Ufouria: The Saga 2 is a recreation that has historic baggage that’s price rummaging by way of. Its predecessor, Ufouria: The Saga, was a Sunsoft recreation for the NES, means again in 1991. Its primary character, Hebe, was Sunsoft’s try to create an animal mascot, however was deemed too bizarre for western audiences. It acquired a restricted launch and promptly died a dying, main it to turn into a collector’s merchandise. It wasn’t a lot of a crucial darling both, however has since gained a following because of the Digital Console and inclusion on a Sunsoft anthology title.
That following is large enough for Ufouria: The Saga 2 to be greenlit by Sunsoft in collaboration with Purple Artwork Video games. A type of half-remake, half-sequel, Ufouria: The Saga 2 is sort of clearly a considerable glow-up on the NES unique which, should you’re of a thoughts to test a video, wasn’t engaging even for 8-bit requirements.
Sunsoft have wheeled out their crafting field and completed one thing of a Little Massive Planet with this remake-quel. It is a gorgeously tactile recreation that feels prefer it’s been knitted collectively by our nan. We had been of a thoughts to achieve in and seize an opulent Hebe for a hug. Ufouria: The Saga 2 feels lovingly handmade, and in a means it was: most of the characters within the recreation had been bodily created after which scanned in to be used as an artwork asset.
The standard was sufficient for our youngsters to wander in and instantly state “ooh, that appears good”. Which is as a lot of a suggestion as we may give Ufouria: The Saga 2’s artwork fashion. Having performed each final inch of it, we’d say that’s an excellent factor, as a result of youngsters are in all probability the perfect viewers.
It needs to be clear up entrance that Ufouria: The Saga 2 is just not a troublesome recreation. It took us some time to come back to phrases with that, in all honesty, as just about something from the NES period is diamond-hard and pleased with it. We had all of the incorrect expectations: as we unlocked bosses and ranges, we anticipated the subsequent one to ramp up or spike in problem. However whereas there’s a fragile gradient, nothing ever comes near breaking a sweat. Ufouria: The Saga 2 is an accessible-to-all-ages platformer, and has no intention of being arduous in any respect (even a New Sport+, purchased from the sport’s merchandising machine – extra on that later – was pretty pleasant). It needs to be cute and endearing, and it’ll welcome you to discover its innards.
With that PSA out of the way in which, Ufouria: The Saga 2 is there to be loved. The construction is pretty anticipated for anybody that’s performed a Metroidvania. Hebe lives in a forest that additionally occurs to be smack-bang in the midst of the sport world, which is handy because it quickly turns into a hub. Varied worlds will be accessed (or not accessed: it is a Metroidvania in spite of everything) by transferring in several instructions from this tree.
Hebe is a fan of popoons: little tribble-like creatures that he retains underneath his mattress and luzzes at enemies with one press to wield, one press to throw. He can bottom-bounce too, making him a surprisingly versatile warrior for a pigeon-penguin. However his day is interrupted by an alien who wields bumyons, slimy inverses of the popoons. He throws them at your pals, and the bumyons soak up them, mind-controlling them into attacking you. As First Contact goes, it’s not significantly welcoming.
That provides Ufouria: The Saga 2 its goals: to rid your pals of bumyons, and to take down the alien. There’s a neat unlock system happening right here – hinted at within the pun of the title, which we realised means too late – which is that, once you defeat a boss, you unlock a buddy. That buddy is then accessible to modify and play as (with a press of LB or RB), and you’ve got 4 of them to gather (U4ia). One can swim, one other can float, and the ultimate one – properly, we are going to go away no less than one shock for you. Suffice to say that the characters act because the upgrades that unlock farther reaches of the map.
Ufouria 1 gamers will observe some small variations. The routes on the way in which to bosses are procedurally generated, providing very slight remixes every time. That’s not a nasty shout within the opening of the sport, as there’s a good quantity of backtracking in reaching new areas, and much more so should you’re exhausting the sport’s tin-can collectibles.
However what received us over most was the addition of a merchandising machine. This has a twin foreign money, because the tin-cans inventory the merchandising machine with wares, whereas cash – gained from the world or from challenges – should buy the stuff. We simply didn’t count on the depth. There are dozens of unlocks right here, and – by some means – Ufouria: The Saga 2 makes each final one transformative. There are unlocks that enhance your fight prowess or hearts, whereas there are others that reveal secrets and techniques. Better of all are the unlocks that add complete layers to the sport, introducing problem rooms or teleport techniques to basically rearrange the way you play. It’s one of the vital rewarding development techniques that we’ve seen this 12 months, and we had been befuddled that it was connected to a simple-as-you-like platformer. It saved us enjoying for for much longer than we’d have completed in any other case.
Not that Ufouria: The Saga 2 is unenjoyable to play: it will get all of the fundamentals of leaping, bottom-bouncing and collectible-gathering proper, all connected to a Metroidvania construction that feels utterly acquainted. However that didn’t cease us from getting some cravings. As a result of we wished it to kick on, but it stayed resolutely within the decrease gears.
Take the bosses, for instance. They’re principally blobs which might be harking back to one another – bouncing, swimming or flying to check out your newly acquired abilities. However we couldn’t assist feeling that they had been tutorials, greater than anything. Certain, they exercised our new characters and their skills for a bit, however they had been nothing greater than an idle jog.
The identical goes for nearly each facet of Ufouria: The Saga 2. A minecart sequence appears to be like prefer it would possibly add one thing, however there aren’t any loop-the-loops or extra intricate moments than the odd increased or decrease platform to leap onto. A Doodle Leap vertical stage is okay, however nonetheless toothless: you’ll principally get aggravated that you simply’ve fallen down and have to begin once more. There are concepts right here, however sketches of them. They’re effective to tinker with, however by no means rise above effective.
It’s damning Ufouria: The Saga 2 with faint reward, however it is a sturdy, pleasurable and accessible platformer. It’s nearly not possible to dislike because of its attractive feltworks world, and it’s equally not possible to fall foul of its problem ranges.
However the accessibility hides a scarcity of edge: we might have beloved for Ufouria: The Saga 2 to take extra dangers. A difficult boss right here, an ingenious Mario-like stage there. We now have little question that you simply, and significantly your youngsters if in case you have them, will like Ufouria: The Saga 2. However we will’t think about you loving it.
