<s>
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Advance	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
developed	O
by	O
Nextech	O
and	O
Grasshopper	O
Manufacture	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
sequel	B-Language
to	O
Shining	B-Application
Soul	I-Application
and	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
Shining	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
is	O
a	O
dungeon	O
crawling	O
hack	O
and	O
slash	O
,	O
playing	O
similarly	O
to	O
Diablo	B-Application
or	O
Baldur	B-Application
's	I-Application
Gate	I-Application
:	I-Application
Dark	I-Application
Alliance	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
supports	O
multiplayer	O
via	O
link	B-Device
cable	I-Device
as	O
well	O
as	O
single	O
player	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
multiplayer	O
is	O
very	O
similar	O
to	O
that	O
of	O
Diablo	B-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shining	B-Application
Soul	I-Application
II	I-Application
has	O
little	O
connection	O
to	O
the	O
storyline	O
of	O
the	O
rest	O
of	O
the	O
series	O
aside	O
from	O
a	O
reference	O
to	O
the	O
events	O
of	O
Shining	B-Application
Soul	I-Application
in	O
the	O
introduction	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
an	O
alternate	O
universe	O
version	O
of	O
Boken	O
from	O
Shining	B-Architecture
Force	I-Architecture
appears	O
as	O
a	O
major	O
NPC	O
,	O
traditional	O
Shining	O
mascot	O
Yogurt	O
is	O
hidden	O
in	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
stages	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
number	O
of	O
dungeons	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Shining	B-Application
Soul	I-Application
appear	O
as	O
short	O
hidden	O
dungeons	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Centuries	O
after	O
the	O
defeat	O
of	O
Dark	O
Dragon	O
in	O
Shining	B-Application
Soul	I-Application
,	O
light	O
had	O
become	O
too	O
strong	O
,	O
opening	O
the	O
way	O
to	O
a	O
resurgence	O
of	O
darkness	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Shining	B-Application
Soul	I-Application
II	I-Application
received	O
"	O
average	O
"	O
reviews	O
according	O
to	O
the	O
review	B-Application
aggregation	I-Application
website	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
earliest	O
reviews	O
came	O
from	O
Electronic	O
Gaming	O
Monthly	O
(	O
nearly	O
four	O
months	O
prior	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
release	O
)	O
,	O
Game	O
Informer	O
(	O
nearly	O
three	O
months	O
prior	O
)	O
,	O
and	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
(	O
nearly	O
two	O
months	O
prior	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
