the voice acting with the announcer from Chain Reaction. Character endings, Flash Mode, and the Expert survival mode have been removed.
Neo Geo, Europe[]
The Euro version features the altered set of gameplay modes from the NA version, but features a small number of voice actors representing separate languages.
Neo Geo CD[]
The Neo Geo CD version features enhanced audio, but is otherwise nearly identical to the Japanese Neo Geo version.
Super Famicom[]
The Super Famicom version, like the Super Famicom port of Magical Drop, features six columns per playfield instead of seven and features a super-deformed version of the player character as a cursor instead of a clown. Vs CPU mode adds brief dialogue to the character icons that are displayed between fights; a smaller dialogue will be displayed if the player loses. 2P VS adds a time attack mode, and players can change their character's attack pattern and/or special balloons to match that of another character. Devil, Strength, and Empress are immediately available, while Black Pierrot can be unlocked via cheat code.
A special version named Magical Drop II: Bunka Hōsō Special Version was developed as a tie-in with Nippon Cultural Broadcasting. Black Pierrot is replaced with the JOQR Team, representing personalities from Nippon Cultural Broadcasting, but the game is otherwise identical.
English versions[]
While Data East only released the Super Famicom version in Japan, noteworthy fan translation group Aeon Genesis announced their intention to create an English patch in 2012. There was no news on the project from that point until 2018, when it was revealed that the fan translation was officially licensed by independent gaming hardware company Retro-Bit. The Aeon Genesis-translated version of Magical Drop 2 appears in the Data East Classic Collection cartridge for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System, as well as the Super Retro-Cade plug & play system and the Evercade handheld.
Later, an unreleased international localization of the Super Famicom version was discovered by a game preservation enthusiast; This version was added to Nintendo's SNES Online service for the Nintendo Switch. While the Aeon Genesis translation attempts to be a direct translation of the Japanese release, albeit with its own quirks in an attempt to capture the spirit of the Japanese script, the 1990s version resembles the translation work of the international arcade version of II as well as its successor Magical Drop III: the logo is from the international arcade versions, the voice acting is replaced by the North American arcade version's announcer, and the script replaces all of the character specific dialogs with generic phrases nearly identical to those in Magical Drop III. However, none of the gameplay features have been removed, and character endings are retained.
| Battle | Original Japanese text | Aeon Genesis translation | 1996 translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| World vs Star | World: フウ・・わかりって しあわせですわね・・ でも、わたしだって・・ Star: なんか、かってに はなしはじめたですぅ ブキミですぅ～ |
World: Oh, to be young again. But I do look rather fetching for my age, I think! Star: She's, like, talking to herself! Laaaaame! |
World: No holding back! Star: You're no match for me! |
| High Priestess vs Devil | High Priestess: イタズラなんか ひゃくがいあって いちりなしざます！ Devil: だって イタズラがボクを よんでるんだも～ん！ |
High Priestess: Cease thine mischiefs! Thou hast naught to gain from such conduct! Devil: But it's just so easy to prank you guys! |
High Priestess: I'm going to win! Devil: You can't beat me. |
| Magician vs Fool | Magician: うわぁあああ！ な～ぜなんだぁ！ なぜ おまえがここに？ Fool: ニャニニャン？ |
Magician: AAAARGH! YOU! W-Why?! Why are YOU here?! Fool: Mrowwww? |
Magician: Are you sure? Fool: Sniffle, sniffle. |
| Empress vs Chariot | Empress: ・・なぁに、その目は なんかモンクあんの？ Chariot: としをごまかしても すぐばれるゼ！ オ・バ・サ・ン！ |
Empress: What's with that face? Something the matter? Chariot: Just wondering if my spear will be able to pierce your leathery hide! |
Empress: Who do you think you are? Chariot: Come on! |
| Original Japanese text | Aeon Genesis translation | 1996 translation |
|---|---|---|
| ひたすらモード | Endless Mode | Self Challenge |
| たいせんモード | Battle Mode | Friend Challenge |
| ストーリモード | Story Mode | Story |
| ひらめきモード | Ah HA! Mode | Puzzle |
| Original Japanese text | Aeon Genesis translation | 1996 translation |
|---|---|---|
| らくらく かんたん ふつう むずかしい ちょ～むず |
Easy-peasy Easy Normal Hard Megatough! |
Super-Easy Easy Medium Hard Super-Hard |
Mobile Phones[]
Magical Drop DX, released in 2004, is based on the Super Famicom version, only there are 6 playable characters and Vs. CPU and Survival mode are the only features available.
