Zool 2 (Computer Combat)
Zool 2 (AGA) developed by The Warp Factory and published by Gremlin Graphics in 1993. This version was included in the Amiga 1200 Computer Combat pack in 1994.
| 
Screenshot |
Player's Review
"Zool, and his fabulous female companion, ZOOZ. are about to face a challenge which would wilt the knee of even the toughest Ninja in this action packed PLATFORM ARCADE ACTION sequel. You'll need joystick skills from the NTH DIMENSION when you help them take on the evil KROOL and his devious accomplice MENTAL BLOCK as they seek to wipe imagination from the face of existence. SIX huge levels supercharged with varied and challenging gameplay. Play either ZOOL or ZOOZ, each with their own moves and abilities. Cunning enemies, monsters, power ups, collectibles and hidden 'Chopa Chups' bonus rooms. Sizzling sound FX and a choice of in-game tunes."
Released in multiple versions for A500 class, A1200(AGA) and CD32 as well as ports to Dos and the Atari Jaguar and sequel to Zool originaly by Gremlin themselves. This is a recording of the Pack in version included in the Amiga 1200 Computer Combat pack. The game will not boot with Fastram enabled.
The game is an audio/visual upgrade over the previous game with all new maze like levels to traverse including hidden rooms to find. There are five themed worlds each with three levels and a boss to fights at the end of the third level. In each level you need to collect a set amount of collectable items before you can exit the stage. Completing all five worlds takes you to a single final Mental Blockage level to take on the final boss. Within each level is a ZooN to find and having all three after finishing each world will take you to a bonus breakout stage where you can earn some extra lives if you can survive long enough and you only get one shot.
Buying this back in 1993, I felt disappointed with the game. The original game had some great music although level music was stuck with what was chosen in the options at the start. Zool 2 has per world music but some of the tunes are really slow and drab and doesnt fit the fast pace of the game. Not until we get to world three do we finally get some pumpin music. Both games suffer with having either FX or music but the A1200 game doesnt even get any music during the level loading. The opening Swan Lake theme somehow didn't feel very Zool like either but maybe that's just me! We do get a choice of characters this time though, each with a slightly different move/weapon set and also slightly different routes through some levels.
The longplay shows a run through the game as Zool (The A500 recording shows a play as ZooZ to compare) and played on Hard mode which may have been a mistake as I have to spend so much time jumping around like a loon all over the place in order to get most of the collectables and this really slows the pace of the game down with no other benefit than the score at the end of the game. The game can move quite fast at times with many baddies flying around the screen firing random shots that you can just accidently walk into and they respawn as well which can be fun when trying to jump around a tricky maze like area.
Overall, it's a nice enough platform game, it just isn't as fondly remembered as an Amiga game to have a conversation about like the original game. This version of the game makes use of the A1200 AGA features to add another playfield for more background graphics over the A500 original. There does seem to be a negative effect of slowdown when there is a lot going on though when collectables are flying around the screen and enemies exploding and this causes a real problem when trying to do do some precision jumping. Also, Snaking Pass is missing it's music and instead re-uses Blueberry Hill which isn't great and is also used in mental Blockage.
00:00:00 Title Music
00:03:10 Swan Lake 1
00:07:40 Swan Lake 2
00:11:52 Swan Lake 3
00:17:50 Bonus Stage
00:20:52 Bulberry Hill 1
00:25:35 Bulberry Hill 2
00:29:58 Bulberry Hill 3
00:35:20 Bonus Stage
00:38:40 Tooting Common 1
00:44:12 Tooting Common 2
00:50:20 Tooting Common 3
00:57:44 Bonus Stage
01:00:42 Snaking Pass 1
01:05:35 Snaking Pass 2
01:09:14 Snaking Pass 3
01:14:30 Bonus Stage
01:17:34 Mount Ices 1
01:23:55 Mount Ices 2
01:29:22 Mount Ices 3
01:33:10 Bonus Stage
01:36:22 Mental Blockage
01:50:18 End
Released in multiple versions for A500 class, A1200(AGA) and CD32 as well as ports to Dos and the Atari Jaguar and sequel to Zool originaly by Gremlin themselves. This is a recording of the Pack in version included in the Amiga 1200 Computer Combat pack. The game will not boot with Fastram enabled.
The game is an audio/visual upgrade over the previous game with all new maze like levels to traverse including hidden rooms to find. There are five themed worlds each with three levels and a boss to fights at the end of the third level. In each level you need to collect a set amount of collectable items before you can exit the stage. Completing all five worlds takes you to a single final Mental Blockage level to take on the final boss. Within each level is a ZooN to find and having all three after finishing each world will take you to a bonus breakout stage where you can earn some extra lives if you can survive long enough and you only get one shot.
Buying this back in 1993, I felt disappointed with the game. The original game had some great music although level music was stuck with what was chosen in the options at the start. Zool 2 has per world music but some of the tunes are really slow and drab and doesnt fit the fast pace of the game. Not until we get to world three do we finally get some pumpin music. Both games suffer with having either FX or music but the A1200 game doesnt even get any music during the level loading. The opening Swan Lake theme somehow didn't feel very Zool like either but maybe that's just me! We do get a choice of characters this time though, each with a slightly different move/weapon set and also slightly different routes through some levels.
The longplay shows a run through the game as Zool (The A500 recording shows a play as ZooZ to compare) and played on Hard mode which may have been a mistake as I have to spend so much time jumping around like a loon all over the place in order to get most of the collectables and this really slows the pace of the game down with no other benefit than the score at the end of the game. The game can move quite fast at times with many baddies flying around the screen firing random shots that you can just accidently walk into and they respawn as well which can be fun when trying to jump around a tricky maze like area.
Overall, it's a nice enough platform game, it just isn't as fondly remembered as an Amiga game to have a conversation about like the original game. This version of the game makes use of the A1200 AGA features to add another playfield for more background graphics over the A500 original. There does seem to be a negative effect of slowdown when there is a lot going on though when collectables are flying around the screen and enemies exploding and this causes a real problem when trying to do do some precision jumping. Also, Snaking Pass is missing it's music and instead re-uses Blueberry Hill which isn't great and is also used in mental Blockage.
00:00:00 Title Music
00:03:10 Swan Lake 1
00:07:40 Swan Lake 2
00:11:52 Swan Lake 3
00:17:50 Bonus Stage
00:20:52 Bulberry Hill 1
00:25:35 Bulberry Hill 2
00:29:58 Bulberry Hill 3
00:35:20 Bonus Stage
00:38:40 Tooting Common 1
00:44:12 Tooting Common 2
00:50:20 Tooting Common 3
00:57:44 Bonus Stage
01:00:42 Snaking Pass 1
01:05:35 Snaking Pass 2
01:09:14 Snaking Pass 3
01:14:30 Bonus Stage
01:17:34 Mount Ices 1
01:23:55 Mount Ices 2
01:29:22 Mount Ices 3
01:33:10 Bonus Stage
01:36:22 Mental Blockage
01:50:18 End
No Comments have been Posted.