King's Valley II

King's Valley II
Also known as: Ōke no Tani: El Giza no Fuuin (JP) Developer: Konami Publisher: Konami Platforms: MSX, MSX2 Released in JP: August 27, 1988 Released in EU: 1988 (MSX) This game has a hidden developer message. This game has hidden developer credits. This game has a hidden sound test. This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences. This game has hidden bonus content.

The second, and so far last, game in Konami's Egyptian tomb-raiding puzzle platformer series. Released simultaneously for the MSX and MSX2, albeit Japan-only with the latter.

Version Differences

Unusually, Konami made two separate versions of the game for both the MSX2 and older MSX platforms. As a result, there are some significant visual differences between both versions.

The MSX version was released in both Japan and Europe, so the cartridge has built-in support to detect the region of the computer it's inserted in. However, since the game uses English for both regions, there aren't any significant differences besides the title screen.

The MSX2 version was never released in Europe, so it features no such detection and will not display any differences whatsoever with European MSX2 computers.

Title Screen

The MSX2 title screen has the logo slide up, while the Japanese MSX title screen slowly fades in the logo instead. The European MSX title screen doesn't have any fancy effects and just displays the logo.

MSX2 (Japan)	MSX (Japan)	MSX (Europe)

Stage Display

MSX2	MSX

The MSX2 version also runs at a slightly higher vertical resolution than the MSX version (212 vs. 192 pixels), allowing for room to display the current and high score, along with the current level and player lives.

MSX

In the MSX version, this info is only accessible by pressing F2 during gameplay, but not while paused (which shows the stage map instead in both versions).

Backgrounds

• The MSX2 version uses two palettes for stage backgrounds, while the MSX version only uses one palette due to system limitations.
• Additionally, while most background animations in the MSX2 version are kept the same in the MSX version, albeit simplified, the second background for Stages 11 to 20 has its animation removed in the MSX version.
• While the MSX2 and MSX versions both have two backgrounds that are used in almost every set of 10 stages, the MSX version in Stages 31 to 40 uses only one background for the stages, completely differing from the MSX2 version which features two backgrounds for those stages like every other group of 10 stages.

	MSX2		MSX
Stages 1-10
Stages 11-20
Stages 21-30
Stages 31-40
Stages 41-50
Stages 51-60

Sprites

To do: Rip the enemy sprites from both versions of King's Valley II.

Due to system limitations for the MSX version, enemies are monochrome transparent sprites and items are outlined in a black box. The MSX2 version uses more than one color for enemy sprites, and the items are now transparent.

Items

• All items in the MSX version are not transparent and are shown in a black box as part of a tile instead due to system limitations.
• However, the Soul Stones in the MSX version have a glowing animation effect that is completely absent from the MSX2 version, which have the Soul Stones stay static instead.
• The hammer and boomerang items are shown in different positions between the MSX and MSX2 versions.

Item	MSX2	MSX
Hammer
Drill
Pickaxe
Shovel
Knife
Boomerang
Block
Soul Stone

Other Differences

• The MSX2 version slightly lags and pauses right after the player collects a Soul Stone. The MSX version does not have any such performance issues.

Sound Test

Stage 7 Entrance

MSX2	MSX

Both versions feature a hidden sound test, but the sound tests are only accessible during gameplay, requiring the player to jump in a certain spot in some stages. Jumping in those spots will reveal a small pyramid, and touching the pyramid again will reveal a hidden entrance. Press Down on those entrances to access the Sound Select screen. The hidden entrances are located in Stages 7, 32, 40, 50, and 53.

The sound tests in both versions resemble a piano keyboard, where all of the game's music can be played, along with some sound effects on the last 4 keys. Press Left and Right to navigate it, Space to play the specified track, and Return to exit the sound test. Leaving the sound test will restart the stage, and all progress for that stage will be reset.

Hidden Puzzle

Stage 20 Entrance

MSX2	MSX

King's Valley II also features a hidden puzzle game, in the style of a sliding puzzle. It is accessed in the same way as the sound test, but in different areas: Stages 20, 35, 43, 52, and 55.

MSX2	MSX

Solving the puzzle successfully will grant the player 37 extra lives and restart the player at the beginning of the stage. This can be repeated again up to a maximum of 99 lives.

The song that plays in this area is a remix of the puzzle boss theme from Knightmare III: Shalom.

Secret Command

Both versions of King's Valley II have a hidden "SECRET COMMAND" screen that is only accessible if the Game Master II cartridge is also inserted alongside the game. Regardless of the cartridge slots chosen, the system will boot into Game Master II first. Select "GAME" on the main menu to start King's Valley II.

1. On the King's Valley II title screen, hold down either @ on a Japanese keyboard or [ on an international system. Either key should be to the immediate right of P on both keyboards.
2. While holding down either key, choose "GAME" on the title screen menu and press Space.

The "SECRET COMMAND" screen hints at two special passwords:

• FESTIVAL - Gives the player one-time invincibility, but if the player gets stuck and uses F5 to kill off their character, this invincibility is gone.
• TRYAGAIN - Allows the player to continue after losing all lives by hitting F5 on the Game Over screen.

(Source: Generation MSX)

Hidden Stage Messages

To do: There are more messages in the game's stages. Full maps of the MSX2 version's stages available here.

...But what does it mean? This game has text or audio that needs to be translated. If you are fluent with this language, please read our translation guidelines and then submit a translation! Notes: Translation help needed for some of the hidden stage messages (e.g. Stage 47).

While King's Valley II has the same amount of stages as the disk version of King's Valley (i.e. 60 stages total), it features a lot more hidden messages in some of its level designs compared to the previous game.

(Source: MSX Solutions (MSX2 Maps), MobyGames (Staff credits))

Stage #	Map (MSX2)	Message
13		Spells out 「コナミ」 a.k.a. Konami in katakana.
17		Spells out VALLEY in all-capital letters.
25		Features the classic two-wave Konami logo used from 1986 to 2003.
26		Spells out ELGIZA in all-capital letters.
34		The Japanese name of the series 「王家の谷」 is spelled out in kanji.
37		The game's release year, "1988", is shown across 4 screens.
43		Has the Japanese title 「占いセンセーション」 for another Konami MSX2 game called Uranai Sensation that would release later that year. Subliminal advertising, perhaps?
46		Read column-by-column from left to right, the stage spells out "AKADA I". This is in reference to Isao Akada, one of the game's programmers, who is credited as "I.AKADA" in the staff roll. The K is stylized like the K in the old Konami logo used from 1981 to 1986.
47		The bottom row of the stage appears to spell といちん in hiragana. Unsure what this means.
50		The stage features two kanji characters at the top and some letters at the bottom. The message in the stage needs to be read starting from the second column and going right.
		When rearranged, the bottom row letters read out "NAGAE" with a backwards N. This is referring to Katsuya Nagae, one of the game's programmers, who is credited as "K.NAGAE" in the staff roll. Additionally, the top row features the kanji characters 月 and 劵, which when combined together form the kanji character 勝, pronounced "Katsu". This can be used to spell Katsuya in Japanese.
60		Has the word FINALE spelled out but also mirrors (most of) the letters upside down.

Level Select

Game Master II	Game Master

Using the Game Master II cartridge with either version of the game, the player can start at a different level and with more lives. The original Game Master cartridge is also compatible with the MSX version, but it needs to be in the first slot in order to work, and is not compatible with the MSX2 version. Game Master II will work in either the first or second slot for both games.