The original Windjammers hit arcades in 1994. It was a respected game but didn’t blow anyone out of the water. That is until the past decade wherein streamers using emulators started getting into it. This then led to the original getting ported to consoles starting in 2017.
It took 23 years but it was worth the wait which proves it is never too late to play an old game. The support for Windjammers led to a sequel getting green-lit and announced in 2018. For such a simple sports game, it’s hard to imagine why it has taken so long for the sequel to launch. Well, Windjammers 2 is here now. While nothing in it is majorly new, it’s still a blast. Let’s find out why.
7 Best: Tight, Simplistic Gameplay
Not a lot has changed from the first game to this long-awaited sequel. That’s okay because as the adage says, “keep it simple stupid” or “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” There was nothing wrong with the arcade formula from 1994.
So, there’s no reason for the developers to radically switch things up in Windjammers 2. The back and forth disc tossing can be invigorating especially when powers come into the mix. Anyone can jump in and play Windjammers 2, from young gamers to older ones, making it very accessible.
6 Worst: Not Many Modes
The simple, unchanged gameplay is one thing, however, fans might have at least liked to see more added into Windjammers 2. There’s not much in terms of new modes. Players can jump into the arcade, which is short.
Players can also play a versus match against the AI, a friend on the couch, or a friend online. All of these modes work well enough, but it leaves the package feeling light. It may make people wonder, “It took four years to make this?”
5 Best: Versus Gameplay
The reason to buy Windjammers 2 is for playing against friends. AI matches are good warmup practice though. Don’t discount the idea of playing every character in the game to “git good.” Versus mode offline, or online should not be discredited.
Yes, more modes would have been nice, however, there is nothing like the thrill of winning by a hair. A good volley can be fun too. As mentioned earlier, anyone can pick this up. The Switch is seemingly the best platform to buy Windjammers 2 on. This will allow gamers to pop this open for a match whenever they feel like it. The latter scenario may be weird, but it can be done.
4 Worst: No Co-Op
One of the more interesting options the developers could have added to the game was a co-op mode. That mechanic alone would have blown the doors off of its digital hinges. Going from 1v1 fights to 2v2 fights would have been great.
That may sound simple as it has been done before but let’s remember that this is only the second game in a series that dates back to 1994. That means there has been no true evolution in 28 years. Other sports-like games have evolved many times over. Look at the evolution of fighting games with tag-team mechanics in games like Marvel vs Capcom. Maybe co-op could be added in a patch down the line.
3 Best: The Art Style
Windjammers 2 looks pretty close to the original. It uses bright colors which are ripped straight from early '90s trends. Instead of pixilated sprites, the sequel opted for anime-like character models. The thick lines make them all stand out. That’s more of a manga technique than anime really but the point still stands.
Every character and stage looks unique. All ten initial characters have their strengths and weaknesses along with cool powers. S. Ho is one of the better characters as he is fast. His special can warp in and out of sight. It’s easy to fool opponents this way. The Casino stage is a novel level that makes points randomized. The real stars of the show are the background actors though. The animations are just out of this world.
2 Worst: Arcade Mode
The arcade mode is severely lacking in modern gameplay features. Many sports games now have stories. Windjammers 2 doesn’t have to have anything as elaborate as Mortal Kombat, for example, but it could have thrown in a few comic panels. Why are these disc warriors competing?
Heck, an anime-like intro video would have sufficed. Again, the package is bare bones. There aren’t a lot of reasons, if any, to play arcade mode over a standard versus mode with the AI. The one thing about arcade mode that should be praised is the map. It’s nicely detailed with fun, new versions of character models that are too adorable for words.
1 Best: The Difficulty Options
It may seem like a simple thing to highlight but there are a lot of ways to adjust the player experience in Windjammers 2. In arcade mode, there are three difficulties: Easy, Medium, and Hard. That is one thing that deserves praise in arcade mode. As mentioned previously, versus mode has an even wider array of options.
Players can change the timer, how many rounds there are, how many points are needed per round, and so on. The actual challenge can be increased from one to eight too. Oddly, the arcade mode is limited to three difficulties when there is more in versus mode. It’s just another example of why arcade mode is so odd.
Windjammers 2 was released on January 20, 2022 and is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.