Classic Games Database
ClassicGames DB

New Horizons

Review
Also known as
Daikōkai Jidai II Uncharted Waters 2: New Horizons Uncharted Waters II Uncharted Waters: New Horizons 大航海時代Ⅱ

Choose from six adventurers to explore, trade, and seek fortune in this nautical role-playing simulation.

Uncharted Waters: New Horizons (Daikōkai Jidai II) was originally released in Japan for the Super Famicom in 1993, but the SNES version was released in North America in 1994. The legacy year 1993 likely refers to the Japanese Super Famicom release, which is the same platform as SNES. However, the earliest worldwide commercial release on the SNES platform is 1994 (North American release). The original game was first released on the PC-9801 in 1993, so original_release_year is 1993.

About New Horizons

Uncharted Waters: New Horizons is a sailing simulation set in the early 16th century, a period defined by global exploration and maritime trade. The core experience involves managing a ship and crew across a top-down world map, where navigation is influenced by wind, ocean currents, and vessel condition. Players must generate income to sustain their voyage, primarily through trade, completing guild contracts, engaging in naval battles, or gambling.

Six distinct characters provide the narrative framework, each beginning with unique personal circumstances that define their initial goals. These include a Portuguese noble's son sent to prove himself, a Spanish officer turned pirate seeking vengeance, a debt-ridden Italian spy, a Dutch geographer funding his travels through mapmaking, an Ottoman orphan building a trading enterprise, and a British admiral commissioned as a privateer. Their individual stories can intersect as they pursue objectives ranging from personal wealth and discovery to military conquest and scholarly charting of the globe.

Ports serve as hubs for resupply and commerce, featuring various buildings like shipyards, taverns, and markets. Naval combat shifts the perspective to a turn-based tactical mode, where positioning for cannon broadsides or boarding actions is key. A direct confrontation between opposing flagships can trigger a separate, side-view duel sequence where captains exchange specific combat maneuvers.

New Horizons Screenshots

12 images
Title screen.
Choose from six characters, each with his own storyline.
Joao Franco, for example.
Start of Joao Franco's story. Looks like your typical JRPG at first.
Character info.
Your stats and rankings.
Towns have different graphics depending on their location. Catalina has traveled far from Europe in this shot.
Looking at the local trading goods
The useful telescope, one of the various items in the game
One of the discoveries I made during my travels - the Khufu Pyramid
The tales of the wonders I witnessed impress the tavern waitresses around the world
Inside a building after traveling even farther east