Goemon's Great Adventure

"Nothing like the last game. Is that a good or a bad thing?"

The first Mystical Ninja game for the N64 was great, if a little underrated. It was a strange blend of platform and RPG/adventure elements. This game is it's sequel, but it is very different from the previous game. While Mystical Ninja: Starring Goemon was in 3D for the entire game, this game has 3D character models in a 2D word. Part 2 is also a lot more of a platform game than an adventure game. While this sounds interesting, it gets quite repetitive very quickly.

All of the main heroes from the previous outing return for the sequel, which is nice. The plot of this game is pretty basic and simple, which really isn't a bad thing, it just doesn't seem as involving as the last game. There are few plot twists, and you mostly just travel along 2D paths and walking around towns. Even if this does get repetitive, it offers a nostalgic value for fans of classic side-strolling platformers of yesterday.

Music is very Japanese-sounding, much like the last game in the series. The music in the towns is excellent, very relaxing. I was indeed quite fond of the music of this game, but it's hardly something that I'd want to listen to for hours. Sound effects and audio are very good, but they do get quite annoying after a little while. Seeing as how you attack your enemies with the same type of weapon all the time, you're going to be hearing the same kind of sound effects all the time. This is a recurring problem that was in the last game.

As I already said, if you're a fan of the traditional 2D platformer, you'll most likely enjoy Goemon 2. You have the chance to play as four characters and you just run through the many areas of the game and whack pretty much everything that comes in your path. Each of the four characters actually plays very different than the other. They each have special abilities, such as swimming underwater, so they will be forced on you sometimes. One of the most interesting elements of this game is the fact that two people can play together. This is nice feature that let's two people play as different characters and play through the same level together, assisting each other. Spiky-haired ninjas and fat men coming together for a fun time. Beautiful.

Like the last game, Goemon 2 lets you control a gigantic robot called Impact. You attack the enemy from a first-person view point and fire weapons at them when they are far away, and punch and kick them when they're close. These sequences are enjoyable and a little funny. You can also pull off various different special moves by hitting button combinations, which you can see by accessing the menu. Sadly, they have removed the part that I loved in the first game, smashing buildings before entering a robotic battle. Darn.

Progressing from one area of the map to another is simple enough, you must collect entry passes to be let through gates. These entry passes can be obtained by completing levels and accomplishing tasks from the people in the villages. This is a little frustrating in the beginning, but it almost becomes unbearable by the end of the game. You'd think that the guards at those gates would just let you pass without worry, after all, Goemon and his friends have saved Japan before. It's the least they could do to repay them...

Unlike the cakewalk that the first game was, Goemon 2 is actually quite difficult. You've only got three hearts, so three strikes and you're out. You can buy armour in the shops that gives you a few extra hearts, but once they're used up you can't get them back. If you're familiar with this type of game, you should be able to finish it without too much bother. But it's definitely not an easy game. It's hardly the type of game that you'll breeze through with no bother.

Good Points:
+ Goemon is back! Yay!
+ Great nostalgic value.
+ Some nice music.
+ A good challenge.

Bad Points:
+ Extremely frustrating.
+ Maybe a little too hard for some people.
+ Pretty annoying.

Goemon 2 is a decent game, but doesn't come close to the previous game, sadly. If you're a fan of 2D platform games then you'll probably like this.

Reviewer's Score: 6/10, Originally Posted: 04/29/04