Review: Windjammers 2

destructoid.com:

Making a sequel to Data East’s 1994 arcade game, Windjammers, is a tricky proposition. It isn’t really a sequel we need. Windjammers delivered pretty well on its thesis of how everything, even an antique video game like Pong, could be improved with a heaping dose of ‘90s ‘tude. But here we have Windjammers 2, and it has a lot to prove.

Namely, it has to prove that you can stuff more cream into an already perfect eclair and not have it explode. Windjammers was known for its easy to learn, difficult to master gameplay, and piling anything on top of that risks having it buckle.

Windjammers 2 (Switch [Reviewed], PC, Xbox One, PS4, Stadia)Developer: DotemuPublisher: DotemuReleased: January 20, 2020MSRP: $19.99

Windjammers is the sport of trying to find how far up an opponent’s goal zone you can jam a plastic disc. It’s simple, swing that saucer past the other guy and into the other side and gain points. Accumulate more points until they’re sufficiently humiliated or time runs out, and you win.

The obvious improvements are in the aesthetic. The graphics are redone in a more hand-drawn style while the music is higher quality while retaining the unique ‘90s vibe. The roster of Frisbee flingers has been expanded to 10 from the original’s 6. There are 10 arenas in all to choose from, double what was available in the original game. Thankfully, there’s now a Junkyard court, so you can complain about how it gives your opponent an unfair advantage because they’re trash.

Those are the most immediate changes, but the more impactful ones are under the hood. Notably, the game stretches the controls from a simple two-button arcade game to four. Five if you’re feeling sassy. Added to the throw and lob buttons is jump and deflect. Jump