Aero the Acro-Bat 2 (SFC, Mega Drive) (1994)
Developer: Iguana

Review by Faididi and Co.

The acro-bat returns

Story: Average

This sequel's story picks up immediately from where the first game ends. Ektor, the evil clown supervillain whom Aero has knocked off from a high ledge, is rescued at the last moment by his right-hand man, Zero. Meanwhile, Aero investigates the rest of Ektor's museum without realizing that his nemesis is still alive and forming new plans to murder him. Our hero stumbles onto a magic box, which mysteriously transports him to an old stone tower.

From there, the story gets pretty damn weird. Aero meets various characters and travels to new worlds, sometimes without reason. The half-sensical plot involves genetic manipulation, evil clones, assassination attempts, and musical tastes. Little of that has anything to do with Aero's circus background and what has transpired before, and Aerial isn't even mentioned at all.

Gameplay: Average

Iguana's Aero the Acro-Bat 2 plays similarly to the first game. Our hero runs and jumps again through large side-scrolling stages, using his drilling air attack and his limited projectile shots (the magical stars) to defeat bad guys. Even the items are mostly the same, including the stamina power-ups and the goodies that award bonus points.

Of course, there are many differences worth noting. The most important among these is Aero's new ability to aim his air attack straight downward (not just diagonally), and that makes hitting ground targets a lot easier. He has lost his hovering move, but that isn't a big issue, because it has never been that useful in the first place.

Unfortunately, the changes made to the level and enemy designs are less appealing. The roller coaster rides, water pools, bungee jumps, and other circus carnival gimmicks are all gone, and so are the special objectives, such as needing to collect keys. In their place are a few new types of thematically disjointed interactive objects, like clanging bells and spinning chains. There are far more stages here, but they stretch on too long, and the bad guys are a forgettable bunch of generic monsters. As for the new snowboarding scenes, where Aero must dodge rocks and leap over icy water, they also feel dragged out.

Controls: Excellent

Aero feels ever more nimble, thanks to the flawless controls. Moving, attacking, and looking ahead are a breeze to do, and the acceleration of Aero's running is smoother than before. Our hero's progress can now be recorded with passwords, too.

Graphics: Excellent

Where this sequel clearly surpasses the first game is its graphics, because Aero the Acro-Bat 2 looks like an animated film come to life. Aero playfully starts posing with his wings when he stands around idly, and he even walks or runs differently depending on how fast he is moving. The backgrounds are just as beautifully rendered, from how the clouds blow gently across the skies to the way leaves scatter when Aero slides over them.

Audio: Excellent

Moving in perfect step with the upgraded visuals is the amazing audio work. The noises of Aero's attacks and the rest of the sound effects are made crisper and more defined. Better yet, however, is the entirely original and deeply moving music, which makes the stages sound better than they play.

Overall: Above Average

There are few sequels that change from their predecessors in the exact way that Aero the Acro-Bat 2 does. Its level design has become thematically unfocused and overdrawn, but its absolutely lovely visual and audio effects can make one wonder if it's really related to its simple-looking predecessor. Even certain fans of the first installment who miss the old circus themes will find a lot to like here.