Gremlins 2 review - Nintendo Entertainment System

The Gremlins are back, and they're severely annoyed at the treatment they got in their first outing.

Based on the successful film, Gremlins II stars that lovable fellow Gizmo - the fluffy hero of the adventure, and the sworn enemy (and the mother/father!) of the diabolical Gremlins.

Gizmo wanders around the complex of buildings, zapping baddies and evading death and capture. Apart from monsters, yawning chasms and floating platforms presents the hairy hero with obstacles that only his skill at leaping can overcome.

When foes are slain, coins are released for Giz to collect. At intermittent points, a shop appears run by an elderly Chinese gentlemen, offering the character the chance to purchase extra health, lives and power-ups. Only one item can be bought on each level, so careful choosing is the order of the day.

Gizmo's weapon has a limited range, but special tokens give bonus effects: light bulbs act as smart bombs, destroying everything on screen. Gizm's task is of course to eliminate all the gremlins and their evil henchmen, and free the humans from the horror that has been unwittingly released.

What the Mean Machines staff thought

Lordy, a good license for a film sequel! What ever next? Seriously, Gremlins II is a great game, packed with humour and fun throughout. The developers have worked hard at getting the most out of the graphics, making them as accurate as possible (although it can be tricky at first to judge jumps). The sound is incredible: extra chips have been used to make the music and effects top notch, adding enormously to the appeal of the game. As for the playability, it's of a very high standard, and always fun, with the difficulty pitched so that everyone can progress at first, but later levels can only be passed by skill and practice. The later levels are my favourites, as the difficulty is matched by the increased fun - but the Gremlins themselves are tough opponents!

I didn't think that the Gremlins II film would make ideal console game material, but I was pleasantly surprised when this came into the office. It's a sort of Mogwai meets Commando, with Gizmo wandering around the scrolling screen shooting the shinola out of all the evil Gremlins. The graphics are great, with the cute button on maximum, and some of the animated intermission screens are incredible - easily the most impressive I've seen on the Nintendo. Although it's not the most original game concept in the world, it's brilliantly done to make it thoroughly enjoyable and very addictive. It's quite tough, although there are unlimited continues which help you get far into the action very quickly - my advice is not to use them and you'll get even more lasting appeal out of the game!