Why Wai Wai?

It’s onerous to not look again at Konami’s Famicom days and never get just a little misty-eyed about the way it was a enjoyable firm earlier than the soul was bought out from underneath it by the company powers. It’s even tougher when you take a look at Wai Wai World 2. Enjoying the sport is like discovering a horse assassin’s photograph album and discovering it’s full of colourful footage of ponies. It’s all wide-eyed and cute till you notice, “These have been their first victims.”

The unique Wai Wai World was a blast, simply not a really large blast. It did its job bringing collectively a bunch of superior Konami characters however did so right into a clunky sport stuffed with annoyances. In the event you can consider it Wai Wai World 2 does the identical factor, however with just one actual annoyance: Upa. However then, infants smash completely every little thing.

I don’t care who you bokutte

Wai Wai World 2 is a totally completely different beast from the primary sport. Whereas the unique was some form of exploration-based platformer, the sequel shifts genres fairly a bit. The largest slice of it’s an motion platformer. You select a set of three heroes from predefined combos. There’s Simon Belmont from Castlevania, Fuuma from Getsu Fuuma Den, Invoice Rizer from Contra, Goemon from Ganbare Goemon, and Upa from Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa. Your first thought might be some mixture of everybody however Upa, nonetheless, there’s just one setup the place Upa isn’t there. Sadly, this combo additionally omits Simon, so is it even value it?

Every character has expertise based mostly on how they performed of their respective video games. Simon has a whip, Invoice Rizer shoots issues, and Upa makes use of a rattle to show his enemies into clouds. They’ve all been unified by a cutesy chibi artwork fashion. Simon seems to be incredible in his big-eyed kind, however Upa as soon as once more simply seems to be like Upa. Upa sucks.

You’ll discover that characters like Mikey from The Goonies and King Kong from King Kong 2 are lacking, and that’s as a result of they have been licensed. This record of cameos could appear somewhat anemic compared, however in different modes of gameplay, you soar in as Twinbee and Vic Viper. Regardless of having fewer characters, Wai Wai World 2 is simply as a lot a celebration of how nice Konami was.

Youngster endangerment

Relatively than simply selecting what character you play as you all the time begin off as a generic-looking dude named Rickle (possibly). As a way to become one in all your set of characters, you first have to seize a power-up, which then begins biking via your chosen heroes. You then intuitively hit up and soar to rework into them. That is extra of a power-up than a personality change. A clock ticks down, and when it runs out, you flip again into Rickle. Taking injury decreases the time you have got left, however you may as well decide up well being to extend it. In the event you play fastidiously, it’s potential to remain in your favourite character’s kind throughout a degree.

A few of the characters have particular benefits on ranges impressed by their video games. Upa, that horrid toddler, can swim quicker and open his packing containers. Fuuma can smash skulls in Yomi. Any character can get via any stage (though I obtained caught with Goemon going via Yomi, and I used to be pressured to attend for him to show again into Rickle so I may proceed), so it’s usually only a bonus while you get to their respective degree. That’s in all probability for one of the best, as you can not change your character group at any level. You’re caught with who you selected in the beginning.

Huge-eyed Simon Belmont

Konami Wai Wai World 2 actually loves its supply materials. Whereas the unification of various genres signifies that sure ranges don’t really feel wherever near the video games they have been based mostly on, few sacrifices are actually made. There are sections based mostly on Twinbee and Gradius, and remarkably, they play strikingly just like Twinbee and Gradius. The stage based mostly on Bio Miracle Bokutte Upa may as nicely be ripped straight from the sport based mostly on how convincingly it replicates the expertise. Which isn’t nice.

Talking of which, I hope you have got some expertise in Twinbee and Gradius, in any other case, these levels are in all probability going to kick your butt. The side-scroller levels are all fairly easy, however these shooter levels are excellent reflections of the style. It may be fairly a derailment, particularly when you’re not accustomed to their mechanics. It’s like being invited to the 100m hurdles and out of the blue being pressured into the excessive soar. Or while you take a swig of water and it seems to be moonshine. It’s nothing you possibly can’t deal with, however some warning may need been good.

A serial killer’s photograph album

The clear, chibi artwork fashion is what actually sells Wai Wai World 2 to me. I didn’t notice how a lot I needed a cutified, big-eyed Simon Belmont, however now I would like a t-shirt. It’s a singular, uniformly foolish method to take a look at these basic video games. It’s even higher while you play it with a buddy, which is extra I can say for the unique Wai Wait World.

The soundtrack, nonetheless, I can’t say I’m a fan. It’s not dangerous, however it’s drawing from lots of video games the place the soundtracks are nice. They’re as soon as once more remixed in a method that matches with their new fashion, however the result’s that lots of their punch is gone. Look, the Stage 1 theme in Contra was excellent. You may’t enhance on that perfection. The primary Wai Wai World did a greater job of staying true to the unique video games, I’m undecided why that may’t be stated right here.

As soon as once more, Konami ignored us over right here within the West when it got here to Wai Wai World 2’s launch. To be truthful, lots of the characters obtainable can be a thriller over her, although we’d quickly see Goemon as Child Ying in Legend of the Mystical Ninja. Konami was additionally nonetheless releasing video games for the NES in North America via to 1993. We’d ultimately get Konami Wai Wai Racing Advance as Konami Krazy Racers additional down the road if you wish to be optimistic.

Fortunate for you, when you can’t learn Japanese, Konami Wai Wai World 2 remains to be somewhat easy to play. There are some temporary bits of dialogue between ranges, however you possibly can skip by them. In the event you’d somewhat, there’s a fan translation obtainable so you possibly can learn what’s occurring. Too dangerous there isn’t a patch that removes Upa.

Try earlier Famicom Fridays proper right here.

Zoey Handley

Zoey is a gadabout gaming hobbyist. She’s been enjoying video video games all her life and is a lover of each new and retro video games. She enjoys digging within the filth and choosing out the video games which are completely wonderful when you clear them up a bit.