Developer: Iguana Publisher: Sunsoft Release: 11/94 Genre: Platformer
There were a lot of 2d platformers during the 16-bit era. As the most popular genre at the time everyone wanted to create their own mascot. Well they did and most of them are completely forgettable. Sure we remember a game like Awesome Possum but for all the wrong reasons. Aero the Acrobat was a bit unique with its circus theme and cool character. It was also one of the few mascots popular enough to not only receive a sequel but also a spinoff too. Aero the Acrobat 2 improves on its predecessor in some ways but loses something in the process.
Sunsoft have incorporated more story in Aero 2 although the writing and sudden introduction of random characters they think you know falls flat. Aero 2 continues immediately after the conclusion of the first game. After defeating Edgar Ektor Aero returns to his museum of horrors and discovers a room he did not see before. In it he finds a magic door which transports him to another world. Meanwhile while Ektor survived their encounter thanks to a timely rescue from his subordinate Zero the Kamikaze Squirrel and they enact Plan B……
The mechanics of Aero have changed slightly. Aero still has his drill attack as his primary means of offense. New to this game is the ability to perform another drill attack after hitting an enemy. This is useful for attacking in rapid succession or to use the added height to reach secrets. He can now perform a downward drill to hit enemies below and bust weak floors. You can still fling stars but they are weak not as plentiful. You can no longer hover in place but let’s be honest it was not useful any way. At most you would use it when you were about to fall on some spikes but since you could not move you still died anyway. There is a slide that is unintuitive to perform. Luckily it is only necessary in the middle of the game at which point you can forget about it.
The level design is where Aero 2 has changed the most. There are no objectives this time meaning the only goal is to find the exit. The stages are now more straightforward although they have increased in size. There are plenty of secrets to find with hidden rooms within hidden rooms. But you will never get lost. The first game was not afraid to mix things up with auto scrolling levels or ones focused on a particular gimmick. Outside of the boarding zone there is none of that. This is a more focused experience, for better and worse. Each zone has three levels and sometimes a boss. But by the second you will have seen all it has to offer and you are going through the motions. This was a problem the Sonic games faced and they reduced it to two acts per zone. Sometimes less is more.
It sounds silly but I do miss the level objectives of the first game. At a time when every platformer was generic they gave Aero the Acrobat character. Now you had a reason to thoroughly explore the levels, not just for secrets but for that one last item to complete your objective. The time limit lit a fire under your ass as well. They could be annoying to be sure, especially as the levels gradually grew longer. But as a whole they were more good than bad. Now you are left with straightforward levels that are hit and miss. The first half feels like an actual journey through a strange world. But once you hit disco fever and Dr. Dis Industries they become bland. At least the game has a strong finish but fi they improved on the flaws of the first game it would have been better.
Aero the Acrobat was notably more difficult than most platformers of its time. Even the first world proved to be a challenge for seasoned veterans. Aero 2 swings completely in the other direction. Extra lives are plentiful and every level has boxes that dispense extra health to max out your life bar. There are less enemies about and they are far from aggressive. There are no more instant death spikes or bottomless pits either. You can also easily find items to play the bonus game to earn more lives too. Combined with the passwords for each world few will have any trouble with this game. While I wish there were more of a challenge the first game could be extremely cheap. I will take this any day instead.
In Closing
Aero the Acrobat 2 is a good game. It loses a little bit of its identity but is otherwise a solid effort. Sunsoft were on a roll with these games so it is sad the series would die here. I would love to see what they could have done with a third game, especially in 3d. But alas, Sunsoft went down a bad road from which they would not return.
