Densha de Go! 2

"All aboard!"

If you are a veteran gamer, you probably ever played a weird japanese game before. It is not really hard, since basically half of Japan-only releases are so weird that casual gamers would hysterically laugh instead of playing. From dancing simulators to date simulators, I played a lot of these rarities for Game Boy Color along the last year, but the only game that really surprised me was Densha de Go! 2. Densha de Go! 2 is a Train Simulator, so either you love it or you hate it. However, this game is more friendly to western gamers than its console counterparts, due to the fact you do not have to understand spoken japanese in order to advance.

Gameplay: 10/10
The first installment of Densha de Go! series was also released for Game Boy Color (indeed, there is even a version for the old monochromatic Game Boy), and compared to the this early version, the gameplay in Densha de Go! 2 was greatly improved. In the first game, you basically had to accelerate, roll all over the way and brake just when the stop station was near. Now, you have to respect variables speed limits, what is really addictive to a train simulator, and pretty much closer to the reality. You will usually have to reduce your speed in a couple of seconds, and this is really challenging. The speed limit was a necessary addition - if you go over a given speed limit, you will lose precious additional seconds, and you will probably end up failing. The gameplay will really require some skills, as far as you gradually improve your knowledge about the trains. Also, the control is somewhat faster than in the previous game, and the large variety of trains is what keeps the balance of the game. The design of the menus is also very intuitive, and nice looking.

Sound: 3/10
The music is the usual kind of music you would wait for - boring and unexpressive. Actually, you do not need to hear any music when you are piloting a train, so Taito cleverly decided to take off the music during the game. You will only hear the tunes when navigating through the menus, or in a special occasion. The sound effects are essential to the game. Though there is just one spoken sequence (in the title screen), you will hear different sound effects according to the current speed of your train. So, you can guess if you are too slow or two fast with your eyes closed. Also, every time you are permitted to increase the speed of your train, a sound effect will warn you, which is really important to note.

Graphics: 8/10
This is a 64-MBit monster size cart, so there is enough room here for tons of high resolutions pics and full motion videos. Taito knew that, and delivered. Even if finish this game once, you will always come back for more, trying to break your records, just to unlock new pictures or new movies, which are always superb. Inside your train, you will have a first person view, which is very good, considering the limitations of Game Boy Color. However, the animation is choppy, and the backgrounds are not as colorful as expected. At least you still have jawbreaking videos and high resolution pictures to look at...

Originality: 8/10
Just about the same of the previous installment, but still a very addictive game. Indeed, Densha de Go! 2 just looks like a bigger and better version of the first game.

Fun Factor: 9/10
If you hate trains, this game would probably change your mind. This game has a big challenge, is very addictive, and tells you everything you need to know about the trains, if you can read japanese. Even if you can not read japanese, this is still a very worth game. It takes some time to learn everything about the trains, and even when you find out, you will figure out that it is still a hard game to master.

Replay Value: 10/10
The controls are intuitive, and the movies/pictures are outstanding. Also, you can always try to break the records, which is not really a painful job when you are used to the controls. However, you will take some time to learn how to play. Densha de Go! 2 is the kind of game that you will play day after day, just to see if you are driving better.

Overall: 8/10
Taito developed a great game. This game is addictive, fun and hard to master. Besides, there are tons of extra stuff to unlock, which are really worth your job. If you want to see how powerful your Game Boy Color is, then do not hesitate to play this game. It is also the one and only 64-MBit cart ever developed for Game Boy Color, so it is someway a collector's stuff. I honestly recommend this game if you are tired of punching, kicking, shooting, jumping...

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 08/30/02, Updated 08/30/02