Windjammers 2 Reviews
Windjammers 2 is super addictive, with its slick blend of frantic and strategic action ensuring no showdown ever feels boring. It looks the part too, with the stylish visuals and varied arenas making sure the game is packing plenty of punch when it comes to the looks department. It’s just a lot of fun to play, especially in multiplayer where the action can feel really frantic and non-stop. It was a little disappointing that the single player mode wasn’t a bit more fleshed out, and I really do think the game would’ve benefitted from a proper tutorial that goes through the ins-and-outs of the gameplay. But still, whilst these omissions are a shame, they don’t stop Windjammers 2 from being a fresh and enthralling take on the classic formula of the original.
Overall, Windjammers 2 is a massive success that fans of the franchise will surely enjoy and those new to the game will quickly understand why the fans of the original game love it. The lack of game modes with meaningfully different gameplay is unquestionably disappointing. Yet, the core gameplay is just so good and enjoyable that hours will pass in the blink of an eye.
Ultimately, Windjammers 2 is an ultra-refined version of the original disc-throwing experience, but without any kind of unlockables, progression, or non-competitive reason to return to the game, it may not provide enough for anyone who isn't already a hardcore series fan.
Windjammers 2 is an almost perfect revival of a classic 90s franchise. The sequel strikes an immaculate balance between new and old ideas, and presents the classic sports gameplay so vibrantly that it's hard not to be captivated by it all. There could, admittedly, be more meat on its bones – but it's online, with the gameplay's high skill ceiling, where the longevity will be found. We still want to spend a little more time testing this component, but our early impressions of the rollback netcode are positive to say the least.
Windjammers 2 brings back the best parts of the original arcade retro title in modern ways. The pixel art is fantastic with great animations. An addicting playstyle that just makes you want to get better and better.
Windjammers 2 offers fast-paced and intensely fun online and offline versus play, but there's little to keep your interest if you're flying solo.
An admirable refresh of a cult classic, with excellent presentation and thoughtfully implemented new mechanics, but it's held back by its reluctance to modernise in other areas.
For what it’s worth, I enjoyed my time with Windjammers 2. It sucked me in for hours as I slaved over a hot arcade stick. The single-player is very challenging, but it can only hold up the overall product for so long. It’s also not as transcendental as something like Streets of Rage 4 was in its revival of an old formula. It is as it says on the box: a sequel. It might as well have come out in 1996 for all it adds.
It has all the ingredients of the original game and updates them to present a more complete and spectacular experience. Still, we would have appreciated more content and a more balanced Arcade mode. The real fun is in the multiplayer.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Windjammers 2 has a lack of depth in content, it feels like it is missing something. Something like a character creator, a level builder, a simple story, or more characters to unlock would go a long way into making it feel like a deeper game. I know Windjammers is from a different time but now it is 2022 and fantastic games are coming out every week. While at MSRP Dotemu is not asking for a lot, today the player's time is the most valuable ask. The game needs to be engaging for more than a weekend.
Dotemu has created a nostalgic slice of competitive sporting excellence with Windjammers 2. It might only offer a handful of modes, but its wide roster of characters, tight controls, and admirable dedication to what came before it meant I was entranced the moment I picked up a disc and hurled it into the air. This is one of the finest local multiplayer games in recent memory that is easy to learn yet devilishly hard to master. It’s also very sexy.
Windjammers 2 is one of those proverbial cases of "history in the making": an instant classic that collects the heavy and prestigious legacy of the predecessor, even managing to relaunch on the gameplay side - that is, a topic on which the masterpiece based on NEOGEO hardware has had for decades to teach, as an authentic interactive game design manual that it is.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Windjammers 2 is a worthy successor to the disc flying action of the Neo-Geo classic. While it is a bit light on modes, its core action has enough variety to be the next big competitive hit.
Windjammers 2 is, at its core, a Neo Geo sports title for the year 2022. Take this as the best kind of compliment possible.
A cracking sequel to a cult arcade classic, Windjammers 2 ups the ante with sharp hand-drawn visuals and more than a modicum of pure arcade panache. The idea of Pong (with frisbees, mind you) turned up to 11 has never been so appealing.
If you have not played the first Windjammers game and are interested in the franchise, with all of the new additions to Windjammers 2, you can't go wrong with this one. However, if you've played the first Windjammers and are still having a great time with it, I would suggest waiting for a sale before purchasing this entry.
Windjammers 2 is a worthy successor to the original game that builds on its character and adds exciting new depth to its matches, all while paying respect to the source material without straying from its spirit and intent. There is a deep, challenging game here that is thrilling and exciting to play, and I think it’s got lots to offer for longtime fans and brand new ones alike. Windjammers 2 has a big legacy to live up to, and it does not disappoint in its delivery. Purists may disagree, but I think this is the best Windjammers has ever been, and in my book that’s reason enough to pick it up.
Windjammers 2 is a commendable follow-up that celebrates the series while adding several worthwhile mechanics to complement the competitive space in the future.
Existing fans of the Windjammers series will absolutely love Windjammers 2 – no doubt about it. Newcomers willing to put the effort in to learn its mechanics will find a lot to enjoy, too. It’s just a shame that its single-player offerings are so slight, and the AI isn’t much fun to go up against. Multiplayer is the highlight here, and if you do plan on playing against friends, family and/or strangers, you’ll get way more than your money’s worth.