Developer: Victor Entertainment Publisher: JVC Release: 09/96 Genre: Platformer
I enjoyed Keio Flying Squadron on the Sega CD. For a long time most did not know of its quality as it is one of the rarest US Sega CD games and still commands hundreds if not thousands of dollars for a complete copy. Those lucky enough to play it found a solid shooter with a wacky sense of humor atypical of the genre. So obviously it did not sell. That unfortunately meant its awesome sequel Keio Flying Squadron 2 only hit Europe and Japan. The genre may have changed but the quality remains the same. Keio Flying Squadron 2 is the Saturn doing what it was born to do with ease and a title I am jealous the rest of the world got to experience firsthand.
Keio Flying Squadron 2 takes place a year after the first game. The Ark Catastrophe event has passed but it left lasting effects on Japan with most of the country in shambles. The citizens are the ones rebuilding Japan with one, Dr. Pon Eho, a genius raccoon not happy about it. One day while laboring he discovers a secret treasure scroll and one of six magical orbs. Reasoning that finding all six will make him rich Pon Eho ditches his job to find the rest. At the same time Himiko the pompous queen steals the Nana Hikari family orb and one of the six drawing our heroine Rami in to the conflict.
Unlike its predecessor Keio Flying Squadron 2 is a platformer rather than a shooter. Rami stomps on enemy heads and can pick up and toss nearly any background object, whether it is a bomb or a massive Tanooki statue. There are three weapons found in chests or dropped by enemies. The hammer of dreams pounds enemies or can be thrown. The umbrella stabs enemies, protects from falling objects and slows your descent when falling. You can also float on updrafts too. The bow and arrow is less versatile. By holding the button you can shoot further and aim horizontally or diagonally. But it is slow and cannot shoot while jumping. It does come in clutch during certain boss battles however…..
The game takes a page out of Sonic’s playbook in terms of death. So long as you have a weapon in hand you are invincible. But getting hit causes it to drop or go flying and it disappears in seconds. Technically you can carry an object while possessing a weapon. This also grants another hit before death. Unlike the blue hedgehog’s games weapons are not as plentiful as rings. Outside of boss battles however you have to go out of your way to lose a weapon. I certainly would not call the game hard however, far from it.
The genre may have changed but the tone is still the same. Keio Flying Squadron 2 is just as goofy as the first game if not more. Now that it is a platformer instead of a scrolling shooter you have more time take in the madness. You will find enemies taking lunch breaks, ninjas trying to be inconspicuous and failing, and even participate in a ninja tournament. The game often incorporates puzzle like elements using your throwing ability with most levels featuring multiple paths to their exit. The game shuffles you from one set piece to the next and the levels flow in to each other. One minute you are being chased by an angry mob before storming a ninja castle and finally fighting its shogun on its rooftop. The pacing is excellent and you would never know this series started as a shooter as it is pretty accomplished.
Like its predecessor Keio Flying Squadron 2 is accessible in terms of its difficulty. In fact the death system trivializes most of the content. I rarely died and was able to earn extra lives regularly, either by finding them or from collecting 100 gold rabbits. The forced scrolling stages like the roller coaster and the two shooting segments may trip you up but I doubt it. The boss battles present the only true challenge. Here it is easy to lose your weapon and most have multiple phases. Their patterns are simple however so the learning phase is short. Even though I find the game easy it remains enjoyable.
Keio Flying Squadron 2 flexes the Saturn’s 2d muscles pretty well. The game is full of large sprites bursting with character thanks to the unique art direction. Because of the game’s tone it can pack a ton of variety in terms of tone and setting without it appearing out of place. I mean this is the Edo period yet you fly in to space on a dragon without a space suit with no explanation for god’s sake. The bosses are the game’s highlight. They are all weird gigantic sprites that have more character than the protagonist herself! JVC have given the game a full localization and the English voice acting is respectable. For such a low key release I am surprised they went this far. The only wart on the overall package is the compressed FMV that is grainy. But that is minor in the grand scheme of things.
In Closing
Keio Flying Squadron 2 is a great game and another example why I wish 2d platformers remained popular during the 32-bit era. The goofy humor and solid level design combine to create a game that I found entertaining from beginning to end. It falls on the easy side but that is no reason to avoid buying what for many will be a hidden gem.
