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   Company Hudson Soft ESRB Rating E for Everyone Release Date US - September 10, 2007 Controllers Wii Remote Classic Controller Gamecube Controller Wii Points 600  Review by: Corbie Dillard ©2008 Virtual-Turbo |
After the success of the
original Neutopia, Hudson decided that the game obviously needed a
sequel. Now while some sequels try to re-invent themselves, much like
the sequel to the original Legend of Zelda did, Neutopia II just
basically takes everything from the original title and adds a few new
twists to the mix. The game play has remained intact, but this time
around there's a lot more storyline and a much longer quest to go along
with it. As the old adage goes, if it's not broke, don't fix it. Since
the original Neutopia was released on the Virtual Console only two
weeks ago, it's a little strange that Hudson is releasing this sequel
so soon after, but it's an outstanding title and yet another worthwhile
addition to the TurboGrafx-16 section of the Virtual Console.
In Neutopia II you take on the role of Jazeta's son. For those familiar with the original Neutopia, you played the role of Jazeta himself. Now it's your chance to take control of his son who's now going to have to locate and rescue his father who's recently disappeared into one of the many labyrinths across the land. Don't expect anything too epic, but those who've played through the original title will easily recognize the increase in storyline depth in Neutopia II and it makes staying with the game much more interesting this time around. As was mentioned above, the basic game play ideas from the first game have returned. You basically explore each area, pushing on rocks, burning trees, and bombing open cracks in walls to locate hidden entrances. You're main goal in each area is to locate the crypt. It's these crypts where you'll get the chance to explore the many rooms of each labyrinth finding treasures that will help you with your quest including better weapons, armor, and shields. You'll eventually come into contact with a boss that you'll have to fight and defeat in order to receive an item that you'll need to move on to the next area of the game. One new game play twist worth mentioning is that your character can now walk diagonally which makes moving around to defeat enemies and bosses much easier. While this might seem like a small nuance, it really makes a big difference when you start dealing with some of the more tricky enemies and bosses throughout the game. The bosses in Neutopia II also seem to have gotten a little smarter than those in the first game. They're not necessarily a lot more difficult to defeat, but they do offer more intricate movement and attack patterns that at least make it a little more fun to go up against them. Neutopia II might seem like just a rehash of the original game on the outside, but after a few minutes of playing the game, you'll really begin to appreciate the extra effort that went into the development of this sequel. It's everything you could want from a solid sequel. Visually there's not a huge difference between the original game and this sequel. You'll notice that there's a little more detail in certain areas, but for the most part, this game is a carbon copy of the original in terms of graphics. There is quite a bit more variety between the different areas of the game, but that could also be attribbuted to the fact that there is a much larger number of areas in Neutopia II than were found in the original. In all truth, the slightly better visuals will most likely only be noticed by those who've played the original quite a bit. Simply put, Neutopia II is yet another great looking game. The soundtrack in the original Neutopia has always been one of my favorites, but the developers were able to go beyond that with Neutopia II. Not only are the sound effects much better the music itself is also quite a step beyond that of the one found in the first game. Much like the visuals, there's also a lot more variety in each of the musical tracks and it really makes the overall scope of the game feel a lot bigger. There's honestly not a bad track in the entire game and some of the musical pieces near the end of the adventure are absolutely outstanding. Trust me, this is definitely a game you'll want to crank up while playing. I still love the original Neutopia a little bit better than this sequel, but even I can admit that Neutopia II is probably the better game overall. Musically, visually, and game play-wise, Neutopia II just exceeds the original in just about every facet of the game. It goes without saying that if you enjoyed the original game then you absolutely must own this one as well. Not only does it continue the storyline found in the original title, but it also offers up a fairly long and in-depth adventure that will keep rpg fans busy for quite some time. And for those who haven't yet given the Neutopia games a try, do yourself a favor and grab the first game before you play this one. You'll enjoy this sequel and appreciate the subtle upgrades a lot more if you do. Neutopia II is one of the best TurboGrafx-16 titles ever made and we should consider ourselves fortunate to be getting the sequel so soon after the original. Stop reading now and go download this outstanding title. NOW! |
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