They had nine months to build it — and gave the music three.
Tomb Raider II was made fast: six to nine months, start to finish. The team was exhausted. Two of the original creators left over creative battles with the publisher. Everyone else stayed and pushed through the crunch. But Nathan McCree, the composer, got something different — time. Three months to write the score, triple what he had for the first game. He used it to think about Lara herself: her wit, her elegance, the way confidence sounds when it moves through ancient ruins. When deadlines crush everything else, what you protect shows what you believe the work is really for. The music in Tomb Raider II doesn't just accompany Lara. It is her.
— inspired by Nathan McCree
About this game
Released in November 1997 for PlayStation and Windows, Tomb Raider II sent Lara Croft around the world in pursuit of the Dagger of Xian. Core Design completed the game in six to nine months — a punishing timeline that pushed the team to exhaustion — yet composer Nathan McCree was given three times the schedule he had for the first game. That extra time shows: the music became part of Lara's character itself.
Gallery
The Story Behind
Core Design completed Tomb Raider II in six to nine months, a schedule that physically and emotionally exhausted the studio. Original staff members Toby Gard and Paul Douglas left over creative differences with publisher Eidos Interactive, though composer Nathan McCree and many others remained. A planned Sega Saturn version was cancelled when Sony signed a console exclusivity deal with Eidos in September 1997. The game sold nearly seven million copies worldwide.
Tricks & Tales
Composer Nathan McCree was given three months to score Tomb Raider II — triple the four weeks he had for the first game. He spent that time thinking about Lara Croft's character: her wit, charm, elegance, and confidence. The music became inseparable from how players understood her. McCree's inspiration came from discussions with original designer Toby Gard about Lara's upbringing, personality, and attitude.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
The PS1 enforces three distinct regions: NTSC-J (Japan), NTSC-U/C (North America), and PAL (Europe, Australia). Software and consoles are matched by region, and the boot ROM actively rejects discs from other regions on all production models after the earliest SCPH-1000 units. NTSC-J and NTSC-U/C consoles share the same 60Hz signal standard but their software regions are still separate—a Japanese console will not boot a North American disc without modification. PAL titles run at 50Hz and require a PAL console; running them on an NTSC system through composite video outputs only black and white due to the colorburst timing mismatch, though RGB connections can display color correctly.
Maintenance Tips
The PS1's optical drive is the system's most vulnerable component after thirty years. Dust accumulation on the laser lens causes read errors before the laser itself fails; cleaning with a cotton swab lightly dampened with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol restores performance in many cases. The sled rails that carry the lens assembly need periodic lubrication—original factory grease hardens with age and increases friction, leading to tracking failures. White lithium grease on the rails (not WD-40) is the correct approach. Disc condition matters as much as the hardware: deep radial scratches near the data area cannot be read regardless of laser health, so always inspect the playing surface before diagnosing the console.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Tomb Raider II copies regularly.
Does Tomb Raider II on PlayStation need a battery to save?
No. Tomb Raider II saves to a PlayStation memory card, not to a battery inside the disc. As long as you have a working memory card with free space, your progress will be kept. The disc itself has no battery and needs none.
Will a Japanese copy of Tomb Raider II work on a US PlayStation?
Not directly — the PlayStation has region locking, so a Japanese NTSC-J disc will only play on a Japanese console. However, both the Japanese and North American releases are NTSC format and run at the same speed. If you have the right console or a region-free solution, the game itself plays identically.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Tomb Raider II
A short checklist for buying a used PlayStation disc wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Check the disc for scratches
Deep scratches on the playing surface cause freezes and read errors. Light surface marks are usually fine.
Ask for a clear photo of the disc's underside. A seller who tested it will confirm it loads and plays through.
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Make sure it fits your console
This is a Japanese PlayStation disc. The PS1 is region-locked, so a Japanese disc needs a Japanese console or a region-free setup.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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Saves use a memory card — no battery to worry about
PlayStation games save to a separate memory card, so there is no in-cartridge battery to fail.
Just make sure you have a memory card with free blocks for your saves.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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Rooms this game lives in
Wander deeper — explore the themed rooms where Tomb Raider II sits alongside its kin.
Memories from around the world
This is a young museum, and this page is still waiting for its first voices. The memories people send reach Taisei personally, and the ones that move him find a home here over time — always with the writer's blessing. Yours could be the very first for this game.
Share your memory ↑From the Museum's Screening Room
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