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 The Goonies II is the sequel to The Goonies, which was released for
the Famicom but sadly not for the NES.
The original Goonies game was based off of the Steven Spielberg
produced 1985 kids classic of the same name. The movie featured Mikey and the rest
of his gang known as The Goonies, who were on a mission to save their
subdivision from demolishment by finding One-Eyed Willie’s treasure with
a map that Mikey found in his attic.
Along the way they must keep one step ahead of the vile Fratelli
gang who is also after the treasure.
The original Goonies game released for the Famicom follows this
plot somewhat as you must avoid the Fratellis while making it through six
stages saving one Goonie at a time finally ending up at One-Eyed Willie’s
pirate ship.
In 1987, Konami released The
Goonies II and transformed the game from a simple platformer to a
complex adventure game. The
interesting this is that Konami did this while keeping the look and basic
gameplay virtually the same as its predecessor. You still star as Mikey, and you still
must save your six fellow Goonies who have all been captured by the
Fratelli Gang. This time around
though, you must also save a mermaid named Annie after you have
discovered all six Goonies. How
Konami came up with Annie, we’ll never know because she has no relation
to The Goonies…
Konami clearly used the 1986 classics The Legend of Zelda and Metroid
as their template when they made this game. When the game begins you are armed with
only a yo-yo. Mikey will find
various items throughout the game that will help him in his journey such
as glasses, a  candle,
a diving suit, a ladder, a raincoat and a bulletproof vest. Some items are absolutely necessary to
find the missing Goonies while other items will merely help you take less
damage along the way. What really
makes this game tricky is that there are tons of doors throughout the
game that you must enter. Upon
entering a door the game turns into a 3D style dungeon crawler. You have to decide which direction to
walk in and must hit walls, ceilings and floors to discover hidden
passages and items. There are many
warp zones throughout the game that will take you to different
areas. You will get lost
repeatedly throughout this game just like in Metroid and will have to go through many different terrains
including volcanoes, jungles and the deep blue sea.
This game turns off many people initially because it is a large game
and is a little confusing at first but if you stick with it you find that
The Goonies II is probably the
closest the NES ever came to a Metroid
sequel and is a very enjoyable game in its own right.
Positives:
The Goonies II has a lot going
for it. It consists of a decently
large world that is very easy to get lost in. You have a lot of items to find on your
quest along with some cool power-ups.
You will not beat this game quickly your first time through so
Konami even provided you with passwords to  let
you pick up where you left off. The
controls are decent and you are not punished very severely when you die,
which allows you to feel free to explore without having to be overly
concerned with your energy supply.
Glaring
Negatives:
While it can be nice that there isn’t much of a punishment for dying,
it also takes away a bit of the challenge to the game. The graphics are also decent for a 1987
release but definitely nothing special.
It is cool that the game provides an onscreen map but the warp
zones are so frequent that it makes it virtually impossible to be able to
really map out where you are going on your quest and the map doesn’t mark
where you have already been. It is
also strange that you have to save a mermaid that had no role in the actual
Goonies film.
Graphics
and Sound: Good
While the graphics are only average, this game sports one heck of a
soundtrack. The main theme is
Cyndi Lauper’s excellent “Goonies ‘R’ Good Enough”. The rest of the themes in the game are
pretty fun as well and the variety makes it all work.
Gameplay
and Controls: Solid
 There
are a few annoying things like that you can’t jump off of ladders or
shoot while you’re on one but for the most part the game runs
smoothly. You can pick up
different shoes that allow you to move super fast or jump really high
depending on what style you prefer.
There are also a few weapons to choose from including a slingshot
or boomerang. The rooms that you
enter can be very confusing at first but it is very easy to figure out
all the possible moves in each room.
There aren’t many better feelings on the NES then when you
discover a Goonie hidden away in a room!
Features:
Password
When you die three times the game offers you a password to write
down. The password is somewhat
long with 0s and Os along with quotation marks and other punctuation
marks that make it a bit easy to screw up.
Fun?: Definitely
It may be a little frustrating at first but once you get the hang of
it you will be addicted to the great theme song until you have saved all
six of your Goonie pals as well as the strange mermaid named Annie.
Challenge:
Tough
The Goonies II is not an
easy game. Once you know where
everything is, of course, the game is simple but your first time through
can be quite a headache.
Replay:
Not Much
Once you know where everything is the game loses a lot of its
appeal. Although, I must confess
that I have played through this game numerous times, always waiting until
I only have a vague memory of where stuff is.
2
Player: None
Not an option here.
Online
Manual?: Yes at Nintendo Age
You can find all the NES manuals
at Nintendo
Age.
Bottom Line: The closest to a Metroid sequel
on the NES
The Goonies II is an
extremely underrated gem that will be appreciated by anyone who gives it
a chance. It is an adventure game
spiced with a little bit of dungeon crawler. The Cyndi Lauper tune really makes this
game shine!
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