Review written by Eric Pankoke

If you haven't read my review of Joker's Quest, you might want to check it out here. Had Joker's Quest II been the first, it might have received similar marks. However, JQ2 falls into the trap of so many sequels that choose to rest on the laurels of an innovative predecessor rather than attempting to be unique in and of itself.

Graphics:

There's no question that the graphics are as good as the first game. In fact, they seem to actually be the same graphics from the first game. Everything is bright and colorful, and once again has a cartoon like quality to it. All the sprites are well animated, too. It would have been nice to see a little bit of a face lift from the first one, though, so it didn't feel so much like I was just playing an additional level set.

Sound Description:

The sound effects are still top notch. The voice that utters phrases like “Rock On” and “Wake Up” is cool, and things like falling and exploding objects sound just right. Combined with the graphics, the audio really helps create an atmosphere right out of a Saturday morning cartoon. Sadly, the music is still not that great, and it gets repetitive rather quickly.

Gameplay Description:

The basic premise behind this game, just like the first, is that each level contains some pearls and a seahorse. To complete the level you must gather a designated number of pearls, and to complete each of the four worlds you must gather 16 of the 25 available seahorses in that world. At the end of each world there's a boss to defeat, then you've won the game.

For a slightly more detailed breakdown of the mechanics in Joker's Quest 2, please read my review of Joker's Quest. I normally don't promote that so heavily, but in this case there's really no reason to rewrite it, because the best I can tell there is nothing different in how this game plays than the first one.

My main complaint in part one was the lack of inspiration in some of the level designs, and to my dismay I found them to be even worse in part two. I'm not even through the first world yet, and I've already run across several boards that I feared having to play more than once. There's so much potential here with all of the characters and obstacles that Pocket Napalm has created, and it's a shame that they didn't put them to better use in the game.

The other thing that seemed like a step backwards was the storytelling. While not overly elaborate in part one, it was amusing and ever present. In part two, it seems like it's there only because they thought fans would expect it, and it's really been diminished to the point where they might as well eliminate it.

Pros:

• Nice, cartoon like graphics

• Quality sound

• cool puzzle elements not found in other games

Cons:

• Music is not very interesting

• Level design lacking

• Doesn’t add anything new from the first game

Conclusion:

Joker’s Quest 2 isn’t a terrible game by any means. If you’re new to the franchise, however, I’d certainly recommend part one over this sequel. If you’ve beaten the first one and are chomping at the bit for more, go ahead and dive into JQ2. As long as you’re prepared not to be blown away by new innovations, you might just enjoy the swim.

Score-by-score breakdown

Gameplay:  60%
Graphics:  70%
Sound:  60%

Overall:  60%

Please note that the overall score is more than simply an average of the individual ratings.  Many thanks to Pocket Napalm for providing our review copy.

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