Oddworld Adventures 2

"Abe Makes his Debut on the Game Boy Color"

The Oddworld series makes its debut on the Game Boy Color, with Oddworld Adventures 2. This game is a sequel to Oddworld Adventures, which was released a long time ago on the Game Boy. The Oddworld Adventures on Game Boy was disappointing, but Oddworld Adventures 2 is definitely a good game with solid game play and hours of fun.

The game does not look like it features a lot from the back of the box, but when you play it you will see that it does. The game features Abe, the hero familiar to the Oddworld series. It is a unique puzzle adventure game, one of the few on the Game Boy Color. It has 24 levels, with a password save option to save your progress. The game is also compatible with the Game Boy and Game Boy Color.

Story (8/10)

Abe, hero of the Mundokon race, again needs to save his race from the evil Glukkon race. Glukkons are creating trouble, this time digging up bones in Necrum. Necrum is the area where the Mundokon’s are buried. The reason they are digging up bones is because they are used in their beverage. The beverage is called Soulstorm, and is delicious and refreshing. Abe decides to put an end to this madness, so he travels to Necrum to complete his quest.

The story in this game yet again is just excellent. The protagonist and antagonist are not new to the series, but the conflict is. The story was obviously well thought out, and is weird but cool.

Graphics (3/10)

The graphics are the low point of the game. Oddworld’s graphics are nowhere near as elaborate as on the PlayStation. It is hard to get graphics on an 8-bit Game Boy Color really good, but some more thought could have been put into making the game visually appealing.

There are a few good things about the graphics. One thing good about the graphics are the backgrounds. The backgrounds have a lot of detail in them, and the colors are really nice. The background paints a cool picture of Necrum. The background always reflects the mood of the level. Another good thing about the graphics is how the characters appear on the screen. The characters are easy to identify and see on the screen.

The graphics are mainly bad because they can mess up the game play sometimes. Sometimes, it looks like you are completely stuck and surrounded by walls. Finally, you will out that that you can pass through what seems like a wall and you will exit the area. There is no indication as what is passable or not passable. Abe, the main character and hero, is quite plain. You are given a side view of Abe and his surroundings, and Abe looks like a green insect on the screen. At least the hero should look good! There are some bugs, unfortunately, that mess up the graphics at times. The developers should have caught this, but they are small.

Game Play (8/10)

Oddworld Adventures 2 is a cool game because of its variation of game play. It is a mix of an action and puzzle game. Mainly it is a trial and error puzzle game, because you are going to have to pick what you are going have to do and see if it works or if you will die. The game makes it easier though by making infinite lives for Abe. The game is challenging though, and it is fun trying to figure out where to go.

Abe has a lot of capabilities like any character in an action game, run, creep, jump, climb, talk, and even fart. You need all of these to get through the areas you encounter. You need to rescue creatures and find tokens that will need to be destroyed so that you can open up the exits in each level. When you rescue someone, that is where your talking capability comes in handy. You can tell them what to do with your small vocabulary. “Hello” will get the attention of the creature. Tell the creature “Follow me” and he will follow you like an eager puppy. “Wait” will make him stay where he is, and telling him to “Work” will make him go to work for you. They are always obedient to you, and it is essential that you take them along to rescue them and they help you with some necessary tasks.

Abe can also chant and possess enemies. If there’s an enemy in your territory, you put him to work too for you. The enemies can help you accomplish difficult tasks in areas that Abe can not originally get into. Enemies will help you trigger switches, destroy enemies, and sneak past creatures. The people you possess too are your only defense against the many enemies that roam the area. Abe can also drink the Soulstorm brew that gives him new abilities. He can fart, and it is navigational and fatal to enemies. Abe’s farting makes the game funny at times, and it is cool that you can control your farts.

There are some bugs in the game play though, that should have been taken out of the game. The main bug is near the end of the game, and is sometimes really annoying. It deals with a possessing creature that gets stuck in the ceiling when you try to rescue him. You do have infinite lives so you can start over, but this bug should have been fixed and is kind of big. There are also some small bugs that are not too significant.

Controls (4/10)

The control system is complex in this game. Abe has a lot of moves and functions, but there is only five buttons on the Game Boy Color. The controls are responsive most of the time, but there is trouble with them sometimes.

One example of trouble with the controls is the select button. The select button in this game has two functions. If the select button is tapped lightly, Abe will sneak around. If the select button is held down, then the Abe will chant and posses the creature. The problem is that in some rooms, there are anti-possession orbs that alert the monsters in a room if Abe tries to chant in them. The monsters are usually sleeping, and you need to tap the select button to sneak past the monsters to not disturb them. But sometimes, even when you tap the select button, you will chant and kill yourself. That gets annoying, especially when you are at the end of a difficult level.

Sound (10/10)

The game’s developers did a more than fantastic job in creating the sound. The background music fits the mood of the level. The sound effects are well done and are clear and sharp. The best part of the sound is the digital sound that Abe has. The voices are easily understood most of the time, and this is the only game I have ever played on the Game Boy Color where the sound takes a part in the game play. There is a minor problem at times where the sound goes lower for no apparent reason, but Oddworld Adventures 2 has pushed the Game Boy Color to its limit and it is cool that the sound on a handheld system is entertaining.

Replay Value (7/10)

This game was smart enough to add replay value, an aspect of a game that will either keep you playing the game after you beat it or throw it in your closet after you are done. You will probably have to play the game again to rescue everybody. The game will not really be boring the second time you play it, because it is fun with all the things you can do.

You also might want to play the game on a different difficulty level. If you beat the game on easy mode first, then you should play the game on normal. The only difference between easy and normal is that in easy, some of the levels are cut out of the game in easy mode. The game will take you not that long to beat on the easy mode, but it will take you about a week to beat this game on normal. That is pretty good, and most people will just play the game again because it is fun. Even expert gamers will take two or three good days to beat it.

Rent or Buy?

First of all, fans of the Oddworld series will enjoy how this game has turned out. This would be a must buy for them. For people, it matters what you like in a video game to enjoy it. If you like good graphics in a game, then this is not for you. This is the kind of game where the game play is way better than the graphics. If you are the kind the like’s puzzles and are patient and willing to get through a tough situation, then you will like this game. If you get easily frustrated and have no patience, then this game would not be good for you. Renting this game is a must. If you want to buy this game, then it will be a good buy if you are patient and like action/puzzle games.

The Final Word

The developers did a masterful job of creating a handheld version of the PlayStation hit. The game is good considering what platform it is on. The sound is awesome for the Game Boy Color. There are mediocre graphics, and sometimes hard control schemes. Overall, though, this game is good and will please gamers.

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 10/14/01, Updated 10/14/01