Sega Saturn[]
The Sega Saturn version features an "Arcade Mode" and "Special Mode". Arcade Mode presents itself as an arcade-perfect port of Magical Drop II, while the Special Mode is very similar to the Super Famicom version feature-wise.
Characters[]
Returning Characters[]
Newcomers[]
- Justice
- Strength (Sub-Boss, Secret Character)
- Empress (Final Boss, Secret Character)
- Black Pierrot (Secret Boss, Playable in SNES version)
- In the arcade version, Empress, Devil, and Strength can be unlocked by pressing down while highlighting all of the characters in tarot card order.
- In the Super Famicom version, Black Pierrot can be unlocked by pressing Down on the bottom row character portraits in the order that they are faced in 1P vs CPU mode, then pressing Up while highlighting Empress.
1P VS. CPU Stage Order[]
| Stage Number | Opponent |
|---|---|
| 1 | Fool |
| 2 | Star |
| 3 | Devil |
| 4 | Chariot |
| 5 | High Priestess |
| 6 | Justice |
| 7 | Magician |
| 8 | World |
| 9 | Strength |
| Final | Empress |
| Secret | Black Pierrot |
Black Pierrot is fought by clearing the 1P vs CPU mode without using a continue.
Voice Cast[]
| Voice actor | Character |
|---|---|
| Eri Tanaka | Fool, Devil |
| Mitsuyo Sunada | Star |
| Nobuyuki Hiyama | Chariot |
| Eriko Kodaira | High Priestess, World |
| Isshin Chiba | Magician |
| Ring-Ring | Justice |
| GORILLA | Strength |
| Rie Sakurai | Empress |
Trivia[]
Prototype cart for the cancelled international release of the Super Famicom port of Magical Drop II
- European version voice acting notes:
- Fool will have his own voice (Eri Tanaka) when playing the game in Europe.
- Chariot and Devil are both voiced by younger male actors when playing the game in Europe.
- Magician, Strength, and Black Pierrot are voiced by older male actors when playing the game in Europe.
- Justice and Star are both voiced by younger female actors when playing the game in Europe.
- High Priestess, World, and Empress are voiced by older female actors when playing the game in Europe.
- Interestingly, the Super Famicom version of the game was going to be released everywhere else, particularly, in Europe (prototype cartridge is seen on the right.), but was cancelled and went unreleased until it was added to the Nintendo Switch Online service in 2021.
Gallery[]
Character artwork[]
Others (including screenshots)[]
External Links[]
- Tweet that talks about the unreleased international version of the game's Super Nintendo port. (courtesy of PPLToast)
Magical Drop games
|
|---|
| Magical Drop • Magical Drop II • Magical Drop III • Magical Drop F - Daibouken mo Rakujyanai! • Magical Drop V • Magical Drop VI |
| Magical Drop for WonderSwan • Magical Drop Pocket • Magical Drop (Game Boy Color) • Magical Drop Touch • Magical Drop DX • Magical Drop BATTLE • Magical Drop (Flash game) |
| Magical Drop characters |
 Fool  Magician  High Priestess  Chariot  Devil  Star  World
|
| Magical Drop II characters |
 Justice  Father Strength  Empress  Black Pierrot
|
| Magical Drop III characters |
 Emperor  Hierophant  Lovers  Daughter Strength  Death  Sun  Judgement Hermit  Hanged Man  Temperance  Moon  Tower  Wheel of Fortune
|
| Other Characters |
          
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