Paper Boy 2
I remember playing Paper Boy in the arcade along time ago. The simulated
bike handlebars which also provided very good movement and control, the
colorful fluid graphics set in a 3-D angle (like Zaxxon and Super Zaxxon
if you remember those), the funky music that set the tone and mood for
playing. If you can remember these, then after playing this klunker, you
will agree that this is a pale comparison of the original. The object of
the game is that you are a paperboy (or in the case of the Super NES
version - a paperboy/papergirl) with a specific paper route. The idea
is to land (throw) a paper in either each of your subscribers' mailboxes
or front doors without breaking any windows. Extra points are given to
causing any other chaos apart from these subscribers' houses. Afterwards,
the player maneuvers a training course. If a paper is missed, then that
subscriber cancels their subscription. The game ends when all
subscriptions are canceled or the player runs out of lives. The gameplay
remains the same here for Super NES Paperboy 2. I will preface my arguments
of comparing this version to the original Paperboy by stating this: I
realize that the arcade game is designed to do one sole function which is
to be a Paperboy machine. Therefore, much more money was spent on the
hardware and software to provide excellent quality. The Super NES is designed
to be a platform for many games, many of which run from $20 to $60.
However, noting the quality of allot of other games that I have played,
this game falls very short of even being a "good" game.
Graphics 2 out of 10
One word: Cheesy! The original game's graphics were more detailed and
flowed more evenly than this. The colors were no well thought out as I
felt they were unappealing(allot of puke green). The people looked clunky
as well as every thing else apart from the houses. I will give some credit
here, the houses did look like the ones in the original. It does look like the
developers cut corners in this version. Little detail is given to the characters
and movement overall is not as smooth as expected. To me, the graphics quality
of this game look like it came from the original 16 bit Nintendo platform.
Music and Sound 4 out of 10
The music here comes off as semi-cheesy. The music throughout the route
is actually kind of catchy in its funky little way. A couple of places sound a
little uneven in its composition. The part I hate is when the player starts on
the obstacle/training course. The music then changes drastically, tempo,
style and fell. The point was to try to build a drama and climax while the
player weaves around the barriers, jumps the ramps while hitting as many
targets as possible. But comes off as someone lacking rhythm pounding a cheap
Casio to the background tune of something funky very workable but unfortunately
gets overshadowed by this din. The FX sounds are OK at best. The potential is
there, but more effort could have gone into it.
Game Challenge 5 out of 10
This is the strange part. The sequence of houses are never the same game
after game. That's not bad in itself as it keeps you on your toes but it gets
hard when certain events that force a player to be away from a specific area
don't occur in the same place/time as the last game that was played. Ultimately
the player loses a life (at least I do). If you got the Game Genie, use it. Or
you'll never get past Easy Street in a short period of time.
Overall 2 out of 10