Super Adventure Island II

"How can so many different island climates be so close together?"

Super Adventure Island 2 is the Super Nintendo sequel to the quirky plat-former Super Adventure Island . However, unlike it's predecessor, it features quite a number of changes, such as a world-explorations element as well as many new items to equip. Here's what I thought of Super Adventure Island 2:

Story: 5/10

This time, Master Higgins and his wife Tina are going on their honeymoon. Of course, they can't just be given their privacy, and a huge storm separates the two. Higgins awakens on an island with amnesia, and discovers that the local king is about to be married to a beautiful girl who had amnesia as well. However, once she is kidnapped, it is up to Higgins to rescue her.

Frankly, the story isn't too good. I'm sure you can already guess how this game will end, right? Of course, along the way, Higgins will slowly regain his memory (because defeating predetermined bosses will bring anyone's memory back). But even beyond the over-used amnesia theme is the fact that the main enemies are still not given any back-story as to why they do what they do. Plus, why would the king want this unknown outsider to rescue his bride-to-be? Or why would he marry a random woman who just washed ashore?

Game play: 7/10

The game play this time around is very complex compared to the original Super Adventure Island. You will still be playing a platforming game, however this time you will have to explore an over world as well. You do this by traveling to various islands on a world map. Along the way, you will randomly get into fights in which you have to simply move forward to win. Once you discover an island, you can explore it at your leisure, discovering new equipment to use and eventually finding and defeating the island's boss. Once you do this, you will be given a key (in this case an elemental stone) to proceed to the next island. Along the way you will also gain magic spells and RPG-esque increases to both your health and your magic.

The game play is still fairly simple, and I liked the new look of Higgins equipment. The extra items you find (such as the shovel) are a pain to use, as you must access the menu to change your equipment every time. The game also includes a monetary system which you can use to learn extra sword moves that you will only use to get past certain obstacles and never to attack (another bummer). The platforming is fairly solid, but not as exciting or varied as the original (there are no swimming or mine-cart levels). They also made players back-track quite a bit through previously played levels as well.

Graphics: 8/10

The graphics in Super Adventure Island 2 maintain their bright and colorful designs. This time around, you will travel to several different islands featuring some cliche backgrounds, such as the "all-fire" island and the well-known "all-ice" island (and these islands can miraculously be located right next to each other). The sprites are a tad smaller, to make up for the much larger backgrounds, but still look great. I especially enjoyed the fact that Higgin's armor changed whenever you equipped him with something new, as well as his weapons, as each sword had a different color.

Music and sound effects: 7/10

The music still shows traces of it's island roots, particularly on the world map, but the jazzy music I loved in the original has been toned down quite a bit. It is now more of a forgettable string track, accompanied by some faster-paced boss battle tones. The sound effects are all what you would expect, overall the entire audio aspect of the game is fairly average, and while it does its job it won't be making any lasting impressions on you.

Re-playability: 7/10

I have to admit, this game took me completely by surprise. It includes a lot of new aspects into the game, which were mentioned earlier, and as a result makes the game last a lot longer. I also enjoyed the new equipment and RPG-esque elements. However, while the game lasts longer, it is also very confusing to know where you need to go sometimes. I should also mention that there are a few mini-games that you can play, as one island has a casino, and you can win some pretty good equipment, but there is still only one way to play through this game.

Overall: 7/10

Overall, Super Adventure Island 2 is a drastic change in the series featuring extended game play with some minor frustration. Of course, nowadays there are much better action games to try out, but if you're interested in something older, and have already played all of yesteryear's classics, go ahead and give Super Adventure Island 2 a try. Have fun and keep playing.

Reviewer's Score: 7/10, Originally Posted: 02/23/09

Game Release: Super Adventure Island II (US, 01/02/95)