KUBO 2 Review – Now as an Action Platformer, Is This Better Than the First Game?

If you remember from my previous review of KUBO 1, I was not a big fan of the game. Nor was I very supportive of playing it, other than wanting to see where a small and young development team started from. Now that I’ve played the game’s sequel, which is another hidden game available on Evercade hardware, is it better than the first?

Comparison to the First Game

In a word, I can gladly say, “Yes!” KUBO 2 is significantly better than the original. It is a different genre compared to the first as well. Where KUBO 1 was an overhead action game that had you walking around the screen and shooting enemies, the second is an action platformer. Like before, you play as a cowboy turtle.

You’re able to move, jump, shoot your gun, and explore a few areas. From early in the game, it is clear that this time Kubo is in an area near Egypt or Mesopotamia. There are a lot of pyramids or ziggurats visible in the background at the beginning. Like the first, this one is also a short title, with it being able to be completed in 5 minutes.

However, KUBO 2 is quite different from its predecessor. As I played the sequel, I could see a good deal of progression and improvement over the first game.

One of the best things about this one is that there are multiple paths you can take to the end. Sure, there are points where the routes converge, yet having different places you can go to is great! Not because the variety is amazing, but because it is a significant advancement over the original.

In that one, there was only one series of actions you could do to complete the game. Here, there are still certain screens that you have to pass through to complete the adventure, but many are optional and can be missed in your first playthrough.

Pits and Progression

One odd aspect about the game is that sometimes you have to fall down into new areas to progress. Yet, certain spots on the screen are pits that will kill you. There is no way to tell the difference between which opening will take you to a different screen and another that will kill you. Normally, this would be irritating, but on my first play through I found a secret route that bypassed a number of these pits, so they didn’t negatively impact me too much.

Because of this, I was able to appreciate the different paths in the game and just laugh when Kubo would die from a shallow pit because it looked funny! I think the game’s short length helps to lessen this irritation as well, despite having to start over from the beginning after death.

More Gameplay Advancements

Another advancement over the first game is that this one also has hazards that you have to tackle, such as spears that jut out from the wall. Additionally, KUBO 2 has a few screens of easy platforming challenges to contend with. Finally, there’s not really any adventure element in this game. Sure, you can collect items in the game, however, they don’t seem to serve any purpose other than changing a number on your status bar.

Still, I found the gameplay to be competent enough and significantly more interesting to play than the first title.

Music and Sound Effects

I will say that the music can be a bit grating. Even so, part of me kind of liked it, so that’s good. However, sound effects haven’t changed much from the previous game. As such, they didn’t add much to the game.

Summary

Essentially, as my kids and I played KUBO 2, I was pleased with the game’s greater sense of exploration with multiple routes and additional gameplay mechanics such as hazards and platforming. Plus, the locations that you traveled through were somewhat interesting.

The main areas where I didn’t see much improvement were in the sound effects and graphics. Yet, I felt that Kubo’s animations were kind of funny, so that is a plus. My kids laughed when the little cowboy turtle suddenly fell upside down after falling in a pit.

Admittedly, ranking this game as mixed isn’t impressive, but that is still an improvement over the first game. As such, I am glad to give it a higher ranking than its predecessor.

I hope I can give the third game in the series a better rating as well!

Note: Links to free roms of Kubo 1 and 2 can be found in this blog post. The one who posted the message was one of the developers.

If you’d like, you can read my review of KUBO 1 here, or maybe Alien Cat, which is a single-screen puzzle platformer available on Steam.

Title: KUBO 2
Genre: Action Platformer
Year Released: 2019
Developer: SJ Games
Available On: NES and Evercade hardware.
Price Paid: Free, as a hidden game available on Evercade systems. See links to the roms above.

Remember, we can have different opinions about the games we play. If you like something more (or less) than I do, both of our perspectives are valid.