When did Shining Force II release?

Shining Force II was first released on October 1, 1993.

Shining Force II

Oct 1, 1993Role-playing (RPG)StrategyTurn-based strategy (TBS)LinuxWii Sega Mega Drive/GenesisPC (Microsoft Windows)Mac

Shining Force II — frequently asked questions

What platforms is Shining Force II on?: Shining Force II was released on Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac.
When did Shining Force II release?: Shining Force II was first released on October 1, 1993.

About Shining Force II

As a student of Astral the wizard, you and your friends study all the usual subjects: reading, writing, and sword fighting. As your time at school draws to an end, dark events are taking place on the island of Grans. The two Jewels which seal the Door to Darkness have been stolen, allowing a creature of awesome power to be unleashed. Finding where the Jewels were taken, and why, is a task only the bravest of adventurers can undertake.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Linux, Wii, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (Microsoft Windows), Mac
Developer: Camelot Software Planning
Publisher: Tec Toy
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Fantasy
Series: Shining Force

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

85/100

from 59 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews	Fake risk
Sega Genesis	1994	$60	$164	$610	2 reviews	Medium

Also released on: Linux · Wii · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Mac. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29

Loose

$60

Complete

$164

Sealed

$610

few sales

Other releases and variants

Release	Loose	Complete	Sealed
European (PAL) release	$41	$182	—
Japanese release	$10	$38	—

What it needs to play

Some modesSave battery (inside the cartridge) — saves to memory kept alive by a battery inside the cartridge; if that battery has died, saves are lost (MAME cartridge records).

How often it sells

Loose: about 2 times a week
Complete: about once a week
Sealed: about once a year

Prices marked “few sales” rest on about one recorded sale a year, so treat them as a rough guide: the next copy could sell well above or below. Expect to wait for one to come up.

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $32 in Oct 2007, $58 five years ago, and $60 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2008	$45	—
Jan 2009	$33	—
Jan 2010	$27	—
Jan 2011	$20	—
Jan 2012	$19.49	—
Jan 2013	$30	—
Jan 2014	$26	$50
Jan 2015	$30	$60
Jan 2016	$30	$79
Jan 2017	$35	$90
Jan 2018	$37	$75
Jan 2019	$35	$78
Jan 2020	$36	$85
Jan 2021	$46	$103
Jan 2022	$50	$135
Jan 2023	$66	$147
Jan 2024	$46	$150
Jan 2025	$51	$160
Jan 2026	$61	$184
Oct 2026	$60	$164

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Release record

Territory	Date	Product number	Barcode	Known board
North America	1994	1315	010086013153	—
Europe / PAL	September 1994	670-5424	—	171-6278A · MPR-16933-H
Japan	1 October 1993	G-5521	4974365555214	—

Source: Product numbers: MAME's Mega Drive software list and the No-Intro serial records in the libretro database, published where both agree on the same cartridge dump, or from the libretro records alone where MAME lists no number for that dump. Board and ROM numbers: MAME's software list

Region: NA+EU+JP
Released: 1994
Authenticity: Med

Modern re-releases, such as Sega Ages, the Genesis Mini and Nintendo Switch Online, are not tracked hereMedium counterfeit risk

Sega Genesis prices, all games & how to spot a fake

One of the best tactical role-playing games on the system, and one of the pricier US carts.

Shining Force II was developed by Sonic! Software Planning and published by Sega. It reached Japan on 1 October 1993, North America in 1994 and Europe in September 1994. Its story is not directly connected to the first Shining Force. It is much longer, with more free roaming and no chapter system, so you can return to places you have already visited, and there are two ways to promote characters.

IGN placed it at number 48 in its 2007 list of the top 100 video games, citing its refreshing simplicity among tactical role-playing games and its underlying challenge.

What the press said at the time

GameRankings (aggregate)		89%
Electronic Gaming Monthly		7/10, 6/10, 7/10, 7/10, 7/10

“Shining Force II is neither better or worse than its predecessor, it's simply just as good. Whether or not you've got the first game, this is an essential purchase, so go out and buy it.”
— Sega Magazine, August 1994

Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Genesis version.

Before you buy

Among US carts it is one of the pricier ones. The European loose cart usually costs less than the US one, while a complete copy costs about the same. The Japanese cart usually costs much less and has a different cartridge shape. The cartridge saves to a battery, so test that a save holds; a replaced battery is a normal repair, not a sign of a fake. For a copy at this price ask for a photo of the board and compare it with the board listed on this page.