Super fighting air hockey!
I’ve played some games that feel like hybrids. Heck, the “looter-shooter” genre is a mix of shooter and RPG so it’s not far off that combinations in genres can occur. Honestly, I don’t think I’ve ever played a game that felt both like a sports game and a fighting game before but here we are with Windjammers 2.
For those that don’t know, the first Windjammers was a Neo Geo game way back in 1994. Players play what feels like air hockey or in video game reference, Pong as they attempt to get a frisbie into the goal of the other player. Simple concept and it stays that way for Windjammers 2.
Platforms: Xbox, Switch, PlayStation, PC
MSRP: $19.99
Price I’d pay: $19.99
Players choose a character, each with their own unique stats and abilities, and take on other players either ASI controlled or human opponents via local or online play. Each arena has a different set of score boundaries and special terrain on the field. There’s even a casino stage where the Frisbee randomly is worth different points each turn. The player to score 15 points first wins the round in a best out of three set.
When I say this feels like a fighting game, each character has different special moves that utilize a meter that fills up during the match. On top of that, the mind games of trying to trick the opponent are in full effect here. Do I bounce the frisbee off the wall or go for a lob throw? Hold on to my super move for the next throw or use it this throw to get ahead in the points? While the move set is simple, the decisions and options available are vast, and when throwing bombs back and forth, split second decisions can make or break a set. Then, players must worry about defending. Do I dive for the disc and hope I guess the angle and direction correctly? Do I jump to counter a lob and spike the disc for a quick 2 points, or maybe slap the disc back quickly to throw the opponent off?
The game features a campaign mode with varying difficulties. While not very complex, it can give players an opportunity to figure out the game. There’s good cause for that, because I found the menu/picture tutorial really lacked depth and could have used some examples or even playable tutorials so I could grasp exactly what I was doing. I’d be lying if I said that the first few hours of the game didn’t have me a little confused and getting my butt handed to me both against the AI and online. Even a training mode would have helped out some.
Once I got the hang of the controls and the actual aspects of the game, I was having a blast with it online against other players. Online offers quick play and ranked play for anyone that wants to see how they stack up in the world of Windjammers. The netcode was superb and I have experienced any lag at all while playing.
Windjammers 2 is a really great game. There’s a nice community of players still going strong online and this game could be a great controller passing time for local play. Sure, the tutorial is a bit rough, but just playing and experimenting with the game allowed me to get better and have a fun time with it. Anyone who is into arcadey sports titles and to a lesser extent, fighting games should give this one a try.
Review copy of game provided by publisher.
