It’s been 25 years since the release of Windjammers, and I think the world’s ready for the return of frisbee action.
Windjammers 2
Developer: Dotemu
Price: $20
Platform: PC, PS4, Switch, Xbox One
MonsterVine was supplied with a PC code for review
In case you’re out of the loop, the original Windjammers came out nearly thirty years ago on the Neo Geo and featured a unique back and forth flying disc sports game. It eventually reentered the cultural zeitgeist a little while ago, and the game was picked back up for a port which then led to Windjammers 2. The game is absolutely gorgeous, no surprise considering Dotemu are behind it, with some of the best 2D art I’ve seen in a while. The game is a blur of action and effects, all accompanied by a killer soundtrack.
If you’ve never played Windjammers before, then you really need to move out from that rock you’ve been living under. In a sort of “frisbee pong”, you basically smack a frisbee back and forth trying to get it into your opponent’s goal. Windjammers is deceptively deep however, as you can perform a variety of different tosses, like curving your throw or even jumping up and spiking it down. The game is definitely friendly enough where someone could jump in, mindlessly throw the disc around and have fun, but there’s nothing quite like a tense back and forth between two people who know how to play. Curving a disc, only for them to catch it in time and toss it back as a super, only for you to catch that and reverse it back at them, and continuing this tense back and forth for what seems like eternity but only lasted ten seconds is at the heart of what makes Windjammers great.
Dotemu added some additional characters to the original roster, all with their own unique special move and stats, while also adding a variety of new throw mechanics, cranking an already fast paced game to 11. I got to play Windjammers 2 twice at two different PAX events, and it was impressive to see how much better the game played after each time I got my hands on it. With the final release, I can’t stress enough how tight this game feels. Dotemu did a great job recreating that original game’s magic and improving on it tenfold. The arena design in particular is great, with these really animated areas, and not every map shares the same layout. Point goals might be in different spots, one map might have barriers in the middle that bounces your disc back, and one map in particular takes place in a casino with a slot machine mechanic that’s always changing the current point total.
I will say, while I played on PC for this review, the game is very much a perfect Switch game. If you have the option, I’d definitely recommend it there as it’s perfect for bringing over to a friend’s place for game nights. When not in a versus match, you’ve got your typical arcade to work through. It’s just a handful of matches, with your typical closing title card unique to each character; if you’ve played a fighting game you know what to expect here. There’s no fluff, just back to back fights and that’s it.
Between arcade rounds you’ll be able to play two new minigames: Disc Attack and Hot Dog Distance. Disc Attack features a frisbee spitting machine that continuously fires discs at you, as you try to break as many as possible before time is up. Hot Dog Distance on the other hand takes the flying disc out of your hand as it’s flung into the air and you control a dog as you try to catch it while dodging obstacles. They’re both silly breaks from the action, that I honestly wish were more of and maybe fleshed out a bit more.
Now as much fun as the game is to play, once you’ve run through the arcade you’re kind of left wondering “Was that it?”. After finishing the arcade mode, you pretty much only have versus to run through ad nauseum. Which don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely going to be doing that, it’s just that with how long this game’s been cooking you kind of expect it to have a little bit more, as the entire package feels a bit barebones.
The biggest offender is that there’s not even a training mode to jump into, which for a game as particular as Windjammers is, seems a bit unforgivable. To learn how to play there’s just a quick slideshow you have to memorize as you can’t refer to it while in a game, and you basically have to hope you’re pulling off the moves correctly. There’s just no way to sit there and get comfortable with the mechanics at your own pace, and its exclusion is kind of confusing considering how much of a staple the mode is. Sure, you could easily square up against bots a bunch, but that won’t give you the satisfaction of knowing you’re pulling off the moves correctly.
The Final Word
It’s hard to believe that Windjammers 2 is finally here and delivers on all the hype. I only wish there were more of it to chew on.
– MonsterVine Rating: 4 out of 5 – Good
