Released in 1999, this is the sequel to Legend of the River King and is another JRPG twinned with a fishing game. It is more detailed and refined than its predecessor and is by far the better game of the two. It was developed by Victor Interactive Software and published exclusively for the Game Boy Color by Natsume.

The story in Legend of the River King 2 is that you are a young boy who must help Yuki find and return the two halves of “The Heaven Jewel“, which have been taken by the Mountain God and the Sea God. The Heaven Jewel allows anyone in possession of it to control nature, and its disappearance has been linked to recent series of earthquakes.

At the beginning of the game, you can choose to play as either a kid or a teen. The difference between them is: the starting points for each are different, as are their levels and starting Hit Points.

Fishing is once again the core activity of the game. Catching fish allows you to build up money, experience and equipment, and to ultimately catch the Mountain God and the Sea God, both of which have turned into fish and escaped into the river and the sea respectively.

In Legend of the River King 2 there are 60 different types of fish to catch (there were 48 in the previous game), and this time you can also collect plants and bugs, and you can also dive for shellfish. There are also various quests to embark upon for certain NPCs (for example: you must find dandelions for The Canoe Master, to help cure his daughter’s stomach ache, so that he’ll give you a canoe, which is required for diving and to reach later areas), and you can still get attacked by animals and must fight them in turn-based combat to gain experience points.

In this sequel, there are day and night cycles; weather effects; more varied equipment and bait types, and better graphics. The music is also a step up from its predecessor.

Fishing itself is more or less the same as previously, except that – once again – the process is more varied and involving. For example: how far you can cast your line is this time dependent on both the size of your fishing rod, and how many hit points you have. So if you’re tired and have had your HP knocked down in battle, you won’t be able to cast very far. So in those cases it might be a good idea to go to the nearest hotel and rest.

When you’re out fishing, and you do get a bite, the view cuts to an underwater scene – just like in the previous game – and it’s then a battle of wits and strength to land your catch. If a fish slips the hook, then you might need to try a larger or smaller hook. If the fish don’t take the bait; try a different bait type. And when you’ve got better rods and equipment, you’ll then be able to fish using lures and flies, which require no bait.

You can sell the fish you catch at the local shop, or you can exchange specific types of fish with NPCs for special items.

The developers seem to have removed the ‘Raising’ part of the game – at least from the starting options – which is no great loss, really.

You can link up (via a Game Link cable) with other players to trade your catches between Legend of the River King 2 cartridges, or Natsume‘s Harvest Moon 2 on the Game Boy Color. This Pokémon-style trading is a neat new feature of the game.

Overall, Legend of the River King 2 is a worthy sequel and a classic JRPG/fishing game on the Game Boy Color. I prefer this game to its predecessor because it expands on pretty much every area of the game. There are more shops; more things to do; bigger areas to explore and fish, and more NPCs and quests. It can take some time to gain a foothold and buy better rods and tackle, but once you’ve gotten into the game, it does become very absorbing and fun to play.

More: River King series on Wikipedia