Windjammers 2 review – frisbee throwback

metro.co.uk:

The makers of Streets Of Rage 4 once again demonstrate their talent for creating sequels to retro classics, with frisbee sim Windjammers 2.

Unless you were lucky enough to see it in arcades, or owned a Neo Geo console, ‘Windjammers’ probably conjures images of sailing ships more than it does head-to-head frisbee showdowns. Originally released in 1994, the frenetic sports title has maintained a small competitive following through to the present day – bolstered by a 2017 re-release on modern consoles, which added online play.

There’s a reason Windjammers has endured over the decades; the fundamentals are still a blast. It takes the basic design of Pong and energises it with the speed and complexity of a fighting game. Taking place inside a small, enclosed arena, you select a character with unique attributes and special moves and try to throw a frisbee (or ‘flying disc’ – frisbee is actually a trademarked name) into the opponent’s goal. The other obvious comparison is air hockey, as you ping the disc off walls and direct shots towards any openings in your opponent’s goal.

This sequel from developer Dotemu, who ported the original Windjammers and worked on Streets Of Rage 4, attempts a difficult balancing act between nostalgia and the necessity for something new. With the original still enjoyable and widely available, this sequel has to offer a distinct enough experience or substantially expand upon it to justify its existence. Windjammers 2 succeeds in some respects, but its rigid faithfulness to the franchise’s arcade heritage can hold it back.

The most obvious change for the sequel is the visuals. Although there’s still a strong, neon-hued 90s influence, the game now looks more like a modern anime mixed with the hand-drawn