Rastan Saga II


known in Europe as Nastar and in North America as Nastar Warrior, is a 1988 hack and slash platform game developed and published by Taito for arcade [video game|arcades]. The sequel to Rastan, it tells the story of how Rastan got his name and saved a vast region called Rastania from evil monsters known as the Wicked Group. Rastania, the kingdom which Rastan saves in this game, subsequently becomes his kingdom to rule.
On June 20, 2024, the arcade version of the game was digitally re-released for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4 as part of the Arcade Archives series.

Gameplay

Rastan Saga II is a side scrolling hack and slash game where the player takes the role of a barbarian who tries to defeat an evil wizard. The controls of Rastan consist of an eight-way joystick, a button for attacking, and a button for jumping. Like the first installment, the player is able to swing Rastan's sword in multiple directions. By using the joystick in combination with either button, the player can determine the height of Rastan's jumps.
There are a total of six rounds, each consisting of two areas: an outdoor scene, and a castle hall where the player must confront the stage's boss. The backgrounds of the outdoor areas feature broad landscapes with changing sunlight effects with detail. The game's bosses include Medusa, a Gladiator Centaur, and the final boss, the evil wizard.

Reception

In Japan, Game Machine listed Rastan Saga II as the eighth most successful table arcade unit of May 1989.
Retrospective opinions have been mixed to negative. Chris Rasa of Hardcore Gaming 101 called the game "a huge step down from the original", with completely linear and "banal" level design, and poorly animated sprites. Ken Horowitz of Sega-16 rated the Genesis version a 5 out of 10, calling it a "decent hack-'n-slash" that is "fun enough to spend an afternoon or two with." However he lamented the removal of 2-player mode and the poor audio quality when compared to the arcade. Mark Bussler of Classic Game Room said the Genesis version has "painful, terrible music, and the visuals are just laughable", and criticized the level design as "mindless."