One of the best arcade games in history and also one of the most addictive, by far, is that unforgettable Windjammers from Data East. The level of pique it provides with colleagues is still anthological , hence the simple idea of a sequel with extras, but without changing its formula, attracts us completely.
Since DotEmu made the development of Windjammers 2 official, it has rained a lot, losing on the way its intention to leave in 2019 … and also in 2020. But this 2021 is when (if nothing goes wrong again) it will finally come out, on Nintendo Switch, Steam, and Google Stadia. And this time I have not overlooked his new demo, on the occasion of the Steam Game Festival , to see if he can hold up.
If something works perfect, why touch it?
What reassures me the most after having played multiple games against other people online or against the machine in local mode, is that DotEmu has respected the foundations of the Data East classic to the maximum . Anyone who has sucked the 1994 original in arcade games or Neo Geo will feel right at home, despite the news.
The movement is still the same, the types of shots the same … but now we have several extras to give more dynamism to the games, which translates into new tactics to beat the opponent … or that he humiliates us, go .
There are two new techniques that attract the most attention. On the one hand we have the smack , pressing the X button (Xbox controller), to make a direct hit (either punch or kick, depending on the character) and return the frisbee faster and with more force; and on the other, we have jumping , inevitably associated with volleyball.
They are two movements that are not indispensable right off the bat and whose execution entails its risks, but which fit perfectly with the Windjammers philosophy . For example, for the smack you have to be at the exact point and facing the Frisbee, so we can be sold out before a rival shot if we are not well placed. Of course, the risk has its reward as it is a much faster and immediate shot than the standard, like the typical toe shot in futsal to give the goalkeeper much less time to react.
Windjammers 2 smells like a must-have for fans
The jump, on the other hand, opens a greater range of possibilities, since now by making a perfect stop and raising the frisbee for a charged attack, we will have the option of not waiting and jumping immediately to perform a mate that surprises the opponent . And this can be decisive in some specific stadiums.
The reason has to do with the new score for some of them, since they will not simply go from 3 to 5 points in the goal, but now those on the ground will no longer always be 2 points . In fact, in the “Ring” stadium I was surprised to see that falls to the ground count as 4 points, so the balloons or the shot from the air itself are techniques to take more into account.
This demo for Steam, in any case, shows a glimpse of what is to come, since it offers three scenarios (Beach, Ring and Stadium) of the ten that will be in total and three characters (Hiromi Mita, Klaus Wessel and Max Hurricane ) compared to the ten that will be in total, again, with quick games for online and local versus against another person or the machine. At least we know that the final version will have an Arcade mode for adults and already within online qualifying games, others inviting friends and a global scoreboard, missing the possibility of creating tournaments , which is what the adaptation of the first one did not have.
For the rest, it continues to be a delight at the playable level and with a marvelous aesthetic , both for the animations of the characters and all the details of each stage, with a bleacher that does not stop animating and with quite a lot of effects in the shots. cool. Which by the way, the number of specials has increased considerably and with some with such force capable of throwing us back.
It’s clear that this sequel has lost its surprise effect over the 1994 original, but it ‘s appreciated that it shows so much respect for one of Data East’s pinnacle works . We are looking forward to it to burst it to the fullest!
- Platforms : Nintendo Switch, Steam (analyzed version) and Stadia
- Multiplayer : yes, local and online (two players)
- Developer : DotEmu
- Company : DotEmu
- Released : 2021
- Price : to be confirmed
