Mangavania 2 Review

Gaming in the 1980s was a laborious affair. I remember playing Manic Miner and, whilst it was great at the time, it was extremely hard work. There were no saves back then either, so as a young gamer, it was all about learning patterns and praying to the god of gaming. 

Thankfully things have moved along quite a bit since then, but the principles are still there, especially in games like Mangavania 2; a game that requires platforming skill and that ability to try and try again. 

There is a story here, one about a young Ninja called Yuhiko. He has gone into the underworld to find a cure for this brother. However this underworld is full of deadly monsters and even deadlier traps. I think I’ve hyped the story a bit more than I should have, but the essence of this game is to get through bite-sized levels in the fastest time possible, all without dying. There’s no doubt that not having a huge narrative or loads of dialogue suits the nature of the game. 

Gameplay wise, it is fast and furious. You start Mangavania 2 with a very small set of skills, a jump and a sword attack to use. Jumping across gaps and swinging at monsters to destroy them is the order of the day.

Soon you have more complex things to do, like wall jumping to get further up a level; one slip ending in instant death. Then you have little springing platforms to use which throw you up into the air, all as you look for a safe place to land. There are even floating candles that can be swiped with your sword, propelling you higher into the air too. As you can imagine, only through a combination of all these things will you ever get through a level. 

As you progress you get extra things, like a grappling hook to pull you towards a wall or quickly propel you headlong at an enemy, hoping for the killing blow. You also get the ability to use bombs, throwing them to ensure access to various areas.

In Mangavania 2 there are the usual boss battles to be had as well; tricky to begin with until you learn the attacks. On the whole though, Mangavania 2 is both addictive and frustrating in equal measure and so you should come to this one with nerves of steel. 

Visually it employs a monochrome design with the odd hint of red. It all runs very lo-bit, but still looks good with its retro design cues – you’ll certainly like the character design of the main guy and there are some simple but fun monsters to fight off. The music does have a bit of that old-school about it though, running repetitively and the more you die, the more you might start thinking about switching it off. 

If you like hardcore retro puzzlers and you want something you can enjoy for a couple of hours, fill your boots with Mangavania 2, earning yourself a cool 1000G in achievements as you go. It’s a nice bit of fun, available for a nice little price.

Others may wish to reconsider any plans though as this is a game that will take you back to gaming from the past, learning patterns, trying not to cry. It’ll all depends on whether or not that is something you relish.