Trouble Shooter 2

Reviewed by Postman

Trouble Shooter (Battlemania) 2 - or another episode of “Why’d THAT one get a sequel?” Unless this series is wildly popular in Japan, I don’t really know the answer to that one. Most people here in the U.S. haven’t heard of this series, unless you’ve read the review on Shmups, of course. It’s not a bad game at all, and I would call it a border line cute-em-up. There are some threatening enemies in this game, along with some very silly ones too. If you have played the first Trouble Shooter, part two is basically another extension of part one. And if we reviewed the first one, why not do the second, eh?

To sum this up in a nutshell (everyone get in your nutshells.) this is a horizontal chick shmup in which two female crime fighters are again out to save the world. Or Japan. Whichever comes first. It’s a one player game (even though there are two characters), one covers your front and one covers your back. You have a choice between four different special weapons, which automatically charge up when not in use.

As for the gameplay, it’s pretty average. This was a fun little romp through a well sized game. I found myself chuckling at a few places, impressed with some of the wacky ideas that Japanese culture has to offer (check out the mirror reflection enemy). But overall this game is just average. Not bad mind you, but also not anything to go waiting in line at an import game store for either. It helped edge the Megadrive over the Super NES in pure number of shooters, if nothing else... If you liked the first one, and want to find out why the leader of the females wears that eyepatch, give Trouble Shooter 2 a shot.