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But then specifically, what is Windjammers? It is initially a game released in 1994 and inspired by Pong. The players face each other on a two-dimensional field and have to collect points by throwing the frisbee into the opponent’s goals. Matches are divided into rounds of 15 points each and the first to win two sets wins the match. Characters whose stats vary slightly from one to another can throw the Frisbee in front of them left or right in a straight, curved, or bell-shaped trajectory. The walls of the field serve as walls to jump the frisbee and surprise the opposing player. Once this mechanic is understood, a wild exchange of Frisbee throws ensues between the two players, the timing of which is crucial to scoring: the stronger the reaction, the faster the throw and the chance of penetrating the opponent’s defences.. It is therefore necessary to constantly juggle between throws and quick movements. Results ? A nervy and addictive action game with sunny beaches serving as the perfect backdrop. A “couch” game also available on PS4 and Vita (2017) and since 2018 on Nintendo Switch: It’s the French studio Dotemu (Streets of Rage 4, Wonder Boy: The Dragon’s Trap), fan of the game and specialized in the revival of retro games, that takes care of the port.

Windjammers, first name.

What’s going on under the sun by Windjammers?

And with the release of this remaster, well received by the strong French Windjammers community, Dotemu has decided to start developing a sequel called Windjammers 2, which has been available since January 20th for PC, PS4, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch is available. A new opus that includes its share of new features! In addition to the three new characters and the additional stages to diversify the tactical approaches to the matches, it is arguably the new moves that bring additional strategic depth without complicating the game (to return the Frisbee directly), cushioning and a super power The developers achieve their goal: make Windjammers 2 a sports game with mechanics borrowed from fighting games like Street Fighter.

And with Windjammers 2, it’s not just the gameplay of the saga that improves. In fact, a world map accompanies the arcade mode, which serves as a single-player campaign: the player joins the games against his opponents and has no room for error. What’s more, the studio swaps out the first episode’s big pixels for a hand-drawn 2D rendering that exudes the ’90s. In terms of game modes, the introduction of online ranked matches is one of the real strengths of this second installment. Still, a few more opportunities to warm up the wrists and frisbees wouldn’t have been too much. ”’The tutorial, a sequence of images and instructions, is a bit sparse: we would have liked something more advanced. A slightly more wacky showdown mode with random elements during matches would also have been desirable.

“All Frisbees are catchable”

Despite this, Windjammers 2 is particularly attractive and you only have to play five minutes to realize it. It is also the time it takes to understand the buttons and principle and have fun.. Windjammers 2 features ten characters. They are all distinguished by their nationality, but also by theirs great : a special move that can be used offensively or defensively. The latter allows you to take advantage of a crazy trajectory, a splitting frisbee, etc. There’s something for everyone! Note that the champions are also characterized by their speed/strength balance: a very fast character moves faster on the ground but has a less powerful throw, while conversely he has a stronger one heavy (slower in this case) turns out to be less adept. Also keep in mind that the rollers (or chutes) cover more ground with heavier characters: an initiative likely done to ensure some semblance of balance between the athletes. A balance that is all the more important because “all frisbees are catchable” in Windjammers 1 secured a top player in Dotemu.

A crucial aspect that prevents the abuse of the same technique and allows the games to be transformed into a real spectacle when the two players synchronize: throw variation, great in all directions or false hits etc.In short, an exchange worthy of Roland Garros, one might say. Windjammers 2 perfectly captures the jitters of a sports match and integrates sophisticated fighting game mechanics, all in a format perfect for short sessions. (less than five minutes per game). It’s an arcade philosophy that’s easy to get addicted to: I have to do better, I can do better, and I’m out of stock. In short, Dotemu manages to offer players a title that’s very demanding at a high level, but whose handling is so simple that it won’t frighten newcomers like Street Fighter or other fighting games sometimes do.

Hope for eSports? Definitely

As mentioned several times in this review, Windjammers 2 is a child of the ’90s arcade, but we shouldn’t blame it (too much) for its lack of content compared to, say, Smash Bros or Mario Kart. Windjammers 2 is a pure game that leaves no room for luck or chance. In this sense, the similarities with Rocket League are the most numerous. ‘And if it often remains misused, the expression “easy to learn, hard to master” is fully applicable to Windjammers 2.

To improve yourself, there is nothing better than fashion In line of Windjammers 2, a great novelty and a feature that will undoubtedly be observed in the coming days. Players can participate in online matches that determine their ranking based on their wins and losses. Playing against other humans is the best way to quickly enrich your range of motion and sharpen your reflexes while adding a challenge to games. An added pressure that immerses the player even more on the pitch. Pointed out when the remaster was released on PS4, the mode on-line from Windjammers 2 is now more than convincing. In the post-game testing session, finding a game was easy and there were rarely any latency issues.

A game that runs smoothly

To be sure, just watch the documentation / making-of about the development of Windjammers 2. In love with the first work, the studio team decided on a second one, the first prototype of which will be available from 2018. Das wants to do it right and decides to do everything himself, including the titling engine. Another witness to this love, the Retro engineering made by the developers: To ensure players find the same gameplay as in the first opus, Dotemu got their hands on the original program and dissected every line of code to reimplement it in Windjammers 2.

On the technical side, the test session was carried out on PC and no malfunction hampered the gaming experience.It is worth remembering that Dotemu has revised the animations for this second opus and it is an excellent job: a delight for the retina. In addition, the studio also adapted the game to today’s display formats: developed in 4/3 back then, Windjammers goes to 16/9 with this second installment. Consequently, the length of the pitch is greater (not a defect), while the audience has been added to compensate for the gain in width : Without being the modification of the century, this novelty brings the matches to life and reinforces that sense of immersion of being “on the field”.

Conclusion

Points cont

• Almost immediate handling…
• The strategic depth that the new mechanics bring…
• Online mode, perfectly integrated
• Nervousness and tension worthy of the greatest sporting events
• More than faithful to the first episode
• Hand-painted 2D renderings that set the tone

weak points

• …but the tutorial is way too easy
• …which can discourage the less determined
• A training mode would not have been too much
• Not enough solo content
• Behind a soundtrack

With Windjammers 2, Dotemu delivers what it promises. The game excels at what it aims to do: namely, to offer an edgy and dynamic sports game, perfect for evenings out with friends. In this sense, Windjammers 2 is the logical continuation of the episode released in 1994: new characters, new mechanics and online ranked games, it comes out with all the advantages one would expect from such a title in 2022. In easy hands, the door doesn’t close for newcomers, while the added moves add an extra layer of strategy for high-level amateurs of the game. However, one has to acknowledge that the title Dotemu is very empty and will hardly captivate solo players in the long term.

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