Patching a classic is always asking for trouble. With tons of fans to satisfy, and details you wouldn’t dare deviate from, it’s hard to make meaningful additions.Patch a cult classic and you are real Asking for trouble, these details are sacrosanct to their loyal following, and any changes are subject to scrutiny – so I’m happy to report that Windjammers 2, Data East’s beloved Neo Geo action sports classic The follow-up, pull this trick is beautiful.
First, though, it’s worth briefly exploring what made the 1994 original so popular, as it’s a solid foundation for this wonderful follow-up. Just as the 3D graphics revolution pushed Neo Geo’s brand of muscular 2D action out of the spotlight, Windjammers has always felt like the apex of that particular art form. Bold pink and yellow graphics paired with the athlete’s wrap-around chrome accents give it the flavor of a mid-’90s cheese skewer lunch washed down with Capri-Sun, an aesthetic that provides the perfect front for battle and instant mixed goodness Sports competition.
As far as fictional video game sports go, I’ve always ranked Windjammer’s air hockey super-spin ahead of Speedball 2’s handball game – with the same liveliness and energy, only in Windjammers where violence is replaced by sweet laziness summer atmosphere. You’re smashing discus from player to player, trying to squeeze it past them into one of several areas that offer points, while relying on specials and turn shots and diving for spectacular saves. In other words, it’s a combination of Ping Pong and Street Fighter, and to Data East’s credit, Windjammers manages to be as fun as the combination promises.
No wonder it quickly became a cult classic, its popularity only being hampered by licensing issues that ensured the Windjammers port was never as ubiquitous as it should have been. I have an original MVS cart that is the centerpiece of my own unpretentious Neo Geo series, the game was the first port of call when I played with friends on my closet, and was responsible for many long and wonderful battles The night, despite the dedication shown in the competition scene with the burgeoning Windjammers in France.
Surprisingly, French outfit Dotemu has stepped up its revival, acquiring some of the same talent behind its polished Streets of Rage 4 — designer Jordi Asensio once again showcased a deft and delicate touch — as well as some of the original team , such as the original composer Seiichi Hamada was first of all completely faithful.Indeed, that’s more conservative than Tekken 4, in part because — the fundamentals are precisely Likewise, with the glossy new visuals, each character’s movements and discus arcs are exactly the same on the old Astro City as they did on the OLED Switch.
In this way it reminds me of David Sirlin’s Super Street Fighter 2 Turbo HD Remix, an attempt to expand on a time-honored classic – at first I wasn’t entirely convinced the original needed to be massively expanded in one way or another. Still, Put it down to being overly attached to the original, because my heart softened after half a dozen, and the additions — there were plenty of them — all started to work in harmony with the fundamentals of the original. There are new stages that introduce smoother scoring areas, some new characters that offer an interesting mix of old and returning cast members, and new moves like parries and spikes that expand the possibilities of each game.
After a night of playing Windjammers 2 online – the core of the product, served by a slight but stable feature set with rollback codes and ranked and casual play – these new moves complement the original very well. Also, this makes it a more sophisticated beast than its predecessor. With new specials and EX moves added to the set, one of the few downsides I could find in this sequel is that it lacks a decent tutorial to walk you through how it all fits together, however, once it’s all In place, it can be put together for sure, only this time with a slightly more complex kit on display. Whether you like it will be a matter of taste, although I personally appreciate how this particular sequel sits alongside the original and offers its own unique perspective.
Is it better than the 1994 original? I don’t think the folks behind Windjammers 2 are upset to hear that I’m not sure it’s going to be so frustrating, the original aesthetic and those pared-back bases still offer their own special offering. It’s worth noting, though, that this is a juxtaposed sequel to the original, offering a subtly different, delightful dynamic that promises to win a new group of fans for the series. It’s a cult favorite, a guaranteed revival of a modern classic in its own right.
