Windjammers 2 Review (Xbox One)

STAFF REVIEW of Windjammers 2 (Xbox One)

Wednesday, February 2, 2022.
by Adam Dileva

I never was lucky enough to play much Neo Geo when I was younger, so I missed out on some classics. One of those classics was Windjammers, a tennis-like sports game played with a Frisbee and special moves that was apparently quite decent, especially for its time. Originally released in 1994, it’s been a long almost three decade wait, but its sequel, Windjammers 2, is finally here for all those original fans.

While it may have “2” in its title and has a few special new features, after watching footage of the original, there’s quite a lot of content here that is simply an updated version of its predecessor. That’s not to say that it’s not worth playing, as the new hand drawn graphics totally suit the gameplay and the inclusion of online matches is a very welcome modern addition that was needed. Windjammers 2 respects the original gameplay without changing it too drastically so that original fans would be turned off, yet adds just enough new content and mechanics to warrant bringing it back.

The rules of Windjammers’ sport is simple. A mix of tennis, volleyball and pong, two players are placed on a walled court, much like tennis, but with a goal line behind them. The middle has a net, just like tennis, and the player who scores 15 points first wins the set, and the best of 3 sets wins the match. Interestingly, the goal line is usually divided into three sections, each one denoting a point value.

For example, the very middle of most arenas is usually smaller but worth 5 points and the outer sections of the goal line will give 3 points if you throw the disc past the goal line. There’s a time limit, so if no player reaches the 15 point limit within, the player with the highest points wins the set, or goes to sudden death if tied. Think tennis, but much more entertaining. I wish this was a real sport. There are even a few unique areas where the goal sections are different lengths and placement, and even one where the point value is based on the Frisbee in play that is randomized after each scoring chance.

Simply throwing the disc into the net wouldn’t be cool enough, so there are other ways to do so and score. The disc itself can ricochet off the arena walls, so you can bounce it like you would in Air Hockey or Pong, hoping to land in the goal area. You will also score if your opponent doesn’t catch the disc or you spike it onto the ground on their half of the court. Once you get the hang of Windjammers 2’s speed and mechanics, it becomes quite fun and entertaining when you can start to take on harder difficulties or others online.

While there’s no real career progression, you’ll play a handful of matches across a map against opponents where you’ll get a quick cutscene at the end to denote said player’s ending. If you were a fan of the original, original characters return such as Gary Scott, Jordi Costa, Loris Biaggi, Hiromi Mita and Klaus Wessel. This is a sequel though, so you can expect a handful of new and unique characters as well, such as Max Hurricane, Sammy Ho and a few others.

Each character has different stats, special moves and suit different playstyles. Some are weaker but quicker, others are faster but have less useful special moves. Fill your special meter and you’ll be able to use an EX Move, not a completely unblockable move, but one that will be very difficult to defend against. Each player’s EX Move is unique in power and pattern, as some will shoot diagonally or even in odd varying patterns, so you’ll want to know each opponent’s pattern if you want to play at a high level against others online. Interestingly, some characters are stronger, so a hard hitting move might actually push you into your own net while even catching the disc and score them a point, but these characters are usually much slower as a tradeoff.

You have a regular throw, a slapshot and a dropshot (like a lob). You can jump and smash, but every move has a counter move provided you can telegraph where the disc is going and react quickly enough to do so. Sadly the training mode was just a slideshow of how to perform different moves, bit of a letdown, as the original at least had it animated with how to perform each move with the stick and buttons while the moves get shown. It would have made a world of difference to practice the moves before moving on, so my first handful of matches had me struggling until I figured it out.

There’s not much in terms of modes, as you have arcade, versus and online, though with a sports title it’s to be expected. There are a few minigames thrown in here and there that are fun and quick to break up the monotony, also returning from the original title. Online multiplayer was a pleasant surprise, as small titles like this don’t usually get the treatment. With cross-play enabled, I had no problem finding online players to play against, and there’s even an online ranking system in place for those that want to prove themselves as the baddest Windjammer in the world. The handful of matches I partook in played decently and without too much lag and matches were found quite quickly.

Developers Dotemu, best known for Streets of Rage 4 and the upcoming TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, has a distinct hand drawn aesthetic style in many of their games, and Windjammers 2 is no different. Gone are the original pixelated graphics and in are the slick comic book style hand drawn art and animations, to the point where I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same artists from Street of Rage 4. The soundtrack is totally suited for that 90’s ‘radical’ vibe yet retains that retro style of tunes.

I honestly expected Windjammers 2 to be quite a simple and bland experience, but there’s some depth to its gameplay for only using a couple of buttons. If you missed out on the original Windjammers, don’t sleep on this sequel. It may seem like an odd mashup of sports, but it works and becomes quite addicting once you become a badass Windjammer.

**Windjammers 2 was provided by the publisher and reviewed on an Xbox Series X**

Overall: 8.0 / 10
Gameplay: 8.5 / 10
Visuals: 8.0 / 10
Sound: 7.5 / 10

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STAFF REVIEW of Windjammers 2 (Xbox One)

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